The trend: Instagram is gaining momentum across Asia-Pacific, fueled by India鈥檚 2020 TikTok ban and a projected 10% user growth in that market for 2025. Japan鈥檚 forecast has also climbed, with 44.4 million users expected next year.
Our take: Instagram鈥檚 rise isn鈥檛 just reactive鈥攊t鈥檚 a sign of strong localization and feature depth. With TikTok facing stricter laws in Australia and Southeast Asia, Instagram鈥檚 Reels and group-channel tools position it as the more stable, advertiser-friendly option. Brands targeting APAC should reevaluate platform strategies as Instagram captures more of the region鈥檚 fast-changing digital attention.
Australia will exempt YouTube from its under-16 social media ban: The promise is receiving backlash from Meta and TikTok, and will require brands to adapt.