Welcome to the latest edition of Social Commotion, Motion’s roundup of social media updates and news. Check out our top social media updates from October 2025.
Has AI Killed Pinterest? Not Yet
Pinterest, once the go-to social media and visual discovery platform for authentic recipes, fashion, DIY and home inspiration, has been facing backlash this year as users complain about the “AI slop” taking over their feeds, disguised as real content from real people. Many of these pins link back to blogs, or what this Futurism article calls “AI-powered content farming sites that masquerade as helpful blogs, using Pinterest as a tool to draw in viewers to useless chum content just to cash in on lucrative display ads.”
The result? A less creative, less useful and harder-to-navigate platform.
So, what’s Pinterest’s plan? Earlier this year, Pinterest introduced “AI-modified” labels for images whose metadata indicated it was generated by AI. However, take one quick browse, and you can tell the platform isn’t doing a very good job of detecting and labeling AI. In October, rolled out additional tools to give users more control over their feeds.
Users can now adjust their app settings to see less AI content in certain categories, including beauty, fashion, art and home décor. These are the only categories to choose from for now, but Pinterest says it plans to add more in the future. Additionally, users can click the three-dots on any pin and select “See less like this” to further refine their feed.
Let’s hope these updates actually make a difference and help elevate real creators’ content before Pinterest loses its authenticity and credibility. Happy pinning!
Rage Bait Is Everywhere. Should Brands Cast the Hook?
As outrage-driven content floods social feeds, brands face a choice: chase quick engagement through controversy or protect long-term trust by staying above the noise.
In today’s attention economy, many brands are feeling the pressure to break through the noise and go viral at any cost. Brands from The Ordinary to American Eagle have found themselves accused of “rage baiting”—intentionally (or not) stirring outrage to drive engagement. But experts say the payoff may not be worth the long-term cost.
“The short-term bump in attention is not really worth the trade-off of damaging brand equity,” said Lia Haberman, a social and influencer marketing consultant. She added that much of what’s labeled as rage bait today comes down to “carelessness or sloppiness in not thinking about who your audience is” rather than a deliberate effort to provoke.
Some brands, like American Eagle, insist their more polarizing campaigns were designed to spark conversation, not controversy. Others, like Gap, have leaned into feel-good storytelling instead, proving that positivity can drive just as much buzz with far less risk. “It’s quite a risky tactic as a marketer to use,” said Megan Morass, co-founder and CEO of Full Fat. “You’re putting something out into the world that is, on purpose, trying to incite rage or frustration.”
As algorithms continue to reward engagement of any kind, rage bait isn’t likely to disappear. But experts say marketers should focus on clarity and authenticity over shock value and make sure their values are front and center. “If you don’t put your stance and your beliefs and your values out there,” said Haberman, “somebody is going to ascribe those values to you.”
Meta Updates Marketing API to Put Focus on AI Targeting Tools
Meta is updating its Marketing API to give more flexibility and intelligence to its ad placement tools, particularly through its Advantage+ system. One of the main changes allows up to 5% of ad spend to be allocated to excluded placements (like Facebook Feed or Instagram Explore) if Meta’s AI believes those placements could perform well. Advertisers using the API will need to specifically set parameters if they want to control or restrict this flexible spend, but the overall goal is to let Meta’s system test opportunities even in areas that advertisers have chosen to avoid.
The company is pushing advertisers toward Advantage+ placements, which use AI to analyze all available placement options and automatically choose the most cost-effective ones. Meta argues that this system helps reach more people for less money and encourages advertisers to use the new “limited spend” feature instead of fully blocking placements. This shift reflects Meta’s growing confidence in its AI-driven targeting and placement decisions, even if advertisers remain skeptical about certain ad surfaces.
Additionally, Meta is phasing out older APIs that don’t support the Advantage+ setup, reinforcing its move toward full adoption of its AI tools. By early 2026, legacy systems like Advantage Shopping Campaigns (ASC) and Advantage App Campaigns (AAC) will be deprecated, and new campaigns must be created using the updated Advantage+ structure. These changes are part of Meta’s broader strategy to centralize and automate ad performance optimization through AI, giving its systems more control over placements and targeting to potentially boost advertiser results.
Stay up to date on the latest in social media with Social Commotion, The Motion Agency’s monthly roundup of social media updates, or contact us today to help your brand navigate the ever-changing landscape of social media.
