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Social media and online
The latest social media news and insight on the changing internet. Verdict covers the developing technology of social media and the online world, from regulations to innovations and the business beyond. Social media has seen dramatic maturation in recent years, but has faced an increasingly challenging time as its true impact is felt. So what does the future hold?
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13 Aug
Tencent revenues up 29% as execs insist Trump’s WeChat ban poses minimal risk
Chinese technology titan Tencent Holdings reported revenues of $16.2bn for the second quarter, as executives sought to reassure investors that its exposure to the US WeChat ban was limited.
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11 Aug
Trump’s TikTok-WeChat ban could be a boost for Huawei
On Thursday 6 August, Trump committed to imposing sanctions against TikTok and WeChat after taking a hard line on protecting US citizens’ data from Chinese interference.
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7 Aug
“Double standard”: Trump WeChat ban sparks confusion and questions
On Thursday evening, US President Donald Trump signed two executive orders to ban US companies from engaging in business transactions with TikTok parent company ByteDance and Tencent-owned WeChat.
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7 Aug
Clean Network is a messy roadmap for a digital wall with China
Huawei was never going to be enough for Donald Trump.
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6 Aug
Instagram Reels in Gen Z, but can it win out against TikTok?
On Wednesday Instagram launched a new video feature called Reels that is intended to rival the success of TikTok, the app that achieved the most downloads Q1 2020.
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5 Aug
TikTok purchase proposal takes Microsoft employees by surprise
The majority of Microsoft employees were surprised to learn that the US tech giant is considering purchasing TikTok.
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4 Aug
Global broadband speeds dropped during lockdown
Broadband speeds around the world dropped during lockdown, a study has found.
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3 Aug
TikTok mulls selling US arm to Microsoft, but could UK move enrage Trump?
It’s all change at TikTok, as the Chinese social media company finds itself as the latest battleground in the US-China trade war – and now the UK and Microsoft are involved.
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23 Jul
Twitter results show 34% growth in users after “action-packed” few months
Twitter’s shares were up 4% in morning trading after releasing its Q2 results following an “action-packed” few months.
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22 Jul
Snap Q2 results: Revenue expectations beat, but Covid casts shadow
The Q2 2020 results for social media giant Snap have seen Covid again take its toll, as while it beat expectations on revenue, it fell short on user numbers.
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21 Jul
Russian disinformation: Intelligence agencies not taking responsibility, Russia report finds
The responsibility for defending the UK’s democratic processes from Russian disinformation campaigns has been passed around like a “hot potato”, according to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s ‘Russia report’.
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14 Jul
Google says Fitbit data “won’t be used for advertising” ahead of EU antitrust decision
Google has pledged to keep Fitbit data seperate from its advertising business in an attempt to ward off an EU antitrust investigation.
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14 Jul
Google’s stalkerware ban is a positive step
Google’s move to ban advertising for apps that can be used to track people without their knowledge is a positive move.
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14 Jul
Amazon employees see security risks in TikTok – but many won’t delete it
The majority of Amazon employees believe that TikTok does pose a security risk to the company, but many won’t be deleting it from their phones.
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3 Jul
Blind: 42% of Facebook employees concerned by ad boycott
A survey conducted by anonymous professional network Blind has revealed that over 40% of Facebook employees are concerned about organisations removing ads from the social media platform.
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1 Jul
Facebook policy initiative fails to halt advertiser exodus
On 26 June, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg disclosed policy initiatives aimed at quelling posts that are deemed to incite violence or would otherwise be considered hate speech.
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26 Jun
Facebook faces further advertising woes as Verizon pulls plug
US telecoms giant Verizon has become the latest company to suspend advertising on Facebook, threatening to further damage the social media firm’s primary revenue stream after it has already taken a hit from the coronavirus pandemic.
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25 Jun
Trump is using Twitter to magnify his base: Anthony Scaramucci
Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House communications director for US President Donald Trump, has rejected suggestions that US President Donald Trump’s divisive use of Twitter is a sign of stupidity, arguing that it is instead a shrewd move to boost his chances of winning the 2020 Presidential election.
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25 Jun
Brittany Kaiser: Facebook should ban Trump disinformation
Facebook should ban inaccurate and misleading content posted by US President Donald Trump in accordance with its standards for non-political users, Brittany Kaiser, former Cambridge Analytica business development director-turned whistleblower, has said.
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18 Jun
Facebook takes legal action against bots in intercontinental clampdown
Facebook has taken legal action by filing two lawsuits today, one in Europe and one in the US, against companies using bots to abuse its services on Facebook and Instagram.
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18 Jun
Brits more positive about technology following Covid-19 pandemic
Brits’ attitudes towards technology and its impact on society has changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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12 Jun
Trump’s Buffalo protester conspiracy theory shows why we are not ready for deepfakes
When 75-year-old protester Martin Gugino approached a police officer during a Black Lives Matter protest in Buffalo, US, he was met with a shove.
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29 May
The Twitter President is trying to destroy his maker, but while Trump needs Twitter, Twitter doesn’t need him
If you were to sum up the reason for Donald Trump’s successful 2016 presidential campaign in one word, it would be Twitter.
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29 May
Twitter down: Users experience problems posting and viewing tweets
Users in many parts of the world are experiencing problems with social media site Twitter, and while the site isn’t fully down, large numbers are unable to view or post tweets.
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28 May
Trump vs tech: The dilemma of social media censorship, aired
Angered by the addition of fact-checking links to two of his own recent Tweets, President Trump is threatening to make social media companies legally liable for the content posted on their platforms – but the real debate is about censorship and bias.
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28 May
Coronavirus case studies: Lockdown life drawing
Artists and hobby sketchers have grasped the opportunity lockdown offers to dedicate more time to drawing and painting.
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26 May
VPN downloads in Hong Kong surge ahead of new national security law
VPN downloads in Hong Kong have surged following proposals for a new national security law.
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22 May
Hinge app launches video dating feature for remote romances
Due to current lockdown measures and the prospect of continued social distancing in the coming months, socialising has made its way online.
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21 May
With the contact tracing app delayed, could mobility tracing come to the rescue?
The release of a Covid-19 contact tracing app in the UK has faced another setback, with the news that it will not be ready until June, later than the original launch date of mid-May.
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20 May
Facebook Shops won’t rival Amazon – it has a more important purpose
The pandemic has upended the plans of many technology giants, but for Facebook, it has accelerated a long-anticipated product release: Facebook Shops.