Elon Musk’s company, formerly known as Twitter and now called “X,” is facing legal action in France under copyright law. The Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency is suing the social media platform for refusing to engage in discussions about compensating AFP for the sharing of its news content on X.
AFP stated that it seeks an urgent injunction from a Paris court to force X to provide the necessary information on how its content is reused so that AFP can calculate the appropriate remuneration under France’s neighboring rights legislation.
The neighboring rights legislation was established by the European Union in 2019 and incorporated into French law in July of the same year. It extends copyright protection to cover excerpts of news content shared on digital platforms, including text, photographs, videos, and infographics, for up to two years after publication.
In response to AFP’s lawsuit, Elon Musk wrote on X, questioning the idea of paying them for traffic to their site when they make advertising revenue, and X does not.
This is bizarre. They want us to pay *them* for traffic to their site where they make advertising revenue and we don’t!?
Google has also faced issues with France’s neighboring rights legislation in the past. The national antitrust authority fined Google over half a billion dollars after complaints from publishers, including AFP, about unfair negotiations regarding payments for content reuse. Google settled the dispute by making behavioral commitments and signing deals to pay publishers for reuse of their content.
While Google’s case triggered intervention from the competition authority due to its dominant position in search services, X’s situation may be different. X does not hold a dominant position in general search or social media services, where rival platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have more users.
Countries like Australia and Canada have also passed laws requiring tech platforms to negotiate with publishers for fair revenue sharing over news content. Meta (formerly Facebook) and Google have lobbied against these measures in Canada and Australia, even suggesting they might withdraw news availability rather than comply with the laws.
In summary, AFP is taking legal action against Elon Musk’s company X for not discussing compensation for the use of its news content on the platform, citing the neighboring rights legislation in France. Similar issues have arisen with other tech giants like Google and Meta in different regions with news bargaining laws.
A groundbreaking research effort delves into the realm of political behavior on two of the internet’s largest platforms—Facebook and Instagram. The study, led by an interdisciplinary team of researchers collaborating with internal groups at Meta (formerly known as Facebook), encompasses four papers published in prestigious journals like Science and Nature. The research focuses on user behavior during the 2020 U.S. election, providing a comprehensive analysis of political engagement and expression on both platforms.
The Unprecedented 2020 Facebook and Instagram Election Study (FIES)
The study, known as the 2020 Facebook and Instagram Election Study (FIES), marks a unique collaboration between Meta and the scientific research community. Spearheaded by Professor Talia Jomini Stroud from the University of Texas’ Center for Media Engagement and Professor Joshua A. Tucker from NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics, the FIES project sets the stage for many more forthcoming papers in the coming months.
Examining Ideological Echo Chambers on Facebook
One of the papers investigates Facebook’s ideological echo chambers, aiming to understand the extent of exposure to politically aligned content. The researchers discovered that Facebook exhibits substantial ideological segregation, surpassing previous findings related to internet news consumption based on browsing behavior.
Subheading 1: Pages and Groups Drive Ideological Segregation
The study found that Facebook Pages and Groups play a significant role in fostering ideological segregation. Content posted in these entities displayed much more “ideological segregation” compared to content shared by users’ friends. Misinformation and extremism, such as QAnon, anti-government militias like the Proud Boys, and life-threatening health conspiracies, have historically thrived in these settings.
Asymmetry in Political Misinformation
Another major finding was an asymmetry in political content on Facebook. The researchers observed that a “far larger” portion of conservative political news on the platform was flagged as false by Meta’s third-party fact-checking system. This suggests that conservative Facebook users are exposed to more online political misinformation compared to their liberal counterparts.
Experiment with Algorithmic Feeds on Facebook and Instagram
In a separate experiment, participants on Facebook and Instagram had their algorithmic feeds replaced with a reverse chronological feed. While this change did not significantly impact users’ political sentiments, offline political engagement, or political knowledge, it did reveal an interesting shift. Users in the Chronological Feed group spent dramatically less time on the platforms, indicating how Meta’s algorithm-driven content mix encourages addictive behavioral tendencies.
