Each day, New Digital Age gathers the most interesting digital marketing industry news from around the web…
AI
The Media Leader – Jack Benjamin, 7th September 2026
AI bots now account for 13% of all web traffic
AI bot traffic now accounts for 13% of all web sessions, up from 8% a year prior.
ResearchLive – ResearchLive Reporters, 7th September 2026
Comscore adds measurement for sponsored advertising in AI chat responses
Media measurement business Comscore has expanded its AI Intelligence tool to track sponsored advertising within AI chat responses and assess its effect on digital traffic, engagement and consumer behaviour.
RETAIL
Retail Week – Hugh Radojev, 8th September 2026
Retail sales cool as blazing hot summer ends
UK consumer demand cooled in August, as a summer marked by relentless heatwaves drew to an end.
REGULATION
Digiday – Digiday Editors, 8th September 2026
Early September began with a flurry of headlines involving three of the sector’s biggest names: Amazon, Google, and The Trade Desk. The implication is that these developments are indicative of the shifting sands amid which many are attempting to establish a level footing, as AI becomes Madison Avenue’s default setting, not a selling point, and financial realities take hold.
SOCIAL MEDIA
BBC – Simon Atkinson, 7th September 2026
Australians will be able to switch off social media algorithms under planned legislation
Australians would be able to switch off social media algorithms under draft legislation to be proposed this week.
Financial Times – Nic Fildes, 8th September 2026
Australia proposes opt-out law for social media algorithms
Draft legislation follows under-16 ban as part of widening effort to rein in Big Tech.
RETAIL MEDIA
Modern Retail – Mitchell Parton, 8th September 2026
How 11 retail media networks are trying to differentiate themselves to advertisers
After the launch of many different retail media networks over the past few years, all these new divisions of various consumer-facing companies are now fighting for ad dollars. That brought many of them to New York City last week.
