Meta intensifies competition with TikTok thanks to its new marketing tools

Meta is intensifying its efforts to compete with TikTok in the fields of artificial intelligence and e-commerce, presenting new tools and features at the Shoptalk event recently held in Las Vegas. Among the new offerings is the implementation of affiliate advertising tools, similar to those offered by TikTok Shop, which will allow brands to measure the return on investment generated by sales driven by creators. Fighting against TikTok Shop Although some industry experts highlight the importance of these tools, there are brands that show resistance to adopting them, considering them less critical compared to methods […]

Meta is intensifying its efforts to compete with TikTok in the fields of artificial intelligence and e-commerce, presenting new tools and features at the Shoptalk event recently held in Las Vegas. Among the new offerings is the implementation of affiliate advertising tools, similar to those offered by TikTok Shop, which will allow brands to measure the return on investment generated by sales driven by creators.

Fighting against TikTok Shop

Although some industry experts highlight the importance of these tools, there are brands that show resistance to adopting them, considering them less critical compared to traditional advertising methods like paid advertising. Kevin Simonson, CEO of the marketing firm adMixt, pointed out that despite the growth of affiliate marketing, many brands still do not prioritize them in their strategies.

One of the most relevant features presented is the possibility for Instagram Reels to be shoppable. Creators can now tag products and affiliate links, which potentially increases their visibility and income opportunities. Additionally, Meta is testing affiliate experiences on Instagram with partners like Amazon and the e-commerce platform Shopee, aiming to enhance interaction between creators and brands.

Another great announcement was the integration of a new checkout system in its AI sales agent, in collaboration with companies like PayPal and Stripe, to simplify the purchasing process. This approach reflects an effort to reduce friction in the buying process and increase conversion rates.

However, despite the enthusiasm and innovations, some brands are still in the early stages of their catalog strategy and may take time to adopt these new features. As Meta moves forward in its efforts to capture a larger share of the e-commerce market, it remains to be seen how brands will respond to these new opportunities.

Meta surpasses Google for the first time in advertising spending

According to a recent report, Google, Meta, and Amazon account for 62.3% of global digital advertising spending, thanks to their vast amount of first-party data, reach, and integration of artificial intelligence. Amazon, in particular, is expected to represent 9% of global advertising revenue by 2026, increasing its earnings from $68.64 billion in 2025 to $82.07 billion in the following year. Meta surpasses Google In second place in the market, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, expects to reach 7.9% of the advertising market, with 4.8% of that percentage coming from […]

According to a recent report, Google, Meta, and Amazon account for 62.3% of global digital advertising spending, thanks to their vast amount of first-party data, reach, and integration of artificial intelligence. Amazon, in particular, is expected to represent 9% of global advertising revenue by 2026, increasing its earnings from $68.64 billion in 2025 to $82.07 billion in the following year.

Meta beats Google

In second place in the market, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, expects to reach 7.9% of the advertising market, with 4.8% of that percentage coming from its popular app TikTok. Microsoft will position itself with 2.1%, largely thanks to LinkedIn, while Apple will hold a modest 1.6% of digital advertising revenues. Together, other platforms like Walmart, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, and X will only represent 2.4% of the total, highlighting the high concentration among the major players in the sector.

Meta has improved its advertising performance through automation and the growth of its ecosystem, making it favorable for advertisers. Experts like Max Willens from Emarketer point out that for many advertisers, the question is not whether they should invest in Meta’s apps, but how much they should spend on them. Despite a recent ruling against Meta and Google related to the psychological effects of social media use, it is expected that this will not significantly impact the growth of these platforms, as legal decisions often take years to conclude.

Globally, a growth of 10.4% in advertising is projected, reaching a figure of 1.320 billion. However, events such as the war in Iran could lead to a loss in growth estimated at nearly $100 billion over a two-year period.

Meta changes the transparency labels for ads on Instagram and Facebook

Meta has begun testing to modify the transparency labels on ads on Instagram and Facebook, changing the old Sponsored label to Ad. This update is part of a general overhaul of the company’s apps and could significantly impact ad performance. From sponsored to ad The new label, which aims to provide a cleaner and simpler experience for users, will likely make it harder for consumers to clearly identify ads while browsing their feeds. By reducing the visual cues that typically indicate paid content, this modification could make ads […]

Meta has started tests to modify the transparency labels on ads on Instagram and Facebook, changing the old Sponsored label to Ad. This update is part of a general overhaul of the company’s applications and could significantly impact ad performance.

From Sponsored to Ad

The new label, which aims to provide a cleaner and simpler experience for users, will likely make it harder for consumers to clearly identify ads while browsing their feeds. By reducing the visual cues that typically indicate paid content, this change could make ads feel more like organic content, which in turn could increase user engagement.

However, this alteration also raises questions about users’ ability to distinguish commercial content in real time. This aspect is especially relevant given that, according to data from Bazaarvoice, more than a third of consumers over 18 prefer clear disclosure tools, such as paid partnership labels.

The change has caught the attention of regulators such as the European Commission, which has already investigated Meta’s advertising practices in the context of increasing scrutiny. The EC has raised concerns about the company’s pay or consent model under the Digital Markets Act, and this new approach could be considered a misleading interface design under the EU Digital Services Act, especially if users cannot easily recognize sponsored content.

