Our outlook for social ad spending in 2022 has deteriorated significantly since March. This report breaks down what went wrong in the past nine months, and what’s ahead in the next two years.

Last month, Atlantic writer Ian Bogost posed the incendiary question, “Is the age of social media ending?” No, according to our analysts. But it’s definitely changing, which presents an opportunity to reach younger consumers.

Meta succeeds against US regulators but takes a major blow in the EU: Meta insists that news isn’t part of its business model, but its pivot to Reels hits a major roadblock.

Musk loyalists put to the Twitter stress test: Bedrooms for Musk associates at Twitter’s headquarters, lawsuits, and failed content standards give competing social media platforms an opportunity to attract users.

Things aren’t all that bad for Big Tech: Sustaining pandemic-era revenues was likely never realistic. But major tech companies are still raking in enormous profits, despite Wall Street investors’ outcry.

Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency, Google’s cookie deprecation, and the impending threat of regulation are challenging data collection. Trust in social platforms is declining. As consumers shy from sharing information, marketers need to meet customers where they’re comfortable. That means finding creative solutions and investing in trusted platforms.

We expect 2023 to usher in changes in ad spending, audience, and commerce that will create a new crop of digital leaders.

Meta wants to transform WhatsApp into a super app: It is rolling out the ability to search businesses by category, browse their catalogs, and buy without leaving the app.

Nike and Apple eye opportunities in the metaverse: Nike is opening an online store and trading platform for digital sneakers, while Apple is reportedly working on its own virtual environment.

Pinterest and LinkedIn get top marks on social media trust report card: Research reveals users have low confidence overall in platforms’ ability to safeguard their information.

Next year, for the first time, more than half of US social network users will buy via social platforms.

Advertisers are ditching a tumultuous Twitter in the wake of Elon Musk’s erratic behavior, combined with an underwhelming (or downright concerning) earnings season for Big Tech.

As political advertising grows, social media's role has evolved: More ad collars are flowing to CTV now, though campaigns are approaching influencers to support candidates.

Following a turbulent third quarter in advertising, our updated forecast shows it’s not all bad news.

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.

UK consumers’ hearty appetite for ecommerce hasn’t extended to social shopping. But there is strong potential for growth as TikTok triggers a new wave of community-driven commerce.

In the last year, Meta—and the overall US digital ad market—have changed significantly. Here are seven strategies from our “The Future of Meta” report that marketers should embrace in the new year.

Insights from the Future of Meta report: We look at key VR hardware and software opportunities for Meta’s future as the company leverages its dominance in VR headsets to build its vision for the metaverse.

Despite the fact that Meta has bulked up its ad offerings quite a bit this year, its ad revenues were down nearly 4% in the third quarter.