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Musk’s Plans Around Verification, Moderation, and Payments on Twitter are Slowly Becoming Clear

Published

1 year ago

November 24, 2022

Musk Will Seek Evidence from Twitter’s Former Product Chief as He Looks to Exit His Takeover Deal

As we head into Thanksgiving, the various controversies and developments around Twitter continue to evolve, with new boss Elon Musk still throwing around ideas and making sweeping changes at the app.

And while there is still a question around whether Twitter will even remain online, due to reduced oversight of its systems, if it does, the next steps will see major shifts in direction at the app.

Catching you up, here’s a look at all the latest key developments at Twitter HQ, which could impact the platform moving forward.

Delayed verification

Musk’s first major move at Twitter, his $8 verification for all plan, has been delayed once again, with Musk noting that they need to establish better systems to combat impersonation before moving ahead.

Holding off relaunch of Blue Verified until there is high confidence of stopping impersonation.

Will probably use different color check for organizations than individuals.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 22, 2022

The controversial program was launched to some users earlier this month, before being shut down after a couple of days due to confusion caused by impersonators in the app. Last week, Musk set a new target date of November 29th for a re-launch of the program, but now, that date seems to be off the cards too, as Twitter explores the potential ramifications of the checkmark-for-sale process.

Look, this is a confusing, misguided initiative – and that’s not to say that Musk is wrong about everything or to question his grand plan for the app (calm down, Elon fanfolk). Musk may well be able to get Twitter on a path to growth, and I would bet on his team eventually getting things together. But an $8 monthly fee for blue checkmarks isn’t it.

I suspect that Musk will eventually see this – with the concession of gray ‘Official’ ticks already a tacit acknowledgment of the flaws in this approach.

The vectors for potential manipulation are far too high – though I do think the alternative color options for checkmarks of different kinds could be a better approach towards verifying actual humans in the app, if Twitter also incorporates a form of ID checking into the process.

As I noted at the first suggestion of Musk’s checkmark/verification program, rather than selling blue ticks, Musk would be better off giving these new verified users a different color of checkmark, which would clarify that they are a real person, while also leaving the existing and established verification markers as is, limiting confusion in the app.

The problem is, people won’t pay $8 for these alternative markers – but I suspect that most users aren’t going to pay $8 for blue ticks either.

But maybe, with an improved Twitter Blue package, Elon can still make this into a more appealing offering.

We’ll find out when it eventually gets re-launched.

Content Moderation – Musk Style

Musk’s communicated vision of a Content Moderation Council, which would be made up of academics, civil rights leaders and other experts, and would rule on content decisions in the app, now appears to be in tatters – or at least, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to have the influence or power over Twitter’s moderation process as Musk implied when he first floated the concept a few weeks back.

As noted, within days of taking over at the app, and in an effort to reassure advertisers that he wasn’t going to let Twitter become a ‘free-for-all hellscape’, Musk said that Twitter would formulate a moderation council to oversee its biggest decisions.

Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.

No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

Note the specific comment about reinstatements – with users calling on Musk to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s account, Musk tried to placate them with this stance, which meant that he no longer had to make a quick decision on the Trump case specifically.

Except, then he did.

Over the weekend, Musk decided to let the people decide, by holding a Twitter poll on whether Trump should be allowed back on the app. The poll, which garnered more than 15 million votes, narrowly went in favor of allowing the former President to return – and in contradiction of his previous stance, Musk then reactivated Trump’s account.

Which, apparently, caught Twitter’s sales team off-guard, who had been working to reassure ad partners that Musk wouldn’t just arbitrarily make such decisions.

Turns out, he will – while Musk has also now stated that the Content Moderation Council, if and when it is established, won’t have the final say over any major decisions.

As reported by The Verge’s Alex Heath, Musk has explained to Twitter staff that:

“This is an advisory council. I will hear what they have to say and I will either agree with it or I won’t.”

So it’s really Elon making the calls. If there was any confusion around who’s in charge, and who, ultimately, will decide what is and is not allowed, this is the answer

Which is probably not what ad partners wanted to hear.

Musk has also stated that Alex Jones will not be allowed back on the app, because of his personal views on Jones’ past actions.

So again, if there were any question, it’s Elon who’s writing the rules. No one else.

