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The news: As generative AI (genAI) use grows, many office workers are using AI without employers鈥� knowledge, per Ivanti鈥檚 2025 Technology at Work Report. 42% of employees in the US, the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, and France are using AI at work, a 61.5% increase YoY. However, 32% are keeping their use of those tools a secret from employers.

Our take: Regulators and lawmakers now have a stronger case to probe TikTok鈥檚 compliance posture鈥攅specially as similar investigations unfold in the US, the UK, and Australia. Persistent privacy problems could accelerate urgency for creators, users, and advertisers to seek alternatives or at least diversify to other platforms, like Instagram or YouTube.

Google鈥檚 retreat is less a pivot than a stall caused by mounting regulatory scrutiny from the US Department of Justice, UK Competition Markets Authority, and others. Cookies may stick around longer than expected, but that doesn鈥檛 change consumer sentiment or legislative momentum, which both continue to trend toward greater data transparency and control.

The tough situation hasn鈥檛 gone unnoticed; the fast fashion retailer is reportedly under pressure to slash its UK IPO valuation to around $30 billion, which is less than a third of its $100 billion peak in 2022. Our take: There鈥檚 no silver bullet for Shein鈥檚 current challenges.

European regulators continue to pressure the company on cloud bundling practices, and the UK recently flagged Microsoft鈥檚 cloud licensing as a competitive concern. Microsoft has weathered regulatory storms before. It leans on its diversified business model that encompasses enterprise software, cloud, gaming, and LinkedIn, which all generate strong cash flows.

Global favorability of the US fell about 20 points from January into March, per Morning Consult Intelligence, with views from Canada down 44 points, France 33 points, and the UK 31 points. Overseas buyers are deliberately avoiding US products, the firm said.

There are about 1,755 FAST services available across the US, UK, Canada, and Germany as of early May, up 17% since June 2024 and 67% since June 2023, per Gracenote. Several FAST channels are experiencing notable growth. Viewership for The Roku Channel is up 67%, Tubi is up 21%, and Pluto TV is up 15%, according to Nielsen. Overall FAST viewers are growing steadily.

Bloomberg reports that construction slowdowns in Ohio, the UK, and Southeast Asia are linked to rising material costs and tariff-related uncertainty. These pullbacks, while described as demand-aligned, may also reflect growing industry concerns over AI overcapacity. Our take: Microsoft is proving that it鈥檚 more than a one-note cloud player.

The company also reported expanded adoption of Unified ID 2.0 across Japan, Italy, and the UK, and additional publisher integrations via OpenPath, including Warner Bros. Discovery and The Guardian. By the numbers:. Revenues: $616 million, up 25% YoY (vs. $575 million expected). Customer retention: Held above 95% for the 11th straight year.

It launched in the UK in November and said that early results are consistent with its expectations. Affirm will soon begin testing with Shopify in the UK, its first enterprise partner in the market. The BNPL provider also expanded into medications for the first time through a partnership with GoodRx.

For example, Affirm expanded its tie-up with Shopify in the UK and Canada, and Klarna partnered with Worldpay, JPMorgan Payments, and Adobe Commerce. Both firms have also partnered with Apple Pay and Google Pay. But individual partnerships are still important if BNPL players want to reach larger merchants like Stitch Fix.

The feature will roll out to Android users in the US, the UK, Australia, Spain, and Poland in the coming weeks. The bigger picture: Google Wallet previously added tap to pay support for its kid-focused Fitbit Ace LTE through partnerships with Greenlight and Acorns. And it鈥檚 not the only mobile wallet to launch kid- and teen-oriented payment features.

The British luxury label reported a smaller-than-expected drop during the holiday quarter, fueled by recovery in the Americas. Global comparable store sales fell 4% YoY, outpacing the consensus estimate for a 12% decline. Buoyant performance in the Americas, where comparable sales rose 4%, helped offset a 9% decline in the Asia Pacific region and a 2% drop in EMEIA.

It trails only China (85.9%), the UK (85.0%), and the US (82.2%). But Canada is No. 14 worldwide for mobile鈥檚 share of digital. Annual growth rates for digital have settled in the single digits annually after soaring for more than a decade. We still expect digital to account for more than 80% of total ad spending by 2028.