Google’s subscriptions rise in Q4 as YouTube pulls $60B in yearly revenue

The company said it now has 325 million paying users across Google One and YouTube Premium, up from 300 million users three months earlier.

YouTube now blocking background playback on mobile browsers
YouTube now blocking background playback on mobile browsers

YouTube has started to block third-party mobile browsers from using a background playback loophole. Background playback is supposed to be limited to YouTube Premium subscribers through the official iOS or Android app, but many people have been using browsers like Brave, Vivaldi, and Edge to get background playback without a subscription. Not anymore. “Background playback […]

YouTube’s top AI slop channels are disappearing
YouTube’s top AI slop channels are disappearing

YouTube appears to have taken down two of the most popular AI slop channels on its platform, along with several others. A report from Kapwing found that a channel called CuentosFacianantes no longer exists on the platform after amassing more than 5.9 million subscribers and over 1.2 billion total views. In a November 2025 report, […]

Indian states weigh Australia-style ban on social media for children

Goa and Andhra Pradesh are among Indian states mulling Australia-like social media ban for under-16s.

Internal chats show how social media companies discussed teen engagement
Internal chats show how social media companies discussed teen engagement

Recently released documents show the big business opportunity that social media companies saw in recruiting teens to their platforms and how they discussed risks that heavy digital engagement could pose. The documents were released last week as part of a major set of trials brought by school districts, state attorneys general, and others against Meta, […]

2026 is the year of social media’s legal reckoning
2026 is the year of social media’s legal reckoning

Over the next year, top social media executives are expected to take the witness stand to defend their companies from an avalanche of claims about their failure to protect kids. The first of many trials is set to begin this month in California, when Meta, TikTok, and YouTube face claims that tech addiction harmed a […]

If you use Google AI for symptoms, know it cites YouTube a lot

A study of 50,807 German health searches found Google’s AI Overviews cite YouTube more than any other site. The AI also pulls links beyond top results, so quick symptom answers can lean on lower-bar sources.
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YouTube will soon let creators make Shorts with their own AI likeness

YouTube Shorts viewers might soon see AI versions of their favorite creators when scrolling through their feeds.

YouTube TV will launch custom multiview and channel packages ‘soon’
YouTube TV will launch custom multiview and channel packages ‘soon’

YouTube TV is getting ready to launch two major updates that will allow you to watch multiple non-sports channels simultaneously, as well as choose from 10 new paid plans focused on a range of topics, including sports, entertainment, and news. In his annual letter to users, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says both of these changes […]

YouTubers will be able to make Shorts with their own AI likenesses
YouTubers will be able to make Shorts with their own AI likenesses

Your YouTube Shorts feed might soon be filled with a lot more AI-generated content from your favorite creators – including AI-generated versions of the creators themselves. In his annual letter released today, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says that sometime this year, creators will be able to make Shorts using their “own likeness.” Mohan didn’t share […]