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The WIR: EU Considers Digital Ad Tax Amid Trade Wars, People Magazine Launches a TikTok-Like App, and Havas Reports Q1 Growth

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April 12, 2025

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In this week’s Week in Review: Ursula von der Leyen floats a tax on digital ad revenues amid trade wars, People Magazine launched a TikTok-style app, and Havas reports growth in Q1.

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EU Considers Digital Ad Tax Amid Trade Wars

The European Union is considering a range of measures in response to the tariffs introduced by US president Donald Trump, including a tax on digital ad revenues which would target the US tech giants, the European Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen told the Financial Times this week.

The EU is prioritising reaching a deal with Washington during the 90 day pause on higher tariffs rates announced by Trump earlier in the week, according to von der Leyen. But she said the trading bloc is developing a wide range of countermeasures in case those negotiations fail, which could include taxes on trade in services. “An example is you could put a levy on the advertising revenues of digital services,” she told the Financial Times.

Such a move would obviously impact the likes of Meta, Google, and Amazon, all of which bring in substantial revenues from digital advertising. From von der Leyen’s wording however, it’s not clear whether pure play advertising companies could also be hit by such a tax.

Dotdash Meredith Launches its Own TikTok-Like App

People Magazine, the celebrity news and lifestyle publisher owned by media holding group Dotdash Meredith, this week launched its own TikTok-like scrollable app. While publishers are finding significant reach on third-party social apps, bringing those audiences back into owned-and-operated environments is generally challenging — People’s new app looks designed to offer a social-media style experience, but one which it controls and operates itself.

The app uses a vertical scrolling format, and leans heavily on video and images, with original content produced specifically for the app. The publisher says it has commissioned multiple exclusive video series for the app, including a new docuseries based in the People Magazine offices. The publisher has signed up e.l.f. Beauty as its launch sponsor.

The test will be whether the app can build a strong and consistent audience. While publishers would generally prefer to keep audiences on their own properties, finding reach is easier on third-party platforms which users are already engaging with. People Magazine has a large audience of over 200 million visitors per month, according to Press Gazette, but how big a slice of that audience will consistently log on to the new app remains to be seen.

Havas Grows in Q1 with Close Eye on Tariff Impacts

Havas has made “a good start to 2025”, according to the French agency group’s Q1 2025 results, reporting net revenue growth of 2.1 percent YoY. The agency saw particularly strong organic growth in Latin America (+16.6 percent) and North America (+3.2 percent), but was flat in Europe (-0.2 percent), particularly weighed down in the UK.

The company also confirmed its full-year guidance of 2 percent net revenue organic growth, and adjusted EBIT margin between 12.5 and 13.5 percent. Havas added that it has yet to observe any impact from the new US trade tariffs, but “is monitoring the situation closely and remains fully committed to supporting its clients during this time.”

“We continue to focus on the Group’s development, through the global roll-out of our ‘Converged’ strategy and operating system – which is powered by the best data, tech and AI – the expansion of our capacity in high-growth sectors, and an unwavering commitment to creative excellence,” said Havas CEO and Chairman Yannick Bolloré. “We are therefore confirming our objectives for 2025, while keeping a close eye on the global geopolitical and economic situation, in order to respond quickly and effectively, supporting our clients and teams in this context.”

The Week in Tech

EU Considers GDPR Cutbacks

The European Commission is planning to present a proposal to cut back the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the next couple of weeks, Politico reported last week, as part of efforts to cut red tape that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sees as holding back European businesses from competing with rivals in the US and China. The Commission has said the proposals would focus on reporting requirements for organisations with less than 500 people, but will keep the core objective of GDPR intact. “We don’t need to regulate in a stupid way,” said Caroline Stage Olsen, Digital Minister of Denmark. “We need to make it easy for businesses and for companies to comply.”

European Consumers Recognise Value of Ad-Supported Internet Finds IAB Europe

The average European consumer receives €212 worth of free online services per month, according to new research from IAB Europe, and 60 percent of consumers believe a “pay or consent” model is reasonable when they understand the value exchange involved. The survey, conducted by Kantar, led to new policy recommendations from the trade body, including safeguarding free access to a wide range of high-quality services for consumers, and preserving the existing legislative framework for personalised advertising. 

