Welcome to The Uncertain Times – our perspective on the latest shifts in business, brand and tech. This week, we unpack:
- The world’s toughest under 16s social media ban
- Google’s Gemini closing in on ChatGPT with a UX-forward surge that’s redefining what ‘default AI’ even means
- Why audiences are fed up of ‘AI slop’
- How Trustpilot’s £200m slide over ‘Extortion Tactics’ claims underscores rising importance of brand equity
Amid bans, backlash and a brewing ‘Code Red’ AI arms race, one thing is clear: the next era of the internet will be built differently – and far more intentionally – than the last.
Aussie teens turn to CoverStar as under 16s are banned from Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat
Wednesday 10th December marks a historic shift for Australia’s under 16s. They are officially banned from owning accounts on major social media platforms, including:
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Snapchat
- X (formerly Twitter)
- Twitch
- Kick
- Threads
This includes deactivating existing accounts. If under 16s are found with accounts on the platforms, the companies face serious penalties – up to $49.5 million AUD per breach.
So what?
For marketers, any strategy targeting under 16s on these channels is now off-limits.
The way trends originate and spread is about to shift.
We aren’t just seeing a ban. We’re seeing a hard reset on how a generation interacts with the internet, from the passive to the creative. From consuming content to making it.
A new door opens for ‘safe’ alternatives.
The next wave of players for young Australians
Coverstar
This US-based video-sharing platform looks to be the big winner. Describing itself as a ‘new kind of social app for Gen Alpha,’ it’s built for creativity, powered by AI and claims to be safer than TikTok.
Status: Not covered by the ban. Currently sitting at #45 on Apple’s Australian downloads chart.
Rednote
Also known as Xiaohongshu, this Chinese video-sharing app became a destination for Americans during the US TikTok scare earlier this year and is now seeing Aussie uptake.
Note: Regulators are watching this one closely.
Global impact
The world is watching.
- Malaysia plans to introduce a similar ban next year
- Indonesia will soon demand parental approval for users under 18
- Brazil is moving to require under 16s to link accounts to a legal guardian
- France is discussing a ‘digital curfew’ for 15-18 year olds
- Denmark is considering a national ban for under 15s
Meanwhile, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain are developing an age verification app. The aim is to help users prove their age, without feeding sensitive data into the social platforms.
Going forward
Apps like CoverStar won’t win because they’re ‘social’. But because they’re tools for teens to design music, art and code.
While the ‘Attention Economy’ just lost a valuable commodity (teen eyeballs), the ‘Creation Economy’ is about to boom.
Our hot take
“Social media isn’t going anywhere, but digital third spaces for kids are disappearing every year. Whether it’s due to adults encroaching that causes new restrictions, or the loss of kids-focused platforms entirely, it’s no wonder that they’re left to wander social media as alternatives.
Australia’s ban won’t be the last. Existing platforms will have to rethink how they approach their all-inclusive business model, but there’s an unmistakable opportunity for new, safer social spaces designed specifically with kids in mind to thrive in their absence.” – Jasmine Gilbert, Social Media Specialist
Gemini closes in on ChatGPT’s lead – and for good reason. It offers way better UX
The gap is closing. Fast. App download data confirms that Google’s Gemini is catching up to ChatGPT at a breakneck pace. So much so that Sam Altman has reportedly declared a ‘Code Red’ at OpenAI.
Why is this happening?
The ‘Default AI’ is shifting. ChatGPT is no longer the synonym for AI.
A key reason is the UX – and the fact that Gemini doesn’t store sensitive data.
For those already using Google – which, let’s face it, is most search users – Gemini operates where you already are. It can also build visuals.
Gemini 3 also delivers on the promise of reasoning. It shows its work in a way that builds user trust.
The ‘Nano Banana’ effect
You can’t talk about this surge without mentioning the strangely named elephant in the room.
‘Nano Banana’ (officially Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is Google’s image generator. It’s fast, it’s meme-able and it’s driving the Genmini download spike.
What about the long game?
ChatGPT won round 1 because it felt like magic. Suddenly, all our questions were answered. Our content was written without errors (most of the time). It was the shiny new toy that promised to do it all. For a moment, it felt like the finish line.
