Observed Signal · Oct 26, 2026 · Technical Release · Source: techcrunch · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Instagram Tests 90-Minute Videos, Shifts Strategy to Long-Form
AdExchanger's daily roundup covers a potential Q4 M&A spree driven by a lenient Trump administration, highlighting Duolingo, Coursera, and Zoom as targets. It also discusses Meta's testing of long-form videos (up to 90 minutes) on Instagram, positioning it as a YouTube competitor in the TV landscape, with DTC brands shifting ad budgets from social to CTV. Other news includes Paste Magazine removing hundreds of Jezebel articles flagged as 'not brand safe,' and stock drops for Reddit, Roblox, and Pinterest after Q3 earnings. Additionally, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu confirmed the company backed out of its 2021 Instacart bid due to Biden-era regulatory fears, and Cody Plofker noted that heavy Meta spending limited brand exposure.
This news signals a strategic shift for a major social platform (Instagram) towards long-form video, potentially impacting creator monetization and competition with YouTube, a key media channel for ad-supported content.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Meta announced testing long-form content on Instagram, allowing creators to share videos up to 90 minutes long.
- DoorDash CEO Tony Xu confirmed the company backed out of its 2021 attempt to buy Instacart due to fears of Biden-era regulatory opposition.
- Cody Plofker, former CEO and CMO of Jones Road, said spending 80% of the company budget on Meta was limiting brand exposure.
- Reddit shares fell 29%, Roblox dropped 17%, and Pinterest dipped 3% after Q3 earnings reports.
- Paste Magazine removed hundreds of Jezebel articles after an 'advertising and analytics company' flagged over 4,000 as 'not brand safe'.
Connected Companies & Entities
18 Entities mapped“Instagram announced testing a new type of video upload called 'Features' allowing videos up to 90 minutes long.”
“Meta, Instagram's parent company, makes its billions on advertising and may place ads in long-form videos.”
“Instagram's shift to long-form could upend YouTube's position as the most lucrative platform for creators.”
“Netflix has a deal with Spotify to stream video podcasts, mentioned as an example of long-form content partnerships.”
“Spotify has a deal with Netflix to bring video podcasts to Netflix.”
“The Information cites Duolingo, Coursera and Zoom as companies that have lost investor support but would be attractive to buyers.”
“The Information cites Duolingo, Coursera and Zoom as companies that have lost investor support but would be attractive to buyers.”
“Instagram is working on a playlist feature similar to TikTok.”
“The Information cites Duolingo, Coursera and Zoom as companies that have lost investor support but would be attractive to buyers.”
“CTV ad platforms like Tatari are taking inspiration from Meta and Google by launching their own optimization engines.”
“DoorDash CEO Tony Xu confirmed that he backed out of the company's previous attempt to buy Instacart in 2021.”
“DoorDash CEO Tony Xu confirmed that he backed out of the company's previous attempt to buy Instacart in 2021.”
“Pinterest dipped 3% after missing ad revenue expectations.”
“Reddit shares fell 29% ... after reporting Q3 earnings.”
“Roblox dropped 17% on Friday due to user growth concerns.”
“They could join Bumble or Roku in limping to an exit.”
“Paramount+ hires former Netflix executive Damla Dogan as its head of unscripted.”
“They could join Bumble or Roku in limping to an exit.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Instagram Offers Creators $500K to Boost Long Videos
Instagram is testing 'Features', a new format allowing creators to upload landscape videos up to 90 minutes long, currently available in Brazil and the US. To attract creators, Meta is reportedly offering selected individuals between $50,000 and $500,000 to publish content on the platform. The move aims to compete with YouTube's established monetization for long-form video. However, Instagram lacks a comparable revenue-sharing model for these videos, and creators typically earn less on Instagram than on YouTube. Past attempts like IGTV failed due to lack of sustained monetization. Analysts question whether upfront payments alone will drive long-term adoption, as creators need reliable income streams to commit to the platform.
YouTube Developing Experimental Social App 'Tamba'
YouTube is reportedly developing an experimental social media platform called 'Tamba', according to an APK teardown by Android Authority. The analysis of YouTube version 21.44.534 revealed a separate application package (com.google.android.youtube.sandbox) with Tamba branding, suggesting a distinct product. The app appears to include social features such as following, private profiles, direct messaging (one-on-one and group), photo/video sharing, and reactions (hearts). It also integrates YouTube Shorts playback within chats. Visual assets include 38 custom icons in a playful style, indicating a full social interface. The project is internally labeled 'Project Sandbox', signaling an experimental phase. No official confirmation from YouTube or Google has been made, and launch timelines are unknown.
Amazon App Reveals Personal Inferences to Users
The Amazon app includes a hidden 'About You' page where the company lists inferences about customers based on purchase history, Alexa interactions, reviews, and search queries. A US customer, 'fangirlinmegan', discovered this feature and shared her profile on Threads, which showed surprisingly specific attributes like 'has a flat butt' and assumptions about Kindle ownership. The post went viral, prompting other users to share their own inferred profiles, which often included remarkably accurate personal traits. Amazon states this data is used to provide relevant product recommendations and allows users to view and edit such preferences. However, this feature is not available in Germany; German users can only manually enter preferences, though data collection continues. The story highlights the extent of consumer data profiling by major e-commerce platforms.
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