Yesterday a16z published an article in which NYU Professor of Design, AI and Media Theory Ruby Thelot argued that “enshittification,” or the concept that technology platforms get worse after they lock in users, isn’t real. In reality, Thelot says, people use social media more than ever and report that they are satisfied with it.
https://www.404media.co/a16z-says-you-actually-love-social-media-enshittification-isnt-real/
The lawsuit alleged that the social media giant knowingly designed platforms like Instagram and Facebook to addict children, despite knowing about the harms the platforms could pose to young users. The states also claimed that Meta knowingly collected data from children without parental knowledge, which violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/26/meta-settles-for-18-billion-in-lawsuit-brought-by-29-states-over-social-media-harms-to-children
Canada is set to ban social media for children under 16, in a move similar to Australia's historic law. "We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have. As technologies evolve, we must ensure our laws keep pace, because parents cannot face these challenges alone," reads a statement by Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, who introduced the bill.
https://mashable.com/tech/canada-social-media-ban-children-under-16
Meta has quietly released a new standalone app for Facebook Groups, called “Forum.” The company seems to be positioning Forum as a platform that functions similarly to Reddit, describing the app as a “dedicated space built for deeper discussions, real answers and communities you care about.”
https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/22/meta-quietly-launches-a-new-reddit-like-app-called-forum/
Instagram announced on Wednesday that it’s globally launching “Instants,” a new feature for sharing authentic, disappearing photos after testing it with select users. Unlike Instagram, which is about curated and polished content, Instants is designed for quick, real-life snapshots. With Instants, you capture a photo with Instagram’s in-app camera and aren’t allowed to edit the image. The format doesn’t allow uploads from your camera, and, although you can add text to your “instants,” you can’t modify them any further. Meta said in a blog post that the idea behind this format is to share authentic moments as they’re happening.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/13/instagrams-new-instants-feature-combines-elements-from-snapchat-and-bereal/
Digg is back from the dead. Again. This time around, the site is focused on ranking news — specifically, AI news to start. In an email to beta testers, the company said the site’s goal is to “track the most influential voices in a space” and to surface the news that’s actually worth “paying attention to.” AI is the area it’s testing this idea with, but if successful, Digg will expand to include other topics.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/11/digg-tries-again-this-time-as-an-ai-news-aggregator/
Bluesky has created another app, Attie, that uses AI to build custom feeds. Attie already has a Bluesky account, naturally, where it posted on Saturday that it's currently in an invite-only closed beta. "You can use it to build your own feeds, create software that works the way you want it to, and find signal in the noise."
https://mashable.com/article/bluesky-announces-attie-ai-app-for-custom-feeds