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Facebook removes posts promoting anti-quarantine protests
Facebook removed posts promoting anti-quarantine events that violate social distancing orders in at least three states.
Amazon #AtHome brings free content to Fire TV and Fire Tablet devices
To help keep users entertained while they stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon is bringing curated content from over 100 partners to a new #AtHome section on its Fire TV and Fire Tablet devices in the US. Fire users will have access to free TV shows and movies, including Billions, Silicon Valley, The Sopranos, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Star Trek: Picard, The Twilight Zone and more. Amazon will stream the upcoming Prime Video SXSW virtual film festival and One World: At Home Together Concert, the benefit concert hosted by late-night comedians to raise money for the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
Netflix signs John Boyega's production studio to expand African content
Netflix is continuing its push to get more African content on its platform by partnering with Star Wars actor John Boyega and his company UpperRoom Productions. The indie production house will be responsible for developing non-English language films focused on West and East Africa, based on "stories, cast, characters, crew, literary properties, mythology, screenplays and/or other elements in or around African countries."
Quibi is launching on April 6th with 50 shows
There's been a lot of hype around Quibi, the upcoming streaming platform designed for your phone, and we finally have some concrete launch details. Quibi will be available on April 6th. It will launch with 50 shows, and release 175 shows in its first year.
Google might finally pay news outlets for their content
Google is considering paying news publishers for their content, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company is reportedly in talks with publishers about licensing fees. The details are still sparse, but it sounds like Google could be working on a news subscription service like Apple News+.
Disney+ announces two adventure competition shows for teens
While Quibi is remaking the once-popular Nickelodeon show Legends of the Hidden Temple, Disney+ is planning two of its own mazes-based, puzzle-solving shows that could be Legends of the Hidden Temple-esque with a reality TV spin. Today, the streaming service announced plans for the new content: The Quest and The Maze.
Apple TV+ will drop every episode of ‘Little America’ on January 17th
Little America, the anthology series based on true stories about immigrants in the US, arrives on Apple TV+ on January 17th. Apple will release all of season one's episodes at once, rather than weekly as it's done with other shows, and more than a month before Little America's debut, Apple has already committed to a second season.
Facebook pledges $130 million for its content oversight board
Over the past year, Facebook has been working to put together a content oversight board. We've heard Mark Zuckerberg's vision, and Facebook shared a charter outlining its rules. Now, Facebook is committing $130 million to the effort.
Giphy's new video platform is basically GIFs with sound
Wherever you side on the pronunciation of GIF (JIF?), it's undeniable that they've become a critical part of our everyday communications. WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook support them as standard, and you've likely received more than one email from zany creative types with them embedded in their signature. Now, like the silent movie coming of age, they're getting a voice: Giphy is adding sound to its library of animated GIFs and stickers.
YouTube changes rules on violent game content to match movies and TV
YouTube is making a significant change in how it will moderate content that shows video game violence. Starting today, the company says it will treat "scripted or simulated" violence in games the same way that it approaches violence in TV shows and movies.
YouTube will make it easier for 'edgy' creators to find advertisers
YouTube has a tricky job of making sure ads don't show up alongside videos promoting extremist, hateful views or violence, yet also making sure it doesn't strip creators, who may post things like violent video game scenes, of their revenue-earning potential. In an attempt to get better at that, YouTube is experimenting with ways to match "edgy" videos with advertisers who are okay with content that's not totally PG.
Google News dives deeper into stories with 'Beyond the Headlines'
Google has been tweaking its News site a lot over the last year in an effort to highlight major publishers and be more transparent on how it ranks news. Now, Google News has unveiled a "Beyond the Headlines" tab that lets you take a deeper dive on specific topics. That includes highlighting editorials, reportage, features, explainers and other types of longer-form stories.
YouTube is making its terms of service easier to read
If you visit YouTube today, you'll see a pop-up window alerting you that the platform's Terms of Service will be updated on December 10th. The new terms do not change the way YouTube treats your info, and YouTube isn't changing how it uses creators' content, but it is clarifying a few of its policies.
Netflix CEO says time spent streaming matters more than subscriptions
Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings doesn't have any beef with other streaming services, and is actually planning on subscribing to Disney+ when it launches. These are just some of the insights he shared at the New York Times' DealBook conference on Wednesday.
HBO Max nets ‘South Park’ exclusivity for a reported $500 million
South Park is moving to the new HBO Max next year. The Comedy Central show will leave its current home, the Disney-owned Hulu, for exclusive streaming on the WarnerMedia-backed platform in June 2020, thanks to a deal rumored to be valued between $500 million and $550 million.
First major ‘World of Warcraft Classic’ update adds Dire Maul dungeon
World of Warcraft Classic was (re)released just a short time ago, but there's already more stuff to do. Blizzard has added the three-part Dire Maul dungeon, jammed with elves, ogres and other bad things, marking the first major content release for the vintage 2005 game.
Facebook says it's doing more to prevent suicide and self-harm
In recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day, Facebook shared three additional steps it's taking to prevent suicide and self-harm. On top of changes Facebook made in the past year, the company says it's hiring a health and well-being expert to join its safety policy team. Facebook plans to share its social media monitoring tool, CrowdTangle, with select academic researchers who will explore how Facebook and Instagram can further advance suicide prevention. And the company is including Orygen's #chatsafe guidelines in Facebook's Safety Center and in resources on Instagram when someone searches for suicide or self-injury content.
Reddit experiments with livesteaming
Over the weekend, rumors and speculation began circulating on Reddit. Users were wondering what cryptic messages on r/pan, a new Reddit community, could mean. Today, Reddit pulled back the curtain. It announced Reddit Public Access Network (r/pan), a weeklong experiment, in which users can post livestream videos. The lessons Reddit learns from this experiment will likely help it develop a permanent livestreaming option in the near future.
Instagram users can now flag false content
Beginning today, Instagram users can report content that they believe to be false. Instagram will use those flags to better understand misinformation on the platform and to train its AI to spot false content. In time, Instagram will use the feedback, as well as other "signals" -- like how old a post is and the account's previous behavior -- to determine if a post needs to be reviewed by third-party fact checkers. This is slightly different than the pilot program Instagram launched in May, which allows users to flag false content for review by fact checkers. For now, that will remain a pilot.
LGBTQ+ creators file lawsuit charging YouTube with discrimination
In a federal lawsuit filed yesterday, a group of LGBTQ+ video creators claims YouTube discriminates against their content. The group alleges that YouTube suppresses their videos, restricts their ability to monetize their channels and enforces its policies unevenly, giving more leeway to producers with large audiences. According to The Washington Post, the suit argues that YouTube deploys "unlawful content regulation, distribution, and monetization practices that stigmatize, restrict, block, demonetize, and financially harm the LGBT Plaintiffs and the greater LGBT Community."
