The news of the web and social networks this back-to-school season in 2026 is structured around three main axes: an expanding European regulatory pressure targeting new platforms, a parliamentary debate on the addictive design of applications, and concrete developments in the way content is distributed to users.
The Digital Services Act extended to ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox
Until recently, the DSA primarily targeted large social networks like Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. The European Commission has expanded the list of services subject to the strictest obligations of the regulation. ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox are now among the affected platforms.
These services have four months to implement the enhanced obligations: annual assessment of systemic risks (illegal content, protection of minors, effects on well-being, impact on electoral processes), independent audits, and data sharing with regulators and accredited researchers.
This change in scope alters the landscape of what is called “social media news.” General media typically cover Meta, Snapchat, or LinkedIn, but subjecting a generative AI to the same framework as community platforms redefines the boundaries of the topic. Following the news on La Star du Web allows for a cross-sectional view of these developments, beyond just traditional networks.
Persuasive design and addiction: the European Parliament steps in
Alongside the DSA, the European Parliament is discussing in September 2026 a report that directly targets the mechanisms of persuasive design of social networks. The text calls on platforms to ban their most harmful addictive practices, those designed to artificially prolong the time spent on the application.
The report proposes a European strategy combining several principles:
- Security and privacy by design integrated from the outset of feature development
- Security settings activated by default, with no action required from the user
- Age-appropriate design, with specific interfaces for minors
- Enhanced age verification mechanisms without systematic reliance on biometric data collection
This parliamentary debate occurs in a context where France is discussing the ban on social networks for those under 15. A law adopted on August 24, 2026, imposes new obligations on platforms, although some provisions have been partially censored by the Constitutional Council.
Non-personalized feeds: what the DSA changes for users in France
Among the obligations of the Digital Services Act, one directly concerns the daily experience of millions of users. Large platforms must offer a content feed not based on algorithmic profiling. In other words, each user must be able to access a chronological or non-targeted news feed, without the algorithm selecting posts on their behalf.
On Instagram, this option already existed in the form of a chronological feed. The DSA makes it mandatory and visible for all platforms exceeding a certain user threshold in Europe. For services like Pinterest, WhatsApp, or Snapchat, the application modalities vary depending on the nature of the content distributed.
Field feedback varies on this point. Some users appreciate the ability to step out of the algorithmic bubble. Others find that non-personalized feeds remain buried in the settings, difficult to find without actively searching. The legal obligation does not guarantee user adoption.
What impact on brands’ content strategies
For community managers and content creators on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok, the generalization of non-personalized feeds raises a concrete question. If an increasing share of the audience consults a chronological feed, the regularity of posts regains importance compared to just the engagement rate.
Short video formats remain dominant in recommendation algorithms, but a chronological feed levels the playing field for text and image posts. The available data does not yet allow for measuring the extent of this shift.
Influence marketing and micro-communities: rising rates
According to a Matriochka Influences study reported by the Blog du Modérateur, the median price of a collaboration with an influencer has risen by 30% between 2025 and the first half of 2026. This increase is driven by micro-influencers, whose rates have tripled in a year.
This price inflation reflects a shift in value. Advertisers prefer smaller but more engaged communities on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, rather than massive audiences on Facebook. Meta’s social network continues to lose ground in Europe to Instagram, whose audience growth outpaces that of the parent company.
For brands investing in social media, the rise in rates makes measuring return on investment more demanding. A partnership with a content creator with a few thousand followers now costs what a collaboration with a much larger profile did two years ago.
YouTube and the question of real views
Since August 24, 2026, YouTube counts a view as soon as the video starts playing. A study by Agentio reveals that, in 40% of cases, the counted view does not engage the viewer. The viewer leaves the video before actually consuming the content.
This change in metrics has direct consequences on the video strategy of creators and advertisers. A high number of views no longer necessarily means that the message has been seen. Retention indicators (average watch time, completion rate) become the only reliable metrics to evaluate the performance of a video post.
The back-to-school season of 2026 thus marks a moment when the rules of the game are changing simultaneously in terms of regulation and metrics. The DSA reshapes the obligations of platforms, the European Parliament pushes against addictive design, and historical performance indicators lose reliability. For web professionals as well as users, understanding these developments requires regular monitoring and a good dose of critical perspective.