Future Implications
These findings are only a glimpse of the comprehensive results to be unveiled in future papers. Meta has interpreted the results as a success, though some view it as a mere publicity stunt. Nonetheless, this data provides a crucial foundation for future research on social media and its impact on political behavior and engagement. As more research emerges, a deeper understanding of online political expression and its implications will undoubtedly come to light.
In a recent announcement, WhatsApp unveiled its latest feature, allowing users to record and share short personal videos directly within their chats. Building on the success of voice messages, which revolutionized communication by providing a quick and secure means to share one’s voice, WhatsApp aims to elevate the experience further with the addition of instant video messages.
The messaging app explained in a blog post that video messages offer a real-time and expressive way to respond to chats, enabling users to convey their thoughts and emotions in 60 seconds. Whether it’s sending warm birthday wishes, sharing laughter over a joke, or delivering joyous news, these video messages promise to enhance the communication experience.
Sending a video message is a breeze, just like sending a voice message. Users can easily switch to video mode with a simple tap and hold to start recording the video. Alternatively, a convenient swipe up feature allows for hands-free recording. When opened in a chat, the videos will play automatically on mute, with sound readily activated by tapping on the video. Moreover, to ensure privacy and security, the video messages are protected with end-to-end encryption.
The feature is set to roll out today and will gradually become available to all WhatsApp users in the upcoming weeks.
WhatsApp’s commitment to enriching user experience is evident as they continuously introduce new features. Not long ago, the company added a feature that automatically silences calls from unknown numbers, allowing users to have a more focused and uninterrupted messaging experience. Additionally, WhatsApp granted users the ability to edit sent messages within 15 minutes of dispatch, rectifying those pesky typos or mistakes. Furthermore, there are rumors that WhatsApp is diligently working on introducing usernames, which could potentially offer more personalized and user-friendly interactions on the platform.
With these ongoing enhancements, WhatsApp remains at the forefront of messaging applications, catering to users’ needs and preferences, and ensuring seamless and enjoyable communication for all.
WhatsApp has recently taken a significant step by expanding its innovative Channels feature to seven additional countries, extending its reach to Egypt, Chile, Malaysia, Morocco, Ukraine, Kenya, and Peru. The company’s exciting announcement was communicated through both a Tweet and a Threads post, creating a buzz among users in these regions.
The Channels feature was initially introduced in Singapore and Colombia just a month ago, marking the beginning of a promising initiative. The primary goal of Channels is to enable users to stay informed and connected with a diverse array of organizations. Users can now follow non-governmental organizations (NGOs), medical research institutions, fact-checking bodies, and local authorities, making it a valuable resource for accessing essential information.
With an eye on inclusivity, WhatsApp aims to make Channels available to users across the globe by the end of this year. This expansion aligns with the company’s mission to foster open communication and provide valuable resources to users worldwide.
Channels serve as a one-way communication channel, with administrators having the ability to send text, photos, and videos to subscribers of the channel. This feature encourages a smooth flow of information, empowering organizations to engage effectively with their audiences. All channels are neatly housed in a dedicated “Updates” tab, ensuring easy access for users to explore and follow various global or local organizations of interest.
In addition to WhatsApp’s efforts, its parent company, Meta, has also been exploring similar features on Instagram. Recently, Instagram too expanded its Channels feature to a global audience, following a successful trial with a select group of users. However, unlike WhatsApp’s approach, Instagram’s focus is more directed towards creators, aiming to offer them a new communication platform to engage with their fans.
As WhatsApp continues to broaden the availability of its Channels feature, users worldwide can anticipate a more inclusive and enriched experience. By providing a gateway for users to connect with organizations that align with their interests and values, WhatsApp reinforces its commitment to facilitating valuable conversations and empowering communities globally. As the world increasingly relies on digital platforms for information and communication, WhatsApp’s Channels feature represents a notable step forward in creating a more connected and informed global community.
