It's Sunday and here's a handpicked selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry.

But first, meet the YouTube extension that blocks brainrot. A developer recently shared the code for Sentinel, which lets parents filter brainrot out of their kids' YouTube profiles.

INFLUENCERS AT WORK

QCP is hotter than a pot of boiling pasta water on the Playgirl cover.

Creators are hitting magazine covers and currying favor with Silicon Valley

The cover model: TikTok star Gianluca "QCP" Conte is known for his love of pasta, his fondness for the word "betch," and his chiseled look. That third asset came in handy when Playgirl came calling, and the creator's resulting cover photo came out steamier than a bagna cauda.

The job posting: In the part of the creator food world that isn't so…revealing, Joshua Weissman has put out a call for a new lead editor who will cut footage across his two YouTube channels. Weissman is known for his simple yet refined takes on classic dishes (and his strong opinions regarding popular fast food items).

The investor: Jake Paul is gaining favor in Silicon Valley. So claims a profile of the unpredictable creator in Fortune. The piece examines Paul's Anti Fund as its outsized influence in the investing world. Personally, I'd love to see some of those VC suits step into the influencer boxing ring.

The author: Kevin Kennedy has you covered with a new book. On his TikTok account, the Tennessee attorney shares legal advice with millions of followers. Of course, you can't always count on access to TikTok when you're in a pinch, so you'll just have to carry Kennedy's new book with you at all times. If you do, well, as they say, Kev's Got You Covered.

PLATFORM HEADLINES

TikTok Shop is reversing course.

Here's what the world's top platforms got up to last week

The switch-up: TikTok Shop isn't ending independent shipping after all. The ecommerce arm of TikTok planned to require its sellers to use its own fulfillment options to complete orders. That didn't sit right with many Shop partners, who protested so loudly that TikTok has reversed course. The planned changes to fulfillment policies will not go into effect right now, the company said in a statement.

The refresh: X's vertical video player is getting a "badly-needed" refresh. That's how Head of Product Nikita Bier described the push for a streamlined player that makes in-feed videos more cinematic. Every platform is still out there chasing short-form viewership, and X isn't ready to give up on that effort just yet.

The biz update: Twitch is giving the keys to creator accounts to Business Managers. A shift to the platform's approach will allow users other than account owners to access that account's dashboard. The move is a nod to the streamers who have built their channels into full-fledged businesses—and who now employ business associates who need to take a look under the hood from time to time.

The experiment: YouTube's bell icon may soon become vestigial. Remember when the video hub started selectively pushing notifications to channel subscribers who didn't click the corresponding bell icon? Well, at this point, even if you click the bell, you might not get all the updates from your subscriptions. An ongoing experiment requires subscribers to engage with channels to receive all notifications—even if they click the bell.

CREATOR COLLABS

MrBeast is following his ninja way.

Brands are partnering with creators to make markers, Naruto merch, and more

The merch line: MrBeast is doing Naruto merch now. Jimmy Donaldson is a self-proclaimed anime fan, and he proved it by partnering with VIZ Media to produce a line of Naruto-themed merchandise. Will kids wear these items while Naruto-running around the halls of their middle schools? Believe it!

The program: PepsiCo is launching its biggest influencer program yet. Notables like Madison Beer, iShowSpeed, and Dude Perfect are thinking up new tastes for PepsiCo products as part of the Flavor Swap program.

The colorful collab: Ms. Rachel has drawn up a Crayola sponsorship. The instantly recognizable early childhood educator is parlaying her YouTube success into an assortment of offline partnerships. Her "Color Wonder" line will equip Crayola customers with mess-free coloring implements, thus encouraging her "little ones" to pursue some screen-free activities.

WATCH THIS 👀

Wish High is hoping VTubers can convince kids to study.

Can VTubers get students to focus on homework?

The study program: If focusing on school is a struggle, why not enlist the help of a VTuber teacher at Wish High? The study program—which claims to be Japan's "first online cram school"—looks to make hitting the books a bit more accessible by turning its teachers into VTubers.

Wish High's VTuber faculty offer tutoring in "mathematics, English, physics, chemistry, classical Japanese, world history, Japanese history, and geography." How's that for being multitalented?

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