In this report, we look at the most important updates for social platforms in Q3 and how those changes will affect marketers. For the first time, we’re including updates for YouTube as well.

On today's episode, we discuss why Elon Musk wants Twitter again, what challenges he'll face if he ends up owning the social media company, and what this all means for advertisers. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Jasmine Enberg.

Big Tech vs. SCOTUS: Social media regulation goes before the Supreme Court, with a lawsuit against Google in focus. Rulings could have major implications for user content on the internet.

He wants to create the US version of WeChat. Twitter can help him do this, but there could be regulatory hurdles ahead.

For real this time: Elon Musk is buying Twitter for $44 billion after backing out of the deal and engaging in a public dispute that put personnel and shareholders through the wringer.

Digital trust is the confidence people have that a platform will protect their information and provide a safe environment for them to create and engage with content. Our sixth annual benchmark survey of US social media users reveals that trust in social media platforms has declined substantially this year in key areas including privacy, safety, and ad relevance.

User trust in the major social platforms is down this year, according to our sixth annual benchmark survey, especially in the areas of privacy, safety, and ad relevance. Trust affects ad engagement, and in a year when ad revenue growth is slowing for many platforms, it’s imperative that they stem the declines.

Pinterest’s new “Don’t Don’t Yourself” ad campaign highlights the platform as a site for genuineness and creativity, while hinting at the darker sides of other social media networks.

Twitter stock gets boost as Musk saga continues: Markets respond favorably to shareholders approving Musk purchase deal despite whistleblower allegations. Tech regulation is probable, but the deal outcome is uncertain.

Reports that Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are abandoning some of their shopping features are not a reflection of the platforms’ overall commerce ambitions. But as social commerce buyer growth slows, brands should focus more on reengaging existing customers and less on direct buying capabilities like native checkout.

Last week, Twitter finally announced a “share” button for its Android app. The feature’s already standard in iOS, making Twitter really, really late to its own game. It’s just the latest example of a social media platform chasing revenues from competitors. Apps aren’t above copying off a classmate’s paper to get ahead.

Google and Meta have maintained a steady lead in digital ad revenues worldwide, ahead of the likes of Amazon, Twitter, and Snapchat. But that's not without their own growing pains. Both Meta and Google saw revenues dip by several billion dollars in Q1 of this year. Still, the companies are tens of billions of dollars ahead of triopoly competitor, Amazon, in digital ad revenues.

At long last, you can edit your tweets: Well, you can if you’re a Twitter Blue subscriber, that is.

Twitter employee departures accelerate as Musk drama wears on: Uncertainty over company direction and stalled growth initiatives could be a turnoff to advertisers as well.

The power of creators is alive and well—despite reports suggesting the opposite. Marketers are increasing, not cutting, their influencer spending, particularly on TikTok. But creator partnerships may not be right for every marketer, as challenges from brand safety to measurement persist.

Twitter appeals to retailers: Its new Location Spotlight should help firms with physical locations communicate with customers.

On today's episode, we discuss how much of an effect Elon Musk has had on Twitter's recent performance, how advertisers are now viewing the company, and what initiatives the social media platform will likely consider moving forward. "In Other News," we talk about how bots and spam influence advertising and whether shorter ads on social media are the way to go. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Jasmine Enberg.

As Apple’s ad business expands, ATT’s reputation suffers: The mobile ad industry is reeling from the change, while Apple’s services unit grows ever larger.

Elon Musk doesn’t own Twitter, but he partially owns its Q2 results: The Tesla CEO has been a headwind factoring into the platform's weak Q2 results.