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Hello, geeks!

Welcome to your weekly social media news debriefing.

This week I’m in full rage mode about a well-known brand that for no good reason is now refusing to pay me for work completed.

But which brand is it? Should I name and shame? More on that in a moment.

But first…

🔥 I’m loving this 2025 Social Index report.
Worth checking out.

💀 My new favourite Instagram account.
It’s wild. I’m so here for this!

😬 Someone leaked Elon’s email address.
If you want to drop him some spam…

__________

When a ‘VIP Deal’ Turns Into a Rage-Inducing Battle

I may get in trouble for sharing this.

Last year, a major sports governing body booked me to present during two of their global social media team workshops.

They wanted a 30-minute presentation on the state of social in 2024 plus a 15-minute live Q&A to help upskill their teams.

The catch? They gave me the old “we have no budget” line. Instead, they dangled THREE VIP passes to a high-profile sporting event in July 2025.

Not just any event — one my 11-year-old autistic son has been dying to attend for years. His reaction when I told him? Pure, unfiltered, head-exploding joy. ❤️

So, I put in 2.5 days of prep, delivered the sessions, nailed the Q&As, and received an email from them thanking me for delivering two great sessions for their social teams.

Fast forward to January 2025. I drop a friendly email to finalise those VIP passes. Small problem: the guy who booked me no longer works for the organisation..

A new senior manager steps in and suddenly, I’m told the deal was never for three passes — just ONE. 🤨

I send them screenshots of the original email agreement. Their response? A counter-offer: ONE pass + £500. And there’s a catch — A new clause. I’d now have to create and post content from the event across my socials. WTAF! 🤬

I politely (okay, barely) declined. A deal’s a deal. I held up my end, now they’re trying to shift the goalposts.

I reached out to the senior manager who originally agreed the deal, and told him how his former employer was now reneging on the deal we agreed.

He was shocked (but not surprised), and said that he had re-confirmed the deal with the person taking up his role, before he left the organisation.

When I relayed this information back to the organisation, they stood firm and stated they believe the deal was only ever for one pass. I believe that’s total BS.

I told them either they honour the agreement of THREE passes, or pay me my full rate card consultancy fee.

Their response? Radio silence. No replies to my last two emails. My son is devastated. And I’m absolutely fuming. 😡

I’ve since been told by several industry contacts that this well-known sports body has a reputation for stalling or not paying freelancers and creators what they are owed.

So, what now? Public shaming? Legal action? Or do I just show up at the event in full influencer mode with a megaphone?

Hit reply and let me know.

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• Stats that might finally make your boss take social seriously 🤞

Quick insights from the FULL report:

• 93% of consumers say brands must keep up with online culture to stay relevant 🔥

• Almost 75% of marketing execs say they fully trust their social team (but what about the rest?) 🤔

• 73% of users will switch to a competitor if if their DMs go unanswered 💬

• 33% of consumers think it’s cringe when brands jump on viral trends 😬

• Social commerce is booming, with Gen Z leading the charge on TikTok & Instagram 🛍️

__________

Unlock the 2025 Social Index for even more data-backed social media insights worth knowing about in 2025. | Download it NOW. for FREE!

Which social media insight surprises you the most? Take a look ⤵️

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🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

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

2. Trump says he will 'probably' extend the deadline for TikTok's sale [STALLING]

3. Meta, Snapchat, TikTok fuming about exemption of YouTube from Australia’s under-16s social media ban [RAGING]

4. TikTok accused of profiting from sexual livestreams involving children as young as 15 [DISTURBING]

5. Reddit, TikTok and Imgur to be investigated over use of children's data in the UK [PROBING]

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TheFutureParty newsletter breaks down the future of entertainment, media, and creator economy with sharp, witty insights.

From fake food products going viral to Gen Z using TikTok to find jobs, their curated daily stories are relevant, informative, and fun to read – a great accompaniment to your weekly Geekout fix.

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🚨 EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT…

TikTok is just a political football

Honestly, I’m sick of this.

