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Hello, geeks!

Is it just me…

I’ve come to the conclusion that Facebook is a broken mess and urgently needs a hard reset.

If your feed is anything like mine, it’s mostly a mix of…

  • AI clickbait slop that nobody cares about

  • Updates from Pages and Groups you barely remember following

  • Ads every 4th post for random shit you just looked at on Amazon

  • Borderline racist rants by old family members you barely see anymore

  • People in the local community group losing their shit over a car blocking their parking space

…And I rarely see any posts from friends or family.

When was the last time you opened Zuck’s blue app and left feeling like it was time well spent?

I think it’s time to delete the app.

__________

Annnnnnyway, talking of hot messes…

Elon Musk’s X launched a new profile location feature. And it spectacularly backfired. Instantly.

Who could’ve predicted that?! (Everyone. Everyone could’ve.)

That, and everything else new in social, coming up next.

Plus, scroll to the end of this week’s Geekout for a sneak peek of something new i’m working on.

Let’s go!

P.S. 3 free things i spotted… 😮👇

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Feedback scattered across Slack. Comments buried in email threads. Final tweaks lost in a Google Doc from two weeks ago.

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🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

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

X erupts after the platform reveals the locations where accounts are based

X, formerly Twitter, launched a feature that shows accounts' locations, in an effort to promote transparency.

  1. Meta allegedly buried research showing its products are harming users [HIDING]

  2. Meta had a 17-strike policy for sex trafficking, former safety leader claims [NEGLECTING]

  3. WhatsApp and Signal are reportedly under siege from state-backed spyware [ATTACKING]

  4. European Parliament backs calls for under-16s social media ban [BANNING]

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🚨 EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

X tells you ‘About This Account’… or does it?

X’s messy About This Account rollout has caused utter chaos

Is this the most useful thing X has done in years to combat rampant disinformation? Maybe… maybe not.

‘About This Account’ rolled out at the end of last week, sharing information about where each account on the platform was started, and where it was based.

Cue the revelation that many MAGA influencers were based in countries that definitely weren’t America, such as Russia and India. It was red meat for anyone who has long suspected US politics was being influenced covertly from abroad.

But while there no doubt are foreign influence campaigns and foreigners making easy money from the polarisation of America, X’s About This Account is no simple way of exposing it. It was riddled with errors at launch.

The US Department of Homeland Security’s account was showing up as being based in Israel. You’d have to be a pretty wild conspiracy theorist to think that was correct, rather than the simple explanation that the data was wrong.

X rushed out fixes to help calm things, including a warning about VPNs skewing data. I mean, simply travelling to another country for a few days could make you look like a foreign influence op.

But despite the typically rushed and scrappy rollout that typifies Elon Musk’s X, ‘About This Account’ is an important reminder not to believe everything you read online.

That new viral political post could be someone on the other side of the world intentionally getting you angry… or X could be misleading you about where they’re based. Either way, social media is the world through someone else’s lens, not unfettered reality.

RELATED: A new study found minor changes to X’s “For You” feed can dramatically intensify political division in just one week. 😬

✨ NEW & NOTEWORTHY

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

Meta   Meta  /  Facebook  Facebook

Facebook Groups new nicknames feature | Image: Meta

__________

Instagram  Instagram

Instagram’s new Stranger Things font for Stories, Reels, Edits | Image: Meta

  • Instagram’s Edits app has new dynamic masking tools that enable animated overlays and creative transitions

    … Plus there’s a new Stranger Things font for Stories, Reels, and Edits

  • Instagram officially launched 20-minute Reels, and improvements to the Reels camera

    …but Adam Mosseri suggests keeping Reels to less than three minutes if you want your content to rank higher and be recommended

  • Instagram has been spotted offering ‘Request a Community Note’ in the EU

  • Instagram appears to have expanded access to filters for the Reels tab on user profiles

  • Instagram is still experimenting with letting users play games within DMs

  • Instagram is testing its own version of TikTok’s ‘Scroll to Just Watched’ feature

  • Instagram is rolling out the feature that shows views for stories cross-posted to Facebook directly in one place on Instagram, after it first showed up earlier this year

  • Instagram Edits now labels Reels with high save rates in the Inspiration tab

  • Instagram has been spotted requiring two swipes instead of one to exit the app

__________

Threads Threads / WhatsApp WhatsApp

Threads’ AI summaries feature for profile interactions | Image: @alex193a

__________

X / Twitter  X (Twitter)

X’s new handles marketplace is now fully open | Image: Engadget

__________

TikTok  TikTok

TikTok’s offering new perks for verified creators | Image: @theahmedghanem

  • TikTok is offering new perks for verified creators, including a verification badge in their service bio and filter-and-sort tools for chats in Business Mode

  • TikTok Shop is entering the luxury resale market—complete with $11,000 bags and Rolex watches

  • TikTok rebranded its creator ‘Subscription’ feature to ‘Super Fan’, giving creators more benefits

