Category: Public Affairs

The decision forms part of the CMA’s designation of Google Search and Advertising as having Strategic Market Status (SMS). Under the UK’s new digital markets regime, this designation gives the CMA powers to introduce Conduct Requirements aimed at addressing the effects of Google’s market dominance.

The PPA has been actively engaged throughout the process, providing evidence to the CMA and working closely with members to ensure publisher perspectives were reflected in the final framework.

The new Publisher Conduct Requirement will require Google to provide publishers with a control that determines whether their content can be used within AI-powered search features, including AI Mode and AI Overviews.

The PPA welcomes the CMA’s decision to adopt a number of recommendations put forward by publishers, including measures relating to fine-tuning and page-level controls. However, the regulator has not adopted key recommendations around introducing controls on a per-feature and per-purpose basis.

As a result, publishers will not be able to manage participation across individual AI search products separately. Instead, a single control will apply across AI Mode, AI Overviews and other AI-powered search features. Similarly, a single control will apply across crawling, training and grounding activities, rather than allowing publishers to make separate decisions for each use case.

Saj Merali, CEO, PPA commented:

“As AI continues to reshape how people discover and consume information, it is vital that publishers of trusted journalism and the editorial brands they serve, have meaningful control over how their content is used and a fair opportunity to negotiate when that content creates value for others.

In this latest announcement, the CMA has recognised the importance of original journalism and professionally produced content, as well as the investment publishers make in creating it. The introduction of greater transparency, attribution and publisher controls will help rebalance the relationship between platforms and content creators at a critical moment for the industry.

However, while it is positive that publishers will be able to opt out of having their content used to fine-tune Google’s AI models, it is disappointing that the control will not be per feature or per purpose. Publishers will have to decide whether their content will be on all search AI features or none of them- and if they decide to allow Google to train on their content, then there is no way of opting out specifically of grounding.

Publishers need to understand not only when their content is being used, but also how it is being used. They should have a genuine choice over whether their content is available on different AI search products, particularly where those responses may reduce the incentive for users to visit the original source.

The CMA’s commitment to continue monitoring developments in AI-powered search is therefore particularly important. We await the final decisions on fair rankings and user choice, which will play a key role in shaping the future relationship between publishers, platforms and audiences. The PPA will continue to work closely with the CMA, Google and our members to ensure the final regime delivers meaningful publisher control, recognises the value of trusted content, and supports a sustainable future for high-quality journalism and editorial brands.”

The CMA has given Google up to nine months to implement the required changes, although it has indicated that it expects publisher controls to be introduced ahead of that deadline. 

The PPA has also sought further clarification from the CMA on the operation of page-level controls and is engaging with relevant stakeholders to better understand how the new controls will work in practice.

We will continue to keep members informed. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the decision in more detail, please get in touch with the PPA team.

Beginning on the 1 July 2026, a flat customs duty of €3 will apply to low-value e-commerce parcels under €150 entering the EU through IOSS.

This change is temporary while EU countries negotiate a new customs regime over the next two years. This change is the result of increase in the import of small, cheap parcels . On top of this levy, the EU has announced a further handling fee, to be introduced in the Autumn. It is anticipated that this could be an additional €2.

The Department for Business and Trade have launched a website collating available information on the EU Customs Duties, which you can access here. If you are interested in hearing more about what other publishers are doing in this space, there will be a drop-in session on Monday 8 June at 14:00.

The PPA’s relevant steering groups will also have agenda points dedicated to this issue. To aid our lobbying efforts, we are asking members to share any figures they have on the scale of the impact this will have for them. All evidence will be anonymised.

The PPA will continue to lobby decision makers and investigate this issue. We will provide timely updates on any new information we receive. For any questions, including to request a joining link for the drop-in session please contact charlotte.jeffreys@ppa.co.uk.

While this document isn’t legally binding, we hope it’s a helpful resource.

The Government is currently considering how cookie consent exemptions in the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) can be amended to support growth in digital advertising whilst still protecting privacy standards. This is a new power that the Government have since the passage of the Data (Use and Access Act) 2025.

The ICO decided to make a set of recommendations to the Government about how this power should be used. However, it is ultimately at the discretion of the Government to decide this, and the Government has stated that it is taking feedback from other stakeholders, including publishers.

The PPA gave evidence to the ICO before these recommendations were made. We asserted that it is not a commercially viable source of income for publishers.

We have also been liaising with the central Government to make the case for an alternative consent exemption extension that would allow personal advertising.

In response to the announcement, Eilidh Wilson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, PPA said:

“The ICO’s recommendation to restrict any extension of consent exemptions to contextual advertising alone is a profound disappointment for publishers, consumers, and the UK economy. At a moment when the Government says growth is its core mission, this approach risks undermining innovation, investment, and the future sustainability of the publishing sector.

