We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #643
TikTok debuts new technology to label AI content
TikTok has announced it will launch a new tool that will allow creators to label their AI-generated content. As more creators are using AI, TikTok recognises a need for transparency in its use to prevent confusion or users being misled. The company already has a policy to address synthetic media, but this new technology will ensure transparency for content that toes the line between seeming real or fake. TikTok is also beginning to test other ways to label AI-generated content automatically.
Meta is expanding its verification programme to businesses
Meta is expanding Meta Verified to businesses after first launching it for creators in March. The company is initially testing the verification programme on Facebook and Instagram with merchants in select geographies, but it plans to roll it out to businesses on WhatsApp at a later stage. For businesses, Meta Verified is $21.99/month per Facebook page or Instagram account and $34.99/per month for both.
YouTube debuts a new app, YouTube Create
YouTube has introduced a new app for creators, YouTube Create, that will offer a suite of free tools that will allow them to make Shorts and longer videos. The tool aims to address some of the challenges creators face, including the editing process and the ability to leverage creative tools.
Snapchat now has over 5M paying users for Snapchat+
Snapchat’s subscription service for power users, Snapchat+, has now topped 5 million subscribers — a figure that’s up from 4 million in late June and 3 million in mid-April. Now over a year old, numbers are increasingly going up, with the app generating $1.07 billion in Q2, mostly from ads.
X is shutting down its Circle feature in October
X is shutting down its Circle feature that allows users to share a post only with a set of people, much like the “Close Friends” feature on Instagram. The feature will go away on October 31, when users will no longer be able to add people to their circle. They will, however, be able to remove people from their Circle, by unfollowing them so they can’t see past Circle posts.
Meta to launch AI chatbot for the younger audience
Meta is preparing to announce a generative AI chatbot, called “Gen AI Personas”. Aimed at younger users, the company plans to launch it during the Meta Connect event that starts Wednesday. Meta means to create “dozens” of these bots and has even done some work on a chatbot creation tool to enable celebrities to make their own chatbots for their fans. The robot is set to come in multiple ‘personas’ geared towards engaging younger users.
The latest influencer marketing news
The power of TikTok creators has once again shown its influence and impact, with MAC inviting Tube Girl (@sabrinabahsoon) to walk their latest runway in London Fashion Week and BBC news doing an interview with her that gained over 3M views. Sabrina has labelled her tube trend a “confidence movement.”
Samsung’s latest move against Apple is to make its S23 Ultra MrBeast’s official vlog camera to showcase “what’s possible with a Galaxy smartphone for aspiring and professional creators.”
In other news
Threads has announced that users can now swap accounts on its mobile app by long-pressing on the profile icon in the bottom right. Instagram is testing replies on broadcast channels. Snapchat is testing two new feeds, “For You” and “Following”.