Twitter Is Back. The Open Web Isn't.

After years of optimizing the algorithm into a 24/7 tweet match where every reply was from someone from a crypto scam or OnlyFans account , X has made a change. The platform will now prioritize posts from your mutuals to make conversations feel less like a cesspool of political garbage and more like, well, a nice social network.

Groundbreaking stuff. It only took a few years to realize that people joined X to interact with people they know, not to lose an argument with a cryptocurrency avatar at 2:17 a.m. while drunk on nine Trulys.

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Didn't attend Cannes Lions 2026? Need a refresher on top-of-mind talking points? Listen in to Hot Takes, where industry leaders dished out their spiciest thoughts on what advertisers and brands should be focused on right now.

In partnership with IAB Tech Lab.

Thank you to our sponsors for making this series happen:

This isn't exactly rocket science. As AI search answers more questions without sending users to publisher websites, fewer visits naturally mean fewer ad impressions.

Ozone's latest data shows publisher ad supply fell by as much as 40% in Q2 2026, while higher eCPMs helped soften the financial impact. If publishers want people to keep coming directly to their sites, the experience has to be worth the trip. Better products, stronger communities, useful tools, newsletters, events, and experiences that AI can't replicate will matter more than ever. The future of the open web will be built on giving people a reason to come back.

Read Digiday

Spotify has officially folded Megaphone into Spotify Ad Server, making Spotify's platform and first-party data the default for podcast ad serving and targeting. Publishers need to update their campaign settings or risk campaigns no longer serving.

Ari Paparo loved Megaphone so much that he almost threw his laptop out of his apartment window everytime he used it. So I'm sure he'll be absolutely devastated to see it go.

Read AdExchanger

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading a coalition of 12 state attorneys general to block the proposed $110 billion Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merger, arguing it would reduce competition, raise prices, give one company too much control over movies and TV, and enable the entity to take over the world like Pinky and the Brain.

At this point, we are all over it. Every major media deal seems to end up in court. Let's just find out whether it happens already.

Read Variety

There’s no better place to discuss where advertising is headed than the city that helped lay its foundations. This fall, Marketecture Live is setting its clocks to Central Time and convening in the heart of brand building: Chicago.

The Windy City has long been a hub for world-class brand work, commerce, and innovation. Now, it serves as the backdrop for conversations shaping AI, retail media, connected TV, creator marketing, and the future of consumer engagement.

Meet the first wave of speakers and secure your seat at chicago.marketecturelive.com.