Predicting what will happen next in the social media verse is like trying to predict the plot of a soap opera—it's very tough and there are always unexpected twists and turns.

As we compiled the top headlines for December, we found three areas of focus that repeatedly emerged across this month’s social updates. These were transparency, subscription-based features, and the removal of unpopular features. From Twitter and Meta shutting down ‘Revue’ and ‘Super’, to Snapchat adding options to boost the content visibility of its Plus subscribers, and TikTok rolling out the ‘Why you are seeing this video’ label, social media platforms are surely taking a step back and focusing on what matters as we start the new year.

We've listed down the latest updates per social platform that were announced during December right here, in a tasty platter of digital delight. Dig in!

Twitter

●      Implements a view count feature for all tweets

●      Improves its recommendations algorithm.

●      Updates its Blue verification subscription fees.

●      Rolls out Community Notes globally.

●      Adds new ad placement controls.

●      Shuts down Moments.

●      Bans live-location sharing.

●      Dumps its newsletter platform, Revue.

●      Removes device labels from tweets.

●      Introduces Blue for Business subscribers.

●      Changes the avatars of brands to squares.

●      Prioritizes Blue subscribers in search rankings.

YouTube

●      Rolls out Shorts thumbnail selection on Android.

●      Updates insights metrics on desktop.

●      Improves spam detection on comments and live chat.

Instagram

●      Tests more BeReal-Esque prototypes.

●      Adds justifications for shadow-banned content.

●      Tests more labels to DMs for business accounts.

●      Rolls out ‘Candid Stories’.

●      Adds Hacked Hub for access issues.

TikTok

●      Tests a new horizontal full-screen mode.

●      Adds ‘Why you’re seeing this video’ label.

●      Announces its Creative Agency Partnerships (CAP) University program.

Google

●      Incorporates YouTube into its Search Partners network.  

Meta

●      Introduces ads on Facebook and Instagram to target Instagram followers.

●      Shuts down Super.

●      Allows users to turn Facebook Stories into Reels.

WhatsApp

●      Introduces the ‘Message Yourself’ feature.

●      Enable users to undo ‘Delete For Me’.

LinkedIn

●       Rolls out features to boost newsletter and Product Page discoverability.

●      Enhances Competitors' Analytics dashboard.

Snapchat

●      Rolls out ‘Story Boost’.

●      Announces a new range of key AR advances.