  • TikTok has been spotted offering the ability to choose trending audio by country when posting

  • TikTok Shop has a new Schedule Shoppable Videos feature

  • TikTok added a new ‘Your Music’ button on profiles

  • A TikTok exec has insisted teens' safety is not at risk as the platform leans more on AI-based moderation

  • TikTok has a limited-time offer for new advertisers with up to $6,000 in ad credits

  • TikTok’s new Foundry programme targets VC and PE firms with ad perks for their portfolio companies

  • TikTok removed the ability for users to link to their YouTube and Instagram accounts

__________

YouTube  YouTube

YouTube added new Community features for creator fandom | Image: YouTube

  • YouTube added new community features, including mobile pinning, community post likes, and shareable invite links—plus full desktop moderation support

  • YouTube is testing a custom feed you control via AI prompts

  • YouTube is testing pre-publish checks for Community Guidelines violations to flag issues before videos go live

  • YouTube quietly swapped the “Subscriptions” and “You” tabs in its sidebar, and users are fuming

  • YouTube TV has overhauled its Live tab UI on mobile, but it’s not a positive change

  • YouTube Studio now has the option to create a course

__________

Signal Signal / Substack Substack / Telegram Telegram

Signal launch encrypted backups on iOS | Image: Signal

  • Signal now lets iOS users back up encrypted messages and 45 days of media for free. A paid plan is available for longer periods

  • Cameo won a restraining order stopping OpenAI from using its name in Sora’s AI video feature until a trademakr hearing on 19 December

  • Substack is enforcing age verification for UK users to comply with the Online Safety Act

  • Telegram now has its own Search tab

__________

🔥 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:

YouTube has added new AI features including animated stills, voice-to-song creation, and 8-second Shorts with synced audio.

YouTube Expands Access to Gen AI Features

__________

Also spotted this week 👀

  • Facebook is testing ‘Project Luna’, an personalised AI-powered news brief to rival ChatGPT’s Pulse

  • Facebook now lets you restyle your profile picture with AI

  • Meta is leaning into AI ad tools by making Advantage+ the default setting

  • Meta’s new AI tool, WorldGen, builds explorable 3D VR worlds from a single text prompt

  • Meta AI can now lip-sync to music using a photo

  • Instagram is promoting its AI-powered content creation tools using a new carousel and a banner

  • TikTok’s Thoughts on Stories now lets you generate your own avatar

  • CapCut is testing a feature called EditPilot, which allows you to chat and give instructions on what to do with your clips

  • YouTube Music's 2025 Recap comes with new AI chat feature

💬 YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT

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

A Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) report reveals extremists are selling racist merchandise via Instagram, some earning over £640K.

I gave my take on the findings to The i.Newpaper

💀 LOL

🌡️ VIRAL

Maybe you’ve seen all those photos of Elon, Zuck, and the other biggest names in US tech hanging out together. They’ve been floating around all week…

Stop and think about it, and the ridiculous idea that all these guys would be hanging out all in the same place at the same time seems like the perfect red flag.

But as Gizmodo points out, Google has a new tool it hopes will help you check for sure whether the latest viral hit image is real or AI…

Those Viral Photos of Elon and Zuck Are AI. But Google Launched a New Way to Check for Fakes

__________

Also going viral this week: 🔥

🪧 BRANDS

TikTok Shop has finally roped in brand giants like Disney, Ralph Lauren, and Samsung after past holiday struggles.

Will it mean a happy Black Friday for TikTok?

TikTok Shop had a major breakthrough heading into Black Friday

__________

More brand news this week: 👀

👀 MY FAV READS

This is a good look at the slopification of the internet.

I mean, does anyone actually WANT all of this?

AI slop is taking over the internet. Here's how we got here.

😮 WTF?!

How’s this for a sentence…?

“Meta likely made more money from fraudulent advertising in the UK last year than the entire news industry made from legitimate online marketing.”

😳

Scam ads on Meta in UK likely worth more than all online news advertising

__________

Also WTF this week: 👀

🤦‍♂️ FAIL

Spotted YouTube glitching this week? You’re not alone…

YouTube users are reporting that some common features have gone MIA

👔 YOU’RE HIRED!

Hot new social media jobs worth checking out this week:

USA Today is hiring a Video Producer & Social Media Specialist [Los Angeles, CA, USA]

__________

More top social media jobs spotted this week 💼

🧪 SOCIAL SCIENCE

“The more TikTok videos and Instagram Reels you’re watching, the less you’re learning.”

“Researchers have directly linked what they refer to as “brain rot” to short-form video content on social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and more, a recent study from the American Psychological Association revealed.”

“Researchers analyzed results from 98,299 participants across 71 studies and found that those who watch more social media videos have poorer cognitive function + shorter attention spans.”

New Study Says TikTok Videos Are Fueling ‘Brain Rot’

__________

Also:

  • Your social feed may be quietly wrecking your workday, emotionally and professionally, new research shows

👌 PRO TIPS

When is the best time to post on X? — Buffer analyzed 1 million X posts to find out.

