Hearst vs Webedia

Publishers Lobby Congress for 'Bad Bots' Bill

Over 300 news publishing executives, including leaders from Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, USA Today Co., and The Seattle Times, traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby Congress for the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act. The bill would require AI stealth crawlers to identify themselves, preventing them from disguising traffic and bypassing publishers' scraping blocks. Organized by News/Media Alliance, the event follows a similar New York state law and aims to address the growing problem of AI bots scraping content without permission. Executives met with lawmakers to emphasize the need for transparency, control, and fair compensation when their content is used for AI training. The initiative highlights the increasing urgency as AI bot traffic has surged significantly, with TollBit detecting over 22 billion AI bot scrapes in the first half of 2026.

• More than 300 publishing executives lobbied Congress for the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act.
• Key participants included Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, USA Today Co., and The Seattle Times.
• The bill would require AI stealth crawlers to identify themselves.

Hearst Newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle & USLege Launch Capitol Confidential Pro

Hearst Newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle & USLege launch Capitol Confidential Pro, a new product with searchable government video transcripts and Sacramento political reporting and analysis.

Hearst Newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle & USLege Launch Capitol Confidential Pro With Searchable Government Video Transcripts & Sacramento Political Reporting & Analysis

Hearst Newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle and USLege have launched Capitol Confidential Pro, a new product offering searchable government video transcripts and Sacramento political reporting and analysis.

JUSTINE PLANCHON JOINS THE WEBEDIA-ELEPHANT GROUP, IN CHARGE OF PRODUCTION AND CREATORS

The Webedia-Elephant group announces the appointment of Justine Planchon to the position of Deputy CEO, in charge of Production, Creators and...

Sparteo Appoints Antoine Hermite as Managing Director

Sparteo, a provider of AI-powered contextual advertising solutions, has appointed Antoine Hermite as Managing Director to lead its international growth initiatives. Hermite brings extensive experience from his previous role at Webedia, where he held a senior executive position. This strategic hire underscores Sparteo's commitment to expanding its global footprint and enhancing its market position in the advertising technology sector. The appointment is part of Sparteo's broader strategy to strengthen its leadership team and drive innovation in contextual advertising.

• Sparteo appointed Antoine Hermite as Managing Director.
• Hermite is a former Webedia executive.
• The appointment aims to drive Sparteo's international growth.

Webedia Germany CEO Marc-Andreas Albert Leaves

Webedia Germany is undergoing a leadership change: long-time CEO Marc-Andreas Albert has left the company, according to a report by Gameswirtschaft. Dawid Hallmann, who has worked at Webedia Germany since 2015 and was most recently Director Gaming & Tech, is reported to have taken over the CEO role in July. Webedia confirmed the change and thanked Albert for his service. Webedia Germany, part of the French Webedia Group, operates brands including GameStar, MeinMMO, Filmstarts and Moviepilot and employs around 200 people across Berlin, Munich and Hamburg.

• Marc-Andreas Albert left Webedia Germany after serving as CEO since 2017.
• Gameswirtschaft reported the departure and named Dawid Hallmann as Albert's successor.
• Dawid Hallmann has worked at Webedia Germany since 2015 and was Director Gaming & Tech; his LinkedIn indicates he assumed the CEO role in July.