Social Media Buzz Weekly: Roundup of Social Media Updates
- ClickInsights
- 16 hours ago
- 8 min read
Welcome to Social Media Buzz Weekly, your weekly bulletin of the latest social media updates. With the social media landscape evolving with each passing day, it can be challenging to keep a tab on the rapid developments. Well, not anymore, as we have taken it upon ourselves to keep you abreast of every happening in the social media space.
So, without any further ado, let’s look at some of the most significant developments from the last week in the world of social media.
1. Meta Gains Approval for EU Data Usage Proposal
The EU Commission has accepted Meta’s latest proposal to use less personal data for targeted advertising, as an alternative to its pay-or-consent model, in order to align with data usage regulations.
Meta has been going back and forth with EU regulators on the issue over the past few years. Back in 2023, Meta implemented its initial ad-free subscription offering for EU users, which provided access to both Facebook and Instagram for €9.99 per month, and enabled EU users to opt out of Meta’s data tracking entirely. The option ensured that Meta remained within EU rules for offering a data tracking opt out, while also ensuring that Meta would still be able to monetize these users.
2. Facebook Launches Feed Updates, Algorithm Control Options
Facebook has announced a range of feed formatting and algorithm refinement updates, as it looks to make Facebook more relevant again amid the shifting social media landscape.
Firstly, Facebook is looking to make the main feed “simpler and more immersive,” by updating the format of multiple photo posts, and adding simplified like and expand options, which can be activated by tapping on any image. Facebook is also updating the presentation of its search results, with content displayed in “a more immersive grid layout that supports all content types. Facebook says that it’s also testing a new full-screen viewer that lets you explore different photo and video results without losing your place in search. The new option should be available within the next few months.
3. Meta Outlines Latest Data on Content Removals and Fake Accounts
According to Meta, of the hundreds of billions of pieces of content produced on Facebook and Instagram in Q3 globally, less than 1% was removed for violating its policies and less than 0.1% was removed incorrectly.
For the content that was removed, Meta said that it measured its enforcement precision – that is, the percentage of correct removals out of all removals – to be more than 90% on Facebook and more than 87% on Instagram. So Meta says that it’s making fewer mistakes, and therefore fewer people are complaining about Meta’s automated system removing their posts incorrectly.
4. Meta Expands Creator Partnership Opportunities for Brands
Meta has announced some updated options to help brands initiate partnership ads, including improved insights into potential partnership opportunities, more data on the performance of partner campaigns, an all-new Partnership Ads API and more.
First off, Meta is making it easier to uncover potential partnership opportunities within its Partnership Ads Hub (in Ads Manager), with the listing now set to include Instagram content related to your brand, as well as affiliate opportunities. The listings in the Partnership Ads Hub will now include both Facebook and IG content in a single list, so you can quickly go through all of your pending opportunities. Meta is also launching a new Facebook Partnership Ads API, which will expand your opportunities to find branded content opportunities.
5. TikTok Launches Shared Feed Options To Enhance Connection
TikTok has a new “shared feed” option, which will provide a combined stream of recommended content, based on your shared interests.
Shared Feed can help two people stay connected by surfacing new content tailored to both of their tastes, from sports to holiday winter activities and even their favorite fashion creators. Each day, friends and family members will find a curated selection of 15 videos in their private chat aligned with their interests. TikTok is also launching new greeting cards within its messaging platform. You’ll be able to select a seasonal greeting card option, then send it to friends in the app, with the cards opening to “a festive animation” of some kind.
6. TikTok Shares the Most Popular Music in the App
TikTok has published its listing of the most used songs, and most popular artists, based on TikTok engagement in 2025, with all those earworm, meme soundtrack tunes making an appearance in the top lists.
Girl group Katseye has been crowned as the Global Artist of the Year, while Alan Arietta came in behind them at No. 2, followed by Enhypen, Bad Bunny, Stray Kids, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Fuerza Regida, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande. Connie Francis’ “Pretty Little Baby” was the top-ranking song both globally and in the United States, thanks to its viral resurgence on the app.
7. You Can Now Reshare Public Stories on Instagram
Instagram has added a new way to amplify content, with users now able to share any publicly posted Story to their own Stories feed.
You can now add any public Story to your own feed, with credit to the creator, so it’s essentially re-posting, but in Stories format. To be clear, this option has existed for some time for Stories that you’re tagged in, but you can now share Stories that you’re not tagged in as well. The thinking behind this is that by providing simple options to re-share the original post, it will eliminate the need to copy and re-post yourself, which will help to ensure that credit goes to the original creator.
8. Instagram Launches Reels Algorithm Controls to US Users
After first launching it in early testing with a limited number of users back in October, Instagram has announced that all U.S. users will now be able to access its “Your Algorithm” manual control option, which will give people another way to define their own Reels experience.
