Hello, geeks!

Oh boy! It’s been quite a week for TikTok in the US…

As its shiny new American joint venture overlords (aka Trump’s pals) took the reins, the app promptly fell apart.

Glitchy videos, broken comments, delayed creator payouts — and users mysteriously blocked from posting anything mentioning ‘Epstein’ or ‘ICE raids'.

Understandably, the conspiracy theory crowd lit up like a Christmas tree.

TikTok US blamed (checks notes)… Oracle. Which, ironically, is one of the new joint venture partners. Ooof! 🤦

Apparently, a “severe weather event” fried one of their data centres. Totally normal launch week stuff. 🤔

More on that hot mess in a moment.

Here’s what else is coming up in this week’s Geekout:

  • Meta testing Snapchat+ style paid subs: Premium perks for Instagram + WhatsApp coming soon

  • Zuckerberg ignoring internal warnings to stop teens accessing AI chatbots that get weirdly sexy

  • A viral ‘drama queen’ lamb who plays dead when potential buyers approach

  • 33+ new Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp + LinkedIn features spotted in the wild

  • Plus all the latest viral trends, pro-tips, top jobs, and more…

Let’s go!👇

__________

P.S… 3 cool things

  • 😲 This stealth AI tool watches TikTok, Instagram, YouTube 24/7 to track spoken mentions of your brand by creators in their videos…

    I just spotted it’s offering a FREE Social Video Audit + a personalised TikTok-ready video strategy.

  • 🤬 What is your Twitter / X Hostility Score? Is yours higher than mine? Check here.

  • 📈 This ONE channel boosted Fabletics Facebook performance 20% and cut its ad CPMs by 50%. [ad]

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One Viral TikTok Video Can Kill a Brand. Don’t Let It Be Yours

In 2026, one video can tank a brand. Yet most listening tools are blind.

They only track text. They miss what’s actually happening and being in the video.

You’re probably missing:

  • 🗣️ Spoken Mentions: People say your name, but don’t type it.

  • 🔗 Untagged Endorsements: Creators push your product without tagging.

  • 😱 Negative PR: By the time it hits Slack, it’s too late.

That’s where Syncly Social comes in.

It’s built specifically for social video, not retrofitted from legacy text-based listening.

Why Syncly puts you back in control:

  • 🤖 True video listening: Monitor your brand on TikTok/IG/YouTube, even on untagged posts

  • 🔍 Influencer discovery: Find creators who fit with your brand by analyzing what they  actually show and say

  • 🗂️ Competitive intel: Decode who and what’s driving growth for your competitors

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Syncly will unearth videos creators have shared mentioning your brand (or your rivals)

Syncly will then create a FREE TikTok-ready video strategy just for you, to boost reach, clicks, and clout.

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

TikTok’s ownership shakeup sends creators scrambling amid chaos and uncertainty 

TikTok ownership changing hands over the weekend led to widespread problems on the platform that has left creators reeling.

  1. Meta to test premium subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp [MONETISING]

  2. Meta CEO Zuckerberg blocked curbs on sex-talking chatbots for teens, court filing alleges [DISTURBING]

  3. EU launched inquiry into X over sexually explicit images made by Grok AI [PROBING]

  4. TikTok settled social media addiction lawsuit ahead of landmark trial in the U.S [EVADING]

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This One Channel Boosted Facebook Performance 20% 📈

Facebook ads flatlining? TikTok results still unpredictable? 🫠

So what are the smartest social teams doing about it?

They’re adding TV. And no, not Mad Men-era TV.

We’re talking modern, testable, performance-driven TV that works like Meta used to.

Fabletics plugged Tatari into their media mix and saw:

  • 📉 CPMs drop 50%

  • 📈 Facebook ROAS shoot up 20%

TV builds top-of-funnel demand.
Then social + search convert it more efficiently.
Everything works harder.

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This is TV built for performance marketers:

  • Test fast

  • Track CPV, ROAS, CAC

  • Scale only what works

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…TikTok US’s rocky first week

TikTok users “absolutely justified” in fearing MAGA makeover, experts say

As the deal to create a separate entity to run TikTok in the USA was finally signed off late last week, there were celebrations at the company’s American HQ. But they didn’t last long.

