Adobe buys Semrush, TikTok fights AI slop, and X goes full chaos mode

Let’s break down the three biggest stories shaping the future of marketing, creators, and the platforms we rely on every day.

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Adobe Buys Semrush for $1.9B to Power the Future of AI-Driven Search & Marketing

News just in

Adobe just announced a $1.9 billion acquisition of Semrush, the popular SEO and digital marketing platform. The deal is expected to close in early 2026 pending regulatory and shareholder approval. It will supercharge Adobe’s marketing suite with deeper web analytics, SEO intelligence, and AI-search visibility tools.

How does this benefit Adobe?

Semrush’s data will help Adobe give brands clearer insight into how they appear across the web and inside AI-generated search results, a growing battleground for marketers. The move also strengthens Adobe’s push into AI-powered advertising and campaign creation, following recent launches of AI ad generation and social-campaign brainstorming agents.

This acquisition comes two years after Adobe walked away from its $20B Figma deal due to regulatory pressure. If approved, Semrush will become a core pillar of Adobe’s end-to-end marketing ecosystem.

What might be interesting to note about this acquisition from an outsider’s perspective?

• SEMrush stock price was trading at 50% cheap compared to January 2025. Adobe potentially saw a Black Friday deal and went for it.

• Legacy SEO tools are struggling to stay afloat as generative AI engines take shape. Like many, SEMrush was struggling to keep up with the new AI entrants who are getting heavily funded and making the AI search environment ultra-competitive.

What’s next?

If you are a SEMrush user, this could spell doom for your experience. There is a chance that Adobe will focus on enterprise customers and the product will become more expensive. Either way, keep your options open.

For SEMrush shareholders, it’s a good payout and a chance to run for the hills incase SEO becomes even more unpredictable.

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TikTok Rolls Out Controls to Reduce AI Content in Your Feed

What happened?

TikTok has added a new AI content limiter inside its “Manage Topics” settings, letting users dial down how much AI-generated video shows up in their For You feed. It works like TikTok’s category filters reducing how often AI content appears.

When?

The feature launched this week, alongside TikTok’s early tests of invisible watermarking for AI-generated videos to help identify and label AI content more accurately.

Why?

User demand is shifting and people are getting tired of “AI slop,” unrealistic filters, and synthetic videos flooding their feeds. TikTok’s existing detection tools can’t catch all AI clips, especially cross-posted content, so it’s adding watermarking, C2PA metadata, and user-level controls.

The move mirrors Pinterest’s recent AI-limiting option and signals that the public’s appetite for AI content is far lower than developers expected.

What’s next?

Expect more platforms to introduce similar AI filters as resistance to AI-generated feeds grows. TikTok will keep improving watermarking and detection to give users more control, while also investing $2M in AI literacy content and partnering with industry groups on responsible AI.

Whether this becomes a temporary backlash or a long-term expectation will depend on how future generations respond to AI-native content. But for now, social platforms are clearly being pushed to dial it back.

X Just Changed the Rules for Buying @Handles. And They’re… Intense

What happened?

X has updated the terms of its new Handles Marketplace, where Premium+ and Premium Business users can buy vacated @usernames. Some of these can go for 5–7 figure prices.

But crucially, buyers never actually own the handles; they only get a revocable license that X can reclaim at any time.

Who new buying X handles could become a thing? Not me.

About the marketplace

It launched last month, and these new rules were added in mid-November as X expands access and clarifies how purchased handles work.

Why is this good to know?

X wants to monetise unused or reclaimed usernames, but it also wants active creators using these high-value handles.

As a result, the fine print includes strict requirements:

• You must keep a paid Premium subscription

• You must post engaging content regularly

• You must be active in discussions and platform activity

• You must log in at least once every 30 days
  Failure to meet any of these conditions can result in your expensive @handle being taken back.

What’s next for anyone who will be next to buy a handle?

Anyone considering buying an X handle, especially at premium prices, should treat it as rent, not ownership. Expect more reclaimed names entering the marketplace and more aggressive monetisation from X as it hunts for new revenue streams.

But unless you’re deeply invested in the platform, the risks and restrictions may outweigh the bragging rights of securing your dream @username.