In today’s Digest, Nine and Paramount-Ten’s ad sales merger talks, Perplexity’s decision to pause new ad sign-ups, and the European Commission’s review of child safety on major platforms as UK MPs call to probe job cuts to TikTok’s content moderation team.

Nine, Paramount-Ten in talks on ad sales merger

Paramount’s Ten and Nine are exploring a unified advertising sales strategy, which would see Nine managing Ten’s free-to-air and digital ad revenue streams. Paramount’s leadership is reportedly pushing for Ten to merge its ad sales with another media entity, citing survival as a key motivator. This move is in response to a broader industry concern: global tech giants like Google, Meta, Amazon, and TikTok continuing to erode local media’s share of the advertising market. 

While this proposal could extend beyond mere ad coordination, its success hinges on the networks abandoning the notion that they can compete independently against the scale and technological prowess of global platforms. Regulatory constraints also pose a significant challenge to such collaboration.

Perplexity halts ad signups

AI search startup Perplexity has halted the onboarding of new advertisers. The decision, announced during Advertising Week in New York by Jessica Chan, head of publisher partnerships, reflects a strategic recalibration rather than a retreat. 

While the company previously tested campaigns with Whole Foods, Indeed, and Universal McCann, it now appears wary of overwhelming users or compromising the platform’s integrity too soon. The shift also mirrors a broader industry trend of advertisers are pivoting away from performance-driven search ads toward brand-building strategies, a space Perplexity may explore in the future.

The company is however not abandoning monetisation altogether. Instead, it’s doubling down on its publisher program, which has quietly become a cornerstone of its revenue model. 

EU reviews kids’ safety on major platforms; UK MPs urged to probe TikTok content moderation job cuts 

The European Commission has intensified its scrutiny of major digital platforms, Snapchat, YouTube, the Apple App Store, and Google Play over their protections for minors under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Officials are demanding detailed disclosures on age verification systems and safeguards against minors accessing illegal products like drugs and vapes, as well as harmful content. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen emphasised that the review, conducted in coordination with national authorities, aims to assess whether current measures genuinely protect children online.

In response, Google stated it has implemented “robust” parental controls and age-appropriate experiences across its platforms, and pledged to continue working with the Commission on this issue. 

Meanwhile, TikTok is facing mounting pressure from trade unions and online safety advocates over its plan to cut 439 content moderation jobs in London. The Trades Union Congress, Communication Workers Union, and prominent safety experts have signed an open letter to MP Chi Onwurah, chair of the science, innovation and technology committee, urging a formal investigation. The letter warns that the redundancies could severely undermine protections for children, especially given that an estimated 1.4 million UK TikTok users are under 13. 

Among those backing the letter are Ian Russell, father of Molly Russell, Arturo Bejar, and LSE professor Sonia Livingstone. The group calls for legislative action to prevent the erosion of human-led moderation and protect workers’ rights.