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Hello, geeks!

Another week. Another new Meta app. 📱

This time it’s Zuck’s attempt to take on Reddit with a Facebook Groups focused app called ‘Forum’.
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Meta quietly launched the app yesterday (21 May) in the US on iOS only.

I downloaded it last night and shared a screen recording of me playing with the app for the first time.

If you’re thinking “hang on…. didn’t we do this already?,” you’re not imagining it. Facebook launched a standalone app for Groups back in 2014.

Meta stopped updating the app in 2016, and it was eventually shutdown a year later, with Meta saying at the time “we've found that we can do more with and for the community by investing in the main Facebook app”

Since then, Meta has spent years watching Reddit become one of the last major places online where people still go for real opinions, recommendations and niche expertise from actual humans

Meanwhile, Facebook’s main feed has become overloaded with AI slop, engagement bait, algorithmic junk.
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What’s interesting about Meta new Forum app is that it isn’t really copying Reddit’s design. It’s copying Reddit’s utility.

But will it end up in the Meta’s experimental app graveyard, or is Meta’s tactic of cloning rival apps and applying a Zuck wrapper about to work yet again?
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👉 Read my analysis of Meta’s latest experimental app ‘Forum,’ later in this week’s Geekout.

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LinkedIn thinks I’m a creep. WTAF
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Thousands of users — myself included — received warnings overnight accusing them of posting "Nonconsensual Intimate Imagery." -

The warnings appear to be the result of a widespread automated moderation failure, with the system flagging completely benign content across the platform indiscriminately.

A quick search of LinkedIn reveals the scale of the mistake, with a large number of users posting about the screw-up on the platform in the past 24 hours.

Some LinkedIn users have seen their email inbox spammed with multiple content takedown warnings.

One user, LinkedIn expert Richard Van Der Blom, has been hit with 50+ content moderation warning emails about different posts, accusing him of being a spammer, scammer, and a creep.

My personal violation: this post from four years ago featuring a Washington Post article about Facebook's algorithm!
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If you zoom in, you can see some serious XXX hugging going on… 😂
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Beyond the obvious absurdity of the warning, "Nonconsensual Intimate Imagery" is not a minor content policy breach category — it's the platform's label for non-consensual sexual images.

Wrongly applying that label to marketing posts and news articles is a serious moderation failure, not a footnote. LinkedIn will almost certainly issue a statement, fix the glitch, and try to move on.

Whether they acknowledge the severity of what their systems just accused thousands of professionals of doing is a different question.
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2. Meta starts cutting 8,000 jobs and shifting 7,000 more roles to new AI teams [TERMINATING]

3. LinkedIn says it will limit the reach of posts it thinks are AI-generated posts [SHADOW-BANNING]

4. US Surgeon General warns excessive screen use is damaging kids and teens [BRAIN-ROTTING]

5. LinkedIn glitch falsely accuses users of posting non-consensual sexual imagery [ALARMING]

Meta has Reddit envy

It’s always good to get a Geekout scoop! Last night I discovered that Facebook had quietly launched a new app called Forum…

…and it looks a LOT like Meta trying to build its own Reddit.

Meta has spent years watching Reddit become one of the last major places online where people still go for real opinions, recommendations and niche expertise from actual humans.

Meanwhile Facebook’s main feed has become overloaded with AI slop, engagement bait, and algorithmic junk.

But Meta isn’t really copying Reddit’s design, it’s copying its utility

People increasingly search things like: “best running shoes reddit”; “moving to london reddit”, or “adhd medication reddit”. And as AI begins to become a default search interface (Google is completely removing traditional blue links over the coming months), Reddit is frequently cited in AI responses to questions.

Reddit is so successful because people trust messy human conversations more than SEO spam or influencer content.

That’s what the “Ask” feature inside Forum (which isn’t yet available worldwide) is trying to replicate.

Ask a question once, pull answers and opinions from loads of communities, then let AI summarise the useful bits for you. It’s basically turning Facebook Groups into an AI-powered answer engine.

As much as I mocked Meta for its standalone Instants app last week, making Forum a standalone app is an important part of the strategy here.

Facebook Groups are already massive, but they’re buried inside an app trying to do everything at once: Marketplace, dating, memes, politics, Reels, events, AI features, local groups, news, birthdays, random viral garbage. Meta knows communities are one of the few genuinely sticky parts of Facebook left.

