Best of Social Media — April 2026

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    Article
    Avatar of tcTechCrunch·4w

    Jack Dorsey-backed Vine reboot Divine launches to the public

    Divine, a reboot of the beloved six-second looping video platform Vine, has launched publicly on iOS and Android. Backed by Jack Dorsey's nonprofit 'and Other Stuff,' the app restores roughly 500,000 archived Vine videos from nearly 100,000 original creators. Built on the open Nostr protocol, Divine explicitly bans AI-generated content using C2PA verification, and is experimenting with integrating AT Protocol (Bluesky) and ActivityPub (Mastodon). The app features a compilation mode for autoplay browsing by hashtag and operates as a public benefit corporation with no current revenue model. Several original Vine stars have already joined the platform.

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    Article
    Avatar of techcentralTechCentral·6w

    Google poised to lose ad crown to Meta

    Meta Platforms is projected to surpass Google in global digital advertising revenue by end of 2026, with Meta forecast at $243.5B versus Google's $239.5B. Meta's accelerated growth rate of 24.1% this year, driven by its Advantage+ automated ad suite, WhatsApp and Threads ads, and Instagram Reels competing in short-video, is the key driver. Google, Meta, and Amazon together are expected to control 62.3% of global digital ad spending in 2026.

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    Article
    Avatar of techcentralTechCentral·5w

    WhatsApp to go premium with new Plus subscription

    Meta is testing a paid subscription tier for WhatsApp called WhatsApp Plus, currently in limited Android beta. For around $2.99/month, subscribers get cosmetic perks like premium stickers with effects, customisable themes and icons, up to 20 pinned chats, premium ringtones, and custom chat-list controls. Core messaging, calling, and end-to-end encryption remain free. The subscription is additive and optional, not a paywall. Meta confirmed the test but has not announced broader availability. The move aligns with Meta's wider strategy to introduce paid tiers across Instagram and Facebook as well.

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