Welcome to a new week of updates. Major social and tech platforms are warning that a key European Union rule allowing them to detect child abuse content has expired, creating legal uncertainty around how they can keep doing that work.
Google, Meta, Snapchat and Microsoft recently issued a joint statement about how they would protect child and teen social media users after the EU’s ePrivacy Directive expired. This was a law from 2002 that protected privacy in digital communications, including how data is tracked and monitored. It was being used to scan private digital communications to reduce harmful content across social platforms, but regulators failed to reach a new agreement.
The companies said they’ll keep taking voluntary steps to protect children, but without clear rules, it’s harder to consistently scan or remove harmful content.
They’re also pushing EU lawmakers to act quickly and create a new framework so those protections can continue in a more stable, legal way.
Now, let’s dig into some other updates and see how they can inform your social strategy.
Instagram is adding the ability for users to schedule trial Reels in advance, instead of having to post them manually.
Trial Reels test content with people who don’t follow the account first, so this update just makes that testing process easier to plan and manage, Adam Mosseri, head of IG, said in a video message.
Instagram is also testing a new paid subscription called “Instagram Plus” that gives users extra features, mainly focused on Stories.
Users would be able to view Stories without being seen, see how many people rewatch their own Stories and create more customized audience lists beyond “Close Friends.”
Social Media Today reports it also adds small engagement boosts, like extending Stories past 24 hours, spotlighting posts for more visibility and searching viewer lists.
Snapchat
Snapchat is expanding its creator subscription option so more eligible creators can now offer paid subscriptions.
With this, creators can charge followers for exclusive content like private Stories, behind-the-scenes posts and other perks they decide on. To be eligible, creators must have a public profile and actively be posting to Stories on a regular cadence.
YouTube
YouTube is testing a new feature called “Stations,” which are around-the-clock streaming channels made from pre-selected videos, similar to music stations on Apple or Spotify.
Instead of choosing what to watch, users can just press play and let a continuous stream run in the background, The Verge reports.
Overall, this is really a shift toward making YouTube feel more like traditional TV, especially for users watching on bigger screens.
The platform is also bringing its conversational AI tool to smart TVs so users can now ask questions about videos.
Users can tap an “Ask” button or use their remote’s microphone to get answers, summaries or more context without pausing or leaving the video.
It’s still in testing and only available to a limited group, but the bigger goal is to make TV viewing more interactive, YouTube said.
YouTube is additionally adding a feature that lets creators like multiple comments at once, instead of doing it one by one.
It works by automatically identifying positive comments, so users can then quickly engage with a lot of them in bulk, making the process less time-consuming, especially when there are hundreds or thousands of comments.
TikTok
TikTok is partnering with Cameo to let users sell personalized video messages directly inside the app.
Users can sign up for Cameo without leaving TikTok and add buttons to their posts so followers can request custom videos from the content they’re already watching.
The platform has also added a hidden mini game inside DMs that users can unlock by sending any single emoji and tapping it, TechCrunch reports.
Once launched, users play a simple game where they bounce upward across obstacles, trying to hit the high score.
It works in both one-on-one messages and group chats and is meant to add a fun layer to DMs.
Additionally, TikTok’s SoundOn platform is adding a new tool called Derivative Works Detection to detect altered or copied music before it gets distributed, even if the audio has been sped up or modified, the app makers said.
The system uses audio recognition to flag potentially unauthorized tracks early, so users can’t upload and monetize manipulated versions of someone else’s work as easily.
It also adds another layer of review, including identity checks and human oversight for flagged content, TikTok said.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].