No-one in American politics really cares about TikTok aside from using it as a political football to either punish China by banning it, or look cool to young people by saving it.

And ByteDance doesn’t really want to sell TikTok so it’s happy to drag its heels as long as the Chinese and US governments will let it. All the while, the future of the app for US users and creators remains as uncertain as ever.

I had hoped the recent deadline extension drama would be the catalyst to finally sorting this out, but Axios reported this week that NO negotiations have taken place between ByteDance and prospective buyers yet.

Part of the problem appears to be that US government can’t decide who’s in charge of the sale, and the Chinese government has shared no view at all on what it would like to happen, leaving ByteDance flailing while not wanting to upset the Xi regime back home.

Meanwhile, rich Americans continue to court the app. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has joined Frank McCourt’s bid for TikTok (in the same week Ohanian became co-owner of Digg!) …and Wyoming billionaire Reid Rasner says he also plans a TikTok bid, which would let users pay to be ‘founding members’.

Trump could well extend the deadline beyond 5 April (something completely freewheelingly outside the law, which is no surprise coming from him)

But until TikTok becomes more than a political game, its future in the US looks set to continue to hang in the balance. That’s frustrating for most us, and a nightmare for creators who rely on the platform.

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✨ NEW & NOTEWORTHY

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

Meta / Facebook 👥

• Meta researchers can generate photorealistic avatars from just four selfies 🤳🏻

• Meta says it’s firing about 20 employees for leaking information 

• Meta reportedly keeps a secret 'block' lists of ex-employees, to prevent them from being rehired

• Meta is bringing its anti-scam facial recognition test to the UK

• Transparent Meta Ray-Bans will drop this month, but there will only be 3,600 pairs available

• Facebook added a Drafts feature for Stories, as well as templates

• Facebook now lets you schedule Reels

• Facebook Reels has added a closed captions option

• Facebook has added Collage and Clip Mash-up features for Stories

• Facebook has added a new ‘Ambient Mode’ for images

• Facebook now allows users to snooze suggested stories, such as music, recaps and more

__________

Instagram ✨

• Instagram has previewed more features from its upcoming ‘Edits’ video-editing app, including AI-generated background editing, still image animation, and collaboration tools 🛠️

• … Also, Instagram will now display on-screen if a Reel has been edited using its upcoming Edits app, but it won’t give your posts an algorithm boost

• … And Mark Zuckerberg shared a teaser of the Edits app in action.

• Instagram is starting to encourage users to consider scheduling their messages at different times if they are sending them late at night

• Instagram is testing a Discord-style 'Community Chat’ for Broadcast Channels

• Instagram is again testing letting you share photos in the full original aspect ratio in a carousel, and the ability to create a carousel of ‘mixed’ aspect ratio images

• Instagram is testing a ‘Preview’ button for Reels.

• Instagram is testing an ‘Edit’ button for Stories, but it doesn’t do anything yet

• Instagram now offers a sneak peek of exclusive paid subscriber content

• Instagram now allows users to share a Story to group chats

• Instagram now has a new format highlighting best practices for creation, engagement, reach, monetization and more

__________

Threads 🧵 / WhatsApp 💬 

• Threads is testing letting you add interests to your profile ✨

• Threads now allows you to limit post replies to your followers only.

• Threads gave the Oscars its own dedicated tab

• Threads is testing a new interface for its video player with pause, rewind, and fast forward

• Threads has a new floating ‘+’ / new post button that can oddly be moved anywhere on the screen in-app

• Threads recently added three new features:: Tag a friend in a photo, Mark up posts on mobile, Share custom feeds with your community

• WhatsApp’s latest Android beta brings emoji to video calls

• WhatsApp is working on a feature to manage privacy settings for profile links

__________

Twitter (‘X’) 🤡

• X has revamped Communities with enhanced filters and post sorting 🎛️

• Ad industry insiders say they're advising clients to spend on X to avoid legal and political headaches