Let’s set aside the question of whether or not the deal is even legal. As Adam Presser, previously TikTok’s head of operations, was appointed CEO of TikTok US and the weekend rolled around, the platform was in for a nightmare few days that would have staff and users alike worried.

There were severe tech problems lasting the best part of three days. TikTok US blamed them on a data centre power problem, which turned out to be caused by the new co-owner of TikTok US, Oracle. Embarrassing!

TikTok warned advertisers the failure caused missing ads, broken reporting, and monetisation glitches. Major agencies saw severe under-delivery, forcing brands to shift spend, which spiked CPMs on Meta and YouTube. Some campaigns auto-ended early, worsening performance. Yikes.

A few technical issues are to be expected after a major change, perhaps. But there was more.

Long before the deal closed, there had been concerns that a bunch of Trump-approved rich folk taking over TikTok’s algorithm in the US could tighten Trump’s cultural grip on the app, and the country for widely.

In the first few days of TikTok US, those fears seemed to have been made real, with users reporting censorship of posts about ICE and Epstein. TikTok said this was not intentional, but that didn’t stop California governor Gavin Newsom accusing TikTok of suppressing content critical of Trump. He pledged to investigate.

Whether or not TikTok suppresses anti-Trump content, the fear that it might is completely justified in a country where the President sues media outlets he thinks are unfair to him.

I suspect TikTok US will find itself having to justify every pro-Trump moderation decision to users in the future.

Meanwhile, TikTok users freaked out over app’s ‘immigration status’ collection.

It turns out that’s some legal box-ticking the previous version of the app also had. But in the context of ICE roaming around the US and rounding people up, it’s understandable that users were worried. It’s also understandable that advertisers might worry that these policies could put users off the app.

Competing apps like UpScrolled and Skylight, which saw a boost this week in the US, will no doubt be hoping TikTok’s new American owners screw up spectacularly. They certainly have so far…

…Platform news you need to know this week…

Meta   Meta  /  Facebook  Facebook

Facebook Marketplace launches Bridgerton shop | Credit: Meta / Netflix

  • Facebook has a new Bridgerton Marketplace page, where fans of the Netflix show can buy props, signed merch, and enter themed giveaways (US-only)

  • Meta has blocked teens from accessing AI characters as it rebuilds a safer system

  • Meta will scale back Horizon Worlds VR and prioritise mobile and third-party titles

  • Meta and Ray-Ban smart glasses partner EssilorLuxottica are being sued by rival brand Solos, alleging patent infringement

  • Meta's Creator Marketplace now auto-populates a list of all the influencers who follow your brand on social media

  • Meta’s new wristband lets paralysed users move virtual hands

  • Meta has spent more than $6M on TV ads in state capitals + Washington, to try to make data centres more popular with politicians and the public

  • Meta is now blocking links to ICE List, a wiki that names agents

  • Meta is being probed by Ofcom over WhatsApp info it was legally required to provide

  • China ordered a deeper review of Meta’s acquisition of Chinese-founded AI startup Manus

  • Meta teased Super Bowl ads for its Oakley smart glasses

  • Facebook Dating launched “Free to Date,” its first-ever ad campaign targeting young adults

  • Facebook has added a WhatsApp sticker for Pages

  • Facebook is testing a new More button for the options available for comments left on posts

__________

Instagram  Instagram  /   Threads  Threads

Instagram is making it easier to DM friends about posts they liked | Credit: @theahmedghanem

  • Instagram plans to test a paid subscription with premium perks, incl. unlimited audience lists, seeing who doesn’t follow you back, and viewing Stories anonymously

  • Instagram has made it easier—and more private—to start conversations with friends based on posts they’ve liked

  • Instagram is working on a feature that lets users remove themselves from another user's Close Friends list

  • Instagram Edits now has simplified copy and paste and improved track linking

  • Instagram Edits has moved the creation button to the Projects tab, making it larger and placing it at the top of the page.

