The update, aimed at making conversations feel more familiar, was announced on Monday by Nikita Bier, X’s head of Product, who said the platform found that content from “mutuals” was not appearing as often as it should in reply threads.

“We noticed this data was missing from the algo and it made your friends appear less in your replies. This resulted in the reply section feeling more like a battleground with people you don’t recognise.”

According to Bier, the change should also make it easier for users with similar interests to connect and build communities around shared conversations.

He added: “help clusters form around interests more easily, which many people have asked for.”

Although the algorithm adjustment is unlikely to transform the platform overnight, it means X is encouraging more effective and meaningful interactions instead of exposing users mainly to replies from strangers.

The company has introduced several product updates this year to attract and retain creators. Earlier in the year, X changed how it pays creators, rewarding original content over reposted or aggregated material.

More recently, it launched a built-in video editor, giving creators another tool to produce and edit content without leaving the platform.

The latest update also comes as competition with Meta’s Threads increases. Threads has been adding features that give users better management over what they see.

Last month, the platform introduced Your Algo, a private feature that allows users to customise how their feed is ranked. Threads has also reached 500 million monthly active users.

While prioritising posts from mutual followers could make discussions more personal, the update does not address some of the platform’s challenges, including spam, harassment, misinformation and content theft, which affects the user experience.

The post X Updates Algorithm to Prioritise Mutual Followers in Reply Threads appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The update brings a range of editing features, including multilingual captions that users can customise and green-screen tools that allow creators to use images from their camera roll or other posts on X as backgrounds.

The company also redesigned the editing interface to make recording and editing videos easier within the app.

According to X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, the company wants to give creators better tools while rewarding those who publish original work.

“One of our biggest priorities is to give creators the tools to create original content [and] reward those creators,” Bier wrote in a post. “We have plenty more updates coming to the video editor in the coming weeks.”

He added that the goal is to build a “functional” video editor so videos on X can “finally be original content that doesn’t exist on other platforms.”

The update comes as video grows on the platform. Bier said posts containing videos now account for nearly half of all impressions on X, making video one of its biggest sources of engagement.

Even so, X still faces competition from platforms such as TikTok, Meta and YouTube, which already offer more established creator programmes, stronger monetisation options and wider audiences.

Bier also acknowledged that recycled content is a problem on X. He said many popular accounts share videos taken from other creators, sometimes years after the original clips first went viral.

Beyond copied content, the platform faces issues of spam and automated accounts. In April, Bier said X was identifying and suspending “208 bots per minute and growing.” He also revealed at the time that half of the company’s product team had been working on features designed to reduce spam.

Unlike some competing platforms, X does not yet provide creators with built-in tools to report stolen videos or claim ownership when their content is reposted. Meta allows creators to block copied Reels or add attribution links that can help them earn revenue, while YouTube offers systems to detect and remove unauthorised re-uploads.

X is not alone in dealing with the high volume of spam and bot-generated content online. Reddit recently said it is introducing new tools to tackle the rise in spam and automated posts, while Digg shut down its app earlier this year, saying it lacked the resources to deal with the problem.

The redesigned video editor and recorder are available first on the iOS version of X. Bier said support for Android will follow after work on rebuilding the app is completed.

The post X Unveils New Video Editing Tools to Encourage Original Creator Content appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister, Meutya Hafid, said TikTok removed 4.1 million accounts, while YouTube deactivated another 600,000. She also urged other platforms to comply with the regultion.

TikTok, owned by Chinese technology company ByteDance, and YouTube, which is operated by Google, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The new regulation, introduced in March, requires social media platforms classified as high risk to deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16. The regulation currently applies to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X and online gaming platform Roblox.

Unlike systems that rely mainly on users declaring their age, Indonesia’s policy requires platforms to actively identify and remove underage accounts.

Authorities are also reviewing self-assessment reports submitted by more than 200 platforms to determine whether they are meeting the new requirements.

Explaining the government’s position, Hafid said: “We’re not just delaying a child’s access, but we want behaviours from platforms to change, too.”

The government said the restrictions are designed to reduce cyberbullying, excessive screen time, digital addiction and other online risks facing children.

Officials have also pointed to algorithm-driven content feeds and social comparison as potential harm to young people’s mental health in ways that content moderation alone cannot address.

The removal of 4.7 million accounts is one of the largest enforcement actions of its kind and is being monitored by governments considering similar measures.

Indonesia’s approach follows Australia’s decision to ban social media use for children under 16 in 2025 over concerns about its impact on young people’s mental health.