• Jon Stewart agreed to an unedited Daily Show interview with Elon Musk… but don’t expect it to happen

• The U.S. Senate voted to strip the CFPB of its power to regulate X 

• X says Gen-Z loves Elon Musk’s platform, claiming ⁠an 8% increase in Gen Z users YoY, and that ⁠31% of X’s users now belonging to Gen Z

__________

YouTube 📺

• YouTube launched a cheaper Premium Lite ad-free option in the US 🆕

• YouTube is getting a Netflix-style ‘content hub’ redesign

• YouTube is adding new teen safety tools, including content restrictions, more prominent ‘Take a break’ reminders, and additional parental controls

• Google is testing creator partnerships for YouTube Shorts ads

• YouTube is tightening its grip on gambling content with new rules

• YouTube announced a new €10m fund to promote teen safety + wellbeing in Europe

• YouTube announced expanded "Hype" feature testing

__________

TikTok 📱

• TikTok is testing a new ‘Voice chat’ feature for TikTok Live 🗣️🔴

• TikTok is bringing its local services offering to the US, after launching last year in Southeast Asia

• TikTok has started displaying a disclaimer message before opening external links in the in-app browser

• TikTok has launched a new UI for TikTok Live subscriptions

• Albania is set to block TikTok in the coming days

• TikTok is celebrating International Women’s Day through a new “Thoughts” activation

• Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian joined Frank McCourt’s bid to buy TikTok 

__________

LinkedIn / Snapchat / Pinterest / More… 💼

• LinkedIn added a "Try Searching For" section in the search bar 🔎

• LinkedIn redesigned milestone posts like new jobs and promotions to make them more prominent, with bold text and coloured backgrounds

• LinkedIn launched a new ‘Experience Centre’ in London, designed to foster connections and provide resources for professionals.

• Reddit added new features including a rules check for draft posts and post recovery if a post is removed from a subreddit, and a bunch of other useful new features

• Reddit is introducing warnings for users who frequently upvote content from banned subreddits.

• Snapchat expanded its creator offerings through a partnership with Later

• Snapchat now lets you customise your home’s appearance on the map screen

• Bluesky will soon allow users to create group chats

• Pinterest added a new tool to turn your inspiration into videos

__________

🔥 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 A.I.

The newest social media A.I. features spotted this week:

Also spotted this week 👀

• TikTok is rolling out AISelf, its AI selfie generator, to more users after limited testing

• Meta will introduce enhanced voice features into Llama 4, allowing a natural two-way conversation

• WhatsApp is working on an improved way to chat and talk with Meta AI

• WhatsApp is testing a new widget for accessing the Meta AI chatbot

• WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to create AI-generated group icons

• Messenger is testing a dedicate Meta AI tab

• Instagram now lets you generate AI images directly from your story

• Pinterest plans to roll out more transparent AI labelling on posts

• Societies lets you test content in a simulation of your own LinkedIn audience

• X has a new AI ‘Explain this post’ feature

• Bluesky is working on group chats

• CapCut has added an AI-enhanced Ultra HD video export option

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💬 YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT

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

I shared my thoughts with Sky News about Andrew and Tristan Tate’s growing ties to the Trump camp, and what it means for their future:

Also this week:

• Are 'Like and Subscribe' prompts still effective in social videos? I gave my thoughts to Journalism.co.uk.

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😆 LOL

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🌡️ VIRAL

Plenty of people hate Elon Musk, but a new campaign in the UK wants EVERYONE to hate him…

You can find them on Instagram, doing things like this…

And it’s not just stunts, the group wants to raise money too, as they told the Hollywood Reporter:

“EHE says it is donating this money to causes Musk ‘hates,’ predominantly those supporting trans people, migrants, refugees as well as groups tackling racism and fascism in the U.K. Crucially, EHE sees these small donations as an enormous act of resistance: “There’s something really powerful about the idea of small actions funded by small donations taking on the world’s richest man. There is a global movement of people who won’t stand for his fascism and nonsense.”

