Clouted has raised 7M USD in seed funding to automate short video clipping for brands, using AI to identify which 30-90 second clips from podcasts and videos will go viral. The startup works with over 100,000 gig creators. https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/clouted-wants-to-take-the-guesswork-out-of-making-short-videos-go-viral/ #Media #ShortFormVideo

Clouted has raised 7M USD in seed funding to automate short video clipping for brands, using AI to identify which 30-90 second clips from podcasts and videos will go viral. The startup works with over 100,000 gig creators. https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/clouted-wants-to-take-the-guesswork-out-of-making-short-videos-go-viral/ #Media #SocialMedia #ShortFormVideo

Ofcom has criticised TikTok and YouTube, saying their content feeds are 'not safe enough' for children. The regulator found 84% of children aged eight to 12 still use at least one major service with a minimum age of 13. TikTok and YouTube failed to commit to significant changes. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0pky4zpxxo #Media #SocialMedia #ChildSafety

At a Pennsylvania high school, teenage boys allegedly used an AI app to put five girls' faces onto nude bodies. The victims, their parents and an AI app from the Apple App Store are at the centre of what's become a case study in how schools and police grapple with deepfake crimes involving children. https://www.404media.co/radnor-high-school-pennsylvania-ai-deepfakes-child-sexual-abuse-material/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

SpaceX's S-1 filing reveals X has 550 million users, shy of the 600M the platform has claimed. Grok has 117 million monthly active users, about 21% of X's base. The filing also shows X and Grok subscriptions rising. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/spacex-filing-provides-insight-into-x-grok-and-xai/820945/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

UK online safety minister Kanishka Narayan says any ban on social media for under-16s will apply in Northern Ireland if agreed at Westminster. The government is consulting on restricting under-16s from accessing social media platforms. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8091890911o #Media #SocialMedia #Privacy

#Reddit shares fell 6% after #Meta launched #Forum, a standalone app for online forums, raising concerns about competition. Analysts believe Forum could erode Reddit’s utility for casual users seeking answers. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/22/reddit-stock-drops-after-meta-launches-forum-app.html?eicker.media #media #socialmedia

Oxford University study links excessive social media use to declining wellbeing, particularly among young women. World Happiness Report finds more time on platforms equals greater loss of happiness. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmp493wpj0o #Media #SocialMedia #Wellbeing

Meta has launched Forum, a new standalone app for Facebook groups. The app brings together users' Facebook groups in a dedicated space for deeper discussions, aiming to create a Reddit-like experience where members can ask questions and get real answers from community members. All groups remain linked to Facebook. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-launches-new-group-focused-forum-app/821047/ #Media #CommunityPlatforms

YouTube is introducing a Unique Reach metric that counts co-viewers on connected TV sets. The platform will use demographic models to estimate actual viewer numbers per household, aligning the measurement with traditional TV industry standards. Creators can also now add music to image posts in the Shorts feed. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-updates-unique-reach-calculation-adds-music-for-still-image-posts/821049/ #Media #SocialMedia #ShortFormVideo

#Loops Beta 12 is the biggest release yet, featuring #StarterKits compatible with #Mastodon, Curated #Onboarding for community moderation, and Studio #Analytics for #creators. It also includes #multiaccount support, video embeds, and several other new features and improvements. https://blog.joinloops.org/loops-beta-12-is-here/ https://blog.joinloops.org/loops-beta-12-is-here/?eicker.media #media #socialmedia #fediverse #activitypub

Top doctors say social media ranks with smoking as a threat to young peoples health. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges says doctors should routinely ask about screen time when seeing younger patients. The UK government is considering a ban for under-16s. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7r9gqp6jo #Media #SocialMedia #SocialNews

Two Instagram adverts featuring footballers Harry Kane and Erling Haaland have been banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority for appealing to under-18s. The betting ads breached the advertising code because the players have a strong appeal to under-18s, the ASA said. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3w220y2l8xo #Media #SocialMedia #SOCIALCOMMERCE

#Meta is expanding its #subscription offerings globally for #Instagram, #Facebook, and #WhatsApp, providing additional features for power users. The new “Plus” plans, tailored to each app, offer features like profile customisation and story insights. Meta is also testing new subscription plans for businesses, creators, and Meta AI users. https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/27/meta-officially-launches-instagram-facebook-and-whatsapp-subscriptions-with-more-to-come-including-ai-plans/?eicker.media #media #socialmedia

Users of Character.AI are revolting after changes they say have ruined the app, with new restrictions, ads and model changes making it feel lobotomized. The backlash shows what AI enshittification looks like. https://www.404media.co/lobotomized-character-ai-is-showing-what-ai-enshittification-looks-like/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

Bluesky expands beyond short posts with long-form articles, blogs and newsletters via Standard.site integration. The AT Protocol app now lets users explore content across the wider Atmosphere network, including independent publishing platforms. This follows X's Articles feature and marks Bluesky's second community-powered expansion this year. https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/28/bluesky-embraces-long-form-content-to-counter-x-articles/ #Media #SocialMedia #Community

TikTok Shop is expanding to Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland from June 15, bringing in-app shopping to four more EU markets. Over 100K European businesses have joined since launching in late 2024, driving triple-digit GMV growth. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-shops-expands-to-new-eu-merchant-countries/821443/ #Media #SocialMedia #ECommerce

Anduril has unveiled EagleEye, its mixed reality battlefield system for the US military. The system offers an 84-degree field of view for digital night vision, wider than conventional military systems. Founded by Palmer Luckey, Anduril took over the US Army's IVAS programme from Microsoft in 2025. https://roadtovr.com/anduril-eagleeyes-wide-fov-ar-night-vision/ #Metaverse #VR #AR #Enterprise

A study has uncovered 37 manipulative design patterns in AI chatbots including ChatGPT, Gemini and Replika. Research from the Centre for Democracy & Technology shows how chatbots exploit human psychology to keep users paying and engaged. https://www.404media.co/new-study-reveals-the-manipulative-dark-patterns-of-ai-chatbots/ #Media #AI

Scotland's children's commissioner has warned that a social media ban could simply drive children to less regulated or riskier parts of the internet. The UK government is planning to ban under-16s from social media, but experts say it may backfire. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1721n4klp2o #Media #SocialMedia