Social Media in March: Chaos Recap | MKTRSU #30

Dear gentle reader,

Welcome to Q2! Also, welcome to April. March sure did just speed by! 

Broke my promise to keep this publication weekly, so no further promises for now - March has been busier than expected, so I’ll try to make it up to you with a summary of Social Media News you might have missed in the past month.

And why make promises anyways? World seems to be diving head-first into a trade war, online ads might be affected (among bajillion other things), social media are a wild west, Instagram postponed the Edits standalone app launch for the second time now and TikTok ban in the US is basically just a shitshow.

Welcome to Marketing Right Side Up! My weekly distilled frustration in a written form!
I’m Mark, I help brands do honest marketing, cheers.

1. Trump postponed the TikTok sale by 75 more days.
This happened riiight on the day of the sale deadline and after Trump promised to reveal the information about an actual sale happening one day before the deadline ended. The best candidates for TikTok’s US operation acquisition were Oracle, Amazon and AppLovin. None of it matters though, because as mentioned, the ban/sale is postponed once again.

2. U.S. seeks to ramp up social media data collection
Homeland Security proposes collecting social media handles from vetted immigrants in the U.S. Critics argue the plan could chill free speech and raise privacy concerns.

3. Elon Musk’s xAI firm buys social platform X for $33 billion
xAI has acquired X in an all-stock deal, linking both companies financially and strategically. Analysts see it as a bailout to keep the platform afloat after declining revenue and investor value.

4. TikTok shuts down its Instagram rival ‘TikTok Notes’
TikTok is sunsetting its photo app, TikTok Notes, on May 8 due to low traction. Users are being steered toward Lemon8, ByteDance’s other lifestyle app with broader tools.

5. Meta faces $1B+ fine from EU over Digital Markets Act
The EU is expected to issue a billion-dollar fine to Meta for failing to comply with new antitrust rules. A cease-and-desist order will accompany the penalty, requiring changes to Marketplace and data practices.

6. EU to fine Elon Musk’s X $1B for DSA violations too
X is accused of poor moderation and may escalate US-EU tech tensions.

7. Meta launches new AI-powered creator marketing tools
Meta rolled out AI discovery, smart suggestions, and deeper insights for brand partnerships in Creator Marketplace. The update is part of Meta’s broader push to simplify influencer marketing and scale campaign performance.

8. OnlyFans fined £1.05M for age-check failures
UK regulators fined OnlyFans for misleading age verification claims and delays in fixing flagged issues. Stronger checks are now required under the Online Safety Act, with a deadline set for July 2025.

9. QVC launches 24/7 live shopping on TikTok
QVC has launched nonstop livestreams on TikTok, betting big on creator-driven retail. The brand is targeting $1.5B in annual social commerce revenue and reaching younger audiences.

10. Amazon and AppLovin make last-minute bids for TikTok
Amazon and AppLovin are late contenders in the TikTok acquisition race as the ban deadline nears. A U.S. investor group remains the frontrunner, but no agreement has been finalized.

11. U.S. senators push Trump to officially extend TikTok deadline
Lawmakers warn that an executive-only extension could spark legal challenges and urge a formal move. Meanwhile, talks with Oracle reportedly stalled over control of TikTok's algorithm and data handling.

12.Meta fined in Turkey for refusing takedown requests
Tur key hit Meta with new fines for keeping protest content related to Erdoğan’s jailed rival online. The company is now lobbying Trump’s administration for international support against such penalties.

13. Arkansas age-check law for social media blocked
A judge ruled that Arkansas’ age verification law for platforms is unconstitutional. The decision could influence similar laws in other U.S. states focused on youth online safety.

14. Elon Musk's Grok is becoming X's passive-aggressive fact-checker
Users are tagging Grok to sarcastically “fact-check” posts, turning it into a tool for trolling. Instead of improving discourse, Grok is fueling arguments and deepening division on X.

15. Meta launched Meta AI in Europe
…sadly. After the first attempt to launch failed in June 2024, this time around Meta seems to have bypassed the regulator concerns and launched.

16. Instagram launched 2x speed rewind on Reels 
and Edits launch (Instagram’s standalone video editing app) was postponed once again.

17. Trump’s tariffs could hit Meta and Amazon’s ad revenue
Chinese ad spend may drop, pushing brands toward TV and performance ads.

How are you doing in this turbulent era? Are you pushing through, head up high? Or are you on the more nervous side?

Let me know in the comments 👇

Until next week, 

Cheers,

Mark.

P.S.: Next week marks ONE YEAR of this newsletter, so we will have a special summary-focused episode. Stay tuned!