Meanwhile, Mike Myers as Elon Musk on Saturday Night Live last weekend was 👌👌👌 even if Elon himself wasn’t impressed.

Also:

• This ‘Twitch streamer’ is going viral and there’s a good reason nobody can find her

• What is that economic blackout you're seeing all over Instagram?

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🙊 WHAT DID YOU SAY?!

“Never, never, never give up!"

- Meta CTO Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth tries to scotch rumours the company would give up on headsets if Horizon Worlds isn’t a success on mobile this year

Also overheard this week:

• “We weren’t good at picking content” – YouTube CEO Neil Mohan explains why the platform’s original content strategy didn’t work

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🌟 DIGG-ING IT

Geekout readers of a certain age… prepare to get nostalgic. And maybe excited?

Reddit co-founder Alexia Ohanian and Digg’s co-founder Kevin Rose have teamed up to revive Digg… using AI (of course)…

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👀 MY FAV READS

“At 20, YouTube is a multibillion-dollar streamer that powers thousands of creator businesses and has become a force media companies can't ignore.”

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😮 WTF?!

“The dumbest people online believe the Meta CEO is using directed energy weapons to start fires from space.” 😳🙃

Also this week 👀

• That viral, bizarre Trump Gaza video was supposed to be satire… until Trump shared it with a straight face

• Facebook scammers want you to think Elon Musk can cure diabetes

• YouTube has warned creators an AI-generated video of its CEO is being used for phishing scams

• Twitch creators targeted by stalker's death threats during live stream

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📲 NEW APPS

SIMULATED LINKEDIN: This is a handy AI tool. It lets you test content in a simulation of your own LinkedIn audience. 🤖

Give it a try!

Also:

• Fans of Tweetbot, listen up: Tapbots is working on a Bluesky client called Phoenix

• Twitter and Medium co-founder Ev Williams’ new app, Mozi, is a private app to encourage people to meet in person…

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👔 YOU’RE HIRED!

Hot new social media jobs worth checking out this week:

Airbnb is recruiting a Consumer and Entertainment Social Senior Manager [Remote, USA]

More top social media jobs spotted this week 💼

• Meta is hiring a Social Media Manager IV (Contract) [New York City, NY, USA]

• The Scottish Government needs a Social Media Manager [Edinburgh, UK]

• Nike Sports Camps are looking for a Social Media Coordinator [various locations in England, UK]

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🪦 RIP

Social media features heading for the graveyard:

You soon won’t be able to use Meta Quest to track your fitness anymore… 🏃🏻

Also:

• Facebook is killing its Live effects feature for live videos

• Pinterest has discontinued support for using music in Pins

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👌 PRO TIPS

More pro-tips worth checking out ✨

• 2025 Facebook ad sizes and specs cheat sheet

• How Snapchat ranks content for Snap Map

• Reddit shared insights into maximizing AI adoption for brands

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📊 SOCIAL STATS

5.24 BILLION

- The total number of social media user identities worldwide (up 4.1% YoY), according to the Digital 2025 Global Overview Report

Even more social stats: 📈

• PREMIUM GROWTH: YouTube Premium and YouTube Music now have a combined 125 million subscribers, up 25 million in a year

• LINKEDUP: In the second half of 2024, LinkedIn reports that it had 52 million logged in monthly active users in Europe, and 142 million logged out visits.

• SOCIAL BRITAIN: 79% of the total UK population (54.8 million people) used social media in January 2025

• SOCIAL DECLINE?: In 2024, UK people spent an average of 1 hr and 37 mins per day on social media, down 11% from 2023

• TWITCHING UP: There will be 37.2 million Twitch users in the US this year, up 2.2% YoY

• TIKING DOWN: In Q1 2025, 71% of brands and retailers were using TikTok. Down from 88% in Q3 2024

• LESS INFLUENCE: 45% of 13 to 22 year olds say that influencers don’t have as much sway as they used to

• HAPPY SHOPPING: TikTok projects $77 Billion in sales from TikTok Live by 2027, a lawsuit claims

• SPAM DOWN: X says that there was a 19% decline in spam reports versus H1

• UNDERWHELMED: 60% of consumer view the state of social media negatively, expressing it feels like a place of never-ending product placements

• DIGITAL HATE: Meta policy changes threaten 97% of its hate speech enforcement, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (but Meta’s PR pitbull disagrees)

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📈 CHARTED

The latest Digital 2025 Global Overview report from We Are Social and Meltwater is out..

