The vertical video takeover is here
The vertical video takeover is here

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on all things vertical video, follow David Pierce. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started For a while, every social and media platform […]

Facebook debuts Seller app for Marketplace and tests a TikTok-style video feed

Facebook is rolling out a standalone Seller app for Marketplace power users and testing a video-first home screen that mirrors TikTok’s format.

Facebook is getting a free verified badge to help spot real people

Facebook is rolling out a free, selfie-based Verified badge so you know there’s a real person behind a profile before you swipe, chat, or buy.

Facebook considers giving up and becoming TikTok
Facebook considers giving up and becoming TikTok

Facebook is planning some big changes to try and keep its users from jumping to rival social platforms like TikTok – changes that sound dubiously similar to becoming a TikTok clone. Facebook head Tom Alison announced today that the platform will begin testing a “reimagined experience” later this year that will put a subset of […]

The days of unrestricted social media for children may be coming to an end

Governments worldwide are introducing or considering social media bans for children, as concerns over mental health, online safety, and addictive algorithms continue to reshape digital policy.

Meta’s addictive Instagram and Facebook design could lead to billions in fines and a forced redesign

The European Commission says Meta failed to protect users, especially teens, from Instagram and Facebook’s addictive design, and the company could face massive fines.

EU threatens Meta with fines over addictive features on Facebook and Instagram

The tech giant is in breach of the Digital Services Act by focusing on features like infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and the highly personalized recommendation algorithms, the European Commission said.

Instagram and Facebook will likely require a redesign after EU rules they’re ‘addictive’
Instagram and Facebook will likely require a redesign after EU rules they’re ‘addictive’

Meta is in breach of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a preliminary investigation has found, over the “addictive” design of Instagram and Facebook. It’s likely to be forced to redesign both apps and could face a fine of up to $12 billion. The European Commission said Meta “did not adequately assess the risks of […]

I read Careless People, the Meta tell-all — and it made me want the chapter Sarah Wynn-Williams couldn’t write
I read Careless People, the Meta tell-all — and it made me want the chapter Sarah Wynn-Williams couldn’t write

Reading Careless People helped me understand how Facebook’s internal culture may have allowed Mark Zuckerberg’s strange metaverse obsession to become Meta’s defining idea.