  • Instagram is testing a new way to display post dates by showing the exact posting date instead of a day count

  • Instagram now labels sponsored ads simply as “Ad”

  • Instagram has started displaying a count of Story reshares within the Story views section

  • Threads made improvements to its post markup feature

  • Threads is widely rolling out the ability to invite a user to a group with a link

__________

 WhatsApp  WhatsApp

WhatsApp’s new ‘Strict Account Settings’ option | Credit: Meta

  • WhatsApp announced new anti-spyware security improvements with a ‘Strict Account Settings’ option

  • WhatsApp is building a paid subscription with exclusive customisation perks like premium stickers, app themes, extra pinned chats, custom ringtones, and new app icons

  • WhatsApp will now charge AI chatbots to operate in Italy

  • WhatsApp Channels now faces stricter regulation in Europe after being categorised as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the EU’s toughest digital rules

  • WhatsApp is rolling out Questions to more Broadcast Channels and testing a new Music feature that lets creators such as musicians share music directly with subscribers

  • WhatsApp is rolling out its chat history sharing feature for new group members

  • WhatsApp has been accused of lying about having end-to-end encryption. Meta (and some experts) says the plaintiffs are talking nonsense

  • WhatsApp is working on a feature that allows users to share status updates from their channels

  • WhatsApp is testing a new Recent searches tab

__________

X / Twitter  X (Twitter)

X’s $1 million Article contest is producing a lot of junk | Credit: X

__________

TikTok  TikTok

TikTok launches Global LIVE FEST event | Credit: TikTok

  • TikTok will host its Global Live Fest on 12 February at Planet Hollywood with Emmy winner Keke Palmer hosting

  • TikTok added video and photo templates for Valentine’s Day in the Create tab

  • TikTok is introducing Smart Split in TikTok Studio on desktop, designed to create viral clips

  • TikTok now automatically adds links to movies or TV shows on posts talking about them

  • TikTok is rolling a new design for app buttons in the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners ‘squircle’

  • TikTok’s moderation shifts have left major news creators struggling with severe instability, with some quitting the platform entirely

  • TikTok now allows users to add nearby friends using Bluetooth

  • TikTok has added new settings to toggle alt text on/off for text and image posts

  • TikTok spotlighted creators at Sundance, sending 10 top creators to produce festival content

  • TikTok US will force all brands to use platform-run shipping for Shop sales…

    …and some sellers plan to scale back products, discounts or exit TikTok Shop as a result

__________

YouTube  YouTube

YouTube prompts users to subscribe to Premium for faster playback speeds | Credit: Android Authority

__________

LinkedIn  LinkedIn  /  Snapchat  Snapchat  /  Pinterest  Pinterest

LinkedIn’s new verified AI coding skills certification | Credit: LinkedIn

  • LinkedIn now issues verified AI coding skill certificates based on real usage data from Replit, Lovabl, Descript, and Relay. app

  • LinkedIn shared how it is cracking down on fake job listings and scam recruiters

  • Pinterest is laying off 15% of its workforce in a push toward AI roles and teams

  • Pinterest added a media planner to help you manage your ad campaigns

  • Snap is spinning its smart glasses team out into its own company, called Specs

  • Snap previewed its new ‘Shared Experiences’ tech for its AR Specs

  • Snap is being sued by YouTubers for alleged copyright infringement in training its AI models

  • Bluesky teased its 2026 roadmap, including a better Discover feed, real-time features, and more

  • Twitch launched Bloxfest, a three-week Roblox festival with a $300,000 prize pool

  • Spotify rolled out group chats letting up to 10 people discuss music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

__________

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

Just head to the ‘More news’ section below!

🤖 SOCIAL AI

The newest social media AI features spotted this week:

As Meta looks to build AI into pretty much everything it does, it’s building shopping assistants that search products for you and suggest better deals.

They are slated to launch this year.

Zuckerberg teases agentic commerce tools and major AI rollout in 2026

__________

Also spotted this week 👀

💰 QUARTERLY RESULTS

Highlights from the latest social media company earnings reports

5 of the biggest takeaways from Meta's Q4 2025 earnings call

__________

  • Meta’s apps are now used by nearly half the planet with 3.58 billion daily active users across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads

Meta’s Q4 Family Daily Active People Insights | Credit: Meta

LinkedIn Q4 Results

  • LinkedIn now has 1.3 billion members, though actual active users are probably closer to around 450 million

LinkedIn’s latest global map of active users | Credit: LinkedIn

💬 YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT

When I’m quoted in the news, you’ll find it here:

What does a new US TikTok deal mean for users?

I spoke to BBC News about what might happen next…

__________

Also this week:

  • The Times asked me about British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's TikTok strategy, as his digital team invites creators into No 10 to reach young voters who avoid traditional news channels…

💀 LOL

We’ve all had days on LinkedIn that leave you feeling a bit.. 💀

🔥 MEMES

With news that the FBI was investigating Signal chats between Minnesota residents in case they were plotting against ICE, gallows humour kicked in on Bluesky and fun memes ensued….

(PSA: we have no reason to think Signal is actually compromised, but you can always try your Samsung Smart Fridge as an alternative)

🌡️ VIRAL

Weather influencers seem to be increasingly popular…

But algorithms are increasingly putting entertainment above the facts…

Weather influencers are going viral. How much should we trust them?

__________

Also going viral this week: 🔥

🪧 BRANDS

Following on from last week’s news about Dr Pepper using a TikTok creator’s jingle for a big TV ad spot…

Brands like Denny’s, Popeyes, and Welch’s want to get in on the act, and flooded the creator’s comments begging for their own jingles

Dr Pepper used a TikTok creator's jingle. Now everyone wants to get in on the act

__________

More brand news:

👀 MY FAV READS

Welcome to “desocialized media”…

Platforms built to connect people are now doing the opposite as it all becomes about performing for algorithms.

A great read about the increasingly splintered social media and internet culture landscape

Instagram Reels and the New Era of Desocialized Media

🙊 WHAT DID YOU SAY?!

"Oh my gosh yall IG is a drug"

– Internal message from a Meta employee that may doom Meta at upcoming social media addiction trial

__________

Also overheard this week: 👂

  • “We started with text, and then moved to photos when we got phones with cameras, and then moved to video when mobile networks got fast enough. Soon, we’ll see an explosion of new media formats that are more immersive and interactive, and only possible because of advances in AI.”

    -

    – Mark Zuckerberg on where social media, and Meta, is going next

    -

  • "Maybe try not tweeting 'SEEMINGLY' racist stuff next time"

    -

    – Tech investor Vinod Khosla called out Elon Musk’s racism this week, leading to a spat with the X boss

  • “We assess a lot of AI chatbots at Common Sense Media, and they all have risks, but Grok is among the worst we’ve seen.”

    -

    – Robbie Torney, head of AI and digital assessments at Common Sense Media after investigating child safety across AI platforms

  • "I believe that competition and innovation could help better protect young people, without denying them the benefits of communication and sharing responsibly. There is so much we could do, if the regulatory framework was a partner rather than a cudgel.”

    -

    – Bluesky CEO Jay Graber says banning under-16s won’t fix social media

  • “We didn't start talking about masculine corporate energy when that was popular”

    -

    – OpenAI boss Sam Altman in an apparent dig at Mark Zuckerberg

  • “TT is under new ownership and we are being completely censored and monitored. I’m unable to upload anything about even after I tried to trick the page by making it look like a comedy video. Let’s delete the app love you!”

    -

    – Actor Meg Salter reacts to TikTok’s glitchy first week under new US control - she wasn’t the only one to think the ‘censorship’ was deliberate.

😮 WTF?!

An AI-generated schoolgirl named Amelia has become a far-right viral sensation.

Originally created for a UK Government counter-extremism game, she’s been widely subverted online.

Far-right networks amplified her rapidly, spawning memes, merchandise and even cryptocurrency.

Her racist, sexualised iterations now flood X, rising from 500 to 11,000+ daily posts.

Meet ‘Amelia’: the AI-generated British schoolgirl who is a far-right social media star

__________

Also WTF this week: 👀

🪦 RIP

Social media features heading to the grave:

BBC News is shutting down its BBC Trending unit… 📉

The closure cuts four roles amid broader £6 million savings at the BBC World Service.

BBC Trending exposed AI Holocaust scams and Down’s syndrome deepfakes.

Some staff aren’t happy about losing a unit crucial during rising global disinformation.

BBC News Closes Social Media Investigations Unit After 13 Years

_________

Also:

👔 YOU’RE HIRED!

Hot new social media jobs worth checking out this week:

The LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games needs a Senior Coordinator, Social Media Marketing [Remote, USA]

__________

More top social media jobs spotted this week 💼

👌 PRO TIPS

The team at Buffer has put together this useful guide to the benefits of engaging with your own content on Instagram.

