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1 | U.S. senators proposed a new federal bill, the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, which would create a national minimum age for social media use and require parental consent for teen accounts. The legislation seeks to address concerns about the mental health effects of social media and would prohibit children under 13 from creating accounts or interacting with others on social media platforms. |
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2 | Twitter CEO Elon Musk has suggested that Fleets, Vine, and Periscope could be revived in the future. Vine, the short-form video content, peaked at 200 million users in 2015, with some suggesting it could have offered a version of what TikTok became today had it not been shut down by Twitter. |
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3 | TikTok is joining the AI wave — the company announced it is working on a new feature that lets users create custom AI-generated profile pictures using their own photos. Users upload 3-10 pictures, and the platform generates a range of variations and styles for the avatar in an effort most likely to offer an additional revenue pathway for the company. |
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4 | Meta's Q1 earnings call revealed that time spent on Instagram has increased by over 24% since the platform launched Reels, thanks to AI-powered content recommendations. The company noted Reels as a standalone business is expected to be revenue-neutral by the end of the year, indicating the value of the consumption of short-form videos. 
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5 | The EU has announced over a dozen platforms will face tougher regulation under the Digital Services Act, including social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter. The move, which would require mandatory algorithmic transparency requirements, could lower engagement and ad revenue to those platforms in Europe.
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6 | Amid a viral TikTok social media challenge of stealing Kia and Hyundai vehicles using only a screwdriver and a USB drive, 17 state attorneys general have called for the federal government to order a recall of millions of cars. The move comes as thefts of these cars increased by about 85% in Los Angeles alone. |
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7 | YouTube announced it is launching a monthly video series that will highlight emerging trends on the platform to help creators and marketers understand the latest shifts. The series will show the top five trends, explain how they work, and offer insights at a time when the company looks to be the go-to platform for content strategies and creators. |
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