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Hello, geeks!

Be honest… How many of you created an AI-generated action figure for your brand (or yourself) this week?

I’m struggling to think of a brand that HASN’T shared one on social in the past 7 days!

Also this week…

…TikTok got another stay of execution from Trump.
…Meta got caught gaming AI benchmark scores.
…And Instagram is going all out to scoop up TikTok creators.

All that and more, in a moment… But first. Do NOT miss these:

• 🔥 How TED Boosted Video Views by 115%… Localisation growth hacks for TikTok, Insta, YouTube. This FREE Playbook is gold.
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__________

Facebook’s Moderation Madness Strikes Again 🤬

I could rant forever about Facebook's lack of customer support or the maze called Meta Business Suite, but this week’s gripe is moderation.

Out of nowhere, Facebook notified me that a post broke their rules on originality, slapping monetisation restrictions on my account.

But here's the real kicker: Facebook won’t even show me which post broke the rules!

How can anyone contest a violation without knowing the offence? It's like being accused of shoplifting but not told what you allegedly stole. 🤷‍♂️

To appeal, Facebook offers vague options like, "My post was misunderstood" or "My post didn't break any rules." But how TF am I supposed to pick one without actually seeing the offending content?

I hit "request review" blind and now wait helplessly in moderation limbo. Again.

I'm lucky I don't rely on Facebook income, but for creators who do, this could be devastating.

✨ Has Facebook’s moderation madness messed with your content too? Hit reply and let me know.

__________

Geekout PSA - Easter Break

There will be no Geekout next week. I’m taking a much needed break to spend Easter with my kids.

But Geekout will be back in your inbox on Friday 25th April. 

.

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🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

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

2. Meta has officially dropped fact-checkers and launched Community Notes in the US [CROWDSOURCING]

3. Meta denies it artificially boosted Llama 4’s benchmark scores [MANIPULATING]

4. Instagram tried to scoop TikTok creators with improved search, new deals… and maybe an iPad app at last! [ENTICING]

5. A false X post triggered $2.4 trillion market swing [SPIKING]

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• ⚡️ Create fast: Generate AI-powered images, videos, and assets in minutes

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🚨 EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT…

TikTok’s troubles might finally bring Instagram to the iPad

Instagram and the iPad were both launched in 2010. But in the years since, the two have never come together.

If you’re one of those people who likes to work on an iPad (and judging by the coffee shops the Geekout team hangs out in, there are a lot of them) you could forget having a decent experience as a creator or social media manager using Instagram.

The best you can get is a blown-up version of the iPhone app, which looks horrible. As Social Media Today noted, the iPhone version of TikTok has consistently remained among the top 20 most downloaded apps for the iPad, so there’s clearly demand.

The idea of an Instagram iPad app has been doing the rounds for YEARS. And the Instagram team has always knocked it back as not high-priority enough.

So why, 14 years after they both launched, are Instagram and the iPad coming together at last? According to The Information, we might have, in a roundabout way, Donald Trump and the uncertainty around TikTok to thank for it:

Sure, Instagram imminently launching the CapCut-like Edits app, reportedly planning a standalone Reels app, and improving in-app search, are bigger shifts to steal TikTok creator turf than launching an iPad app.

But given the lack of such an app has become a standing joke, it’s good to finally hear a decent punchline.

.

✨ NEW & NOTEWORTHY

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

Meta / Facebook 👥

• Meta ‘whistleblower’ Sarah Wynn-Williams claims execs lied to employees, shareholders, and the US public about ties to China

  … And also says Meta targeted ads at vulnerable teens feeling "worthless"

  … And lawmakers slammed Zuckerberg over the whistleblower gag order

• A separate whistleblower claims Meta put profit over the safety of children in Horizon Worlds

• Trump’s tariffs have seriously rattled Meta’s business

• US lawmakers are investigating a claim that Mark Zuckerberg lied to Congress about Facebook's efforts to launch in China

• The FTC’s trial against Meta, starting next week, could (eventually) lead to a breakup of the company

• The EU has downplayed expectations of an epic fine against Meta, and delayed the decision

• Meta has added new limits on profile changes (name, image, location) before applying for Meta Verified, to help fight spam and scams

• Facebook referral traffic has seen a surprise spike for some websites, but publishers are wary of celebrating too much

