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Hello, geeks!
I never thought I would be writing this.
This week’s Geekout features a lot of Justin Bieber. I’m so sorry. 🤷♂️
The shaven-headed pop monkey generated a lot of headlines following his $10M Coachella ‘performance’.
Some critics slammed his ‘YouTube Karaoke’ set as ‘lazy’, low-energy, and uninspired…
…But many others leapt to his defence describing it as genius and that those people mocking his nostalgic, meme-filled YouTube screen share were missing the point entirely.
Keep scrolling for my take on the story splitting online opinion this week.
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Happy 1st Birthday Instagram Edits 🎂
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Instagram’s Edits app is turning one!
To celebrate, it’s hosting a virtual event that doubles as a birthday celebration — and I got a party invite 🥳
Creators @rvxmendoza and @funyaasi will join Edits Product Lead, Matthew Simari, for live editing demos and a walkthrough of how videos go from idea to final post inside the app.
The product team will be tease what’s next for Edits in 2026.
Members of the Geekout VIP community on WhatsApp want to gatecrash the party!
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One member, Aditya Choudhary, set up a petition to pressure Instagram into sending out more invites (just for fun!)
I sent it to my contacts at Instagram HQ. And to my surprise, they have buckled and promised more invites: 🤣👇
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✨ Join Geekout VIP Group Chat on WhatsApp for FREE + get an IG Edits party invite. Use discount code: GEEKFREE
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Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot is still making sexual deepfakes, despite X’s promise to stop it [PERSISTING]
Europe moves toward a coordinated EU-wide teen social media ban [ESCALATING]
British MPs vote against a social media ban for under-16s a second time [BLOCKING]
EU threatens to force Meta to restore WhatsApp access for rival AI chatbots [REGULATING]
SPONSORED ▶︎ FREE AI WORKSHOP
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AI isn’t replacing you. But it is exposing you. 😬
Be honest! Have you ever...
Posted AI content that feels off… but hoping no one notices?…or
Avoided AI completely because it all feels a bit 🤖 + soulless?
An ALARMING number of us have! And that’s a problem.
Right now, most social teams are either…
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THAT Justin Bieber show
Viral moments are a big part of the modern big music show experience, whether whether they’re intentional guest appearances made to be excitedly shared, or an accidental global news story (the Coldplay kisscam 😳).
Justin Bieber’s show at Coachella last weekend was made to go viral, but the way the singer achieved that has split fans and critics alike.
In case you missed it, there was a big chunk of the show where he brought out a laptop, pulled up YouTube, and shared funny clips and hits from his years as a young heartthrob.
The crowd was treated to clips of him falling off stage and walking into a door, and he sang along with music videos from the start of his career.
This carousel gives you a good idea…
It was NOT the Eras tour or a Beyoncé show. This was more like being invited round to Bieber’s house for a few drinks and a chat.
Given reports he was being paid $10 million for two shows across Coachella’s two weekends, fans might have expected more.
But I reckon what Bieber did was art.
Yes, it was designed to go viral. As Dexerto put it, “the moment that spread fastest online came when Bieber pulled up the classic Deez Nuts Vine, the Double Rainbow video, and his own 2025 paparazzi clip, where he said, “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business,” before reenacting the line live on stage.”
But it was also stripped back, personal, and seemed to be authentically him. That’s an artist doing what he wants to do. He’s been a star for as long as some young adults have been alive - he’s earned it, even if his music isn’t to everyone’s taste.
He didn’t need expensive choreography and light shows to earn his millions and get the world talking about him. Good on ya, Justin.
Meta
/ Facebook
Meta’s ‘Conversations’ event takes place June 3 in London | Credit: Meta
Meta is hosting an AI-focused ‘Conversations’ messaging event in London on 3 June. (Meta has invited me to attend in person. Look out for BTS insights in Geekout in June)
Meta is hiking Quest headset prices as RAM shortages slam hardware costs globally
Meta’s new Muse Spark AI is encouraging users to share health data like lab results. Experts warn this data isn’t protected and could be stored or used for training or ads
Meta has been warned by over 70 advocacy groups that facial recognition glasses will arm sexual predators
Meta must face a lawsuit in Massachusetts alleging it designed addictive features targeting teens
Aaron Sorkin has revealed first footage of The Social Reckoning, sequel to The Social Network with Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg… but we can’t see it yet. It’s out in October
Meta is preventing its Oversight Board from working with external AI firms despite interest
Facebook Pages have a new calendar view in the content dashboard, displaying both published and scheduled posts. It also adds a new “Voice Translations” section showing content with voice translation enabled
Facebook has been spotted allowing you to see other stories by swiping down on a story you are viewing
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Instagram
Instagram’s ‘Your Algorithm’ feature extended to Explore tab | Credit: Meta
Instagram has extended the ‘Your algorithm’ feature to the Explore tab
Instagram is testing letting you add images in comments (wild this is only happening now!)
