Features & insight
Features and insight
Expert analysis, reporting and long reads on the platforms, people and strategies shaping social media.
X doubled its creator pool for 2026, but the average creator has earned just $300 since 2023
The platform declared 2026 the year of the creator and more than doubled its revenue pool. But the lifetime total paid out since launch works out to roughly $300 per creator, and the underlying economics make it nearly impossible for most to earn a living from X alone.
Patreon's Quips Feature Marks Philosophical U-Turn From Anti-Algorithm Platform to Social Competitor
The membership platform has rolled out Twitter-style public posts after years of its CEO attacking algorithmic feeds. The shift reflects competitive pressure as Substack, Beehiiv, and OnlyFans erode Patreon's once-distinct positioning.
Meta signs EU AI transparency code as August compliance deadline looms
Meta has confirmed it will sign the EU's Code of Practice on transparency of AI-generated content ahead of the 2 August enforcement deadline. The move aligns the company's existing labelling work with the strict marking requirements now facing every social platform operating in Europe.
Meta's BlackRock Data Center Deal Shows Who Really Pays for AI (and What That Means for Marketers)
Meta announced a venture with BlackRock to finance a $14 billion data center in El Paso, Texas. The telling detail? Meta owns just 20%, meaning most of its AI infrastructure cost stays off its books, and the move signals how social platforms are now funding the compute power behind every feature marketers rely on.
Facebook's Marketplace unbundling reveals where social commerce value really lives
Meta is splitting Marketplace sellers into a dedicated app and launching free verification badges. The move says more about the future of social platforms than any anniversary celebration.
Fanfix's $300M Milestone Hides a Sharp Reality: Most Revenue Comes from Paid DMs, Not Subscriptions
The creator platform crossed $300 million in payouts and markets itself as a subscription business. Yet over 60% of creator earnings come from paid direct messages, revealing a very different monetisation model than advertised.
YouTube Shorts removes dislike button as platform shifts to hearts and menu-based feedback
The change, rolled out in July 2026, removes a visible negative signal from the interface and redirects creators toward watch time and swipe-away rates as their primary performance metrics.
Reddit blocks 25,000 AI spam posts daily as content licensing deals fuel manipulation epidemic
Reddit disclosed on 6 July that it now stops 25,000 daily AI-written posts designed to manipulate ChatGPT and Gemini responses. The irony is stark: brands exploit the platform's own OpenAI and Google licensing deals to poison the data those companies paid for.
