What’s going on with the websites?
The TikTok ban (again) + Instagram continues to carry all of Meta's cultural relevance + YouTube wants to be the future of TV
On Wednesdays I check in with the state of the social media and tech platforms. Today I’m sharing my notes from the big 3: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
TikTok (ByteDance)
tl;dr: future unclear as ban deadline circles back April 5
Remember when TikTok was banned? Well the reason it wasn’t is because “President” Trump extended the deadline for the forced sale of the platform to April 5th. Now less than 30 days away, Trump is–in my opinion–using the platform as a bargaining chip to future fake the billionaires he’s currently using as his narcissistic supply. While Trump has the ultimate power over the American government, he has less power over the oligarchs manipulating said government to line their pockets. As long as the future of TikTok–one of the most influential platforms that exists today/ever–is sitting at the whim of Trump he has something they want: a chance to buy it. To them I say, “there’s not going to be a swimming pool you stupid bitch”
“A lot of people want it and it’s up to me,” Trump said aboard Air Force One.
keep clicking:
Where things stand with TikTok less than a month before its next sale deadline – by Haleluya Hadero for Associated Press (via PBS)
TikTok hasn't negotiated with prospective buyers as deadline looms – by Dan Primack for AXIOS
What I want from TikTok: “Podcast mode” where I can be fed a feed of videos that don’t require visuals that just plays and works while my phone is locked. For when I’m on a dog walk or cleaning but I want the rotating bite sized content only the TikTok fyp can provide.
Instagram (Meta)
tl;dr: tech bro Zuck Instagram doing more of what they’re best at: stealing product innovations from other platforms and making them slightly better.
Everything is AI & Zuckerberg with them but that’s boring so instead we’re going to talk about how they’re doubling down on group chats which are a key reason why Gen Z favors certain apps over others. New features in Instagram DMs include: Language translation, song share, scheduled messages, pinned chats, QR codes & invite links.
As much as content matters, at the end of the day people want to talk about it and go where their friends are. It makes sense that the company would be taking what they know from WhatsApp to enhance the Instagram experience and capture as much of the mobile/online traffic as they can.
keep clicking:
Meta faces publisher copyright AI lawsuit in France – by Natasha Lomas for TechCrunch
A Facebook Insider’s Exposé Alleges Bad Behavior at the Top – by Jennifer Szalai for The New York Times
Instagram tests new 'Blend' feature to share Reels with friends – by Christianna Silva for Mashable
Scarlett Johansson Says She Declined Request to Join Instagram for ‘Jurassic World’ Release – by Lexy Perez for The Hollywood Reporter
What I want from Meta: To stop.
YouTube & Google (Alphabet)
tl;dr: YouTube is making a serious play for TV advertising dollars
The narrative around YouTube right now, especially here in LA, is that YouTube is a serious player in the television landscape. In the CEO’s blog post with “our big bets for 2025” the video platform claimed that “YouTube is the new television.”
“Viewers are watching, on average, over 1B hours of YouTube content on TVs daily, and TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S.5 But the "new" television doesn’t look like the "old" television. It’s interactive and includes things like Shorts (yes, people watch them on TVs), podcasts, and live streams, right alongside the sports, sitcoms and talk shows people already love.”
-YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan
keep clicking:
Why YouTube is obsessed with the Emmys - The Colin & Samir Show (Podcast)
How YouTube Became TV (While TV Struggles to Be YouTube) – The Town with Matthew Belloni (Podcast)
Google calls Gemma 3 the most powerful AI model you can run on one GPU – by Richard Lawler for The Verge
Inside Google’s Investment in the A.I. Start-Up Anthropic – by Cade MetzNico Grant and David McCabe for The New York Times
What I want from YouTube: For this phone to TV experience to be as seamless as they promise. My phone is smart, my TV is smart, I think I’m pretty smart, yet I still haven’t figured out how to control what plays on my YouTube from my phone effectively nor is browsing as fun as it is on TikTok.
I too want meta to stop 😭