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Facebook is letting users choose which posts they want to see more of
With profits shrinking of late, Facebook has been shutting down unpopular apps and focusing on its core services.
Instagram is testing even more recommendations in the main feed
It's also trialing a Stories-style full-screen view for feed posts.
TikTok will switch up For You recommendations to avoid 'repetitive patterns'
It notes that some kinds of videos can be 'problematic if viewed in clusters.'
YouTube Music puts more focus on personalized playlists
A new activity bar has filters for mood-centered playlists.
Spotify will let artists and labels promote songs in recommendations
As part of a test, they can flag tracks they want to pop up in Radio and Autoplay.
Google Search will help you find live sports coverage
Google's new Search feature will tell you which services are showing live NBA and MLB games.
Google Assistant recommends your YouTube Music on Nest speakers
Over the last couple of years, Google has gradually improved YouTube Music with features like playback screen lyrics and an Explore tab. Now, it has unveiled integration with some of its other products, including Android TV, Google Maps and and Google Assistant.
Amazon Prime Video finally offers user profiles worldwide
Amazon Prime Video is finally adding user profiles to accounts worldwide.
Hulu is rolling out a new home screen to Apple TV and Roku users
The most obvious to viewers will be that each “tray” can display different-sized tiles. The different sizes provide a much-needed visual break to keep you from getting some “scroll fatigue.”
Congresswoman calls on YouTube to stop promoting climate misinformation
Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-Florida) is calling on YouTube to stop including climate change misinformation in its recommendation algorithm and to demonetize videos that deny climate change. In a letter addressed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Castor references a report by Avaaz, which claims that YouTube is sending millions of users to climate change misinformation videos every day.
Google Collections will save and organize your searches
If you've ever attempted to find something you searched for on Google but didn't save, you know how frustrating that process can be. Google recognizes this, and it's introducing a new AI-powered Search feature that's meant to help. Today, it's launching Collections, which will group similar pages you've visited in Search. You'll be able to save the Collections, so that you can easily revisit them in the future.
China internet rules call for algorithms that recommend 'positive' content
China is once more tightening its grip on internet content, and this time algorithms are in the spotlight. The Cyberspace Administration of China has published upcoming rules that dictate how internet companies manage content, including a push for recommendation algorithms that promote "positive" ideas (read: government policies) while excluding "bad" material. The measure explicitly forbids content that "endangers national security, leaks state secrets, subverts state power [and] undermines national unity." In other words, internet companies can't challenge the political status quo.
Google Podcasts gets a much-needed personalized recommendations tab
The Google Podcasts app just got a recommendations tab. The new feature will suggest individual episodes, rather than full shows. That could make it easier to discover content if you don't know where to start, and it may help track people you like across different shows. As an added perk, you won't need to subscribe to the show to listen to the episode.
Hundreds of employees criticize Facebook's political ad policies
Over the past month, Facebook has come under criticism for allowing politicians to run false or misleading ads. Now, employees are speaking out. More than 250 Facebook employees wrote a letter addressed to CEO Mark Zuckerberg and top Facebook officials calling Facebook's political ad policies "a threat to what FB stands for."
Yelp adds personalized search results to its iPhone app
For good or ill, it's common for internet services to track what you do and offer "personalized" suggestions. But Yelp, that stalwart of internet reviews, is for the first time letting its users build a profile of their tastes which will be used to make better recommendations. Those preferences will be weaved throughout the Yelp experience going forward, starting with the iPhone app. It's rather surprising that Yelp's results weren't more customized yet, but now the company says two users in the same location conducting the same search will see different results for the first time. Recommendations that pop on the home screen will also reflect your personal preferences, as well.
A Senator wants to stop YouTube from recommending videos featuring minors
Earlier this year, YouTube was under fire as reports showed how the site's recommendation algorithms facilitated a "soft-core pedophilia ring" that flourished in the comments section of otherwise innocent videos. Advertisers quickly pulled back spending from YouTube, and the company pulled more than 150,000 videos and disabled comments on millions of videos to help quash the activity. But a New York Times report this week indicated that the site still doesn't have a handle on the issue. In response, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MI) has proposed legislation that that would require YouTube and other video-hosting sites to ban recommending videos that "feature minors," though those videos could still appear in search results. Exceptions to this rule would include videos that "have minors in the background." Furthermore, "professionally produced videos, like prime-time talent-show competitions" would also be exempt from this rule.
Spotify experiments with curated podcast playlists
Beginning today, a handful of Spotify users will see curated podcast playlists in their accounts. According to The Verge, the playlists are an experiment to help Spotify understand how it can help users discover new shows. The hand-picked lists will be broken into five categories: comedy, true crime, "geek culture," motivation and mindfulness. The Verge reports the playlists will include a mix of Spotify originals and third-party shows.
Spotify is testing podcast suggestions for your commute
In the past couple months, Spotify has doubled down on its podcasting efforts. It's invested hundreds of millions and acquired Gimlet, Anchor and Parcast. One thing the company lacks is a way to recommend podcasts to its audiences. But, according to The Verge, that could be changing. An early test shows podcast recommendations alongside personalized music suggestions in a new feature called Your Daily Drive -- hinting that Spotify wants to secure a spot in your commute.
YouTube execs reportedly shrugged off warnings about toxic videos
YouTube leaders ignored proposals to alter recommendations to stamp out toxic videos and to tackle conspiracy theories, several former and current employees told Bloomberg. Executives were more concerned with keeping viewers engaged, according to the report.
Facebook may take extra steps to remove anti-vaccine misinformation
Facebook is "exploring additional measures" to fight anti-vaccine disinformation, according to Bloomberg. Content discouraging parents from vaccinating their children has been rampant on the site, particularly in Facebook Groups, and may have contributed to a measles outbreak in Washington State. That caught the attention of US Representative Adam Schiff, who wrote a letter to Facebook and Google asking them to address the problem.