• You can now add or edit links after posting your Reels on Facebook

__________

Instagram ✨

• Instagram is testing letting creators lock posts, making them unlockable only with a secret code 🔐

• Instagram has launched a new monthly performance recap showing views, top posts, and follower activity

• Instagram will now block teens from livestreaming, and it’s extending its under-18 safeguards to Facebook and Messenger

• Instagram is working on a new sticker for Stories: Draw Yours

• Instagram added new fonts for Reels, including ‘Syne’. and ‘Petit Formal’

• Instagram’s new CapCut-style video editing app ‘Edits has a beta testing program on Android

• Instagram now allows users to share Reels as WhatsApp status updates, but “without audio”

• Instagram is rolling out its advanced security protection for large accounts

• Instagram is testing a feature that shows which people from your following list also follow the account behind the ad you’re seeing

• Instagram is finally (reportedly) developing an iPad App

• Instagram chief Adam Mosseri answered key creator questions and shared top tips to grow your account in 2025

__________

 WhatsApp 🟢 / Threads 🧵 

• WhatsApp has rolled out a bunch of new features, including an online indicator for group chats, pinch to zoom, doc scanning, and more 🆕

• WhatsApp is testing a new privacy feature to block autosaving of sent media, as well as other advanced privacy features

• WhatsApp video calls will soon let users disable their camera before answering, and use emoji reactions during calls

• WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to add sticker photos to status updates

• WhatsApp now allows its Android users to “reuse” a song added in a status update

• WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to manage chat message animations

• Threads could soon let you add multiple links to your profile

• Threads is making it easier to follow your favorite X accounts (if they’re on Threads)

• Threads is now displaying the songs used in videos shared from Instagram

• Threads is testing two new filters for post replies, “Top” and “Recent”

• Threads has added a new weekly insights recap feature

• Threads has added an Emoji reactions button for posts on desktop

• Threads now displays the number of shares a post has received

__________

Twitter (‘X’) 🤡

• X has tightened its rules for parody accounts, requiring them to include “parody,” “fake,” “fan,” or “commentary” at the beginning of the account name 🛑

• X is testing a DM revamp with full encryption, file sharing, vanish mode, unlock codes, and more

• X suspended 700+ accounts in Turkey during anti-Erdoğan protests, leading to Elon Musk facing backlash for silencing free speech

• X has launched an NBA portal to boost sports engagement

• X has dropped Twitch from its advertiser lawsuit after a private agreement

• Elon Musk failed to turn up for his deposition in an investor lawsuit over Twitter buyout

• Elon Musk is boosting an influencer on X who platforms far-right Putin allies

• The Australian government spent $2.7 million advertising on X in Musk’s first year in charge, despite brand safety fears

__________

YouTube 📺

• YouTube's new search UI makes finding the latest channel videos much faster 🔎

• YouTube’s recent change to Shorts view counts is popular with brands, but not creators

• YouTube is testing a Shorts timer to curb doomscrolling

• YouTube has added auto beat-matching for easier, synced video edits, and faster monetisation ID checks

__________

TikTok 📱

• TikTok launched an expanded invite-only creator incentive program 💰

• Trump says the TikTok deal is still 'very much' on the table — even after doubling down on his China trade war

  … TikTok will stay in US app stores during its 75-day dealmaking extension

  … AppLovin says its bid to acquire TikTok is "much stronger" than competitors, proposing a full global merger — not just the US business.

  … Meanwhile, a senior Democratic senator says Trump’s 75-day extension for TikTok “violates the law” and undermines national security

  … Also, U.S. TikTok staff say Chinese leadership is tightening its grip on the company

  … And TikTok creators feel like "political footballs," with many shifting from fear to fatigue as the saga drags on

• TikTok has laid off US e-commerce governance staff amid Shop struggles

• TikTok’s doing a giveaway for historical content — paying $5,000 prizes to people sharing their favorite moments in history

• TikTok now has a shortcut to gain access Watch History on the profile.

