Blog
July 20, 2026TikTok's ad library, seven months into its DSA pledge: two fixes shipped, two still missing
The European Commission accepted TikTok's binding Digital Services Act commitments on ad transparency in December 2025. We tested the live Commercial Content Library in July 2026: full ad content and 24-hour updates are live, but the promised age-and-gender reach data and search filters are not.
July 13, 2026X’s ad repository still breaks DSA Article 39, seven months after the €120M fine
The European Commission fined X €120 million over its DSA ad repository in December 2025. We tested the live repository in July 2026: it still is not searchable, still lacks the data Article 39 requires, and is now slower than when it was fined.
July 12, 2026Why this transparency data only exists in the EU
The monthly-active-user counts, ad libraries and transparency reports behind this site all exist for one reason: the EU's Digital Services Act forces very large platforms to publish them. Here are the specific articles that make it possible — and why the same numbers don't exist anywhere else.
June 26, 2026What the Latest Round of DSA Transparency Reports Reveals (2025–26)
The latest EU DSA transparency reports are in: TikTok (178.3M EU users, July–Dec 2025), X (102M, Apr–Jun 2025) and Google/YouTube (Jan–Jun 2025). What the platforms reported, and why the numbers don't compare directly.
January 23, 2026Advertising Library Transparency: Comparing the US and the EU
EU advertising libraries mandate archiving, reach data, and transparency under the DSA, enabling fraud and influence detection even after ads stop running. In contrast, most US online ads disappear without trace, making large-scale manipulation effectively invisible.
December 19, 2025Key Reasons the World Needs Transparent Ad Libraries
Ad fraud thrives where ad systems lack transparency, allowing platforms to profit while users and businesses bear the harm.
December 10, 2025European Commission Fines X €120M. Let’s not Confuse Freedom of Speech with lack of Transparency
The European Commission fined X €120M for breaching basic transparency rules — from misleading “verification” to an unusable ads library and blocking researchers from accessing public data. Musk frames this as a free-speech issue, but the case shows a refusal to provide accountability, not a defense of expression.
September 25, 2025“Industrial-Scale Manipulation”: Report Details How Bot Networks Are Boosting the Far-Right on TikTok in Germany
A new report says bot networks are hijacking TikTok in Germany to boost far-right AfD content, distorting public opinion with fake engagement and extremist hate speech.
September 22, 2025Why Transparent Ads Under the DSA Matter for Stopping Online Fraud
Strong ad transparency, as required by the DSA, is essential to stop scams in real time, trace who was targeted, and hold platforms accountable.