Latest Social Media News June 2020

There have been loads of developments across Social Media in June 2020, some being tests and some being new features. We’ve compiled this list of Social Media updates so you can stay in the know and keep on top of the latest developments.

Facebook Old News Sharing Alert

Facebook has introduced a brand new feature in a move to keep the information shared on the platform “timely and credible.”

A notification shows when a user attempts to share an article which is older than 90 days. This gives users greater context so they can make better-informed decisions when sharing articles. Facebook is well-known for the circulation of fake news and outdated articles in an attempt to spread misinformation.

Facebook says that news publishers were concerned about their older articles being shared as current news to mislead people.

Twitter Must-Read Test for Retweeting Articles

Another social media platform trying to stop the spread of misinformation – Twitter tested a new prompt for users who Retweet an article that they haven’t clicked on through the app.

If you try to Retweet an article from your feed without opening it first, you’re met with a prompt asking you to open and read the article before sharing. Twitter said it’s in order to “promote informed discussion” on their platform, preventing people from mindlessly sharing articles that they haven’t actually read.

This was an initial test on certain Android users, with Twitter planning to try it out on more devices in the future.

Twitter went on to state that they can only tell if you’ve opened the link on Twitter, they don’t track this elsewhere and it only works with news outlet domains. And you can always skip the prompt and Retweet if you’ve already read the article.

This has been met with a fair amount of friction from Twitter users, with people seemingly outraged that Twitter are assuming people don’t read articles through other apps and sites. Some users even suggested it’s a ploy from Twitter to create new click-through revenue streams.

But that’s just tinfoil-hat conjecture. This is a great update which makes you think before you reshare an article solely based on the headline.

Twitter Release Voice Tweets to Some iOS Users

In the biggest change to the platform since they doubled the character count from 140 to 280, Twitter has introduced Voice Tweets! Initially only available to a select number of iOS users, they stated that “in the coming weeks everyone on iOS should be able to Tweet with their voice.”

Users open the Tweet Composer, press the purple soundwave button to the left of the camera button and start recording.

A single Voice Tweet can capture up to 140 seconds of audio, and if you go over 140 seconds, a new Voice Tweet automatically starts recording for a seamless experience. Tap the done button when you’re finished, then when it’s posted it appears in the feed with an image of your profile picture. And you can also write up to 280 characters of text to accompany Voice Tweets.

There’s a lot of nuance to spoken language which gets left behind with text, and written language is very easily misinterpreted. Sharing funny stories and breaking news just got a whole lot easier.

LinkedIn Stories Released in Australia & France

Linkedin Stories are now available in Australia, after being rolled out in Brazil, the Netherlands and the UAE.

This is a move from the platform’s typically professional feel to a more conversational, spur of the moment type of content. Some users have voiced their opinion on this, not agreeing with it as it makes like other social platforms.

But LinkedIn Police and their comments aside (“ThIs IsNt FaCeBoOk”), this is just another way the social media site is catching up and joining the current state of social.

Being able to quickly share stuff in a story is a great way to get reactive content out there. Personality is what wins on LinkedIn, and ephemeral Stories is the perfect way to get yourself out there without having to commit to creating a full video post.

We’re still waiting on this to be rolled out in the UK though (come on guys.)

WhatsApp Introduces In-App Payments in Brazil

Users in Brazil can now send each other money in WhatsApp without having to leave a chat. Money can be sent to either other users or small businesses for quicker and easier payments, in an attempt to move towards social commerce.

Digital payments are based on Facebook Pay, and it’s completely free for users to send money to each other with businesses paying a processing fee. This test is initially only available in Brazil, with the app looking to expand into more countries.

Social commerce is emerging as an upcoming but vital part of social media. Social commerce means people starting and completing the entire shopping experience within a social media site, from discovery to purchasing. Instagram is another platform venturing into social commerce, with users being able to buy directly from certain retailers without having to ever leave the app.

Facebook Bulk-Delete Old Posts

Facebook’s new ‘Manage Activity’ feature lets users delete old posts in bulk. So you can now go through all your old embarrassing posts from school and delete them (but where’s the fun in that?)

“We know things change in people’s lives, and we want to make it easy for you to curate your presence on Facebook to more accurately reflect who you are today.”

This makes it easier to find and delete anything you no longer want on your profile, whether you’ve just gone through a messy breakup or you’re cleaning up your act whilst job-hunting. You can filter by date range and posts tagged with other users.

Facebook Introduce New Live Producer Features

There’s been an update to Facebook Live Producer, with some new features to enhance live streams on the app. Live Producer makes creating quality, high-end feeling live streams easier than ever. It gives users access to everything they need to create an engaging live video.

Facebook Live Producer features include:

• Graphic overlays
• Featured comments
• Auto scrolling news tickers
• Polls with live results

59 Chinese-Originated Apps (Including Tik Tok) Banned in India

Due to the current tensions between the two countries, India has banned 59 Chinese apps, one of which is Tik Tok.

This is a massive blow to Tik Tok’s user base, as India has the second most active users in the world at 81 million (compared to 26.5 million in the US.) Many Indian creators have supported the ban, but many are asking for an Indian-made alternative.

Instagram Reels Releases in Germany and France

After being trialled in Brazil, Instagram’s Tik Tok clone Reels is available in Germany and France. It’s pretty much a direct Tik Tok rival, letting users record videos and edit within the app, complete with easy to use features like adding music and sounds. The social platform is looking to capture a new audience and keep them on their app.

Instagram has a history of taking ideas and then beating the original (Snapchat Stories – RIP), but as the saying goes “good artists copy, great artists steal.” This probably won’t be anywhere near as popular as Tik Tok – it’s simply too popular thanks to its ease of use and ability to suck you in for hours. But it’s worth a shot.

Keep up to date with the latest happenings in social by following us on LinkedIn where you can find a slideshare version of our monthly wrap-ups for you to share!