Payments can build resilience in changing digital market

By Hesper Huang, senior director, digital content, Worldpay

For a while, the transfer of data across platforms and regions felt easy. The digital economy flourished with less strict rules, global cooperation and innovation going right back to the beginnings of the World Wide Web in 1989. Things have changed – but are you set up for success?

These days, governments prioritize further digital sovereignty, strategic autonomy and local oversight, requiring technology infrastructure providers to adapt. What people want is also changing fast, leading to a dynamic but demanding environment for digital content providers to navigate.

It’s a regulatory patchwork

Globally, rules regulating digital content providers are expanding. Data localization mandates, content moderation, competition laws and operational resilience have reshaped and to some extent fragmented the industry.

Some countries have also introduced digital service taxes to ensure digital businesses operate across borders with the appropriate level of taxes based on the revenue they generate. As of September 2025, more than 30 countries have either implemented or proposed DSTs.

The result can seem complex with a patchwork of requirements that sometimes overlap, conflict or are yet to be sewn in, and fines for noncompliance can be enormous slices of revenue.

• Digital services taxes are being instituted in a growing number of countries, including France (3%), Italy (3%) and the UK (2%).
• Data localization laws in China, India and Indonesia mandate that data be stored or processed within national borders.
• New platform regulations in the EU, like the Digital Services Act, impose stricter rules on content moderation.

These factors, as well as continuing digital evolution and changing consumer behaviours, require that digital content providers understand and respond to the new state of play.

Content generations

In addition to understanding new legislative demands, digital content providers must keep up with the changing preferences and tastes of their users.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha gravitate toward short-form, vertical videos, with a 2023 Forrester survey suggesting just under 70% of U.S. teens used TikTok at least weekly. Gen Alpha are drawn to immersive experiences and gaming, whereas Gen Z love the authenticity of user-generated videos and meaningful in-person events.

Older TikTok audiences continue to grow, and over 200 billion reels are played across Instagram and Facebook each day, with India, the U.S., Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey having the largest audiences.

Meanwhile, millennials like a mix of video and written content; Gen Xers are adaptable, moving effortlessly between social platforms, streaming and TV; and baby boomers may be a mix of those embracing technology and eschewing it.

Content consumption varies geographically, too, due to cultural, social and technological factors.

• According to Nielsen, streaming dominates U.S. TV-viewing at 38% of total viewing time to cable’s 28%. This contrasts with Poland, where cable commandeered 33% and streaming only 8%.
• APAC sees high mobile-first engagement, especially in India and Indonesia.
• According to the World Economic Forum, a growing number of people in the U.S. (34%) say social media is their main source of news – one point behind Brazil.

Stay local, increase reach

Though there are global differences, universally there’s a growing trend for localized content, as consumers engage more with media that reflects their own languages, values and experiences. Tailoring content almost always leads to higher engagement and more emotive experiences.

Content providers that harness local ecosystems can position themselves better with improved understanding of nuance, access to local distribution deals and better operational rates – all conducive to more successful expansion strategies.

The other side of the coin is that – in contrast to the above – there is also a growing appetite for non-English original content right across the globe, with Korean and Spanish exports being leading examples. Statista found 49% of respondents across 28 countries in 2024 thought K-dramas were “very popular.”

But, localization has a role to play in the enthusiasm for exports, since the marketing by streaming platforms, as well as accessibility options, are carefully considered and curated for each audience: dubbing, subtitles, or simply how the shows are advertised in each country.

It’s all to play for

For digital content providers to thrive amid such headwinds, they can implement strategies that build resilience across the value chain. Some key approaches include:

• Redesign networks to reduce single points of failure and address low performance.
• Monitor risks continuously and run simulations ahead of disruptions.
• Diversify assets across geographies, as well as optimize across portfolios and systems.
• Use payments as a strategic lever for enhancing business resilience and driving growth.

Checklist – getting it right

• Accept local payment methods to make payments easy for users and build trust.

• Localise acceptance to reduce cross-border friction and increase approval rates.

• Hold local currencies and lock in exchange rates to manage volatility.

• Optimise routing to minimise cost and ensure continuity.

• Invest in fraud prevention to protect revenue and trust.

• Explore subscription models to secure always-on revenue.

With these approaches, you can not only navigate the challenges of fragmentation and regulatory pressures but unlock new opportunities for growth and engagement in a dynamic digital world.

How we can help

Worldpay helps digital content businesses simplify cross-border payments, optimize revenue and build resilience. We can navigate regulatory complexity, engaging proactively with policymakers across key jurisdictions, meaning we’re not only on the pulse of policy changes, but also part of the conversation.

Whether entering new territories, considering new business models or adapting to consumer trends, we help brands scale globally while staying local. Get in touch.