Instagram has started limiting the number of trial Reels users can post for up to 30 days
Instagram is working on the ability to cross-post Story highlights to Facebook
Instagram is removing the QR code and copy link options for profiles
Instagram is expanding access to GIF Notes
Instagram is now available as a native app on Android-powered tablets
Instagram Edits has added a new ‘Templates’ filter in the Ideas tab
Instagram Edits now has a reach-first dashboard marketers will love. It ranks your post metrics by what actually boosts reach
Instagram Edits has added new font tools, colour control and the ability recover deleted projects for seven days
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Threads
Threads indented replies coming soon | Credit: Meta
Threads is switching to indented replies to make it easier to follow conversations
Threads is finally bringing DMs to the desktop web version
Threads is set to launch a ‘live chat’ feature (oooo!)
Threads’ API now has expanded third-party integrations with content management tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social
Threads is now using a larger font for posts that contain just a single emoji
Threads now has a Fullscreen button for horizontal videos
Threads added a fun, new Like animation for posts about the Coachella music festival.
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WhatsApp
WhatsApp testing new controls for disappearing messages | Credit: WABetaInfo
WhatsApp is developing an “after reading” timer so disappearing messages can be set to vanish at a specific time after being read
European governments are forcing officials off WhatsApp and Signal onto state-built messaging apps
WhatsApp is developing 49 chat themes to expand limited customisation on desktop
WhatsApp is testing expanding status updates to recent unsaved contacts
WhatsApp is developing a new feature to help Android users monitor the activity of their linked devices
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X / Twitter
X’s standalone chat app X Chat launching 23 April | Credit: @oncescuradu
X is set to launch its standalone messaging app, XChat, for iOS next week
X is rolling out a new take on “Cashtags” that will show live stock and crypto data inside user timelines
X is overhauling creator payouts to reward original content over reposts and aggregators to reign in clickbait accounts
X is recommending explicit content to users posing as 13-year-olds, a study found
X Money could threaten consumers, national security, and financial system stability, according to Senator Elizabeth Warren
X has expanded the ‘snooze topics’ feature more widely
X added a new ‘Shared media’ feature for private conversations
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TikTok
TikTok’s Olivia Rodrigo ‘Drop Dead’ music hub | Credit: TikTok
TikTok launched a global karaoke campaign for Olivia Rodrigo’s new single ‘Drop Dead,’ and an in-app listening party for fans
TikTok just added an AI meme generator 💀
TikTok is ramping up its original content strategy with a scripted romantic drama about a Silicon Valley love triangle
TikTok published its first transparency report on EU hate speech removal. It says 96.3% of violating content is removed before users report it
TikTok is testing a new ‘With Media’ comment filter for post comments
AMC is launching ‘The Audacity’ premiere on TikTok, split into 21x 3-minute segments
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YouTube
YouTube’s now Shorts feed ‘0-minutes’ limit option | Credit: YouTube
YouTube now lets remove Shorts entirely from your feed with a new 0-minutes daily Shorts limit option
YouTube is testing showing creator posts directly in the Shorts feed to boost visibility
YouTube Premium is rising from $13.99 to $15.99 and family plans are now $26.99. YouTube Music climbs to $11.99, while Premium Lite is now $8.99
YouTube’s mobile app finally lets you share timestamped videos
YouTube introduced new livestream features like expanded virtual gifts and ad-free viewing for viewers who donate to a streamer
YouTube and the NFL are in advanced talks over a five-game broadcast package
The UK government plans to launch a central YouTube channel to counter misinformation and boost reach
YouTube confirmed those 90-second unskippable TV ads people saw last week were just a bug. Thank god!
The Eurovision Song Contest will stream for free in US on YouTube
YouTube is partnering with C-SPAN to expand into education and civic content as the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary.
