Social Media 27 September 2025 - 24 January 2026

Meta Platforms opens WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots in Europe — but charges a fee
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Meta Platforms opens WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots in Europe — but charges a fee

Meta will allow third-party AI chatbots to access WhatsApp’s Business API in Europe for 12 months, charging fees between €0.0490 and €0.1323 per message. EU antitrust regulators are considering interim measures over access restrictions. Rival developers say the pricing still blocks competition. Meta faces similar regulatory action in Italy and Brazil.
March 5, 2026
TikTok U.S. deal sealed with Oracle-led venture — here’s what changes for users
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TikTok U.S. deal sealed with Oracle-led venture — here’s what changes for users

ByteDance has won U.S. and Chinese approval to transfer TikTok’s U.S. business to a new majority-American venture backed by Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, Sky News reported. TikTok pushed updated terms to U.S. users allowing GPS-level tracking and expanded data collection, Wired reported. ByteDance will retain 19.9% ownership, with each partner holding 15%, according to Data Center Dynamics. Adam Presser will lead the new entity as CEO, The Verge said.
January 24, 2026
TikTok avoids U.S. ban with Oracle-led joint venture deal — here’s who owns what now
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TikTok avoids U.S. ban with Oracle-led joint venture deal — here’s who owns what now

ByteDance said Friday it will shift TikTok’s U.S. operations to a new joint venture, with Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX each taking 15% stakes and ByteDance retaining 19.9%. The venture will control U.S. user data on Oracle’s cloud and oversee TikTok’s algorithm security. Adam Presser was named CEO. Both U.S. and Chinese officials approved the deal.
January 23, 2026
Boop AI Travel App Turns Social Tips into Bookable Trips: What’s New on 19 November 2025
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Boop AI Travel App Turns Social Tips into Bookable Trips: What’s New on 19 November 2025

Boop, an AI travel app founded by ex-Meta and Microsoft executive Nancy Li Smith, launched this week and drew major coverage from TechCrunch and other outlets. The app lets users copy and customize real travelers’ itineraries, using AI to turn location and photo data into bookable trips. Boop secured $3.2 million in pre-seed funding. Media attention surged after TechCrunch’s November 18 feature.
November 19, 2025
X Login Outage: Security Key Switch to X.com Locks Out Users as Twitter.com Finally Dies (November 13, 2025)
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X Login Outage: Security Key Switch to X.com Locks Out Users as Twitter.com Finally Dies (November 13, 2025)

Millions of X users were locked out of their accounts November 12–13 after a glitch in the platform’s two-factor authentication process, triggered by a domain switch from twitter.com to x.com. Many encountered repeated prompts to re-enroll security keys like YubiKeys, with some unable to regain access even after following instructions. X has not issued a detailed public statement. Partial recovery is reported, but problems persist.
November 13, 2025
Mobile Mayhem: Apple’s iPhone Air, Samsung’s Tri-Fold Leak, TikTok’s Shakeup & More
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Mobile Mayhem: Apple’s iPhone Air, Samsung’s Tri-Fold Leak, TikTok’s Shakeup & More

Apple expanded iPhone 17 and iPhone Air sales to more markets on Sept 26, reopening its Tokyo Ginza store and promising a fix for an iOS 26 bug affecting AI tools. Samsung launched new Galaxy Tab S11 tablets and Galaxy S25 FE in Australia, while leaks point to a tri-fold “Galaxy G Fold” and new camera features in One UI 8.5. Xiaomi’s CEO claimed its 17 series surpasses iPhone 17, and confirmed a $7 billion chip investment.
September 27, 2025
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