SOCIAL
Meta Partners with Industry Experts on New Process to Detect and Remove ‘Revenge Porn’
Meta is joining a new push to help protect people against ‘revenge porn’, where intimate content featuring them is uploaded online without their consent.
Meta has had processes in place to help detect and remove revenge porn since 2018, but now, the company is joining a coalition of assistance organizations and tech platforms on a new program that will provide an alternate way for users to track their images online, and stop their usage across the web.
As explained by Meta:
“Today, Meta and Facebook Ireland are supporting the launch of StopNCII.org with the UK Revenge Porn Helpline and more than 50 organizations across the world. This platform is the first global initiative of its kind to safely and securely help people who are concerned their intimate images (photos or videos of a person which feature nudity or are sexual in nature) may be shared without their consent. The UK Revenge Porn Helpline, in consultation with Meta, has developed this platform with privacy and security at every step thanks to extensive input from victims, survivors, experts, advocates and other tech partners.”
The process works like this – if you’re concerned that images or video of you are being shared online without your consent, you can head to StopNCII.org and create a case.
Creating a case involves ‘digital fingerprinting’ of the content in question via your device.
As explained here, your content is not uploaded nor copied from your device, but the system will scan it and create a ‘hash’, which will then be used for matching.
“Only the hash is sent to StopNCII.org, the associated image or video remains on your device and is not uploaded.”
From there, the unique hash is shared with participating tech platforms, now including Meta, for use in detecting and removing any variations of the images that have been shared, or attempt to be shared, across their apps.
It’s a good, coordinated way to tackle what can be a devastating crime, with users named and shamed in public, via social networks, potentially causing long-term psychological and perceptual damage.
And with research showing that 1 in 12 US adults have been victims of image-based abuse, with young people being far more significantly impacted by such, it’s a critical issue, likely more so than many would expect.
The prevalence of revenge porn has actually increased during the pandemic, with UK domestic violence charity Refuge reporting a 22% increase in revenge porn reports over the past year. Simplistic solutions like ‘just don’t take pictures of yourself’ largely misunderstand cultural shifts, and are no help in retrospect either way, and it’s important for Meta, and other social platforms, to do what they can to address this rising concern, and provide assistance to impacted users.
The broader application of this hash-based system could be a big step in improving such process, and hopefully, sharing a simplified avenue for action for victims.
You can learn more about the process here.
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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