“This study highlights that, seven years after the GDPR went into effect, EU consumers show good levels of awareness that the law gives them rights and choices, places obligations on the companies that process their data, and provides for sanctions in case of non-compliance,” said IAB Europe CEO Townsend Feehan. “This is how GDPR was supposed to work – empowering users to make choices on the basis of information, with a high baseline level of data protection. This said, the survey shows frustration with the daily experience of trying to exercise choice, concern about whether the rules are being effectively enforced, and a gap between consumers’ abstract preference for relevant ads and their recall of ads that actually were. So clearly, there are some important go-dos for both industry and regulators.”

Yahoo in Talks to Sell DSP

Yahoo is looking to offload its demand-side platform, Yahoo DSP, Digiday reported on Thursday. According to the report, the US company has held talks with investment banks and potential buyers for the DSP. Yahoo has been reducing its ad tech business since its acquisition by Apollo Global in 2021, and shuttered its sell-side platform in 2023, weeks after the company signed a long-term partnership with Taboola to provide native advertising across Yahoo’s digital properties.

Trump Extends TikTok Sale Deadline Again

Donald Trump has granted TikTok a second 75-day extension to find a buyer in the US, as the deadline from his previous extension passed without a deal in place. Several potential buyers for the short-form video company have emerged in the last few weeks, including Amazon and AppLovin. “There are key matters to be resolved,” said a spokesperson from current owner ByteDance. “Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law.”

Origin Appoints Methodology Auditors

Origin, the UK cross-media measurement initiative from ISBA, has appointed three auditing bodies to evaluate the solution’s methodology. Pure X Media, an audience measurement validation specialist, has been awarded the contract for auditing the Origin single-source panel; ABC, an industry-owned auditor, will evaluate the Virtual ID model deployment; and Milton Data, a media and marketing analytics business, will assess the campaign reach and frequency implementation. “We had strong interest in our audit RFPs from a range of industry practitioners, and selected Pure X Media, ABC and Milton Data based on the considerable experience and expertise that they each bring to meet our needs,” said Origin CEO Tom George. “We look forward to starting the audit process with each company and delivering the trust and transparency that the industry expects from the Origin solution.”

Ogury Launches Client-Facing Platform for Privacy-Safe Targeting

Ogury, an ad tech firm specialising in data and privacy solutions, has launched a new client-facing platform called Ogury One. The tool grants brands and agencies direct access to Ogury’s Personified Advertising solution, which targets personas based on anonymised groups categorised by common attributes, interests and purchase intentions, instead of tracking individuals. “Ogury One is a ground-breaking user-friendly tool that simplifies campaign management while delivering unprecedented on-target performance and scale for brands and agencies,” said Ogury CPO Stephane Dupayage. “They can now seamlessly orchestrate their Personified Advertising campaigns with complete control – whether through our robust platform or API integrations.”

Smartclip Brings BEE’s TV Measurement to Smartx SSP

RTL’s smartclip unit has announced the integration of BEE, a deterministic TV measurement solution, into its smartx ad server and SSP. Developed by smartclip’s subsidiary Realytics, BEE measures audience viewership and ad performance across linear, connected and addressable TV. The measurement solution is initially available within smartx in Germany, before being rolled out to other European markets during Q2.

Nexxen Launches TVI in Germany for Cross-Channel Activation 

Nexxen, a CTV ad tech firm, has announced the launch of its TV Intelligence (TVI) solution in Germany. TVI enables advertisers to activate and optimise their campaigns across linear and digital channels, according to Nexxen, using automatic content recognition (ACR) data to achieve incremental reach. The solution will also aid German advertisers with frequency capping and competitive conquesting, the company said.

Snap Launches GenAI Ad Format

Snapchat has launched a new generative AI-based ad format called Sponsored AI Lenses, whereby users can enter “unique brand moments”, such as changing their hairstyle or trying on runway looks. Snap said the format boosts daily impressions by 25-45 percent, while the use of GenAI eliminates the need for 3D and VFX design to help cut production timelines. “Due to the immersive nature of the format, Snapchatters spent more time engaging with Sponsored AI Lenses compared to standard Lenses,” the company added.

The Week in TV

Paramount-Skydance Merger Gets 90-Day Extension Awaiting FCC Approval

The deadline for the $8 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media has been automatically extended for 90 days, under terms agreed by both parties to extend the deadline if a final agreement was not in place by 7th April. The proposed merger has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and European Commission, but is still awaiting approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). And FCC Chair Brendan Carr has said the agency would block merger proposals from companies practicing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and would also investigate a “news distortion” complaint brought against Paramount-owned CBS by a conservative watchdog.

