Twitter this morning will launch a pilot in the U.S. aimed at testing the potential for e-commerce on its platform. The company is introducing a new “Shop Module” that offers brands, businesses and other retailers the ability to showcase their products to Twitter users directly on the business’ profile. Users will then be able to […]
Instagram Makes Under-16s’ Accounts Private By Default
Instagram has made new under-16s’ accounts private by default so only approved followers can see posts and “like” or comment. The BBC reports: Tests showed only one in five opted for a public account when the private setting was the default, it said. A…
A Grandfather Died in ‘Swatting’ Over His Twitter Handle, Officials Say
Mark Herring had a fatal heart attack after the police swarmed his house after a fake emergency call. A Tennessee man was sentenced to five years in prison in connection with the episode. From a report: Mark Herring was at home in Bethpage, Tenn., one …
Discord rolls out threads, side conversations that auto-archive
After announcing that threads were on the way earlier this year and teasing the feature on Twitter, Discord is now introducing the long-requested way to make conversations in bustling servers more comprehensible. Starting today, any server with “community” features enabled will be able to transform messages into threaded conversations, across mobile and desktop. Threads are […]
TikTok expands LIVE platform with new features, including events, co-hosts, Q&As and more
The LIVE experience will include a number of new features for creators to make it more competitive with platforms like Instagram Live.
Norby raises $3.8M for an all-in-one creator marketing platform
Early in the pandemic, Nick Gerard, Steven Layne, and Samantha Safer Valentine had a hit on their hands. In the era before Zoom fatigue set in, the trio launched Mainstream Live, a website and newsletter that curated live virtual events across platforms and gave people text-based reminders to check them out. “We started with the […]
Pinterest rolls out new features that let creators make money from Pins
Pinterest today is increasing its investment in the creator community by introducing new tools that will allow creators to make money from their content. Now, creators will be able to tag products in their Idea Pins — a video-first feature the company first launched this spring — to make their content “shoppable.” They’ll also now […]
Instagram to default young teens to private accounts, restrict ads and unwanted adult contact
As it gears up to expand access to younger users, Instagram this morning announced a series of updates designed to make its app a safer place for online teens. The company says it will now default users to private accounts at sign-up if they’re under the age of 16 — or under 18 in certain […]
Tencent’s WeChat suspends new user registration in China to comply with ‘relevant laws and regulations’
Tencent’s WeChat said on Tuesday it is temporarily suspending registration of new users in China as it works to comply with “relevant laws and regulations,” the latest Chinese firm to face regulatory scrutiny in the world’s largest internet market. In a social media post, Tencent said it is “upgrading” its security technology to align with […]
India’s ShareChat valued at $2.88 billion in $145 million fundraise
Indian social media platform ShareChat said on Tuesday it has raised an additional $145 million and is now valued at nearly $3 billion, less than three months after it secured $502 million at a valuation of $2.1 billion. Temasek and Moore Strategic Ventures led the new tranche of investment while Mirae-Naver Asia Growth fund participated in […]