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 look at some of the most significant developments from the last week in the world of social media.

1. Meta Expands AI Chatbot to More Regions, Adds New Functionality

https://www.business-standard.com/technology/tech-news/meta-ai-gets-support-for-hindi-new-features-on-whatsapp-instagram-more-124072400728_1.html

Meta has announced that it is expanding access to Meta AI to seven more regions, with Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Cameroon the latest to get access to Meta’s in-app chatbot.

In addition to this, users can also now prompt the bot in seven new languages: French, German, Hindi, Hindi-Romanized Script, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Meta’s in-built AI bot has received mixed reviews, but Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that the bot is on track to becoming the most used AI assistant in the world. Meta is also adding more functionality to its chatbot, with users now able to create AI-generated images of themselves directly from the chat stream.

2. Meta Has Added a New Way To Incorporate Offers Into Your Ads

https://followerbar.com/meta-adds-a-new-way-to-include-offers-in-your-ads/

Meta’s added a new element to the ad setup process that detects offers based on the URL you enter for your campaign.

Meta will then be able to showcase any discounts and/or promo codes found on your site within your promotions, with the system also able to display these elements to viewers when it detects they’re more likely to respond to them (based on previous ad activity). Meta has enabled brands to include special offers in their ads for years, in different forms, but this new process will be able to automatically detect available offers and showcase them on a variable basis.

You’ll also be able to edit your offers within the campaign set-up, giving you more control over the display. It could be a handy way to enhance your Facebook and IG ads, in line with Meta’s automated detection processes, which are always improving.

3. Meta Faces New Challenge Over Its Ad-Free Subscription Offering

https://www.socialsamosa.com/news-2/meta-ad-free-subscription-faces-scrutiny-misleading-practices-6675708

Meta’s ad-free subscription offering in Europe is facing another regulatory challenge, with the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC) issuing the company with a notice to explain, and potentially revise its marketing of the option, which it says is currently misleading.

To recap, last November, Meta launched its ad-free subscription package in Europe, which enables EU users to pay a monthly fee in order to opt out of both ads and data tracking, which is in line with new EU permission requirements. The idea here is that the option will enable Meta to comply with the new regulations, while also maintaining its revenue stream.

However, privacy advocates immediately raised concerns about the scheme, suggesting that Meta was forcing people to pay for an offering that should be made free. EU regulations require that users have clear control over how their data is used, and the argument is that Meta’s subscription package profits off of this element, which is not within the spirit of the legislation.

4. Justice Department Shares Details of Case Against TikTok

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/justice-department-claims-tiktok-collected-us-user-views-on-issues-like-abortion-gun-control/articleshow/112058410.cms?

The U.S. Justice Department has claimed in public court filings related to the TikTok sell-off bill that the social medium platform has tracked U.S. users’ views on sensitive issues, and shared that information with its Chinese parent company ByteDance, which is required to also pass on such info with the Chinese government on request.

The Justice Department said it based its conclusions about TikTok tracking sensitive views on the discovery of a software tool that lets U.S. employees of TikTok and ByteDance collect user information based on a user’s content, including their views on subjects such as gun control, abortion, and religion. That program, called Lark, enables ByteDance employees to monitor user responses to different subjects and potentially flag accounts based on their views and behaviors.

5. TikTok Adds Custom Thumbnail Option for Clips

https://inceptly.com/tiktok-custom-thumbnails/

TikTok has added the capacity to upload custom thumbnail images for your clips. 

Now, within the upload flow in the app, you can either choose a specific frame from the video to be your thumbnail image, or you can tap on the “Upload” option to add your own custom visual for your hero image. So you can create your own still image thumbnails in other apps, like CapCut, then upload them to be your cover image. The option could help you grab attention in Search and on your profile, with more standout visuals that’ll lure people in.

6. Meta Removes 63K Instagram Accounts Linked to Sextortion Scams

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/facebook-removes-63000-accounts-nigeria-over-sextortion-scams-2024-07-24/

Meta has announced a major action against a known sextortion group operating out of Nigeria, which has led to the removal of around 70,000 cumulative profiles, Pages, and groups from Facebook and IG, as well as improved measures to keep them from returning.

Meta says that these accounts were associated with a group called “Yahoo Boys,” a known scam collective. Yahoo Boys originally relied upon the old “Nigerian Prince” type of scam, where they’d try to dupe unsuspecting marks with promises of riches. But more recently, they’ve switched to romance scams, where they create fake profiles, and then convince their targets to share money and/or personal details to maintain the relationship. Or, as in this latest push from Meta, intimate images, which they then use to extort money from their victims.

7. Snapchat Announces the Latest Participants in Its 523 Support Program

https://newsroom.snap.com/2024-523-creator-class

Snapchat has announced the next 15 participants in its 523 creator accelerator program, which aims to provide support and assistance for small, minority-owned businesses and creatives, which traditionally don’t have access to such resources.

Originally launched in 2022, Snap’s 523 program includes 12 months of support for the chosen participants, which will also see them receive mentorship opportunities, partner education, in-app exposure, and more. And this year, Snap has extended the parameters of the initiative to broaden its support. Snap has also partnered with Clinique and AT&T to provide expanded support and education, which will better position participants for future success.

8. X Is Testing an Option to Block Links in Your Post Replies

https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/20/24202517/x-may-make-it-possible-to-disable-links-in-replies-to-your-posts

X is experimenting with a new option that would enable users to stop people from adding links to post replies in the app.

That would keep the discussion more focused on X specifically, as opposed to people using the reply thread to refer users to other sites. One of the biggest benefits of this would be that it would enable you to block spammers from trying to get cheap clicks within your reply thread, which can be especially problematic for more popular posts and users.

Wrapping Up

And that was a wrap of this week’s Social Media Buzz. We’ll be back next week 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.