Then, Gemini came along and changed the rules:
- It came to where you already work – inside your Docs, your Gmail, your Android phone. It drafts your emails in the email window
- It went visual-first (Nano Banana made image generation fast, meme-able and native to the chat experience)
As we shift from an era of AI as novelty to AI as utility, the winning LLM will be the one you can’t live without. And right now, Gemini is doing a good job of wearing that crown. It doesn’t, however, mean the battle is over.
James Vatter, SEO specialist notes; “a significant legal hurdle has just appeared. On December 8, 2025, Search Engine Land reported that U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has ordered Google to cap its default search deals at one year, effectively ending the long-term exclusive contracts that guaranteed its placement on billions of devices. And this could slow Google and Gemini down.”
Final thoughts
“ChatGPT helps me land on great content ideas. I have in-depth conversations with it to fact-check my work. We’ve already seen ChatGPT go from black box thinking and constant hallucinations (like glueing your pepperoni back on pizza) to where it is now – with ‘search’ and ‘study’ selection available, so you can prompt it to dive that bit deeper. Where will this go in the next months? The coming year? I know I’ll be watching closely and using both Gemini and ChatGPT to draw my own conclusions.”
Ashleigh Gibson, Content Strategist & Copywriter at StrategiQ
‘AI Slop’ fatigue sets in as audiences seek real creativity
Audiences are craving authenticity and human connection (Mintel consumer predictions, 2026).
And the industry is already seeing a pushback against soulless marketing. Demonstrated last week by the public backlash against campaigns by Valentino, Coca-Cola and Guess, which relied on AI-generated or glitchy creative.
‘Sloppy’ and ‘sad’ aren’t quite the feedback you hope for when launching a new luxury handbag. The surreal merging of limbs and logos feels more Dali-meets-Microsoft Paint than avant-garde fashion house.
Similarly, Guess’ AI models have been accused of taking unreachable beauty standards for women to a whole new level, and in the nostalgic world of Christmas ads, Coca Cola is rocking the boat (again) with an AI generated video that some say feels ‘soulless’ and takes work away from human creators.
On the other hand, System1’s Test Your Ad panel awarded the Coca Cola ad maximum scores for creativity and brand fluency – showing that brand equity still wins (almost as much as cute animals).
“At the heart of people’s problem with these campaigns is the lack of human creativity and emotional resonance. Campaigns have to have meaning. No one minds AI being used to amplify real human ideas and bring them to life in ways previously unimaginable. The limitless nature of this technology is incredibly exciting. But it’s nothing without the thinking behind it – the crucial understanding of what a brand means to someone and how it makes them feel.” – Emily Sotudeh, Content Strategist
As a response to this growing disconnect, some brands are seizing the human-angle to differentiate themselves from AI fatigue. Authenticity can be a decisive differentiator.
Trustpilot’s £200m slide over ‘Extortion Tactics’ claims underscores rising importance of brand equity
Trust is the ultimate foundation of a successful brand, making the recent news surrounding Trustpilot particularly concerning. The review platform, which boasts 92% consumer awareness in the UK and whose scores influence 71% of US consumers’ purchasing decisions, was hit by a £200m sell-off after a short-seller accused the platform of “extortion tactics.”
For brands that rely heavily on their Trustpilot score to build social proof and consumer confidence, this story is a critical reminder: your perceived value can be swiftly undermined by an erosion of confidence in the platform you use. Building brand equity requires a multi-faceted approach that doesn’t just rely on a single third-party validation score.
Building brand equity means building a legacy – loyalty, trust and emotional connection – not just a widget showing five stars. Invest in building a brand foundation so strong, so trusted and so connected to your customers that a single public controversy can’t shake it.
To sum up
From Australia’s radical social media reset to the accelerating Gemini–ChatGPT rivalry and the growing revolt against AI-generated creative, the signals all point in one direction: we’re entering a phase where credibility, utility and creativity matter more than ever.
Platforms will rise or fall based on whether they can offer genuine safety and purpose. AI tools will win not by dazzling users, but by integrating seamlessly into their workflows. And brands will gain cultural relevance only when they are built on unmistakably human ideas.
The uncertainty isn’t going away. But for businesses that invest in trust, brand equity and purposeful tech, the opportunity has never been bigger.