Instagram Fires Back at TikTok With New, Enhanced Reels Camera Features

Instagram is rolling out a fresh batch of Reels camera upgrades, aimed at making it faster and simpler to shoot and polish content directly in the app—perfect for creators posting on the fly. And the headline update: you can now record videos up to 20 minutes long within the Reels camera.  As Instagram explains: “The Instagram Design Team has been hard at work addressing your feedback and identifying key areas for improvement, in collaboration with our product and research teams. From customizable touch-ups to longer Reels, our new camera has better usability and new features to help you create your next Reel.” The standout change is the extended 20-minute recording window, which Instagram says will “allow for more creative freedom and longer storytelling.” Still, it's worth weighing whether longer uploads actually benefit you. Instagram continues to emphasize short-form video, and has repeatedly confirmed that it only recommends Reels under three minutes. So while lengthy clips are possible, they’re unlikely to see broad algorithmic promotion. But if you need the flexibility—tutorials, behind-the-scenes segments, interviews—you now have it. And for even deeper editing, Instagram already offers its separate Edits app. Instagram has also streamlined multi-clip creation, adding an easier “Undo” function so you can quickly remove your most recent segment without disrupting the entire project. Other refinements include a new intensity slider for Touch-Up effects, a refreshed green screen experience, and updated timers and countdown tools to make filming smoother and more precise.  Altogether, these upgrades aren’t dramatic, but they do make the in-app production workflow more intuitive—especially for creators who want to capture, edit, and publish without leaving Instagram. And if you’re looking for advanced customization or more complex storytelling tools, the Edits app still offers a wider creative toolkit. 📢 If you're interested in Facebook Ads Account, don't hesitate to connect with us!🔹 https://linktr.ee/Adshinepro💬 We're always ready to assist you!

Another significant legal battle is forming around Meta, as a coalition of U.S. parents and school officials accuses the company of knowingly overlooking serious safety concerns in order to fuel growth, engagement, and revenue—even when internal warnings were raised. Filed in the Northern District of California, the lawsuit represents more than 1,800 plaintiffs and argues that Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube have “aggressively chased expansion at any cost, disregarding the toll their platforms take on children’s mental and physical well-being.” Among a long list of allegations, the group claims Meta: - Has deliberately weakened youth safety tools and blocked experiments that might slow user growth- Has failed to properly address sex trafficking risks on its platforms, allegedly requiring multiple detections—sometimes up to 17 instances—before action is taken- Has dismissed harm to teenagers when it conflicted with engagement goals- Has slowed efforts to prevent predators from contacting minors, again due to fears of reduced platform usage- Has chosen to fund larger, attention-grabbing initiatives like the Metaverse rather than allocate more resources to child protection According to the filing, several ex-Meta employees provided insight supporting these accusations, adding more pressure as Meta prepares for yet another courtroom defense regarding teen safety. This isn’t new territory. Mark Zuckerberg was publicly questioned by U.S. lawmakers last year over similar claims that Meta prioritized profits over protecting young users. Meta has repeatedly insisted that it takes these responsibilities seriously, regularly improving safety systems and disputing the methodology behind many investigative reports. The company argues that selective data and sensational media framing have contributed to unfair criticism of its platforms. But another part of the same legal complaint raises deeper questions about Meta’s internal transparency. The filing claims that the company has previously abandoned research efforts if results cast Meta in an unfavorable light. Reuters reports that Meta halted a 2020 internal study examining Facebook’s mental health effects after early findings suggested that users felt less depressed, anxious, or lonely when they stopped using the app for a week. In Meta’s own documents cited in the lawsuit: “In a 2020 research project code-named ‘Project Mercury,’ Meta scientists worked with survey firm Nielsen to gauge the effect of ‘deactivating’ Facebook, according to Meta documents obtained via discovery. To the company’s disappointment, ‘people who stopped using Facebook for a week reported lower feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness and social comparison,’ internal documents said.” The suit alleges that Meta shelved the project and dismissed the findings, claiming they were influenced by existing negative media narratives. Meta denies these claims and maintains that it has consistently invested in safety, research, and collaborative work with parents, experts, and regulators. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone responded: “The full record will show that for over a decade, we have listened to parents, researched issues that matter most, and made real changes to protect teens.” Meta says it intends to challenge the allegations and prove that it has acted responsibly based on available science and regulatory expectations. Still, with testimony reportedly coming from former employees, this case could evolve into a public and reputationally damaging confrontation for the company. The lawsuit also points beyond Meta—arguing that Snapchat’s age verification systems are ineffective and that tools like Snap Streaks intentionally drive compulsive use. It further claims TikTok relies on manipulative design aimed at keeping minors hooked, while YouTube’s recommendation engine exposes young viewers to harmful material. It’s a sweeping legal effort targeting multiple major platforms, representing a large group of affected families. And depending on how the case unfolds, it could deliver yet another major reckoning for Meta in particular—one that the company may not be able to quietly navigate this time. 📢 If you're interested in Facebook Ads Account, don't hesitate to connect with us!🔹 https://linktr.ee/Adshinepro💬 We're always ready to assist you!

