This post is a part of our monthly social media updates and news series, where you can quickly scan through quick recaps of all the changes that took place in recent months.
Hey! If you’re excited about new trends and what social media platforms have done recently, then you’re at the correct address! Please, do check our March edition in case you haven’t checked yet.
Facebook news
Breach or hack?
Facebook data seems to be not very trustworthy: More than 500 million profiles turned out to be shared publicly. Facebook claims that it’s a breach that hit 533 million profiles. However, experts disagree and think that the information was hacked.
According to Business Insider, data sets were available. They contained private information, such as birth dates, emails, locations, and phone numbers.
“No data is old for hackers.”– tell the experts. They claim that the breach hasn’t included passwords, but it doesn’t mean anything.
Data is always useful for hackers to sell for dollars no matter how many years they’re old. Experts also mention that Facebook had to inform its users while investigating the breach. Lastly, EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) updated that about 87 million users avoided using Facebook.
The last breach led to a decrease in the usage of Facebook-based platforms, such as Instagram and Whatsapp.
Comments Up and Comments Down: A New Social Media Update from Facebook
Back in November 2020, Facebook announced the start of testing the upcoming social media update.
It also mentioned the importance of the new update: voting will help define the comments’ importance and reliability, and it’ll be anonymous. This trend firstly comes to the Facebook groups and will guide group discussions.
Facebook is also testing a new function called “Complimenting comments”. Unlike voting, the author of the comment will be able to see the voters and repliers.
The alike function firstly was available on LinkedIn. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn uses it for professional purposes.
Instagram news
Getting mixed with Clubhouse: Facebook launches “Hotline”
Facebook comes with good news to non-Apple users. The office announces that they’re having the last experiments on the platform, and it’s almost ready to launch. They also add that the new platform will be the mashup of both Instagram and Clubhouse.
Eric Hazzard, who currently runs Hotline, says that it’ll be familiar to those who already use Clubhouse, Instagram Live, and Twitter Spaces. However, it’ll contain differences as well:
- Hotline will allow camera access. Unlike Clubhouse, it won’t be audio-based only;
- The users will be able to verify their identities via SMS;
- The listeners’ section will be divided between those who just watch and those who ask questions. Question-askers can join the host “on stage” when it’s their turn;
- Users will be able to react to the questions via emojis. Also, the host can remove those which he thinks are inappropriate;
- Recording events will be available on Hotline.
In my opinion, Clubhouse has a more cosy environment and includes casual chats. However, Hotline is helpful for more professional purposes.
Latest design updates
As you know, Instagram is the most dynamic platform when it comes to changing its outfit. Let’s see what they have for us this month:
- The Search and Explore tabs are now together. Furthermore, the Explore tab will include related content not only based on “liked” and “saved”, but also “searched”;
- If you have multiple accounts, you can switch via double-tapping your username.
Clubhouse Social Media Updates
Just a year old, worth four billion dollars
Sounds interesting, right? I know, you think why. It seems that there’re two leading causes: celebrity usage and the COVID-19 pandemic.
As most famous people use Apple products, Elon Musk, Kanye West, Oprah Winfrey, Demi Lovato are on the list. It influences the thoughts of other people as well; thus, they start to download Clubhouse more.
Secondly, the pandemic was a perfect time for launching such an application. People can gather, talk, and still stay in their homes and keep the social distance.
Telegram audio and Twitter Spaces also have functions similar to Clubhouse, but they’re way behind the competition right now. Business-based platforms, such as Slack and LinkedIn, also plan to activate audio chat functions like Clubhouse.
TikTok updates
6 New trends: Getting more interactive
If you’re a fun content creator on TikTok, here are the latest updates. Not only one or two, but six!
- Music visualiser: aims to run real-time beat tracking to animate a retro greenscreen landscape;
- Music machine: offers an interactive set of tools that will allow users to control the real-time rendering of MIDI loops for different music layers;
- Delayed beats: recreates the freeze-frame effect that’s already popular on TikTok while aligning transitions to the beat of the music;
- Text beats: allows creators to add animated text overlays to their video that transition in sync with the beat of any sound from TikTok’s library;
- Solid beats: add visual effects that sync to the beat of any song;
- Mirror beats: align display transitions with the beat of any song from TikTok’s library.
TikTok and Snapchat: Not just for fun
After Snapchat dealing with Gannet, TikTok creates a partnership with Mediabrands for business-related purposes. Let’s see what kind of updates are on the horizon for the users:
- Creator Collective will bring together a group of diverse creators. They will be able to provide hands-on TikTok guidance to Mediabrands clients;
- Creator Camps will help TikTok to provide Mediabrands clients with strategic counsel and feedback to their on-platform campaigns.
Now both TikTok and Snapchat have a lot more to do for supporting the business growth.
Kind reminder: Don’t forget to be kind online
Pinterest announced its new update called “Creator Code”. It’ll prevent comments that include hate, bullying, harassment, and any other harmful content.
Users will be required to agree to the Creator Code before they post a Story Pin. The code outlines rules, such as being kind, checking facts, and practising inclusion.
Last year, the platform settled for the gender discrimination lawsuit for 22.5 million dollars. Also, two black women had to quit their jobs for being underpaid; thus, the company was blamed for its racist behaviour. “We’re not always perfect, but we always care, and we back up our care with action,” says Evan Sharp.
