Welcome to the pilot episode of GoTV! We’re presenting a weekly roundup of the latest news, trends, and innovations on the social media landscape.
Instagram is taking steps to increase security.
Instagram is implementing new tools and features to enhance transparency and safety for users. Notable public figures will now be verified. Accounts with large followings will have additional information available to all viewers, showing origin and age of the account. Finally, users will be able to log in to their accounts using third-party authenticator apps.
Could IG Shopping be headed your way?
Instagram is reportedly planning to enter ecommerce. Sources claim that the platform is working on a new standalone app for shopping. This app will enable Instagram users to purchase directly from brands and merchants they follow.
YOUTUBE
YouTube announces new tools for nonprofits.
‘Tis almost the season . . . . Just in time for the holidays, YouTube is currently beta testing a new suite of features within the app called Youtube Giving. These features are designed to enable fans and creators to do more for the causes and charities they support, from fundraising to content creation.
YouTube Creator Blog
Social Media Today article
Beta Test
Twitter has been recommending profiles to unfollow.
Similar to the “Who to Follow” feature, Twitter might be suggesting accounts to unfollow soon. This innovation is still being tested, but has already raised a lot of controversy. The social media juggernaut has defended the feature, arguing that it will improve engagement and experience.
Facebook combats discrimination by removing thousands of ad-targeting options.
In an effort to improve both user experience (and its own image after a year filled with PR nightmares ranging from foreign bots to data breaches), Facebook will remove ad-targeting options that can be used to discriminate based on race, religion, and more. All told, over 5,000 options will be deleted. Facebook reaffirmed its commitment to all users, saying,
“While these options have been used in legitimate ways to reach people interested in a certain product or service, we think minimizing the risk of abuse is more important. This includes limiting the ability for advertisers to exclude audiences that relate to attributes such as ethnicity or religion.”
Social Media Today article
Buzzfeed
Facebook Announcement
That’s all for this week! Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel for next week’s episode, debuting Friday, September 14th!
