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Hello, geeks!

I survived the great Ibiza floods of 2025.

Despite the endless TikToks warning of biblical floods in Ibiza…

…We made it to the UNVRS closing party — and thankfully, no inflatable rafts were required to get around town.

The music was banging. And with a steady supply of vodka / red bull, we lasted until around 5am before bailing out in a taxi back to our hotel.

But that wasn’t the highlight of the trip, because the next evening… something much more exciting happened….

I’d been keeping a secret from my girlfriend Sarah for the past six months — which, as anyone that knows me would tell you, is a minor miracle in itself! I can’t keep secrets very well.

And then, at sunset at Café Mambo, it happened.

The sky had been moody and grey all day — but in true movie-scene style, the clouds parted in the final hour, giving us the perfect romantic Ibiza sunset.

I got down on one knee. And she said yes!

To my surprise, once Sarah slipped on the ring, Café Mambo erupted with cheers and applause as everyone around us had clocked what was happening and celebrated our special moment. 😆 

Huge shoutout to the Café Mambo social media team, who not only noticed what was going on, but also filmed the entire proposal without us realising.

They sent us the footage, brought out champagne with sparklers, and made it a moment we’ll never forget.

It was the most beautiful end to the most special night.

I met my forever girl, and she said yes to letting me be her forever guy.

Honestly? Doesn’t get better than that. 💍 🥰

__________

3 Good Things 👇

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😲 10,000+ NBA IG posts reveal tactics that spark engagement when you’ve got NOTHING to post! — even if you’re not a sports account.
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🚀 Free CMO Growth Playbook: Based on 8M+ consumer signals + leading analyst research on the next marketing wave — Includes FREE 2026 Culture Moments Calendar + Cheat Sheet [ad]
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❤️ My daily source for social ad inspo + viral trends — Top campaign breakdowns + Swipeable ideas. 100K marketers LOVE IT!

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10K NBA Instagram Posts Reveal Tactics That Spark Engagement — Even With an Empty Calendar

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The data reveals which teams dominate in downtime (spoiler: it’s not just the champs).

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🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

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

2. Facebook removes ICE-tracking Group under pressure from Trump regime [COMPLYING]

3. Meta unveiled new teen safety features for its AI chatbots on Instagram [SAFEGUARDING]

4. California passes social media and AI laws in big tech’s back yard [REGULATING]

5. EU lawmakers want tech CEOs held personally liable for failing to protect kids online. [PRESSURING]

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🚨 EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

Should we be worried about Facebook killing an ICE-tracking group?

Remember when social media was the voice of the people, powering uprisings like the Arab Spring? Those days seem a looooooong time ago now.

Sure, repressive regimes have been cracking down on freedom of protest via social media for years now, but the fact it’s happening so blatantly in the USA now feels like a point worth paying attention to.

As Gizmodo explained:

You could argue that ICE immigration officials should be able to do their jobs without being hassled, but it’s also fair to say that plenty of people in the US see ICE and the Trump government as the problem.

And as Gizmodo continued:”It’s completely legal to share information about where police are operating. In fact, the idea that sharing such information should be illegal is only common in authoritarian countries. But Bondi and the Department of Justice have declared war on anyone sharing such basic information, characterizing it as dangerous or violent.”

If companies like Meta are going to take the government’s side as large parts of the US public view that government increasingly hostile, we’re quickly going to get to a point where organising any kind of protest in the US via social media platforms is a dangerous dead end.

Sure, there are other apps people can use, but Apple took down ICE tracking apps, so relying on mainstream app stores might be out of the question.

That means organising resistance will have to move to increasingly tricky-to-use tools that are harder to access, making it harder to build a resistance in big numbers.

If Trump’s opposition are hoping for the public to rise up against his increasingly authoritarian moves, they might have a serious task ahead of them because social media is unlikely to be much help.

Let’s face it, big tech does NOT want to get into trouble with THIS White House.

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✨ NEW & NOTEWORTHY

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

• Facebook reintroduced local job ads features in the US

• Meta is offering some users Meta Verified for just $1 per month for the first year

• Meta told its metaverse workers to use AI to ‘go 5X faster’

• Meta balked at turning over AI chatbot records in a lawsuit, setting up a court fight

• Meta’s latest Quest update offers an immersive new Home experience, window anchoring and QuickPlay

• Meta’s new Horizon TV app for Quest VR headsets is like a smart TV… in VR

• Palmer Luckey’s Anduril has launched its EagleEye military helmet, developed in partnership with Meta

• Meta poached Apple’s newly appointed head of its AI search project

• Meta partnered with Arm to help the social media company scale up its AI infrastructure

• Facebook's testing a new group highlights feature. It lets admins of private group spotlight member content publicly… But only if the member approves the request

• Facebook’s generous new monetisation model is a hit with creators

• Facebook added a Flash Sale option for Subscriptions

__________

• Instagram is testing a new opt-in layout that puts the spotlight on Reels and DMs, with a redesigned icon bar

• Instagram crowned its first 25 ‘Rings’ winners—from DJs to designers. They get some enhancements to their profiles

• Instagram is pushing users to share more Reels and encouraging them to turn their Stories into Reels to reach a wider audience

• Instagram now lets you check your ‘watch history’ feature for Reels

• Instagram is testing allowing you to add up to 45 seconds of audio with the Music sticker in Stories, instead of the previous 15 seconds

• Instagram added Reels templates directly inside the creation sheet

• Instagram is working on a desktop redesign

• Instagram added a ‘Hide replies’ option in each reply’s share sheet

• Instagram is promoting Edits with an ‘Open Edits’ button next to notifications about content made with the app

• Instagram has added new avatar stickers

• Instagram Edits now you reverse clips up to 30 seconds in duration

__________

• Threads added group chats. Users can add up to 50 people to a single chat.

  ….You can also now send photos, videos, GIFs, and stickers in messages.

  …Threads also expanded its messaging features to users in the EU. The UK and Australia won’t get group chats (for now)

• Threads is working on the ability to customise group chat profile pics

• Threads has a hidden option that lets you move the quick creation button on your home feed. Just long-press it and drag it to any position you like

• Threads now supports third-party ad certification to give advertisers more brand safety confidence

• Threads has been spotted offering Markup support for longer text attachments

• Threads appears to have recoloured post sharing buttons on iOS

• Threads now lets you quickly reorder photos and videos in carousel posts. Just tap and drag to reorder them before you share

• X will show more information about profiles to fight misinformation and bots

• X could be getting more link-friendly in its algorithm, and is looking to reward original creators over copycats

__________

• WhatsApp has started offering some users the ability to set a disappearing status

• WhatsApp is working on animations settings that let you choose whether emojis, stickers, and GIFs play automatically

• WhatsApp is testing the ability to set notifications for status updates from selected contacts

• WhatsApp is working on the ability to react to status updates using a reaction sticker

• WhatsApp is working on bringing a sidebar to the iPad app

__________

• TikTok announced its latest Creator and Advertiser Awards for the UK and Ireland

• UK MPs have been urged to investigate TikTok’s plans to make hundreds of UK-based content moderators redundant

• TikTok Live now lets you choose exactly who sees your stream. You can set your audience to Everyone, Friends or specific people

• TikTok is testing a split view for overall posts views, showing both Total Viewers and New Viewers

• TikTok has launched LIVE Talent - a new programme for live music content creators

• Billionaire Frank McCourt (who tried to buy TikTok) says he is looking into whether Trump’s deal is legal

__________

• YouTube is rolling out its new-look video player globally

• YouTube upgraded its Shorts editor with a timeline view

• YouTube is rolling out a new, more compact UI for channel videos with a focus on buttons

• YouTube makes it easier for teens to find informative mental health content

• YouTube is now showcasing Trending Songs in the Shorts feed

__________

• Snap is bringing shopping features to its AR glasses. Tripadvisor and Figma are also working on experiences for the glasses, due to launch next year

• Snapchat announced loads of AR updates at its annual Lens Fest, including improved AR creation elements, generative AI guidance for AR development, new games and gaming creation tools, AR creator monetization, and more.

• Snapchat is testing a new HD mode to capture snaps in higher resolution

• ⁠LinkedIn has launched its new connection leaderboard feature for games

• 4Chan has been fined in the UK over failure to comply with the Online Safety Act

• Telegram now has a Liquid Glass-like design, even if you don’t have iOS 26, along with a bunch of app feature updates like comments in group calls, and notes for contacts

• Pinterest is adding an option to let you filter out AI slop content

• Twitch has a new live-shopping feature powered by Amazon Ads

• Signal got a security overhaul to prepare it for the day when quantum computers can break conventional encryption

__________

🔥 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:

YouTube has a new AI-powered report that helps advertisers measure their total brand impact across paid and organic videos for the first time.

Also spotted this week 👀

• YouTube plans to launch automatic lip-syncing for dubbed videos, aiming to make AI translations look more natural

• WhatsApp added a new AI Images option in Status

• Reddit is expanding its AI-powered search to support French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

• ChatGPT could soon add the ability to DM humans via the app

• xAI’s Grok app now lets you create images from templates

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💬 YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT

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

I spoke the The Telegraph about how our social feeds have filled up with AI slop… and the risk of ‘slop fatigue’.

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🌡️ VIRAL

The first couple of weeks of OpenAI’s Sora app have been marked by a rush of AI videos of dead celebrities.

They might seem like harmless fun, but the celebs’ families aren’t all happy about it.

OpenAI said yesterday it has blocked the ability to create videos of Martin Luther King Jr at the request of his estate.

Also going viral this week: 🔥

• The lion’s concerns are the latest TikTok trend

• How to make STEM funny—and go viral doing it

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🪧 BRANDS

Controversy isn’t what it used to be…

“Marketers are entering a new era where it’s becoming harder to differentiate between real consumer sentiment and manufactured outrage.

“AI-powered bot networks, usually reserved for fueling election disinformation campaigns, are now being deployed against brands, with Cracker Barrel and American Eagle being two recent high-profile examples.”

More brand news this week: 👀

• Brands are betting on creators to make their next hit series

• How creators are drawing big crowds with IRL events

• TikTok is pushing agencies for more ad dollars despite its uncertain future—what marketers need to know

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🙊 WHAT DID YOU SAY?!

“So much of the internet is now dead"

- Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is not happy with the way AI content is taking over the internet

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Also overheard this week: 👂

• “Japan bears a responsibility to take the lead on making rules (related to AI and copyright infringement), precisely because we are a country that has captivated the world with the creative power of anime, games, and music.”

  -

  – Japanese politician Akihisa Shiozaki is unhappy with all the anime slop people are making with OpenAI’s Sora app

  -

• “It won’t perhaps be quite as all singing and all dancing as people suggest”

  -

  – Former Meta exec Nick Clegg isn’t as all-in on AI’s future potential as his former employer is

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👀 MY FAV READS

“Spontaneous original content, shared by people all over the world, made the internet a fun place to be. It’s more complicated now.”

Also:

• A new wave of niche social media apps provide hope in a doomscrolling world 

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😮 WTF?!

This is nuts. A Twitch streamer’s dog yelped once in the background of a stream while wearing a collar that appears to include a holder for an Apple AirTag…

…and suddenly there’s a week of controversy from people accusing him of putting a shock collar on his dog?!

Also WTF this week: 👀

• Viral ‘Cheater Buster’ sites use facial recognition to let anyone reveal peoples’ Tinder profiles

• MrBeast filed a trademark for a financial services company (and a bunch of other stuff)

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🤦‍♂️ FAIL

AI can be really useful… but it can also be less intelligent than a very dumb human 😳

Also:

• Meta upset the Motion Picture Association after claiming its new teen account restrictions on Instagram were like the MPA’s PG-13 movie rating.

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🪦 RIP

Social media features heading for the graveyard:

It seems not many people use Messenger’s desktop apps…

That’s the only reason I can think for Meta announcing that it’s killing them sometime soon, as the company hasn’t given a reason.

Also:

• Apple has discontinued its once-hyped Clips app, which let users create stylised social videos.

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👔 YOU’RE HIRED!