Splitting Forum out gives those communities their own cleaner identity and experience — separate from the baggage of the main Facebook app.

It also lets Meta position Forum differently: less a “social network” and more a “community knowledge platform.”

And the timing isn’t accidental either.

AI search is exploding, Reddit is booming, Google Search is getting flooded with AI summaries, and platforms are realising people increasingly want answers from humans — not content farms.

Meta   /  Facebook 

• Facebook is renaming Notes to Status!… with a refreshed UI that lets you attach a photo, location, emojis, and music

• Mark Zuckerberg says Meta doesn’t expect more “company-wide layoffs” this year after cutting 8,000 jobs (leaving wiggle room for more focused cuts)

• Texas is suing Meta and WhatsApp over claims the app falsely markets messages as fully private

• Meta Ray-Ban glasses have new assistive features, helping blind users understand their surroundings, enable hands-free use of Meta apps, and contact customer support reps

• Meta is offering rival AI chatbots access to WhatsApp in the EU for free, up to a certain limit before fees kick in. Regulators might not like this solution to antitrust concerns

• Meta’s Oversight Board is investigating a deepfake video of a UK politician the company left online

• Meta has introduced event creation support in Meta Business Suite on desktop

• Facebook is testing a new ‘Scam Protection Center’

• Facebook has added the ability to label a profile as an AI Creator

• Facebook now lets creators upload custom stickers only for subscribers

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Instagram 

• Instagram is testing custom fonts for profile descriptions as part of a paid subscription

• Instagram has been spotted offering games inside Avatar Stickers

• Instagram is finally rolling out the ability to edit Stories after publishing

• Instagram is testing on iOS a new ‘Photostrip’ sticker for Instagram Stories with three variations

• Instagram is testing a new viewing experience for carousel posts, with the progress tabs at the bottom like the Stories test I saw last week

• Instagram is testing an improved Insights interface

• Instagram has been spotted offering the Nearby feed for Stories again

• Instagram now lets you share Reels replies on Threads

• Instagram added a new ‘Turn on collab editing’ feature on iOS

• Instagram has added the ability to share links during live sessions

• Instagram is testing a new filter for the Followers tab, allowing users to sort followers by default order or by follow date

• Instagram is testing a new way to view post captions

• Instagram is testing a new pill-shaped box that displays for the song added in a reel the album cover, the name and the length

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Threads 

• Threads appears to have cut the threshold before your post view count is visible on your profile (10K > 1K views)

• Threads is adding third-party brand safety block lists for ads

• Threads has been spotted offering a ‘Share to LinkedIn’ option

• Threads group chats now support up to 100 people

• Threads has added event reminders for NBA games

• Threads has added a link to more posts from a community when you view a relevant post

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WhatsApp 

• WhatsApp’s is maxing out its sponsorship of Arsenal F.C by changing its logo to red (a nod to the club becoming Premier League champions… Get in!)

• WhatsApp is testing the ability to share status updates only with close attends and custom audiences

• WhatsApp now lets you mute ‘@all’ notifications

• WhatsApp is working on the ability to see a list of which of your contacts are currently or recently online

• WhatsApp is testing a redesign of the chat lists interface

• WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that limits free business broadcasts through message credits

• WhatsApp is rolling out a redesigned media share sheet on iOS that keeps chats visible while sharing photos

• WhatsApp is testing a feature that adds a contact grid to the forward picker screen

• WhatsApp is working on a feature to manage storage for status updates

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X / Twitter 

• X is launching Creator Connect — an AI-powered system matching brands with creators based on audience, trends and campaign goals

  … X is also launching Trend Genius, a new tool that serves brands different creative assets based on real-time conversation spikes

• Elon Musk lost his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI in court. Jurors killed the case in under 2 hours after ruling he waited too long to sue

• X now limits free users to 50 posts and 200 replies a day unless they pay! 🙄, that’s down from 2,400 posts a day

• X now shows how many of your followers were actually active in the last 24 hours

• X has agreed to tougher moderation in the UK after pressure from regulator Ofcom. It will block access to banned terror groups and speed up hate and terror content reviews

• X has been fined $650,000 after failing to comply with Australian child safety notice. It couldn’t explain how it handled child abuse material

• X is fighting Andrew Tate’s attempt to unmask his critics

• X has a new pitch to advertisers: AI-powered ads, creators and performance results

