Your commercial news round-up: UK economy, WhatsApp block in Russia, Instagram ‘addiction’, Oatly legal battle

Reading time: four minutes

The outlook for the UK economy has dimmed as growth data for the end of 2025 is published, while Russia attempts to ban WhatsApp in the country. In the US, Meta faces mounting legal pressure as Instagram’s chief denies that social media can be clinically addictive and, back in the UK, Oatly is facing a courtroom defeat over a slogan. Read on for LCN’s picks of this week’s top commercial stories!

• The UK economy grew by only 0.1% in the final quarter of 2025, leading to weak momentum heading into 2026. Falling business investment and subdued consumer spending have been cited among the reasons for this. The figure, reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), matched the previous quarter and fell short of the 0.2% rise that economists had  expected. In 2025, the economy grew by 1.3%, slightly above 2024’s 1.1%, but below the Office for Budget Responsibility’s 1.5% forecast. The ONS also revealed that December’s monthly growth expanded by only 0.1% compared to 0.2% in November, driven by a 1.2% increase in the production sector. Director of economic statistics at the ONS, Liz McKeown, said: “The often-dominant services sector showed no growth, with the main driver instead coming from manufacturing. Construction, meanwhile, registered its worst performance in more than four years.” Business investment fell by 2.7%, and consumer spending rose only 0.2%, reflecting caution in the run-up to the November budget.
   
• Russia has ordered a block on WhatsApp, escalating its crackdown on messaging apps. According to WhatsApp, the move has pressured more than 100 million users to switch to the state‑run Max platform. A spokesperson for the Kremlin said the ban stems from Meta’s “unwillingness to comply with the norms and the letter of Russian law” and that Meta can resume operations if the company “complies” and “enters into dialogue”.. The move comes as Russia also tightens restrictions on Telegram, citing security concerns, despite the app being widely used by citizens and Russian forces in Ukraine. WhatsApp called the decision a “backwards step” and said it “can only lead to less safety for people in Russia”. Meanwhile, Russia continues to promote Max through TV advertisements and billboards, and has mandated that the app be pre-installed on all new devices sold in the country since 2025.
   
• Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has rejected the idea that users can become clinically addicted to social media during a landmark California trial on Wednesday. Mosseri’s testimony is part of the first in a series of bellwether cases brought by hundreds of families and school districts accusing Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube of intentionally designing addictive platforms that harm young people’s mental health. The Los Angeles trial focuses on a 20‑year‑old plaintiff, identified as KGM, who argued that Instagram’s endless‑scroll features worsened her depression and suicidal thoughts. Mosseri said: “We are trying to be as safe as possible but also censor as little as possible.” Meta’s lawyers have denied the science behind social media addiction and argued that KGM’s mental health stemmed from other factors.
   
• Oatly has lost its long‑running legal fight to use the word ‘milk’ in its marketing. It had previously attempted to trademark the phrase “post‑milk generation” but the Supreme Court upheld a law that the term ‘milk’ can apply only to animal‑derived products. The court said the slogan could mislead consumers into thinking Oatly’s drinks contain little or no milk, rather than being entirely plant‑based, and said that the phrase couldn’t be trademarked or used by the Swedish company. The case began in 2021 when Dairy UK objected to Oatly’s trademark application, arguing that EU‑aligned rules reserve the term ‘milk’ for animal products. The Intellectual Property Office upheld the objection and, although the High Court briefly sided with Oatly, the Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court reversed that view. Oatly's general manager for the UK and Ireland, Bryan Carroll, said the case was "a way to stifle competition and is not in the interests of the British public". Carroll added: "This decision creates unnecessary confusion and an uneven playing field for plant-based products that solely benefits Big Dairy." The ruling doesn’t prevent Oatly from selling pre‑existing “post‑milk generation” t‑shirts, as clothing isn’t covered by the relevant law.

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