This Week’s Must-Know Social Media Features and Updates
Social media is constantly evolving, with platforms regularly introducing new features and updates to enhance user experience and meet changing demands. Keeping up with these developments is crucial for both individuals and businesses, as they often offer fresh ways to engage with audiences and create content. This week, several popular platforms have launched exciting updates that could reshape how we interact and share online. In this article, we’ll highlight the key social media features and updates you should know about to stay ahead in the digital landscape.
YouTube
YouTube is broadening access to its conversational AI tool. Now, all YouTube Premium members can interact with the AI feature, which will appear below videos without interrupting playback. One use case YouTube mentioned is asking the AI to provide information about a song in a video. Meanwhile, YouTube has blocked music from several major artists, including Bob Dylan and Green Day, amid an ongoing royalties dispute with SESAC, according to Variety.
X (formerly Twitter)
Elon Musk is shaking things up once again. The owner of X is set to alter how blocking functions on the platform. Responding to a report on the upcoming changes, Musk confirmed, “The block function will block that account from engaging with, but not block seeing public posts.” This move has raised concerns over privacy and safety, with many fearing it could enable harassment. Whether these changes will take effect remains uncertain, as Musk had previously suggested eliminating the block feature entirely in 2023, a step that has yet to materialize.
Reddit is leveraging machine learning to translate entire feeds, including comments, into different languages. Users in France, Spain, and Brazil now have the option to view comments in their native languages, with plans to expand the feature to Germany, Italy, the Philippines, and Latin America soon. This move mirrors YouTube’s recent introduction of AI-powered dubbing, indicating a broader trend towards making the English-dominated internet more accessible globally.
Threads
According to TechCrunch, Meta has finally secured the highly sought-after Threads.com domain. Since its launch, the social network has been operating under the less favorable Threads.net. Previously owned by Shopify, recent domain records reveal that Meta has taken control of Threads.com. It remains unclear when or if the site will migrate to the new URL, though it’s widely expected.
TikTok
TikTok is enhancing its subscriber perks, aiming to compete with platforms like Patreon. The new features will allow creators to offer tiered benefits to paying supporters, including private communication channels (similar to Discord), exclusive content, stickers, badges, and other personalized perks. In addition, TikTok is introducing three third-party brand safety measures to help advertisers assess their risk of appearing alongside problematic content.
Pinterest is upgrading its collage tool with several new features. The Remix feature allows users to build upon collages created by others, though this option can be toggled on or off. Additionally, collages can now be turned into videos and shared beyond the platform.
LinkedIn is retiring its Community Top Voice badge. In an email to badge holders, LinkedIn explained, “We’ve learned that it’s challenging to maintain the highest quality standards for our Community Top Voices Badge, as they are currently awarded automatically to top contributors, and not manually reviewed by our teams.” This means users could post AI-generated content and still receive a badge that appears to have LinkedIn’s endorsement. The manually awarded Top Voices badge, however, will remain.
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