Former Flock employee Jonathan Paz quit after discovering the surveillance company lied about working with ICE. He was tasked with convincing cities to buy Flock cameras before learning CBP and ICE had direct access to the data. https://www.404media.co/why-a-flock-worker-quit-they-lied/ #Media #SocialMedia #Privacy

Leaked documents reveal Flock Safety coaches police on how to convince city councils to buy its license plate reader surveillance technology, telling officers to 'own the narrative' before citizens can raise opposition at public meetings. https://www.404media.co/own-the-narrative-leaked-flock-guide-shows-how-it-teaches-cops-to-promote-its-tech/ #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms

TikTok has launched Dreamina Seedance 2.5, a new AI video generation model for advanced storytelling and longer video clips. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-rolls-out-dreamina-seedance-25/826905/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

Strategy sold 395 million USD in Bitcoin and MSTR stock to repurchase 81 million USD of its STRC shares and build a 4 billion USD cash reserve. The company has paused Bitcoin purchases for six weeks. https://cryptoslate.com/strategy-sells-395-million-in-bitcoin-and-mstr-stock-to-buyback-81-million-in-strc-and-build-cash-reserve-to-4-billion/ #Blockchain #Crypto #InstitutionalAdoption

Microsoft is introducing limits on how much its engineers can spend on AI tools, telling staff that tokenmaxxing is not the goal. The company joins others curbing expensive AI use as costs rise while productivity gains remain unclear. Engineers reportedly spend hundreds to thousands of dollars monthly on AI tokens. https://www.404media.co/microsoft-tells-engineers-tokenmaxxing-is-not-what-we-are-optimizing-for/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

Pinterest added 9 million new monthly active users in Q2 2026, reaching 640 million MAU, as AI-powered improvements drove an 18% rise in revenue to 1.18 billion USD. However, growth stalled in the US, Canada and Europe. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/pinterest-leans-on-ai-to-drive-improved-performance-in-q2/827033/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

Disney has struck a deal with TikTok allowing creators to use clips from Star Wars, Toy Story and Marvel films in their videos. The partnership will launch in the US first before expanding globally. It follows Disney's collapsed 1bn USD deal with OpenAI for AI-generated content. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c235ev9knm4o #Media #SocialMedia #ShortFormVideo

Reddit is expanding its AI moderation tools to reduce reliance on its karma system, making it easier for newcomers to post. The new Rules Hub uses LLMs to automatically enforce community rules. Currently in test with 700-plus communities, it will roll out to all users later this year. https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/05/reddit-aims-to-make-karma-less-important-for-first-time-posters-with-shift-to-ai-moderation-tools/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

Social platforms are fighting a rising tide of AI-generated content, with almost every app introducing restrictions. Pinterest limits AI in feeds, YouTube has cracked down on AI rip-offs, TikTok expanded labelling, and Snapchat will no longer recommend wholly AI-generated videos in Spotlight. Users want human creativity. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/can-the-apps-stop-ai-slop/827170/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

SAP has suspended most travel and hiring because of AI's soaring costs, with exceptions only for AI-related spending. The software giant joins other companies throttling employee AI use as costs spiral out of control. https://www.404media.co/software-giant-sap-stops-most-travel-and-hiring-because-of-ais-soaring-cost/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

#TruthSocial, #Trump’s #socialmedia platform, has seen a significant decline in daily active users, dropping from 436,000 in July 2025 to 261,000 a year later. Despite this, the platform’s sustainability is defended by #TMTG, with plans to attract more creators and potentially adjust the pricing model. However, the launch of a premium version offering early access to Trump’s posts for $100,000 per month has been met with criticism from Wall Street. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-truth-social-hit-by-humiliating-exodus-of-daily-active-users/?eicker.news #media #socialmedia

Flock planned to turn hundreds of thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers into roaming surveillance vehicles by using dashcam data to scan licence plates, according to a presentation obtained by 404 Media. The company intended to partner with Nexar to collect licence plate data across a network of rideshare drivers. https://www.404media.co/flock-pitched-a-plan-to-turn-uber-and-lyft-drivers-into-roaming-surveillance-vehicles/ #Media #SocialMedia #DataPrivacy

#Myspace, once the dominant #socialmedia platform, is planning a #comeback. However, analysts caution that it faces challenges in an overcrowded market dominated by algorithm-driven feeds and short attention spans. The success of Myspace hinges on attracting advertisers, sustaining user interest, and navigating a complex regulatory environment. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/09/myspace-comeback-rival-social-media-giants.html?eicker.news #media #socialmedia

YouTube has introduced a vertical livestream practice mode, allowing creators to test chat, green screen and other streaming effects before going live. The feature supports the growing trend of vertical video content on the platform. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-adds-vertical-livestream-practice-mode/827392/ #Media #SocialMedia #YouTube

Norman, Oklahoma has rejected Flock surveillance camera pitches multiple times over privacy and data security concerns. More than 80 cities have cancelled Flock contracts. https://www.404media.co/the-mayor-who-said-no-when-flock-came-to-town/ #Media #SocialMedia #Privacy

Social media platforms including Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Google are still facing thousands of user addiction lawsuits after a US appeals court rejected their attempt to use Section 230 to shield themselves from claims they intentionally designed addictive products for minors. The cases will now proceed in federal court. https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/10/social-media-platforms-still-facing-thousands-of-user-addiction-lawsuits-after-failed-appeals/ #Media #SocialMedia #Law

A company claiming to provide 100% human-written medical research for peer review is actually entirely AI-generated, an investigation has found. Research Gold advertises services including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, but the PhD reviewers listed on its website are AI-generated and do not exist. https://www.404media.co/company-offering-100-human-written-never-ai-peer-review-is-entirely-ai/ #Media #AI

Bluesky's mobile app user base is continuing to decline over a year after its post-election surge, though its remaining community remains engaged. The platform is now focusing on expanding beyond its core app. https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/11/blueskys-active-user-base-is-shrinking-as-its-focus-expands-beyond-the-app/ #Media #SocialMedia #Bluesky

Meta's AI ambitions may face obstacles as consumer trust wavers. Zuckerberg's latest manifesto outlines a vision for AI agents assisting users daily, but past privacy concerns and controversies could hinder adoption. The company needs to rebuild credibility before its AI plans can succeed. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/metas-lack-of-consumer-trust-could-derail-its-ai-plans/827638/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI

Researchers have documented how Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses are being used to film pickup artist harassment videos on Instagram. The University of Sydney study analysed 350 videos showing men approaching women in public, filmed POV-style using the discreet smart glasses and shared as content on the platform. https://www.404media.co/meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses-pov-instagram-pickup-artists/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI