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Social media usage in the country was low, ranking 13th in the region with a penetration rate of 97.0%. That figure may be low comparatively, but social media was still a ubiquitous source of media, and penetration grew 0.4 percentage points YoY. Device Ownership. Tablet ownership rates in Germany were the highest of all 49 countries covered in this year’s GMI Report.

TikTok is laying off hundreds of UK staff as it shifts moderation to AI, with more than 85% of takedowns now automated. The cuts, part of a global restructuring, come as the UK’s Online Safety Act pressures platforms to strengthen oversight. Industry peers are also pivoting—Meta and X have scaled back fact-checking while Reddit, Pinterest, and Snapchat adopt varying models of control. Yet user sentiment runs counter: Most want more human oversight, not less, with strong demand for fact-checkers, privacy, and quality control. The divergence raises brand-safety questions as advertisers weigh cost efficiencies against consumer trust.

Social video’s momentum continues as advertisers direct the majority of their social network budgets toward it. Lines are continuing to blur between streaming platforms and social networks, especially as the latter increases its emphasis on video.

The news: Global influencer marketing is booming, with spending increasing over $8 billion this year to reach $32.55 billion, per a Later report—and smaller tier influencers are leading the charge. In an exclusive interview with Ä¢¹½AV, founder of creator company HYDP Thomas Markland discussed what trends are driving the shift and why smaller creators are making waves. Our take: As advertisers lose confidence in traditional media and creators proliferate across platforms, influencer marketing will continue making strides and driving the way forward for brands—especially those who are cost-conscious amid economic uncertainty.

The news: Advertisers are increasing investment in up-and-coming digital advertising channels as the shift away from traditional continues, per a DoubleVerify study. Social media maintains the highest level of investment among North American marketers. Seventy-nine percent are already investing, while 19% have plans to. Our take: High-performing traditional ad formats are being overlooked because they’re harder to measure—but optimizing for attribution over outcomes could come at a cost.

If social media is a digital shopping mall, genAI assistants are personal shoppers. As AI gains ground, it could disrupt established social shopping behaviors.

The news: Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled that social media platforms must be held accountable for illegal user-generated content (UGC), marking a major shift in digital regulation, per Reuters. Six of 11 justices backed fines for non-removal, putting the pressure on platforms to police their content. The decision to place accountability on platform owners could undermine the business and advertising strategies of Meta, YouTube, X, and TikTok. Key takeaway: When governments crack down on platforms, ad environments change fast. If Brazil’s ruling becomes the norm, social platforms may shift from open forums to tightly controlled spaces—risking user engagement, discoverability, algorithmic reach, and ad effectiveness.

Social media usage in Croatia was nearly universal. Almost all (99.5%) respondents reported using social media. This surpassed the regional average of 98.0% and makes Croatia No.1 in the region. Smart home product ownership was 19.3%, No. 1 in the region. It surpassed the regional average by 5 percentage points and was more in line with countries in Western Europe. The Czech Republic.

Gen X consumers will spend $15.2 trillion worldwide this year, the highest of any generation, according to NielsenIQ.

TikTok will see healthy user growth this year in the US, even as its future remains unclear. User time spent on the app is falling YoY, but it still leads other social networks. However, it’s facing more competition from Instagram and YouTube.

Top-line time spent with media will grow very little in the US going forward, making it essential to identify which formats and platforms are winning the newly zero-sum competition for consumer attention.

Indonesia was No. 2 in the region for social media usage at 99.4%. This is higher than the regional average of 98%. It also ranked No. 2 in the region for using any of the 49 named social networks (98.7%) and any of the 17 named messaging services (98.2%).

After two decades of social media usage, millennials are outgrowing the need to constantly post about their lives. But platforms like Facebook and Instagram still play a central role in keeping them connected to their communities and learning about current events: 48% get their news from social media, according to a July 2024 YouGov report.

The news: As the NFL season approaches and digital video becomes a sports destination, fans are looking to new streaming services to stay caught up—and 35% are planning to subscribe to a new service to watch fall and winter sports, per CivicScience data. Our take: Sports will remain a key opportunity for brands to reach engaged and passionate audiences—but as fragmentation worsens, advertisers must prioritize cross-platform strategies that unlock consistent exposure.

The news: A report from DoubleVerify unveiled insights on the state of the digital ad landscape as audiences and brands go digital-first. More than three-quarters (77%) say short-form vertical videos (think Reels) perform better than marketers’ campaign baselines, while 75% say the same for social media feeds, 69% for connected TV (CTV), 67% for commerce media networks, and 58% for audio and podcasts. Our take: As time spent with digital grows, advertisers are pushed to invest—but with ad blockers and brand safety remaining concerns, advertisers must rethink how they earn attention and invest in meaningful, trustworthy, and well-placed experiences.