However, reports have revealed that about 85% of Australian teenagers bypassed the restrictions by creating alternative accounts.

Britain has also announced plans to expand its online safety measures to cover gaming and live-streaming platforms, while Norway and Italy are considering similar policies as governments continue to debate how best to protect children online.

The post TikTok, YouTube Remove 4.7 Million Under-16 Accounts as Indonesia Enforces Child Safety Regulation appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The landmark policy, approved by the UAE Cabinet on Thursday, places the Gulf nation at the forefront of global efforts to address concerns over children’s exposure to harmful online content, cyberbullying, predatory behaviour, excessive screen time, and the collection of personal data by technology platforms.

Unlike some jurisdictions that permit younger users to access social media with parental consent, the UAE’s new rules impose a blanket ban on account ownership and usage for children below 15 years, with enforcement responsibility placed directly on social media companies.

According to the state-run WAM news agency, children under the age threshold will be prohibited from creating, using, or managing personal accounts, as well as accessing key social networking functions such as posting content, commenting, sharing information, joining public groups, and interacting with other users on open channels.

The move aligns with an emerging international trend toward stronger child online protection frameworks. In late 2024, Australia passed one of the world’s strictest social media laws, banning children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms and requiring technology companies to implement robust age-verification mechanisms.

Similarly, the United Kingdom has intensified enforcement of child safety provisions under its Online Safety Act, compelling digital platforms to introduce age checks and stronger safeguards for younger users.

Several other countries, including France, Norway, and some U.S. states, have also explored or introduced age-based restrictions and parental consent requirements as governments grapple with the impact of social media on children’s mental health, privacy, and online safety.

Under the UAE framework, teenagers aged 15 and 16 will still be permitted to use social media platforms, but with enhanced protections.

These include age-appropriate content controls, restrictions on unsolicited contact from unknown users, screen-time management tools, and parental supervision features designed to create a safer digital environment.

Industry observers say the UAE’s decision could add momentum to the global push for stricter platform accountability, especially as regulators increasingly shift responsibility from parents to technology companies to ensure age compliance and child protection online.

The development also raises fresh questions for emerging digital economies, including those in Africa, about how best to balance children’s access to digital opportunities with growing concerns over online safety, privacy, and responsible technology use.

The post UAE Becomes First Arab Nation to Ban Social Media Accounts for Under-15s appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Regional economists and corporate leaders, however, are warning that using pan-African companies as leverage in geopolitical disputes could sabotage the long-term vision of continental unity and economic integration.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), established to create a single market for goods and services across 54 countries, relies heavily on the cross-border movement of capital and operations spearheaded by telecom giants like MTN.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) projects that AfCFTA could boost intra-African trade by up to 52%.

Attacking the corporate pillars that facilitate this trade over localised Afrophobic incidents directly undermines this historic economic pact.

MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita recently addressed the implications of these tensions, noting that corporate giants with a continental footprint are deeply intertwined with the economies they serve.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Mupita provided a statistical reality check regarding the company’s revenue distribution: “MTN makes less than 20% in South Africa and makes 80% of our earnings elsewhere.”

This data point illustrates that MTN is, by definition, a broadly African asset rather than a strictly South African one.

Furthermore, driving away multinational telecommunications operators would have a cascading effect on local economies. In Nigeria alone, the telecom sector provides the backbone for the nation’s booming fintech and e-commerce industries.

Retaliatory boycotts would threaten thousands of direct jobs and millions of indirect livelihoods. “MTN as a pan African business, is supportive of constructive and inclusive dialogue on these complex issues,” Mupita emphasised via LinkedIn, advocating for diplomacy over destruction.

To secure a prosperous future, the narrative must shift from retaliatory nationalism to collective accountability.

African leaders must enforce the protection of migrants in their respective countries while fostering environments where pan-African commerce can thrive uninterrupted by xenophobic flashpoints.

Unity is an economic imperative in this context.

The post Social Media Campaigns Put Telecom Giants, AfCFTA Vision at Risk – Mupita appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Over 60 million sports content creators globally already feed a constant stream of commentary, reactions and culture-driven storytelling on the platform, running alongside live sport rather than waiting for it to end.

At the #SportsOnTikTok Mixer recently hosted by TikTok in Lagos, Nigeria, the platform showed what this actually looks like realistically, with a one-liner that changes everything about how sport is consumed online: “We don’t just have followers on TikTok, we have fans.”

This explains why sports on the platform no longer behave like traditional media, but more like an always-on public square where football, fashion, music, food and even injury analysis are all found in the same feed without hierarchy.