Twitter’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, has revealed the platform’s new logo as it undergoes a major transformation into an ‘everything’ app under the leadership of Elon Musk. The logo change, symbolizing the rebranding to X, was shared by Yaccarino on Twitter.
The shift towards becoming ‘X’ has been in progress, with former CEO Musk working to dissolve Twitter’s legal identity and integrate it into his X Corp. Musk has expressed his desire to turn the platform into an all-in-one app similar to China’s WeChat. However, his approach of downsizing the company and dismissing staff to achieve this vision has raised concerns.
Surprisingly, the decision to change the logo appears to be impulsive, akin to some of Musk’s previous actions at Twitter. He asked his 149 million followers to design a logo for ‘X’ and swiftly picked one from the suggestions, sharing it on his profile. Despite Musk’s call to move away from the iconic blue bird, the bird logo still prominently features on the platform.
While corporate rebranding usually involves professional design companies, Twitter’s transition seems more ad hoc. Nevertheless, CEO Yaccarino looks ahead, revealing that ‘X’ will be focused on audio, video, messaging, payments, and banking, all powered by AI from Musk’s latest venture, X.AI.
The move to transform Twitter into an ‘everything’ app is ambitious, but questions arise about how the company will boost its revenues and accommodate new offerings that are yet to be clearly defined.
The uncertainty surrounding the platform’s future has sparked speculation about its essence and whether users will adapt to such a significant transformation. Despite this, the promise of an all-encompassing app keeps users hopeful for what lies ahead after the transition is complete.
In an exciting development, Meta has announced the launch of a beta program for Threads, specifically tailored for Android users. This program, revealed by a company engineer on Friday, aims to provide early access to new features and bug fixes. However, as with any beta program, users should be aware of the potential risks associated with downloading an unstable build.
Threads, which was introduced just two days prior, has already garnered an impressive user base of 70 million individuals. Despite its rapid success, the platform currently lacks some notable features, including direct messages, a “Following” feed, a full web version, and a chronological feed. Given the platform’s current minimalist structure, the allure of the new beta program may be strong for users seeking to explore forthcoming enhancements.
Invitations for the beta program highlight that certain data regarding users’ app usage will be collected and shared with the developers to aid in the app’s improvement. The invitations also caution that testing versions may exhibit instability.
Interested individuals can readily sign up for beta access today, as there is no waitlist. This means that anyone with an Android device can enter the program and try out future builds.
Threads, a platform closely integrated with Instagram, enables users to authenticate with their existing credentials, facilitating the posting of short updates comprising text (up to 500 characters), links, photos, and videos (up to five minutes long). Upon its launch, Threads became available on iOS and Android devices in 100 countries, excluding the EU due to concerns related to adhering to local data privacy regulations.
Remarkably, within its mere two-day existence, Threads has already captured the attention of Twitter, which is owned by Elon Musk. Twitter has threatened legal action against Threads, accusing Meta of poaching former Twitter employees to create the new platform. Meta, on the other hand, has firmly denied these allegations.
With the launch of the Threads beta program for Android users, Meta is undoubtedly providing an opportunity for enthusiastic individuals to actively participate in shaping the future of the platform. As users eagerly sign up for the beta program, Meta remains focused on refining and expanding Threads to meet the expectations and demands of its growing user base.
In a swift response to Meta’s launch of its Threads app, Twitter has issued a threat to sue the company. The move comes amidst allegations that Meta has recruited former Twitter employees to develop the new platform.
Threads, a text-based platform similar to Twitter, has garnered over 30 million sign-ups within 24 hours of its release. Shortly after the launch, Twitter’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, accusing the social media giant of unlawfully misappropriating Twitter’s trade secrets and intellectual property.
The letter, shared online by Semafor, stated, “Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information. Twitter reserves all rights, including legal remedies and injunctive relief, to prevent any further use or disclosure of its intellectual property by Meta.”
Spiro further alleged that Meta hired several former Twitter employees who had access to Twitter’s trade secrets and confidential information. These employees were supposedly tasked with developing a copycat app, utilizing Twitter’s intellectual property, in violation of state and federal laws and their ongoing obligations to Twitter.
