Threads rolls out creator hub and privacy updates: Meta's push to differentiate its platform highlights its ongoing identity issues

Our annual Trends to Watch report for Canada highlights expected developments in the country’s media and advertising market for 2025. Next year, we anticipate a shift in media buying will favor domestic publishers and retail media channels, while large platforms will contend with the new Digital Services Tax.

With Meta and Google building private subsea cables, they’re bypassing telecom giants, ensuring faster services and reshaping how the internet reaches developing regions.

Its errors show the dilemma of curbing misinformation while protecting users’ rights, especially as pressure mounts under new US leadership.

The incoming Trump administration will indisputably affect the future of Big Tech. The breakup of Google, the forced sale or ban of TikTok, and the regulation of AI are all issues the president-elect will need to take a stance on.

xAI’s plan for a standalone app may expand user access, but controversial outputs and app store policies could undermine its adoption and growth.

"We would not have re-accelerated our revenue in the last two years if it was not for AI," Alex Schultz, CMO and vice president of analytics at Meta, said on our "Behind the Numbers" podcast. "It's that important to us. We wouldn't have recovered from AppTracking transparency [or] been able to do more with less data if it wasn't for AI. So that's the very core of our business."

With $16 billion in annual losses, Meta slashes app investments for Quest headsets, risking sales to stabilize costs while holding onto a long-term vision for Reality Labs

Hobbies and interests had a 1.9% clickthrough rate (CTR) in Q2 2024, putting the industry ahead of others including arts and entertainment (1.2%) and automotive (1.2%), according to exclusive data from AdRoll.

The new AI model empowers marketers and hobbyists alike with streamlined video creation, pushing the company ahead in the booming genAI video market.

Google and Meta landed slightly below expectations in Q3, allowing a collection of hungry competitors to inch ahead. But overall, the ad industry remains healthy. Sports events drove streaming and CTV to record gains, and retail media continues to be the sector’s fastest-growing ad channel.

With revenues soaring 94% to $35.1 billion, it dominates AI hardware, but Big Tech’s in-house chip ambitions could challenge its position.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the big questions Meta is hearing from advertisers, the interplay of analytics and marketing, and the argument for removing the distinction between brand and performance marketing. Tune in to the discussion with Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg and Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Analytics at Meta Alex Schultz.

Threads enhances browsing with custom feeds: faster, simpler feed setup aims to attract users amid bluesky’s accelerating growth.

A forced sale could upend Google’s ad revenue streams, alter the search landscape, and open the browser market to new competition.

The rapid growth of genAI has the potential to remake marketing and customer experiences in Asia-Pacific. Here’s how surging investment, consumer enthusiasm, and the evolving regulatory landscape are reshaping digital marketing.

Aimed at teens and active users, this move could enhance personalization, increase engagement, and boost Meta’s ad appeal.

Critical flaws in its flagship AI hardware force Nvidia into a rushed redesign, threatening delayed shipments and sparking doubts about the AI industry’s breakneck expansion.

Rapid user growth highlights demand for decentralized, ad-free feeds, but scalability and monetization remain critical hurdles for long-term success.

His track record of investigating Silicon Valley hints at regulatory shake-ups, though ethical controversies may cloud his confirmation path.