As we move toward 2026, the social media landscape is undergoing its most significant structural shift in a decade. The transition is marked by a move away from "open web" connectivity toward "walled gardens," where platforms like Meta are experimenting with paywalls for link-sharing and AI-generated SEO to keep users within their ecosystems. Meanwhile, the resolution of the TikTok U.S. divestiture brings a new era of "digital sovereignty," replacing the threat of a ban with a complex joint venture overseen by American investors.
For marketers and creators, the "fun and games" of early social media have matured into a high-stakes environment of AI-driven discovery and strict regulatory liability. From Threads’ new ephemeral "ghost posts" and 50-person group chats to the EU’s landmark laws holding platforms liable for financial scams, the focus is shifting from viral reach to verified trust. This abstract explores how to align your 2026 marketing goals with these evolving realities, emphasizing that authenticity and direct community engagement are now the only ways to cut through the rising tide of "AI slop."
Keywords: Social Media Trends 2026, TikTok US Divestiture, Meta Verified, Facebook Link Limits, AI Slop, Instagram Restyle, Threads Ghost Posts, EU Financial Fraud Law, Digital Sovereignty, Social Search SEO, Ephemeral Content, Creator Economy 2026.
Are you unsure which social media platform will help you achieve your marketing goals? Want to learn how to choose the right channels to maximise your reach, engagement, and results? You’ll find some social media basics in this infographic. Here’s a summary of what’s covered: TikTok LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Check out...
If you've been swiping through videos on Facebook and noticed that you're inundated with AI slop, there's a reason for that: You might kind of like AI slop.In an interview with CNET, Facebook's vice president of product, Jagjit Chawla said the algorithm works pretty simply: If you interact with a bunch of AI slop, it will feed you more AI slop; if you...
Every platform is a messaging platform, so it's kind of shocking that Threads, Meta's 2023 answer to X's turmoil, reached a whopping 400 million monthly active users in August without an option to send a group chat. Today, that changed.Threads announced on Wednesday that users can start a group chat with up to 50 people, customize the chat with a name,...
If you've posted a Story on Instagram lately, you may have noticed Restyle — a new AI feature that lets users edit photos directly within Stories.With Restyle, you can remove unwanted background elements (say, a photobomber or a stray thumb), add new ones, or customize parts of your image — like changing someone's hair color or swapping in a different...
The AI-generated video competition has heated up with the recent launches of OpenAI's Sora 2 and Google's Veo 3, and it looks like Snapchat is doing everything it can to stay in the race.The company announced on Wednesday that its Imagine AI, a lens it previously launched in September for paid subscribers, will now be free for all U.S. users. Imagine...
You might need to act soon to keep accessing your X account. Elon Musk's website, formerly known as Twitter, quietly announced it was killing off the old Twitter.com domain. That means the company is requiring users who use a hardware security key or passkey to re-enroll, otherwise they will be locked out of their account. X's safety account posted...
Instagram's Threads this week introduced a new feature: "ghost posts," which are posts that disappear after 24 hours. The internet isn't quite sure what to make of this. Ghost posts aren't an awfully novel concept. Disappearing messages sparked Snapchat's rise a decade ago. People post, then delete posts — on X, Threads, or Bluesky — all the time. But...
You may soon be able to give posts the thumbs-down on Bluesky. The Twitter dupe recently announced it would be testing a "dislike" button, aimed at improving the personalization of users' feeds. The idea is that thumbs-downing posts you don't like will directly affect the posts you see in your feed. Wrote Bluesky about the test feature in a blog post:...
It's the end of a major Web 2.0 era.Meta announced on Monday that it would be sunsetting two once-major features on Facebook: The external "Like" and Comment" social plugins.In a post on its developer site, Meta shared that the FB Like and FB Comment buttons will officially be discontinued on February 10, 2026.According to Meta, developers won't have...
Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Elon Musk's X – all these sites allow users to privately chat with other users right inside the platform.Almost every major social media platform has a direct message feature. Well, almost every major social media platform except for YouTube.That looks like it may soon change though.According to a post from a YouTube employee...
Remember when social media was fun and exciting?
Are you trying to understand which social media trends will actually matter in 2026? Want to learn how to keep your brand visible, relevant, and ahead of the curve as platforms continue to evolve? You’ll find the most important shifts to prepare for in this infographic. Here’s a summary of what’s covered: AI-Driven Content Creation and Personalisation...
The European Union passed a new law early Thursday morning that will hold social media platforms like Meta and TikTok liable for financial fraud — a major escalation in the bloc’s attempt to rein in Big Tech.After hours of late-night negotiations, EU lawmakers approved the measure, adding another layer of regulatory pressure on companies that have spent...
Threads is testing a new way for users to manipulate their own recommendation algorithm. The feature, aptly called "Dear algo," allows users to post a message to the algorithm with the note "dear algo" asking to see more or less of a certain thing. For instance, you might post "Dear algo, show me more book recommendations" or "Dear algo, stop showing...
What's better than doomscrolling alone? Doomscrolling together.TikTok has made that possible with a new feature where you can share a feed with someone via DMs. Wrote TikTok in a press release:"We're also announcing Shared Feed, a new way for friends and families to watch and enjoy TikTok content together though a shared interest-based feed in direct...
Dec 09, 2025 This organization is filing to have the Twitter trademark and logo revoked with the intention of reviving Twitter. You can apply for your (old?) username here. Though one wonders. As Mike Masnick says, "I'm honestly perplexed at to who would try to start from scratch to build a centralized Twitter...
Instagram has begun automatically generating headlines and descriptions for users’ posts that appear in Google Search results — often without users’ knowledge and, in some cases, with misleading or inaccurate framing, according to reporting from 404 Media.The issue first surfaced after author Jeff VanderMeer noticed that one of his caption-less Instagram...
This is the first time Instagram content has been designed for television.
After years of ban threats, deadline extensions, and geopolitical brinkmanship, TikTok’s long-running U.S. saga may finally be nearing its end. TikTok has signed an agreement to divest its U.S. operations to a joint venture controlled by American investors, according to an internal memo first reported by Axios and later confirmed by CNN on Dec. 18.The...
Are you a creator who shares links on Facebook? Be sure not to go over your monthly quota.Some creators on Facebook are receiving a notification that they will be limited to posting a certain number of links in organic posts each month, unless they subscribed to Meta Verified for $14.99 per month. ...
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