SOCIAL
Twitter Urges Judge To Toss Suit Over Ad-Targeting Slip-Up — For Good 03/03/2023
Twitter is urging a federal judge to again throw out a class-action privacy lawsuit over allegations that the company incorporated users’ email addresses and phone numbers, which were provided for security purposes, into an ad-targeting platform.
U.S. District Court Magistrate Sallie Kim in the Northern District of California previously dismissed the complaint, ruling in December that even if the allegations in the complaint were proven true, they would not show that Twitter’s users had been harmed.
At the time, Kim allowed the users who brought the complaint to beef up their allegations and bring it again. The users did so last month.
Twitter now says the new complaint should also be dismissed, this time with prejudice — meaning that the users wouldn’t be able to revise their allegations and refile the complaint.
“Plaintiffs still fail to allege any concrete, particularized injury,” Twitter writes in papers filed Wednesday with Kim.
The battle dates to last May, soon after the Federal Trade Commission fined Twitter $150 million for allegedly misleading users by asking for their phone numbers and email addresses for security, then feeding that data into an ad-targeting platform. The FTC claimed that Twitter’s alleged misrepresentations violated a 2011 consent decree barring the company from misstating its privacy practices.
Twitter, which disclosed the snafu in 2019, said the contact data was mistakenly incorporated into an ad platform that allows companies to use their own marketing lists to target ads on Twitter.
Maryland resident Lauren Price, later joined by other Twitter users, sued Twitter over the data mixup.
Price and the others alleged in their amended complaint that phone numbers and email addresses are valuable to advertisers.
The amended complaint referenced various online estimates by consultants, specifically citing an Avid Mobile study for the proposition that the value of an email address to an advertiser is around $33, and the value of a phone number is around $101.
“Numerous marketing services and consultants, offering advice to companies on how to build their email and mobile phone lists — including those seeking to take advantage of Twitter’s targeted marketing, at issue here — direct putative advertisers to offer consumers something of value in exchange for their personal information,” the users alleged in the February complaint.
Twitter counters that even with the new allegations, the users haven’t shown how they could have been harmed.
“Plaintiffs still fail to allege any concrete, particularized injury for purposes,” Twitter writes.
The company adds that the allegations about the value of contact data “suggest only that contact information can be valuable to a business that uses it to communicate advertising to its customers,” and not that the plaintiffs personally attempted to sell their data, or that their ability to do so was impaired by Twitter.
Price and the other users are expected to respond to Twitter’s argument later this month.
SOCIAL
Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?
In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.
The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.
According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.
Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.
Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.
The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.
This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.
Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.
As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?
Only time will tell.
SOCIAL
Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach
While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.
When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.
“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.
Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.
“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.”Â
“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.
“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.
Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.
SOCIAL
Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement
Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.
As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.
That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.
Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.
That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.
Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.
Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.
We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
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