📰 TikTok Ads, Amazon Ads and other platforms news

Reddit shares fell sharply after its CEO warned that search referral traffic dropped significantly in the third quarter, weighing on the platform's advertising revenue outlook.

Amazon's ad revenue growth slowed to 11% in the third quarter due to the Prime Day timing shift, though it expects high-teens growth to return in Q4.

At the unBoxed 2026 event, Amazon Ads unveiled a major restructuring that merges its DSP and console into Amazon Ads Agent, alongside Full-Funnel Campaigns, DVA+ and conversational shopping ads.

Pinterest announced programmatic deals with Magnite allowing its video and display inventory to be bought through DSPs such as Amazon DVA+, Google DV360 and Yahoo DSP, expanding its earlier partnership with Amazon Ads.

Pinterest made its Programmatic Deals program generally available in North America, South America and Asia Pacific, letting buyers purchase display and video inventory through Amazon DVA+, Google DV360 and Yahoo DSP, though Europe remains excluded for now.

Pinterest introduced Business Assistant, an AI collaborator built into Ads Manager that surfaces trends and performance alerts, along with Pinterest MCP, a connector letting AI agent tools pull campaign data.

TikTok confirmed on October 18 that it restored Bleecker Street's ad account after mistakenly blocking promotion of the 'Musk' documentary, allowing policy-compliant ads to resume.

LinkedIn announced seven new features, including In-Stream Ads to pay creators for pre-roll ads, citing a 70% rise in profiles adding 'founder' and more members reporting multiple positions.

TikTok unveiled Buy Direct, Shopping Assistant, Agentic Leads, Smart+ for search ads, and the expansion of its TikTok Ad Network (formerly Pangle) to US advertisers, reaching nearly 400,000 apps.

LinkedIn and Amazon Ads announced that advertisers can now buy LinkedIn's CTV ads through Amazon DSP for US targeting, activating LinkedIn professional audience data such as job title, industry and seniority for streaming TV campaigns.

At its unBoxed 2026 event, Amazon introduced Amazon Ads Agent, merging the ad console and DSP into a single agentic AI-powered platform, along with Full-Funnel Campaigns and DVA+ for display, video and audio.

Amazon's AI campaign intelligence dashboard, which recommends targeting, bid and budget actions, is reaching all US sponsored ads advertisers during October 2026.

TikTok split its Partner Program into Agency Partner and Premier Agency Partner tiers so agencies can better showcase their areas of expertise on the platform.

TikTok announced AI-driven automation tools including Smart+ campaigns for search ads, Smart+ Creative Selection, a conversational lead system called Agentic Leads, and updates to GMV Max.

TikTok introduced Buy Direct, a one-click checkout feature right in the For You feed, alongside a Shopping Assistant that answers sizing and shipping questions before purchase.

TikTok opened its Ad Network to US advertisers inside Ads Manager, extending campaigns off-platform to nearly 400,000 apps, plus adding one-click Buy Direct checkout in the feed.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok announced Buy Direct in-app checkout, a Shopping Assistant, Agentic Leads, Smart+ for search ads, and the expansion of its TikTok Ad Network to US advertisers.

X released a new update to its ranking repository raising the coordinated-spam threshold to 125,000 followers and adding a value-events module that counts purchase, content-view and add-to-cart conversions capped at $100,000 per event.

X introduced X Lift, a feature that automatically converts a business URL into a full AI-generated advertising campaign.

Amazon Ads announced Amazon Marketing Stream v2, replacing hourly JSON data delivery with Apache Parquet files updated every 15 minutes, alongside Ads Data Manager to unify first-party data within AMC.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok opened the TikTok Ad Network (TTAN), its nearly 400,000 third-party app network formerly known as Pangle, to US advertisers, alongside launching Buy Direct, an AI shopping assistant and Agentic Leads.

Reddit announced enhancements to its Lead Gen Ads, including expanding its AI-powered Max campaigns to lead gen objectives, plus a test of in-market audiences and a new HubSpot integration.

TikTok updated GMV Max to include affiliate commissions, coupons and referral fees in TikTok Shop optimization, aiming to reflect a truer return on investment for sellers.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok introduced a suite of AI tools including in-feed checkout, a conversational shopping assistant and a lead agent for direct messages, available through selective eligibility tests.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok introduced in-app checkout Buy Direct, an AI Shopping Assistant, the Agentic Leads agent, Smart+ for search, and opened its TikTok Ad Network (nearly 400,000 apps) to US advertisers.

At Advertising Week NY, TikTok announced opening the TikTok Ad Network to US advertisers, covering nearly 400,000 third-party apps, alongside a new 'Buy Direct' checkout feature and an AI shopping assistant.

