APAC Digital Digest is a fortnightly round-up of what has been happening in APAC in under 3 minutes.
Here is what has been happening:
Facebook is bringing a Shop section to its app, while Instagram expands Live Shopping
Facebook announces a number of new e-commerce features both within the main Facebook app and on Instagram. It is introducing a new section called Facebook Shop — like Instagram Shop. It’s basically a shopping destination where you can find products from a variety of different businesses. Shops will also feature a new messaging option for customers to send sellers a message through Messenger, WhatsApp or Instagram Direct.
Source: Tech Crunch
Facebook warns Apple’s iOS 14 could shave more than 50% from Audience Network revenue
Facebook acknowledged that Apple’s upcoming iOS 14 could lead to a more than 50% drop in its Audience Network advertising business. The Facebook Audience Network allows mobile software developers to provide in-app advertisements targeted to users based on Facebook’s data. Today, advertisers can use a unique device ID number called the IDFA to better target ads and estimate their effectiveness. In iOS 14, each app that wants to use these identifiers will ask users to opt in to tracking when the app is first launched.
Source: CNBC
Facebook rolls a major upgrade to Messenger rooms
Facebook is introducing the ability to customise the background in Messenger Rooms. Messenger Rooms users can use their photos in video chats. Users can also customise the background in Messenger Rooms with a video.
Source: Hindustan Times Tech
Facebook News to soon pay Indian publishers for their content
Facing political heat in India, the social networking giant said it will pay news publishers in the country soon via its Facebook News to ensure their content is available in the news product.
Source: Economic Times Tech
TikTok-rival Triller inks deal with Reliance’s JioSaavn in India push
Triller, an app that functions similarly to TikTok, has inked a strategic partnership with a platform owned by India’s richest man to cash in on the Chinese app’s ban in its biggest international market. JioSaavn app will also provide a “prominent” button on its main screen that will enable its users to create a Triller video.
Source: Tech Crunch
Indonesia imposes 10% VAT on Facebook, Disney, Tiktok
Southeast Asia’s biggest country earlier announced a 10% VAT on sales by technology firms including Amazon, Netflix, Spotify and Google. The additional companies announced include three units of Facebook, Tiktok Pte Ltd, Apple Distribution International Ltd, The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte Ltd, and more of Amazon’s subsidiaries.
Source: News 18
COVID-19 driving digital payments use in Singapore
Singapore residents are increasingly adopting digital payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a GlobalData report. The report estimates total card payments will grow by 2.5% to $85.3 billion while cash withdrawals at ATMs will decline by 3.4% in 2020.
Source: Retail Customer Experience
China’s TikTok Shares Official User Counts as Discussions Continue on Takeover Bids
With negotiations over the future of the app ongoing, and Microsoft still seemingly the lead bidder for the platform, TikTok has revealed its actual user counts for the first time, which detail TikTok-specific user numbers, not incorporating usage of the Chinese version of the app, called 'Douyin'. As part of TikTok's legal filing against the US Government's proposed ban on the app, TikTok has reported that it, officially, has 100 million monthly active users in the US and 50 million daily active users in the US.
Source: Social Media Today
Instagram rolls out suggested posts to keep you glued to your feed
Instagram is expanding its feed with the launch of “suggested posts.” These posts, from accounts you don’t follow, will show up after you’ve reached the end of your feed and give you the option to keep scrolling with Instagram’s suggestions. Up until now, the feed has been entirely determined by users’ preferences and the people they follow. With suggested posts, they’ll have the option to keep scrolling past that marker for more content.
Source: The Verge
Twitter To Give More Information On DMs From Users You Don’t Follow
Twitter has declared a few new detailed additions to the direct messages by the users that you do not follow, which helps in understanding who the user actually is and how/if you are connected. Now when you receive a DM request, you’ll get more info about who sent it, like how you’re connected to the person on Twitter. And once you tap into the request, you’ll see their profile info along with their message.
Source: Technians
Twitter replaces retweets with comments with quote tweets
Twitter is making some changes in its layouts. The micro-blogging site is replacing the “Retweet with comments” label with “Quote Tweets”. Twitter had created a separate space for users to check which of their tweets have been retweeted with comments or not. However, now Twitter's retweet with comments section will be known as Quote Tweets.
Source: India Today
Google protests 'unworkable' ACCC code for digital platforms to pay news media companies
Google has claimed the Australian government’s proposed code for digital platforms to pay news media companies for their content is “unworkable” and would force the tech company to “pay unreasonable and exorbitant amounts.” Google has claimed it is in favour of the code, but is strongly opposed to critical aspects of it, including the forced payments to media companies if negotiations on payments fail, advance notice of algorithm changes, and a requirement for Google to share information on news users with the media companies.
Source: The Guardian
74pc of digital video ad spending in APAC is through mobile: PubMatic
Compared to the rest of the world, the Asia Pacific (APAC) region commands the lead with 74 percent of all video spending occurring on mobile devices. Despite the impact of C19 on the global economy, total mobile ad spending soared in the second quarter of 2020, rising by 62 percent year over year and 30 percent quarter on quarter. The findings are part of the Q2 Quarterly Mobile Index from PubMatic.
Source: Pakistan Today
Atom Tickets Launches Social Ticket Buying within Snapchat
Atom Tickets is launching a third-party experience within Snapchat, making it easier to buy tickets for dates or groups. The Snap Mini experience is now available to Snapchatters interested in watching movie trailers, buying movie tickets, and sharing movie plans with their friends.
Source: Slanted