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Hello, geeks!

Welcome to your weekly scroll-stopping social media debrief.

It’s been a spicy week of news, including:

… Meta declaring war on ‘unoriginal’ (stolen) Facebook content

… Elon Musk’s xAI promising Grok won’t call itself Hitler again

… Reddit requiring selfies to view NSFW memes in the UK

… And that CEO caught on a kiss cam at a Coldplay gig left wondering which is harder to recover from — the affair, or admitting he paid to hear “Fix You” live.

But before we dive in…

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• 🔥 What’s really working on social in 2025? — Data from 200,000 top brand accounts reveals all.
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• ✨ ByteDance’s most powerful tool for marketers isn’t TikTok — It’s this!

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  🔥 Pro tips straight from Emplifi’s social strategy team

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🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

Geekout’s pick of the hottest headlines in social this week:

2. xAI apologized for Grok's ‘horrific’ rant, blames bot update and ‘extremist’ X user posts [EXCUSING]

3. EU says member states are allowed to ban kids from social media [REGULATING]

4. Reddit users in the UK must now upload selfies to access NSFW subreddits [VERIFYING]

5. Zuckerberg and Meta investors settle $8bn Facebook privacy lawsuit [SETTLING]

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🚨 EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

THAT Coldplay moment

Okay, a quick catch up in case you’ve been offline for the past 24 hours…

A video of a Coldplay show where the ‘kiss cam’ appeared to expose a pair of colleagues having an affair, something singer Chris Martin then explicitly called out based on their reaction, has become the hottest video on the week, if not the month.

Internet sleuths quickly figured out it was Andy Byron with his arms wrapped around Kristin Cabot. The pair are the CEO and head of people at AI company Astronomer… and they’re apparently married to other people.

But… even is there was something underhand going on here, is it fair to turn it into an internet sensation?

As an astute piece by Jason Koebler at 404 Media puts it:

“If you don’t want to get caught having an affair, don’t have go out together in public” is sensible advice, or maybe even “don’t have an affair”. But similarly, the ease with which anyone with pictures of themselves online can be identified is terrifying.

We’ve seen internet sleuths get things very wrong over the years, and regardless of the rights and wrongs here, outing strangers for online clout is a deeply unhealthy thing for society.

Yes, there’s a funny side to all of this, too. But while we don’t know the true details of this specific example, the lives of everyone involved have undoubtedly been made worse because the internet can’t help get involved in juicy gossip.

…Oh, and I can’t help but wonder how Chris Martin must feel today!

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✨ NEW & NOTEWORTHY

Everything else you need to know from the past seven days…

Meta / Facebook / Messenger 👥

• Meta has acquired Play AI, known for ultra-realistic voice cloning tech

• Meta is gearing up for stricter laws with wider rollout of selfie-based age checks

• The EU warned Meta that its ‘pay or consent’ model needs further reworking, even after a $200m fine

• Meta’s superstar AI team is primarily male and pale, which could be a problem for the AI tech they create

• Mark Zuckerberg says he wants to build “personal superintelligence” that helps people remember and complete everyday tasks.

• Meta is considering ditching open source AI as it builds 'superintelligence'

• Meta plans to build several gigawatt-size data centres to support its huge AI ambitions

• Facebook added some fresh MySpace vibes with music for text posts

• Facebook updated the ‘Live Events’ creation page with more ways to customise your post

__________

Instagram ✨

• Instagram Edits has added 10 new voice effects, royalty-free audio features, and improved keyframe editing

• Instagram expanded access to Trial Reels for creators with 1,000+ followers and public accounts

• Instagram broadcast channels now let you change the channel profile photo

• Instagram now lets you control who can see your likes and comments on Reels shown in the ‘Friends’ tab

• Instagram has expanded access to DM translations in 99 languages

• PSA: Instagram allowing Google to index public posts isn’t new — it’s been in place for most users since 2020, it’s just been expanded to more regions