• X is rolling out a new quote post picker for Bookmarks, Likes and Your Posts

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TikTok   /  YouTube 

• TikTok is testing ‘AI Alive’ for DM stickers, letting users add AI motion effects before sending

• TikTok is testing the ability to request verification directly from the account settings

• TikTok is rolling out Premium Playlists so creators can curate exclusive subscriber-only videos into playlists

• TikTok is rolling out the ‘Manage keywords’ feature for clips to more users

• TikTok has launched a new ‘Behind The Breakthrough’ campaign spotlighting rising stars, starting with Sienna Spiro and her hit ‘Die On This Hill’

• TikTok is launching a new ‘LIVE Premiere’ series, starting with Paul McCartney

• YouTube has added chapters and title cards in its TV app

• YouTube is giving ordinary users celebrity-level deepfake protection

• YouTube is testing removing the dedicated Subscriptions tab from the bottom nav bar, moving it to a harder-to-reach, swipeable menu

• YouTube has done a deal to stream upcoming Emmies awards ceremonies

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LinkedIn   /  Snapchat    /  Reddit 

• LinkedIn has relaunched its TikTok-style video feed in the UK, Canada, and Australia

• LinkedIn has expanded its partnership with DoubleVerify to improve ad performance verification

• Snap is reportedly planning to launch its Specs AR glasses later this year for around $2,500

• Snapchat is launching ‘Unified Attribution’ for app advertisers, combining first-party and third-party data in one place

• Bluesky says Russia is hacking user accounts to spread propaganda

• Discord is rolling out full, free end-to-end encryption for all video and voice calls

• Twitch is opening up monetisation tools to all creators as it tries to help smaller streamers grow

• Reddit now includes a Liquid Glass design on iOS

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At an AI-obsessed Google I/O this week, we learned that YouTube wants creators to deepfake themselves across the platform 😮

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Also spotted this week…

• YouTube is testing ‘Ask YouTube’ — an AI search tool that answers questions using Shorts and long-form videos

• YouTube is adding new AI, creator, and shopping tools to Demand Gen campaigns

• Instagram is testing AI-generated custom voice effects in DMs

• X added new AI summary, verification, and explanation features for posts

• Meta is testing a new ‘Business AI’ agent in Business Suite, offering more powerful tools to help businesses reduce moderation workload. The update also adds a dedicated inbox tab for messages handled by AI

• Meta added a new ‘App connectors’ feature on Meta AI’s mobile apps

• Meta AI inside WhatsApp now lets users import and analyse documents

• TikTok now offers ‘AI Title Ideas’

• TikTok now lets brands find creators to partner with, using AI-powered search

• LinkedIn is letting recruiters send AI-written InMails to candidates via Hiring Pro

• LinkedIn is expanding access to ‘Crosscheck,’ its AI model comparison tool

• Reddit is using AI to automate more of its ads platform, such as targeting, placement,s creative selection, and budget optimisation

• Canva is now plugged into every major AI chatbot with new Gemini integration

• CapCut is integrating Gemini so users can edit videos inside Googles’ chatbot

• Tinder is joining Bumble in a shift towards AI-powered date matching

I spoke to BBC News about UK regulator Ofcom’s latest strike against social platforms.

Regulators are shifting from enforcing content moderation, to probing the whole content recommendation algorithm…

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This one hits hard… 😂
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Poor Spotify. All it wanted to do was celebrate its 20th anniversary with a limited-time app icon that looks like a disco ball.

But the public had other ideas. And brand social media manager’s jumped on it…

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The response prompted Spotify to make sure everyone knew it was only temporary….
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But at least brands had some fun…
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A study of 300K sponsored posts found repeat creator partnerships crush one-off influencer campaigns…

Yet 63% of brand deals are still one-and-done sponsorships chasing short-term reach.

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More brand news and views:

• Brands are pouring huge paid budgets behind influencer posts to guarantee reach and sales

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Also quoted this week:

“Finally, we want to say again that we're grateful for your contributions. Your impact at Meta has been an important part of our story.”

- Meta signs off its email laying off thousands of staff this week. So that’s alright then.

A new study found YouTube pushes men and women into completely different political content loops.

• Male users were fed more crime, immigration, law enforcement and polarising political videos

• Female users saw broader, softer content around culture, lifestyle and international affairs

Researchers found male users were trapped in tighter political echo chambers with more repetitive recommendations.

X is now paying for App Store ads mocking Threads 🤣

When users search the App Store for Threads, X’s listing shows an image claiming its “Better than Threads”

X is literally buying ads aimed at people trying to install Meta’s rival app.
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More WTF this week:

• Meta and Google get data from the app your boss uses to track you 😱

• AI slop farms are churning out anti-AI data centre memes on Facebook

• An “AI-powered” law firm is facing sanctions over fake AI-generated court citations. The case involved a man trying to force Meta to remove a critical Facebook post.

• Hinge is now giving users a literal “good dater” badge based on how you behave inside the app

• LinkedIn users are still tricking recruiters with dumb AI prompts in their profiles

Elon Musk not following through on a promise? Who would have thought…

X has failed to pay staff the $420 it promised for giving their tax returns to Grok.

How to get more views on TikTok in 2026?

Sprout Social has published this useful guide for how to make the most of the algorithm…

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Also this week:

• How to build a strong Instagram community in 2026

• DMing people on Instagram does NOT help with reach

• Facebook ads targeting: The complete guide for 2026, courtesy of Hootsuite

• The 21 best social media marketing tools to try in 2026, according to Buffer

• Pinterest says you should start planning ads for Christmas now. It says users plan purchases weeks or months before spending — giving early advertisers an edge

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More social stats:

• DISCOVERY: 67% of consumers now use TikTok Shop to discover products — ahead of Amazon and YouTube

• LOOKING GOOD: Beauty is now TikTok Shop’s fastest-growing category, up 84% YoY

• KEEP GOING: YouTube dominates long-term creator relationships, with nearly 20% of branded posts tied to ambassadorships

• CREATING DEMAND: Creator influence is driving sales hard: 70% of users bought creator-recommended products

How TikTok Shop dominates product discovery for Gen-Z in 2026:
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Also charted this week:

• TIME FOR SOCIAL: Social media app average session durations, charted

• AD KINGS: YouTube advertising reach by country

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Also spotted this week…

• Google, Meta, and TikTok are facing EU complaints over alleged failures to stop scam ads. [Mashable]

• Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube have all settled social media addiction case with a US school district. [BBC News]

• The US FTC can now fine platforms over nonconsensual AI deepfakes under the Take It Down Act. [Gizmodo]

• UK campaigners want unsafe social apps restricted for under-16s — not a blanket social media ban. [The Guardian]

• UK police chiefs say under-16s should be blocked from social media apps with “high-risk” features. [LINK]

• Meta, Snap, and Roblox have agreed to tougher anti-grooming protections from Ofcom in the UK. [Engadget]

• Brazil has introduced tougher rules force platforms to act faster against illegal and harmful content. [Bloomberg $$$]

• Malaysia has threatened TikTok with major fines over content moderation failures. [TNW]

• LinkedIn and YouTube are the mosts-cited platforms by AI chatbots for B2B questions. [Social Media Today]

• NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is launching a Twitch series to help reach the public where they already are. [The Verge]

• TikTok Shop is now open to all businesses in Ireland, having previously been invited only. [The Irish Sun]

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New features and tests:

• Instagram is testing a new ‘Share a post’ button for Stories. [@oncescuradu]

• Instagram is testing a new UX for the Story composer, which can be enabled with a long press on a photo. [@oncescuradu]

This is a really interesting look at how RedNote (briefly popular in the West when a TikTok ban loomed in the US) is a serious Instagram rival elsewhere in the world.

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Also worth a read:

• Meta doesn’t know what business it’s in and the data shows it

• Creator content made the main stage at TV's 'upfront' pitches — and not just for YouTube

• The internet’s viral culture is being manufactured by video clippers

Elon Musk might have lost his lawsuit against OpenAI, but at least it uncovered some fun details for the rest of us…

One piece of evidence the jury didn’t get to see was a trophy OpenAI employees made to mock Elon Musk.

Oh Elon, ya jackass!

And on that award-winning note, it’s time to wrap up this week’s Geekout.

I’m heading off to check if LinkedIn’s crisis comms team is in meltdown

And whether LinkedIn has started its PR apology tour yet.

Goodbye, geeks!

P.S. This newsletter is edited by Martin SFP Bryant