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Weekly social roundup
Look! Social media companies are doing things and stuff!
Honestly, it feels like it’s been a long time since social media apps have released new features, and that's outside of going all-in on AI.
Instagram is internally working on a brand spankin’ new app (eek!), and the US TikTok has released a new feed that has a lot of users excited and others a bit nervous (fair enough!).
We’ve got quite a bit to get through, so let’s get going.
Snapchat isn’t going to be too happy about this
Instagram is testing a new app called “Instants”
Sometimes I wonder if Meta has any original ideas or always needs to steal.
Instagram is currently internally working on a new app that is apparently going to rival Snapchat called “Instants.” It seems like the beta test Instagram has been running in other countries for its feature “Shots” (disappearing images through DMs) is going well, if they are working on a stand-alone app.
“Instants” will share disappearing photos to your friends … kinda exactly like Snapchat.
Over the past few years, Instagram has been trying to figure out new ways to get younger people to stay on the platform longer, and it has been spoken about how more and more users are sharing and communicating through DMs. And it seems this new feature/app is leaning in more to the idea of quick communication.
As of now, that’s really all we know. Much like when Edits was being worked on internally, we’ll probably get snippets of information fed to us with a launch later this year.
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Top Meta news from the week
What could be the trial of the year started last week for Meta. The company is going to court over teen safety measures.
You’ll soon be able to view Stories anonymously on Facebook and Instagram. Yes, stalking your ex’s new partner just got a whole lot easier.
Hello, Black Mirror. Meta has patented an AI that will keep posting as you … even after you have passed away.
This sounds a bit terrifying … Instagram is working on an AI-powered face swap, where you can request a selfie from a user and use their likeness for your content.
Instagram is stealing ideas from TikTok and leaning into the mini-drama trend as well.
Need more space on your phone? You can bulk delete your Instagram Story archive all at once. RIP memories.
Facebook is now allowing users to dispute videos they might have flagged (yes, even ones with music!) if you prove you have the proper license.
Tired of your feed on Threads? Meta is rolling out a new feature on Threads called “Dear Algo,” which helps you curate your algorithm to your liking.
No more mentioning people individually! You can use the “all” tagging feature on WhatsApp to tag everyone in the group.
The EU ain’t too happy with Meta and has issued the company with a warning over closing off WhatsApp to AI rivals.
Extra, extra! Read all about it!
Top TikTok news from the week
Honestly, no surprise here, in my (VERY humble) opinion: Millennials dominate shopping on TikTok with 54% using TikTok shop for researching products.
Local Feed has launched in the US on TikTok … and a lot of creators aren’t too happy about it.
No surprise here! US TikTok has retained 95% of its user base, so it seems as if the great deletion of the app has stalled.
Extra, extra! Read all about it!
Top other social media news from the week
Auto captions have launched on YouTube. Whenever you mute a clip on the platform, captions will automatically begin.
YouTube is aiming to sell less expensive live TV bundles on its platform … the big networks better look out, as the streaming platform could possibly win here.
An AI deadline is coming … Instagram and X have until February 20th to label all AI-generated content on their platforms.
Meta, TikTok, and Snap are going to be ranked in an online safety system that will calculate just how safe these platforms are for young adults’ mental health.
Elon Musk has outlined what the future of X will look like … and yes, the idea of an “everything app” still seems to be on the table.
While everyone is leaning into AI, Reddit is leaning away and saying that Reddit will thrive because it’s a place for “humans to talk to other humans.”
If you’re not on Pinterest, what are you even doing? The platform keeps increasing in users and revenue, plus it is a perfect place to reach a whole new audience.
Should this be a worry?
What is Local Feed on TikTok, and why are creators upset?
It’s a great tool for local businesses, but it seems like a fair few content creators are upset about US TikTok launching Local Feed.
Local Feed is a new tab on the Home Screen to connect people with their local community and to easily see what’s going on nearby. It’s not a new feature to TikTok (this launched a few years ago in Asia and Europe), but it is officially launching in the US.
The posts that show up in this feed are shown to people based on their location and show businesses, events, travel, shopping, and more.
For a lot of people, it’s a great way to discover what’s happening around them. For content creators, however, they have vocalized being a bit nervous that this will show people exactly where they are and, possibly, live. With a few creators privatizing their accounts until more information is released, and others announcing they will be taking time away from the platform.
Oof.
If you don’t want your content shared to your local community, TikTok says your content “won't appear in the Local Feed from accounts under 18 years old, if someone has a private account, or sets their post privacy to Friends or Only You.”
Again, other countries have had this for a while, and it seems to be doing well, but any new feature where location is involved is always going to raise some eyebrows (quite rightly)!!
And that’s all, folks!
Thank you, as ever, for supporting and reading! It always means a lot. I’ll talk to you all next week!
Mackenzie