In response, Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone, addressed Twitter’s claims in a Threads post, stating, “To be clear: No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee—that’s just not a thing.”
Threads joins the ranks of Twitter competitors that gained momentum under Elon Musk’s leadership at Twitter. However, Twitter’s swift action against Threads signifies it as the most prominent rival.
While Musk has remained silent on Threads’ launch thus far, he tweeted support for Spiro’s claims, asserting that “Competition is fine, cheating is not.”
Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino also took a jab at the new platform, tweeting, “Twitter is often imitated—but the Twitter community can never be duplicated.”
On Twitter, everyone's voice matters.
Whether you’re here to watch history unfold, discover REAL-TIME information all over the world, share your opinions, or learn about others — on Twitter YOU can be real.
YOU built the Twitter community. 🙏👏 And that's irreplaceable. This…
Coinciding with Threads’ launch, Zuckerberg made his first tweet in a decade, sharing a Spider-Man meme that humorously highlighted the platform’s resemblance to Twitter.
Amidst Twitter’s controversial decisions, the demand for alternative platforms has surged. Mastodon and Bluesky have gained attention, but none have matched the rapid adoption rate of Threads.
Threads is currently available on iOS and Android in 100 countries, excluding the EU due to concerns about complying with local data privacy regulations. To access Threads, users must authenticate using their existing Instagram login credentials, after which the app populates with their account details, including name, username, photo, and followers.
Meta highly-anticipated app, Threads, which focuses on “text-based conversation,” has officially launched and gained an astounding 10 million users within the first seven hours. This new offering from Instagram, seen as a competitor to Twitter, is now accessible on both Apple and Google’s Play stores in 100 countries. However, its launch in the European Union has been delayed due to regulatory concerns. Nevertheless, Threads has already surpassed Twitter alternatives BlueSky and Mastodon in terms of active users.
In a blog post, Meta stated, “Instagram is where billions of people around the world connect over photos and videos. Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas.”
Notably, prominent entities such as Netflix, Rolling Stone, and HBO were among the early adopters of the app. Additionally, renowned celebrities including Shakira, Richard Branson, Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, and the Dalai Lama quickly embraced the Threads platform.
Meta said: “Threads offers a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations,” sounds familiar though, doesn’t it?
The owner of rival Twitter, Elon Musk has a similar stand to turn the bird app into a Digital Town Square where different opinions are welcome and can be debated.
Let’s get down to the basics.
While Twitter has a 280-character limit, and 10,000 character limit for Twitter Blue users, Threads’ posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to five minutes in length. Whereas on Twitter, a user can upload a video up to two hours in length with an 8GB file size.
After having a go at the app, Interesting Engineering noticed that there are a lot of bugs that need to be fixed. One among them, for example, a user received a ‘like’ on their Instagram post but the notification for it was sent to Threads.
How do you follow people?
Threads allows users to connect and follow people they are already following on Instagram. To create a profile on Threads, users can log in straight away using their current Instagram login credentials – giving the app access to more than 1 billion Instagram users at the press of a button.
The app gives the option to populate existing account details like display picture, name, username, and followers on Threads.
You can automatically follow the people you follow on InstagramMeta
While Twitter requires people using the service to be 13 years of age or older, Threads allows people of all ages with the stipulation that users under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries) will on default have a private profile when they join the app.
Just like on Twitter, Threads allows its users to unfollow, block, restrict, or report a profile by tapping the three-dot menu in the corner. Any accounts that have been blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads as well.
Unlike Twitter, Threads users cannot send direct messages on the app currently.
Advertising
If you’re tired of seeing ads on Twitter and Instagram after every two minutes, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Threads users will not see any ads at least for a year since Meta has decided not to monetize the app for the time being.
