Weekly social roundup

Here we go again…

Nothing quite says “Welcome to 2026!” quite like a massive data breach on Instagram, the US TikTok still being in limbo (lol), and Elon Musk doing Elon Musk!

So … *checks notes* basically nothing has changed. Cool.

There are quite a few exciting new updates that have happened this week (be sure to check out the items under Meta!), including TikTok finally releasing a feature that will majorly help small businesses!

But enough of me waffling at the top, let’s get into this week’s news!

Wait, what?

Uh, oh. Instagram had a data breach.

If you haven’t heard, Instagram experienced a significant data breach last week, and the personal information of many users has been compromised.

Sorry to break it to you, if you didn’t know. Please don’t shoot the messenger! 

As of writing this (in my pajamas on my couch on Sunday night), Instagram claims that all accounts are now secure and safe. 

Now what in the world happened? Last week, Malwarebytes, an antivirus software company, reported that Instagram had a data breach, which compromised the information of more than 17.5 MILLION Instagram users. Users started getting emails to reset their passwords from what looked to be Instagram.

However, chaos ensued because those emails weren’t actually from Instagram (view the full breakdown on how that happened here).

Whoops. 

The leak apparently included Instagram usernames, physical addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and more. 

Then, on January 10, Instagram said ‘lol, actually, there was no data breach.’ What they really said was, “We fixed an issue that let an external party request password reset emails for people. There was no breach of our systems, and your Instagram accounts are secure.”

Hmm, that doesn’t sound fishy at all.

What actually happens remains unclear (and probably always will be), but to be on the safe side, update your password and set 2-factor authentication on ALL of your social media profiles. 

Better to be safe than sorry!

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Extra, extra! Read all about it!

Top Meta news from the week

• I said it last week, and it’s been confirmed: Your data and chats when speaking to Meta AI are being used to create more targeted ads across Meta’s platforms.
  

• Meta has officially launched 24/7 support for Instagram and Facebook! And yes, it’s powered by AI. 
  

• Looks like MySpace’s Top 8 is back! Instagram is rolling out a Top 5 feature, where you can share your Instagram Story with only your Top 5.
  

• Instagram Highlights are no longer a feature.
  

• Edits now gives you the ability to link an account to your Reel when editing in the app.
  

• Threads is adding a new feature called “Live Chat,” where you can set a start and end time, choose who can message one another, and create a live group chat with your community.
  

• WhatsApp is officially allowing people to share a chat history when someone new is added to a group chat. HUZZAH!
  

• WhatsApp usernames are finally rolling out to users. No more needing a phone number to use WhatsApp.

Extra, extra! Read all about it!

Top TikTok news from the week

• TikTok is finally releasing its “Nearby Feed” feature, where users can view and explore things that are happening around them. Yes, like Snapchat map used to do back in the day.
  

• TikTok is rolling out its new tab called TikTok Minis. You can play games and watch made-for-mobile mini dramas … right from your phone.
  

• TikTok is splitting into two in the USA.
  

• No surprise here, but TikTok is officially the top social media app for news for teens and adults. 

Extra, extra! Read all about it!

Top other social media news from the week

• AI-powered community notes are starting to appear across X. I guess humans are no longer needed. :(
  

• Gen Z makes up 50% of the users on Pinterest. 50%!! If you’re not figuring out a way to utilize that platform for your marketing, you’re seriously missing out. 

  Not sure if this will work, but sure … New York will make social media apps display a mental health warning when users log in.
  

• France is moving forward with its social media ban for under-15s. Let’s see how well that works…
  

• Could this be the end of X in most of Europe? The app is facing scrutiny over its AI tool, Grok, which undresses women and children. 

What’s going to trend this year?

Pinterest’s Predictions for 2026 Trends

If you’ve been reading Talk Social To Me for years now (can you believe it’s been four years of me writing this thing?!), you’ll know that I am a sucker for Pinterest Predicts every year. 

They gather all the data of users’ searches and dive into what is trending upward (and down!) and put it all into one handy-dandy blog post that I love so much. 

The biggest thing they have seen? The rate at which trends are growing. Trends, overall, are growing 4.4x FASTER than they were seven years ago. How wild is that? Obviously, with the age of social media and short-form videos, we go through trends at a much higher rate, but I didn’t realize it was that much higher. 

With that in mind, here are the trends Pinterest predicts will happen in 2026 (but let’s see how long they will actually stick around):

Nostalgia: I know nostalgia has been a hot trend for a while now (people longing for the music and clothing from the 70s, 80s, and 90s), but it seems as if we’re all wanting to regress to childhood. “Emotional comfort & belonging” and “Throwback kid” are two top trends for the year to come. Where we are all craving rewatching classic TV or films, cooking and eating comfort foods from growing up, and going in hard on vintage style.

Pen Pals: I love this one so much, and it is actually on my resolutions this year! Write real letters instead of texting your friends! The search for “penpal letters, “hand-written letters,” and “cute stamps” has increased over the past year. I, for one, am all here for this.

Curating, not copying: It looks as if we are finally self-editing and not buying things just because they are trendy. 2026 looks to be the year for curation over consumption.

This is a small, curated (hehe) selection of trends I think are interesting moving into 2026. Be sure to view the entire report, as this is a great report to look through when trying to figure out marketing trends and campaigns for the upcoming year. 

See you all next week!

Maybe by next week, we will have a better understanding of what is happening with the TikTok sale, but I am not going to hold my breath!

Mackenzie