Here are the February 2026 social media updates and platform news you need to know.
TikTok has launched a Local Feed for the U.S., a dedicated tab designed to help users discover content, businesses, and events happening near them.
The feed highlights posts related to restaurants, shopping, travel, and community events, prioritizing content based on a user’s location, topic relevance, and how recently it was posted.
Only public content from users 18+ is eligible to appear, meaning private accounts and under-18 creators are excluded. To support more accurate recommendations, TikTok is gradually rolling out optional precise GPS location sharing. The feature is turned off by default, is only active while the app is in use, and is fully controlled by the user.
TikTok is positioning this as a major opportunity for small businesses, noting that millions of U.S. businesses already use the platform to drive discovery, foot traffic, and growth. The Local Feed further bridges digital content with real-world commerce.
LinkedIn is stepping up its efforts to reduce artificial engagement, specifically targeting automated comments generated through third-party scripts and browser plugins. *Round of applause*
The move comes after growing concerns about “engagement pods”, which are coordinated groups that like and comment on each other’s posts to artificially inflate reach.
According to LinkedIn, these automated or low-quality comments often flood posts and distort the “Most Relevant” comment section, which is the default view users see.
Moving forward, LinkedIn will remove detected automated comments from the “Most Relevant” feed and may limit their visibility to only the commenter’s direct network. Repeat offenders risk account restrictions.
No one wants to scroll for hours through an app of only AI-generated content, but Meta seems to think otherwise.
Meta is expanding its AI video ambitions with a new standalone version of its “Vibes” feed, currently being tested in Brazil and Mexico. The app creates a dedicated, full-screen feed focused entirely on AI-generated video content.
Originally launched within the Meta AI app last year, Vibes allows users to generate, edit, and share short-form AI videos. Meta reports that AI-generated content creation within its ecosystem increased significantly in late 2025, prompting the company to invest further in a more immersive, video-first experience.
Kind of dystopian, if you ask us. As powerful as AI is becoming, and as much as users are adopting it, people are still going to crave real, human content at the end of the day.
The under-16 social media bans are really catching on.
Portugal has passed legislation restricting access to social media platforms for children under 16. Under the new bill, users aged 13–16 will require verified parental consent to create accounts, while children under 13 will be prohibited from accessing platforms altogether.
The law applies to major social networks like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and includes requirements for platforms to implement stronger protections against harmful content for minors.
Australia previously enacted similar restrictions, placing responsibility on platforms to implement age verification systems. France, Denmark, Italy, Spain, and others are at various stages of introducing comparable measures across Europe.
Social media changes fast, but you don’t have to keep up alone. If you’re unsure how these platform updates should impact your content, paid strategy, or creator partnerships, we’re here to help.
Connect with the Random team to start building a smarter social strategy.