Staff changes

After cutting Twitter’s staff headcount by over 64% (some reports have suggested even more), Musk has now laid down a new set of regulations for Twitter’s remaining employees, which includes the proviso that they now need to send Musk himself weekly updates of what they’re working on, along with examples of code for engineers.

The approach is emblematic of Musk’s Twitter management strategy – Musk has already told all staff that they’ll be expected to work ‘long hours at high intensity’ in order to get the app back on track, with this additional micro-management approach adding extra impetus and pressure, in order to keep things progressing.

Which may seem extreme – but then again, when you’re on the line for $44 billion, you’d imagine that there would be a strong desire for oversight.

Musk has also cut staff benefits, in order to reduce costs, though he has also reassured those remaining that the staff cuts are done for now, with the company actively hiring new engineering and sales staff.

On that front, Musk has also tasked his team with setting up engineering teams in lower cost markets, like Indonesia, which could be another way to maintain momentum, and get the app back on track.

Crypto payments

Another aspect of Musk’s Twitter takeover which is far less clear at this stage, but potentially far more significant, is his push to facilitate payments via tweet.

Musk, who co-founded PayPal back in 2000, has a long-held interest in improving the ACH transfer process, while Musk has also been a big supporter of certain crypto projects, including his favored Dogecoin currency.

Some have speculated that, given Musk’s history, and the fact that Binance is an equity investor in Musk’s Twitter, Musk will be looking to build streamlined payments into Twitter, in order to convert the platform into a key transfer portal, and then expand that into in-stream shopping, bill payments, remittance, etc.

Again, it’s still early, but this week, Musk reportedly informed Twitter employees that he is indeed looking to build crypto payments into the app, and that he expects payments to eventually be ‘more valuable than all the rest of Twitter combined’.

This is a difficult area, and one which all social platforms have explored at different times. Meta’s likely best-placed to make payments work, and it’s been trying to integrate Meta Pay into developing markets, like India and Indonesia, for years, in order to establish Facebook and WhatsApp as the equivalent of China’s WeChat in those regions.

WeChat, of course, has become a key utility in China, and is used by over a billion people to do everything online, from buying train tickets, to grocery shopping, to booking doctors appointments.

In the past, Meta’s also attempted to convert Messenger into the western version of WeChat, with the integration of various expanded functionalities, but it’s never caught on in the same way, but in developing regions, there is still a chance that WhatsApp, for example, could act as its equivalent platform in India.

But getting local approval for payments has proven challenging, and it’s taking time to expand habitual behaviors in the app.

Interestingly, Musk has also flagged his intent to build his own, western version of WeChat, with an app concept that he calls ‘X’, which, in his view, will be ‘the everything app’. Musk has said that he views Twitter as ‘an accelerant to X’, and while the full blueprint is not yet clear, it does seem that introducing payments on Twitter would be a key step towards that broader goal.

But again, western audiences haven’t shown any real interest in a localized version of WeChat, so he will have a task ahead of him. But big-picture thinking is what he does, so…

—

There’s a lot going on at Twitter HQ, and most of it is still in flux, but over time, we’re starting to get some more solid frameworks emerging as to where Musk and his new team will be headed with the app.

All of this will take time to develop, especially with such a significant reduction in headcount, but I do expect that Twitter will stabilize at some point, as Musk settles onto some more viable, concrete directions for the app.

So long as it doesn’t crash entirely before then.

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5 Best Sites To Buy Facebook Likes for Posts & Page (Real & Instant)

Published

11 hours ago

December 7, 2023

Entireweb News Bot

6 Best Sites To Buy Reddit Upvotes (Cheap, Real & Instant)

Best Sites To Buy Facebook Likes

1. Bulkoid

Score: 9.5/10

Bulkoid is the best place to buy Facebook likes.

Bulkoid comes out on top as a go-to choice for purchasing Facebook likes due to its balance of superior quality and value. Instead of focusing on pricing, Bulkoid emphasizes on providing top-tier Facebook likes from real users. This ensures a natural growth and boosts engagement on your Facebook page, just like when you buy Facebook followers.

A unique aspect of Bulkoid is its offering of targeted Facebook likes. By enabling you to buy targeted Facebook post likes, they assist you in reaching a specific audience and expanding your online presence more effectively.

Additionally, their delivery time for purchased Facebook post likes is typically within a few hours after placing the order, ensuring a quick and efficient process.

