Welcome to this week’s edition of The Download, your go-to source for the latest social and digital news, updates, and trends. Every week, we keep you up to date on the biggest platform updates, industry shifts, and emerging strategies that impact how we engage audiences and drive meaningful connections in health.
Social
Platform News & Updates
- Facebook Update Boosts Admin Control and Privacy: Facebook is giving group admins the option to switch their groups from private to public, enabling community growth while keeping existing member content and privacy fully protected. Read more here.
- Competitor Insights Available for Instagram Professional Accounts: Instagram has introduced a new “Competitive Insights” tool in its Professional Dashboard, allowing business and creator accounts to compare basic performance metrics like follower growth and posting frequency against up to 10 competitor accounts. Read more here.
- New Features for Threads Replies: Threads introduced new reply approvals and activity feed filters, giving users more control over interactions by allowing them to review replies before they appear and better manage engagement on their posts. Read more here.
- A Fifth of Americans Use TikTok for News: TikTok has rapidly become a major news source, with 20% of U.S. adults—up from just 3% in 2020—now regularly getting news on the platform, especially among younger users. Read more here.
- Bluesky Hits 40 Million Users: Bluesky has grown to 40 million users, maintaining a niche but loyal following in the competitive space among Threads and X. Read more here.
- Bluesky Tests ‘Dislike’ Button: Bluesky announces upcoming feature for users to ‘dislike’ posts they do not want to see in their feed, though dislike counts do not appear on posts. Read more here.
- 600M Monthly Active Users on Pinterest: Pinterest has surpassed 600 million monthly active users and achieved a 17% year-over-year revenue increase in Q3, driven by global user growth. Read more here.
Trends & Reports
- Emplifi’s State of Social Media Marketing 2026 Report: Emplifi releases their 2026 Social Media Marketing report, uncovering trends in marketer’s use of AI, influencers, and UGC. Read more here.
Digital
AI
- Apple Nears $1 Billion AI Contract with Google: With its delayed AI features and high-stakes investment, Apple risks losing its edge as users drift to rival platforms that have already moved faster. See more here.
- Tech Leaders Impact California AI Laws: California lawmakers pull back from stricter AI regulation after warnings that heavy controls could drive Big Tech out of the state. Read more here.
- $38 Billion Deal with OpenAI and Amazon: OpenAI commits to a multi-billion-dollar cloud computing deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS), demonstrating big bets on AI infrastructure scale. Learn more here.
- LinkedIn Training AI Models with User Data: LinkedIn is expanding how it uses member profiles, posts, and activity to train its AI models — here’s what you need to know and how to opt out. Read more here.
Web + Search
- Internal Meta Reports Show Earnings from Scam Ads: Internal documents from Meta reveal billions in revenue tied to suspect advertiser activity and a troubling reliance on ad-fraud flows rather than robust enforcement. Read more here.
- Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, & Microsoft Face Earnings Test as Ads Bounce Back: As ad spend rebounds, the major tech firms are under the microscope for how they convert that momentum into sustained growth—and whether AI investments are paying off. Learn more here.
Trends + Technology
- Regulations for Big Tech Causing Landscape Shifts: The tech titans are facing increasing pressure from regulators while depending heavily on volatile ad and data-center markets, raising fresh concerns about sustainability. See more here.
- US & Big Tech Pressure Impacting EU Landmark AI Act: The European Commission is reportedly considering delaying or easing elements of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act in response to intense lobbying from major tech firms and the US government. Find out more here.
That’s a wrap for this week’s The Download! We’ll be back next week with more social and digital news, updates, and trends. If you'd like to discuss the impact these topics may have on your business, connect with our experts at IECommsEngagementStrategy@inizioevoke.com.
Inizio Evoke Comms is a global, award-winning health communications agency that partners with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medtech, consumer, and non-profit clients. We deliver insights-driven public relations campaigns, policy programs, and initiatives that advance health and well-being around the world. Find out more.
