No one said this would be easy
Voice search is so 2020. Why not try "hum to search" — a new Google feature that lets you search by humming 10-15 seconds of that song you wish you could remember the name of.
In social media news, these are some of the stories we can't get out of our head...
Twitter flip-flops, while YouTube and Facebook dig in against fake news and conspiracy theories
Facebook sends a message with its latest update
And it sounds like Snap is ready to take on TikTok
This and more in today's e-newsletter. Read on ⬇️
EASIER SAID...
Managing the proliferation of conspiracy theories and fake news on social media seems to have become a top priority for companies like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (at least, we're hoping that's true). Last week, there were some winners and losers in this fight. And there will likely be a few more moves — and missteps — as we get closer to the U.S. election on Nov. 3. Here's the latest news...
Flippy floppy
Twitter recently walked back a decision to block access to a series of unsubstantiated stories in the New York Post about Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden. Originally, Twitter blocked access to the articles, saying that the stories broke its policies around sharing private information, and the distribution of hacked material. But later in the week, Twitter said they had received feedback (reportedly from Republicans) on their policy and decided to make some changes. Now, instead of blocking the story links from being shared, they are instead going to label them "to provide context." But some say this flip-flop will only give conspiracy theorists more ammunition.
Curbing hateful content
As Twitter tries to recover, YouTube announced plans to "curb hate and harassment by removing more conspiracy theory content used to justify real-world violence." These efforts include removing thousands of QAnon videos and killing hundreds of related channels. It is also prohibiting content that targets groups or individuals with conspiracy theories. But it will allow news coverage or content discussing the conspiracies, as long as it doesn't target specific people or protected groups. YouTube is also planning to ban videos sharing COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.
CEOs talk values Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri took to Twitter on Friday to talk about Facebook and Instagram's values. He said they are taking a stand on three issues: voting, racial justice and pride. And the way they are doing that is by giving people a voice. Expect to hear more about this in the future, Mosseri says. (We also expect to see more action, tbh). This comes just days after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted an announcement on Facebook about an update to the company's hate speech policy to ban Holocaust denial. So now if you search Holocaust on Facebook, you'll be redirected to "authoritative sources," he wrote. (And this wasn't happening before because...? 🤨)
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ICYMI
We get the message
"Messenger is now way more than just messaging." At least, according to Facebook, which recently unveiled a new look, feel and features for the app. These updates are part of a series of new features the social media giant says is the Future of Messaging. As part of the latest round of updates, you can expect more chat themes, custom reactions, selfie stickers and a new vanish mode. The new multi-coloured Messenger logo also now looks more like Instagram's icon, and follows a recent announcement about cross-app communication between the two apps (both owned by Facebook). Other recent updates to Messenger include Virtual Rooms (Facebook's answer to Zoom), and Watch Together (like Netflix Party).
This sounds familiar
As TikTok continues to try and prove its app is safe and secure, the rivals keep on coming. This time, it's Snapchat that wants to harness the power of music, unveiling Snapchat Sounds. This new feature lets you set Snaps to music either pre or post capture, and you can post the Snaps to a Story, or send them directly to friends. When you receive a Snap with Sounds, you can swipe up for more details about the song and artist. You can also choose to select "Play this Song" and it will start streaming from your favourite streaming app. But wait — there's more! Snap (the company that owns Snapchat) says that in the coming months, it will also be rolling out the ability for Snapchatters to share their own sounds and add them to Snaps. It's probably only a matter of time before Reels also starts doing this.
NEWS-LIKE
🔴 Walmart CEO says TikTok Deal Could Help Make Social Media More Shoppable [CNBC]
🔴 Facebook Bans Anti-Vaccination Ads, Clamping Down Again [New York Times]
🔴 Instagram Targets Rule-Breaking Influencers [BBC News]
🔴 Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and Sundar Pinchai to Testify Before Congress This Month [CNET]
🔴 Facebook Reportedly Choked Traffic for Left-Leaning Sites Like Mother Jones [The Verge]
23% of users in U.S. say social media led them to change views on an issue; some cite Black Lives Matter
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Pew Research Center: July Survey
HAPPY-LIKE
While social media does have its downfalls, this story proves that it's also a force for good. A UK man who tweeted on Friday that he was "feeling rock bottom" got an onslaught of replies and well wishes from regular folk and several celebrities. In fact, he received more than 220,000 likes in 24 hours. To all of the lovely people who helped bring a little light into this person's life — you're amazing.
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