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LinkedIn
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Reddit
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Snapchat
LinkedIn’s AI-powered conversational search feature | Credit: LinkedIn
LinkedIn is adding AI-powered summaries to search results and expanding AI-powered ‘conversational’ search to all US users
Reddit rolled out Reminder Ads globally, enabling brands to send push alerts before and during events
Reddit launched a new HubSpot integration, enabling marketers to publish, schedule, and track campaigns directly
Snap has cut 16% of staff, eliminating around 1,000 jobs and 300 open roles. The company says AI is replacing repetitive work and boosting efficiency
Bluesky suffered serious downtime on Thursday (16 April). The company blamed a DDOS attack (ooof!)
Discord has introduced new desktop display settings to make chats easier on the eyes
Roblox is introducing Kids and Select accounts to improve safety for under-16 users
…and Roblox has defended its expanded age checks after parents warned kids are being misclassified as adults
Apple is reportedly testing four new smart glasses designs to take on Meta’s Ray-Bans
Scary times for graphic designers…
Canva is rolling out an AI assistant that can create whole designs for you based on text prompts.
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Also spotted this week…
TikTok now lets you allow AI to remix your content
ByteDance has launched the Seedance 2.0 AI video model globally, excluding the US
Facebook is bringing its opt-in feature that scans users’ camera rolls for content ideas to the UK
Meta rolled out AI-powered Pixel upgrades that automatically capture product and business data for ads
Meta is plugging its new Muse Spark AI into Ray-Ban smart glasses to fix shaky computer vision
Meta’s Manus AI app has added music generation
LinkedIn expanded AI-powered conversational search from Premium only to all users globally
LinkedIn is quietly testing an AI labour marketplace paying up to $150/hour for training chatbots
LinkedIn is testing an ‘automatic captioning’ feature for videos that duplicates the post’s description in a light blue stripe.
TikTok has added new AI video generation tools to its Symphony ad toolkit
Adobe is launching Firefly AI Assistant to automate complex creative workflows using prompts across Creative Cloud apps
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Honestly, I’m not turning into a Belieber…! 😬
Without wanting to go TOO overboard on the Bieber stuff, his Coachella set did inspire a lot of great memes…
….With people and brands putting their own spin on his ‘YouTube karaoke’.
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Super Mario has entered his AI slop era… and it’s selling. 🍄
TikTok Shop is filling up with low-effort AI videos using familiar characters to sell products—often wrapped in fake, emotional storytelling that converts.
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More viral news this week:
Indie band Geese has been dragged into a “psyop” drama over shady viral marketing claims
Gen Z service members on #MilitaryTok are sharing anxious, sarcastic reactions to the Iran war. Their tone contrasts with the White House’s gamified “warrior culture” messaging
Gen Z’s ‘Silent Scream’ is driving the internet (and millennials) crazy
TikTok’s latest viral trend features users eating clay flower pots (don’t try it yourself)
Brands are reply-guying their way into relevance…
From TikTok to Instagram and X, brands are hijacking viral comment threads to chase culture and cheap engagement
But it’s a risky game, where forced tone, backlash, and brand dilution can hit fast.
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More brand news and views:
How The Daily Show is outsmarting the social media algorithm
Walmart is scaling creator-led commerce as social becomes a key shopping discovery channel for consumers
How Dr Pepper doubled down on fandom, making social media the core of its marketing strategy.
"The Meta brand is not something people want to put anywhere near their face”
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Also quoted this week:
“Completely insane… untenable"
- Snap CEO Evan Spiegel describes his work schedule
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“Stock up on several VPNs”
- Telegram CEO Pavel Durov advises Russian users on how to keep access to the app as the Kremlin cracks down
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“It’s not very often that the MPA takes on a 1.6 trillion-dollar company"
- Motion Picture Association CEO Charlie Rivkin on clashing with Meta over Instagram’s use of the ‘PG13’ age rating
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“The addictive scrolling mechanisms are really problematic…. They need to go"
“Things can’t go on like this, they must change because right now social media is putting our children at risk.”
“In a world in which children are protected, even if that means access is restricted, that is preferable to a world where harm is the price of participation.”
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer isn’t a fan of infinite-scroll feeds and is demanding action from social media companies to protect teen users
Iran is dominating the social media propaganda battle against the US with viral memes, AI videos, and satire.