The data reveals the best time for each day of the week, the worst days to post, the content formats driving the most engagement, and more…

The Best Time to Post on Twitter/X: Based on Data from 1 Million Posts

__________

More pro-tips worth checking out ✨

  • 📱 Parents’ guide: How to navigate social media safely with your kids

  • 💡 Instagram pro-tip: Reposting your own content might help a little bit on the margins, but it's not going to meaningfully increase your reach. Responding to comments still remains the best way.

  • 🛍️ Snapchat has detailed how brands can connect with shoppers in “Q5”

📊 SOCIAL STATS

52%

– The percentage of new articles online that were generated by AI, according to a new study

__________

Even more social stats: 📈

  • REDDITTING: Reddit jumped to 26% usage among US adults, overtaking Snapchat in Pew’s latest survey. YouTube (84%) and Facebook (71%) still lead, thanks to strong senior adoption.

  • X HITS THE SPOT: Despite an explosion of Twitter alternatives since Elon Musk’s takeover, X still pulls in 21% of US adults—down only slightly from 23% in 2021. Threads, Bluesky, and Truth Social trail far behind at 8%, 4%, and 3% respectively

  • MUSKY CHAT: Nearly 50% of Elon Musk’s X posts tackle politics, often spreading conspiracy theories and racialised crime narratives

  • SUPPORT BOTS: A UK survey shows 40% of teens have chatted with AI for support or company

💥 EVEN MORE SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS & UPDATES

Ofcom urges social media platforms to combat abuse and limit online ‘pile-ons’

New guidance from UK regulator aims to combat misogynist abuse and ‘revenge p*rn’

_________

Also this week… 🚨

  • The EU has dropped plans to force tech giants like Meta, YouTube, TikTok to detect and delete child abuse content. [Reuters $$$]

    …but the EU has struck a historic deal forcing Meta, TikTok, and others to share liability for financial scam damages. [Politico]

  • Meta faces a criminal complaint from Swedish news publishers file criminal complaint over scam ads. [Press Gazette]

  • OpenAI’s Sora 2 can still generate violent, racist, and sexualised content, a study has found. [Rolling Stone $$$]

  • Two 15-year-olds are taking Australia’s under-16 social media ban to the High Court. [BBC News]

  • Snapchat has begun informing Australian teens of the incoming account lockdown caused by the 10 December ban on under-16s on social media. [The Guardian]

    …and Snapchat is rolling out bank-based age checks in Australia to comply with a looming teen social media ban. [Reuters $$$]

  • WhatsApp is being investigated in Italy over ‘anti-competitive’ AI policies. [Wall Street Journal $$$]

  • TikTok says creator-led campaigns crush standard ads in performance—and it’s got the numbers to prove it. [Social Media Today]

  • TikTok is offering a Super Fan Sale with 50% off your first month. [@jonahmanzano]

  • TikTok is shaking up its US lobbying strategy, naming veteran lobbyist Ziad Ojakli to steer public policy. [Axios]

  • Jay Neo, once a MrBeast content strategist, has launched Palo, an AI toolkit for creators. [Business Insider $$$]

  • La La Anthony will host the first-ever US TikTok Awards at the Hollywood Palladium on 18 December. [Deadline]

  • Pinterest CEO Bill Ready is ditching TikTok copycatting to double down on personalised, visual search. [Business Insider $$$]

  • Malaysia will raise the minimum social media age to 16 in 2026, following Australia. [Bloomberg $$$]

  • Meta is entering electricity trading to fast-track power plant construction for AI growth. [Bloomberg $$$]

New features and updates:

  • WhatsApp Business has renamed Labels to Lists, making it easier to organise chats. [@theahmedghanem]

📰 WEEKEND READS

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

A look at the growth of TikTok Shop as it makes a play for its biggest Black Friday yet…

Faux Jewels and Slimming Belts: Why Shopping on TikTok Is a Lot Like QVC

__________

More great weekend reads:

😳 AND FINALLY…

Are these the best music memes of all time? The staff at Billboard think so.

Have they missed any? 👨🏻‍🎤💀

The 100 Most Iconic Pop Star Memes of All Time: Staff List

📅 BACK NEXT WEEK…

And on that musical note… 🎶

You’ve come screeching to the end of this week’s Geekout.

___________

Geekout’s 2026 Glow Up — Coming Soon…

Geekout’s getting a design refresh for 2026.

Friend of Geekout, and super-skilled designer Ryan Downie, is working on the glow up right now…

…You should hire him He is seriously good!

Coming Soon:

  • NEW Geekout Newsletter homepage — with a searchable index of previous editions

  • REVAMPED newsletter design — improved formatting, spacing, and enhanced visuals to boost readability

  • NEW LinkedIn Swipe file — the best bits of Geekout Newsletter each week, in one byte-sized carousel

_________

Right… time to get outta here.

Stay safe. Have a great weekend, folks.

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

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