Trending Stories
Blockbuster Takes a Swing at Netflix’s Password-Sharing Ban
Netflix’s recent password-sharing ban has been causing quite the conversation among users on social media, with #CancelNetflix making the rounds. But Blockbuster, the former video rental giant, wanted to join the conversation and took a playful jab at Netflix on Twitter. The nostalgia-infused Tweet gained significant attention, with thousands of retweets, likes, and comments. Following that, the account kept replying to people’s comments on the Tweet with some hilarious gifs.
Many other streaming sites joined in, including Prime Video. Despite Blockbuster’s decline and the rise of streaming services, some speculate that the once-popular rental store might come back in some form. For now, we can enjoy the sass of the intern running the Blockbuster Twitter account.
LEGO collaborates with women’s football players to promote playing without limits
LEGO’s latest build joins forces with the world’s biggest football stars, including Megan Rapinoe, Yuki Nagasto, Sam Kerr and Asisat Oshoala. This collab hopes to encourage breaking barriers whilst adopting a fearless attitude within the younger generation. Announced on Twitter, many followers loved the new concept and couldn’t wait to get their hands on the set.
To continue supporting women’s football and the journey of defying boundaries, LEGO has partnered with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to establish three permanent mini-football pitches across the country to provide more access to playing opportunities. They have also partnered with Football Australia through Legacy ’23 and Our Game to create a platform that challenges gender stereotypes and motivates girls to embrace their can-do spirit.
Amazon faces $25 million fine after breaching children’s online privacy law
Amazon has paid $25 million as a civil penalty to settle federal charges for collecting sensitive data from children. The information collected included voice recordings and the precise locations of children using Alexa, Amazon’s virtual voice assistant. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act stipulates that all online services with an audience younger than 13 must obtain parental consent. The law also requires companies to delete any data if a parent requests it. However, Amazon did not erase transcripts of conversations recorded from all its databases.
Many questions have arisen from worried parents. Are companies honouring their promises regarding the deletion of data? How are they ensuring safeguarding policies for young people are being actioned? We’ll keep a close eye on the developments of the unnerving story.
Toby’s Tiny Tales
Welcome back to Toby’s Tiny Tales. Toby Fairhead, a RISE Academy graduate now Senior Account Executive in our UK team, has three new recommendations of what you should stream, watch, and read this weekend:
Read
We know volcanos can be pretty scary, with eruptions happening in Mexico and Italy. But they’re much more complex than we realise.
Watch
The Science Behind Saturn’s Rings – 6 mins
If you like it, you gotta put a ring on it – but who/what gave Saturn its rings?
Listen
Could Quantum tech lead us to teleportation? – 24 mins
The power of computers is growing astronomically. They just might be the key to unlocking the universe’s mysteries.
Platform Updates
Snapchat Revamps ‘My AI’ experience – Adding visual cue capabilities
We all remember the mixed response to the Snapchat premiere of My AI, with some loving it and others taking issue. Snapchat remains optimistic about the offering and states it has proven popular. But it’s about to get a little clever.
My AI will now respond to images sent with a related image or a corresponding photo. One use already highlighted the possibility of sending a picture of your latest weekly shop resulting in a proposed recipe by the bot. This new addition is sure to spark interest and has the potential to deliver real practical value for users. However, the question remains whether these features will be viewed as a novelty or if this is the beginning of Snapchat integrating AI meaningfully in the social space.
Twitter’s Community Notes feature expanded to Tweets with visuals
When Twitter’s Community Notes feature was added to Tweets, it allowed users to identify statements that may not be factually correct. But now, with the rise of AI-generated images, it is even easier for ‘fake news’ to spread. Twitter is on it and now has expanded this old feature to include visuals. Creators will be able to add a contextual note to their Tweet, clarifying where the image has come from.
As described by Twitter, “This option can be selected when you believe the media is potentially misleading in itself, regardless of which Tweet it is featured in.” This note will be seen by users across any Tweet that uses the same image, eliminating opportunities for the spread of misinformation. However, this feature is only useful once someone adds a note to the image. The image may spread far and wide before anyone adds a Community Note, questioning how effective this may currently be.
Instagram Empowers Users and Creators with Enhanced Control and Transparency Features
Instagram is rolling out new features to enhance user control and transparency on the platform. One tested feature is the “Interested” button, which allows users to indicate their preference for specific recommended posts. Additionally, Instagram also plans to introduce tools for creators to understand why their content may have limited reach. Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, announced these updates, also addressed concerns about “shadowbanning” and emphasised that Instagram does not suppress content to promote ad purchases. The platform aims to expand the personalisation controls to understand its audience better.
Instagram has been constantly adapting its transparency with its creators. They have introduced features like the Account Status hub, which helps businesses and creators learn more about their content. It will be interesting to see how Instagram keeps moving with this mission.
That’s This Week in Social all wrapped up! If you can’t wait for Fridays to hear the latest news in marketing and social, you can sign up to our fortnightly newsletter, REFUEL, here 🚀
