Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen has indicated that the European Commission is weighing new measures to protect media publishers' advertising revenues as AI-powered interfaces reshape the digital advertising market. In a written answer to a parliamentary question from Renew MEP Laurence Farreng and PPE MEP Sabine Verheyen, Virkkunen pointed to an ongoing call for evidence on copyright and AI, and confirmed that the upcoming review of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) will aim to strengthen the economic viability of the EU media sector, including by modernising advertising rules.
The answer, dated 6 August 2026, responds to concerns raised by the MEPs about the entry of AI models into the advertising market. They cited OpenAI's February 2026 entry into advertising and its announcement at the Cannes Lions festival that it is now 'clearly established' in the sector, as well as Google's stated intention to integrate ads into Gemini in 2026. The MEPs also referenced Chartbeat data, cited by the Reuters Institute, showing a 17% drop in traffic from Google to European media publishers between 2024 and 2025, suggesting AI is accelerating the shift of advertising revenue away from publishers.
Virkkunen's answer does not announce new, AI-specific advertising regulation. Instead, it points to the Commission's call for evidence on copyright-protected content used by AI models, launched to examine whether further measures are needed to strengthen transparency, licensing, and enforcement. The call, which builds on existing EU law including the AI Act's transparency obligations and the Copyright Directive's text and data mining exceptions, seeks stakeholder views on potential transparency gaps to ensure fair remuneration for creators while supporting AI developers' access to high-quality data.
On the AVMSD, Virkkunen confirmed that the Commission is evaluating the directive and preparing a proposal for its review. The review, scheduled by the end of 2026, is intended to support the economic viability of the EU media sector, notably by strengthening the prominence of media services of general interest and modernising advertising rules. This suggests the Commission is leaning towards using the AVMSD review as the primary vehicle for addressing advertising revenue concerns, rather than introducing standalone AI-specific advertising rules.
The answer reflects a balancing act between protecting media publishers and fostering AI innovation. On one hand, the Commission is exploring measures to ensure fair remuneration and transparency, which could benefit publishers and creators. On the other hand, it is careful not to over-regulate, aiming to preserve access to high-quality data for AI developers. The call for evidence and the AVMSD review will be key tests of how the Commission navigates these competing interests.
Stakeholders most affected include media publishers, who stand to gain from potential transparency and remuneration measures but face continued revenue pressure in the interim; AI developers, who could face new licensing and transparency obligations; and digital platforms like Google and OpenAI, which may see increased regulatory scrutiny of their advertising practices. The Commission's approach suggests a preference for targeted, evidence-based measures over sweeping new regulation, but the outcome of the call for evidence and the AVMSD review will determine the concrete impact on these actors.