Modo25 / News & Insights / Digital news to watch: Meta to begin rolling out Threads ads globally

Digital news to watch: Meta to begin rolling out Threads ads globally

In this week’s digital news, Meta has said it will begin to show advertising on its Threads microblogging service to all users globally starting this week. New data finds AI assistant crawlers increased site coverage even as companies sharply reduced access for AI model training bots.

New data finds AI assistant crawlers increased site coverage even as companies sharply reduced access for AI model training bots. Awin Group have suspended Honey’s payments after an investigation confirmed browser extension violated publisher policies through affiliate commission diversion practices.

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Meta to begin rolling out Threads ads globally

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will begin showing adverts on its Threads microblogging platform to users worldwide from next week. The rollout will be gradual and may take several months, following earlier tests in the US and Japan. Analysts expect Threads to become a major revenue source for Meta, which reports its fourth-quarter earnings next week. Launched in July 2023 as a rival to X, Threads has surpassed 400 million monthly users and recently overtook X in daily mobile users.

Read more here.

Businesses risk being forgotten by AI

New data has uncovered a significant trend where businesses are “aggressively” blocking AI bots from training on their content, with access for OpenAI’s training crawler dropping from 84% to just 12% in three months. While companies are doing this to protect their intellectual property, experts warn this could backfire by essentially “deleting” their brand from the long-term memory of AI assistants like ChatGPT.

This means AI tools might provide outdated or incorrect information about companies they can no longer “read.” The impact on SEO is a new strategic dilemma: while blocking bots protects your content, it also prevents AI models from learning about your unique products and brand voice. To succeed in Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), businesses may need to be more selective, allowing AI to “know” their brand while protecting their most valuable, unique assets.

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Search traffic proves resilient despite AI rise

A large-scale analysis of over 40,000 websites has revealed that organic search traffic fell by a modest 2.5% year-on-year, debunking fears of a total collapse in search engine use. While AI-driven summaries do reduce clicks on some topics, the study found that total search engine traffic actually grew by 0.4%, with the largest websites seeing their traffic increase.

This suggests that people are still using Google just as much as before, but the competition for their attention is becoming more intense. In terms of SEO, the impact is clear: while search is not “dying,” it is fragmenting. Mid-sized sites are feeling the most pressure, making it essential to move beyond basic keywords and focus on “commercial” queries where users still prefer to click through to a full website rather than accepting a simple AI summary.

Read more here.

Awin confirms Honey violated affiliate policies and suspends payments

Awin Group has confirmed that PayPal-owned Honey breached publisher policies by diverting affiliate commissions, following a formal investigation launched after public allegations in December 2024. As a result, Awin suspended Honey’s payments and access to new advertiser programmes in January 2026, measures that remain in place. Honey has acknowledged the issues and agreed to remediation steps, including greater transparency and technical changes. Similar enforcement actions were taken by Impact.com and Rakuten Advertising. The case has fuelled wider industry criticism and ongoing legal action from content creators alleging fraud.

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Most of Instagram’s ads ran on Reels in 2025, data shows

Over half of Instagram ads ran on Reels last year. Reels accounted for 46% of time spent on Instagram. Advertisers are following users to short-form video, even as monetization lags behind the main feed. Amid competition with TikTok and YouTube Shorts, Reels drives user retention and a $50B annual run rate across Meta’s platforms.

Read more here.

Why the new generation of content creators are moving toward anti-engagement

A new generation of creators is redefining influence by embracing mystery instead of full transparency. They use anti-engagement strategies like erratic posting, faceless profiles, and selective disclosure. This makes audiences actively seek them out. Followers form devoted, idea-driven communities rather than casual fans. Influence is based on a worldview or aura, not lifestyle visibility. By resisting algorithms and controlling access, these creators make their presence compelling through what is withheld.

Read more here.

For more information on any of this week’s stories or for support with your digital marketing efforts. Our friendly team would be more than happy to discuss your requirements. Drop us an email at team@modo25.com

Author

Tom Pickard

Author

Tom Pickard

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