A weekly-ish roundup of what’s changing in digital advertising — curated for UK charity advertisers. | Estimated read time: 5 minutes.
In this week’s feed
- ⚠️ Meta’s 2% UK location fee is now days away — last reminder before 1 July
- Meta will start using the data you already share to shape Feed and AI results — not just your ads
- Two new Meta Advantage+ controls: brand-safe AI copy and stronger lead verification
- Google’s three new bidding and budgeting tools — including a “Promotion Mode” for peak appeals
- Google Ads terms of service update lands 1 July
- TikTok hands you on/off control of its Smart+ automation
- The CMA imposes new rules on Google search — what a fairer search-ad market could mean for you
- New subscription-contract rules arrive this autumn — worth checking your regular-giving sign-ups
- The number of UK donors is still falling — what it means for your acquisition budget
- Quick notes: new Threads ad formats, a Google/Analytics data change, TikTok mini-games and more
Reminder: Meta’s 2% UK location fee takes effect Tuesday 1 July
Covered last week — flagging again because the deadline is now days away. From 1 July, Meta adds a 2% fee on top of spend for impressions delivered to UK audiences, itemised on your invoice (not taken from budget). Make sure clients’ finance teams and reporting dashboards are ready before it hits. (Source: TDMP)
Meta will start using the data you already share to shape Feed and AI results, not just ad targeting
Here’s what this is in plain terms: when you run Meta ads, tools like the Meta Pixel and Conversions API send Meta data about who visits your site or donates. Until now Meta used that data only to target ads. From this change, Meta can also use it to decide which organic posts and AI-generated answers a person sees in their Feed. Meta says it isn’t collecting any new data — just using what it already holds more widely — and is retiring the old “Your activity off Meta technologies” control in favour of a simplified “Activity from other businesses” setting. For you: nothing breaks, but supporter data you share is now used more broadly, so it’s worth checking your data-sharing settings and that your privacy notice still reflects this. (Source: Meta Newsroom)
Two new Advantage+ controls worth knowing: “Restricted Words” and stronger lead verification
Meta added a “Restricted Words” setting that stops its AI generating specific terms in your copy — useful if you have safeguarding or brand language rules. It also added two lead-verification methods for Advantage+ Leads campaigns (“SMS by phone number” and “Work email”) to cut junk sign-ups. If you run challenge-event recruitment or volunteer lead forms, these should improve the quality of leads passed to fundraising teams. (Source: SocialBee)
Google’s expanded “Limited Ad Serving” policy — what Ad Grants accounts should do now
Google began rolling this out in June, with implementation continuing through 2028. In plain terms, the policy throttles how often ads from less-established or lower-trust advertisers are shown until they build credibility. For Ad Grants charities, the defence is trust signals: a secure (HTTPS) site, fast load times, and substantial content that clearly explains who you are and your mission. Newer or thinly-built accounts are most exposed, so audit landing pages now rather than waiting for impressions to dip. (Source: Daily Bread Consultancy)
Three new bidding and budgeting tools launched 15 June
Google rolled out a Promotion Mode beta (temporarily loosen ROAS targets and add budget during peak periods), Smart Bidding Exploration (now across all Performance Max campaigns without product feeds), and revised targets for budget-limited campaigns. Promotion Mode is the one to watch for time-boxed work — Christmas appeals, emergency response, a 24-hour giving day — where you want to push harder for a short window. (Source: ALM Corp)
Google Ads terms of service update takes effect 1 July
Google is updating its Ads terms to spell out how your campaign inputs can be used across its AI and automation tools, while reinforcing that you remain responsible for campaign oversight. No action required, but a useful reminder that automation doesn’t move accountability off the charity. (Source: Search Engine Land)
TikTok gives advertisers module-level control over Smart+ automation
TikTok updated Smart+ so you can switch automation on or off for individual modules — targeting, budget, or placements — rather than all-or-nothing. For charities testing TikTok for younger-audience awareness or event recruitment, this lets you hand budget optimisation to TikTok while keeping a firm grip on who you target, which matters when safeguarding or brand-safety rules constrain your audience. (Source: SocialBee)
No major Snapchat, CTV or display-specific updates this week.
💡 Innovation & Sector Trends
The donor base is shrinking even as online giving dominates
Charity Digital’s 2026 outlook notes around 60% of donations are now processed online, but the Charities Aid Foundation found the number of individual donors has fallen to the lowest level its UK Giving Report has recorded — total value holds up only because remaining donors give more. The implication for paid media: acquisition is getting harder and pricier, so retention, lifetime value, and creator partnerships (flagged as a bigger 2026 lever for building trust) deserve more of the budget conversation. (Source: Charity Digital)
⚖️ Policy, Regulation & Platform Changes
CMA tightens its grip on Google search and search advertising
Having designated Google with “Strategic Market Status” in UK search and search advertising (Google handles 90%+ of UK searches), the CMA imposed concrete rules in June: a publisher conduct requirement on 3 June, and fair-ranking and data-portability requirements on 17 June — aimed at more transparency in how results are ranked. Nothing for you to do today, but a fairer, more transparent search-ad market is directly relevant to Ad Grants and paid search, and worth monitoring this year. (Source: GOV.UK)
ASA scaling AI ad-monitoring; subscription rules due this autumn
The ASA is expanding its AI-based Active Ad Monitoring to spot non-compliant ads faster, with continued focus on environmental claims, influencer disclosure, and protecting children. Separately, the subscription-contract regime under the DMCCA is expected to take effect in autumn 2026. If you run regular-giving sign-ups framed as subscriptions, or paid influencer partnerships, both warrant a compliance check before autumn — and double-check any sustainability claims in ad copy. (Source: ASA)
📌 Quick Hits
- Meta Threads ad formats expanding: Meta is testing Carousel, Advantage+ Catalog and Advantage+ App ads on Threads, and now lets brands run Threads ads without a Threads profile by using their Instagram or Facebook account. (Source: SocialBee)
- Google–Analytics backstop removed: From 15 June, Google removed the ability for Analytics settings to override Ads data-collection behaviour — review your consent and data settings if you relied on this. (Source: Launch Online)
- TikTok Growth Max: Mini Games launched — a new in-app way to promote games; niche, but relevant for any charity gaming tie-ins. (Source: SocialBee)
- Meta Marketing API updated to align with the shift toward Advantage+ automation — flag to any agency partners or reporting tools you use. (Source: Social Media Today)
In the Feed is kmac digital’s weekly roundup of digital advertising news for UK charity advertisers. Have questions about how any of this affects your campaigns? Get in touch.