Gen Z creators are pushing content targeting US audiences during the ongoing conflict, to challenge the US government viewpoint.
Given the war is unpopular with the public around much of the world, it’s arguably quite an easy game to play, but they’re good at it.
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But also:
The first AI-era war is a "slopaganda" battle to control memes
X’s aggressive bot purge is wiping real users, including private “alt” p**n accounts. 😳
An AI-powered crackdown is sweeping up legit users alongside bots—exposing how blunt enforcement breaks trust, mislabels behaviour, and risks pushing core communities off-platform.
Pinterest has dropped a bold campaign urging users to ditch social media.
The campaign’s tagline: “The best thing you can find online is a reason to go offline.”
The company is doubling down on positioning Pinterest as a discovery tool, not an addictive social platform.
The campaign subtly attacks rival social platforms while branding Pinterest as the “healthier” alternative.
AI-generated influencers have been posing as real attendees at Coachella.
Many avatars, like ‘Grannyspills’, fake interactions with celebrities, often without clear AI disclosure.
The trend highlights growing concerns about authenticity, as fake influencers chase clout and brand deals.
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More WTF this week:
An American YouTuber was jailed for vile ‘rage bait’ stunts like kissing a “Statue of Peace,” honouring WWII sexual slavery victims
Google, Microsoft, and Meta are all tracking you even when you opt out
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses triggered controversy at the Masters as fans used them to bypass strict recording bans
Telegram is still hosting a sanctioned $21 billion crypto scammer black market
You’d think he’d stick to X, but… Elon Musk might have joined TikTok and Instagram
The Meta AI app is telling your friends on Instagram if you use it. Careful - you might look uncool
Dr TikTok: patients are diagnosing chronic illnesses with anonymous commenters’ help
It’s well understood now that social media amplifies extreme voices, fuelling populism and political polarisation globally.
But this piece looks at data showing AI chatbots instead push users toward moderate, expert-aligned viewpoints, nudging both left and right users toward the center.
Conspiracy beliefs thrive on social platforms but are rarely endorsed by AI… at least for now!
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Also this week:
A new study shows 35% of new websites since 2022 are AI-generated or AI-assisted. Researchers say AI content is 107% more positive, driving an overly cheerful, “fake-happy” internet tone
USA Today is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Content Strategy Analyst [Remote, USA]
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More top social media jobs:
The UK Cabinet Office needs a Videographer & Social Media Content Creator [London, UK]
Mozilla is hiring a Social Media & Content Strategist (Open-Source AI) [Remote, global]
GoCardless is recruiting a Social Media Manager [Leeds, UK]
673 MILLION
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More social stats 📊
NOT LAME: TikTok’s top creators in 2026 are led by Khaby Lame with 160.7 million followers
TWITCHY: Twitch’s biggest streamers now pull huge audiences, with Kai Cenat leading at 20.21 million followers
FAST FLAG: TikTok says 88.7% of flagged content in the EU is reviewed within 24 hours, with a median response time of 3.05 hours
NOT WORKING: New research shows over 60% of Australian teens still access social media despite the ban
BREAKING!: “Breaking news” posts on X deliver 4x engagement for news publishers compared to those without that text
SNEAKY: In a study of ChatGPT, Reddit content was frequently retrieved but cited just 1.93% of the time
DOMINATION: Social media platforms dominate digital advertising, with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok capturing over 90% of social ad revenue. Meta dominates with a staggering 70% share of that market
MOSTLY HARMLESS?: Most US teens say TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat aren't hurting (or helping) their mental health
NEWSTOK: 45% of TikTok users use the app to get news, vs 26% for Snapchat
Social traffic kinda stinks for news publishers now, in three charts.
New data show Twitter / X referrals have plunged 70% globally since Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition.
Facebook referral traffic has also seen steep declines.
And even when users click through, engagement time on news sites is falling.
