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The chats won鈥檛 be encrypted like XChat or WhatsApp. Why it matters: Threads is trying to get out from under Instagram鈥檚 shadow鈥擨nstagram accounts are required for signup, psychologically linking the two for many consumers. But Threads鈥� daily active users (DAUs) aren鈥檛 interacting with the same crowd on Instagram, and many have less than a 50% overlap in connections between the two.

XChat introduces file sharing, disappearing messages, and calls鈥攂ut user skepticism over privacy and vague 鈥淏itcoin-style鈥� encryption may hinder adoption.

The news: US adults are increasingly dependent on digital platforms for news, with social media and video overtaking traditional news outlets for the first time. 54% of US adults get their news from social media, per the Reuters Institute鈥檚 2025 Digital News Report, compared with 50% from TV news and 48% from news websites and apps. Our take: Linear platforms could offer personalized news digests and mobile- and social- friendly content to reengage younger users, while advertisers should diversify their campaigns across social media platforms to follow fragmented user engagement.

Latin America鈥檚 digital revolution is marching full steam ahead, with consumers spending more than a third of their day online. As social commerce and retail media propel the region鈥檚 digital economy to new heights, the runway for growth remains long.鈥�

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss Meta鈥檚 capacity to weather the tariff climate, how Meta plans to redefine advertising, and what happens if it is forced to sell Instagram and WhatsApp. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg, and Senior Analyst Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Platforms maintaining strong user growth and larger platforms like Meta with established attribution systems may retain more spend than smaller or emerging platforms still building audiences and measurement infrastructure. Innovation and acceleration in alternative revenue streams is crucial.

Social sharing aims to boost usage, yet without real-time info or buzz, it may struggle to stick

If the court agrees with the FTC, a separate trial could force Meta to divest Instagram and WhatsApp. Looking back: When Meta purchased Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion, the app only had about 30 million users. WhatsApp was considerably bigger when Meta bought it for $22 billion in 2014, per Reuters, with over 450 million users.

Meta defends past acquisitions in FTC trial: The case could force Instagram and WhatsApp divestitures, disrupting ad buying and reshaping tech merger norms.

Meta could face a fine of over $1 billion over its 鈥減ay or consent鈥� model on Facebook and Instagram, which requires users to choose between paying for an ad-free experience or agreeing to data tracking. In January 2024, Meta complied with DMA requirements to let EU users decouple their WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp users can now access Meta AI via the search bar in each app. Meta AI is a chatbot, not a search engine, but it does integrate results from Google and Bing. Although some users have expressed annoyance at the change, its prominent placement in established apps could help promote acceptance of genAI in search.

Meta鈥檚 strong earnings have one dark spot: Slow user growth made investors flinch as competition for consumer attention peaks.

Carrefour Brasil will be one of Latin America鈥檚 first food retailers to have a store on WhatsApp. Brazil houses the world鈥檚 second-largest base of WhatsApp users after India, and Carrefour鈥檚 decision to use the platform is a strategic one. 鈥淲丑补迟蝉础辫辫 is Brazil鈥檚 operating system," said chief digital officer Sam James. The country 鈥渃an鈥檛 function without it.鈥�.

Social media is incredibly popular, with Hispanic users overindexing on most major platforms. More than half are on a Meta platform, with Instagram and WhatsApp being the most popular. Radio remains relevant, but Hispanics are the most likely ethnic group to pay for Spotify Premium. Tangentially, 32% of Hispanic podcast listeners report making more than $75,000 a year.

The news: Meta announced numerous updates to its messaging ad options, with a heavy focus on WhatsApp. Meta is expanding Ads Manager to include WhatsApp campaigns, centralizing multi-campaign management across its platforms. The feature allows businesses to upload subscriber lists to use Advantage+ to optimize ad budgets or manually choose messages for additional placements. Our take: The ongoing potential for divestiture could have significant implications for advertisers that rely on Meta鈥檚 ecosystem鈥攂ut the new features will still make WhatsApp a more appealing option for those that haven鈥檛 considered it as a key ad channel.