UK Ad Spend to Rise 5.9% in 2024; US Trade Regulator Launches Inquiry into AI Partnerships; Apple’s Changes to iOS in Europe

by Aimee Newell Tarín on 29th Jan 2024 in News

On today’s ExchangeWire digest: UK Ad Spend to Rise 5.9% in 2024; US Trade Regulator Launches Inquiry into AI Partnerships; Apple’s Changes to iOS in Europe

UK ad spend is expected to grow by 5.9% in 2024, forecast figures from the latest Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report. Last year’s Q3 saw ad growth of 15.9%, up considerably from just 1% the previous quarter. Search and online display were the highest growing categories, with year-on-year growth at 23.7% and 24.8% respectively. TV fell 3%, although its BVOD segment rose 28.4%.

In the realm of big tech, the Federal Trade Commission (FTO) – the US trade regulator – has launched an inquiry into investments and partnerships made by the biggest players in the generative AI landscape. Companies under investigation include Google parent company Alphabet, Amazon, Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The inquiry will investigate the authority and rights of the tech giants’ investment in the AI companies, scrutinising whether the deals undermine fair competition.

Staying in the orbit of big tech, Apple has announced the changes it will be incorporating to iOS in Europe, in order to comply with the European Commission's Digital Market’s Act which has a compliance deadline of 6th March 2024. Changes include new options for distributing iOS apps from alternative marketplaces, and new frameworks and APIs for alternative browser engines, among others. Apple will also be introducing a ‘Core Technology Fee’, which appears intended to ensure the tech giant can continue to profit even when developers step outside of its walled garden.