Sora: OpenAI targets Tiktok with AI social media platform October 1, 2025 OpenAI has taken an ambitious step into the social media market with the launch of ‘Sora’, its new app designed for users to generate and share AI-generated video content. Coupled with the roll-out of Sora 2, its new audio-visual software model, the platform aims to shift AI from a mere productivity tool, into a space [...]
Liz Kendall wraps cyberflashing into Online Safety Act September 29, 2025 Social media giants will be forced to crack down on cyberflashing under new duties to be announced by technology secretary Liz Kendall at the Labour Party conference. The move will see unsolicited nude images and videos classified as a “priority offence” under the Online Safety Act, placing strict new obligations on platforms to detect and [...]
Meta to launch paid ad-free option on Facebook and Instagram in UK September 26, 2025 Meta is preparing to roll out a new subscription service in the UK that will allow users to pay to remove ads from Facebook and Instagram, raising questions about the future of ‘free’ social media. Over the coming weeks, UK users will see notifications explaining the change. Those who want to avoid ads can subscribe [...]
YouTube launches Westminster forum to champion UK’s creator economy September 25, 2025 YouTube has unveiled a new cross-party parliamentary group dedicated to championing the UK’s digital creator economy, announced at its annual YouTube Festival in London yesterday. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for creators, co-chaired by former digital ministers Feryal Clark MP and Lord Ed Vaizey, will act as a formal bridge between policymakers and the country’s [...]
Supernova: Ex-Saatchi Sir John Hegarty backs social network September 25, 2025 Sir John Hegarty, the creative heavyweight behind Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA London and Bartle Bogle Hegarty, has become an investor and creative adviser to social network Supernova. The platform, created by former Saatchi adman and BAFTA winner Dominic O’Meara, bills itself as “social media for grown-ups”, promising to donate a share of every ‘like’ to [...]
Reddit: Revenue more than triples as UK profit jumps September 22, 2025 Revenue at the UK arm of Reddit more than tripled during its latest financial year as profit also surged, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered division has posted a revenue of £96.7m for 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House show. That total is up significantly from the £28.4m it posted for 2023. From 1 [...]
Strongbow and Jägermeister social media ads banned for promoting irresponsible drinking September 10, 2025 Social media posts by Strongbow and Jägermeister have been banned by the UK’s advertising watchdog for suggesting that alcohol takes priority in life and social settings. Two Jägermeister ads on social media and one Instagram skit promoting a can of strawberry Strongbow – which is owned by Heineken – have been banned by the Advertising [...]
Social Chain: Steven Bartlett’s first company returns to the black September 1, 2025 Social Chain, the media agency which was co-founded by Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett, has made its first profit since 2021, it has been revealed. The business, which was also set up by Dominic McGregor, has posted a pre-tax profit of £645,667 for 2024. New accounts filed with Companies House show that Social Chain’s return [...]
Should we be worried about Instagram’s map feature? August 20, 2025 Instagram’s new location-sharing feature, dubbed ‘Instagram Map’, has been rolled out to 170m users, but a journey through the platform reveals a perplexing reality: it’s a digital ghost town. While Instagram’s parent, Meta, has billed the feature as a “new, light way to connect”, many users are finding themselves alone on the map, prompting a [...]
Brits call for VPN ban for minors to curb Online Safety Act loopholes August 20, 2025 A majority of Britons believe children under 18 should be banned from using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) following a recent surge, a survey has found. Research from YouGov found that 55 per cent of the public supports a ban for minors, while only 20 per cent think they should be allowed to use them. This [...]