Social Media Buzz Weekly: Roundup of Social Media Updates

Welcome to Social Media Buzz Weekly, your weekly bulletin of the latest social media updates. With the social media landscape evolving with each passing day, it can be challenging to keep a tab on the rapid developments. Well, not anymore, as we have taken it upon ourselves to keep you abreast of every happening in the social media space.

So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at some of the most significant developments from the last week in the world of social media.

1. Meta Launches Live Roll-Out of VRS System to Mitigate Unintended Bias in Ad Exposure

https://about.fb.com/news/2023/01/an-update-on-our-ads-fairness-efforts/

Meta has now released the first stage of live deployment for its Variance Reduction System (VRS) for housing ads, which is designed to reduce bias, and increase the equitable distribution of ads across Meta’s apps.

Meta’s VRS system measures the actual audience reach for each ad and ensures a broader spread of exposure, based on various audience factors. In essence, the system ensures that housing ads are not being limited to certain ethnic or socioeconomic groups by Meta’s ad targeting AI process, by measuring the overall ad exposure, and matching that against audience data based on US Census statistics on race and ethnicity.

2. Twitter Adds ‘Hashfetti’ Effect to Branded Hashtag Campaigns

https://www.redmention.com/news/twitter-provides-hashfetti-impact-to-branded-hashtag-campaigns/

Twitter has added a new element to its branded hashtag experience which will see the screen flooded with the respective graphic when users tap the branded tag.

With branded hashtags already helping to drive improved campaign response, it could be another element to enhance resonance and make your promotions stand out in the app.

3. Meta Calls for Increased Regulation of Child Safety Online

https://about.fb.com/news/2023/01/providing-safe-experiences-for-teens/

Meta has called for global cooperation among governments to establish new, definitive requirements around key elements of child safety online, including provisions for access and detection, as well as rules around what is and is not acceptable content, particularly in relation to social apps.

Meta’s Youth Safety Summit brought together mental health experts, educators, researchers, policy writers, and parents, who held a series of discussions around the key issues relating to child safety online, and how to best address the evolving requirements of this key aspect.

4. Instagram’s Updating its UI, with the Shop Tab to Disappear from the Main App Screen

https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/541982071188223

Instagram’s UI is getting an update, with a few minor tweaks to the app layout, and the placement of function buttons on-screen.

February onwards, the navigation bar at the bottom of the app will have the shortcut for creating content in the middle, as opposed to the current Reels shortcut. The Reels button will shift to the right, while the Shop tab that’s currently in that spot will disappear.

5. Twitter Previews New Bookmarks UI, Making the Functionality Easier to Access

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/Twitter-Previews-New-Bookmarks-UI/639880/

Twitter’s developing a new approach to the bookmarks display, which would bring the functionality upfront.

This means that you may soon have a new bookmark option in the top right of the tweet detail display, making it easier to quickly tag and save a tweet for later reading.

6. TikTok Pauses US Security Deal Amid Rising Questions About the App’s Connection with the CCP

https://www.reuters.com/technology/tiktok-freezes-hiring-us-security-deal-opposition-mounts-2023-01-06/

TikTok has paused its hiring process for a group of US-based consultants that would help to implement the final requirements of its potential security agreement with the US Government.

Just before Christmas, TikTok, which has been under investigation by the Committee for Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) for years, had appeared to be close to a securing final sign-off on a deal that would ensure its ongoing operation in the US. But around the same time, reports emerged that TikTok’s parent company ByteDance had been spying on several American journalists, via TikTok, due to concerns that these journalists had been in contact with ByteDance staff, and had gained access to commercially sensitive information.

7. Twitter Continues to Develop Tweet Awards as Another Creator Monetization Opportunity

https://www.redmention.com/news/twitter-continues-to-develop-tweet-awards-as-one-other-creator-monetization-alternative/

Twitter is still developing its own virtual gifting-type option, which would provide a range of stickers that you could buy to then give to people for their good tweets.

Twitter’s developing a range of new emoji awards that users will be able to purchase for varying amounts. You’d then be able to gift these awards to other users, who would then be able to convert them into cash. The concept is pretty much exactly the same as Facebook’s virtual gifts, which are purchasable via ’Stars’, its in-app currency, in order to donate funds to your favorite creators. YouTube also has its ’Super Stickers’ option to facilitate the same, while TikTok has live gifts, and Reddit has various similar sticker gifting options.

8. WhatsApp Launches Proxy Support to Keep Users Connected When Local Networks are Impacted

https://blog.whatsapp.com/

WhatsApp’s looking to help keep people connected, even amid government-mandated communication disruptions, by adding proxy support for WhatsApp users, which enables you to choose a proxy server to remain connected, even if your local network goes down.

WhatsApp, which is the most popular messaging platform in the world, often serves as a critical communication channel in times of crisis. But as more governments and security organizations seek to control information flow, in various ways, it can also be disrupted, cutting people off from essential updates.

9. YouTube Experiments with Suggested Hashtags for Shorts Clips

https://www.socialnationnow.com/youtube-tests-suggested-hashtags-for-shorts/

YouTube’s looking to help Shorts creators gain more traction for their clips, by suggesting relevant hashtags to add to their Shorts within the upload process.

The online video-sharing giant said that to make it easier for Shorts creators to add relevant hashtags to video titles, it will be running an experiment that suggests new hashtags to include when publishing Shorts. So, if you’re a creator in the experiment, you’ll see suggested hashtags appear in the upload flow on mobile. The suggestions will be custom to your channel as they’re based on the content you’ve previously uploaded.

10. TikTok Adds New TV Show and Movie Tags, Powered by IMDb

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/tiktok-imdb-1235291398/

TikTok’s adding a new option that will enable users to tag TV shows and movies in their uploads, with linkage to IMDb for more info on that content.

Soon, you’ll be able to select a movie or TV show to link to in your TikTok clips. That tag will then be displayed above the video caption and will direct users to a dedicated page in the app which will display basic info about that content, sourced from IMDb, including release date, cast notes, etc.

11. Twitter’s Looking to Launch Advanced Search in its Mobile App

https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/04/twitters-advanced-search-filters-for-mobile-are-on-their-way/

Twitter’s planning to launch its advanced search filters on mobile, which will provide a range of new filters and options to hone in on your Twitter search.

Twitter’s advanced search on mobile will provide you with a range of additional qualifiers for your queries, including accounts mentioned, date ranges, mentions, hashtags, and like and retweet counts. All of these qualifiers are already built into the app and are available in the Advanced Search tab on the desktop (accessible by clicking on the ‘Advanced Search’ link in the Search box after you’ve conducted a keyword search).

12. Meta Fined $414 Million, Forced to Change its Approach to Ad Personalization in Europe

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/meta-fined-414-million-latest-european-privacy-crackdown-rcna64266

Meta could be forced to make significant changes to its targeted ad offerings in Europe after EU regulators ruled that the company has been illegally forcing users to effectively accept personalized ads in its apps.

The ruling, along with a fine of €390 million ($US414 million), could force Meta to restructure its current ad systems, and how it gains user permission for such within its apps. Effectively, the ruling suggests that Meta may need to get direct legal consent from each of its 408 million EU users in order to show them personalized ads – or it risks further fines for breaching the EU’s GDPR.

13. Twitter Will Allow Political Ads Once Again, While Also Relaxing its Rules Around Cause-Based Promotions

https://www.pcmag.com/news/twitter-will-once-again-allow-political-ads

Twitter has announced that it will relax its rules around political and cause-based advertising, and allow more types of political-based promotions to run via tweet, which will re-open avenues for campaign promotion that Twitter cut off three years back.

Twitter says that it will look to align its political ad policies with TV regulations in the coming days, which, in the US, include provisions around an equal share of accessibility for all candidates and the prices charged for political ads.

Wrapping Up

And that was a wrap of this week’s Social Media Buzz. We’ll be back next Monday with more news and updates for you from the social media world. Till then, stay tuned!

If you want to read more on the latest developments taking place in the social media space, take a look at ClickInsights’ Social Media Buzz, wherein we bring to you monthly reports on everything going on in social media, ranging from platform updates to policy changes that influence the way we market.