Here’s the most stark chart… 😳
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More charts 📈
AD IT UP: How Meta fares against big tech rivals on predicted ad revenues for 2026
GET THE MESSAGE: Snapchat dominates messaging among US teens
GIVE ME A REASON: US teens use TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat for entertainment and connection, but TikTok stands out for product reviews
Also making headlines this week… 📰
How the UK government plans to regulate social media for under-16s. [The Guardian]
Meta is reorganising Reality Labs to “adapt and execute faster.” [The Information $$$]
Meta signed a deal with Broadcom to deploy over 1 gigawatt of custom AI chips, scaling to multiple gigawatts by 2027. [CNBC]
Meta increased action against some posts using the word “antifa”. [The Intercept]
Snap is partnering with Qualcomm to power its new AI Spectacles launching this year. [The Verge]
Snap is pitching 'conversational commerce' as a TikTok alternative. [AdWeek $$$]
The UK government is proposing making tech execs criminally liable for failing to remove non-consensual intimate images from their platforms. [Politico]
The EU is preparing to roll out its own age-verification system within weeks. [Politico]
Europe should regulate Big Tech instead of banning kids from social media, Estonia says. [Politico]
The Philippine government has ordered Meta to curb “false and panic-inducing” content on Facebook or risk legal action. [Bloomberg $$$]
Adam Mosseri says that too many Instagram content creators are not focusing “on the actual raw content, the message, the raw creative”, and instead prioritising production value. [@oncescuradu]
BeReal is ramping up creator outreach to revive growth after a 41% download drop in 2025. [Business Insider $$$]
Remember RedNote? It’s chasing US expansion after its “TikTok refugee” moment faded. [Rest of World]
Retirees are increasingly spending large portions of their free time on social media due to a lack of daily structure. [Digital Trends]
Twitch’s CEO says the platform’s advantage is prioritising “community” and shared live experiences. [Semafor]
Gary Neville’s Overlap media company has acquired Mark Goldbridge’s YouTube empire in a seven-figure deal. [The Guardian]
New platform features and tests:
Facebook has been spotted testing a new UI for the app’s main menu on iOS. [@oncescuradu]
Messenger now has a shortcut to Facebook Dating. [@oncescuradu]
Threads added a new UI for the comment section available for horizontal videos. [@oncescuradu]
WhatsApp is testing a new design for the toggle buttons. [@oncescuradu]
TikTok is now showing ‘New following’ activity in a separate tab in the inbox. [@oncescuradu]
X now displays posts with 2+ images and clips in a Carousel layout on iOS. [@oncescuradu]
X now has a new design for profiles’ Video section on iOS. [@oncescuradu]
X updated the design of its Premium settings page on web, and added a new header showing when your account was verified. [@theahmedghanem]
Snapchat started showing when your Buddy Pass free invites will be refilled. [@theahmedghanem]
Reddit’s iOS app is adding Liquid Glass soon. [9to5Mac]
Netflix is going full TikTok with a new vertical video feed. [Android Authority]
Influencers aren’t scaling themselves. They’re replacing themselves. 🤖
AI-generated “digital twins” of content creators and celebrities are popping up all over the place, and managing this revolution is a major priority for talent agencies like CAA.
But will audiences truly respond to a digital facsimile of the star they think they know and love?
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Also worth a read: 👀
How Bluesky earned its reputation — and why it could be the way of the future
“Screens aren’t destroying young minds. I should know
Hollywood is casting influencers to win back Gen Z audiences abandoning traditional media
How influencers fiercely strategize behind the scenes a Coachella
YouTube, TikTok, and Meta are betting creator talent is portable
Why Instagram’s shoppable Reels may be too little, too late
Your next smartphone could literally tell you how to pose for social media 😱
Huawei’s Pura 90 offers AI-powered Posture Recommendations to help users look better in photos.
The feature analyzes scenes and suggests poses via on-screen outlines and pose instructions.
The aim is to boost your social media appeal by helping you become more photogenic, but I think I’ll stick to an awkward smile.
Whatever happened to authenticity, eh?
You have reached the end of this week’s Geekout.
Chalk that up as an achievement, given how long it is!
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I’m looking forward to watching the final episode of Channel 4s ‘Battle of the Brands’ - Cadbury’s vs. McVities.
My nerdy face may pop-up one last time.
In last week’s episode, Primark vs. John Lewis, Channel 4 used several clips of me talking about Primark’s TikTok influencer strategy.
You can watch it on-demand here.
—
Right… I’m heading off to accept a VERY surprising and exciting invitation that just landed in my inbox from Meta!
More details in next week’s Geekout.
Goodbye, geeks!
P.S. This newsletter is edited by Martin SFP Bryant
