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Europe asks social networks to remove terrorist content within an hour
The European Commission published new guidelines for social networks today and among them is a request for these sites to remove reported terrorist content within one hour. In 2016, the Commission called for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft to put a more concerted effort into removing hate speech from their platforms and since then, it has been fairly pleased with the companies' improvements. Last June, the four companies together were able to review 51 percent of hate speech reports within 24 hours and in January, the Commission reported that their rate had bumped up to 81 percent. But the Commission is concerned about terrorist content in particular and is now asking these companies for an even quicker turnaround when reviewing this type of material.
Facebook, Twitter and social media’s road to federal regulation
The extent of Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election remains unclear, but it's no secret that social media played a major role. This year brought with it a great deal of scrutiny for tech giants, particularly Facebook, Twitter and Google. These three companies came under the US government's microscope after news that Kremlin bots and trolls, spearheaded by a group known as the Internet Research Agency, used their sites to tamper with the 2016 presidential election. They spread misinformation (fake news!) and dubious ads across Facebook, Twitter and Google to hundreds of millions of users in the US, with the aim of fomenting hostility among Americans. And it's safe to say they succeeded.
Does social media threaten the illusion of news neutrality?
For journalists, social media can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they can use platforms like Facebook and Twitter to share their opinion on a wide range of matters, from sports to politics. But at the same time, they have to remember to exercise caution, because whatever they say can be taken out of context and have major implications on the publications they work for. If a reader who follows your tweets or Facebook posts doesn't agree with you, that can motivate them to claim your entire newsroom is biased.
Why I kicked my morning Twitter habit
Up until a week ago, the first thing I did every morning after waking up was reach for the nightstand and grab my iPhone. Then, after hitting the snooze on the alarm a couple of times, I'd open Twitter or Instagram and scroll through my feeds for 10-15 minutes before getting ready for work. Once dressed and prepared to face another day, I'd walk to the train, hop on, take my phone out and check social media again. For 40 minutes, almost the entire length of my commute, I scrolled through people's posts for what felt like an eternity. Wash, rinse, repeat -- save for the weekends. And I imagine many people can relate.
Facebook is testing pre-loaded 'Instant Videos' on Android
Facebook has apparently begun testing a feature that would make it easier to watch videos on the go. According to TechCrunch the social network has given a small number of Android users access to an experimental feature called "Instant Videos." It works by pre-loading videos while you're connected to WiFi, so they don't eat up your data if you need some entertainment while commuting or when going to places with no internet connection. Based on the screenshot shared by TheNextWeb's Matt Navara, Facebook marks the videos you can play without using up your data with a lightning icon.
YouTube hopes messaging will keep viewers glued to their screens
When I heard that Google was adding direct messaging to YouTube, the first thing I thought was "great, Google has another messaging app." After juggling Google Talk, Hangouts, Allo and Google Voice messages with mixed success, the idea of yet another way to communicate from this particular company was a bit laughable. However, YouTube's newest feature isn't Google's latest attempt at finding its own answer to iMessage or Facebook Messenger. In this case, it's more about keeping customers on its platform, sharing and watching as many videos as possible. It's a lesson that YouTube has seemingly learned from Instagram, which first introduced in-app sharing in late 2013. Initially, that feature let you share photos privately with specific individuals, rather than posting them to your entire feed. It's evolved quite a bit since then; you can share any public photo or video you see on Instagram with an individual or group and then chat away about it right in the same interface. And you can also still shoot new photos or videos and share them with a specific group.
Kanye West just deleted his Twitter and Instagram
People are freaking out because Kanye West just deleted his Twitter and Instagram accounts. Not surprisingly, there's no explanation as to why the producer-turned-rapper-turned-designer decided to shut down his social media pages, but don't be surprised if it's part of a sneaky marketing plot. Yesterday, his wife Kim Kardashian revealed that the two were collaborating on a children's clothing line named Kids Supply, so the timing of Kanye's decision may be tied to that.
ISIS created its own social network to spread propaganda
Social media has been a main tool for Islamic State militants to spread propaganda and recruit members for years now. But as companies like Twitter and Telegram continue to crack down on ISIS accounts, militants appear to be building their own private social networks to further their communications efforts. European Police Office (Europol) director Rob Wainwright said at a security conference in London that a new network was discovered during a two-day operation against Islamic extremism. According to Reuters, Europol conducted the operation along with the United States, Belgium, Greece, Poland and Portugal; it uncovered more than 2,000 extremist "items" across a total of 52 online networks.
Imgur adds chat so you never have to leave the meme factory
A long-awaited feature has finally made it into the mobile versions of content discovery site/meme emporium Imgur. In a blog post today, the Imgur team announced that chat, messaging and notifications are now available on the gif-heavy social network, while the messaging features of its desktop site are getting an overhaul as well.
Hackers temporarily reactivate suspended Twitter accounts
When Twitter takes an offensive account offlinen it usually stays down for good, but a hacking group now claims that it's discovered a way to reactivate and take control over inactive and suspended accounts. A group called "Spain Squad" briefly reactivated banned accounts like @Hitler, @DarkNet, @1337, @Hell and @LizardSquad -- hoping to sell them to users seeking valuable screenames.