Bulkoid has been mentioned by Chicoer, Orovillemr, TheReporter and SantaCruzSentinel as being the best site to buy Telegram members.

✅ Pros:

Delivers Real Likes: Bulkoid focuses on providing high-quality, real Facebook likes from genuine users.
Reliable Delivery: Bulkoid has a strong track record of delivering purchased Facebook likes reliably and on time.
Good Customer Support: Their customer service team is responsive and helpful if any issues come up with your order.

❌ Cons:

They don’t accept crypto payments.

For more information about the services, prices, and delivery options, visit Bulkoid.com.

2. FastPromo

Score: 9.3/10

FastPromo is an excellent alternative for acquiring authentic and organic Facebook likes. Their likes come from genuine and active accounts relevant to your content, ensuring high-quality engagement. With FastPromo, you can expect a noticeable boost in your Facebook presence.

One of the biggest advantages of FastPromo is its targeted likes from specific demographics or regions. This ensures you connect with genuine and engaged Facebook users who will contribute to high-quality likes and increased engagement on your posts.

FastPromo also focuses on driving growth organically, without using bots or fake accounts, making them a reliable and safe Facebook likes provider. Their commitment to customer satisfaction and dedication to high-quality services make them stand out in the industry.

✅ Pros:

Competitive Pricing: FastPromo ensures you will get excellent value for your money.
Custom Packages: They provide customized Facebook like packages tailored to your specific needs and budget.
Gradual Delivery: Likes are delivered gradually over a few days for a natural growth pattern.

For more info about this company and its services, visit FastPromo.net.

3. ViralHQ

Score: 9/10

If you’re searching for a user-friendly and secure site to buy Facebook likes, ViralHQ might be the perfect fit. They offer high-quality Facebook likes, ensuring your social media presence enhancement.

ViralHQ takes a unique approach by offering a diverse range of Facebook likes packages, catering to different needs and objectives. Whether you’re a small business looking to build your brand presence or an influencer seeking to expand your reach, ViralHQ has got you covered.

The safety and security of its customers are a top priority for ViralHQ. They utilize an SSL encryption protocol to protect the order and payment process, ensuring that your data and information are secure when using their Facebook services.

✅ Pros:

Instant Delivery: ViralHQ starts delivering Facebook likes instantly after processing your order.
Quality Assurance: ViralHQ has strict quality control checks to ensure all delivered likes are from real and active users
Positive Reputation: They have earned a solid reputation for their reliable service, quality likes, and excellent customer support.

For more info about this company and its services, visit ViralHQ.net.

4. Breaked.net

Score: 7.5/10

Breaked.net is a platform that provides a variety of Facebook likes packages, assuring top-tier likes from authentic users as part of their Facebook services.

One of the best things about Breaked.net is that it makes unique suggestions for each individual to ensure the quality of Facebook post likes. This means purchasing Facebook post likes will be tailored to your specific needs.

The Facebook post likes from Breaked.net come solely from real individuals. This is crucial because it ensures that the likes you receive aren’t from bots or fake accounts. This means you won’t have to worry about fake likes, and you will get organic Facebook engagement.

Here is an overview of Breaked.net’s main advantages:

Provides tailored suggestions for quality likes.
Assures all likes are from real and authentic users.
Gives organic Facebook engagement without fake accounts.

5. YtNotics

Score: 7/10

YtNotics delivers fast and affordable Facebook likes, followers, and comments from real users to increase engagement and social proof on the platform. Their Facebook services cater to a variety of needs, with instant delivery for Facebook post likes packages.

YtNotics offers likes from active Facebook accounts, assuring the credibility of the likes you get from them. This can help boost your social media presence and improve your engagement with your target audience on Facebook.

Using YtNotics for your Facebook promotional strategy has many benefits. You can expect:

Delivers instant likes from real active users.
Increases engagement and social proof on Facebook.
Affordable packages cater to diverse needs.

What Is the Best Site To Buy Facebook Likes?

Bulkoid stands out as the best site to buy Facebook likes.

When it comes to buying Facebook post likes, and Facebook page likes, you want real likes from active Facebook users, not bot or fake accounts. Bulkoid sets itself apart by focusing on quality over quantity when delivering likes to its customers.

Likes from real and active Facebook users

Bulkoid’s likes come from real Facebook profiles with content interaction history, profile pictures, friends, and genuine interests. This provides huge benefits over fake accounts when it comes to the Facebook algorithm. When real users like and engage with your posts and page, it signals to Facebook that your content is resonating with real people. This leads to more organic reach and followers.

Helps you get more organic growth

Fake accounts can actually hurt you with the Facebook algorithm or even lead to bans. But Bulkoid only utilizes safe methods to deliver likes from real, active Facebook users interested in your niche. Their organic growth approach helps you build credibility and an audience that engages with your brand.

Customize the likes on Facebook for your needs

In addition to real Facebook users, Bulkoid also lets you buy targeted Facebook post likes based on location, interests, gender, and more. This level of targeting ensures the right people see and engage with your content.

For the best quality Facebook followers and helping spur organic growth on Facebook, Bulkoid is the top service for buying Facebook likes, thanks to their focus on real Facebook users. They have affordable package options, making it easy to get started and see results.

Frequently Asked Questions About Buying Facebook likes

1. How can you buy Facebook likes?

Buying Facebook likes is a simple process that can be completed through various online platforms. Some of the top sites for purchasing Facebook likes include

Bulkoid,
FastPromo,
ViralHQ.

To buy Facebook likes on these platforms, simply visit their website, select a package that meets your requirements, and place an order for the desired number of likes.

Remember, buying Facebook likes should not be hurried and should be cautiously undertaken. It is necessary to review the provider and verify that the likes originate from real people, not bots. This can help guarantee the quality and value of the likes you purchase, leading to better engagement and results on your Facebook page or post.

2. Where to buy likes on Facebook?

You can buy more likes from several top-rated websites. After thorough research, I have compiled a list of the best websites for purchasing Facebook likes:

Bulkoid.com;
FastPromo.net;
ViralHQ.net.

3. How much does it cost to purchase Facebook post likes?

If you chose Bulkoid.com as the place to buy Facebook post likes, here is how much their premium-quality service costs:

100 likes – $4.9;
200 likes – $9.8;
500 likes – $24.5;
700 likes – $34.3;
1,000 likes – $49;
1,200 likes – $58.8;
1,500 likes – $73.5;
1,700 likes – $83.3;
2,000 likes – $98;
2,200 likes – $107.8;
2,500 likes – $112.5;
2,700 likes – $132.3;
3,000 likes – $147;
3,200 likes – $156.8;
3,500 likes – $171.5;
3,700 likes – $181.3;
4,000 likes – $196;
4,200 likes – $205.8;
4,500 likes – $220.5;
4,700 likes – $230.3;
5,000 likes – $245.

4. How many Facebook likes can you buy?

You can buy Facebook likes depending on your budget and growth needs. There are many options when buying likes on Facebook, ranging between 100 to 10,000 or more.

Depending on your needs, you can choose between theseFacebook likes packages: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 75, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 600, 700, 750, 800, 900, 1000 (1k), 1500 (1.5k), 2000 (2k), 2500 (2.5k), 3000 (3k), 4000 (4k) 5000 (5k), 6000 (6k), 7000 (7k), 7500 (7.5k), 8000 (8k), 9000, (9k) 10000 (10k), 15000 (15k), 20000 (20k), 25000 (25k), 30000 (30k), 40000 (40k) 50000 (50k), 60000 (60k), 70000 (70k), 75000 (75k), 80000 (80k), 90000 (90k) 100000 (100k), 200000 (200k), 250000 (250k), 300000 (300k), 400000 (400k), 500000 (500k), 600000 (600k), 700000 (700k), 750000 (750k), 800000 (800k), 900000 (900k) or even 1000000, 1,000,000, 1 Million, 1 M (1M or one million), 2 Million (2M), 3 Million (3M), 4 Million (4M), 5 Million (5M), 10 Million (10M).

5. Can you buy targeted Facebook likes from specific countries?

If you want a specific Facebook audience, you can buy Facebook likes from different countries across the globe.

Here are the countries where you can buy targeted Facebook likes:Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, and Azerbaijan.

Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, and Burundi.

Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, and Czechia.

Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, and the Dominican Republic.

Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, and Ethiopia.

Fiji, Finland, and France.

Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinee, and Guyana.

Haiti, Honduras, and Hungary.

Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, and Italy.

Jamaica, Japan, and Jordan.

Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan.

Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, and Luxembourg.

Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, and Myanmar.

Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, and Norway.

Oman.

Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, and Portugal.

Qatar.

Romania, Russia, and Rwanda.

Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, and Syria.

Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Tuvalu.

Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.

Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Yemen.

Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Buyer’s Guide For Buying Real Facebook Likes

1. What are the benefits of buying Facebook likes?

Purchasing Facebook likes can increase your content’s visibility in the news feed, help you reach more users via Facebook’s algorithm, improve your brand social proof and credibility, and improve overall engagement. More likes signals to Facebook that your content resonates with real users, which leads to expanded organic reach.

2. How can you pay for genuine Facebook likes?

If you want to buy Facebook likes, there are many ways you can pay for this service.

Depending on the provider you use, these may vary, but some of the most common payment methods are credit card, Google Pay, PayPal, Apple Pay, and cryptocurrencies.

3. Are bought Facebook likes real and active users?

Yes, reputable Facebook likes providers like Bulkoid deliver likes exclusively from real, active Facebook users that fit your target demographic. This ensures sustainable, long-term growth through real engagement rather than temporary vanity metrics from fake or inactive accounts. Always verify that potential providers use only legitimate methods to source real likes.

4. Where to buy real and active Facebook likes?

Based on my research, the best sites to buy real and active Facebook likes are:

Bulkoid.com;
FastPromo.net;
ViralHQ.net

5. How many likes should I buy from Facebook likes providers?

Experts often recommend buying enough Facebook page likes to seem reasonably popular for your niche but not drastically raising suspicions with high numbers. Additionally, buying likes for recent posts helps nurture real engagement. Consider starting small with Facebook likes orders, then monitoring how the bought likes interact with your content.

6. Will I get banned if I buy Facebook likes?

You won’t risk banning if you use trusted, reputable vendors that deliver likes from real accounts employing industry best practices. However, you should stay away from shady providers offering fake likes or other prohibited engagement tactics. As long as your chosen provider responsibly follows Facebook’s terms of service, buying likes is allowed.

7. How long does delivery take for my Facebook likes order?

Delivery times vary depending on factors like your order’s size and the provider’s workload, but quality vendors begin dispensing new likes from real accounts within 24-72 hours typically.

8. Should I buy Facebook likes for my page or posts?

The best approach is buying Facebook page likes to generally build your overall brand credibility alongside likes for recent posts. Post likes specifically improve user engagement. Remember, posts have a shorter shelf-life for interaction than pages, so focus on driving up page likes as well.

9. What should I look for when buying Facebook likes?

You should thoroughly research potential Facebook likes sellers, read client reviews, ensure they follow platform terms of service, check for verifiable social proof examples of past clients, and start slowly with small batch testing. As the saying goes, if an extremely cheap offer seems too good to be true, it likely is.

Buy Facebook Likes And Increase Your Reach

When it comes to buying Facebook likes, doing your research is crucial to finding a reliable provider that will deliver real, high-quality likes to help grow your brand.

There are many potential risks, from buying fake likes that could get you banned to wasting money on inactive accounts.

The best option for buying Facebook likes safely and effectively is Bulkoid. Bulkoid focuses exclusively on likes from real, active users interested in your niche to drive authentic engagements. With them, you can feel confident you are investing in real marketing value for your brand, not vanity metrics.

From targeted likes to reliable customer service, Bulkoid checks all the boxes as a top-tier Facebook likes provider for taking your brand’s social presence to the next level the right way.

So take your channel to the next level by purchasing targeted likes from Bulkoid today. Their subscriber service from organic users will elevate your subscriber count and content visibility for sustainable channel success.

The news and editorial staff of the Chico Enterprise-Record had no role in this post’s preparation. This is a paid advertisement and does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Chico Enterprise-Record, its employees, or subsidiaries.

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YouTube Highlights its Top Trends, Topics and Creators of 2023

Published

18 hours ago

December 7, 2023

Entireweb News Bot

YouTube Highlights its Top Trends, Topics and Creators of 2023

YouTube has published its annual trend wrap-up, highlighting all the key trends, based on user engagement and search behaviors, from throughout the year.

And most of them you probably recognize, either via your own engagement or subconscious exposure.

As per YouTube:

“2023’s Trending Topics in the U.S. reflect fandom’s increasingly important role in transforming cultural moments into fully immersive phenomena that play out across Shorts, longform, livestreams, and podcasts. From original series like Skibidi Toilet to the release of Barbie, fans came to YouTube to put their personal spins on memes, movies, and more.”