• TikTok has a new Black Mirror-themed challenge which rewards you with custom profile frames

__________

LinkedIn / Bluesky / BeReal / More… 💼

• LinkedIn has rolled out messaging improvements such as improved video playback via MP4 uploads, and tidier message tabs 💬

• LinkedIn now lets you choose a target audience for each post on your company page posts

  … And ICYMI: LinkedIn is testing a new TikTok-style video trends feature, with an ‘Add to this trend’ CTA

• Bluesky is following X with chat reactions in DMs and a personalised Explore page

• BeReal has launched an ads platform in the US

• Canva unveils its biggest redesign in 13 years

• Canva has launched LinkedIn video templates to boost engagement

• The rebooted Digg has launched an early-access community with a $5 fee

• Reddit boosted its ads manager platform with new partner collaboration tools

__________

🔥 Want to see more hot NEW features spotted in the wild this week?

Just head to the ‘More news’ section below!

.

🤖 SOCIAL A.I.

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

Also spotted this week 👀

• Meta has launched its new Llama 4 AI models, saying they can wade into more contentious territory than their predecessors

• Meta has added new AI features to its Ray-Bay smartglasses in the UK, including info about surroundings and live translation

• Meta wants to add more right-wing perspectives to Llama 4, but some warn there are risks of false balance and legitimising misinformation

• Facebook has added an ‘AI Character’ option under the create button

• WhatsApp is introducing upgraded AI avatars, letting you create personalised avatars using Meta AI

• YouTube has expanded its AI likeness detection tool to top creators

• YouTube has expanded AI soundtrack creation via Creator Music’s new ‘Music Assistant’

• xAI’s Grok has added a has custom voice option

• Reddit has upgraded its AI search tool with Google Gemini integration

• CapCut has added a new feature called ‘AI Clipper’, which automatically arranges your clips.

.

💬 YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT

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

THE SUNDAY TIMES asked for my thoughts on the UK Labour party chasing relevance, not just reach, on Reddit

Also this week:

• ADWEEK / META The FTC’s antitrust case could see Meta lose tens of billions in ad spend. I gave my analysis on what’s likely to happen next.

• THE NATIONAL / TIKTOK: The potential US ban is shaking TikTok’s brand reputation with creators — I’ve shared my thoughts on how it’s playing out.

.

😆 LOL

When you move an image in Microsoft Word… 💀

… This bit of relatable genius went viral this week 👏👏👏

@jessandquinn

Threads topic tag suggestions for Elon are wild

And finally…. the biggest lol of the week… You need to watch the video 👇 🤣

.

📈 TRENDING

The brands have arrived. This meme is dead. 💀

Remember the ChatGPT-generated action figure I shared in last week’s Geekout?

They’re EVERYWHERE this week, and has become a meme of its own.

… Here are a few more brands and celebrities who also jumped on the viral trend:

• Aldi

• Jamie Oliver

• Tyson Fury

• Just Eat

• Royal Mail

• Three UK

• Ikea

• Sephora

…And a endless more!

And ICYMI, here’s mine from last week. I need to update it to include the accessories!

Also ICYMI:

• China turns US the tariff war into a viral AI-generated meme battle

.

🌡️ VIRAL

SOMETHING FISHY: A French fish has been taking over everyone’s TikTok FYP this week… 🐡

“Le Poisson Steve, a chiptune earworm by French musician Tomo, found its way into virality through an animated clip by illustrator Vigz. The concept is delightfully minimal. Steve is a fish. He is orange. He has arms and legs. That’s the whole thing — and it works”

@vigzvigz

steve le poisson steve musique par @tomo

Also:

• TikTok’s latest viral video series is a fictional ‘group chat’ meltdown

• How ‘A Minecraft Movie’ became ‘Rocky Horror’ for TikTok kids

.

🪧 BRANDS

Adobe tried to join Bluesky but quickly deactivated after a harsh backlash - how can Bluesky monetise effectively if brands are hounded off?

Read all about in the excellent Garbage Day newsletter…

Also:

• ‘Brands are paralyzed’: TikTok whiplash is putting fashion and beauty brands’ plans on hold

• Meta have run special showings of the movie M3GAN, encouraging phone use in cinemas to unlock second screen fun incl. film trivia and BTS content.

• Best Buy is paying influencers who recommend products with a new programme

• Why creators are now a boardroom priority: Creators have moved from niche marketers to key strategic partners, driving brand growth and consumer loyalty in 2025.

.

🙊 WHAT DID YOU SAY?!

“Let her speak the truth, and you come here and tell us your version of the truth, if you have the guts to do it.” 