Keagile Makgoba, head of Communications for sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said sports content in Nigeria is still driven largely by football, while also expanding into other areas that were initially not part of traditional sports broadcasting.

What is emerging, she said, is not just highlight culture but lifestyle sport, where the focus is not solely on what happens during the game but also off the pitch.

These include dressing room moments, coaching conversations, match-day meals, stadium fashion, and even the music fans are listening to while the game is on.

That expansion has encouraged participation in ways traditional sports media never fully captured, especially among women. Data from TikTok revealed that 64% of women now choose the platform as their primary destination for sports content.

This means increased viewership and a change in who feels included in sports conversations in the first place.

Makgoba linked that change to something way more than content variety, explaining that sport is no longer defined strictly by the 90 minutes on the pitch but by everything that surrounds it. These include music trends, player personalities, and the social reactions that build around every big moment.

“I enjoy seeing what’s happening in the change rooms, what the coaches are saying to the players,” she said, describing how audience interest has expanded into behind-the-scenes moments that used to be inaccessible or filtered through traditional media.

This change in consumption is also measurable in behaviour, with 54% of users following pre-event sports news on TikTok, and another 54% scrolling and engaging during live matches, effectively turning a single game into two parallel experiences.

These are the broadcast itself and the social reaction around it, creating what TikTok describes as a second-screen culture.

In simple terms, it means viewers don’t just watch sports anymore, they are also watching how other people are reacting to sports in real time. That constant loop of content and response has created a feedback system where engagement usually influences what gets attention next.

Makgoba explained it through her own experience, saying that exposure to tennis content on TikTok moved her from a passive viewer to someone who actively participated. Eventually, she began watching documentaries, following tournaments, and even playing the sport socially.

This, she said, shows a general pattern across the platform.

That link from content to action is paramount to TikTok’s sports strategy, especially as 42% of users who engage with sports content on the platform are more likely to tune into live matches afterwards. We could say from this, that discovery on TikTok functions as a gateway, rather than an endpoint.

But perhaps the most revealing part of the data is not just how people consume sport, but what they consume around it. With 66% of users engaging for entertainment and 50% for team support, the mix places sport firmly within entertainment culture rather than treating it as something separate or purely competitive.

This becomes more obvious when looking at the volume of activity. Every day, around 5 million sports-related posts are published globally on TikTok, feeding an ecosystem that now spans nearly 60 million sports creators.

That level of activity has allowed smaller voices to speak alongside mainstream coverage without needing traditional media approval or access.

Makgoba also pointed to the growth of unexpected categories such as sports medical creators. These are individuals who break down injuries and physical performance in ways that were previously limited to professional analysis rooms, but now circulate freely across the same feeds as match highlights and fan reactions.

It is in that mixture that TikTok sees its strongest disruption, not in replacing broadcasters, but in layering new forms of storytelling over existing ones. Here, analysis, humour, fashion, music and commentary all compete for the same attention window.

That layering is especially visible during global tournaments. The Paris 2024 Olympics, for instance, generated more than 1.9 million posts and 49 billion views across Olympic-related hashtags. Opening day alone saw over 43,000 creators posting content, a surge of more than 1,200% compared to Tokyo 2020.

This showed just how quickly sports moments now scale when they enter algorithm-driven distribution.

Looking at Africa’s football ecosystem, the expansion has gone beyond borders. During AFCON 2025, approximately 1.2 million posts were created globally, with 28.6% coming from sub-Saharan Africa. A significant engagement, however, also came from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain.

This revealed that African football content is now being consumed in real time far outside the continent, not just after it has been broadcast.

Makgoba described this as cultural export, where sport is not only watched globally but interpreted globally through music, fashion and online conversation. This is specially as clips, chants and stadium moments travel faster than traditional match reporting ever could.

There is also a structural reason for that reach. TikTok does not operate as a follower-based network but more as a recommendation system.

Meaning content is distributed based on interest rather than audience size, ultimately allowing even small creators to achieve large-scale visibility if the content resonates.

Such structure is why sports content behaves differently on the platform, where a single reaction clip, analysis video or fan moment can travel far beyond its origin without relying on established media amplification.

Interestingly, TikTok is scaling beyond a viewing platform to a participation layer for sport itself, particularly through initiatives like “Game Plan”, developed in partnership with FIFA.

The initiative, created with a goal to turn interest into action, is designed to connect fans directly to teams, tickets, schedules and interactive experiences inside the app.

