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 Roll-Out of End-To-End Encryption by Default on Messenger
After almost five years of work, which has included various regulatory challenges, Meta has finally moved to the next stage of its roll-out of end-to-end (E2E) encryption as the default in Messenger. The update has required a ground-up rebuild of the app, with stronger privacy at the core, which will provide more assurance to users that their private chats will remain that way, no matter who might seek to infiltrate them, be it Meta or anybody else.
2. Meta To Remove Cross-App Messaging Between Facebook and Instagram
Meta has announced a new update that will remove its cross-app messaging option between Facebook and Instagram accounts.
According to Meta, any existing cross-app chats will become read-only, which essentially means that they’ll remain archived, but will no longer be active. It’s worth noting that this is at odds with Meta’s ongoing messaging integration plan, which has seen the company pushing to create a universal inbox that would be accessible across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
3. Meta Faces $600M Fine in Europe Over Possible Data Protection Laws Violations
Meta is facing a new battle in Spain, with a coalition of Spanish media outlets seeking $US600 million in damages as part of an anti-competitive lawsuit against the company, alleging that Meta has repeatedly violated EU data protection rules to dominate the local ads market.
The group, representing 83 Spanish media outlets, claims that Meta has continued to gather user data without consent, in violation of the E.U. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which went into effect in 2018. Under the GDPR, all platforms that utilize personal data must gain explicit consent from users for such, but the group claims that Meta has failed to do so, in the E.U. nations, and everywhere else, which sees it both operating in violation of the laws and maximizing its own market dominance through the same.
4. TikTok Expands In-Stream Concert Ticket Sales via Ticketmaster Partnership
After initially launching its Ticketmaster in-stream purchase partnership in the U.S. last year, TikTok will now enable users in more regions to buy tickets to shows in the app, via an expanded collaboration with the global events giant. Users in over 20 markets will now be able to purchase event tickets in the app, via direct integration with Ticketmaster which will facilitate its in-stream purchase flow.
TikTok says that, thus far, the collaboration has been a success, with many high-profile and lesser-known artists using the integration to help promote their upcoming shows to their expanding TikTok audiences. Indeed, TikTok says that it’s facilitated more than 2.5 billion views of videos utilizing the Ticketmaster integration since launching the option in the U.S. last August.
5. Threads Adds Separate Link URL to Help Track Referral Traffic
Instagram has added a new, dedicated domain for Threads, separate from Instagram itself, which will make it easier to track referral traffic from your Threads posts.
You’ll now be able to see the specific referral traffic insights from Threads within your analytics app of choice, which, for most of us, will be within your “Acquisition” listings in Google Analytics. And as more brands look to make Threads a bigger priority, that could become increasingly important in understanding how much focus you should give the app, and how to build the most effective Threads strategy.
6. Instagram Launches New ‘Close Friends Only’ Podcast to Showcase Celebrity Users
Instagram has launched a new podcast called “Close Friends Only”, which it says will present “the latest on culture - from memes and icks, to fashion and friendship - all from your favorite celebrities.”
This is expected to get a heap of attention, and will help make Instagram a bigger focus for youngsters seeking to replicate their idols. The first episode of the podcast featured Ice Spice in conversation with Doja Cat, where the two stars were seen discussing their favorite memes, their favorite animals, celebrity crushes, experiences in flirting on IG, their juiciest DMs, and more.
7. Instagram Tests New ‘Hype’ Option To Encourage Engagement With Stories
Instagram is testing out another way to encourage interaction within Stories with some users now seeing a new “Hype” option, which enables you to post a comment to a Story that other users can then also see in-stream.
Hype comments are displayed on your Story so that anyone else who views your update can see what others are saying. The default, at present, is that any replies to a Story are sent to the creator as a DM, but this will provide another interactive option, as Instagram continues to build in more direct engagement and interaction tools.
8. Snapchat Launches First Virtual Make-up Drop, as It Looks To Expand Bitmoji Promotions
Snapchat is looking to take the next steps into virtual fashion, with its first-ever Bitmoji make-up drop, which will enable Snap users to adorn their Bitmoji characters with the latest lipstick from e.l.f.
You can now style your cartoonish avatar with new make-up, giving it a fresh look with the latest from e.l.f. Snap has already facilitated a range of Bitmoji clothing drops, which enable users to dress their characters up in the styles that they like. According to Snap, there are now over a trillion possible outfit combinations available for Bitmoji characters, “creating endless opportunities for your digital wardrobe”.
9. Snapchat Launches Snapchat+ Gift Memberships for Christmas
Snap has announced that you can now purchase a Snapchat+ subscription as a gift, via Amazon no less.
Now, you can purchase a Snapchat+ subscription gift card with your choice of card design, which then enables the recipient to quickly and easily sign up to Snap’s add-on subscription tier. It’s worth noting that Snapchat+ has been incredibly popular with more than five million people now paying Snap monthly to access custom icons, in-app badges, color options, Best Friend pinning, etc.
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.