Social Media Buzz Weekly: Roundup of Social Media Updates
- ClickInsights
- 11 hours ago
- 6 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 Threatens to Withdraw Its Apps from New Mexico
Meta has threatened to withdraw its apps from New Mexico due to new proposed state regulatory requirements designed to enhance the protection of minors within its apps, according to the AP.
Meta floated the withdrawal threat as part of the company’s legal defense in its ongoing trial over allegations that it failed in its duty to protect minors from exposure to harm across its platforms. Last month, Meta was fined $375 million in civil penalties in New Mexico after a jury ruled that the company is liable for failing to protect young users from child predators in its apps. The second element of that same trial will see Meta defend against further charges related to public nuisance, with New Mexico regulators seeking to enact enhanced burdens on the company to enhance its security, in order to meet what it deems to be adequate standards of protection.
2. TikTok Highlights Emerging Creators for Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
TikTok has announced its latest showcase of creators for Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Each of the selected creators will be featured in themed promotions in the app throughout the month, along with other activations.
TikTok has made Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month a key event each year as the platform looks to showcase the contributions of diverse communities. This year, TikTok selected ten creators to highlight, covering a range of genres and interests. TikTok will highlight these creators on its @TikTokCreators account, and users will be able to engage with related content using the #APITikTok hashtag. TikTok is also encouraging users to shop from API-owned small businesses and seek out related in-app content and experiences.
3. TikTok Expands Out of Phone Campaigns
TikTok announced a new partnership with Vistar Media that will enable ad partners to extend their TikTok ads campaigns to more than a million additional, high-traffic placements beyond the app.
The new partnership is an expansion of TikTok’s Out of Phone ad extension option, and will provide more opportunities for brands to showcase their TikTok campaigns in public viewing areas. According to reporting from eMarketer, as of January 2025 Vistar Media controlled more than 1.1 million digital out-of-home placements, including ad space in New York’s Times Square, and other prominent locations. The partnership could also facilitate new types of ad content, building on TikTok video clips.
4. Instagram Adds AI Creator Labels
Instagram has launched a new account label for creators who regularly use artificial intelligence tools to build their posts, in order to increase transparency and facilitate the expanded use of AI in content.
Creators can now toggle on the “AI creator” tag within their IG profile, to add the new label to both their profile display and any content they post. The label will include additional info on the profile that says the account regularly uses AI creation tools, which could help to reduce confusion and misinformation around AI-generated material in the app. The update aims to provide more clarity around what’s real and what’s not in the app.
5. Snapchat Usage Declined in the US and EU in Q1
Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, has published its Q1 2026 earnings report, which shows a continued decline in usage in its key markets, though its ad business remains steady.
Snapchat added 9 million more daily active users over its Q4 count, taking it to 483 million total DAU. That’s a significant result, considering that Snapchat lost 3 million users, quarter-over-quarter, in the last reporting period. In the North American market, where Snapchat generates the majority of the platform’s income, the app’s daily usage declined by another 2 million, sliding to 92 million DAU, while in the EU, Snap usage shrunk by a million people versus the previous quarter.
6. Pinterest Posts Solid Growth for the First Quarter of 2026
Pinterest has posted solid results for Q1 2026, adding 12 million more users over last quarter, with 18% year-over-year revenue growth, as the company continued to solidify its place as a key product discovery platform.
Pinterest now has 631 million monthly actives, up from 570 million in Q1 2025. The company said its user numbers were rounded, so geographic breakdown may not add up to total global figures. Pinterest continues to expand its global usage, with the vast majority of its user growth coming in the “Rest of World” category on this chart. Comparatively, Pinterest added a much less impressive million more users in both the U.S. and EU within the first three months of the year. Pinterest’s revenue also declined in comparison to Q3 (Q4 always sees stronger results), though it remained above $1 billion for the first quarter of 2026.
7. Custom Voice Models Added to xAI’s Grok Tool Set
Elon Musk’s xAI project has added custom voice models to its expanding feature set, which enable users to generate audio voice samples that replicate their own, based on just a few seconds of audio.
The functionality, now available within xAI’s management tools, will provide a new way to add a human touch to digital audio, by replicating any person’s voice for use in other applications. This could be a little concerning in regards to potentially misrepresenting what people have or have not said. But xAI said it has a process in place to limit misuse, and ensure that its voice replicants are only applied in approved ways. That could facilitate custom customer support bots, enhanced content narration in a user’s own voice, and improved accessibility features, among other uses.
8. FTC Settles Lawsuit Over Alleged X Ad Boycott
The FTC has settled its court case against advertisers for halting their ad spend on X, which Elon Musk had claimed to be a coordinated effort to silence the app. The FTC investigation came at the insistence of Musk, who claimed that influential ad advisory organizations, including Media Matters and GARM, were colluding to work against X as a form of political censorship over commentary they didn’t like.
Back in 2023, Media Matters published various reports which showed that X had been placing ads from major brands alongside white nationalist and antisemitic content, among other concerns. At the time, Musk himself was also amplifying concerning posts, and the broader discussion of such led many advertisers to cut or pause their X ad spend. Musk had claimed that these cuts were part of a coordinated, politically-motivated campaign designed to silence X and then launched legal action against several of these ad organizations.
9. LinkedIn Launches Ad Agency Certification to Showcase LinkedIn Ads Knowledge
LinkedIn has announced a new Ad Agency Certification program, which will enable advertising advisors to showcase their expertise in LinkedIn ads, based on demonstrated performance and best practice process.
LinkedIn’s ad agency certification will provide approved participants with official badging that they can share on LinkedIn, and on external websites, while it will also give these partners preferential exposure in future LinkedIn-led marketing campaigns and industry spotlight moments. LinkedIn further hopes that by creating an official certification standard, that will raise the bar for all agencies looking to advise on ad initiatives in the app, by ensuring that more of them go through its official training process.
10. LinkedIn Partners with Amazon Ads
LinkedIn has announced a deal with Amazon that will enable connected TV advertisers to purchase LinkedIn ads via Amazon’s direct service marketplace, expanding the availability and accessibility of LinkedIn’s CTV offering.
Amazon’s DSP enables marketers to purchase ad campaigns on external networks, in order to extend their reach to new audiences. Now, LinkedIn will be added to that list of placements. This will also enable DSP users to target audiences via LinkedIn data, such as job title, industry and seniority. LinkedIn’s CTV ads enable advertisers to expand their LinkedIn campaigns to a range of digital TV partners, including Paramount, Roku and Samsung ads. The offering extends LinkedIn campaigns beyond the platform and into people’s living rooms via big screen placements.
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.
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