This week, the advertising and media industries faced a fresh wave of disruption, from sweeping layoffs and changing consumer habits to AI reshaping how brands get discovered and publishers reach audiences. 

In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss the DOJ scrutinising Fox’s $22bn Roku deal, the US warning the UK over its plan to boost public service news on social media, and Grab eyeing a majority stake in Atome.

The Trade Desk is undergoing a major strategic reset, cutting around 15% of its global workforce, or roughly 575 roles. CEO Jeff Green framed the move as a reallocation of resources rather than a response to financial difficulties, pointing to the company’s USD$1.5bn (£1.12bn) cash position and lack of debt. The cuts coincided with The Trade Desk’s removal from the S&P 500, although there is no disclosed connection between the two events.

Meanwhile, brands are beginning to rethink what visibility means in an AI-driven search environment. John Lewis is launching a new online chatshow and social media studio, with its Gift List vodcast set to appear on YouTube and across other social platforms. 

Regulators are also turning their attention to how algorithms shape what people see online. Australia is preparing legislation that would give users the option to switch off algorithmic social media feeds, with platforms including Meta, Google and TikTok potentially facing significant penalties for non-compliance. 

At the same time, new IPA research offers a glimpse into how those experiences are already changing. British adults now consume 44% of their commercial media alone, rising to 46% among 16-34-year-olds. 

Elsewhere, the UK advertising industry saw a notable shake-up as M+C Saatchi’s planned management buyout in Australia and New Zealand collapsed following due diligence, ending months of negotiations. And in AI, Anthropic caused a stir by releasing its latest Mythos 5.1 model without giving the UK’s AI Security Institute pre-release access, breaking with the company’s previous practice of allowing the safety body to test its frontier models ahead of launch.