YouTube is merging its creator and advertising tools into a single platform to streamline collaboration and affiliate marketing. The update aims to help creators better monetise their content while simplifying how brands can partner with them. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-adds-updated-tools-to-its-creator-partnership-program/815494/ #Media #SocialMedia #ShortFormVideo #YouTube

Half of Americans say artificial intelligence does more harm than good in their daily lives, while around four in ten see more benefits than drawbacks, according to new Pew Research Center findings. Younger adults tend to be more positive about AI than older generations. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/12/key-findings-about-how-americans-view-artificial-intelligence/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI #Pew

A company called WebinarTV is secretly scanning the internet for Zoom meeting links, recording the calls and turning them into AI-generated podcasts. The company claims to host over 200,000 webinars. In some cases, people only discovered their calls were recorded when WebinarTV contacted them directly to promote its services. https://www.404media.co/this-company-is-secretly-turning-your-zoom-calls-into-ai-podcasts/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI #WebinarTV

Most Americans (36%) turn to their preferred news organisation first when breaking news occurs, while 28% start with a search engine and the remainder go to social media, reflecting how fragmented news consumption has become. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/24/where-do-americans-turn-first-for-information-about-breaking-news/ #Media #SocialMedia #SocialNews #Pew

Snapchat has launched a new 'AI Clips' Lens format that turns a single photo into a five-second video using AI. Developers can create and publish a Lens in minutes without external tools, directly challenging TikTok and Instagram's video creation features. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/24/snapchats-new-ai-clips-lens-format-turns-photos-into-five-second-videos/ #Media #SocialMedia #ShortFormVideo #Snapchat

Four Nieman Fellows recently discussed AI's impact on journalism, exploring how newsrooms are using the technology for data analysis and content creation while grappling with questions about independence from big tech companies and ethical use in reporting. https://www.niemanreports.org/ai-research-risks-journalism-artificial-intelligence-nieman-foundation-fellows/ #Media #SocialMedia #AIinMedia #AI

The UK government will trial social media bans and digital curfews on teenagers, interviewing young people and their parents before and after to assess the impact of the limits. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn89g3ngkyzo #Media #SocialMedia #SocialNews #UK

Disney has pulled out of a B USD deal with OpenAI just months after announcing it would let users create videos using Disney characters on Disney+. The partnership with Sora, which aimed to generate fan-inspired content from over 200 beloved characters, never even launched before being cancelled. The failure suggests AI-generated content is not the future of Hollywood. https://www.404media.co/disneys-openai-sora-disaster-shows-ai-will-not-save-hollywood/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI #Disney #OpenAI

A jury has found Meta and Google negligent in a landmark social media addiction case, ruling the platforms contributed to a young woman's mental health struggles. Evidence showed Meta knew its platforms were addictive to teenagers and used research to increase engagement among young users. Meta must pay 70% of 3 million USD in damages. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/jury-finds-meta-and-youtube-negligent-in-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial/ #Media #SocialMedia #AIinMedia #Meta

Reddit has introduced a new label to distinguish bot accounts from human users, allowing people to easily identify when they are interacting with automation rather than actual people. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/reddit-implements-new-app-label-to-identify-bot-profiles/815758/ #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms #Reddit

The UK government must decide how to respond to a landmark US court verdict finding Meta and YouTube liable in a social media addiction case. With the UK already trialling social media bans for teenagers, the ruling adds pressure for faster regulatory action. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q90kekw08o #Media #SocialMedia #SocialNews #UK

WhatsApp is rolling out AI-powered suggested replies that draft messages based on your conversations. The Meta-owned platform's Writing Help feature now generates full message drafts, expanding beyond its existing rephrase and tone-adjustment tools. Users can access the feature via the chat bar. The company says chats remain private even when using the AI tool. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/whatsapp-can-now-draft-ai-generated-responses-based-on-your-conversations/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI #WhatsApp

Wikipedia has banned AI-generated content from its pages, after volunteer editors accepted a new policy prohibiting the use of large language models to create or rewrite articles. The policy states LLM-generated text often violates Wikipedia's core content policies. #AI #Media #Wikipedia https://www.404media.co/wikipedia-bans-ai-generated-content/

Mastodon is redesigning user profiles to simplify its decentralised network and appeal to mainstream users and organisations. The update aims to make the platform more accessible while maintaining its open-source, federated architecture. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/mastodon-is-making-its-decentralized-social-network-easier-to-use-with-its-latest-revamp/ #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms #Mastodon

Apple provided the FBI with the real identity behind a user's Hide My Email anonymous address during an investigation into threatening messages sent to FBI director Kash Patel's girlfriend, according to court records. The case reveals what data Apple can hand over to law enforcement even when users employ privacy features. https://www.404media.co/apple-gives-fbi-a-users-real-name-hidden-behind-hide-my-email-feature/ #Media #SocialMedia #Apple #DataPrivacy

WhatsApp has introduced new AI-powered features that can draft responses based on your conversations, alongside improved tools for managing storage and transferring chat history between Android and iOS devices. The Meta-owned messaging platform continues expanding its artificial intelligence capabilities across its suite of applications. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/whatsapp-rolls-out-multiple-features-to-improve-chats/815922/ #Media #SocialMedia #Meta

X has lost its lawsuit against the World Federation of Advertisers after a Texas judge dismissed the case. The platform formerly known as Twitter had alleged the advertisers' boycott was politically motivated but failed to prove its case. The ruling marks another legal setback for the platform as it struggles to retain advertising revenue. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/x-formerly-twitter-loses-legal-action-against-wfa-over-alleged-ad-boycott/815923/ #Media #SocialMedia #X

Austria is planning to ban social media for children under 14, following similar moves by France and Spain. The government says it cannot stand by while social media makes children "addicted and ill." The ban would protect children from addictive algorithms. Other European countries including Australia, the UK, Denmark, Greece and Ireland are also considering similar restrictions. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyv70de9exo #Media #SocialMedia #SocialNews #Austria

Iranian propagandists are outpacing the US in the AI-generated content race, according to 404 Media. Iranian "Explosive News Team" creates AI videos at scale, including viral LEGO movies mocking Trump. Meanwhile the White House relies on outdated game memes. A Pew poll shows 61% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the Iran conflict. https://www.404media.co/iran-is-winning-the-ai-slop-propaganda-war/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

More than 4,000 terrestrial religious radio stations broadcast across the United States, making up about a quarter of all FCC-licensed stations, according to new Pew Research Center analysis. Nearly all US adults live within range of at least one religious station, and 45% of Americans say they listen to religious audio programming. https://www.pewresearch.org/data-labs/2026/03/26/religious-radio-across-america/ #Media #SocialMedia #LiveAudio #PewResearch