This week, regulators turned up the pressure on some of the biggest names in tech, as ChatGPT faced new EU oversight, Amazon was hit with an advertising lawsuit, and Google secured a major win in its long-running ad tech battle. 

In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss OOH advertising revenue surging 12.7% in Q2 2026 and JioHotstar taking its streaming service global.

Google scored a significant victory after a judge rejected the DOJ’s push to force the company to spin off its network advertising business. Google will still face changes to its ad operations, but the ruling stops short of the structural breakup sought by the government.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has officially joined Google in the EU’s regulatory crosshairs. The European Commission has classified the chatbot as a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act, subjecting it to stricter obligations around transparency, risk management and platform accountability. 

The courts, meanwhile, delivered a mixed week for Big Tech. The US FTC sued Amazon over allegations that it manipulated advertising prices on its retail platform, claiming the practice generated tens of billions of dollars in additional revenue over seven years. 

In Europe, Opera lost its challenge against the EU’s decision to exempt Microsoft Edge from stricter DMA requirements, with the court agreeing that Edge did not constitute a significant gateway for businesses to reach users.

While regulation dominated the headlines, the advertising market itself showed plenty of momentum. Australia’s internet advertising sector had its strongest financial year since 2022, growing 14% to AUD$19.8bn in FY26, according to IAB Australia.