- Senator Richard Blumenthal has no time for Meta’s gag order on Sarah Wynn-Williams, and challenges Mark Zuckerberg to give his side on Capitol Hill

Also overheard this week:

• “Ironically because of all the new tariffs it is now way cheaper to make our chocolate bars we sell globally NOT in America because other countries don’t have a 20%+ tariff on our cogs” – MrBeast, global trade commentator

.

📺 MUST WATCH

Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri has revealed secrets to growing an account in 2025. 🤐

Podcaster, Brock Johnson spoke with him about the latest platform updates, the algorithm, usage trends, and more.

Watch it here…

.

👀 MY FAV READS

The unhinged mascot era is taking over social…

“Duolingo, McDonald's, Scrub Daddy, and more are using absurd characters to connect with Gen Z”.

Also:

• Bluesky can’t take a joke…apparently

.

😮 WTF?!

SCANNING SOCIAL: This shouldn’t surprise you if you’ve been paying attention to what’s happening in America. 🕵️‍♂️

But it’s a huge worry if you like to post about politics and want to move to (or even visit) the USA…

Also this week 👀

• MrBeast has sued a former employee accused of stealing company secrets and installing hidden cameras in office

• A viral X post claiming pop star emojis would feature in iOS 18.5 is fake

• TikTok Live is profiting from child begging streams, with families in poverty earning virtual gifts while TikTok takes up to 70% commission

• Forbidden ChatGPT prompts are flooding Threads

.

📲 NEW APPS

A new LinkedIn rival coming soon?

“Series is a new social network for finding professional connections. It uses AI to connect people directly in text messages.”

Also:

• Tapestry, an app for browsing the open social web, will now remove duplicate posts across networks from your feed

.

🤦‍♂️ FAIL

TWITCHY: Oops. Twitch kept charging subscription fees for permanently banned channels, splitting revenue… with itself. 💰

It’s now issued refunds to affected users.

Also:

• Meta is failing to stop dangerous disinformation in the world’s most spoken languages, like Swahili, Amharic, and Oromo

• YouTube wrongly age-restricted videos of card-focused strategy game Balatro over gambling rules

• A WhatsApp vulnerability that allowed hackers to share .exe files as images has been patched in the app’s Windows version

• xAI is hiring red teamers to stress-test Grok after it produced racial slurs and NSFW content

.

👔 YOU’RE HIRED!

Hot new social media jobs worth checking out this week:

• The Walt Disney Company is looking for a Senior Social Media Manager - Youth Audience Expansion for ESPN [Bristol, CT, USA]

More top social media jobs spotted this week 💼

• The Green Bay Packers need a Social Media Content Coordinator [Green Bay, WI, USA]

• Waitrose is hiring a Senior Social Marketing Executive [Berkshire, UK]

• Run For All is recruiting a Social Media Executive [Leeds, UK]

🔥 Looking for a new gig in social? Check out more hot jobs in social here.

.

👌 PRO TIPS

More pro-tips worth checking out ✨

• YouTube as shared tips on how to create engaging Shorts

• Meta is hosting a free webinar on 24 April to level-up your Reels skills

• SMM Tools: 12 top social media sentiment analysis tools for 2025

• LinkedIn has shared new video creation tips to boost engagement

.

📊 SOCIAL STATS

7.7 MILLION

- The estimated number of paying Meta Verified subscribers, potentially generating $100 million per month in revenue

Even more social stats: 📈

• TIKTOK TROUBLE: 66% of Americans aren’t concerned about TikTok’s shutdown, but among daily users, concern flips: 61% are worried.

• PLATFORM ENGAGEMENT: LinkedIn leads the social media engagement league table at 6.5%. Facebook is 2nd with 5.07% TikTok is 3rd at 4.86%.

• BEASTLY MONEY: MrBeast’s business generated $473 million revenue in 2024, and is targeting $899 million in 2025

• SPORT ON THREADS: Sports creators on Threads gained nearly 1 million followers in 2 months, the fastest-growing category

• WHATSAPP SNOOPING: Court docs revealed NSO’s WhatsApp spyware attack hit 1,223 WhatsApp users across 51 countries in 2019

• SNAP-HAPPY: Snap found ads sparking happiness drove 10x more attention than dull creatives

• DAYS OUT: 73% of travellers discover trips on social platforms, according to Snap research

.