At its annual unBoxed conference, Amazon Ads unified Sponsored Ads and Amazon DSP into a single system with three campaign types, including a new Display, Video & Audio (DVA) format that can be AI-optimized automatically.

At New York Advertising Week, TikTok unveiled the expansion of its global mobile ad network (TikTok Ad Network) to US-based advertisers, reaching almost 400,000 third-party publisher apps, along with a new conversational AI Shopping Assistant.

At Advertising Week New York, TikTok unveiled Buy Direct for one-click checkout, an AI-powered Shopping Assistant, and opened TikTok Ad Network (TTAN) to US advertisers for the first time, extending reach to nearly 400,000 third-party apps.

At Advertising Week New York 2026, TikTok revealed new AI tools including the 'Buy Direct' checkout, a lead-generation agent, and access to TikTok Ads Network (TTAN) for US advertisers, with no confirmed launch dates yet.

TikTok announced Buy Direct (one-click checkout from the feed), Shopping Assistant, Agentic Leads and the opening of TikTok Ad Network to US advertisers, alongside an MCP connector and Smart+/GMV Max updates.

TikTok is giving advertisers expanded capacity to use artificial intelligence to generate video ads with the help of ByteDance's latest AI model, Dreamina Seedance 2.5.

Snapchat reached the milestone of 2 trillion Snaps sent while unveiling new ad formats to attract advertisers despite its modest ad revenue share.

Amazon Ads added pre-built brand penetration indices to Geographic Insights and Activation (GIA), letting advertisers in nine countries visualize where their brand over- or under-indexes versus its category and activate geographic optimization without building an AMC model.

Google is testing making the sponsored products search results block or grid look more like the organic products/shopping grid.

X launched its Cashtag Partner Program, letting US users tap any stock or crypto cashtag, view a live price chart alongside related posts, and trade through partner brokerages like Interactive Brokers, Kraken and Coinbase.

Pinterest unveiled Visual Search Ads, a new format placing sponsored products in search results and Pin closeups, aimed at lower-funnel campaigns and compatible with Performance+.

TikTok updated its gambling and games advertising policies in Brazil to prohibit all forms of online gambling ads, including online casinos and sports betting, as well as related information services.

Amazon renamed its unified ad platform Ads Agent, combining Sponsored Ads and Amazon DSP into one place manageable via natural language, while introducing new Full-Funnel Campaigns and DVA+ combining display, video and audio.

On August 31, the FTC and attorneys general from 22 states sued Amazon, alleging that for more than seven years it used an 'invented bidder' to inflate prices paid by over a million brands and sellers across Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display.

At unBoxed 2026, Amazon announced Amazon Ads Agent, a unified platform with agentic AI combining the former Ads Console and Amazon DSP, along with new Full-Funnel Campaigns and DVA+.

Amazon announced Sponsored Services to connect shoppers with local service providers (with Yelp as the anchor partner) and generative AI creative tools built directly into the Amazon Ads Agent conversational experience.

Reddit announced general availability of its Max campaigns, which automate targeting, creative selection and rotation, placements, and budget allocation, after testing them with a limited group of advertisers since January 2026.

Full-Funnel Campaigns combines sponsored ads, display, video and streaming TV into a single AI-managed campaign, and is now available to all US advertisers selling on Amazon.

The FTC and 22 state attorneys general are suing Amazon, alleging it secretly overcharged advertisers in its search ad auctions for more than seven years, rising from 30-40% of auctions in 2021 to about 80% by 2024.

Amazon and OpenAI launched a managed-service pilot placing Amazon DSP ads inside ChatGPT responses, with product feed ads auto-generated from Amazon catalogs, US-only at launch.

Amazon Ads introduced a new tier of tools on its Ads MCP Server allowing third-party AI agents to access specialized capabilities; the first, the AMC SQL Generator, translates natural-language requests into validated Amazon Marketing Cloud SQL queries and is now in closed beta in the US.

Amazon Ads unveiled its new "Amazon Ads Agent" platform at unBoxed 2026, replacing the former Ads Console and Amazon DSP with three campaign types: Sponsored Ads, Display, Video and Audio+ (DVA+), and Full-Funnel Campaigns, all powered by AI with a natural-language chat experience.

For the first time, advertisers can see the overall health status of their campaigns directly in TikTok Ads Manager, labeled Good, Fair, or Poor, with clear guidance to improve and qualify for available coupons and incentives.

TikTok evolved its Agency Badging Program with a new two-tier model to highlight best-in-class agency performance.

TikTok updated its advertising policy for alcohol-related establishments to require approval and certification from local regulating authorities, and explicitly prohibited certain surgeries, including weight loss and aesthetic genital surgeries, in ads.

TikTok introduced a new Agentic Hub that automates reporting, audience management, and budget optimization via AI, alongside a Pulse Mentions feature, though rollout timing to all markets remains unclear.