__________

Threads 🧵 / WhatsApp 🟢

• Threads has a new boss to oversee the platform as it closes in on X

• Threads is testing Facebook-based signups, expanding beyond Instagram

• Threads now lets you drop images into DMs

• Threads added a new ‘Fediverse Guide’ in the Help section

• Threads has expanded its API with support for topic tags and more

• WhatsApp has started rolling out Status ads and promoted channels

• WhatsApp is developing a way to use status updates to run surveys

• WhatsApp is testing showing how many people are typing a message in a group chat

• WhatsApp is working on letting admins share questions in channels

• WhatsApp is testing a ‘Scan document’ feature for individual and group chats

• WhatsApp is testing the ability to quickly open a chat with customer support

__________

Twitter (‘X’) 🤡

• X plans to add watermarks to screenshots of X posts

• xAI promised Grok will no longer call itself Hitler or base its opinions on Elon Musk’s…

• …but the EU has called X in for talks following the incident

• X is set for its first UK original video, a docuseries on Premier League club Burnley

• X is testing Threads-like trending topics in the For You feed

• X faces a criminal investigation in France over alleged algorithm manipulation

• The EU stalled investigation into X regarding breaking digital transparency rules as Trump trade tariffs loom

• xAI’s Grok isn’t as smart as Elon Musk claimed, according to (disputed) benchmarking scores

• X partnered with AppsFlyer to deliver more third-party insights on ad conversions and installs

• xAI ,now X’s parent company, is seeking a valuation of up to $200bn in an upcoming funding round

• Elon Musk now has until August 29 to respond to the SEC’s lawsuit over his Twitter stock disclosure

__________

YouTube 📺

• YouTube clarified changes to its monetisation rules. It isn’t a ban on reuse or AI, just duplication

• …but YouTube’s AI slop crackdown has creators concerned and marketers cheering

• YouTube expanded its ‘Hype’ tool to 19 new markets, helping fans boost emerging creators’ videos, and added new animated summer gifts for US live streams

• YouTube Studio now lets some creators A/B test video titles, not just thumbnails

• YouTube Studio now lets users toggle allowing clips and shares, and censoring words in captions

• YouTube Shorts steers users from political videos to viral entertainment, a study found

__________

TikTok 📱

• TikTok announced Songwriter Accounts that will display new profile labels and a dedicated music tab

• TikTok now lets you schedule posts right inside the mobile composer — no more bouncing to Studio

• TikTok now lets you play games with a friend

• TikTok is rolling out the ability to view Stories on desktop

• TikTok is scrambling to avoid a forced shutdown in Canada over national security fears

• TikTok’s shopping push has faced a new bunch of problems

• TikTok simplified access to the Camera, Thought and Flip Story features

• TikTok lost a bid to dismiss a lawsuit alleging its ‘addictive design’ exploits kids

• TikTok’s Creator Search Insights are now available on desktop

• TikTok now lets you pin Creator Search Insights to your home screen.

__________

LinkedIn / BeReal / Discord / More… 💼

• LinkedIn updated its algorithm to put more old posts in your feed

• Discord's virtual Orbs currency is now available for everyone to earn

• Twitch is quietly testing TikTok-style vertical livestreams with a handful of streamers

• BeReal has relaunched with video, chat, and more polish

• These eight wild new emojis will launch later this year

• Pump.fun, a little-known crypto platform, raised $600 million in minutes to fuel a ‘social casino’ vision to take on Facebook and TikTok

__________

🔥 Want to see more hot NEW features spotted in the wild this week?

Just head to the ‘More news’ section below!

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🤖 SOCIAL AI

The newest social media AI features spotted this week:

This is fun! Adobe’s Firefly AI now lets your create sound effects by mimicking noises with your mouth (it works with text too, if you’re too self conscious!).

Prefect for your next ‘gotta post it now’ video.

Also spotted this week 👀

• Instagram now lets you write your bio using Meta AI.

• xAI launched ‘Grok for Government’, bundling Grok 4 and Deep Search for US federal government use

• xAI added a ridiculous anime companion to Grok, with an ‘NSFW’ mode

  …and Elon Musk says a male Grok companion is coming… with a personality inspired by 'Twilight' and '50 Shades of Grey'

• Slack expanded its AI features with enterprise search, translation, and smart summaries

• Clubhouse is working on the ability to create polls in Rooms

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😆 LOL

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🌡️ VIRAL

Poor Elmo!