Replying to Your Instagram Comments Can Boost Engagement by 21%

__________

More NEW pro-tips worth checking out this week ✨

📊 SOCIAL STATS

$975 MILLION

– How much TikTok celeb Khaby Lame sold a stake in his business for this week

__________

Even more social stats: 📈

  • TIK-ED OFF: The daily average of US users deleting the TikTok app increased nearly 150% in the past week

  • STAYING AWAY: One third of international travellers may avoid the US under new social-media screening rules

  • BIG LEAK: 149 million usernames and passwords have been exposed, covering Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Roblox, X, and more

  • THREADS: Meta’s X rival is predicted to grow its audience 19.6% in 2026

  • SORA’S FALL: OpenAI’s Sora app exploded at launch but downloads fell 32% in December, then 45% in January

📈 CHARTED

Meta's massive (money printing machine) ad business keeps growing…

__________

Even more social charts: 📈

💥 EVEN MORE SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS & UPDATES

French MPs take first step towards banning social media for under-15s

If the bill passes the upper house it could take effect by the start of France's new school year in September.

_________

Also this week… 🚨

  • Canada is considering banning social media for kids under-14 as part of new online harms laws. [Politico]

  • Indian states are weighing an Australia-style ban on social media for children. [TechCrunch]

  • Meta is in talks about restoring news to Facebook in the Canadian state of Ottawa. [The Globe & Mail]

  • Malaysia has lifted its ban on Elon Musk’s Grok after reviewing new safety measures. [Bloomberg $$$]

  • A woman who went viral for texting and driving is suing YouTube and Meta. [TubeFilter]

  • TikTok and FIFA have partnered to fill feeds with behind-the-scenes World Cup content. [The Guardian]

  • Millions are creating deepfake nudes on Telegram as AI tools drive global wave of digital abuse. [The Guardian]

  • UK ministers accepted $1 million from Meta to fund placing four AI experts inside government shaping defence, policing, and transport. Critics aren’t impressed. [The Guardian]

  • Meta’s Reality Labs cuts have sparked fears of a ‘VR winter’. [CNBC]

  • Schools in England should be phone-free all day, the UK education secretary says. [The Guardian]

  • A class-action suit in California says OnlyFans uses bait-and-switch tactics by advertising “full access.” [Mashable]

  • Meta signed a deal to pay Corning up to $6 billion for fibreoptic cables in AI data centres. [CNBC]

  • Former Paramount co-CEO Brian Robbins’ new entertainment company will bet on YouTube’s ability to build “awareness and fan love”. [TubeFilter]

New features and updates:

  • Meta started requesting additional information from WhatsApp Business users to verify their accounts for Meta Verified. [@theahmedghanem]

  • Messenger is now suggesting music and emojis for notes. [@oncescuradu]

  • TikTok updated the main profile page with a new UI oriented to the left. [@oncescuradu]

  • Bluesky added a new post composer at the top of the Following and Discover feeds. [@oncescuradu]

📰 WEEKEND READS

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

This is a must-read:

“Molly Russell was just 14 when she took her own life in 2017, and an inquest later found negative online content was a significant factor.

With many people now pushing for teenagers to be kept off tech platforms, her father explains why he backs a different approach.”

Life after Molly: Ian Russell on big tech, his daughter’s death – and why a social media ban won’t work

www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/26/molly-ian-russell-big-tech-daughter-death-social-media-ban

__________

More great weekend reads:

😳 AND FINALLY…

This is one smart sheep… 🐑

A 10-day-old lamb in China went viral for “playing dead” when buyers approach.

Video views have passed 10 million and fans have offered up to $19,000 to buy the lamb 💰💀

China ‘drama queen’ lamb goes viral for playing dead when buyers approach

📅 BACK NEXT WEEK…

Your weekly social media debriefing is done. ✅

Help out a fellow social media geek…

Share Geekout with the rest of your social team, your boss, “thought leaders” on LinkedIn etc.

Just copy / paste / share this link.

Sharing Geekout = New subscribers
New subscribers = More sponsors
More sponsors = I can keep giving it to you for free.

And before you go…

Did you spot the refreshed Geekout section headers? 👇

I felt it was time I made things a little more professional. And hopefully improve your reading experience.

More tweaks and polish will be added soon.

Goodbye, geeks!

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

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