SOCIAL
Musk’s X starts charging new users for basic features in two countries

Musk has repeatedly cited a desire for free speech as motivating his changes. — © AFP ALAIN JOCARD
The social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, said Tuesday it has started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines for basic features such as posting messages in a trial aimed at reducing spam.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who bought Twitter last year for $44 billion, has long complained about fake accounts, bots and spam on the platform, introducing a number of controversial changes that have been sharply criticized by users around the world.
Under the trial, named “Not A Bot”, new users in New Zealand and the Philippines will have to pay an annual fee for the ability to write on X, like and reply to posts, and bookmark content.
“This new program aims to defend against bots and spammers who attempt to manipulate the platform and disrupt the experience of other X users,” the company said on its website.
“It is not a profit driver,” it said in a separate post on X. “So far, subscription options have proven to be the main solution that works at scale.”
It added that existing users will not be affected by the model, which will cost around $0.75 per year for new users in the Philippines and $0.85 for those in New Zealand.
Those who decline to pay will be able to access X in read-only mode, limited to viewing content and following accounts, the company said.
“Anything that a platform does to protect their users from the harm they might experience is a step in the right direction,” said NetSafe, an independent online safety charity in New Zealand.
X, formerly known as Twitter, is testing an annual $1 fee for basic features as an anti-spam measure – Copyright AFP/File ALAIN JOCARD
“Whether trying to stop bots from contacting people indirectly, that might engage in harmful conversations, or taking steps to verify who its users are… those things are potentially useful in trying to reduce harm.”
But Jonathan de Santos, chair of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, said this would limit participation.
“We get that the program is meant to curb the use of bots, but this also seems like putting the burden of fighting misinformation and disinformation on users,” he said.
Musk in September suggested charging all X users, saying it was the only way to combat the spam and bots that plague the platform.
But the idea was widely panned by users. Industry analysts said it would make X even less appealing to advertisers.
After taking over the company, the billionaire sacked thousands of staff and drew criticism for allowing banned conspiracy theorists and extremists back on the platform, sending advertisers fleeing.
Musk said in July that X had lost roughly half its ad revenue.
A month earlier, he had claimed that almost all advertisers had returned and that 90 percent of bots had been removed.
SOCIAL
YouTube Adds New Analytics Cards, Simplifies its ‘Product Drops’ Feature

YouTube’s making some updates to its Product Drops feature within live streams, while it’s also adding some new analytics cards, and testing a new format for its TV app.
First off, on Product Drops. YouTube’s changing the requirements for Product Drops in live streams so that more creators will be able to include drops to highlight their items.
Up till now, Product Drops have only been available to creators who’ve connected their Shopify stores, or have access to Google Merchant Center, while creators have also had to plan Product Drops in advance, and schedule them via Live Control Room. But now, YouTube’s giving more creators more ways to access the feature.
As per YouTube:
“Any creators who have connected to their first party stores, or are participating in the YouTube Affiliate Program can set up Product Drops in the live control room on YouTube. This means that more creators will be able to use Product Drops to boost sales and engagement on their live streams.”
YouTube will also now enable creators to implement Product Drops at any time during a live stream, eliminating the pre-planned requirement.
“This will give creators more flexibility to react to the moment, and drive excitement in real time.”
YouTube says that many creators have seen good response to their Product Drops, with the interactive, engaging process helping to drive hype, and spark more response from viewers.
Product Drops are available via the Live Control Room in YouTube Studio. You can read more about how they work here.
YouTube’s also updating its Community Posts creation flow, in order to simplify the process, and ideally get more channels posting text-based updated in the app.
Community Posts remain a lesser element, though YouTube’s been working to make them a bigger focus throughout the year, by adding additional engagement elements like polls, quizzes, disappearing updates, and more.
Simplifying the creation process is another step in boosting awareness, and potentially driving more interaction with you YouTube audience.
YouTube’s also adding some new revenue analytics cards, including “Total Members” insights (which includes subscriber data) and “Where Members Joined From”, which will provide more insight into what’s driving channel growth.
YouTube’s also adding new data on why users have canceled their membership within the insights tab in YouTube Analytics.

As you can see in this example, the new card will show the reasons why people have opted to stop their subscription to your channel, based on responses provided in the cancellation flow.
Finally, YouTube’s also experimenting with a new format for its TV app, which will make it easier to access different elements.

As you can see in this example, shared by 9t05Google, the new format will include bigger buttons to access different elements, and further customize your YouTube experience on the bigger screen.
Connected TV is the fastest growing viewer segment for YouTube, with more and more people now looking to consume YouTube content on their home TV set. As such, it makes sense for YouTube to roll out more updates aligned with big screen viewing in order to feed into this usage.
Some handy updates, across various elements, which are worth noting as you go about managing your YouTube presence.
SOCIAL
Musk regrets controversial post but won’t bow to advertiser ‘blackmail’

Elon Musk’s comments at the New York Times’ Dealbook conference drew a shocked silence – Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP Slaven Vlasic
Elon Musk apologized Wednesday for endorsing a social media post widely seen as anti-Semitic, but accused advertisers who are turning away from his social media platform X of “blackmail” and said anyone who does so can “go fuck yourself.”
The remark before corporate executives at the New York Times’ Dealbook conference drew a shocked silence.
Earlier, Musk had apologized for what he called “literally the worst and dumbest post that I’ve ever done.”
In a comment on X, formerly Twitter, Musk on November 15 called a post “the actual truth” that said Jewish communities advocated a “dialectical hatred against whites,” which was criticized as echoing longtime conspiracy theory among White supremacists.
The statement prompted a flood of departures from X of major advertisers, including Apple, Disney, Comcast and IBM who criticized Musk for anti-semitism.
“I’m sorry for that tweet or post,” Musk said Wednesday. “It was foolish of me.”
He told interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin that his post had been misinterpreted and that he had sought to clarify the remark in subsequent posts to the thread.
But Musk also said he wouldn’t be beholden to pressure from advertisers.
“If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money?” Musk said. “Go fuck yourself.”
But the billionaire acknowledged that there were business implications to the advertiser actions.
“If the company fails… it will fail because of an advertiser boycott” Musk said. “And that will be what will bankrupt the company.”
Musk, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Israel earlier this week, insisted in the interview that he holds no discrimination against Jews, calling himself “philo-Semitic,” or an admirer of Judaism.
During the interview, Musk wore a necklace given to him by a parent of an Israeli hostage taken in the Hamas attack on October 7. The necklace reads, “Bring Them Home.”
Musk told Sorkin that the Israel trip had been planned earlier and was not an “apology tour” related to the controversial tweet.
SOCIAL
TikTok Encourages Creators To Make Longer Videos, With Focus On Ad Revenue 11/30/2023

A new report by The Information shows the company’s recent efforts to convince
creators to put out longer videos in order to provide more room for ad placements.
According to the …
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