Meta to shut down Messenger desktop apps for Mac and Windows
Starting December 15, users will no longer be able to log into the apps and will be automatically redirected to the Facebook website to access Messenger.
Social
Rent a Cyber Friend will pay you to talk to strangers online and will show off its platform at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
“Loneliness is the biggest disease in the world right now,” founder Francesco Vitali said. “So we built a platform where human time has value again, and a place where being human is important.”
A new wave of social media apps provide hope in a doomscrolling world
“The platforms that won were the ones that kept people scrolling the longest, not the ones that made them feel the most connected,” Zehra Naqvi told TechCrunch. “Now there is an abundance of content but a scarcity of joy.”
X plans to show more information about user profiles to help improve trust
X is working on new transparency features to help users identify who they’re interacting with, such as account creation date, location, username change history, and how each account uses the service.
Threads is getting group chats as messaging rolls out to the EU
Instagram Threads is rolling out group messaging for up to 50 people and expanding its direct messaging features to users in the EU. The update lets users 18 and older share text, videos, GIFs, and emojis in group chats, though messages aren’t encrypted.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri pushes back on MrBeast’s AI fears, but admits society will have to adjust
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri says AI will empower new creators while forcing society to rethink what’s real online as synthetic content grows.
YouTubers who were kicked off the platform for rule violations can now request a ‘second chance’
Creators who repeatedly violated YouTube’s past COVID-19 and election integrity policies will be eligible to request new accounts.