Social Media News Round-Up: 19/02/21

Feb 19

Social media creators can now join the biggest union in Hollywood: the Screen Actors Guild

One of Hollywood’s biggest unions, SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) has opened its doors to TikTokers, Instagram creators and other influencers, offering them a new way to unionise. The initiative is called the Influencer Agreement and was created as a way of supporting all creators, allowing them to access the benefits of union coverage. Prior to this new agreement, only YouTubers were eligible to gain membership to the union, which already represents around 160,000 performers and media professionals.

Australia proposes new law which would force Google and Facebook to pay for news

The Australian government has proposed a new law that would make Google and Facebook pay for news in order to fund publishers and journalists in the country. If the new law passes, which is looking increasingly likely, the tech giants would have to pay news publishers directly in order to gain access to share their content. Both Google and Facebook have condemned the bill as “unworkable”, and this week Facebook took things a step further by restricting users in the country from sharing or viewing news links on the platform. Google, meanwhile, has threatened to make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the law were to be introduced.

LinkedIn launches first stages of new initiative to support creators on the platform

LinkedIn has launched the first stages of its new program aimed at supporting content creators on its platform. The program will ultimately lead to new advertising and promotional opportunities for creators and brands, and increased incentives for users to post and keep posting updates. As the program is only in its initial stages, there isn’t massive amounts of information on the full range of potential implications for brands and users using the platform, but it’s definitely something to watch moving forwards, particularly for marketing efforts on the platform. LinkedIn notes that it has seen a huge growth in conversations happening on its platform, with content shared in 2020 up 50% year-over-year.

TikTok faces fresh regulatory complaints in Europe

TikTok has been hit with yet another round of regulatory complaints, including concerns around the type of content children are being exposed to on the platform and accusations of misleading data processing and privacy practices. TikTok has already faced regulatory intervention in Italy in response to child safety concerns, and a report by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) found that in many countries, around a third or more of children below the age of 13 indicated using the app.

Parler is back online

Parler, the social media network implicated in the build-up to the US Capitol riots and known for hosting a heavily far-right user base, has been allowed back online. In the aftermath of the riots which shook the US after its tumultuous election last year, Parler was banned by the major app stores, including Amazon Web Services (AWS). Users can now log in to Parler on the web and users who already had the app downloaded can allegedly re-access it but cannot download it via Google Play or Apple’s App Store.

Twitter previews new improvements to Spaces and tests voice messages in DMs

Over the last week, Twitter has previewed a range of new improvements to its Spaces feature, including a new room display for speakers and listeners and more prominent markers for speakers and hosts. The new improvements aim to meet all user needs and align with the platform more seamlessly, and are much needed if the platform is to continue to stand a chance against Clubhouse, which currently serves 2 million users, an audience that has been built via its current exclusive, invite-only policy. Twitter, on the other hand, has a potential audience of up to 192 million daily active users - so if it scales Spaces up fast, the tides could very quickly turn in their favour. It was also announced this week that Twitter has been testing voice messages in DMs, a method of communication which has surged in popularity recently on platforms including WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat.

LinkedIn announces new Covid-19 recovery support initiatives

LinkedIn has announced a range of new initiatives to support health organisations in maximising their vaccine distribution efforts and help disadvantaged workers get back on their feet following the pandemic. LinkedIn is now offering free job listings to healthcare organisations, pharmacies and governments looking to hire support for vaccine distribution, as well as free ads to non-profit organisations that are recruiting volunteers for the vaccine effort. In partnership with the Big Issue, a magazine providing people from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to generate income by on-selling copies at 100% mark-up, LinkedIn has announced a new program that will assist Big Issue vendors with training and advice to help workers upskill and access new job opportunities following Covid.

Facebook launches new site to help app marketers deal with Apple’s incoming data tracking changes

In an attempt to counter the impacts of Apple’s incoming data tracking changes on Facebook’s large network of businesses and marketers, Facebook has launched a new mini-site dedicated to providing alternate ad options and tools. Facebook says the site will include everything “from information about growing your user base to using a hybrid monetisation model” and will be updated regularly with the newest and most relevant information surrounding monetisation trends.