Our Scans · (ZY.4.18) Media Studies · Weekly Summary

• [New] The technology segment is growing with an estimated CAGR of 26.1% from 2025 to 2033, owing to the increasing reliance of hardware startups and deep-tech innovators on crowdfunding to validate ideas, secure early capital, and build customer communities before mass production. Market Data Forecast
• [New] Leading Application: Secure Communication & Cybersecurity holds the largest share at over 28% in 2026, valued at more than US$ 656.8 Mn, due to the critical importance of protecting military networks from cyber threats. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Social media platforms that fail to comply risk heavy fines of $50 million. Psychiatric Times
• [New] Comcast plans to separate NBCUniversal and Sky from its mobile and broadband networks, in a move that accelerates a dramatic reshaping of the US media industry. FTI Strategic Communications
• [New] The FDA announcement comes as the WHO warns that nicotine pouches are spreading so rapidly that regulation is struggling to keep pace in many countries, and that brands are increasingly using social media, influencers, and youth-oriented marketing to promote them. Wired
• [New] Whether artificial intelligence will cause mass workforce cuts over time remains up for debate, but it is starting to leave an imprint on US employment data. Insurance Journal
• [New] As China, allied nations, and strategic competitors expand R&D investment, domestic publishing capacity, high-quality research output, and science-policy infrastructure, constraints on US-based scholarly communication could reduce US convening power and global scientific leadership. CNS Media
• [New] There could be a global shortfall of 85 million workers by 2030 if current hiring trends continue with the technology media and telecommunications sector facing some of the most severe shortages. Market Data Forecast
• [New] The number of podcast listeners is anticipated to grow to 122 million in 2026 and nearly 150 million listeners are expected to make podcasts a part of their media diet by 2027. SEC EDGAR
• [New] Global data generation is projected to exceed 220-240 zettabytes by 2026, fueled by IoT devices, social media platforms, connected applications, and enterprise digital systems. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Australia will grant its online safety watchdog more powers and increase the maximum penalty for breaches of its world-first social media ban, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying big tech companies are not doing enough to comply. financialpost
• [New] The French national assembly had passed legislation to prohibit access to social media accounts for children under 15 - with provisions for parental consent - and the UK government had announced plans for an Australia-plus ban for under-16s from 2027, with additional restrictions. The Guardian
• [New] SpaceX will bring low cost, mass scale and new business models. NextBigFuture.com
• [New] Social media surpassed 5.4 billion users in 2025, more than double the 2017 figure, and is projected to reach 6.6 billion by 2030. TechnologyChecker.io
• Advertising continues to remain a powerhouse driving the global entertainment and media industry's revenues - and it will play an increasingly greater role as AI-powered hyper-personalization transforms engagement with end-users. PwC
• The UK Government has announced that it plans to introduce a total ban on access to social media for children under 16. Mishcon de Reya LLP
• From 2027, under-16s would be banned from social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X and Instagram. The Week
• Weekly use of AI chatbots for news rose from 7% in 2025 to 10% in 2026, with growth concentrated in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Southern and Eastern Europe - regions with historically weaker institutional media infrastructure and higher vulnerability to AI-generated disinformation. CRC
• The UK's proposed social media ban, due to come into force in 2027, would block under-16s from accessing Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X and Facebook and from livestreaming or communicating with strangers on gaming sites such as Roblox. The Guardian
• Global social media ad spend is projected to reach $338.75 billion by 2026, with U.S. spending accounting for $126 billion. DataRefs
• Social media advertising is projected to reach $338.75 billion in 2026. DataRefs
• Albanian and international media organizations criticised the draft laws as a threat to free expression and online journalism. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
• How any future age verification legislation in the UK around social media and particularly messaging in gaming could therefore affect it, if at all, is still unknown. BBC News

Last updated: 09 July 2026