Social Media Buzz Weekly: Roundup of Social Media Updates
Welcome to Social Media Buzz Weekly, your weekly bulletin of the latest social media updates. With the social media landscape evolving with each passing day, it can be challenging to keep a tab on the rapid developments. Well, not anymore, as we have taken it upon ourselves to keep you abreast of every happening in the social media space.
So, without any further ado, let’s look at some of the most significant developments from the last week in the world of social media.
1. Meta Launches Muse AI for SMBs
Meta launched another element in its agentic artificial intelligence push with its Muse for Small Business package, which offers a range of functional options and tools that can help SMBs implement AI within their workflows.
Building on the consumer launch of personal Muse agents, Meta now wants to provide SMBs with similar dedicated agentic tools. The new SMB offerings are designed to facilitate more operations and drive efficiency, while also improving workflows via conversational requests. The main element of the Muse SMB expansion is Muse connectors, which are partner apps that enable Muse to connect with their tools and facilitate functions.
2. Meta Adds Contributor Badges to Forum Chat App
Meta has announced several updates to its Forum group chat app, including badges for top contributors, related answers from different groups and topic labels to help drive discovery. Launched in May, Meta’s Forum app aims to convert Facebook Groups into more of a question-and-answer focused interactive process, along the lines of Quora and Reddit.
The idea is that this will increase groups functionality by enabling people to get more value from discussions and tapping into the collective knowledge of dedicated communities. Meta is also testing a new display of answers from different groups related to each query. Users can then choose the best answer from all available group responses.
3. TikTok Commits to Expanded Child Protection Initiatives
TikTok has announced two new partnerships designed to expand the app’s child protection efforts and contribute to industry-wide progress toward improving detection of CSAM content.
First, TikTok has joined Lantern, which is a centralized platform for reporting and sharing information to stamp out such activity. Launched in 2023 by the Tech Coalition, Lantern works with participating platforms to share data signals related to CSAM content. This information can be used to “uncover patterns of abuse, and strengthen enforcement across platforms and services,” per Lantern’s website. TikTok also announced an expanded partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This new alliance means the app will share more data with the group to assist in legal enforcement of detected concerns.
4. TikTok Agrees to Teen Usage Restrictions in Alabama
TikTok has agreed to a new set of operating rules for teen users in Alabama, as part of a $100 million legal settlement to avoid a trial over teen harms caused by the app. The trial saw TikTok accused of designing addictive app features, including its engagement-optimizing algorithm that keeps users glued to the TikTok feed.
The trial was originally expected to run for two to three weeks, and include expert testimony to prove the case. But just before the weekend, TikTok agreed to settle the case, which will also see the platform implement a range of new elements to align with the Alabama attorney general’s requests.
5. Instagram Adds Option To Boost Livestreams
Instagram has added a new option to boost live videos in the app, providing another way for livestream creators to increase their audiences and bolster their engagement and monetization potential.
Instagram has enabled creators to boost posts, Stories and Reels for some time, but now, it’s also adding livestreams into the mix. Instagram said that creators can boost their livestreams just before they go live, or they can schedule the boosts in advance. The platform suggested that creators schedule their livestream promotions at least two hours before they go live in order to reduce ad delivery delays.
6. X Numbers Officially Launch
X has officially launched its new number access option for XChat, which enables X users to share numeric access codes that can be used to send DMs between non-connections.
The update was made available to some users earlier last month. Those with a limited use code can access users’ DMs to send messages and initiate audio and video calls via XChat. X said the option will provide another way for people to message or call without users needing to accept message requests or follow each other. That will enable more X users to use DMs, and could be handy for facilitating messages with event attendees, selected business partners, client prospects and others.
7. X Launches Grok Bot Rewards Program to Showcase AI Utility
X has launched a new Grok Bot Template Rewards program, which will provide cash rewards to users who suggest valuable use cases for its artificial intelligence-powered Grok bot that showcase how others can use its latest AI tool in their everyday processes.
The challenge for Grok Bot, as it is with all agentic tools, is that most users don’t know what to do with them. So while these tools are capable of certain tasks, users need to be given examples of valuable use cases, in order to tap into their utility. It'll be limited to selected Grok Bot users, and will be focused on showcasing unique, valuable use cases, in order to drive more interest in the option. X explained that within each payment cycle, X will decide whether to pay a reward and how much.
Wrapping Up
And that was a wrap of this week’s Social Media Buzz. We’ll be back next week with more news and updates for you from the social media world. Till then, stay tuned!
If you want to read more on the latest developments taking place in the social media space, take a look at ClickInsights’ Social Media Buzz, wherein we bring to you monthly reports on everything going on in social media, ranging from platform updates to policy changes that influence the way we market.
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