Hot new social media jobs worth checking out this week:

Comic Relief is looking for a Social Media Manager [Hybrid - London, UK]

More top social media jobs spotted this week 💼

• Electronic Arts needs a Social Media Strategist – Plants vs Zombies (Temporary) [Hybrid - Redwood City, CA, USA or Vancouver, BC, Canada]

• Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is recruiting a Social Media Content Creator [Remote, UK]

• Love Strategies, Inc. is hiring a Social Media Manager (Dating & Coaching Brand – 650k+ YouTube Subs) [Remote, USA]

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🧪 SOCIAL SCIENCE

Well this is worrying: 

“Data from a large, ongoing study of adolescents shows a link between increasing social media use and lower cognition and memory in teens.”

Also:

• Why some people don’t care that they’re wrong online

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👌 PRO TIPS

Yep, links kill reach on X, and Buffer has the data to back it up….

Can you guess the average % reach for non-premium subscribers in 2025?

It starts with a zero.

It also ends with a zero.

More pro-tips worth checking out ✨

• How to make sense of Meta’s growing AI-powered advertising machine

• Meta has shared tips to help app advertisers maximise their holiday campaigns

• Meta shared some festive season marketing tips

• YouTube published tips for maximising podcast engagement

• TikTok shared pointers on successful AI adoption for marketers

• Snapchat posted insights into evolving beauty shopping trends

• Pinterest added a bunch of new educational content to its Pinterest Academy, to help you make the most of the platform

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📊 SOCIAL STATS

€7 BILLION

– The amount YouTube contributed to the EU’s GDP in 2024, according to an Oxford Economics study

Even more social stats: 📈

• TOP FOR TEENS: TikTok ranked #1 social app for US teens with 46% ranking it their most favourite app

• IN FASHION: 59% of Gen Z say YouTube content influences their personal style and purchase decisions

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💥 EVEN MORE SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS & UPDATES

• Social media pushes distressing news to children, a study has found. [The Guardian]

• TikTok insiders and creators are worried its powerful algorithm could lose its magic after its planned US sale. [Business Insider $$$]

• Meta has withdrawn from MRC brand safety audits, losing its accreditation just months after it was issued. [AdWeek $$$]

• Meta execs were among dozens of corporate elites at a glitzy White House dinner. [Wall Street Journal $$$]

• Tony Blair and Nick Clegg hosted a dinner giving tech bosses access to UK minister. Meta says it was part of Clegg’s policy work for the company. [The Guardian]

• Meta broke ground on the construction of a new AI data centre in El Paso, Texas. [Social Media Today]

• Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica says Meta smart glasses are boosting its growth. [CNBC]

• The EU is probing Snapchat, YouTube, App Stores over how they protect kids online. [Politico]

• Daily Mail publisher DMG Media has launched two ‘TikTok-first’ dedicated social publisher arms aimed at young people. [Press Gazette]

• The vendor Discord blamed for its recent data breach mow claims it wasn’t hacked. [The Verge]

• xAI is pushing to build ‘world models’, joining the likes of Meta and Google in the race to develop AI systems that can navigate and design physical environments. [Financial Times $$$]

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📰 WEEKEND READS

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

We’re almost at the end of the year already… how did that happen?

Here are some thoughts about what might happen in social media marketing next year. How many do you agree with?

More great weekend reads:

• YouTube just ate TV. It’s only getting started

• Ragebait is everywhere. Should marketers lean in?

• How ByteDance made China’s most popular AI chatbot

• How TBPN became Silicon Valley’s newest obsession

• How Hollywood learned to love influencers

• How trans visibility online became a trap

• What it’s like living next to Meta’s largest data center

• The trans people who are out only online

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😳 AND FINALLY…

I mentioned this trend last week, but it’s really got out of hand now... 😬

Police across the US say people keep calling 911 over the ‘AI homeless man’ TikTok prank. Police in the UK have complained about it too!

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📅 BACK NEXT WEEK…

That’s a wrap on this week’s rom-com disguised as a social media newsletter. 💖

Time for me to slide into Tiffany & Co’s inbox and casually pitch a “Geekout x Engagement Ring Debt Relief” collab…

…Failing that, if next week’s newsletter is suddenly sponsored by a ring insurance or Prosecco brand… you’ll know why.

Goodbye, geeks!

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