Pew Research has rolled out its newest examination of American social media behavior, surveying 5,000 people to map out which platforms they actually open, rather than how long they stay there. It’s a useful snapshot, though admittedly incomplete. Time spent inside an app would paint a far richer—and arguably more important—picture, but that metric is notoriously hard to gather with precision. So, consider this more of a directional reading of platform usage than a definitive ranking of relevance or cultural dominance. Take from it what you choose. To begin, let’s look at overall reach. According to Pew, YouTube and Facebook remain firmly in front, with 71% of respondents saying they “ever use” Facebook.  In this chart, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram continue to command the broadest audiences, while TikTok, WhatsApp, and Reddit are steadily gaining traction among U.S. users. But the framing matters. Respondents weren’t asked which app they prefer or rely on most—only whether they use it at all. And that nuance especially matters for Facebook, which may show up as the most widely used app, yet likely sees fewer hours of attention compared to TikTok or Instagram. Many Americans still drop into Facebook out of habit, but increasingly invest their scrolling time elsewhere. We don’t have concrete comparisons on this front, though Pew does attempt to get closer to popularity by looking at daily visitation. Still, even here the survey focuses on frequency—“how often do you visit?”—not duration. Facebook has become an everyday ritual for checking family updates, local chatter, birthdays, and life milestones. So yes, daily usage feels predictable, especially as Meta continues stuffing more Reels into feeds to boost stickiness. But again, we lack the one metric advertisers, creators, and analysts crave most: total time spent. Without it, we’re only seeing part of the competitive landscape. One notable addition in this year’s report, however, is Threads—its first appearance in the Pew dataset. This chart suggests that around 8% of respondents now use Threads, compared to 4% on Bluesky and 21% still active on X. Threads has been gaining momentum since launch, while X appears to have lost some appeal following various platform shifts. Yet despite narrative headlines about declining usage, X still maintains a meaningful foothold among U.S. users—at least according to this survey. Threads isn’t overtaking it yet, but the trajectory is clear.  Naturally, these findings shift drastically depending on demographic filters—5,000 respondents represent only a sliver of the American population. But directionally, the data illustrates which apps still maintain cultural presence, or at minimum, occasional utility. Younger audiences, unsurprisingly, paint a different picture, favoring Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.  The report goes deeper, exploring breakdowns by gender, political affiliation, ethnicity, and more, offering richer nuance for those who want to dig in. Overall, it’s a compelling read on platform awareness and adoption. But without measuring attention, engagement intensity, or time spent, it shouldn’t be treated as a scoreboard of true popularity. Usage isn’t influence. Opening an app is not the same as living in it—and increasingly, that distinction defines the modern social media hierarchy. 📢 If you're interested in Facebook Ads Account, don't hesitate to connect with us!🔹 https://linktr.ee/Adshinepro💬 We're always ready to assist you!