iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 20/05/2026

Chatted to the BBC last night about how the social features inside Roblox are changing, and what it means for the platform but for gaming/social crossover features more broadly too www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

US watchdog FTC urged to probe Roblox over child safety and spending claims

Roblox said it had

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 21/03/2026

Just come off BBC Radio interview about Twitter's 20th birthday and I called it Twix. A: it has a ring to it. B. need more covfefe

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Reposted by Drew Benvie

Battenhall @battenhall.com · 05/02/2026

Today we’re launching Battenhall Labs – our global innovation unit for emerging tech. Battenhall Labs brings together our specialists to help brands apply new technology responsibly and effectively. Read more from Chief Innovation Officer and Labs lead, @philsheard.bsky.social: btnhl.com/4qmSBtD

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 22/01/2026

An ineffectual social media ban for kids will be the legislation's undoing. Or worse, those who experience real harms from social media, dark social, messaging apps, the dark web or AI will be less safe as a result.

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 22/01/2026

A social media ban for kids in the UK seems inevitable now, but to do it on safety grounds is fraught with problems. - There are already age restrictions, they don't work - Kids use VPNs already to for example use apps at school - Social media isn't the problem: dark social is

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 20/01/2026

Some thoughts... In my role as head of the youth social media safety nonprofit Raise I commend Liz Kendall’s announcement of the UK government’s three month consultation on social media use for under 16s in the UK. Next is the challenging bit. www.raisegeneration.com/post/the-cha...

raisegeneration.com

The challenges we face as the UK considers banning social media for under-16s

As the world watches the impact of a social media ban for under-16s that took effect in Australia back in December, governments elsewhere are now considering the best way to keep young people safer on...

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 10/01/2026

Very proud of my latest eBay purchase I think I’m becoming a 1980s tech collector 👀

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 09/12/2025

What I’d love to see: progressive tech reforms, education programs and a better understanding of how agile our teenage digital escape artists really are. If any country’s govt think banning social media for kids will make lives safer, they are sorely mistaken as to how the real world really works.

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 09/12/2025

We’re about to find out what’s more harmful to teens than algorithmically shaped, moderated and peer-protected social media. It’s AI companions, dark social and fake social IDs.

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 09/12/2025

Australia’s under-16 social media ban is now in force, and here’s the biggest reason it will backfire: Teens are safer on social media than on the alternative, which includes messaging apps used as social networks, dark social, and fake-age permitted adult social.

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 07/12/2025

Not that often a UK comms job opens up at a hot social network but Substack is hiring substack.com/@drewbenvie/...

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 06/12/2025

Rare UK comms job at a top social network www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 27/11/2025

Looking forward to heading to Bristol this afternoon to speak at Communicate Conference about the year ahead in social media. Final touches to the deck. Will be good to be baaaack

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 26/11/2025

TikTok shop has done $10bn of sales in the U.S. year to date: “Faux Jewels and Slimming Belts: Why Shopping on TikTok Is a Lot Like QVC“ www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/b...

nytimes.com

Faux Jewels and Slimming Belts: Why Shopping on TikTok Is a Lot Like QVC

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 24/11/2025

“As ChatGPT surged in popularity, longtime safety experts burned out and started leaving.” A fascinating long read in the New York Times about the problematic growth of an AI chatbot www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/t...

nytimes.com

What OpenAI Did When ChatGPT Users Lost Touch With Reality

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 24/11/2025

Twitter inadvertently unmasks fake influencers in new transparency feature that shows where an account was originally set up. Dozens of accounts based in Russia, India and Nigeria pretending to be Trump supporting Americans revealed in the process www.thedailybeast.com/top-maga-inf...

thedailybeast.com

Top MAGA Influencers Accidentally Unmasked as Foreign Actors

A new feature on Elon Musk’s X has given deeper insight into the online “America First” movement.

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 11/11/2025

We’re hiring social media analysts in London at Battenhall. Come join our team and help me predict things and count things and keep our beloved clients a step ahead. www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43...

linkedin.com

Battenhall hiring Senior Account Executive - Insights in London Area, United Kingdom | LinkedIn

Posted 3:13:45 PM. SummaryThe Insights team is central to everything we do at Battenhall, delivering social media…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 05/11/2025

Big day today it’s the annual Battenhall social media briefing event at The British Library in London. 300 brands registered to attend this year and I need to finish learning my lines. 🙏🏼☕️💥

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 08/10/2025

Looking for followers on Sora 2. And yep I have invite codes but mainly want to follow my network on there 👋🏼 sora.chatgpt.com/profile/drew...

