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What If the EU Bans Infinite Scroll, Facebook Becomes Cool, and OpenAI Makes $100 Billion in Ads? | Behind the Numbers

Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast · with Rahul Chadha, Nate Elliott, Max Willens · July 24, 2026 · 34 min

Summary

This episode explores three speculative but impactful scenarios for the digital advertising and social media landscape. It delves into the potential consequences of an EU ban on infinite scroll, strategies for Facebook to regain relevance, and the ambitious projection of OpenAI achieving $100 billion in ad revenue by 2030. The discussion provides valuable foresight into regulatory shifts, platform evolution, and the burgeoning role of AI in advertising, offering insights for ecommerce operators to prepare for future industry changes.

Key takeaways

Themes

ai & automationpaid acquisitionbrand & content

Topics covered

eu digital services actinfinite scroll regulationfacebook brand perceptionsocial media strategyai in advertisinggenerative ai ad formats

Episode description

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss what would happen if the EU banned infinite scroll, whether Facebook can become cool again, and whether OpenAI could actually generate $100 billion in advertising revenue by 2030. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Director of Reports Editing Rahul Chadha, and Principal Analysts Nate Elliott and Max Willens. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify. Subscribe to EMARKETER's newsletters. Go to https://www.emarketer.com/newsletters Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/ For sponsorship opportunities, contact us: advertising@emarketer.com For more information, visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/ Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com For a transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-what-eu-bans-infinite-scroll-facebook-becomes-cool-openai-makes-100-billion-ads-behind-numbe © 2026 EMARKETER

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Frequently asked about this episode

What does this episode say about ai & automation?
A hypothetical EU ban on infinite scroll could significantly alter user engagement metrics and content consumption patterns, pushing platforms toward alternative design patterns and increasing regulatory intervention in digital product design.
What does this episode say about paid acquisition?
For Facebook to regain appeal, particularly among younger demographics, it would need to implement strategies focused on rebranding, new features, and targeted campaigns to compete with platforms like TikTok.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
OpenAI could generate substantial advertising revenue by integrating its AI models into ad platforms for creation, targeting, optimization, and analytics, potentially creating new generative AI ad formats.
What does this episode say about ai & automation?
Ecommerce businesses should monitor regulatory trends in digital design and advertising, understand evolving platform strategies for user engagement, and explore how AI can enhance their advertising efforts for better targeting and content creation.
What does this episode say about ai & automation?
The discussion around AI in advertising highlights the potential for personalized and highly effective ad experiences, but also raises ethical considerations and competition in the ad tech ecosystem.

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