Someone watching a clip from a match can go on to join a fandom from passive consumption into direct engagement, where watching a clip can lead to buying a ticket, joining a conversation, or interacting with official content hubs in real time.

What emerges from all of this is not a replacement of traditional sport coverage, but a redistribution of where attention lives, and more importantly, who gets to enhance it.

The post Why 64% of Women Now Turn to TikTok for Sports Content appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl denied motions for a new trial on Tuesday, according to court documents.

The ruling means a March jury verdict awarding $6 million in damages will remain in place while both companies pursue appeals.

The case was brought by a 20-year-old California woman identified in court records as K.G.M., also known as Kaley.

She told jurors she began using YouTube at the age of six and Instagram at nine, and later developed anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts.

Her lawyers argued that features built into the platforms, including algorithmic recommendations, beauty filters, endless scrolling and push notifications, encouraged compulsive use and contributed to her mental health issues.

After hearing the evidence, the jury found both companies negligent and concluded they acted with malice, oppression and fraud.

Jurors awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and a further $3 million in punitive damages, bringing the total award to $6 million.

Meta was assigned 70% of the liability, amounting to $4.2 million, while YouTube was held responsible for the remaining 30%, or $1.8 million.

The trial attracted attention because it was the first to reach a verdict among more than 1,600 related lawsuits filed across the United States by young people, families and school districts.

The litigation accuses social media companies of designing products that encourage addiction among children and teenagers while contributing to mental health problems.

Several senior technology executives testified during the proceedings. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg spent about eight hours on the witness stand and was questioned about internal company documents showing that Instagram had four million users under the age of 13 in 2015.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri also testified and acknowledged that spending 16 hours a day on the platform could be “problematic.”

Meta said it “respectfully disagrees” with the verdict and plans to appeal. The company argued that teenage mental health is influenced by many factors and cannot be linked to a single app.

Google, which owns YouTube, also intends to challenge the ruling. The company argued that the case “misunderstands YouTube” because it views the service as a streaming platform rather than a social media network.

As it stands, lawmakers and child safety advocates are currently pushing for stronger protections for young users online, including uncompromising age-verification requirements, expanded parental management and changes to platform design.

The post Judge Rejects Meta, YouTube Bid for New Trial in Youth Harm Case appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

In a bid to enhance online safety, the company said users aged 13 to 15 will soon be able to create, save and display Stories and Spotlight videos on a dedicated profile that can only be viewed by friends who have mutually accepted each other.

Their content will no longer be distributed to people outside their friends list through Spotlight.

Previously, teenagers under 16 could post videos to Spotlight, Snapchat’s short-form video feature, but the content was not linked to their profiles.

While this prevented direct contact from strangers, the posts could still be viewed by a wider audience.

Under the new system, younger teens will share content in a more private environment. Snapchat will also remove engagement metrics such as favourite counts from profiles belonging to users in this age group.

The company said the changes are designed to help teenagers express themselves creatively without the pressure that usually comes with public posting and visible performance metrics.

Snapchat outlined different levels of access based on age. Users between 13 and 15 will be limited to sharing content with mutual friends.

Those aged 16 and 17 can choose to share content more broadly, but distribution will remain restricted to friends, followers and users with mutual connections.

Adults aged 18 and above will still have full access to public profiles and wider content distribution tools.

Alongside the latest changes, Snapchat said it will maintain several existing protections for users under 16.

The platform blocks messages from people teens have not added as friends or saved in their contacts. It also limits friend requests from people users may not know and displays warning messages when it detects a teenager may be chatting with a stranger.

The company says it will continually moderate public content before recommending it to larger audiences and take action against accounts that attempt to promote inappropriate material to teenagers.

Parents will also be able to monitor aspects of their children’s activity through Snapchat’s Family Centre.

The feature allows parents and caregivers to view their teenager’s friends list, see who they have communicated with recently, apply content restrictions, disable access to the My AI chatbot, share location information and report accounts they find concerning.

The update follows a trend across social media platforms, with services such as Instagram launching additional protections and specialised account settings for younger users.

Snap’s latest feature also comes as the company focuses on mitigating the impact of social media on young people.

Earlier this year, Snap settled a lawsuit that accused it of contributing to social media addiction and is still defending similar cases in courts across the United States.

Speaking to CNBC, Snap chief executive officer, Evan Spiegel, said Snapchat has a “positive impact” on users because it helps people stay connected with friends.

He argued that the platform should not be grouped together with competitors such as TikTok and Instagram.

The post Snapchat Launches Friends-Only Content Sharing for Users Under 16 appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The platform expects the unit to reach an annualised run rate of about $100 million in the next fiscal year, according to a source familiar with the plan.

