Social media had an interesting week.
While Snap spent time building new places to sell things, lawmakers spent it taking places away.
Straight into the chat: Snap’s Commerce Power Pack puts Dynamic Product Ads inside Sponsored Snaps in Chat, the surface 85% of Snapchatters use regularly. Global, live now.
Three optimization betas came, too. The interesting one is Third-Party Web Optimization. Bid on your GA or Northbeam purchase data instead of Snap’s. Early tests showed 23% lower CPP.
More reasons to open the app: Snapchat Plans lets users invite up to 200 friends to real-world events, RSVPs landing in 1:1 chats.
Partiful should be nervous. More Chat time means more inventory for those catalog ads.
Now about the laws: Newsom signed AB 1709, banning algorithmic recommendations and autoplay outright for under-16s in California. Not parental consent. A ban.
The platforms are swinging back. Google, Meta and TikTok asked the 9th Circuit to freeze the related SB976 law, arguing feeds are protected editorial speech. A district judge already said no.
LinkedIn got away, though: A judge tossed both BrowserGate suits against LinkedIn over scanning Chrome extensions. The plaintiffs couldn’t show that their own extensions leaked anything.
Eventful start of the week, but at least your immediate practical steps are focused on one platform. The regulation part is just a “see what actually happens” kind of news.