Last week’s King’s Speech introduced a ‘Regulating for Growth’ Bill. The Government’s review of consent exemptions is a real opportunity to unlock growth and modernise the UK’s data protection approach. But that opportunity will be squandered if reform is limited to contextual advertising alone.

Responsible personalised advertising must be part of the solution. The PPA has set out clear proposals for how this can be delivered in a privacy-enhancing way through the responsible use of pseudonymised data and strict purpose limitation. These approaches are materially less intrusive than the cross-site tracking models widely used today, while still delivering the relevance and quality of experience consumers expect.

The Government now faces a clear choice. It can follow a narrow approach that limits innovation and weakens the future of trusted editorial brands, or it can create a modern framework that supports responsible innovation, protects consumers, and secures the long-term sustainability of the UK’s world-leading publishing sector.”

If you have any questions, or would like to find out more, please contact Eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk

The agreement includes:

• First-class letters will continue to be delivered Monday to Saturday, and there will be no second-class letter deliveries on Saturdays.
  
  

• Second class, Down Stream Access (DSA), and all other non-priority letters will be delivered every other day Monday to Friday.
  
  

• New headline targets for First-class and Second-class Universal Service Obligation (USO) mail with new ‘tail of mail’ targets from April 2026.
  
  

• Requirement for collections on Second class USO letters to be Monday to Friday, noting Royal Mail intends to collect mail Monday to Saturday.
  
  

• Reforms will be extended to another 240 delivery offices as part of a wider trial, before being completed across the full 1,200 network by December.
  
  

• Workers who joined on or after 1 December 2022, will receive a 4.75% pay rise while those on legacy contracts will receive a 3% rise.
  
  

• New starters’ contracts will be based on standard 37-hour working weeks, with an allowance for around 6,000 part-time postal workers to increase average weekly hours if needed.
  
  
• New DSA D+3 service to be regulated in the same way Ofcom regulates existing access services.

You can read the agreement in  full here.

This agreement marks the end of a dispute between Royal Mail and the CWU over proposed reforms to the Universal Service Obligation. 

As reported by the East London Advertiser, Alistair Cochrane, Chief Executive of Royal Mail commented: “This agreement with the CWU paves the way for Universal Service reform rollout and represents a significant investment in our people.  Moving ahead with reform will make a real difference to Royal Mail’s quality of service, supporting the delivery of a reliable, efficient and financially sustainable postal service for our customers across the UK.” 

Royal Mail’s buyout was cleared by shareholders in April last year, after new owners EP Group gave the Government legal undertakings that they would maintain the “one price goes anywhere” Universal Service Obligation (USO). 

Royal Mail’s regulator, Ofcom, subsequently approved Royal Mail’s plans to scale back Second-class letter deliveries. The changes were piloted in 35 delivery offices, but have not been expanded past that due to disagreement with the union. 

Furore over Royal Mail’s performance reached a peak last month, when they were summoned to give evidence to the Business and Trade Committee, alongside their regulator (Ofcom) and their union (the CWU). The Chair of the Select Committee, the Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, has confirmed that the Committee will continue to scrutinise the need for Royal Mail to significantly improve quality of service going forward. 

In a statement to members, the CWU  said: “it is now imperative that all branches, representatives and members have the opportunity and time to fully consider this agreement properly, not only on the basis of how we have moved the company significantly on all the key issues, but also in its wider context around why USO reform is necessary and why we must shift our focus to changing the role of Ofcom an create a level playing field with our competitors. Delivering change will always be difficult but we are clearly in a stronger position to support our members under the terms of this agreement”. 

The PPA has contacted Royal Mail and the CWU for more information and will provide further updates as soon as they are available. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact us at charlotte.jeffreys@ppa.co.uk

This change is temporary while EU countries negotiate a new customs regime over the next two years. By 1 November 2026, a further handling fee is expected to be applied to goods sent from outside the EU. This is a reaction to the increase in the import of small, cheap parcels.

This move has significant implications for publishers with customers in Europe, who face an increase in costs under the new system and risk financial and business consequences if found to be non-compliant.

The PPA understands the concerns this may raise and welcome members reaching out to us or our strategic mailing partner Air Business, who have been working hard to find compliant solutions.

While this document isn’t legally binding, we hope it’s a helpful resource.

Royal Mail, Ofcom (Royal Mail’s regulator) and the CWU (Royal Mail’s recognised union) all gave evidence. The session was led by Committee chair, the RT Hon Liam Byrne MP. During the meeting, it was suggested that there may be more sessions in the future. You can watch in full here.

In a letter sent by the Committee to Royal Mail, summoning them to give evidence, concerns were expressed over service failures, missed delivery targets and allegations of prioritising parcels and “batching” letters.

The 500-year-old Royal Mail’s buyout was cleared by shareholders in April last year, after new owners EP Group gave the Government legal undertakings that they would maintain the “one price goes anywhere” Universal Service Obligation (USO).

