ExchangeWire on a Landmark Media Corruption Case in China, Australia vs Amazon and Shopee's Meta Deal

It's an exciting MadTech Podcast this week as ExchangeWire's Lindsay Rowntree and John Still are joined in-person by our APAC/MENA Editor Charlotte Mceleny, as they record on location in Singapore.

Former WPP China Executive Gets Life Sentence for Advertising Kickbacks
Di Fei, former chief investment officer at GroupM's China operations, has been sentenced to life in prison over a bribery scheme in which he and colleagues allegedly received 1.2 billion yuan (~$176 million) in kickbacks between 2019 and 2023. Two colleagues also received lengthy sentences - 14.5 years and four years respectively.

Australia's ACCC Sues Amazon Over Unfair Prime Video Ad Contract Terms
Australia's competition regulator, the ACCC, is suing Amazon over unfair contract terms affecting more than one million annual Prime subscribers. It alleges Amazon used five one-sided clauses to introduce ads into Prime Video from mid-2024 without offering refunds, forcing subscribers to pay extra to keep an ad-free service they'd already paid for upfront.

Shopee and Meta Launch Instagram Affiliate Partnerships
Shopee and Meta have extended their Facebook affiliate program to Instagram, letting eligible creators across Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Brazil tag Shopee products in Reels and Feed posts and earn commissions on completed purchases. The companies are also piloting paid affiliate ads, as Shopee builds out creator-led commerce to counter TikTok Shop's growth.