😎 X is acquired... again?

SpaceX acquires xAI and social media platform X in $1.25 trillion merger. Elon Musk's space exploration company has absorbed his AI startup xAI, which includes the social media platform X, creating a single entity valued at $1.25 trillion. The consolidation follows SpaceX's recent FCC filing to launch satellites for space-based AI data centers, signaling a push to integrate AI with rocket technology and satellite internet.

Expect tighter Grok integration, new ad formats, and possibly space-based data infrastructure. 🤯 ~TWISM

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Instagram adds deeper editing tools for Reels. Clickable mentions and back-links, subject-specific effects, and a storyboard help you plan and finish Reels without juggling apps.

Storyboard + subject effects speed up production for small teams and creators. 🎬 ~TWISM

Instagram adds carousel reorder after posting. Fix slide order, swap images or retell a story without deleting posts and losing Likes or Comments.

Instagram shifts to vertical, text-heavy posts. Analysis finds 84% vertical posts, 86% Carousels, and text overlays rising from under 10% to 84% in one year.

Instagram adds Story Extend for subscribers. Paid subscribers can extend a Story for another 24 hours without reposting; creators can delete or archive the extended Story.

Facebook tests limits on link posts. Meta is testing a cap on link posts for non-verified professional profiles and Pages, reportedly just 2 links per month unless you pay for Meta Verified. Links in comments and Messenger stay unrestricted for now.

Meta's turning links into a premium feature. Diversify your traffic sources now. 💸 ~TWISM

Senators press Zuck on Meta's teen safety delay. Senators ask why Meta delayed teen protections despite internal research, citing allegations that growth was prioritized over kids' safety.

Meta tests standalone AI video app as content generation triples. Meta is currently testing a new standalone application focused on AI-generated video content; the company reports that content created through its Meta AI tools has tripled year-over-year.

Meta to pay damages over illegal Business Tools data tracking. Germany’s Dresden Higher Regional Court blocked Meta's appeal and ruled that data collection via Business Tools is illegal, awarding €1,500 in compensation to each affected Instagram user involved in the case.

Meta is developing 'Kai' AI chatbot for group chats. Meta is reportedly working on a dedicated AI chatbot named 'Kai' designed specifically for group conversations; the tool is intended to help users locate and retrieve information from within group chat streams.

Threads targets Super Bowl engagement to compete with X in sports. The aim is to capture real-time engagement during the Super Bowl, a category traditionally dominated by X.

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YouTube expands Super Bowl strategy beyond 30-second commercials. YouTube is implementing a comprehensive content strategy designed to surround the Super Bowl with digital engagement and extended advertising formats.

YouTube tops $60B annual revenue. YouTube hit over $60B in 2025 revenue; Q4 ad sales rose 8.7% to $11.38B but missed estimates, while Shorts now averages 200B daily views, huge reach for short-form campaigns.

Shorts scale is unreal: test bite-sized ads and diversify placements. ⚡️ ~TWISM

YouTube opens auto-dubbing to all creators in 27 languages. Available to every creator with Expressive Speech for a more natural tone and lip-sync tests, and easier localization to grow global reach.

YouTube beats TV in viewing hours. Brands still treat YouTube like social media, so big TV ad budgets aren't shifting. YouTube is rolling out measurement and education to make creator and brand buys easier. Marketers should test YouTube with TV-style KPIs.

TikTok restores U.S. services following data center outage. TikTok has confirmed full service restoration in the United States after severe winter storms disabled a major data center supporting the platform.

TikTok usage rebounds following post-ownership change decline. TikTok is experiencing a recovery in user engagement after a period of declining usage triggered by its transition to U.S. ownership; rival platforms that initially benefited are now seeing those gains level off.

The audience is coming back. Keep diversifying your short-form video strategy. 📈 ~TWISM

TikTok launches Smart Promotion for Shop sellers. TikTok has updated its Co-Funded promotion option to provide merchants with enhanced tools for driving sales through the platform's commerce features; the new program allows TikTok to share the cost of promotions with sellers to increase product visibility.

TikTok is charged with DSA violations. The European Commission has preliminarily found that TikTok is violating the Digital Services Act regarding features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications.

TikTok adds musician bulletin boards to audio pages. They appear on every audio page, letting artists surface context, links, and promos where listeners discover a sound.

Creators now drive B2B discovery. LinkedIn finds 75% of B2B buyers trust thought leadership more than product sheets, while nearly 6 in 10 discover brands via creator content.

Start treating your execs and creators like sales reps. 🤝 ~TWISM

LinkedIn launches AI job search. Search jobs using 4–5 keywords; LinkedIn's AI expands intents and ranks better matches so hiring teams and creators discover roles and optimize listings faster.

X's French offices raided amid investigation into algorithmic manipulation and Grok. French authorities have conducted a raid on X's offices in France as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of algorithmic manipulation and recent controversies surrounding the misuse of the Grok AI chatbot.

EU regulatory pressure on X continues to escalate. 😬 ~TWISM

X introduces the ability to add images to in-stream polls. X has updated its platform to allow users to include images within poll options, making poll choices more visually engaging and distinct for users interacting with content in their feeds.

X tests collaborative AI-powered Community Notes feature. X is testing a new system where artificial intelligence generates initial drafts for Community Notes to assist in fact-checking; human contributors will then review and refine these AI-composed notes before finalization.

xAI launches Grok Imagine 1.0 video tool. 10-second, 720p clips with improved audio, follow-up prompts, and still-image animation.

OpenAI begins testing advertisements within ChatGPT for U.S. users. Advertising is currently being tested within ChatGPT for various account types in the United States, marking a shift toward monetizing AI-generated answer environments.

Start thinking about how your brand shows up when users are actively solving problems. 🔍 ~TWISM

Reddit signals intent to pursue new acquisitions in adtech and other sectors. During its recent earnings report, Reddit announced it is actively seeking to acquire companies and technical capabilities, specifically targeting opportunities within advertising technology.

Substack data breach exposed emails and phones. Hackers accessed internal user data in October and went undetected until February; Substack says passwords and payments weren't taken. Marketers should warn subscribers about phishing and review security settings.

Tinder tests AI recommendations and camera roll integration. Tinder is testing new AI features designed to combat user burnout and swipe fatigue, including AI-driven match recommendations and the ability to pull insights from a user's camera roll to create more effective profiles.

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading. Now…

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