ProSieben Enlists Morgan Stanley to Advise on MFE Takeover Bid

ProSiebenSat.1 has lined up “defence advisers” in response to the takeover bid launched by its largest shareholder MFE, according to Reuters. The report suggests the German broadcaster has enlisted Morgan Stanley, among others, to advise on MFE’s bid for the shares of ProSieben it does not already own. Last week the Berlusconi-owned media group confirmed it was offering the minimum price allowed under German law.

TF1 PUB Extends Reworld Media Segments to Addressable TV

TF1 PUB, the French broadcaster’s sales house, has expanded its partnership with Reworld Media, whose thematic media offering powers targeting capabilities on the TF1+ streaming service. The agreement extends the data partnership to segmented TV, providing targeting segments across various strategic verticals via Reworld Media brands, which include Marmiton, Doctissimo, Maison & Travaux, Les Numériques, Auto Plus, and Sciences & Vie. “This strategic partnership with TF1 PUB allows it to offer advertisers precise and diversified targeting, across a wide spectrum of themes: cooking, health, high tech, automotive, home, gaming, fashion, lifestyle, etc,” said the sales house.

Disney Extends Programmatic Offerings to Canada, Latin America and EMEA

Disney Advertising has extended its biddable and programmatic offerings to Canada, Latin America and EMEA, the entertainment giant announced on Tuesday. The company’s proprietary Audience Graph is now available in select EMEA regions, while its DSP integrations with The Trade Desk, StackAdapt and Google’s Display & Video 360, as well as SSP Magnite, are now available in Canada. Disney has also made its private marketplaces and preferred deals accessible in Canada, while programmatic guaranteed deals, across both VOD and live inventory, are rolling out in select LATAM regions through Display & Video 360.

BBC Nordic Joins Viaplay’s Advertising Portfolio in Sweden

BBC Studios and Viaplay Group have extended their advertising partnership to Sweden, granting Swedish advertisers access to the BBC Nordic channel. Already in place in Norway, the partnership adds BBC Nordic to Viaplay Group Sweden’s linear channel portfolio, which also includes TV3, TV6, TV8, TV10 and the partner channel History. “Extending our partnership with Viaplay Group in Sweden provides a premium environment for brands to sit alongside the broad, unmissable content offering available on the BBC Nordic channel,” said Bram Husken, SVP & GM Benelux & Nordics at BBC Studios. “BBC Nordic has seen exceptional growth since launching in 2023, which is a testament to the breadth of inspiring stories, feel-good entertainment, and innovative content available on the channel.”

The Week for Publishers

Daily Mail Owner Signs Content Deal with Storied Media Group

The Daily Mail & General Trust, owner of the Daily Mail and New Scientist, has agreed a licensing deal with Storied Media Group, which sells curated IP to studios. DMGT says that working with SMG, it aims to create branded shows and series across a number of categories, while also licensing individual stories to producers. DMG Media chief commercial officer Vere Harmsworth said the agreement is an opportunity to reach a broader audience and expand the publisher’s international reach.

G/O Media Sells Quartz and The Inventory

Digital media group G/O Media has sold two of its remaining titles, Quartz and The Inventory, to software firm Redbrick, Axios reported this week. Redbrick intends to use technology from its other holdings to scale the publications, according to Axios. The sale means G/O Media, which once owned a wide range of popular digital publications, now only owns The Root and Kotaku, having sold titles including Gizmodo, The Onion, Life Hacker, Jezebel, The A.V. Club, and Deadspin.

The Independent Sees Continued Growth in US Audience

UK newspaper The Independent’s US audience was up 28 percent year-on-year in February, reaching 33.7 million unique visitors, according to Comscore data. “Our continued US growth underscores the demand for trusted, high-quality journalism,” said Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of The Independent. “As more readers turn to The Independent US for unbiased reporting, we remain committed to expanding our reach and impact.”

SocialChain Acquires The Fifth from News UK

SocialChain, a social strategy and creative practice owned by Brave Bison, has acquired influencer marketing business The Fifth from News UK. The Fifth was founded by the news business in 2019, and has delivered campaigns for brands including YouTube, UKTV, Fox Entertainment, and Tommee Tippee. As part of the deal, News UK will take a strategic investment in Brave Bison, becoming one of its ten largest shareholders.

HELLO! Launches Branded Content Studio

Lifestyle and celebrity news magazine HELLO! and sister publication H Fashion have launched a new branded content studio called Studio H. The publishers say Studio H will draw on the two magazine brands’ engagement data and understanding of their audiences to create content for partner brands. “We understand what today’s brands need through the platforms with which they connect to their audience, underpinned by our trust-worthy and influential heritage,” said chief revenue officer Tamsyn Spires.

