As part of its efforts to keep users informed of the latest updates on the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Snapchat is this week adding a dedicated feed of coronavirus news to the top of the Discover tab in the app. As reported by Mashable, the new COVID-19 info panel will highlight the latest updates from key news sources, as…
Facebook has launched a new Coronavirus Community Hub for Messenger, which aims to highlight key ways in which people can use its messaging app to stay in touch amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, and includes specific knowledge areas for parents, educators, business, health organizations and more. As explained by Facebook: “Our communities give us the strength we need to get…
TikTok has this week launched a new entertainment and information initiative to help lighten the mood amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, while also giving users a chance to ask questions of experts and engage with celebrities on the platform. Called #HappyAtHome, the initiative will see well-known musicians, actors, comedians and more shares a series of live-streams on the platform at 5 pm,…
With kids spending more time online as a result of school closures and COVID-19 lockdowns, that increases the risk of them stumbling into darker corners of the web. Add to this the fact that many parents are also now working from home, and unable to supervise what their children are doing, and the problem grows…
Back in February, as part of its Q419 update, Pinterest noted that it was working on its own profile verification program, in order to provide extra assurance to Pinners in regards to trust businesses which had met the platform’s standards on customer service and process. Now, with demand for eCommerce rising, and Pinterest seeing significant…
As the COVID-19 pandemic expands across the globe, various misinformation campaigns – promoting everything from ‘cures’ to rumored government actions – have also gained traction, with messaging apps, in particular, becoming a key tool in circulating such reports. In the past, Facebook has been the key focus for misinformation efforts due to its massive audience reach, but now,…
Back in 2016, Facebook made a big push to connect more users in India via its Free Basics program, but that push was eventually blocked by Indian regulators over conflict of interest concerns and issues with foreign interference in the local market. But India remains key to Facebook’s expansion plans, and since then, the company has been…
Reddit has launched a new Polls option which enables Redditors to pose questions to their audiences, helping to boost on-platform engagement, and activate the many ‘lurkers’ – people who scroll through the various posts but don’t post, share or comment themselves – within the app. As explained by Reddit: “We’re excited to introduce Polls, a brand new post type…
After lowering the video quality of its streams across Europe last week, in response to concerns that local networks could become overloaded with video traffic, YouTube has this week confirmed that it will do the same in all regions, with YouTube videos to load in standard definition by default for at least the next month. As explained by Bloomberg:…
Right now, it’s impossible to predict the full impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it will relate to each sector and industry – and what that will mean, specifically, for your own company’s bottom line. But one sector that is likely to be hit hard is journalism, and in particular, local news organizations that…