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 30/07/2025

woohoo! Here for Bluesky being used more by ppl

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 30/07/2025

Loving Bitchat so far. Feels like OG Twitter meets WhatsApp meets Reddit. Dorsey’s new experiment leans into social media culture: it works offline, disappearing content, anonymous users, no tracking, panic mode, etc etc. Good or bad idea? I’m @drew on there, look forward to finding out!

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 01/07/2025

Chatted to the BBC earlier about whether Twitter can reinvent itself with new product chief Nikita Bier at the helm www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Musk's X appoints 'king of virality' in bid to boost growth - BBC News

Nikita Bier has previously developed platforms that have proved popular with teen users.

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 25/06/2025

Pier 57 is my new favourite place (and the bits around it where I’ve been spending much of this week)

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 24/06/2025

It’s 5am, big day ahead so two coffees it is. Can’t ever remember it being as hot as this in New York ☀️🥵

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 03/06/2025

Three entry level social media agency roles just opened in my U.S. team for anyone looking. 🗽 Junior Social Media Analyst (New York) lnkd.in/ehFEHEqX 🌇 Junior Account Executive (Los Angeles) lnkd.in/ekNEafHg 🚕 Junior Account Executive (New York) lnkd.in/eEQd_rs3

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Reposted by Drew Benvie

Battenhall @battenhall.com · 19/05/2025

As global lawmakers step up their efforts to ban social media for under-16s, Battenhall CEO @drew.battenhall.com says it will only make the situation worse. In Digital Frontier, Drew argues for education, safe spaces, and guidance to help teens navigate social media responsibly: bit.ly/3YPJBT8

Screenshot of online article entitled "The case against kicking kids off social media".

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 16/05/2025

Something from me in Digital Frontier today: digitalfrontier.com/articles/chi...

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 14/05/2025

Overheard in Clerkenwell: what would be a great debate is if we got two analog people, and two AIs talking on the stage.

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 30/04/2025

Waiting in the wings to talk at the launch of Speak Up. Hats off @alexlockwood.bsky.social epic crowd 👏🏼

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 29/04/2025

This ridiculous Arsenal run offside free kick drill is genius!!!

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Reposted by Drew Benvie

Battenhall @battenhall.com · 29/04/2025

Yesterday we announced we are a PRCA Dare Awards finalist… Today we’re can share we’re in the running for Specialist Consultancy AND PR Consultancy of the Year at the CIPR Excellence Awards 2025! 🥳 Well done to our incredible global team for all the work that makes this recognition possible! 🙌

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 25/04/2025

Team vibes 💯 this week. And if you’re looking for a career start in a place like this (I sit on the left close to coffee) then check out the battenhall Instagram as we have two internships up for grabs. See you this summer 😎☀️🌞

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 17/04/2025

YES BEST 5 MINS OF FOOTBALL EVER MAINOO MAGUIRE!!!!!!!!

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 08/04/2025

Currently in Devon taking a break but managed to get this to the BBC this morning 👋🏼

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 27/03/2025

Strong contender for biggest PR fuck up of 2025

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 27/03/2025

Good luck tonight to everyone. @battenhall.com’s up for Large agency of the year and Independent agency of the year later at the PRmoment awards in London. Here’s a clip of Grace, Issie, Christopher & Becky picking up the ‘Large’ award for us this time last year 🥂🍾

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Drew Benvie @drew.battenhall.com · 19/03/2025

TikTok’s 2 weeks away from another ban in the U.S. Will it sink or swim? Keen to hear thoughts on the situation

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Reposted by Drew Benvie

Battenhall @battenhall.com · 17/03/2025

Meta’s new Community Notes program launches tomorrow in the US. 🇺🇸 Battenhall CEO @drew.battenhall.com explores what impact this could have on brands – and why it’s more important than ever to keep a close eye on social communities. 👀 btnhl.com/3FusG1I

btnhl.com

Meta begins testing Community Notes program

Meta's Community Notes system goes live in the US on 18 March – what will it mean for brands on Facebook, Instagram and Threads?

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