📈 CHARTED

HOLDING ATTENTION: TikTok users now spend TWICE as much time on the app as Instagram users spend on Instagram

U.S. TikTok users average 108 mins daily — double Instagram’s 48 mins.

YouTube comes second at 87 mins, Facebook at 63 mins, Snapchat up 15% to 34 mins, X (Twitter) slides to 24 mins, down 5% YoY.

More charted social media insights spotted this week: 👀.

• LINKEDUP: LinkedIn engagement is (mostly) way up on last year

• LINKED-DOWN: How brand marketers are underutilising LinkedIn

• MARKETING BUDGETS: US enterprise marketers’ influencer spend: organic vs paid amplification

• PROFITS: ByteDance’s 2024 revenue shows the importance of TikTok

.

• Regulators are probing WhatsApp’s non-removable AI rollout in the EU. [Android Police]

• Scam alert: look out for emails offering fake courses and certifications from Meta. [@MattNavarra]

• Meta plans to bring Quest 3 headsets to more airlines after a successful Lufthansa trial with 4,000 passengers. [Road to VR]

New features and tests:

Facebook:

• Facebook is testing the display of music cover art in Notes. [@theahmedghanem]

Instagram:

• Instagram now displays album covers for songs available in the “Add music” section. [@oncescuradu]

• Instagram appeared to remove the ‘Live’ tab from its apps (but it now looks like it was a just a bug). [@oncescuradu]

• Instagram now shows which profile shared the Reel you’re viewing if it was shared outside the app and you’re not following them. [@theahmedghanem]

• Meta has added a new chat theme for Messenger and Instagram DMs, ‘A Minecraft Movie’. [@oncescuradu]

Threads:

• Threads now showcases users who added a carousel to their thread. [@oncescuradu]

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

• Meta Quest has added live captions and no longer lets you uninstall Horizon Worlds. [UploadVR]

.

💥 EVEN MORE SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS & UPDATES

• Ofcom has launched its first UK Online Safety Act probe, into a suicide forum tied to 50+ UK deaths. [BBC News]

• Bluesky has overtaken X as the new academic hub for sharing research. [Times Higher Education $$$]

• Meta and Pinterest have reportedly made secret donations to the Molly Rose Foundation, set up in the name of Molly Russell. [BBC News]

• Telegram has been fined 7 million roubles ($80,000) for not removing anti-government content. [Reuters $$$]

• YouTube supports the 2025 NO FAKES Act in the US, to combat AI-made fake content of people’s voices and likenesses. [YouTube blog]

• Snap and Roblox back the US Take It Down Act, to fight non-consensual imagery and deepfakes. [Mashable]

• Snap has opened its creator workshops up to brand sponsorships. [Social Media Today]

• Australia’s social media ban is attracting global praise – but we’re no closer to knowing how it would work. [The Guardian]

• Turkey wants to make it easier for authorities to block social media and messaging apps. [TechRadar]

New features and tests:

• Lemon8 has added DMs. [@jonahmanzano]

• Clubhouse is working on a feature that lets you see who has viewed your profile. (people still use Clubhouse, apparently) [@alex193a]

• Vimeo is launching a product that lets creators create their own subscription services and apps without coding. [Hollywood Reporter]

.

📰 WEEKEND READS

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

Rapper ‘finstas’ are the new method of promotion for artists introducing new music…

More great weekend reads:

• How X is benefiting as Musk advises Trump

• Bluesky’s quest to build nontoxic social media

• How Elon Musk rescued X from the brink

• The TikTok-ification of TV is coming

• How TikTok’s parent, ByteDance, became an AI powerhouse

.

😳 AND FINALLY…

FACEBOOK’s MARKETPLACE IS WILD: Taxidermy goat bagpipes, a Robosaurus for $1.5m, a Big Bird head…

Facebook Marketplace has it all! 😆

.

📅 BACK NEXT WEEK…

Welcome to the end but of Geekout.

A place very few reach. So, if you are reading this… Respect! 👊

I’m heading off to binge watch the new season of Black Mirror on Netflix.

I’ve watched the first two episodes ‘Common People’ and ‘Bête Noire’. So dark. So good!

Reminder: There will be NO Geekout next week. I’m take a break for the Easter holidays.

But Geekout will return to your inbox on Fri 25th April.

Goodbye, geeks!

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