Privacy concerns
A few days before the launch of the app, Meta put Threads on the App Store for preorder, after which there were some privacy concerns raised by users. It was noticed that the app collects a lot of sensitive user data related to health, finances, purchases, contacts, usage data, browsing history, reported TechCrunch – something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Twitter and Bluesky co-founder Jack Dorsey:
The company is also facing issues in the EU. The European Court of Justice upheld the right for EU watchdogs to investigate privacy breaches in a ruling that said user consent was needed before using their data to target them with adverts, reported The Guardian. This comes two months after Meta was fined $1.3 billion for exporting user data to the US for processing.
Look and feel
Although Threads looks like a Gen Z cousin of Twitter, some of the iconic wordings used by Twitter have been replaced. For example, retweets are called “reposts” and tweets are called “threads”.
While it is not yet connected, Meta eventually plans to link Threads with Activity Pub, the decentralized platform used to run services like Mastodon even allowing them to interact with users on other platforms that use this backbone. When required, they will simply be able to port their social media account to another platform using Activity Pub, The Verge reported.
Perfect timing
With everything going on at Twitter since Musk’s takeover, even the most loyal of Twitter users have been looking for an alternate platform to have decent conversations that were possible when the social media platform started off.
The launch comes at a time when Twitter seems to be imploding, long after former CEO and owner Elon Musk fired a significant number of staff and pulled the plugs on servers in a bid to reduce costs. In a recent move, Musk imposed limits on viewable tweets with the current CEO, Linda Yaccarino, a mute spectator to the users’ woes.
This isn’t the first time that Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has taken ideas from rival social platforms.
Having bought Instagram for over US$1bn in 2012, and then messaging app WhatsApp for US$19bn in 2019, it then launched Instagram Reels in 2020 in response to the growing popularity of TikTok.
But Meta’s foray into churning out competitor rivals hasn’t reaped the results it hoped. Over the years, Meta has shut down Hello, Moves, Paper, Poke, Camera, Home, Slingshot, Groups, Moments, and others.
It even launched a Snapchat rival, also called Threads, back in 2019, but it failed and was consequently pulled back by the company.
It will be very hard for users to overlook that Threads is indeed a Meta app, even though it is being branded as an Instagram offering.
Let battle commence!
If a Threads wave were to sweep over the one billion Instagram users and make them create accounts on the platform, the only people who would be saved would be those residing in the EU where Meta has held back on the launch.
According to TechCrunch’s report, there is no current regulatory hurdle for Meta to launch Threads there, but the company is acting out of caution after recent rulings against its operational practices, which have led to big fines for the company in the region.
Meta relies heavily on extensive user data that it gathers to channel its ads and EU’s privacy laws put a major dent in using this information without explicit user permission.
While we wait for Meta’s next moves in the EU, it has definitely forced Twitter into damage control where the latter lifted restrictions on content views it had imposed over the weekend.
The social media war for dominance in text-based platforms is now wide open and we will watch it closely to see if Musk or Zuck is the real genius.
The ongoing rivalry between tech moguls Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk has entered a new chapter with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announcing the launch of a new app called Threads to directly challenge Twitter. Unlike Meta’s popular photo-sharing platform Instagram, Threads is a text-based conversation app that is set to be released on Apple’s App Store this Thursday, according to a report by Reuters.
While the highly anticipated “billionaire bout” between Musk and Zuckerberg has been making headlines in recent days, the battle of apps between their respective companies is already shaping up to be an intense competition.
Ever since Musk acquired Twitter, he has been eager to take on Meta’s WhatsApp by integrating voice and video calling features into the text-based platform. With an ambitious vision of creating an all-encompassing app, Musk aims to compete directly with Meta’s dominant platforms, Instagram and WhatsApp, in capturing users’ attention and engagement.
However, Zuckerberg’s company is now turning up the pressure on Twitter by introducing Threads, its latest offering. By venturing into the text-based conversation space, Meta is directly challenging Twitter’s core functionality and aiming to attract users who prefer a more focused and streamlined communication experience.
As the rivalry between these tech giants continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how users will respond to Meta’s Threads and whether it will pose a serious threat to Twitter’s market share. Nevertheless, this clash of apps signals a new phase in the ongoing competition between Zuckerberg and Musk, both vying for dominance in the ever-evolving landscape of social media and communication platforms.
