January 2026 Social Platform Updates

Welcome to 2026, Social Navigators.

We might only be one month into the year, but we’ve already seen plenty of news from the socialsphere.

TikTok has a new owner in the US, more countries move closer to preventing young teens on social apps, and a potential purchase for Pinterest begins to percolate.

Let’s navigate.

France 🇫🇷

✦ France, following Australia’s lead, has banned social media for users under 15 years-old

Facebook 👍

✦ Facebook and Canada are working to bring Canadian news content back to the platform

✦ Facebook, along with Instagram and What’sApp, will test premium subscriptions

Instagram 📷

✦ Instagram tests displaying Friends instead of Following

✦ Instagram rolled out an algorithm control option for English language users

✦ Instagram boss Adam Mosseri outlined chief challenges facing AI content

LinkedIn 🤝

✦ LinkedIn shared the 25 fastest-growing jobs in the US

✦ LinkedIn is getting more love in AI search results

✦ LinkedIn published details on how the platform is adapting to AI discovery

✦ LinkedIn adds new generative AI qualifications

Meta ♾️

✦ Meta doubles down on AI as the future of social

✦ Meta posts increases in both users and revenue from Q4

✦ Meta announced $6b partnership with Corning to support US manufacturing

✦ Meta introduced new impact grants to advance wearable technology

Pinterest 📌

✦ Pinterest launched their 2026 Planning Guide

✦ Pinterest is rumored to be acquired by OpenAI

Snapchat 👻

✦ Snapchat separates business for AR glasses from main social/messaging app

✦ Snapchat added new insights to its Family Center

Threads 🧵

✦ Threads overtook X in terms of global daily mobile users

✦ Threads is rolling out ads

✦ Threads experimented with adding animated stickers to posts

TikTok ♪

✦ TikTok confirmed its joint venture to remain available to US users

✦ TikTok rolls out Series, which allow creators to put up to 80 videos behind a paywall

✦ TikTok launched its own microdrama app, PineDrama

X 🐦

✦ X is launching Brand Ranx to track ad share and performance during the Super Bowl 

✦ X updated Grok, its in-platform AI model, to prevent it from generating explicit imagery

✦ X is introducing its own take on Bluesky’s "Starter Packs“; the new feature, very originally named “Starterpacks”, will consist of curated lists of recommended accounts in different categories

✦ X is under fire from US Attorneys General to address non-consensual explicit deepfakes

YouTube 🎥

✦ YouTube rolled out machine learning in the US to determine a user’s age based on watch habits—regardless of the age associated with their account

✦ YouTube creators will be able to create Shorts using their own AI likeness

Others 📝

✦ Bluesky has announced the expansion of its Live Now beta (which “lets you add a temporary LIVE badge to your avatar”) to all users

✦ Discord confidentially filed for an IPO in the US, Bloomberg reported

✦ Reddit has announced the launch of its own AI-fueled media-buying tool, Max Campaigns

✦ Spotify lowered the requirements to start earning revenue from its partner program so that more emerging creators can be eligible

✦ Substack launched a TV app

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