It’s been another busy fortnight in the social media world! Here’s the run down of the biggest updates you might have missed:

X (formerly Twitter) Updates

• Community Notes is expanding again. Users now get alerts when posts they’ve interacted with are corrected, and new features let people request or rate notes.

• A recent study found Community Notes significantly reduce virality of false posts, with reposts dropping almost by half once a note is attached.

Meta / Instagram / Facebook / Threads / Ads

• Meta has launched Vibes, a new AI-powered video feed where users can generate or remix short clips that can also be shared to Instagram and Facebook.

• Instagram has crossed the 3 billion monthly user mark, cementing its place as Meta’s biggest growth engine.

• Meta is expanding ad formats with Reels Trending Ads, carousel ads on Threads, and Advantage+ Catalog ads. Brands can now even run Threads ads without having a Threads account.

• AI features are also on the rise, with new editing tools like Restyle, a Tasks function for Meta AI on Instagram, and a Discover feed for EU users.

• On the safety front, whistleblower reports have highlighted weaknesses in Instagram’s teen protection tools, while Meta has started pushing new “Teen Accounts” with stricter defaults.

• Meta is also facing regulatory heat in Europe, with the EU preparing charges over its handling of illegal content.

TikTok Updates

• In the US, a major restructuring deal has been signed, placing TikTok’s American operations under majority US investor control, with ByteDance retaining only a minority share.

• TikTok also saw a viral surge in content around “rapture” predictions, showing how quickly niche themes can explode across the platform.

Regulation, Safety & Policy

• Australia will ban under-16s from using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat from December.

• In the UK, the Liberal Democrats have proposed a two-hour daily cap for children on social media, alongside mandatory health warnings on apps.

• Globally, child safety on social media is back in the spotlight after a mother addressed the UN urging stricter laws following her daughter’s death linked to online bullying.

• In Nepal, nationwide protests erupted after the government tried to ban dozens of platforms for failing to register locally. The bans have since been lifted after public backlash.

Other Platforms & Updates

• Instagram now lets users pin their own comments on posts, giving creators more control over conversations.

• YouTube is rolling out dubbing tools that allow creators to add multiple language voiceovers to videos, broadening their global reach.

• Across the board, platforms continue to emphasise private sharing, with Instagram, WhatsApp and Snapchat all steering activity more into DMs and close circles.

• In the US, the “Kids Off Social Media Act” is gaining momentum, which would ban algorithmic feeds for under-17s and prevent under-13s from using the platforms at all.