Last week, TikTok announced that the platform now has over 200 million active users every month in Europe. This represents a doubling compared to 2021, when the user base was around 100 million. The growth comes as the company faces increased regulatory scrutiny, including issues related to data protection and content moderation. However, TikTok emphasizes its role as a distribution channel for European creators and its partnerships with local actors.

TikTok’s growth is part of – and fueling – the sharp rise of so-called “social video”, a format built on endless feeds of shorter clips across platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and Snapchat Spotlight. The format grew rapidly during the early pandemic years and today, Mediavision’s figures show that social video makes up more than 35% of daily online viewing time in the Nordics.

In this context, TikTok reaches an average of 16% of 15-74-year-olds in the region each day, equal to more than 3.2 million users. Among 15 to 34-year-olds the figure is significantly higher at 28%, placing TikTok ahead of all other social media platforms. This is presented in Mediavision’s new Ad-Funded Video Analysis. You can read more about this analysis by following this link.

In the U.S., TikTok faces a turbulent landscape. The platform has around 170 million monthly American users, making it one of the country’s most widely used social apps. Yet, it is under mounting legal and political pressure: the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the law requiring ByteDance to sell or divest its stake in TikTok, confirming that the so-called “sale-or-ban” legislation does not violate the Constitution. At the same time, a series of executive orders has granted the company temporary reprieves, allowing more time for a potential ownership deal.

Reports suggest that a sale may be edging closer, with names like Oracle, Blackstone, and a consortium led by Frank McCourt rumored among potential bidders. Still, the political picture is far from straightforward: the Trump administration has even launched an official White House TikTok account, underscoring both the platform’s entrenched role in American digital culture and the contradictions in the debate surrounding its future.

Sweden’s music rights society STIM has introduced the world’s first collective AI licence, designed to allow AI companies to train their systems on copyrighted music while ensuring compensation for creators. The model covers both training data and the use of AI-generated outputs, offering legal clarity for technology companies and revenue protection for songwriters.

A central feature is a mandatory attribution tool, developed with tech company Sureel, that tracks in real time which human-created works have influenced each AI output. The system is initially being piloted with Stockholm-based startup Songfox, with the aim of expanding to other AI firms once the framework is tested.

According to Reuters, the initiative addresses concerns that unchecked AI adoption could cut global music creators’ income by up to 24% by 2028, while the AI-generated music market could grow to an estimated USD 17 billion annually.

The Nordic region has already taken a coordinated stance, with collective management organizations in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway presenting joint licensing principles earlier this year. Elsewhere, rights bodies such as Germany’s GEMA and the U.S. RIAA are pursuing legal action against AI developers, underscoring the fragmented global landscape.

OpenAI is supporting Critterz, a feature-length animated film made largely with generative AI tools, including GPT-5 and advanced image models, Wall Street Journal reports. The film began as a short by director Chad Nelson using DALL·E and is now being co-produced with London-based Vertigo Films and Los Angeles studio Native Foreign. It is expected to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2026 before being released in theaters worldwide.

The project stands out for its relatively small budget of under USD 30 million and its fast production timeline of about nine months, compared to the three or more years usually required for animated films. Human artists and voice actors will still play a role, creating a hybrid approach that mixes AI-generated material with traditional production.

Observers see Critterz as an attempt to show how AI can cut costs and speed up film production, helping to overcome skepticism in Hollywood. At the same time, concerns remain around copyright, as well as pushback from unions and creators worried about the effect of automation on jobs and storytelling.

If successful, Critterz could become a key example of AI in filmmaking, potentially paving the way for wider use of the technology. But its reception among both audiences and industry professionals will be critical in deciding whether it sets a lasting trend or remains a one-off experiment.

High AI use in the Nordic media industry – Broadband TV News

Sweden: SVoD subs at record levels – Advanced Television

Svenskar strömmar mest reklamvideo i Norden – Dagens Nyheter 

Report: Ad-funded content now half of Swedes’ online viewing – Advanced Television

Spotifys nya plan kan förändra bokmarknaden – Svenska Dagbladet

Social video slår rekord – nu ökar pressen på de lokala aktörerna – Dagens Media

Report: Social video consumption soars in Nordics – Advanced Television

Spotifys popularitet kan tränga ut ljudbokstjänsterna – Svensk Bokhandel

Abonnementer med reklamer buldrer frem på dansk streamingmarked – Mediawatch

Danish streaming market tops 5 million – Broadband TV News

Nordmenn kjøper flest strømme-abonnement i Norden – Kampanje