The Microsoft-owned company introduced BrandWorks internally in March 2026. Since then, the team has expanded by roughly 60%, with new hires coming from TikTok, Meta and X.

It now focuses on building higher-performing campaigns for enterprise clients, including SAP, IBM and ServiceNow.

BrandWorks also runs programmes that link advertisers with creators. One of them, Top Voices 360, supports sponsored content partnerships and has generated over $20 million between May 2025 and May 2026.

“We’re developing services that are designed to meet the marketer where they are,” said Alex Josephson, vice president of BrandWorks, who previously built a similar offering called Twitter Next.

LinkedIn is enhancing its focus in B2B advertising, even as it competes with much larger companies in digital ads. Its advertising business brought in $8.2 billion in 2025 and is projected to rise to $9.7 billion in 2026, with a further increase to $11.3 billion expected in 2027.

Even with that growth, LinkedIn is still smaller than Meta and Google in overall ad scale. Still, it has carved out a strong niche, with about 80% of B2B marketing budgets now flowing into search and social platforms.

“We estimate that 80% of B2B budgets go into search and social media, with Google and LinkedIn the primary beneficiaries of those B2B dollars,” said Luke Stillman, managing director at trend advisory firm Madison and Wall.

LinkedIn’s ad footprint is also expanding in relative terms. It accounts for about 3.2% of US digital ad spend, 2.4% in the UK, and less than 2% across markets such as Brazil, France, Canada and Germany.

Video has become an important part of its strategy. The company reports that vertical video uploads rose by 36% in 2025. CEO video posts have also increased by 68% over the past two years.

Younger users are driving some of that transition. LinkedIn says Gen Z is its fastest-growing audience, with higher engagement in video content and creator-led posts.

BrandWorks by LinkedIn also supports BrandLink, a video-focused advertising programme. The company expects BrandLink revenue to nearly triple in the current fiscal year, although it has not disclosed the base figure.

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The new plans, called Instagram Plus, Facebook Plus and WhatsApp Plus, are launching globally and will give users access to extra features for monthly fees ranging from $2.99 to $3.99.

Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus will each cost $3.99 per month, while WhatsApp Plus will cost $2.99 monthly.

Meta said the subscriptions are aimed at users who want more tools for customisation, audience engagement and account management across its apps.

Instagram Plus includes features such as Story rewatch counts, unlimited audience lists, extended Story visibility beyond 24 hours, anonymous Story previews and weekly Story spotlight boosts.

Subscribers will also get profile customisation tools including custom fonts, app icons, extra profile pins and animated “Super Heart” reactions.

Facebook Plus offers many of the same features, with a focus on profile expression and audience engagement.

WhatsApp Plus is centred on messaging and personalisation. Subscribers will have access to custom ringtones, app themes, premium stickers, more pinned chats and list customisation tools.

The new Plus plans will not replace Meta Verified, its existing paid verification service focused on identity verification, impersonation protection and customer support.

At the same time, the company is testing another subscription programme under a new brand called “Meta One”, covering creators, businesses and Meta AI users.

For Meta AI, the company will begin testing two plans next month. Meta One Plus will cost $7.99 per month, while Meta One Premium will cost $19.99 monthly.

According to Meta, the Premium tier will allow access to more advanced processing for complex requests, alongside expanded image and video generation features across its apps.

The AI subscriptions will first launch in Singapore, Guatemala and Bolivia.

Meta is also preparing professional subscription plans for creators and businesses in markets including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand and Bangladesh.

The Meta One Essential plan, priced at $14.99 per month, includes a verified badge, impersonation protection and an upgraded links page for directing users to websites and social profiles.

The more expensive Meta One Advanced plan will cost $49.99 monthly and adds tools designed to improve visibility and audience growth across Facebook and Instagram.

Subscribers on the Advanced tier will be able to appear higher in search results, receive stronger promotion in feeds and use a bold “Follow” button on Reels. The plan also includes advanced analytics, scheduling tools, account-sharing features for moderators and alerts when other users repost their content.

Meta said the long-term goal is to bring all subscription products together under the Meta One brand.

The company has looked for new sources of revenue as growth across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp slows in several markets. Subscription services also arrive as Meta continues spending heavily on artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Investors reacted positively to the announcement, with Meta shares growing nearly 3% on Wall Street following the rollout.

Meta now joins companies including Snapchat and X in offering paid subscription tiers, though its strategy combines consumer features, creator tools and AI services within one broader subscription system.

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