Ah, yes, “Skibidi Toilet”, a random joke clip that somehow morphed into an epic, post-apocalyptic drama series, set across 68 video clips and counting.

Yeah, it’s super weird, but there actually is a core story told through machinima, or computer game-based animation, which has obviously proven compelling to many users.

Like, tens of millions of them, for every episode.

Among other key trends of note, YouTube highlights the viral “Grimace Shake” response, Jack Black’s “Peaches” from the Mario Bros. movie soundtrack, and Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers”, among various other niche topics of interest.

The top 10 YouTube topics of the year, among U.S. users (by total engagement), were:

The top YouTube creators, meanwhile were headed by Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson and his friends once again, as he continued to expand upon his online video (and beyond) empire.

It’s always amazing to me to consider the cultural impact of gaming based on this list. Out of these 10 creators, more than half of them have direct roots in gaming content, which has become a key pathway into content creation, beginning with game streaming, then shifting into other areas.

And gaming is likely to remain a key cultural influencer, because most young consumers these days don’t even watch regular TV, with YouTube, and other online platforms, now their primary sources of entertainment. To them, these creators are not YouTubers, they’re as mainstream as anyone else, which will see them continue to guide future creative trends.

YouTube has also included a listing of “Breakout Creators” and top songs of the year, providing a solid overview of what resonated in the app in 2023.

Also, Shorts is a key factor. YouTube hasn’t provided a Shorts-specific listing for this year, but I suspect that’s coming, maybe in 2024, as Shorts continues to drive more engagement in the app.

YouTube’s full overview is worth a look if you want a reminder of the top trends, or if you want to catch up on what young people, in particular, are currently engaging with.

Let’s just hope they don’t also make another “Rewind” video clip to go with it.

You can check out YouTube’s 2023 Trend Report here.

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Twitch to shut down in SKorea over ‘seriously’ high fees

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2023

Entireweb News Bot

The platform said it had tried to lower its costs by reducing the maximum video quality but it was still losing money – Copyright AFP Chris DELMAS

US-based streaming platform Twitch said Wednesday it would stop its service in South Korea in February because of “seriously high” network costs, dealing a blow to millions of users in one of the heartlands of e-sports.

The Amazon-owned company said in a statement signed by CEO Dan Clancy that costs were 10 times higher than most other countries, making it impossible to continue operating.

South Korea allows internet service providers to charge data-heavy companies like Twitch extra fees, which has already led to a long dispute with Netflix.

Big telecom firms in Europe have pushed for a similar deal, which they call “fair share”, but an EU consultation concluded in October that the idea was not popular.

Twitch said it had tried to lower its costs by reducing the maximum video quality but it was still losing money and would pull out of the country on February 27.

“The cost of running Twitch in South Korea is currently seriously high,” said the statement.

– ‘Stellar player’ –

Twitch, acquired by Amazon in 2014 for close to $1 billion, gained significant traction among gamers in South Korea.

The firm does not publish user numbers but it was widely reported in 2021 to have six million users in South Korea, more than four percent of its global total.

The country is known for its passionate, competitive, and dedicated gaming community, as well as its megastar Faker — a gamer hailed as the Michael Jordan of e-sports.

“We would like to reiterate that this was a very difficult decision, and one that all of us at Twitch are deeply saddened by,” the company’s Wednesday statement said.

“South Korea has always been a stellar player in the global e-sports community and will continue to do so.”

Shares in South Korean video streaming service Afreeca TV, Twitch’s competitor, soared almost 30 percent in afternoon trading in Seoul.

Some of the country’s Twitch users were devastated by the news.

One streamer, yummy_2 said: “It feels like losing my job right now.”

– Biden vs Trump –

Netflix was the first major international firm to cry foul over South Korea’s rules on network fees, getting entangled in lawsuits with SK Broadband, one of South Korea’s biggest internet service providers.

However, the two firms announced in September they would drop the legal cases and would now instead “collaborate as partners for the future”.

While the usage fees are a boon to telecom companies, they are bitterly opposed by tech platforms around the world.

European lawmakers and digital rights activists also argue such an arrangement could break rules on net neutrality, whereby telecoms firms are barred from selling faster internet speeds to particular companies.

The issue has been at the heart of a years-long dispute in the United States with former President Donald Trump rolling back net neutrality rules and his successor Joe Biden struggling to restore them.

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