Digital Marketing Degree Apprentice

US Supreme Court set to uphold TikTok ‘ban-or-sale’ law

It’s the latest battle in the long war over whether to ban the tremendously popular social media app in the US – and America’s top justices will now make a decision that weighs the importance of national security against the need for freedom of speech.

The lawmakers appear sceptical of TikTok’s case to continue in the US and seem inclined to uphold the decision that will either ban the app or force its Chinese parent company to sell.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor stated that the US government should be able to say when there is a threat and block it. The US argues TikTok is susceptible to manipulation by Beijing.

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Facebook and Instagram get rid of fact checkers

Meta has attracted criticism after abandoning the use of independent fact checkers on Facebook and Instagram, replacing them with ‘community notes’ where commenting on the accuracy of posts is left to users.

Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said third-party moderators were “too politically biased” and it was “time to get back to our roots around free expression”.

The move comes as Zuckerberg and other tech executives seek to improve relations with US President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office.

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Instagram surveys users on paying for engagement

Over the past week, selected Instagram users have been prompted to take part in a survey, which indicates that Meta is considering an option that would enable creators and brands to pay for views, likes, or other engagement in the app.

The survey presents participants with various pricing options for additional engagement in the app.

However, buying followers is very clearly against Meta’s outlined community standards and has previously taken legal action against various groups for offering paid engagement services. 

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TikTok adds a post scheduling option to studio app

TikTok has added post scheduling to its studio management tool, which will make it easier to manage the TikTok content and analytics processes.

Now, all of TikTok’s post scheduling options will be contained within its management app, which was launched in May last year.

TikTok Studio also includes a range of management functions, providing a complete overview of content, including analytics and monetisation monitoring tools.

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Online safety laws unsatisfactory, Technology Secretary says

UK laws on internet safety are ‘very uneven’ and ‘unsatisfactory’, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has said, following calls from campaigners to tighten the rules.

Kyle expressed his ‘frustration’ with the Act in a BBC interview, which was passed by the previous Conservative government in 2023.

The Conservative government had originally included in the legislation plans to compel social media companies to remove some ‘legal-but-harmful’ content, such as posts promoting eating disorders.

However the proposal triggered a backlash from critics, including the current Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who were concerned it could lead to censorship.
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