Facebook goes big on Portal with new updates Facebook has made several upgrades to Portal, its range of smart video calling devices, which includes the ability for people to access the device’s features using their WhatsApp account. In addition, Facebook has also introduced new AR features, additional support for Workplace by Facebook users, and a number of new streaming services, including Amazon Prime Video, FandangoNOW, SlingTV and others. Currently, the streaming services are only supported in some markets.
Facebook Messenger lets users feel the force To mark the upcoming release of the final instalment of the Star Wars movies, Facebook last week announced a set of Star Wars-themed features for Messenger users, including a chat theme, reactions and Stickers. Both the Stickers and reactions allow users to express themselves using characters from the movie, including laughing like Finn, acting surprised like Rey, and crying like C-3PO. Disney has also helped to create a set of limited-edition AR effects – the Lightspeed Effect, the Cockpit Effect, and the Dark vs Light Effect – that can be used both while taking photos and selfies or when you’re on video calls. All of the features are available now and free to use.
Instagram adds collaborative Group Stories Instagram is rolling out a new ‘Group Stories’ option which will enable users and their friends to collaborate on a private Story. The new update works in a similar to Facebook’s Group Stories option which launched in October last year. The exact timeline for the launch hasn’t been made clear yet, but users should start seeing it in their Instagram message threads sometime soon.
YouTube surprises creators with new harassment policy Just moments after YouTube announced changes to its harassment policy last week, the platform quickly began enforcing the changes, taking users and content creators by surprise. Within hours of the announcement, a number of content creators even reporting that their videos had been deleted based on these new rules. Under the changes YouTube has made, content (now also comments) that contain “malicious insults”, veiled, implicit or explicit threats, or those which simulate violence against an individual will also no longer be allowed on the platform.
Today we announced changes to our harassment policy to better protect our Creators & community.
We’ve gotten a head start answering top questions below – Read on ⬇️for resources & FAQs, and drop a comment if you still have questions.
Finally, French start-up Yubo, which currently has tens of thousands of people signing up to its youth-focused social media platform every day, has raised $12.3 million to help it break into new markets, including Japan and Brazil.
