Social Media Buzz Weekly: Roundup of Social Media Updates
- ClickInsights
- 2 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 Hires Snap Director of Global Content Partnerships
Meta has hired Jim Shepherd, Snap’s former director of content partnerships, to get more celebrities and high-profile users into its AI device.
Shepherd once led Snapchat parent company Snap’s efforts to establish relationships with creator and celebrity talent, including musicians, sports stars and other influencers. He’ll now be tasked with doing the same at Meta, using his connections and expertise to get more high-profile users wearing Meta Ray Bans and posting content filmed via Meta’s glasses, in order to boost consumer interest. Meta’s AI glasses have been a big hit for the company, with sales of the devices increasing more than 3x in 2025. At times, Meta has even had trouble keeping up with demand.
2. Meta Rolls Out Global Expansion of Teen Content Restrictions
Meta is expanding its 13+ content settings globally to all teen users as the company continues to add more options to help parents manage their kids’ experience in its apps. Ideally, this move will also help Meta avoid further restrictions regarding teen social media usage.
Meta announced what it previously called its PG-13 content setting for young users in October, implementing restrictions that are more in line with what’s acceptable in a PG-13 rated movie. At launch, these settings were rolled out for teen users in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada. Now, Meta is expanding them worldwide. In addition, Meta said its more stringent Limited Content settings will be made available in Facebook and Messenger later this year. Instagram is also implementing new processes to stop teen users from being exposed to certain topics.
3. Meta Tests Connected Series Reels Option for Video Creators
Meta is reportedly testing a new feature called "Series" for Instagram and Facebook that would let creators group multiple Reels as episodes of a single series. The test comes as Reels continue to play a major role across Meta’s platforms and short-form video remains widely popular globally.
This includes link shortcuts within the playback window and series collections on creator profiles, which help stitch together themed clips into episodic format. The idea is that this will better enable creators to enhance engagement and build community, via linked and/or related clips. It’s very similar to the Guides option Instagram launched in 2020, which was intended to facilitate expanded topical engagement, curated by creators. In 2019, when Instagram was looking to compete with YouTube, as the leader in video content, Meta launched a Series option for IGTV, which enabled creators to segment their videos into dedicated collections.
4. Meta Launches Creator Assistant Chatbot
Meta has launched an artificial intelligence-powered creator assistant chatbot, which aims to help creators understand what to post, when to post, and more. The new chatbot offers customized advice and tips on how creators can maximize their Facebook and Instagram presences.
Creator assistant, which is now available within the creator dashboard on Facebook, enables creators to post questions in a messaging interface and glean insights based on content trends. Meta said its creator assistant will be able to provide content performance analysis and tips on what’s trending, in order to guide the creative process. The chatbot will also learn from interactions, allowing it to further refine its recommendations and notes.
5. Meta Launches New Legal Action Against Spyware Manufacturer
Meta has announced new legal action in an effort to combat the use of software created by Israel-based spyware firm NSO Group, which was used in phishing attempts designed to steal data from WhatsApp users.
The action is the latest in a series of steps Meta has undertaken to combat NSO-linked activities. NSO’s Pegasus spyware tool enables operators to steal WhatsApp user credentials and personal information. NSO’s Pegasus system is able to seek out vulnerabilities on a victim’s device, which can then enable the perpetrator to steal sensitive information. That, Meta has argued, has enabled spyware attacks using NSO’s systems, which may be the most relevant point of the case.
6. TikTok Launches Separate Event-Based App
TikTok has launched a separate TikTok Pro Events app that will provide daily challenges and fan connection elements in order to “deepen community immersion during major cultural milestones.
Through these challenges, TikTok said, users will be able to find community “and unleash your inner fan,” with “the purest and fastest viewing experience.” The main focus of the app appears to be the new fan-based tasks built around each event. Upon completion, users are rewarded with stars that can be redeemed for exclusive benefits. For example, for the app’s first major event, the FIFA World Cup 2026, users will be able to exchange their stars for official World Cup merchandise via a dedicated in-app redemption store. The app also includes a charitable element.TikTok is partnering with Feeding America for its initial World Cup promotion, enabling users to direct platform-funded donations to the charity.
7. TikTok Launches Microdrama Development Program
TikTok is launching a new micro-drama development program in partnership with Sundance Institute, designed to train creators in the craft of short, serialized storytelling.
The program is a four-week live online course focused on scriptwriting for micro-series, with tools, frameworks, and industry guidance for creators developing story-driven content. TikTok said the program will bring together a selection of participants based on their work on TikTok and their interest in microdrama development. The serialized, soap opera-style approach of microdramas has been a big hit with TikTok’s audience. TikTok has been working to build on that potential. It launched a Minis section in the app last year, and launched a dedicated mini dramas app, called PineDrama, in the U.S. and Brazil early in 2026.
8. Hackers Continue to Exploit Meta’s AI Agents
Meta’s test case of empowering artificial intelligence systems to do the work of human staff isn’t going so great with reports emerging that hackers were able to gain access to many Instagram users’ accounts by simply asking Meta’s AI assistance bot to re-assign the email address for each account.
That’s all it took for Meta’s AI system to hand over control to multiple accounts, including some with large followings. Meanwhile, Meta also reportedly, didn’t have staff available to review the issue as it arose. Meta says the issue has now been fixed. Meta’s long-term view is that AI tools will eventually be able to take over from human staff, and undertake most of its internal engineering work. But it seems like Meta’s initial experiments here aren’t providing much assurance.
9. Instagram Outlines Add-On Subscription Offerings
Instagram has officially launched its new Instagram Plus add-on subscription package, which includes a range of features designed to enhance the IG experience. The initial Instagram Plus package is priced at $3.99 per month in the U.S. and includes 11 add-ons that offer varying functionality.
Instagram continues to remain free for everyone, with Instagram Plus serving as an optional upgrade for users who want additional customisation tools, deeper insights, and new ways to interact with friends. One standout feature of Instagram Plus is the ability to see how many times a Story has been rewatched. While it offers deeper engagement insights, some users may view it as a fun way to identify their biggest fans, those who keep coming back to watch the same Story more than once.
10. Instagram Releases Profile Grid Rearranging
Instagram has released the option to rearrange posts on profile grids, giving users more ways to control how their content is presented in the app. The update will give IG users an easy way to update the content presentation on their profile, which could help people highlight their best content to profile visitors.
The option is available within the function listings, which is available after tapping on any post on the profile page. Instagram has hinted at adding this option for years, with the first test of the feature originally spotted in 2022. But IG seemingly shelved the concept, in favor of rebuilding the grid to include larger thumbnails, which are more aligned with vertical content. Instagram launched that update in January 2025. And now, users will have more capacity to re-arrange and re-focus their profile, based on whatever suits their approach best.
11. Snap Acquires Spatial AI Developer Illumix
Snap Inc. has acquired spatial AI developer Illumix as part of an expanded push to build next-level AR and AI experiences that will help to blend digital and physical worlds. Illumix specializes in spatial understanding through its digital mapping system, which will help Snap power its evolving AR and AI glasses experience.
Snap is on the brink of launching its first consumer AR glasses, and the company is looking for more ways to optimize and improve the device to compete with similar offerings from big tech providers. Snap has long been the leader in AR development, and the company hosts some of the most innovative, engaging applications of AR.
12. Snapchat is Growing its Presence in India
Snapchat has reported that its user base in India continues to expand, while it’s also steadily growing its local ad business there.
Snapchat said that rising adoption of immersive ad formats has helped to drive more opportunity in India, while the app’s continued investment into AI-powered targeting and platform capabilities has also helped to boost performance and subsequent interest. Snapchat currently serves more than 250 million monthly active users in India, making that the app’s biggest regional market. The platform’s focus on close connection, as opposed to sharing in public, is clearly resonating with users in India.
13. Google to Pay SpaceX $920M a Month
SpaceX has secured a new deal with Google that will see the search giant pay SpaceX $920 million a month for additional computing power, as part of a cloud services deal that will run through mid-2029.
It’s the second major data processing deal that the recently combined xAI/SpaceX entity has secured in recent weeks. Anthropic signed a similar deal, per a filing last month, that will see Anthropic pay $15 billion per year for access to xAI’s Colossus data facilities. That will boost SpaceX’s revenue projections ahead of its coming IPO, which will be “the biggest capital-markets event ever,” and could ultimately see SpaceX reach a market valuation of $1.8 trillion. For context, SpaceX generated $18.67 billion in 2025, up from $14.02 billion in 2024. That would mean that, at a $1.8 trillion valuation, SpaceX could be set to be valued at 94 times its intake.
14. X Introduces Video Reaction Feature for iOS
X introduced a “React with video” reply option on iOS, which will make it easier for X users to respond to a post with video commentary.
The feature is now available in the post reply options, and will open a new recording window that can be placed over the original post, with the front-facing camera activated and ready to film a video response. Users will be able to overlay their selfie video over the original post, or choose the split-screen formatting option, providing a direct, native means to film video replies, with an on-screen post to provide more context. Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, said the new option will better enable X users to engage with content.
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.
Comments