Meta touts industry-leading ad revenue growth, but AI unease rises

CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that faster revenue gains mean AI investments are paying off, but not everyone is convinced.

By Peter Adams • July 30, 2026

How to maximize Instagram marketing in 2026

Brands that want to establish or expand their presence on the app should consider enlisting the help of Meta AI, working with influencers and leaning into short-form content.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 27, 2026

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Top 5 stories from Social Media Today

A look at the recent top stories in social media and what they mean for marketers.

By Social Media Today staff

Meta still has widest social media reach

Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp each have more than 3 billion users, giving the platforms’ owner a clear lead in the digital community landscape.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 26, 2026

Will Meta’s massive AI bet pay off?

The company has invested hundreds of billions of dollars into developing artificial intelligence models, but the market’s response hasn't matched owner Mark Zuckerberg’s enthusiasm for the tech.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 23, 2026

Meta’s AI-based layoffs allegedly targeted workers who had taken protected leave

The company used “a constellation of internal artificial-intelligence systems” to determine who would be included in its 10% reduction in force, per a lawsuit.

By Ginger Christ • July 21, 2026

Can social media platforms survive the flood of AI content?

A recent report from Pangram estimated that 41% of posts on LinkedIn show signs of AI generation, highlighting a growing problem across all apps.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 20, 2026

Meta AI adds additional safety measures

Updates include parental alerts when children engage in self harm or suicide-related chats with the artificial intelligence tools.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 16, 2026

Instagram Reels adds more AI translations

The platform’s interface allows creators to process captions and audio that makes it look and sound like the original poster is speaking.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 14, 2026

Instagram will charge for AI access

In a weekly Q&A, Chief Adam Mosseri said artificial intelligence models “are very expensive to run,” forcing the company to “either throttle people or ask them to pay.”

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 12, 2026

EU Commission preliminarily finds Meta apps addictive

The design of Instagram and Facebook violates the Digital Services Act, according to the commission, which cited features such as infinite scroll and autoplay.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 12, 2026

Meta removes Instagram’s AI remix option

Only two days after launch, the company disabled a feature that allowed users to integrate other people’s content into artificial intelligence-generated images. 

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 12, 2026

Meta’s new AI option allows remixes of public IG posts

The company’s updated image generation model lets users tag profiles and import visuals into its artificial intelligence visual creation tools.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 8, 2026

Meta adds updated disclosure tags for AI-generated ads

The updated tags will provide more info on which promotions include AI-generated elements, whether from Meta or via external AI tools. 

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 7, 2026

Meta faces potential $1.4 trillion in penalties

In a child safety case, four U.S. states are seeking combined damages that the company estimates would be close to its market cap, per Reuters.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 7, 2026

Meta improves AI image generation tools for advertisers

The company said its new Muse Image model, developed by its Superintelligence Labs, “understands complex creative briefs the way a designer would.”

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 7, 2026

Meta allowed ads promoting child sexual abuse in India

The BBC said that promotions for abusive videos appeared on the social media giant’s apps, although the offending materials were subsequently removed.

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 5, 2026

Edits app gets auto-translated bilingual captions

Meta also added updated creative templates and seasonal sound effects to its video creation tool. 

By Andrew Hutchinson • July 5, 2026

Meta adds custom Instagram Stories features for glasses

The company’s artificial-intelligence-powered glasses will be able to capture and post multi-camera and motion capture formats.

By Andrew Hutchinson • June 30, 2026

Meta tries to limit liabilities in child harm cases

The company is lobbying lawmakers in California to protect itself from a proposed bill that could fine companies up to $1 million per child, per Politico.

By Andrew Hutchinson • June 28, 2026

Instagram tests more algorithm controls

The app’s Your Algorithm is getting new access points and features, but the experiments fail to address some of users’ biggest requests.

By Andrew Hutchinson • June 28, 2026

Meta launches advanced AI ad features

The company is rolling out new creative solutions, testing mechanisms and text generation tools.

By Andrew Hutchinson • June 23, 2026

Instagram expands to Samsung Smart TV

The platform is now available on the majority of connected television devices in the U.S. and has begun testing new viewing features.

By Andrew Hutchinson • June 22, 2026

Meta updates its livestream shopping tools

The company is broadening access to its affiliate marketing program, working with more live commerce platforms and expanding live video ads.

By Andrew Hutchinson • June 17, 2026

Social media is the leading source of news, per Reuters

The 2026 Digital News Report found that people rely on social media for news more than TV or news websites.

By Andrew Hutchinson • June 16, 2026

Meta reiterates call for app store age checks

The company’s head of global safety said in a recent post that requiring users to individually upload personal documents to social media platforms created privacy risks.

By Andrew Hutchinson • June 11, 2026