For marketers, this change presents both opportunities and challenges. While it could benefit advertising performance by making paid content less obvious, companies must closely monitor regulatory developments and avoid creating content that blurs the lines between ads and organic posts. In the event of regulatory intervention, this modification could be reversed or altered, creating inconsistencies between markets and complicating campaign planning.

Meta wants to further protect WhatsApp

Meta has launched a new tool called WhatsApp Research Proxy, aimed at researchers in its bug bounty program, with the goal of improving research on the WhatsApp network protocol. This initiative seeks to facilitate access to specific WhatsApp technologies, especially in a context where the application is an attractive target for state actors and commercial spyware providers. What’s up, WhatsApp? The company has also established a pilot program to invite research teams to focus on abuses on the platform, offering support in engineering and tools. “Our goal is to reduce the […]

Meta has launched a new tool called WhatsApp Research Proxy, aimed at researchers in its bug bounty program, with the goal of improving research on the WhatsApp network protocol. This initiative seeks to facilitate access to specific WhatsApp technologies, especially in a context where the application is an attractive target for state actors and commercial spyware providers.

¿Qué pasa, Whatsapp?

The company has also established a pilot program to invite research teams to focus on abuses on the platform, offering engineering support and tools. “Our goal is to lower the entry barrier for academics and other researchers who may not be familiar with bug bounty programs, Meta noted.

In the last 15 years, the company has awarded more than 25 million dollars in rewards to over 1400 researchers from 88 countries, with more than 4 million dollars paid out just in the last year for nearly 800 valid reports. Among the notable vulnerabilities detected is an incomplete validation bug, which was fixed in recent versions of WhatsApp, although there is no evidence that this issue was exploited.

In addition, Meta has fixed a critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-59489) that allowed malicious applications on Quest devices to execute arbitrary code. This attack was discovered by Flatt Security researcher, RyotaK, who was recognized for his finding.

In response to a report about a method for enumerating WhatsApp accounts on a large scale in 245 countries, Meta has implemented new protective measures against scraping. Although no signs of malicious abuse were found, the investigation revealed that millions of phone numbers are registered in countries where WhatsApp is banned, including 2.3 million in China, raising concerns about privacy and the misuse of user data.

Meta updates brand safety features

Meta has announced this week updates to its security and brand suitability capabilities for Threads and Instagram, seeking to regain advertisers’ trust in its platforms amid a growing regulatory environment. This brand safety initiative responds to broader concerns, as more than half (53%) of marketers in the U.S. believe that social media presents the biggest challenges in this area. Advertisers’ opinions As Meta continues to expand its reach with advertisers and audiences, brand suitability has become a significant challenge. The […]

Meta announced this week updates to its security and brand suitability capabilities for Threads and Instagram, aiming to regain advertisers’ trust in its platforms amid a growing regulatory environment. This brand safety initiative responds to broader concerns, as more than half (53%) of marketers in the U.S. believe thatsocial media presents the biggest challenges in this area.

Advertisers’ Opinion

As Meta continues to expand its reach with advertisers and audiences, brand suitability has become a significant challenge. The new restrictions implemented by Meta present a double-edged sword. On one hand, advertisers may feel more secure knowing that their ads will appear alongside safe content that does not harm their brand image. However, on the other hand, this could make reaching younger audiences, which are key for growth, more complex and require a more nuanced approach.

Experts suggest that brands should prioritize contextual targeting and premium inventory sources to ensure their ads are displayed in appropriate environments. Additionally, it is advisable to conduct internal audits to protect the brand’s reputation while reaching target audiences. With the decline of youth interest in Instagram, marketers should also prepare for potential changes in young audience preferences, who are seeking alternative channels for interaction.

In these times of change and regulatory oversight, Meta’s strategy could define not only how advertisers perceive its platforms, but also its ability to attract and retain the interest of younger generations in the near future.

Personalized ads are coming to Facebook and Instagram thanks to conversations with AI

Meta has announced that it will begin to consider user interactions with its generative artificial intelligence tools to personalize the content and ads displayed on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. With over a billion people using Meta AI monthly, the company aims to enhance its recommendation engine based on these interactions, turning conversations with AI into data signals. Be careful what you say to the AI This new strategy will allow ad and content recommendations to be fed by conversations, both written and spoken, offering more targeted segmentation

Meta has announced that it will begin to consider user interactions with its tools of generative artificial intelligence to personalize the content and ads displayed on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. With over a billionpeople using Meta AI monthly, the company aims to enrich its recommendation engine based on these interactions, turning conversations with AI into data signals.

Be Careful with What You Talk About with AI

This new strategy will allow advertisement and content recommendations to be fed by conversations, both written and spoken, offering more effective targeting. According to Meta, by integrating this data in real-time, brands will be able to reach their audiences with more relevant content precisely at the moment their interests arise.

The launch of this initial update is taking place in two phases. Users will begin receiving notifications and emails starting October 7, anticipating its official release scheduled for December 16. During this phase, interactions with Meta AI will directly influence feed recommendations, similar to how likes or following accounts do.

For example, if a user asks Meta AI about hiking, this could trigger recommendations for hiking groups, content about friends’ trails, or ads for hiking boots. Additionally, users will have control over the personalization of their ads through ad preferences settings and sensitive topics, which will remain excluded from ad targeting.

The incorporation of AI-driven signals also poses new challenges in terms of transparency and privacy, which makes it essential for Meta to implement appropriate controls and opt-out options to gain user trust. This move promises not only to enhance the relevance of ads but also to spark a debate about data management and privacy in the digital age.