Starting August 10, Amazon Sponsored Products campaigns began serving inside Amazon Influencer Program creator content with no advertiser action required, sparking controversy over the lack of clear notice about the expansion.

Amazon Ads launched location-based interactive video ads and 'Next Up' ads that appear between episodes on Prime Video, expanding its streaming advertising offering in Australia.

Meta no longer requires matching Instagram and Threads usernames to run Threads ads, letting brands with no Instagram profile advertise directly on the platform.

At its 2026 Upfront, Amazon Ads highlighted its authenticated audience graph covering 90% of U.S. households and being named the only leader in omnichannel advertising by Forrester, alongside growth in Prime Video viewership.

Bing is testing a "Top Pick" label on its sponsored result product carousels, highlighting a potential new way for products to stand out in search results. The "Top Pick" label is prominently displayed in the product carousel, potentially drawing more eyes to specific listings. This update was shared.

TikTok unveiled expanded measurement and ad integrity solutions along with new advertiser controls, aiming to build a more transparent, measurable, and trusted advertising ecosystem.

Snapchat announced it will focus on AI-driven performance improvements and expanding native ad formats like Reminder Ads and Sponsored Snaps, amid stalled user growth in the US and EU.

Amazon Ads announced that its Amazon Ads MCP Server is now available in open beta, aiming to reduce advertising workflow complexity through AI agent integration.

Snapchat, Pinterest and Reddit are leveraging AI tools to make ad buying easier for small and medium businesses, aiming to diversify revenue beyond major brand budgets.

Reddit introduced a Split Testing feature in Ads Manager offering five test types, including Max-vs-standard campaign comparisons, to optimize ad performance.

Amazon Ads officially announced that its flagship unBoxed 2026 conference will take place from September 28–30 at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, expected to bring new ad formats, AI capabilities, and measurement tools. The event will gather advertisers, agencies, and developers to learn about upcoming platform innovations.

Snapchat introduced Total Snap Takeovers, a format placing brands in the first ad slot across all app tabs, and opened its ads platform to third-party AI agents via its own MCP server.

TikTok continues strengthening requirements for brands and agencies to operate from a verified, official presence on the platform, expanding formal agency recognition based on managed spend.

Amazon Ads confirmed its flagship unBoxed 2026 event will take place September 28-30 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, where it will unveil new AI-powered advertising products.

Amazon Ads announced a partnership with OpenAI to enable conversational advertising within ChatGPT, with select U.S. advertisers currently testing the format as part of a pilot.

X is rolling out a new ad platform that consolidates campaign objectives and standardizes structure, including ad-group-level budgets and simplified optimization options.

Amazon Ads announced that Prime Video advertising will be introduced in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Turkey during 2026, expanding its streaming ad inventory in Europe.

TikTok struck a first-of-its-kind IP licensing deal with Disney that turns fan content into a formal distribution channel, amid a month of major regulatory and platform shifts.

Reddit introduced a new 15-second Engaged Video Views optimization goal that lifted view-through rates by 51% and completion rates by 71% in alpha testing, suited for trailers and testimonials.

Starting August 1, a specific group of Amazon advertisers contacted directly lost the ability to use a credit card as their primary ad payment method, with costs now deducted from seller/vendor account balance or via Pay by Invoice. Amazon clarified the change is narrow and does not affect most advertisers, who were already paying via account balance deduction.

Pacvue, a commerce operating system for retail media, integrated Reddit Ads in 2026 so brands can buy and track campaigns alongside more than one hundred retail media networks like Amazon and Walmart.

The FTC and 22 state attorneys general filed suit against Amazon alleging it secretly inflated prices in its advertising auctions after 2019 rule changes, potentially costing advertisers more than $20 billion.

TikTok Ads introduced Mini Series, an in-app episodic storytelling feature for brands and marketers, paired with Growth Max to amplify automated ad performance.

TikTok published its ad policy change log updated through September 2026, with accumulated modifications across categories like financial services, alcohol, prediction markets, and adult content.

Reddit launched Max campaigns on a limited basis in January 2026 and, after encouraging initial results, opened them to all advertisers in September 2026; the tool automates nearly the entire ad creation process.

Amazon Ads invited advertisers to its annual flagship conference, where it will share how AI and new advertising solutions aim to make it easier for brands of every size to drive results.

TikTok introduced Growth Max: Mini Games, a new way to promote games directly within the app, letting users engage without ever leaving TikTok.

TikTok announced an update to its Financial Services ad policy allowing Contracts for Difference (CFD) ads in Canada and the United States, subject to strict compliance and prior approval from a TikTok sales representative.

TikTok announced that SMB advertisers can now choose full, partial, or manual automation control over audience, budget, placements, and catalog within Smart+, with new visual labels in the interface.