Content like chocolates, the imposter roster, and AI's growing hunger for the web

FTC vs free press, a new Meta scandal, and the battle for adblockers - all in this week's Content Aware.

Published: 15:12, 21 August 2025

Corbidge comments on... a marketplace for AIs and content 
AI companies and publishing and media businesses are in an uneasy standoff - and we know who's winning. An interested third-party - the ad industry - is proposing a new kind of content marketplace which would see content creators rewarded for what's used, and AI firms able to pick and choose the things they need to make their LLMs stand out. Our mystery shopper Rob thinks the idea could have legs.
Read

"Oh go on, one more can't hurt..."
For reader loyalty, think of content like a box of chocolates: another bite is always good! Forget Google or social media, your biggest source of pageviews is already on your site - that little gem called internal traffic from users already consuming your treats. Analytics firm Chartbeat reveals that nearly 40% of views come from existing site users, a massive sign that loyalty matters and serving up good related content is vital. Understanding where this internal traffic comes from, and how different audiences behave, helps turn first-time visitors into regulars. INMA shares the details.
Read

These aren't the bots you're looking for
Press Gazette are fast-becoming the Force against AI-generated authors and writers passing themselves off as humans. Journalistic jedi Charlotte Tobitt unveils more examples of non-existent writers in the pages of respected titles, as the case for meetings and calls escalates and legitimate writers and contributors fight against fictions within their own industry.
Read

Denmark vs reading crisis
Denmark has declared war on a reading crisis, scrapping its 25% sales tax on books to try and rescue reading, particularly among the young. The government says it wants less scrolling and more reading and this $52m a year gamble is hoped to put more books into the hands of young people, following the lead of countries such as Norway and the UK which have reduced VAT on books.
Read

Tech news payments eyed
It turns out that when local reporters vanish, so does information. The Local Journalism Index 2025 shows the US has gone from 40 journalists per 100,000 population in 2002, down to just 8.2 per 100,000 today, a near 80% drop. Canada saw the red flags and made Big Tech pay rent with Google ponying up C$100 million a year to support newsrooms. US legislators and industry figures are looking north to see how a similar scheme could work for local news there. States are studying their own plans, but it's a challenging task when tech giants are throwing money at lobbying.
Read

Judge blocks FTC "free press threat"
When US outlet Media Matters reported on the placement of big brand advertising next to hateful content on X, it probably expected the snark-storm from platform owner Elon Musk, and perhaps even an FTC investigation - but not into their reporting. A federal judge came to the rescue in the eleventh hour, stating that the Government agency's investigation seemed a little too conveniently timed, and a little too interested in punishing journalism. Judge Sparkle Sooknanan likened it to retaliation dressed as regulation, warning that when regulators go after journalists, they go against the First Amendment.
Read

Small questions, big impact
Sometimes all it takes to get to a smarter conversation is a little nudge. The Financial Times tested AI-generated questions mid-article, of course edited by humans, to invite thoughtful comments. The results? A better tone, more views, and fresh voices in the thread. It turns out that a small prompt can make a huge difference.
Read

Bot on the landscape
As AI eats the web, Fastly's latest report [PDF download] says it's not people clogging your sites, it's bots. Lots of bots. Crawlers make up 80% of AI bot traffic, led by Meta (52%), Google (23%), and OpenAI (20%), with OpenAI claimed to be grabbing a huge 98% of those real-time data requests. They can overwhelm sites and rack up costs, particularly hurting smaller publishers, and some regularly ignore robots.txt to boot. In response, some webmasters are trying to fight back with traps and gibberish feeders, but as the tools evolve so do the bots.
Read

Google AI and traffic: friend or foe
Google says AI is not hurting traffic to sites. Site owners and publishing bodies say that is a lie. SEO master Barry Adams discusses whether the warning reports are all wrong or if someone is missing the point. We know who we believe.
Read

New AI mess at Meta
Meta has found itself in the middle of a growing firestorm, after leaked internal docs showed its AI chatbots were allowed to get far too friendly with children, generate false info, and even mimic relationships with users. Lawmakers are calling it "deeply disturbing" and investigations are already on the table. Meta says the troubling policies have since been scrubbed, but not before one tragic case showed just how real the consequences of unchecked AI acting can be. Another item to add to Meta's legal pile. Meanwhile its short-lived Meta Superintelligence Lab is being broken up as part of efforts to "lead in AI". Related?
Read

Adblock battle reignited
Germany's top court has reignited a battle over ad blockers which, critics say, could outlaw the tech and other browser-based extensions. Axel Springer is going after Adblock Plus for allowing browsers to adjust site code when it reaches the user's machine, a common feature in many browser extensions. Browser-maker Mozilla says the action could lead to the removal of ad blockers but also countless other extensions which users have chosen to install, such as accessibility tools, language tools, and so on.
Read

GitHub's open source revolt
Microsoft's shakeup of developer platform GitHub - the biggest collaboration tool in tech and used by over 150m contributors - has caused fears that it is doing with computer code what the likes of OpenAI and Perplexity have been accused of doing with content. There are now fears around code use, broken promises, and eroded trust, and calls for a developer-led alternative as devs fear a key aspect of the open web is being locked away.
Read