In July, Ofcom announced significant changes to the USO, with Second Class deliveries dropped down to every second day, Monday to Friday only. The rollout of this new model is currently the subject of a dispute between Royal Mail and the postal workers’ union (CWU).

The PPA wrote to the Business and Trade Committee ahead of the session to raise concerns regarding the impact of Royal Mail’s poor performance on publishers and their customers. This letter was shared as evidence with the committee ahead of the session.

Since the meeting, the Committee have sent letters asking further questions to the EP Group , the CWU, Ofcom, and to Royal Mail and its owners.

The PPA have written a summary on the key topics discussed during the session. View here:

The PPA is pleased to observe that the Government has accepted our recommendation on implementation timelines. The new regime will be introduced with a 12-month implementation period, following engagement earlier this year between PPA representatives and ministers.

This additional time will be critical in supporting publishers to make the necessary operational and compliance adjustments.

However, there are areas of concern. On cooling-off periods for digital services, the Government has opted for “option 2”. While this maintains the exemption from refund requirements during the initial cooling-off period for digital services, it removes the “use it and lose it” principle for renewal cooling-off periods.

In practice, this means that publishers will now be required to provide pro-rata refunds where a consumer cancels a digital service during a cooling-off period at the end of a trial or discounted period, or following an annual renewal.

The Government recognises that this creates potential risks for publishers producing seasonal or high-value digital content. In particular, there is a concern that consumers may access or download content shortly after renewal and then seek a refund within the 14-day cooling-off window.

Sajeeda Merali, CEO, PPA commented:

“The Government’s update on subscription models under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act is a welcome step forward after a lengthy delay. We are particularly pleased that the PPA’s engagement has led ministers to confirm a 12-month implementation period, giving publishers the necessary time to adapt and ensure full compliance.

Subscriptions are one of the most important and fastest-growing revenue streams for publishers, enabling a direct relationship with audiences without reliance on intermediaries. This model underpins the continued investment in high-quality, trusted editorial content and the communities these brands serve.

However, we are disappointed by the decision on renewal cooling-off periods for digital services. Retaining refund requirements at this stage leaves publishers commercially exposed, particularly where audiences can access time-sensitive, high-value content, such as major cultural moments like London Fashion Week or in-depth B2B industry reports, before cancelling and claiming a refund. In these cases, publishers have already incurred the full cost of creating that content, making them especially vulnerable to churn.

This presents a real challenge for publisher brands that are investing in premium digital products and subscription growth, and risks undermining a model that supports sustainable, independent publishing.

The PPA will continue to work constructively with government and partners across the creative industries to ensure the final framework strikes the right balance between consumer protection and a commercially viable future for publishers.”

The PPA has already raised concerns with Government officials and is arranging further engagement. In parallel, we are working with partners across streaming, gaming, and news sectors to coordinate a strategic response.

You can read the Government’s full statement here.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the implications further, please do get in touch with eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk 

Significantly, the Government has stepped back from a text and data mining (TDM) exemption, with an “opt-out” mechanism for AI training on copyrighted works no longer the preferred option, reflecting strong opposition from the creative industries.

The Government’s next phase of work will focus on four key areas:

• Creator control and transparency
  A review of mechanisms to help creators control their work online, including technical standards and best practice on transparency.
  
  
• Independent creatives
  A new working group to explore how smaller organisations can better license their content.
  
  
• Labelling AI-generated content
  A taskforce to develop best practice, with an interim report expected in the autumn.
  
  
• Digital replicas
  A consultation on protections against the unauthorised use of an individual’s likeness.
  
  

The Government has also committed to considering the findings of the House of Lords inquiry, which recently urged ministers to rule out an opt-out model, warning of the risks to the UK’s creative sector.

While the shift away from an opt-out regime will be welcomed by many in the creative industries, the Government has not ruled out future TDM exceptions, including for commercial or research purposes. This means the debate is far from settled.

The PPA will continue to engage closely with the Government and parliamentarians as this work develops, and with coalition partners to call for the delivery of effective transparency provisions.

Sajeeda Merali, CEO, PPA said:

“The Government’s latest update on AI and copyright is a positive indication that it is listening to the consistent feedback from across the sector, including the PPA and our members, and recognising the need to take a more balanced and considered approach to this issue. In particular, acknowledging that the consultation’s preferred option of an opt-out mechanism for text and data mining by LLMs was flawed, and taking that option off the table, would represent important progress for publishers and the trusted editorial brands our members represent.

Whilst we would like clearer direction in the near term on what will replace the original proposal, we welcome the Government taking the time to ensure it properly considers the needs of publishers, particularly around transparency requirements. The PPA looks forward to continuing to work constructively with Government and regulators, representing our members as we help shape a framework that supports both innovation and the UK’s world-leading publishing and creative industries”.

You can read Liz Kendall’s statement here.

If you have any questions, please contact Eilidh Wilson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs: eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk