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Hello, geeks!

Someone pour me a strong drink….

Today is my [*AGE REDACTED*] birthday 🥳 

The cake needs so many candles it now qualifies as a bonfire.

Feel free to reply with you age guesses (but subtract 5 from the number before sending)

Anyway — while I spiral into existential birthday dread, here’s what’s been happening in social this week:

• ✨ Disney vs. YouTube TV continues… It’s expensive, messy, lots of PR-ing, and no one’s blinking. Yet.

• ✨ TikTok is getting into podcasting… joining the likes of Netflix + Threads who also want a piece of the podcasting pie

• ✨ Denmark is banning social media for under-15s…. Joining a growing list of countries cracking down on tech giants

• ✨ Starbucks’ Bearista mug launch flips into chaos… Grown adults are fighting over the $30 mugs, now reselling for $500+.

What a time to be alive!

Shall we get into it?… Lets go!

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P.S. Spotted this. Worth grabbing…👇

🚨 This FREE playbook is 🔥. — 27 AI prompts to reveal hidden insights in your social posts + 13 key social metrics to track in 2026, and more.
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📊 The BIG 2026 Global Social Media Insights Report — Goldmine for stats nerds (700+ slides!)

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SPONSORED - SOCIAL LISTENING - FREE GUIDE
The Social Campaign Killer You’re Ignoring — And How to Spot It Early

You probably check your reach, engagement, and impressions stats daily.

But here’s an insight that stopped me mid-scroll…

💡 ‘The biggest red flag isn’t a flood of complaints in comments... It’s silence.’

…No backlash. No drama. Just quiet disengagement.

That silence is a warning sign your audience is quietly tuning out.

Brand24’s new social listening playbook breaks down what silence really means — and how to act on it before it kills your campaign.

Inside, you’ll learn how to…

• 🚨 Spot when engagement feels “off” — 13 key metrics for data-driven success

• 🤐 Decode social media silence — reveal whether its boredom, fading trust, or something more serious

• ⚡ Catch viral trends early — before your competitors catch on

• 🤖 Get AI doing the heavy lifting — 27 AI prompts you can steal for smarter, instant insights

It’s written for busy social media pros like us — not data scientists!

Clear. Practical. And full of smart social listening tips.

⚠️ Catch the warning signs, before your audience ghosts you — Grab the Free Guide Now

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🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

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

2. WhatsApp is set to face stricter content moderation rules in the EU [POLICING]

3. Denmark plans to ban social media for under 15s [SHIELDING]

4. TikTok is launching its own creator podcast network [EAR-WORMING]

5. Meta chief AI scientist plans to quit and launch his own startup [EXITING]

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🚨 EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

YouTube can’t keep everyone happy as it grows ever more important

Unless you’re a YouTube TV subscriber in the US, you might wonder why you should care about Disney’s current bitter dispute with Google’s video platform.

But this standoff is about more than not being able to watch Jeopardy.

As Disney talks tough about a long fight, it will surely have in mind the need to protect its own streaming revenue from Disney+ and Hulu, while making sure its content is where many US viewers want it: YouTube TV.

Disney obviously wants to serve its customers. but it also doesn’t want to make life too easy for YouTube. After all, YouTube is no longer just a place you go to watch an occasional video. It’s dominating TV streaming, with its popularity rising as a big-screen viewing destination.

That’s a threat to companies like Disney, which have to invest big-bucks in producing high-quality content.

YouTube typically doesn’t have to do that. Its own homegrown content has typically flopped in the past, although it’s kind-of back at it with a slate of new, exclusive shows from talent like Ms. Rachel, Trevor Noah, Dhar Mann, Cleo Abram, Mark Vins, Deestroying and Brittany Broski.

YouTube wants to have it both ways. It wants to be an exclusive content provider as well as a destination for everyone else’s content too.

Just as some artists have started to back away from Spotify for various reasons, YouTube might soon find that huge scale is not the answer to everything, and some media companies might drive a harder bargain, or walk away completely if they have better options elsewhere.

…and YouTube will become less appealing a platform as a result. Tread carefully, Neal!

_________________

Beehiiv had some BIG news this week

This newsletter is powered by Beehiiv, and yesterday the company revealed a bunch of great new features in its Winter Release.

New features include:

• A digital products store, so you can sell directly to your audience

• An AI site builder so you can easily build your newsletter’s website with text prompts

• Support for podcasts

• Improved analytics

• A Link In Bio page

• New templates, plus improved dynamic content (so you can tailor what readers see based on location, interests, or subscription tier), and automations

You can read all about them here.

Beehiiv recently let me try these new features out in advance, and I can confidently say that if you’re building a newsletter, Beehiiv is a better place than ever to do it. Congrats to Tyler Denk (Beehiiv CEO) and the team.

✨ TIP: Use this link to try Beehiiv FREE for 30-days + get 20% OFF for 3 months.

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✨ NEW & NOTEWORTHY

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

• Meta is making Facebook Marketplace more social and collaborative, with shared collections, friend-assisted haggling, Meta AI shopping insights, visible reactions / comments, and more

• Meta added an opportunity score to its Marketing API for smarter campaign optimisation

• Meta launched dedicated settings for managing app cookies, letting you control all accounts linked to your Accounts Center

• Meta updated its Search History settings, adding more options to review and manage your search history across FB + IG

• Facebook has been spotted with a winter-themed snow globe style logo on iOS

• Facebook is testing the ability to create Notes from the feed story composer button.

• Facebook is offering creators a $160 bonus for creating two viral posts that each reach 3M people before Nov 18

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• Instagram is working on letting people share your Stories to their own Story

• Instagram is testing 20-minute long Reels, again. This was previously spotted earlier this year

• Instagram Edits added bulk caption editing, 400+ new sound effects, lipsync, and a Boomerang-style effect

  … Edits is also testing a new Storyboards feature, letting creators outline videos scene-by-scene
  … And Instagram revealed more than half of people watching Reels now see Edits-created content every day

• Instagram slapped major meme accounts with warnings, limiting visibility to non-followers

• Instagram is testing a new ‘Trending Audio’ filter: ‘Popular with your friends’

• Instagram could add a Schedule feature for trial Reels 

• Instagram has been spotted replacing the ‘Following’ count with ‘Mutual friends’

• Instagram has a new option under Following & Invitations called “Automatically confirm anyone that you follow.”

• Instagram is testing the ability to sort Reels on a profile by “Latest” or “Most viewed”

• Instagram Edits is testing the ability to add videos to the video editor timeline from saved Reels, their own reels or via a link

• Instagram Edits now has automatic ‘volume ducking’. When it detects speech in your video, it drops the music volume, adjusts the voiceover, and keeps your original audio clear

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• Threads rolled out new tools for podcasters. Shared podcast links now show colourful backgrounds + big thumbnails. Creators get a spot to add a podcast link to their profiles

• Threads is testing new filters for DMs

• Threads now lets you hide likes and share counts for posts.

• Threads expanded text attachments to desktop

• Threads is working on the ability to set a community flair (whatever that is!?)

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• X launched a “Certified Banger” badge to spotlight ‘top posts’ each month… but the first batch aren’t particularly… banging (and there’s a reason for that)

• X clarified rules for its Handles Marketplace. You’re only renting handles, you’ll lose them if you stop posting or break platform rules

• X is testing the ability to play YouTube videos without leaving the app

• X is being investigated in Ireland for allegedly failing to act on illegal content reports

__________

• WhatsApp’s will let users reserve the same username they use on Facebook or Instagram, ahead of launching @handles for WhatsApp

• WhatsApp is testing enhanced protection features for high-risk accounts

• Spotify now allows you to share songs to your WhatsApp Status

• WhatsApp is testing a chat clearing feature with options for deleting messages or specific media categories

• WhatsApp is rolling out a Media Hub on Mac and Web so you can easily browse recent photos, videos, and files!

• WhatsApp now lets you manage notifications separately for followers and admins in your channel

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• TikTok officially rolled out Bulletin Boards, it’s spin on IG broadcast channels for creators to post updates to fans

• TikTok outlined its latest measures to protect in-app shoppers

• TikTok Shop ranked as the #3 fastest-growing US brand this year

• TikTok is launching its biggest holiday shopping event ever

• TikTok has been spotted offering Lite Mode inside the app, no extra download needed

• TikTok is testing very large “Follow” and “Not Interested” buttons on videos in the For You tab

• TikTok is introducing “Unlimited Sounds,” which let you use certain audio tracks to prevent your 1-minute+ videos from being muted

• TikTok is testing Chat Prompts for businesses, letting them create prompts to help people start conversations with them

• TikTok added a new Inspiration tab in the Analytics section of TikTok Studio

• TikTok is preparing for another policy update on Nov 30 in the EU, with changes coming to location data, DMs and in-app browser

__________

• YouTube’s Hype feature now includes promo posts, a leaderboard of rising creators, and member-only content filters

• YouTube is getting a weekly live late night show starting in spring 2026, as part of a new ‘seasons and shows’ layout to drive big-screen binge-watching

• YouTube shows like Cocomelon “sedate” kids instead of stimulating them, experts have warned UK MPs

__________

• Reddit introduced interactive ads featuring mini-games, quizzes, and countdown reveals

• Reddit now lets WooCommerce merchants sync product listings to ads

• LinkedIn added new Events tools to drive event ROI and reach.

• Snapchat+ users can now switch to a nostalgic 2D ‘Comic Bitmoji’ avatar style

• Snapchat is introducing an iMessage extension that lets you send Bitmoji stickers

• Snapchat + Disney have brought Zootopia 2 to life with AR and on-screen cameos

• Snapchat says it may apply subscription fees to its Lens Studio app in the future

• Snapchat now allows you to upload a regular image as your profile picture on your main profile, not just on your public profile

• Google Ads is testing a feature that imports social video ads, including from X, into campaign builders

• CapCut is pushing users to try its desktop version by offering a free 30-day Pro trial

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🔥 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:

LinkedIn’s giving its search tools a AI-powered upgrade…

It now supports natural language people search using AI, making it easier to find some specific, or a particular sort of person.

For example, you can now search “Northwestern alumni in marketing,” or ““co-founders of healthcare startups in San Francisco”

However, the feature is rolling out in the U.S-only for now.

Also spotted this week 👀

• Meta’s new AI model, GEM, helps businesses show more relevant ads by learning from what people do on Facebook and Instagram

• Facebook Marketplace now uses Meta AI to suggest questions to ask sellers and break down car listings with pro-level insights

• TikTok is rolling out AI dubbing for shoppable videos

• YouTube is testing AI comment summaries in YouTube Studio

• Reddit’s Ads Manager has been overhauled to push more advertisers toward AI-powered, automated targeting tools

• ChatGPT could soon add a group chats feature

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💬 YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT

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

I helped BBC News make sense of Apple’s ridiculous new iPhone sock.

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💀 LOL

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🌡️ VIRAL

The US is going wild for Starbucks’ ‘Bearista’ cups…

They’re all over social media and going for $1,000+ second-hand… total madness!

Also going viral this week: 🔥

• Why purple profile pics are flooding TikTok and Instagram right now

• The “5-6” meme is trying to replace “6-7”—and it’s not going great

• TikTok’s viral flip-the-camera trend has exploded—but users say it’s plain cruelty

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🪧 BRANDS

Is brand social’s golden age is dead?

This piece argues it’s been killed by politics, AI, and the unbearable cringe of trying to stay “relatable.”

More brand news this week: 👀

• Paramount’s ‘The Running Man’ movie is the first example of Reddit’s new interactive ads

• Microsoft has hired lifestyle influencers like Alix Earle to rebrand Copilot as cool and relatable, but analysts don’t think it will move the growth needle much

• Heritage brands like Dove are ditching tradition and embracing creator-led culture to stay relevant

• What happens when brands treat creators as full-funnel partners

• Why AI and synthetic social aren’t driving up creator value — yet

• Brand-influencer contracts rarely include AI or IP clauses, risking unauthorised use of creators’ likeness

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🙊 WHAT DID YOU SAY?!

“Social media is turning music into fast food”

- The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett thinks social media’s fleeting culture stunts artist development

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Also overheard this week: 👂

• "This generation coming up has learned, and has a preference for, a less gamified version of life… They're choosing a healthier type of paradigm for social"

  -

  – Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian on the next wave of social, which happens to include the social music app Airbuds that he has invested in

  -

• “Sam is a very smart guy, incredibly cunning"

  -

  – Alexis Ohanian explains why he had a gut feeling that Reddit shouldn’t share data with OpenAI

  -

• “Things are live, they’re happening…and we’re ready to go as long as they want to”

  -

  – Disney CFO Hugh Johnston talks tough as the company’s dispute with YouTube continues

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👀 MY FAV READS

The ‘6-7’ meme is over a year old. And it Just. Won’t. Die.

Why? Theories here…

Also:

• What does ‘6-7’ mean? Maybe tweens don’t want you to know

• YouTube’s dominance is mirroring what Google and Facebook did to publishers

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😮 WTF?!

“An account is spamming horrific, dehumanizing videos of immigration enforcement because the Facebook algorithm is rewarding them for it.”

Also WTF this week: 👀

• A Danish Reddit user was jailed for posting 347 out-of-context nude scenes from local films and shows.

• Charlie Kirk’s face is being deepfaked onto viral meme formats

• Meta product managers are now vibe coding—using AI tools to build demos without engineers. Zuck then reviews them, accelerating product experimentation

• Fake Facebook Business pages are bombarding users with phishing messages

• OpenAI’s Sora 2 has flooded social media with videos of women being strangled

• Former OnlyFans CEO Ami Gan is back with Vylit, an 18+ app that permits topless content but stops short of explicit nudity

• OpenAI can’t fix Sora’s copyright infringement problem because it was built with stolen content

• A TikTok influencer was ordered to pay $1.75 million for destroying her manager's marriage

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🤦‍♂️ FAIL

Notice a jump in referrals from X on your website lately? This is why.

X was pre-loading links so they opened faster when you click them.

Aside from being a massive data hog, it also created a phantom traffic problem.

Substack and Bluesky were among those reporting a spike in X “traffic”, but the issue has now been fixed.

Also:

• X botched its security key switchover, locking users out of their accounts

• YouTube has flagged up an error causing some creators to see inflated or doubled October earnings in Studio reports

• Bug or feature? YouTube Shorts bug removes all buttons for a super clean experience

• WhatsApp’s new Apple Watch app is crashing on older models like Series 4 and 5. A fix is coming

• YouTube is breaking on the Opera GX browser due to its built-in ad blocker

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🪦 RIP

Social media features heading for the graveyard:

👎🏻 Dislike… Meta is killing its iconic Facebook Like button!

These Facebook buttons used to be all over the web, but as they become increasingly less used, Meta is killing them off as of 10 February 2026.

But if you can’t remove the button code from your site, don’t worry. Meta says there will be no ill effects, the buttons just won’t appear anymore.

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👔 YOU’RE HIRED!

Hot new social media jobs worth checking out this week:

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee is looking for a Manager, Social Content [Remote, USA]

More top social media jobs spotted this week 💼

• Green Man Festival is looking for a Social Media Coordinator [London, UK]

• Lucky Saint needs a Social Media and Content Manager [Hybrid, London, UK]

• Mencap is hiring a Marketing, Design & Social Media Officer [Remote, UK]

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🧪 SOCIAL SCIENCE

This new research looks at how “short-form video design fuels engagement - and addiction - through ease, accuracy and surprise.”

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👌 PRO TIPS

Replying to comments boosts engagement by up to 42% on Threads, followed by LinkedIn (+30%) and Instagram (+21%).

That’s according to this useful research by Buffer…

More pro-tips worth checking out ✨

• Snapchat shared data into evolving grocery shopping trends

• YouTube officially shot down the myth that delaying making uploads public improves reach

• Meta shared tips on how to use its click-to-message ads

• Reddit says that female auto buyers are increasingly turning to the App

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📊 SOCIAL STATS

$19 BILLION

– TikTok Shop ‘s Q3 sales globally, nearly matching eBay’s $20.1 billion! 🤯

Even more social stats: 📈

• CHECK ‘EM OUT: 72.3% of shoppers research brands via platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn

• VIRTUAL INFLUENCE: Virtual influencers are losing appeal, with brand adoption down 26% since last year.

• FEED ME: Food sales on TikTok Shop have more than doubled, now making up 14% of platform revenue

• MENTAL HEALTH: Only 8% of creators rate their mental health as excellent, dropping to 4% after five years

• GOING LIVE: 39% of creators say live streaming is the top tool for generating content.

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📈 CHARTED

Here’s the spike in traffic to Substack from X after Elon’s platform started preloading links, inflating metrics across the web. Ooof!
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💥 EVEN MORE SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS & UPDATES

• Meta could face millions in fines for not signing content deals in Australia. [The Guardian]

• Meta says the $600 billion Zuck recently pledged alongside Trump, will be spent on US AI and VR infrastructure by 2028, including data centres and tech workforce expansion. [Social Media Today]

• ⁠Telegram founder Pavel Durov has had his travel ban lifted in France. [Politico]

• MrBeast has added four high-profile execs from Snap, TikTok, and NBCU since September. [Business Insider $$$]

• Britney Spears reactivated her Instagram account just days after shutting it down following a series of troubling posts. [Rolling Stone]

New features and updates:

• Facebook has been spotted relocating the notifications tab on iOS. [@theahmedghanem]

• Facebook added the ability to use the Meta Support Assistant under Help & Support, no Meta Verified needed. [@jonahmanzano]

• Instagram tweaked its Reels action menu, giving it a cleaner UI. [@theahmedghanem]

• WhatsApp is testing that ‘shake to report a bug’ thing other apps have, and you’ve probably only ever activated by mistake. [WABetaInfo]

• WhatsApp is testing a new layout for calls. [@oncescuradu]

• WhatsApp is working on a new way of handling messages from unknown people. [@WABetaInfo]

• TikTok is testing a new UI for song pages. [@oncescuradu]

• Snapchat launched two new Bitmoji stickers to honour Canada’s veterans this Remembrance Day. [Snap Newsroom]

• X has removed the beta label from its new Chat feature. [@theahmedghanem]

• Patreon is adding tweet-like features and more recommended content. [The Verge]

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📰 WEEKEND READS

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

YouTube, “thanks to a constellation of factors, is becoming the preeminent incubator for new media ventures.”

More great weekend reads:

• Keir Starmer may be too busy to master the latest dance craze – but he needs to be on TikTok

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😳 AND FINALLY…

Oooh…. what will Elon Musk, who owns Vine as part of his Twitter takeover, make of this?! 😮

Jack Dorsey has funded diVine, a Vine reboot featuring Vine's video archive of six-second, looping videos.

It features more than 100,000 archived Vine videos, restored from an older backup that was created before Vine's shutdown.

I’m so here for this…!

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📅 BACK NEXT WEEK…

That’s all folks!

I’m heading off to celebrate my birthday start my midlife crisis.

My plan
– Drinking like i’m in my twenties 🍸 🍹 🍺
- Dressing like i’m in my thirties 👖 👕 🧢
– Recovering from an evil hangover like I’m in my forties 🥴 🤢 🤮

Pray for me. 🙏

Goodbye, geeks!

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