Ofcom has set out how the UK's incoming social media ban for under-16s will actually be checked, including facial age estimation tools. Elsewhere, Microsoft posted another record-breaking quarter underpinned by huge AI spending, and Google is taking ads inside its AI search worldwide.
In this round-up
Ofcom has published recommended methods for social media platforms to verify users are over 16, ahead of the UK ban coming into force in March next year. Alongside traditional passports or driving licences, the regulator proposed four approaches: photo ID matching against a live selfie, banking-based age checks, digital ID services, and facial age estimation technology, which it notes has improved. Platforms covering Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat must implement their own systems, and Ofcom conceded that large numbers of adults will also have to prove their age.
For event organisers, this will directly affect promotional channels and ticketing. If your audience includes school leavers, apprentices, family events, or younger festival-goers, reach on major social platforms will drop sharply once the ban hits in March. Just as importantly, facial age estimation and digital ID checks are moving from fringe experiments into everyday UK infrastructure. Venues and festivals managing strict 18-plus entry or youth ticketing should watch how smoothly these platforms implement facial verification, as similar tools will inevitably land in event check-in workflows.
Read more: bbc.co.uk
Microsoft announced quarterly revenue of $92.3 billion and profit of $36.6 billion, roughly £27.5 billion, for the three months ending September. The performance was powered by Microsoft Cloud, which grew 30% to $63.9 billion. For the first time, Microsoft disclosed specific revenue figures for Azure, reporting $33.2 billion for the quarter. Crucially, $10 billion of Microsoft's quarterly total came directly from arrangements with OpenAI, which is committed to buy $250 billion in Azure services.
Yet alongside these massive numbers, Microsoft also confirmed voluntary redundancy buyout offers for around 60,000 workers, more than a quarter of its workforce, across Canada, India, the UK, and the US to fund capital spending that topped $45.2 billion this quarter.
For the events sector, this is the reality of the tech stack you rely on. Enterprise software suites like Teams and Microsoft 365 are increasingly tethered to aggressive AI infrastructure spending. There is nothing to action immediately, but it explains why your software vendors are relentlessly pushing Copilot and agentic tools into standard corporate contracts.
Read more: bbc.co.uk · techcrunch.com · techcrunch.com · techcrunch.com
Google is expanding sponsored listings inside its AI search experiences to international markets. The move follows slowing revenue growth in its traditional search advertising, which slipped to 12% year-on-year growth this quarter from 17% in the previous quarter. Google Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler confirmed that ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode are now rolling out globally, alongside conversational multi-turn ads in the US. Google claims click-through rates on sponsored product listings in AI Mode match traditional organic links.
If your agency or venue team pays for Google Search ads to drive ticket sales, corporate venue hire, or delegate registrations, the landscape is shifting. AI Overviews push classic text ads and standard organic links further down the page. Queries in AI Mode are three times longer on average than traditional searches, meaning people are asking full questions rather than typing short keywords. You will need to monitor your digital marketing return on investment closely as Google shifts auction real estate into these summary boxes.
Read more: techcrunch.com
In an interview on the Colin and Samir podcast, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said he expects frustration and anger towards AI to worsen, particularly across creative industries. Mosseri noted that Instagram does not intentionally rank AI-generated posts differently from human creators, but pointed out that the platform probably does not rank low-quality AI slop as highly. He also defended the need for mandatory AI labelling, noting it was impractical to ban AI content entirely.
For brand activations, event marketing, and in-house creative teams, his comments underline a critical shift in public mood. Audience fatigue with synthetic, polished AI imagery is tangible. If you are producing delegate brochures, speaker imagery, or social campaigns using generative image tools, transparency matters. Leaning too heavily on cheap AI assets risks triggering an active backlash from attendees and exhibitors who value genuine craftsmanship and real human talent.
Read more: theverge.com
A activist leak called Icepick has published names, phone numbers, and job descriptions for more than 41,000 personnel at the US Department of Homeland Security, including staff from immigration agencies and border enforcement. The hackers reportedly gained entry via Okta, a single sign-on security platform used by thousands of companies worldwide, though Okta has stated it has found no evidence that its own systems or data were compromised.
For event operations teams, this is a sharp reminder about third-party authentication security. Events often juggle temporary contractors, registration portals, and remote production teams using central single sign-on systems. When access credentials leak or passkeys fail, it exposes delegate rosters, executive schedules, and staff personal contact details. Check that your multi-factor authentication rules for sensitive event databases require robust second factors rather than simple single credentials.
Read more: bbc.co.uk
Music gear manufacturer Akai has previewed the MPC Sample Key, an upcoming 37-key keyboard sampler featuring open-source firmware. Rather than locking down its operating system, Akai is actively supporting community modifications, including custom software synthesizers built using Claude and vibe coding, where programmers use AI natural language prompts to write functional code. InMusic chief executive Jack O'Donnell confirmed plans to release software development kits and seed early hardware to developers.
While this sits squarely in music hardware, it offers a neat preview of how production gear is changing. Live technical directors, sound designers, and AV engineers could soon be customizing controller firmware and synth engines on the fly using natural-language AI prompts. Instead of waiting for manufacturers to patch software or add features, production teams will increasingly tailor interactive gear to specific stage configurations themselves.
Read more: theverge.com