This Month in Social Media: September 2019

From algorithms to privacy – and everything in between – the social media landscape is continuously changing. And keeping up with the latest can be tough. To help ease the burden, we’ve created a monthly recap of the most significant social media updates.

Here are the top 6 stories This Month in Social Media: September 2019 edition.

  1. Voter Manipulation on Social Media Now a Global Problem – A new report has found that social media manipulation is getting worse, with a growing number of governments and political parties making cynical use of social media algorithms, automation, and big data to manipulate public opinion at scale — with hugely worrying implications for democracy.
  2. Facebook Launches Facebook Dating – CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook Dating is “not just for hookups” but to build “meaningful, long-term relationships.” To sort through potential matches, you’ll need to tap – not the usual “swipe” we’ve seen from Tinder, Bumble, etc. Facebook insists it won’t use information gleaned from your dating profiles for advertising and says there won’t be ads on Facebook Dating.
  3. Facebook Suspends Apps Hoarding Data – As part of an investigation following last year’s Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook has suspended 69k apps that violated its policies on data gathering.
  4. Instagram Implements New Restrictions on Diet and Cosmetic Surgery Ads – After consulting with various experts on mental health and well-being, Instagram will be restricting posts for users under 18 years old that promote the use of certain weight loss products or cosmetic procedures, and that have an incentive to buy or include a price.
  5. Snapchat Expands Ad Length Limits, Announces New Ad Formats – Ad limits increased from 10 seconds to 3 minutes. The ads will be skippable, but allow advertisers a chance to tell a longer brand story to the engaged Snap audience. These ads are part of the app’s expanding Snap Original programming: its short, TV-style video series.
  6. YouTube Announces Changes on Videos Aimed at ChildrenYouTube has announced new measures to protect children using its platform, reducing data collection on content aimed at kids, and the capacity for advertisers to target young viewers through ads on such content.

Struggling to navigate the ever-evolving social media landscape? We’re here to help! Reach out to us for your social media needs.