A few highlights:

📱 5.24 BILLION social media user identities worldwide (+4.1% YoY)

⏳ Avg. daily social media time: 2 hrs 21 mins (Down 2 mins / -1.4% YoY)

🔄 Avg. platforms used per month: 6.8 (+2.3% YoY)

📺 YouTube: Users spend 2X more time on YouTube than on TikTok!

💬 WhatsApp & Facebook: 3rd & 4th in total user time.

⏰ TikTok: Average user opens every 90 mins, spends ~6 mins per session.

🤯 YouTube = More time spent than TikTok + Instagram combined!

And here are the top social media apps by daily open rate:

More charted social insights spotted this week: 👀.

• TIKTOK TAKEDOWNS: TikTok’s EU content takedowns, mapped

• TIKTOK SHOPFLUENCING: Facebook is more influential than TikTok for purchase decisions

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• Early versions of Meta's Orion AR glasses envisioned a neck-worn compute unit. [Road to VR]

• Meta’s VP of Analytics announced a new book on Meta ads approaches. [Social Media Today]

New features and tests:

Facebook:

• Facebook now lets you hide Page Stories from appearing in the feed. [@thehamedghanem]

• Facebook is testing a new “+” button in the bottom menu bar. [@oncescuradu]

Instagram:

• Instagram is testing a redesigned messages tab. [@theahmedghanem]

• Instagram and Messenger now have a White Lotus chat theme. [@oncescuradu]

The rest: Creator Studio / Adtech / Quest and more:

• A Meta support page suggests Quest's passthrough API is imminent. [UploadVR]

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💥 EVEN MORE SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS & UPDATES

• Facebook, Tinder, and Airbnb are used for sex trafficking in Colombia. [Bloomberg $$$]

• Whatnot is a livestreaming shopping app that wants to woo creators from TikTok’s uncertain future in the US. [Marketing Brew]

• Social media platforms could face $50m fines if Australian children access adult content on their sites. [The Guardian]

• FCC chief Brendan Carr has criticised the EU's Digital Services Act as a threat to free speech. [Social Media Today]

• …But check this recent useful context about Carr’s approach to ‘free speech’. [TechDirt]

• Dance creators believe YouTube left them behind amid its Shorts push. [DigiDay $$$]

New features and tests:

• Snapchat is testing a new, simplified share sheet. [@theahmedghanem]

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📰 WEEKEND READS

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

“Wedding vendors and engaged couples have long used social media to connect — but a new trend of wedding shaming is taking over the internet.”

More great weekend reads:

• The strange repulsion of Instagram Reels

• On X, Conservative activists find a direct pipeline to Elon Musk’s team

• Inside the Trump White House's relentless strategy to dominate news

• Planning to kill your mascot like Duolingo? Consider the following

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😳 AND FINALLY…

Prepare to cringe… “Mark Zuckerberg cosplayed as Benson Boone for his wife Priscilla’s 40th birthday party”

If you haven’t seen it, and can bear to watch, check it out… 😳

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📅 BACK NEXT WEEK…

… And on that cringey-note, you’ve reached the end of this week’s Geekout.

I’m heading off to dust down my Elton John fancy dress costume.

Zuck has set the bar for new levels of cringe. Challenge: Accepted.

I’ve told Sarah (GF) i have an exciting surprise for her in the bedroom tonight. I’m not sure this is what she is imagining.:🕺🏻

Have a great weekend, geeks!

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