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Meta’s bold move, IG’s creator shift, and TikTok’s backup plan

First edition of 2025, fresh off a two-week break and rocking a new look. There’s a lot more in the works, and we’ll be spilling all the details in the next few weeks. Stay tuned—it’s gonna be good.

January 08, 2025

It’s Wednesday, and we’re back.

First edition of 2025, fresh off a two-week break and rocking a new look. There’s a lot more in the works, and we’ll be spilling all the details in the next few weeks. Stay tuned—it’s gonna be good.

Meta drops fact-checking, shifts responsibility to users

Meta is replacing third-party fact-checking with "community notes," putting content accuracy in the hands of its users—a move that raises questions for competitors like YouTube.

The why: Mark Zuckerberg framed the change as a return to “free expression,” aligning with the Trump administration's free speech rhetoric. Critics see it as a calculated attempt to appease the incoming White House, especially after Meta added a Trump ally to its board and donated $1 million to his inauguration fund.

What it means…

  • For Meta: Community notes may placate political critics, but it risks turning moderation into a free-for-all. Zuckerberg acknowledged it’s a trade-off: less censorship, but more misinformation slipping through.

  • For YouTube: The pressure is on to decide whether to follow Meta's lead. While YouTube has already loosened policies, like reinstating election denial videos, adopting a similar user-moderated system could further erode trust.

The psychology behind it: Meta’s pivot leans on the illusion of user control. By letting users moderate, the platform shifts accountability while making it seem like a democratic process—a clever move, but one that could backfire if chaos reigns.

The stakes: For Meta, this move may strengthen political alliances but risks alienating advertisers and users long-term. For YouTube, the challenge is balancing free speech with trust and safety, as both platforms navigate the murky waters of content moderation in 2025.

Instagram ends ads-in-profile monetization program

Instagram has shut down its program that paid creators for ads displayed between content on their profiles.

The backstory: Launched in 2022, the program allowed eligible creators in the U.S., Canada, South Korea, Japan, and Australia to earn revenue from ads shown on their profiles. Despite its expansion, the initiative didn’t last. Meta confirmed it will continue placing ads on public, non-teen profiles but without sharing revenue with creators.

Meta’s track record…

This marks another short-lived monetization effort:

  • IGTV ads (2020–2022) shared revenue before IGTV shut down.

  • Affiliate shopping tags (2021–2022) allowed creators to earn commission.

  • Reels Bonuses (2021–2023) were paused and later relaunched as limited-time offers.

The takeaway: Instagram’s evolving approach to creator monetization reflects its struggle to find sustainable programs while prioritizing its ad-driven revenue model. For creators, the landscape continues to shift, forcing them to diversify income streams.

TikTok pushes Lemon8 as U.S. ban looms

ByteDance is heavily promoting Lemon8, its Instagram-like app, urging TikTok users to migrate—even though a potential U.S. ban would also target Lemon8 and other ByteDance apps.

The why: Under the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications” act, any ByteDance-owned app, including Lemon8, faces removal from U.S. app stores on January 19th.

What it means:

  • For ByteDance: This push could be a last-ditch attempt to boost Lemon8’s numbers ahead of the ban.

  • For users: Moving to Lemon8 won’t sidestep the ban, as all ByteDance apps will be affected.

The stakes: Unless Trump delays the ban or a deal is struck, ByteDance apps like TikTok, Lemon8, and CapCut will vanish from U.S. app stores, forcing users and creators to find new platforms.

Today’s top news

  • Notion launched a LinkedIn campaign with Snoop Dogg and Corporate Natalie to promote a fun new feature: hand-drawn self-portraits.

  • X is tweaking its algorithm to show you more entertainment content.

  • YouTube is testing a tool to turn regular videos into Shorts automatically.

  • Threads is testing ways to let you customize your profile with new display name and cover image options.

  • YouTube creators are suing PayPal’s Honey for allegedly swapping their affiliate links without consent.

  • Streamlabs and NVIDIA unveiled an AI streaming assistant to make livestreams more interactive.