From lawsuits to lobbying: How publishers are fighting AI

December 04, 2025

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This week, a U.K. coalition comprised of the Independent Publishers Alliance, non-profit tech-justice company Foxglove, and non-profit advocacy group Movement for the Open Web revealed that they have kicked off a lobbying effort with the Department of Justice, in the hope that the U.S. regulator will hear their evidence for why and how Google's AI Overviews has caused "substantial and irreparable harm" to independent publishers' traffic and revenue.

TOP STORY

Zero-click Future

From lawsuits to lobbying: How publishers are fighting AI

We may be closing out 2025, but publishers aren't retreating from the battle of AI search — some are escalating it, and they expect the fight to stretch deep into 2026.

From shifting ad budgets to the evolving impact of AI, navigate it all confidently with Digiday+. Save 50% on a 3-month Digiday+ membership — offer ends tomorrow, Dec. 5.
Retailers that incorporate location-based marketing into their engagement strategies achieve a 53% higher repeat buyer rate than their peers, leading to better customer connections and long-term loyalty. Sponsored by Radar.
During the period from late December to mid- or late January, many consumers are still in the buying mindset, and conversion rates remain high. Partner insights from Meta.

MARKETING

Future of Measurement

U.K. retailer Boots leads brand efforts to invest in ad creative's data layer

For media dollars to make an impact, brands need ad creative that actually hits. More CMOs are investing in pre- and post-flight measurement.

A MESSAGE FROM MASTERCARD COMMERCE MEDIA

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Brands in Culture

'AI is permeating everything we do': How Guitar Center developed 2 AI tools this year

This summer, the company launched a chatbot called Rig Advisor to help customers find the right instruments and products.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM URBAN ONE

The ROI impact of representation, inclusivity and cultural fluency

Nearly 80% of U.S. consumers believe Black Americans are influential, while 51% of Gen Z and millennials are more trusting of brands and products when Black consumers are accommodated for.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM ADSTRA

The case for composable identity in marketing and media

Composability provides a stable foundation for long-term business success. It creates an identity infrastructure that is not only efficient, but also adaptive, sustainable and aligned with a business' overall enterprise goals.

MEDIA & PLATFORMS

Member exclusive

Media Briefing: Publishers turn to vertical video to compete with creators and grow ad revenue in 2026

Publishers add vertical video feeds to their sites to boost engagement, attract video ad spend and compete with news creators.

Member exclusive

Digiday+ Research Subscription Index 2025: Subscription strategies from Bloomberg, The New York Times, Vox and others

Digiday's third annual Subscription Index examines and measures publishers' subscription strategies to identify common approaches and key tactics among Bloomberg, The New York Times, Vox and others.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PUBMATIC

Why a unified ad tech ecosystem is finally within reach

After decades of ad tech fragmentation punctuated by episodic roll-ups, digital advertising has entered a different kind of consolidation phase: one driven by AI and supply path discipline.