What will Threads offer?
As of now, Meta has not made any official announcements regarding Threads. Therefore, any discussions about its capabilities are primarily derived from the descriptions available on app stores and displayed prior to its launch.
Unlike the data-hungry Instagram, Threads could be expected to be lighter on your devices since it will largely use text. From a visual standpoint, differentiating between the app and Twitter would pose a challenge. This similarity extends to any other contenders that have emerged as Twitter rivals in recent times, including Jack Dorsey’s BlueSky initiative.
Threads accounts will be connected to Instagram, enabling users to log in using the same usernames and follow the same accounts as they do on the photo-sharing platform, even within the text-based platform.
Although Thursday, July 6, is the likely launch date for the app, it is unclear if users will be able to post right away. With only two days remaining, Meta might opt for a gradual rollout of the service instead.
Could Twitter’s decline translate into a gain for Threads?
The timing of the release, although coincidental, could hit Twitter hard. Former CEO Elon Musk recently announced temporary limits on the number of tweets users could see per day, leading to a rush of traffic toward BlueSky.
To address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation, we’ve applied the following temporary limits:
– Verified accounts are limited to reading 6000 posts/day – Unverified accounts to 600 posts/day – New unverified accounts to 300/day
Under Musk, Twitter has begun charging users for access to its application programming interface (API), and is now moving TweetDeck, an app used by news organizations and businesses to monitor Twitter feeds, behind a paywall too. It is believed that Musk is looking to increase the number of subscribers for its Twitter Blue services, which has shrunken in recent months, The Guardian reported.
Considering that Threads can commence its journey with a user base consisting of millions of Instagram users, it possesses the potential to surpass other Twitter rivals in terms of popularity.
Now, Meta has the capacity to directly compete with Twitter, making it a more captivating rivalry to observe than Musk and Zuckerberg’s confrontation in a cage.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is taking steps to improve transparency and user control over its recommendation engine. In a recent blog post, Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of Global Affairs, expressed the company’s commitment to being more transparent about its AI systems and providing users with greater control over the content they see.
As part of this effort, Meta is introducing a new feature called “Why am I seeing this?” for Instagram and Facebook Reels, as well as Instagram’s Explore page. This option allows users to understand why a particular post is being shown to them, empowering them with insights into the content displayed on their feeds.
To further enhance user control, Meta is testing a system for Instagram that marks posts with “Interested,” enabling users to see more similar content. Additionally, the company is working on making Facebook’s “Show more, Show less” controls more prominent. While the exact location of these controls is not specified, Meta aims to make them easily accessible to users.
Meta has also released 22 “System Cards” that provide detailed explanations of various AI systems, including Facebook Feed recommendations, Facebook Group timelines, suggested people and groups, Instagram Reels recommendations, notifications system, and Stories AI. Although these cards offer valuable information, they may require some time for an average user to read and comprehend.
Clegg emphasized that Meta is also disclosing certain signals, such as liking or sharing a post, that influence user recommendations. However, the company has chosen not to reveal signals that could potentially be exploited to bypass their safeguards.
In parallel, Meta’s AI blog has discussed the possibility of developing AI models with tens of trillions of parameters, surpassing the current models like ChatGPT and GPT-4. Such colossal models can provide significant insights into user behavior, raising concerns about privacy and content recommendations.
To encourage further research, Meta is inviting academics and researchers to study its algorithms through a new Content Library and API. This initiative grants access to public posts, pages, groups, and events from Facebook, as well as public posts and data from creators and business accounts on Instagram.
Meta’s push for transparency and user control comes in response to increased scrutiny over the company’s content recommendation practices. Previous revelations by a Facebook whistleblower and a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department have highlighted the potential negative impact of algorithms on public content and user experiences.
While Meta aims to fill 30% of users feeds with algorithmic recommendations, the company’s recent release of documents and controls signifies an effort to address regulatory concerns and privacy advocates’ demands. Moreover, the rise of decentralized platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon has sparked conversations about granting users more control over the algorithms that shape their social media feeds. