Social Media Daily News Roundup 05.08.19

Today’s social media news, rounded up in one place so you don’t have to go anywhere else. 

☀️ Facebook is going to add its name to Instagram and WhatsApp

☀️ Pinterest reaches 300 million users, posts better than expected profit in Q2

☀️ The founder of 8chan, the anonymous online messaging board that's a haven for extremist content, calls for the site to be shut down

☀️ Instagram is testing a built-in AR ‘background’ effect for stories

Facebook is going to add its name to Instagram and WhatsApp - Digital Trends

Facebook plans to add its name to both Instagram and WhatsApp as politicians call for the social media giant to be broken apart and the Federal Trade Commission investigates Facebook’s acquisition of both companies.

The company plans to rename the apps “Instagram from Facebook” and “WhatsApp from Facebook,” according to The Information, which cites anonymous sources.

“We want to be clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook,” Facebook spokeswoman Bertie Thompson told The Information after confirming the massive rebranding. The move comes after CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed frustration that Facebook doesn’t get enough credit for both apps’ success.

Pinterest Reaches 300 Million Users, Posts Better Than Expected Profit in Q2 - Social Media Today 

Pinterest has provided an update on its performance, giving investors a look at how it's tracking towards its broader growth goals.

And the company is tracking pretty well - first off, on users, Pinterest is now up to 300 million monthly actives, a 30% increase on a year ago.

That growth momentum is significant - for example, Twitter's mDAU, it's newly implemented user growth stat of focus, was up 14% YoY in its latest report, while Snapchat's DAU was up 8% on equivalent time scale. That means Pinterest is growing faster than both, which is important to note - especially when you also consider that Pinterest's total user count is now comparable to Twitter, despite it's much lower profile.

The founder of 8chan, the anonymous online messaging board that's a haven for extremist content, calls for the site to be shut down - Business Insider 

The founder of 8chan, an internet messaging board that is a haven for extremist content online, is calling for the site to be shut down in the wake of a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas which left 20 people dead and dozens more injured.

Fredrick Brennan, a software developer who founded the site in 2013 but cut ties with it in December, told the Washington Post on Sunday that the site is a "receptive audience for domestic terrorists."

Instagram Is Testing A Built-In AR ‘Background’ Effect For Stories - We r SM

Many apps are relying on AR to allow users to customise their experience in creative ways. Instagram is no different. And now, users may soon be getting another way to customise their Stories with AR, as Instagram is testing a new AR feature that gives them the ability to choose and change the background in their Stories selfies.

The new feature, called “background,” was discovered by Jane Manchun Wong, and gives users the ability to choose an image from their camera roll to use as the background for the Stories camera. The feature works a lot like a green screen, replacing the real background with one chosen by the user.