Almost mockingly, Twitter has chosen April 1st as the day it will remove legacy blue checks from accounts that have previously been verified. Legacy check marks were previously given out to notable figures and accounts of interest, but the new Twitter Blue paid-for subscription will be available to anyone globally – and with a wait of only 30 days. The new verification process includes submitting photo ID and a selfie in hope of fighting against impersonation following some initial confusion (chaos) upon launch of the new verification system.
Where some organisations were previously given a blue tick to show authenticity, these companies will now have to adhere to the ‘verification for organisations’ offering if they want to keep their tick. This will include a gold tick for the main account, and a blue tick for employee affiliates. More brands across regions are being invited to register their interest for the $1000 (and an extra $50 per employee verification) a month subscription.
Instagram is bringing ads to search results and launching ‘Reminder Ads’
Instagram is testing ads in search results to reach people actively searching for businesses, products and content. Ads will show up in the search results feed when a user scrolls through posts relevant to their search. Ads and regular posts can be differentiated through a “Sponsored” label that will appear under the account holder’s name. After this testing period, Instagram plans to launch ads in search results globally. Instagram is also launching Reminder Ads, which will allow businesses to remind users of events or launches they might be interested in. Brands will be able to build anticipation and awareness by sending users three notifications.
Source: Instagram
TikTok overhauls its community guidelines, adds new policies on AI and climate misinformation
TikTok, which now has 150M users in America alone, has updated its community guidelines to make the app a safer and more secure place, predominantly in regards to AI and climate misinformation.
All AI content on TikTok will now have to be labelled so users are aware of how it was generated. Any material that has been edited or modified will have to be clearly labelled to prevent users from being misled in any way. The updated guidelines on climate change note that misinformation that “undermines well-established scientific consensus,” will not be permitted on the app. While discussions about climate change will be allowed, information that denies the existence of climate change or the factors that contribute to it will not be. Other new guidelines will aim to protect civil and election integrity.
Snap is offering its AR tools to enterprise customers
There are more than 250 million people engaging with augmented reality on Snapchat every day, using its lenses and filters. Snap is now building on this by launching AR Enterprise Services (ARES) to offer these tools to businesses through ‘Shopping Suite’. The function will offer four features for companies to integrate into their apps or websites, including trying on clothing and footwear virtually, and sizing recommendations based on body type.
Source: Snap
Kid-focused short video app Zigazoo launches Gen Z app
Zigazoo, the TikTok-style video app for kids, is launching a separate app targeted at a Gen Z audience. The invite only app will keep the app name, and the current app (aimed at children 3-12), will change to Zigazoo Kids. In an effort to prevent trolling and to create a more positive environment, the app only allows communication through short form videos, rather than comments on posts. Unlike the current app, the new Gen Z focused app will not require parental consent and will have a direct messaging feature.
In other news
Instagram is testing the ability to share full Reel videos on stories for a maximum of 60 seconds. It is also now showing the share numbers on Reels AND working on adding a donate button to posts 👀 Facebook has added a revamped “Discover audio” section for Reels and will be adding 31 new emojis to the mix 🔥Meta has announced the end of Creator Studio which will cease to exist from 12th April. Utah bans under-18s from using social media unless they have parents consent in an effort to prevent addiction.