Popular culture’s most sweetly innocent puppet was hacked on X this week and made to say some really nasty stuff indeed…

Also going viral this week: 🔥

• Face with Bags Under Eyes was crowned the most popular new emoji of 2025

• US 'Deportation Tok' is taking off: People are uploading videos of their post-deportation life to TikTok and other platforms

• What is the Gen Z stare? TikTok zoomers and millennials are bickering over facial expressions

• 5 TikTok ‘health’ trends that are as dangerous as they are stupid

• 6 Gen Alpha slang terms that prove TikTok’s algorithm is winning

• MrBeast is planning his “biggest creator collab ever” and called on everyone to DM him. It’s unclear why, though…

• TikTok’s #morningshed trend pushes extreme bedtime skincare ritual

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🪧 BRANDS

“Nothing beats a Jet 2 holiday!” has taken over everyones TikTok FYP…

TikTok users have been ironically pairing an upbeat ad with clips of travel chaos or holiday disasters for months.

And it’s weirdly worked out well for the brand…

@chiempy_

#viral #foryoupage #FinalDestination #fyp

More brand news this week: 👀

• Startup brands are trading traditional influencers for quirky viral accounts like SubwayTakes

• Starbucks launched a ‘Secret Menu’ in its app, sourced from viral TikTok drinks

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🙊 WHAT DID YOU SAY?!

“It is a very big moment for the industry, a very serious moment.”

- Ofcom boss Melanie Dawes on the introduction of compulsory age checks for social media in the UK on 25 July.

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Also overheard this week: 👂

• “……………”
  
  – Mark Zuckerberg was silenced when the sound didn’t work during a live interview with The Information on its new streaming video show. (Here’s a fun look at trying to use AI to lipread silent Zuck - plus the real transcript)

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👀 MY FAV READS

“The 12-day conflict was marked by a flurry of propaganda, disinformation and covert operations aided by artificial intelligence and spread by social media.”

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📺 MUST WATCH

Watch (as spotted by The Verge) Jack Dorsey describing the takeover of Twitter as a disaster for Elon Musk… and for everyone involved.

Watch the full interview below, or the specific section here.

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😮 WTF?!

Working for Elon Musk must be stressful, just for all the times he changes his mind, or decides to sleep on the factory floor to look tough while you’re trying to work.

But now, the highly skilled professionals at xAI are being treated with zero trust, or, it would seem expectation of personal privacy.

“xAI told workers to download employee tracking software on their personal computers, prompting privacy concerns — and one worker's apparent resignation.

Also WTF this week: 👀

• TikTok has been flooded with deepfake copies of real creators' videos. AI bots on TikTok are cloning creators’ exact words using deepfake voices and faces.

• A TikTok creator has warned of disinformation after she became the victim of a death hoax video

• Reddit trolls are weaponising government agencies against creators

• Terrorists are selling American guns and grenade launchers on X and WhatsApp, a new report says

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🤦‍♂️ FAIL

A fake iPhone virus ad disguised as a pop-up has slipped through YouTube’s ad review.

Also:

• Meta’s Georgia data centre uses 500,000 gallons of water daily—10% of the entire county’s supply, and it’s starting to seriously affect the neighbours
  

• TikTok’s messy merger with Tokopedia in Malaysia has seen ecommerce revenue dropping, algorithm issues, and rising fees

• Meta has fixed a bug that could leak users’ AI prompts and generated content

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📲 NEW APPS

Want all your messages in one place?

Beeper has been relaunched with more robust, on-device privacy and pro messaging tools for a fee.

It now supports WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Slack, and Discord, plus iMessage on macOS.

Also new this week: 👀

• EmojiTracker has come back to life through the power of the people

• After last week’s Bitchat, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is back with Sun Day, an app to track UV and vitamin D

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👔 YOU’RE HIRED!

