FeedMeld

A federal jury in San Francisco has delivered a stunning blow to Elon Musk, finding him guilty of intentionally misleading shareholders during his 2022 acquisition of Twitter. The jury concluded that Musk’s public comments regarding the number of fake accounts and his attempts to back out of the deal were calculated moves designed to drive down the company’s valuation. This verdict could potentially leave him on the hook for an estimated $2.6 billion in damages.\n\nThe trial focused on a five-month window in 2022 when Twitter’s stock price plummeted from Musk's buyout offer of $54.20 to a low of $32.52. Investors argued that Musk’s tweets and public disparagement of the platform’s integrity caused significant financial losses. While Musk's legal team argued his statements were protected speech or reflections of genuine concern, the eight-member panel was not convinced, specifically rejecting the 'bot' narrative as a misleading tactic.\n\nThis legal defeat comes at a precarious time for X, as the platform continues to struggle with advertiser retention and technical stability. While the exact amount of individual payouts will be determined in future claims, the precedent set by this trial sends a clear message to high-profile executives about the legal weight of their social media influence. The tech world is now watching closely to see if this triggers a wave of similar shareholder litigation across other Silicon Valley giants.

“Elon Musk has been found liable for defrauding Twitter investors in 2022 by intentionally disparaging the company to lower its stock price.”

Why It Matters

In a move that signals a pivot toward deeper social integration, YouTube has reintroduced direct messaging functionality. Currently testing in 30 European countries, the feature allows users to send videos and chat within a dedicated inbox. This removes the need for users to copy links and hop into third-party apps like WhatsApp or iMessage to share content with friends.\n\nThe feature includes standard messaging staples such as the ability to 'unsend' messages and granular controls to accept or reject chat requests. By keeping the conversation within the platform, YouTube aims to increase…

Instagram is finally addressing the 'doomscroll' trap by introducing 'Your Algorithm'—a dashboard that shows users exactly what the app thinks they like. The feature allows users to see a list of inferred interests and manually remove topics that no longer resonate. If you've been stuck in a loop of sourdough baking videos and want out, you can now tell the app to back off.\n\nIn addition to the algorithm controls, the update includes 'Profile Interests,' a separate section where users can publicly display their hobbies. This aims to make profiles more searchable and help users connect over…

Bluesky is no longer just a Twitter alternative; it's a well-funded ecosystem. The platform announced a $100 million Series B funding round this week, aimed at scaling the AT Protocol and expanding its developer tools. With over 43 million users and 1,000 new apps being built on the protocol every week, the decentralized dream is seeing its biggest surge in mainstream viability yet.\n\nThe funding news coincided with a leadership transition, as founding CEO Jay Graber moves to a Chief Innovation Officer role to focus on protocol development. The company is positioning itself as the backbone…