On today's episode, we discuss why some folks think digital ads are getting worse, whether things are looking up for Uber, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance challenging Meta on VR, why Warner Bros. Discovery will continue Discovery+, the Grammys rebounding from the pandemic's effect on viewership, the surprising most littered plastic item in the US, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti and analysts Suzy Davidkhanian and Max Willens.

Among the major global platforms, Facebook and Instagram will remain firmly at the top in both total revenues and user base, and TikTok will once again be the fastest-growing platform in both areas

The social media landscape is shifting. Economic challenges, new competition, and governmental scrutiny are pushing the major global platforms in different directions.

Nearly 50% of social network users in Thailand will be TikTok users, giving the country the highest TikTok penetration in the world, according to our forecast. The US will rank second, with 45.3% of its social users on TikTok. We expect penetration in the US will be as high as 49.1% by the end of 2026.

TikTok’s recommendation oversight could usher in a new era for social media: The embattled app promised regulators access to its algorithm, which could mean similar changes for competitors.

Amid global economic gloom, Asia-Pacific remains a region of digital opportunities in 2023, highlighted by the increasing momentum of the metaverse in China, surging retail sales in India, and burgeoning livestream commerce in Indonesia.

Tech’s economic pain isn’t letting up: Economic recovery eludes the tech industry as the Fed targets the overall strong job market’s role in driving inflation. Expect more corporate downsizing.

A jarring deceleration in ad spending growth has shaken the advertising industry in many parts of the world. However, this softness is not universal, and it is likely to be short-lived.

Will TikTok’s China ties stymie its progress in US? Legislative and regulatory suspicions and scrutiny pile up even as the app gains favor with marketers and users.

US government intensifies stance against TikTok: A permanent ban from government devices could push the public sector to further remove TikTok from devices. But some fear the service is too big to fail.

Government resistance against TikTok intensifies: The list of states banning TikTok on government devices keeps growing. Could intensifying scrutiny lead to an all-out US TikTok ban?

Twitter and TikTok regulatory losses would be Meta’s gain: Musk’s Twitter acquisition has attracted federal scrutiny and TikTok could get banned. There might be hope for Facebook and Snapchat after all.

Your brand should already be on TikTok. Here are five charts evidencing that point.

Pinduoduo, ByteDance pose threat to Amazon: China-based companies are getting into international ecommerce for an expanded customer base. If the prices are right, they could give Amazon more Q4 worries.

TikTok intends to build its own product fulfillment centers in the US, as evidenced by new job postings on LinkedIn, first discovered by Axios.

Meta faces new challenges: ByteDance and Sony are building their VR ecosystems. This could be the perfect time for Meta to double down on its productivity and collaboration-focused metaverse

Facebook is still the king of social commerce in the US. More than 60% of US social media users ages 14 and older will make a purchase via the platform this year, and about 40% will do so via its sister app Instagram. TikTok will grow the fastest in this regard, drawing nearly one-quarter of social buyers in that age group.

TikTok’s rapid entry onto the social scene in Canada makes it a prime venue for marketers to increase investment. Brands of all stripes should test new ad formats, work with creators to engage audiences, and aim to trigger social commerce transactions from TikTok.

TikTok’s growth could be stifled by ties to China: Intense demand and repeated scandals have the company twisted in a knot.

What’s next for TikTok? The social video behemoth could be expanding into music streaming services to challenge Spotify and Apple Music. We look at other tech segments ripe for a TikTok takeover.