TOGETHER WITH
It’s Thursday and spidey senses have officially overpowered the Force, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day surpassing Star Wars to become the highest-grossing movie in U.S. history.
Today’s News
📱 Amazon gets its TikTok on
🛠️ Is ChatGPT the new YouTube?
👊 The EU cracks down on AI
👜 TikTok Shop gets fancy
🎂 Roblox turns 20
NEWS FLASH
Prime is getting the TikTok treatment.
Amazon hopes news clips will bring TikTok viewers to Prime Video
The clips: Will short-form news clips be enough to keep TikTok users coming back to Prime Video? Amazon is betting on it.
Prime Video has announced the arrival of short-form news content collected in “curated playlists” that cover national and local stories. Users can find those selections by looking in the Trending Topics or Local News carousels on the Prime Video app.
Amazon has indicated that the playlists will be populated with content from “multiple trusted news sources,” including ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, LiveNOW from Fox, CNN Headlines, and NBC News NOW.
The context: Copying TikTok’s approach to news distribution is a wise move. Since the start of the 2020s, an increasing number of young people have begun treating TikTok like a news source. By getting updates on current events from short-form creators, 18-to-24-year-olds are shifting the news landscape—and major outlets are taking notice. The New York Times has already updated its app to incorporate a TikTok-style feed; now, Amazon is following suit.
Prime Video’s short-form news strategy, however, could be missing a key component, because it doesn’t seem to have zeroed in on the sources TikTok users actually consult for news.
Creators, not legacy publications, are delivering many of the headlines on the For You Page—so much so that traditional outlets are struggling to keep up.
As Amazon learned with its Inspire tab, aping TikTok isn’t as simple as replicating the app’s design. If the News Clips playlists fare better, they could end up with a wider rollout, but for now, the feature is limited to U.S.-based users watching on TV screens.
🌟 SPONSORED 🌟
The BBC pioneers behind Bluey, Doctor Who, and Dancing with the Stars will headline MIPCOM Cannes
MIPCOM Cannes 2026 is just a few weeks away. From October 12–15, 10,600+ participants from 100+ countries will unite on the French Riviera to forge new partnerships, discover emerging technologies, and explore the industry’s future in sessions hosted by 300+ speakers.
Here’s one expert-led session you won’t want to miss:
On October 13, three of the BBC and BBC Studios’ most influential creative leaders will join forces for an exclusive headline conversation titled "From Idea to Global IP: Building Brands That Last.”
During that fireside chat, BBC Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips, BBC Studios CEO/Chief Creative Officer Global Content Zai Bennett, and BBC Studios CEO Brands & Licensing Shelley Macintyre will reveal the strategies behind some of the world's most enduring entertainment franchises.
Ready to find out what transforms a great idea into a global franchise?
HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰
Is AI the new YouTube University? (Photo credit: d3sign via Getty Images.)
A new plugin available on ChatGPT turns static images into multi-step instructional content. Is its debut a sign that the how-to economy is shifting from YouTube to AI? (Tubefilter)
X has announced the U.S. launch of the “X Cashtag Partner Program,” which gives users the ability to trade through brokerage partners like Interactive Brokers, Moomoo, Gemini, Kraken, and Coinbase. (TechCrunch)
As of Wednesday, Threads users now have access to an expanded array of podcast features, including “profile banners, episode link cards, transcript and guest cards, new episode reminders, and Podcast Insights.” (Meta)
Snap has confirmed that its $2,195 AR Specs glasses will include a specially designed Snapchat app that allows users to take pictures and video calls. (Gizmodo)
TIKTOKIFICATION
The EU isn’t stopping at a social media ban. (Photo illustration by Leon Neal/Getty Images.)
The EU wants to ban kids from chatbots and gaming now, too
The proposal: The European Union is set to propose a sweeping new social media, chatbot, and gaming ban for kids under 15.
According to Reuters, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Henna Virkkunen (EVP of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy) will present the proposal today as part of their EU Kids Act.
The basic plan would involve a system of staggered access to social media platforms, video-sharing platforms, LLM chatbots, and online games, with kids gaining more access as they age.
Essentially, Kids under 3 would have no access to any services
Kids 3-12 could have accounts, but only if those accounts are on child-friendly services, fully controlled by parents, and have stringent safety standards
Kids 13-14 could ask parents to open special introductory accounts on social media and video-sharing platforms with limited user-to-user contact and time limits
Once a child hits 15, they would be able to set up their own accounts on social media platforms, chatbots, and gaming services. The only limits they’d face then are the usual ones restricting NSFW content from being accessed by minors.
The fine print: Reuters reports that the Kids Act asks affected companies to pay a “supervisory fee” that would fund regulators’ enforcement efforts and post-implementation supervision. The current draft apparently also requires companies to axe things like addictive feeds, and will require age verification to open new accounts and download video games.
Over the next few months, the commission will go through more drafts with individual EU member countries and the European Parliament, until everyone agrees on final terms.
SHOPPING SPREE
Sellers are bringing luxury to TikTok Live. (Photo illustration by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images.)
TikTok Shop’s luxury glow-up is happening on live streams
The luxury boost: Countless sellers across dozens of niches show off their wares on TikTok Live, but those streams have become especially important within the realm of luxury goods. At the inaugural Luxury Resale Summit in New York City, TikTok shared a telling stat regarding its higher-priced transactions.
94% of TikTok Shop’s luxury resale revenue in the U.S. comes from live broadcasts.
TikTok Shop’s Head of Category for U.S. Luxury Resale, Rainee Walker, explained how that percentage got so high. At a presentation during New York Fashion Week, the exec said that a shoppable live stream can serve as a “conversation” between a seller and a potential buyer—especially if the latter party has questions or reservations that can be cleared up through a showcase or demo.
“As the seller gets to engage with their audience, they’re able to bring what once was a static product description page to life…describing the condition and showing you the condition and how you can wear these items.”
The context: That type of buyer-seller dynamic (and the added sense of security it gives to customers who are essentially buying from online strangers) has helped Whatnot become a live shopping unicorn. Like TikTok Shop, the marketplace is able to build the trust that leads to high-value purchases in categories like collectibles and apparel.
Of course, TikTok Shop didn’t always operate that way. When it first arrived in the West, it was associated with lower-priced Chinese exports from companies like Shein and Temu. But as luxury resale helped TikTok Shop post massive revenue figures, the platform catered to that type of seller. Kim Kardashian live streams, secondhand bags, and even fine art pieces have helped TikTok Shop increase its average purchase price—and now, that push is paying off.
WATCH THIS 👀
Roblox is sending players on a hunt through time.
Roblox is celebrating its anniversary by taking players back in time
The Hunt: Roblox’s birthday celebrations aren’t over just yet. In honor of its 20th anniversary, the platform has announced the launch of a special event called “The Hunt: Roblox 20.”
Starting today, Roblox says users who join the event will be able to play games “from each year of Roblox’s history—all the way back to 2006. Completing all 20 years unlocks Year Infinity—with access to 20 more games that represent the best of 2026 and beyond.”
Players looking to amp up the nostalgia can also switch on a Classic app theme with “the old-school Roblox logo, colors, and font” from now until The Hunt ends on September 28. (Roblox Plus subscribers will be able to hold onto the theme after the event’s conclusion.)
Check out a trailer for The Hunt here.
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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.