March has been a big month for social media, with major platforms rolling out new features and facing regulatory changes. From Instagram testing AI-generated comments and Meta crowd-sourcing community notes, to Reddit giving users more control over ads, the digital landscape is evolving fast. Let’s break down the biggest social media news from March 2025, so you can stay ahead of the trends and understand what they mean for marketers and brands.
Social platforms facing huge fines
As of 17 March 2025, social media platforms need to implement new robust measures to prevent and remove illegal content under the UK’s new Online Safety Act. This content includes but is not limited to, fraud, terrorism and content involving child sexual abuse.
Enforced by Ofcom, this new act will cover over 100,000 services, ranging from major social platforms like Facebook and Reddit, and sites such as Google and OnlyFans. Any companies who fail to comply face massive fines up to £18 million, or 10% of their global revenue. Severe violations could even lead to service shutdowns.
AI Generated comments on Instagram
Meta is currently testing a new feature on Instagram that offers AI-generated comment suggestions for users, marked by an icon of a pencil with a star. For example, you might start seeing suggestions like “loving the cosy atmosphere” or “great photoshoot location” when you go to leave a comment on a post.
There have been a lot of discussions around this new feature, with critics arguing that leaving such a simple task up to AI takes away from genuine human engagement – one of the best things about social media. Relying on AI for interacting with people online could result in less authenticity and an overall more automated environment. However, this feature is currently just in the experimental phase and isn’t widely available yet, and Meta hasn’t specified when or if it’ll be rolled out to all users.
Ad Blocking On Reddit
Reddit has introduced a feature that will allow users to block ads from specific advertising, by selecting the “Hide” option in the ad drop-down menu. It’s a response to user feedback looking for more control over the ads they see on the platform, and is set to enhance the user experience, but may face criticism from advertisers.
Meta Launches Community Notes
Meta has announced that they are testing a new Community Notes feature across Facebook, Instagram and Threads in the US. It’ll replace the previous third-party fact-checking program with a crowd-sourced approach, allowing users to write notes on content, with the goal to add some additional context to posts.
These notes will not initially be available publicly as Meta works to refine the system and, to ensure balance, notes will only be published when contributors with diverse viewpoints reach an agreement. This new feature aligns with other platforms – such as X – who have already implemented similar community-based moderation systems.
LinkedIn Shares Insights For Connecting With Small Businesses
LinkedIn recently published their “Meet the SMB” report, with findings from a survey of 4,287 employees from small businesses (with up to 400 employees), offering some valuable insights into the preferences of SMBs. The key findings include:
- LinkedIn has become a significant platform for SMBs, with an impressive 150 million active users from the sector. Their engagement with content on LinkedIn has increased 25x over the past two years.
- SMB decision-makers often use online platforms, such as LinkedIn, for business information. LinkedIn’s role as a professional networking site has positioned it as a crucial resource for these businesses.
- The report emphasises the importance of purpose-driven social media strategies, where marketing efforts have clear objectives.
For marketers who are aiming to connect with SMBs, it’s crucial to understand these behaviours and tailor strategies to meet their individual needs and preferences. Take a look at the full report here.
Talk to Victress about the latest social media trends
Social media is constantly evolving but, here at Victress, we love making sense of the chaos! If you’re struggling to navigate the world of social media, drop us a message, we’re always here to help.
