media update’s Taylor Goodman discusses the latest trends and tweaks on some of your favourite social media platforms.
1. Instagram set to allow users to restrict multiple accounts at once
The news: Everyone's favourite photo and video sharing app has been testing out its latest addition to its new ‘Restrict’ feature, which could enable users to restrict multiple users in one swift move. Users with restricted accounts are still able to comment on your posts but it will only be visible to them,
while you will be able to approve or disapprove whatever you see fit.
Why it’s making headlines: This will be a useful tool for users who feel like they recieve an excessive amount of comments or feel plagued by individuals that they find offensive, harmful or simply irrelevant.
2. Facebook tests its cross-posting feature
The news: Facebook is testing a feature that allows its users to share their Facebook stories onto Instagram via Story Privacy settings. Once users activate this feature, they will get the option to ‘share to story.’ This feature is an expansion on its ‘post to Instagram’ feature that the platform
released in 2017.Why it’s making headlines: This feature will be useful to Facebook’s users as it will allow them to share their content with their friends on Instagram, making it easier to post the same thing on multiple platforms
and thus increasing the amount of views they get on their stories.
3. Facebook tests Messenger for Mac
The news: Facebook has announced that it will be introducing Messenger for Mac at its
F8 developer conference. The app offers the same, well-loved features as the mobile app, allowing users to
text, call, share files and video chat.The app is currently still in the testing phase, appearing on the app store in
France, Australia, Mexico and Poland. Facebook is yet to announce a worldwide launch date for the app as it is still making final tweaks and gathering feedback from its test pool of users.
Why it’s making headlines: Messenger was previously only accessible through the Internet, but now it’s simply a click away until it’s downloaded on your desktop and ready to use.
The addition of Messenger for Mac means easier access for its users. As it is accessible from your computer, you are able to video call and share files with ease.
4. Twitter updates conduct rules to ban hateful speech
The news: Amid the Coronavirus frenzy, Twitter has updated its conduct rules to protect users from
dehumanising comments regarding their disability, age or disease. This ban is an expansion of a
policy created by Twitter in 2019, where the platform banned tweets that displayed hateful speech towards religious groups.
Why it’s making headlines: Currently,
anything surrounding the pandemic is making headlines worldwide. Twitter updating its policy is also making headlines due to the massive amount of misinformation and offensive content that is being shared on the platform.
5. Twitter updates its developer policy
The news: Another day, another Twitter policy update. This time, the platform has updated its developer policy to
include rules regarding data usage and bot regulation. The updates support academics as Twitter API can now be used for research purposes . According to Twitter’s Head of API, Donald Hamblock, the platform
wants to inspire more developers to build with Twitter. The social media platform has also included rules that aim to
separate the good bots from the bad bots. Developers must now indicate whether an account is a bot account, as well as identify the account runner.
Why it’s making headlines: Twitter opening up its development policy is bound to benefit multiple scholars or professionals who use the platform for
non-commercial research.
Bots have always been a heated topic on the twittersphere, with them usually being used to spread spam, sway conversations or simply troll everyone. By Twitter regulating this, they are making every user’s life a bit easier.
Are there any breaking social media news stories that you think we missed out? Let us know in the comments section below.
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*Image courtesy of Freepik