Future Launches Social-First Renting Focused Publication ROOMS

UK specialist publisher Future has announced the launch of a new social-based publication called ROOMS, which is aimed at renters under 35. “We’re tapping into pop culture, social media trends, and the everyday realities of renting to create content that’s not just helpful, but actually entertaining,” said Emilie Mendham, editor of ROOMS.

India, APNews, and Substack Top News Site Growth in March

Indian news website India.com, AP News, and Substack were the three fastest growing major news sites globally in March, according to Press Gazette’s analysis of Similarweb data. India’s traffic was up just under 86 percent year-on-year, while AP News grew 63.7 percent, and Substack grew by 54 percent. Reuters, Politico, CBC, ABC News, The Hill, CNBC, and the Wall Street Journal rounded out the top ten.

The Week for Brands & Agencies

UK Government says Junk Food Ad Ban Shouldn’t Affect Brand Campaigns

UK health minister Ashley Dalton this week issued a written ministerial statement stating that the UK’s incoming restrictions for unhealthy foods and drinks shouldn’t affect brand campaigns which don’t depict any unhealthy products. Both the previous Conservative government and current Labour government had openly stated that brand campaigns would be exempted from the restrictions, which will ban junk food ads before 9pm on TV, and ban them completely online. But the ASA in its published guidance has warned that the wording of the legislation itself doesn’t appear to provide this exemption, meaning a rewrite of the law may be required if the ASA doesn’t change its interpretation.

Dentsu Joins EU AI Pact

Agency group Dentsu this week announced it has joined the EU AI Pact, a voluntary initiative created by the European Commission which promotes responsible AI practices. Dentsu claims to be the first advertising holding company to sign the pact, and says it signals the company’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical practices in its AI solutions. Dentsu says its commitments through the pact focus on three key areas:

1. AI Governance: Building on existing governance constructs to ensure our processes, policies and systems ensure responsible AI use and compliance with regulations.
2. High-Risk Mapping: Identifying, analysing and managing all higher risk AI use cases.
3. AI Literacy: Rolling out organisation-wide training programs, including a mandatory module in May 2025, in partnership with the AI Connective and its Live Learning Enablement Programme, to equip employees with holistic AI skills.

Havas Acquires Healthcare Specialist FMad

French agency holdco Havas this week announced it has acquired FMad, a healthcare specialist agency, for an undisclosed fee. FMad will be integrated into Havas Health, and it will remain under the leadership of founder Frédéric Maillard. Havas says the move is part of a growth strategy aimed at enhancing the group’s expertise to meet the increasingly demanding needs of stakeholders in the health and wellness industry.

Twitch Dropped from X Lawsuit

Live streaming service Twitch has been dropped as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by X, which accuses a number of advertisers of conspiring illegally to boycott the social platform. X said in a filing seen by Reuters that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Twitch and agreed to drop the case against Twitch specifically, providing it meets certain conditions by the end of this year.

Dentsu Research Finds 80 Percent of Brits say Economy is in Bad Shape

Eighty percent of Brits say the economy is in a poor state, with 26 percent describing the current economy as “terrible”, according to research released this week by Dentsu. Dentsu’s Consumer Navigator Report also found that 46 percent of those surveyed have struggled to afford necessities like food, utilities, and rent or mortgage payments in the last 30 days. “As spending habits shift, brands must balance sensitivity to these financial pressures with a steadfast focus on their long-term marketing strategies, ensuring they remain positioned to drive future growth while addressing immediate consumer needs,” said Annette Male, CEO UK&I at Dentsu.

UNICEF USA Chooses Brainlabs as Media Agency of Record

UNICEF USA has chosen independent marketing group Brainlabs as its media agency of record, Adweek reported this week, taking over from performance marketing agency Delve. Brainlabs’ duties will include data, paid search, paid social, programmatic, strategy and planning, and SEO, according to Adweek.

Hires of the Week

Vudoo Appoints News Corp’s Paul Blackburn as CSO

Vudoo, an advertising commerce technology firm, has named Paul Blackburn as Chief Strategy Officer. Blackburn has over 25 years of experience in digital media, most recently serving as Director of Commercial Data and eCommerce at News Corp Australia. His new role will involve scaling the adoption of commerce-driven ad solutions and expanding the company’s key partnerships, according to Vudoo.

BritBox, See It Differently

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