Report: YouTube will fend off Facebook with social features
If you want to post a video on the web several years ago, YouTube was the go-to spot. Now, Google's video network is feeling the pinch with strong video features from Facebook, Twitter and others, and has decided to push back, according to Venture Beat. The feature, internally code-named "Backstage," will reportedly allow users to share photos, short posts, links, polls and videos with subscribers. Much like a Facebook timeline, items will be listed from newest to oldest and posted in subscribers' feeds.
LinkedIn debuts 'influencer' videos for interview tips and more
Video has become a big part of the business strategy for social networks, including Facebook and Twitter. Now, LinkedIn is following a similar path by letting certain people share original videos on its platform. The new tool will only be available to over 500 "influencers" on LinkedIn, someone like the CEO or co-founder of a company. By letting you see these 30-second videos on your feed, LinkedIn says it hopes users can engage on a conversation about topics they're interested in, such as getting advice on how to get hired for a job.
Social networks need to be more like online forums
Social networks are the modern day watering holes for the internet. But back in the '90s, I didn't have Twitter and Facebook. Instead, my destination was the online forum, a site where I could discuss a variety of topics in the form of posted messages (hence the term "message board"). Be it a bulletin board system (BBS) or a Usenet news group, these message boards were my first introduction to the social web. They're still around today of course, but I've largely stopped using these forums in favor of the aforementioned social networks. But there is one thing I do miss about them: a sense of community.
VTime lets you hang with friends in VR, whatever the hardware
As virtual reality goes more and more mainstream, there are still scant few options where you can just get your friends together and, you know... hang out in a VR world. Like, on the side of a cliff perhaps. Enter: vTime, which just rolled out an updated version for Gear VR, Google Cardboard and Oculus Rift.
Why celebrities get away with stealth shilling on Instagram
Kim Kardashian is a social media powerhouse, boasting 72 million followers on Instagram and more than 45 million on Twitter. For celebrities in general, it's never been easier to reach fans across the world, whether it be with a 140-character tweet or a selfie that breaks the internet. Though public figures mostly use these platforms to give outsiders a peek into their glamorous lives (or simply stay relevant), they're also using them to make money.
It's complicated: A film examines our relationship with social media
In a world of status updates, indie filmmaker Kerith Lemon categorizes her relationship with modern technology under the "It's complicated" banner. And with good reason. Lemon, whose short film "A Social Life" casts a harsh light on our addictive entanglement with social media, has dipped a toe in almost every online networking platform. That involvement was mainly a requirement of her job at the time. Back in the early aughts, Lemon worked as an integrated-marketing specialist at Viacom, where she handled brand messaging for the likes of MTV, Nickelodeon and CBS Radio. "I jumped on all of them because I needed to know everything," she says. "I'm not exaggerating when I say that I signed up for eHarmony for a pitch to see how it would work."
Having multiple online identities is more normal than you think
A few months ago during a family reunion, my husband wanted to show visiting relatives photos of our home renovation. He brought up my Instagram feed on his laptop and started showing family members photos I took of the house. I bristled instantly. Right next to the photos of my kitchen and bathroom were selfies. Lots of selfies. Selfies showing off my makeup, selfies of what I wore, selfies of me in my new glasses. There were also photos of food, my cat and my shoes. Out of the context of an Instagram feed, I came off as narcissistic, self-centered. I was embarrassed.
Most of your Facebook friends couldn't care less about you
Even if you have thousands of Facebook friends, you can probably only count on a handful in a pinch, according to a new study. The author, anthropologist Robin Dunbar, should know. He's the guy who came up with Dunbar's number, which shows that in the real world, people can only maintain about 150 stable relationships. For his latest research, Dunbar analyzed a UK study of 3,375 Facebook users between the ages of 18 and 65. On average, folks had 150 followers but said that they could only count on 4.1 of them during an "emotional crisis," and only 13.6 ever express sympathy.
Twitter clutters up iOS and Android timelines with 'Who to Follow'
Twitter really wants new users to stick around. Now that means helping them find interesting accounts by placing "Who to follow" in the timeline of its iOS and Android apps. So now when you load Twitter on your phone you can expect to see in your timeline: "While you were away" ( a collection of tweets from accounts you follow that were published while you were away), a sponsored tweet or two and now Who to follow. Fortunately when it does pop up in your timeline its anchored to where it appeared and doesn't clutter up your feed every time you load the app. Also you can tap on the tiny X in top right-hand corner to dismiss the feature so it doesn't disrupt the flow of your meticulously curated list of random thoughts from friends and brands.
Nintendo redesigned Miiverse because you were using it wrong
You know how everyone completely loses it every time Facebook pushes a redesign live? It's happening again -- except this time it's happening on Miiverse, Nintendo's quirky social network. On July 29th Miiverse will be given its first major overhaul: a total redesign that adds new features, changes how game-specific communities work and, weirdly, imposes a daily post limit on all users. Why all the changes? According to Nintendo, the community has been using Miiverse, well, wrong.
