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Hello, geeks!
I can finally relax this week.
I spent most of last weekend stressed and anxious about my TV appearance in Channel 4’s new ‘Battle of the Brands’ documentary.
The first of four episodes was broadcast on Tuesday night in the UK. It focussed on Nando’s vs. KFC.
I knew they had a lot of footage of me, after spending a full day filming in London last summer.
When I got the call from a producer asking if I would like to be part of the documentary, my imposter syndrome went into overdrive.
I spent several days almost talking myself out of doing it.
But fast forward a month later, and I found myself under studio lighting, in front of two cameras, with three researchers firing endless questions at me.
It was pretty intense and intimidating. My internal monologue kept repeating “Are you sure you’re the right person for this?
But I’m really pleased that I hit my “f**k it!” button, and agreed to do it.
I watched the first episode with my kids at home on the sofa. Even though I’m my own biggest critic, I felt I did a good job.
Skip to 40 seconds in to spot me in this clip 👇👀
They used way more of my interview than I expected, including using clips of me to tease the next segment of the episode before going to an ad break. And episode ended with a soundbite from me.
Next time you’re invited to do something that scares the hell out of you professionally… Hit your own “f**k it” button.
You might just surprise yourself.
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Geekout Q&A with Instagram Edits Exec
Ever wanted to ask an Instagram product manager a question?
Here’s your chance.
Later this month, I will be chatting to Matt Simari, Director of Product Management for the Edits app.
What would you like me to ask him? Reply to this email with your questions.
The FIVE best questions will WIN an swag bundle from Instagram.
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1 cool thing…
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Elon Musk testified in court over his Twitter deal tweets [SCRUTINIZING]
Meta to let rival AI chatbots onto WhatsApp in Europe for 12 months to ease antitrust heat [COMPROMISING]
X flooded with disinformation after US and Israeli strikes on Iran [REALITY-BENDING]
UK government begins consultation on social media ban for under-16s [RESEARCHING]
Creepy behaviour could kill Meta’s chances of a hardware hit
Meta’s smart glasses have all the makings of a breakout hit. By offering everyday useful functionality in a convenient form factor, they could become a far bigger business than VR headsets for the company.
It’s increasingly common to spot the glasses when you’re out and about, and at least from my observations, they seem to have appeal beyond geeks and early adopters.
But an investigation by Swedish journalists has unveiled something that might put you off: ‘data annotators’ in Kenya work to train Meta’s AI by helping it understand what users are looking at.
It’s unclear what is shared with these annotators, but they say they’ve seen everything from naked bodies to people going to the toilet 😳
“According to Meta, filtering could include blurring faces in images - but sources who spoke to [Swedish newspapers] said sometimes this failed and peoples faces could be seen.
“Users have to activate recording manually or through a voice command, but may not realise their videos and images are sometimes reviewed by humans - as described within Meta's extensive privacy policies and terms of service.”
Meta already faces a data protection investigation in the UK and a lawsuit in the USA over the news. I expect more will follow.
This comes after the recent news that Meta is considering adding face recognition to some of its smart glasses in the future. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should!
Wearable cameras connected to the internet have the potential to get creepy, fast. When that creepiness is enabled (or even carried out!) by the company that makes the hardware, it’s even worse.
Meta is going to have to tread carefully, or its potential big hit could become just another embarrassing bullet point in the company’s long history of personal data controversies.
Meta
/ Facebook
Meta’s new ad performance measurement framework | Credit: Meta
Meta will soon only count ad link clicks toward click-through attribution for website and in-store conversions
Internal Meta docs show staff warned about child grooming risks for years
Meta is building tools to help retailers see if Facebook and Instagram ads lead to real product sales
Meta’s Oversight Board says AI’s rapid expansion is overwhelming its slow, case-based review model.
Meta says LLMs play almost no role in its core ranking and its $160B+ ads engine… yet
Meta is forcing some ad accounts onto monthly invoicing
Meta plans to develop custom chips to train its AI models
Meta signs a multimillion dollar AI licensing deal with News Corp
Meta is creating a new applied AI engineering organisation, led by Maher Saba, who is currently a VP of Meta’s Reality Labs division
Facebook added a new Drafts feature for Stories
Facebook is testing ‘Friends with Things in Common’, which filters friends based on shared attributes like location, language, or workplace
Facebook can now show lyrics on screen when sharing a music Note
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Instagram
Instagram now lets you customise your profile grid | Credit: Instagram
Instagram finally launched the ability to customise your profile grid with edited thumbnails
Instagram is rolling out features like insights, trending audio and scheduled content to all public accounts. Trial Reels, channels, and Live are unlocked if you hit 1,000 followers
Instagram is getting closer to launch the “Add interests” feature for profiles
Instagram started labelling Reels sent in DMs that were created using Edits
Instagram appears to be testing a new layout for video search results
Instagram is testing a new ‘Secret Friends’ list with Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco
Instagram merged Effects and Restyle for Stories into one Effects section
Instagram introduced GIF support for Notes
Instagram Edits added new + improved video effects, caption keyword highlighter, and a visually upgraded Ideas tab
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Threads
/
WhatsApp
WhatsApp now lets you join waitlist for its Premium Plan | Credit: WABetaInfo
Threads has added a new Social Media Managers community
Threads now categorises suggested accounts to follow based on the topics they post about
WhatsApp is testing a feature that allows users to join the waitlist for its premium plan
WhatsApp is testing redesigned filters and recent searches for the Chats tab
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to share status updates with unsaved phone numbers
WhatsApp is working on a premium feature that lets you pin up to 20 chats
WhatsApp has named Mullvad and Amnezia VPN as go-to tools for bypassing censorship
WhatsApp is widely rolling out a feature that suggests stickers as you type an emoji in a chat
WhatsApp is testing a feature that displays the number of media items sent, categorised by media type
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X / Twitter
X revamps Creator Subscriptions with Exclusive Threads feature | Credit: X
X revamped Creator Subscriptions with new features such as ‘exclusive threads’ and shareable cards
X finally launched X Money in beta via a William Shatner charity auction
X introduced a ’Paid Partnership’ label that lets creators clearly mark sponsored posts.
X says it will suspend creators from its revenue-sharing programme for unlabelled AI posts of ‘armed conflict’
US federal agencies raised safety concerns about using xAI’s Grok chatbot after it was approved by the Pentagon
X shared a 44-slide deck with advertisers pitching Grok as core to brand safety(!) 🤯
X is beta testing a standalone X Chat app on iOS
X usage declined in the EU in the second half of 2025
X is testing a new topic filter for the For You feed, letting you prioritise trending news and specific subjects to appear in their feed
X has removed its long-standing in-app night mode setting in the latest update. The app will now follow your phone’s system settings
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TikTok
/
YouTube
YouTube rolls out new ‘Station’ feature | Credit: Android Authority
TikTok will not introduce end-to-end encryption, arguing it makes users less safe
TikTok US experienced its second Oracle-related server outage in a month
TikTok has updated its “For You” feed refresh process
Donald Trump has been sued, accused of rewarding his allies in the TikTok US deal
TikTok begun an EU court battle challenging a €530 million GDPR fine
TikTok now lets you re-create Live moments and tag creators to share the best parts of a stream
TikTok added content templates for International Women’s Day
TikTok added ‘Optimise for stability’ a setting to limit some functions to prevent lag or disruptions during livestreams
YouTube expanded its revived DMs feature to 25+ European countries after a limited launch
YouTube has been spotted offering a ‘Station’ feature with a a non-stop stream of music by a specific artist
YouTube updated its Studio Payment Activity dashboard to give creators deeper payout insights
__________
LinkedIn
/
Snapchat
/
Telegram
Telegram update adds GIF editing, login tools, and more | Credit: Telegram
LinkedIn now lets you manage jobs applications with an all-in-one feature called Job Tracker
Snapchat is positioning itself as a B2B marketing channel - is it heading onto LinkedIn’s turf?
Twitch is testing “skippable” ads that you can’t actually skip
Telegram has rolled out GIF editing, login tools, and new privacy features
Google has increased social media posts in its Discover feed as an experiment
Mastodon now has a button for sharing content from other websites
Meta is testing a shopping research feature within its AI chatbot for select US users
It’s a direct challenge to Open AI’s ChatGPT Shopping mode.
BUT… It’s getting off to a rocky start
__________
Also spotted this week…
Instagram added a new effect for creating story backgrounds using Meta AI
WhatsApp is testing a feature that lets you organise chats with Meta AI
TikTok is widely rolling the AI Canvas feature for Creator Insights
X now allows creators to label posts that were generated or enhanced using AI
xAI is considering a freemium Grok Enterprise offering to drive wider business uptake
Roblox now uses AI to rephrase chats on the fly instead of just blocking words.
Influencer app LTK has launched an OpenAI-powered chatbot trained on influencer content within its platform
I spoke to BBC News about TikTok’s out-of-step decision not to protect DMs with end-to-end encryption
Zuckerberg takes issue with the word ‘addictive’ in deposition shown at landmark trial
Instagram tracked the time users spent on its app, with company executives flagging “milestones” that its app reached year after year
__________
Hey brands! There’s a reason you get influencers to show off your product rather than company executives…
Most execs are NOT great on social media.
Case in point: McDonald’s CEO, and this awkward cringe-fest….
“It’s a delicious product”… 😂
The internet reacted as you’d expect:
__________
__________
Find more reactions here.
McDonald’s social team did the all they could to embrace the cringe. They leaned in, and posted through it…
__________
More viral news this week:
A viral prank claims showing an ISIS flag to Meta smart glasses will get the wearer banned (it won’t)
TikTok’s cottage cheese obsession sends dairy companies scrambling
What’s a Gen Z Karen? They don’t complain to the manager—they cancel you online
Is AI slop GOOD for the performance of brand ads?!
A new study says…. sometimes, yes 🤨
__________
More brand news and views:
Why brands like Urban Outfitters and American Eagle are rethinking influencer marketing with gamified micro-creator programmes
How sports leagues are flooding marquee events with influencers to win Gen-Z audiences
Nat Geo is launching a ‘Creator Cohort’ to boost its presence on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube
"It may not be my wisest tweet… I wouldn’t necessarily describe it as incredibly stupid. But if it led to this trial, I guess I would qualify it as such."
__________
Also quoted this week…
“Work never stopped on the deal”
- Elon Musk’s financial adviser Jared Birchall testifies in court that Elon’s “deal temporarily on hold” tweet as he moved to acquire Twitter was untrue
__________
“The platforms would rather have a middle tier of creators, with 5 to 10 million followers — they would rather have that be enormous — than have a few people break through.”
- MrBeast’s former manager Reed Duchscher on why social superstars like MrBeast might be a thing of the past
TikTok creators are turning millions of Epstein files into a viral, crowdsourced investigation.
True-crime influencers, amateurs and professionals are building huge followings by breaking down documents.
Creators say they’re filling a trust gap left by traditional media…
But experts warn AI-driven fakes will further distort an already chaotic information landscape.
MrBeast has launched Vyro, a marketplace paying fans to clip long-form videos.
Users can earn about $3 per 1,000 views for posting clips to TikTok, Reels, Shorts.
A 100,000-view clip pays roughly $300, with no follower minimum required. Campaigns track views across TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts.
Ewww. People actually watch this trash….?!
“Facebook is filling up with hundreds of AI clips depicting revolting miracles for millions of views a pop.”
__________
More WTF this week:
TikTok and Snapchat posts are encouraging London pupils to take part in organised “school wars”
Photographers outside a San Francisco courthouse say Elon Musk used a “decoy” Tesla to evade cameras
BBC Radio 1Xtra needs a Social Media Manager [London, UK]
__________
More social media jobs:
Indie .io is hiring a Social Media Manager [Remote, USA]
Macmillan is looking for a Senior Strategic Storytelling Manager [Hybrid, London, UK]
How to create Instagram content people want to share in DMs with friends:
__________
More pro tips:
Meta’s Manus AI ad tool for marketers: explained
What’s the maximum number of accounts you can follow on Instagram? 7,500
YouTube’s AI slop problem and how marketers can compete
YouTube’s Culture and Trends team explained just how big creator-led soccer content has become in Latin America.
Pinterest released best practices tip sheet for shopping templates
8.8 BILLION
__________
More social stats:
WATCH THIS: TikTok ads drove a 172% jump in movie ticket purchase rates, new Samba data shows.
SEARCHING: 49% of Americans Now Use TikTok as a Search Engine
BIG IN THE EU: TikTok now has 178 million monthly users in the EU — up 8 million in six months
BIG TIME: Instagram average daily usage grew from 40 minutes per day in 2023 to 46 minutes per day in 2026, according to evidence at the current LA social media trial
SOCIAL BURNOUT: 46% of social media workers experience burnout symptoms, while 46% consider quitting their job due to stress
Buffer analysed 52M+ posts across 10 platforms, revealing engagement patterns for 2026.
Instagram saw the biggest drop in engagement with a 26% drop.
X saw the biggest jump in engagement with 44% growth.
In terms of content formats, LinkedIn carousels dominate engagement, hitting 21.77% median engagement rates.
Check out the Buffer’s State of Social Media Engagement report for more 2026 insights.
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More charts:
UGC ON THE RISE: UGC has lapped TikTok in influencer marketing, and Instagram is next
TIK-ING UP: The increase since 2021 in US adults who use TikTok
TOK OFF: Instagram has fought off TikTok’s threat
TOO MUCH: Are social media works overwhelmed at work?
APP TIME: Social media dominates 2025 app time as AI usage explodes
I-RAN TO THREADS: Threads saw a boost in usage after the US and Israel began their offensive in Iran
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Also in the news this week…
Activist investor Elliott has taken a $1B stake in Pinterest, betting on AI-driven growth. [TechCrunch]
Variety unveiled its first “10 Creators to Watch”, spotlighting rising digital stars. [Variety]
Ofcom ruled a suicide forum is in provisional breach of the Online Safety Act for failing to block UK users and promoting ways to bypass restrictions. [The Guardian]
371 security and privacy academics are calling for a global pause on social media age checks. [Politico]
Three months after Australia’s 10 December 2025 under-16 ban, success remains unproven. [The Guardian]
TikTok parent ByteDance is bringing its Meta Quest rivalling Pico headsets to the US. [Android Central]
Apple has blocked US users from downloading ByteDance’s Chinese apps. [Wired $$$]
A founding member of xAI has described the “grind” to get the first Grok model out. [Business Insider $$$]
Snapchat research shows the app plays a growing role in movie discovery. [Social Media Today]
Pinterest and Amazon Influencers have teamed up on a new integration that allows select Pinterest creators to link their Amazon Storefronts to their profiles. [@lindseygamble_]
MrBeast is hiring a 'head of TikTok’, with the goal to make every post feel clearly “Beast” while boosting performance. [Business Insider $$$]
A US federal judge has blocked Virginia’s law limiting under-16s to one hour a day on social media. [Financial Times $$$]
YouTube partnered with Rakuten to bring more shoppable videos to Japan. [TubeFilter]
Fixated acquired Elevate as part of its mission to assemble “the Avengers” of the digital content space. [TubeFilter]
Albania lifted its government-imposed ban on TikTok. [Economic Times]
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More updates and new features:
Meta introduced FrameSync to improve VR smoothness on Horizon OS. [Meta Horizon Developers]
Facebook is rolling out an updated log-in UI on desktop. [@oncescuradu]
X removed chat tabs from the main app and moved them into a contextual menu, creating more space in the inbox. [@theahmedghanem]
X is following Threads by updating its in-app screenshots, replacing the Grok icon with the X icon when you take a screenshot within the app. [@theahmedghanem]
X is working on a redesign of the reply and other options for posts on iOS. [@xDaily]
“With misinformation spreading like wildfire, many people have placed their trust in reputable digital investigators.
“Organisations like The New York Times, Indicator, and Bellingcat have extensive verification procedures to avoid publishing synthetic or misleading content...
“Media authentication methods are rarely foolproof, but standards are extremely high, and experts have years of experience with evading fake news.”
_________
Also worth checking out:
The world wants to ban children from social media, but there will be grave consequences for us all
How the US government is painting immigrants as criminals on social media
Hollywood wants to beat TikTok at its own game — but faces hurdles
The future of horror movies is on YouTube
Telegram’s founder built a fortress. Now governments are at the gate
The best alternatives to Discord
“I’d pay for YouTube Premium if it stopped spoiling everything”
More teen social media bans are coming, but will they work?
How TikTok Shop is shedding its Temu reputation and winning over retailers
A former MrBeast employee is closing the creator economy gender gap with a service for female editors
Want a peek inside the Miami mansion Mark Zuckerberg just bought for $170 million?
Look no further. 👇
He’s surely only going to be there a few days a year, it feels like a waste to leave it empty.
Someone’s got to look after it! I’ll live in it for you for free, Zuck. Deal?
That’s everything you need to know this week, Geekout friends.
Before you head off to doomscroll somewhere else…
A big thanks for all your feedback on the Geekout glow-up.
I’ve already fixed a few bugs and tweaked the layout based on your suggestions.
Turns out you lot have strong opinions about spacing!
Next up: Reviewing new sections I could add — and possibly a few I should retire.
Two quick questions for you:
❌ 1. Which ONE Geekout Newsletter section do you always skip?
✅ 2. What NEW section could I add to make Geekout more useful?
Help me keep Geekout the most useful Friday scroll for top social media pros like you.
Goodbye, geeks!
P.S. This newsletter is edited by Martin SFP Bryant
