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Facebook Announces Election Notification Updates, Reiterates Efforts to Protect Poll Integrity

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facebook announces election notification updates reiterates efforts to protect poll integrity

With the US Presidential Election only 27 days away, Facebook has provided what looks to be its final update on its election preparedness tools, including new prompts on the ballot counting process and the activation of its Elections Operations Center.

Here’s what’s been announced:

First off, Facebook has announced a range of new notifications which will be shared in user home feeds, across both Facebook and Instagram, in order to keep people up to date on official poll information.

“When polls close, we will run a notification at the top of Facebook and Instagram and apply labels to candidates’ posts directing people to the Voting Information Center for more information about the vote-counting process.”

Facebook election notifications

Over the past month, with US President Donald Trump refusing to assure a peaceful transfer of power in the case of him losing the vote, Facebook has become increasingly worried that the President could use his massive social media presence to declare victory, or invalidate the official results, leading to unrest among his supporters. 

Facebook does not want to be in the position of amplifying such messaging, which it makes clear in today’s announcement.

“If a candidate or party declares premature victory before a race is called by major media outlets, we will add more specific information in the notifications that counting is still in progress and no winner has been determined.”

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Facebook will also take this even further, by providing official updates on the projections for the winner, as they become available.

Facebook election update

These will also be shared in Facebook’s Voting Information Center, ensuring maximum reach with its official notifications.

Facebook election update

Facebook will also provide additional notes on election integrity, another element that’s been heavily questioned by President Trump in the lead up to the poll.

“As we noted earlier this month, we are attaching an informational label to content that discusses issues of legitimacy of the election or claims that lawful methods of voting like mail-in ballots will lead to fraud. This label provides reliable information about the integrity of the election and voting methods.”

Facebook will also put a temporary halt on all social issue, electoral and political ads after the polls close, further limiting the capacity for its platform to amplify non-official updates.

Of course, we have no idea what’s actually going to happen on election day, nor who the eventual winner may be, but given the ongoing discussion around potential interference in the voting process, Facebook is working to ensure that it plays no part in amplifying any spurious claims. 

In addition to this, Facebook is also banning all posts and comments which call for people to engage in poll watching or any other activity designed to intimidate election officials or voters. 

Facebook has also announced the launch of its Elections Operations Center for the poll, which will bring together a subject matter experts from across the company “including from our threat intelligence, data science, engineering, research, operations and legal teams”, in order to monitor the process in a more coordinated way. Facebook has taken the same approach with all major elections across the world since 2018.

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“Since 2016, we’ve built an advanced system combining people and technology to review the billions of pieces of content that are posted to our platform every day. State-of-the-art AI systems flag content that may violate our policies, users report content to us they believe is questionable and our own teams review content. We’ve also been building a parallel viral content review system to flag posts that may be going viral – no matter what type of content it is – as an additional safety net. This helps us catch content that our traditional systems may not pick up.” 

The Election Operations Center will monitor these key trends, in an effort to stop the spread of misinformation and further protect the poll.

Facebook’s 2020 Election approach is the culmination of the various measures and tools that it’s implemented since 2016, when it was heavily criticized for allowing third-party activist groups to interfere in the election process.

At Facebook’s scale, that can have a huge effect, and since then, Facebook has introduced a range of tools and policies to better protect users, and avoid similar misuse.

Facebook election measures

This is just the first page – the full document outlines the complete list of steps Facebook has taken to protect the 2020 vote.  

In essence, Facebook is underlining that it’s done all that it can, so that it can’t be accused of failing to act, in any event, this time around. Whatever the result, Facebook has introduced all the measures it can, and while its approach to claims made in political ads is still questionable, given the overall breadth of new processes and tools it’s added, Facebook’s hoping that it’s not the focus of blame come November 5th.

But, of course, it still could be. Facebook is still a key source of misinformation, as has been indicated in various reports, and movements like QAnon, which Facebook took increased action against this week, have still been able to spread via Facebook groups and Pages. 

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Will Facebook play a key role in the 2020 result? 

We’ll have some idea in less than 30 days.

Socialmediatoday.com

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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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.

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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.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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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.” 

“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.

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“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.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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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.

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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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