SOCIAL
Twitter Loses More Execs Amid Concerns that Musk May be Putting Users at Risk
It’s tough to write about all the changes at Twitter at the moment.
Not because of some sentimental attachment to what the platform was, or frustration at what Elon Musk may or may not do to break it (which he could well be very close to doing).
No, it’s hard to write about Twitter because as soon as you write that they’ve changed something, they change it back, or add something new, or Elon sends a tweet to ‘kill it’ before it even goes anywhere.
Just this week, for example:
- Twitter added a new gray checkmark for ‘Official’ accounts, that would be displayed along with the blue verification tick for selected profiles. Twitter announced it, then Elon said that they’d cancel it, then Twitter said that it would go ahead. Then, a few hours later, Twitter officially buried it, at least for the time being.
- Twitter launched its new $8 Twitter Blue with verification program in some regions – though only for accounts created before November 9th. The cut-off date is designed to stop users from registering newly created accounts designed purely to impersonate notable users, but that did not stop many users from doing exactly that on the first day of the launch.
- Twitter sent out an email to the holders of dormant Twitter accounts letting them know that they would lose their handles if they didn’t log in by December 11th. Then Twitter announced that it would be revising that approach in order to establish a system for memorializing accounts.
- Twitter said that currently verified profiles would need to also pay for Twitter’s new $8 blue package to keep their blue tick. Then they wouldn’t, then they would, now they will, though with some exceptions.
- As I was writing this post, two more senior execs reportedly left the company, the two that moderated a meeting this week between Elon and top ad partners, to assure them that everything’s fine.
As you can imagine, it’s difficult to provide an accurate account of what’s going on when it changes as soon as you’ve hit publish – which, really, is pretty emblematic of the Musk takeover at the app so far. Fast-paced chaos, which seems to be hurtling inevitably towards a crash of some sort.
Or maybe Musk is just too visionary for anyone else to see it.
Either way, Elon’s certainly bringing attention to the app, and with usage numbers rising, that could be good. Maybe.
But then again…
Musk’s $8 verification plan is now slowly being rolled out, and that’s led to a raft of imposter accounts sporting shiny new verified checkmarks, sparking varying degrees of confusion.
- A fake LeBron James account declared that the NBA star was seeking a trade away from the LA Lakers, which gained big traction before Twitter removed it.
- A fake Nintendo account displayed an image of Mario flipping the bird
- False accounts under the names of George W. Bush and Tony Blair made jokes about the Iraq war
- Fake video game company accounts announced games that are not in development
As you can see in this example, many of these accounts, at a first glance, look legit, with the blue checkmark, which users have come to recognize as a sign of trust in the app, giving them a degree of authority.
Twitter says that it’s ‘aggressively’ removing these imposter profiles (clicking harder on the delete button), but with half of its staff gone, this still seems like a significant vector for misinformation. And one that could have been 100% avoided – but that’s not, for better or worse, how Elon operates.
As Elon himself has said:
Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months.
We will keep what works & change what doesn’t.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 9, 2022
Those ‘dumb things’ could also extend to violating its FTC requirements, with reports that the company’s information security chief, chief privacy officer, and chief compliance officer all resigned from the app last night.
The resignations reportedly came about as a result of Elon’s increasing willingness to push the boundaries of the law on what they can get away with, in terms of reporting requirements and disclosures.
As reported by The Verge, one Twitter staffer wrote:
“Elon has shown that his only priority with Twitter users is how to monetize them. I do not believe he cares about the human rights activists. the dissidents, our users in un-monetizable regions, and all the other users who have made Twitter the global town square you have all spent so long building, and we all love.”
That could put Twitter on increasingly shaky ground, and given the examples of impersonation we’ve already seen from Musk’s $8 verification plan, it’s very likely that this will lead to even more scam activity and fraud in the app.
But in line with the above statement, Musk sees the risk to Twitter as minimal:
Great question. Twitter will suspend the account attempting impersonation and keep the money!
So if scammers want to do this a million times, that’s just a whole bunch of free money. pic.twitter.com/QUrxqb59I0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 5, 2022
So despite this being a risk to users, who may well get duped by such scams, Musk’s concern here is that Twitter will still get the money – though as one user who exploited the new blue checkmark option pointed out, if an account is canceled within a month, some credit card providers will refund such charges anyway, reducing the financial risk that Musk believes will act as a deterrent.
There’s also this:
The people who incited violence and bomb threats against children’s hospitals have now all been verified under Twitter Blue. Advertisers should not support the vile hate being legitimized and amplified on this platform. pic.twitter.com/mKbkIufWFJ
— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) November 9, 2022
Musk’s half-baked verification-for-a-fee program – which is not actually verifying anything – is already causing confusion, and essentially empowering some of the worst elements in the app.
And as noted by Katie Notopoulos of BuzzFeed News, his vision of this new verification scheme creating a better system for eradicating hate speech, because people are less likely to risk their account when they’re paying $8 per month for it, won’t work either.
But Elon’s going to try, he’s going to push ahead with ‘dumb things’, and fail a lot along the way. Which he has the right to do, given he paid $44 billion for the app.
But the concern within that is the users who’ll get hurt along the way, as Musk risks their safety for his own gain.
And now, with virtually all of Twitter’s former top leaders gone, the challenge of reforming the app into something new seems to have risen substantially.
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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