Now, users will be able to tap on the control icon at the top right of their Reels feed to view this new “Your Algorithm” overview of topics. From here, you’ll be able to add and remove topics of interest, while tapping on any interest will also give you examples of the types of videos that fit into that category. That’ll give you more direct control over your Reels experience, and ensure that your Reels recommendations are less defined by Meta’s AI systems.
9. Instagram Is Using AI To Generate SEO Summaries of Posts
Instagram is reportedly using AI-generated summaries of posts in order to increase their ranking in Google Search.
Meta said that it recently began using AI to generate titles for posts that appear in search engine results, in order to help people better understand the content. A recent report suggests that more than 50% of articles on the web are now being generated by artificial intelligence, as people look for more ways to capitalize on the money-making potential of AI tools, largely through unlicensed, unapproved replication.
10. Pinterest Launches New Shopping Collaboration With Walmart
Pinterest has launched a new collaboration with Walmart that will enable Pinners to easily add recipe ingredients to their Walmart shopping cart, streamlining the connection between recipe ideas and shopping.
With this new collaboration, Pinners will now be able to easily add recipe items to their Walmart shopping cart in-stream by tapping the “Shop Ingredients” button beneath a recipe Pin. Pinners will also be able to swap products for alternatives, view real-time pricing, and select their preferred store for pickup or delivery. You’ll then be able to switch to the Walmart app to purchase those items, making it easier to act on your latest Pin recipe inspiration.
11. Pinterest Acquires CTV Ad Platform tvScientific
Pinterest has announced that it’s moving to acquire connected TV advertising platform tvScientific, which will expand Pinterest’s promotional capacity to a broader range of surfaces and formats.
The acquisition, which is currently pending approval, will enable Pinterest to combine its audience insights and consumer data signals with tvScientific’s CTV engine, which will provide opportunity to reach customers on their home TV sets, and measure ad results. tvScientific was founded by a group of ad industry veterans, and enables advertisers of any size manage their CTV campaigns across various opportunities, in which they can also pay by outcome, and utilize advanced response data to validate TV’s impact.
12. X Launches New Lock Screen Widgets for iOS Devices
X has launched a new set of widgets on iOS, which will enable you to add custom X feeds and notifications, which update in real-time, directly on your home screen.
X’s new widgets will enable you to view top news stories, add links and shortcuts (including Grok), and see other notifications on both your home or lock screen. This will give you another way to keep up to date with the latest news as it happens, and as it flows through X’s circuits in real time.
13. X Posts Higher Revenue Result in Q3
X has posted a higher revenue result for Q3, with the platform projected to bring in $2.9 billion for the full year, which would represent a 10% rise on its 2024 result.
This means that despite the negative press, and the backlash prompted by Elon Musk’s controversial changes at the app, advertisers are returning. Or X is gaining a lot more X Premium subscribers, though user subscriptions still only contribute a small fraction of the platform’s overall intake. X’s Q3 results are an improvement on Q2, in which the company generated $707 million, a 2.2% drop on its Q1 figures.
14. LinkedIn Reaches 100M Verified Profiles
LinkedIn has reached a new milestone with its user verification system, with over 100 million users now ID verified through LinkedIn’s free verification process.
Originally launched in 2023, LinkedIn’s free ID confirmation process uses third-party providers to confirm a user’s identity, which then enables those users to display a confirmation tick in the app. With this, all users are able to confirm that they are indeed who they say, as opposed to celebrity or paid verification checkmarks in other apps. LinkedIn says that ID verified members see up to 60% more profile views, and get up to 50% more engagement on their posts.
15. LinkedIn Outlines New Ad Formats, Including AI Variants
LinkedIn has announced some new ad options designed to help marketers tap into the rising popularity of the platform, including “Reserved Ads” to maximize impact, ad personalization, and AI ad variants.
First off, on Reserved Ads. This new placement option will ensure that your ads (video, image or text) appear in the first ad slot on the LinkedIn feed on a given day or date range, giving your message premium visibility and consistent delivery. Similar to first-view ads on other platforms, the format will enable you to get prime placement in the LinkedIn feed, which will help to maximize exposure, and boost brand awareness. LinkedIn is also rolling out enhanced ad personalization, which will automatically tailor your ad copy to individual members.
Wrapping Up
And that was a wrap of this week’s Social Media Buzz. We’ll be back next week with more news and updates for you from the social media world. Till then, stay tuned!
If you want to read more on the latest developments taking place in the social media space, take a look at ClickInsights’ Social Media Buzz, wherein we bring to you monthly reports on everything going on in social media, ranging from platform updates to policy changes that influence the way we market.