Hot new social media jobs worth checking out this week:

Airtable is looking for a Senior Social Media Manager [Remote, USA]

More top social media jobs spotted this week 💼

• FOX Sports is hiring a Social Media Freelancer [Remote, USA]

• The Ivors Academy needs a Social Media and Content Manager [Hybrid, London, UK]

• Sport Wales is recruiting a Social Media Officer [Cardiff, UK]

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😎 FUTURE SOCIAL

In the lab right now:

Meta is working on AR tech that could let you feel the metaverse…

Also:

• Meta has invented a smarter, bend-resistant frame for future AR wearables

• TikTok parent ByteDance is developing mixed reality goggles in a challenge to Meta

• Meta is gearing up to sell AR glasses to surgeons and doctors

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👌 PRO TIPS

What content formats should you focus on for each platform in 2025?

Buffer crunched the data from millions of posts to get answers… 📈

More pro-tips worth checking out ✨

• Instagram launched a new guide to drive up brand-creator collabs

• TikTok explained how to crush it on LIVE — from setup to strategy

• LinkedIn released a one-sheet explainer of its ad and targeting options for marketers

• LinkedIn published a new report on the value of thought leadership content

• LinkedIn shared insights into key elements driving video content engagement

• LinkedIn’s updated Ads Success Guide outlines best practices for campaign setup, targeting, and measurement.

• X shared key data on holiday season planning

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📊 SOCIAL STATS

2.9 BILLION

– The number of likes the Daily Mail has received on TikTok. The UK-born media brand is the most-liked news account in the US, with 23.2 million followers

Even more social stats: 📈

• TIKTOK SHOP: June sales jumped 120% YoY, even as US commerce traffic dropped from 13.1% to 10.6%.

• COMMUNITY NOT: Over 90% of X’s Community Notes never see the light of day

• LOSING INFLUENCE: Just 12% of brands now spend over half their budget on influencers, down sharply from 2024.

• RULEBREAKERS: 45% of creator ads ignore key best practices

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📈 CHARTED

How Americans use social media…

More charted social insights spotted: 👀.

• DREAM STREAM: YouTube topped US TV-based use of streaming services again in June

• TOO LEGIT TO QUIT: How many millennials and Gen-Zers see ‘creator’ as a professional career

• START IT UP: Where adults start product searches in different countries

• UNCLICKED: Threads users still barely click links in posts, according to new data from SimilarWeb and Chartbeat

• TOP APPS: The most downloaded apps in the world in June 2025

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💥 EVEN MORE SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS & UPDATES

• The UK government is considering more rules to keep children safe online. [BBC News]

• Meta wants to train its AI using Australians’ public Facebook and Instagram posts. Europeans got an opt-out, but Aussies don’t. [The Guardian]

• Experts have slammed the Australian government for continuing to run ads on X, despite Grok’s antisemitic “MechaHitler” outburst. [The Guardian]

• YouTube will headline the 41st Mipcom TV market in Cannes this October. [The Hollywood Reporter]

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📰 WEEKEND READS

Geekout’s pick of the best longer reads to sink into over the weekend:

As AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown go viral…

“Experts say that as generative AI becomes more sophisticated, it's becoming harder and harder for the average listener to distinguish between human and machine.”

More great weekend reads:

• How social media is fuelling Gen Z’s sex recession

• Inside the redesign that will make you actually want to use Nextdoor

• How Elon Musk’s chaos drove out X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino

• Inside Snapchat’s plan to court—and grow—the next generation of creators

• The streaming war’s endgame is here—and it’s YouTube vs. Netflix

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😳 AND FINALLY…

Restaurants in San Francisco are vetting customer’s social media before they even walk in! 😳

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📅 BACK NEXT WEEK…

And that’s everything worth knowing about this week.

I’m heading off to LinkedIn where users have somehow turned the Coldplay ‘kiss cam’ incident into a thought leadership bloodbath.

Equal parts brutal and cringe.

As for that CEO, Chris Martin sums it up best:

Goodbye, geeks!

P.S. This newsletter is edited by Martin SFP Bryant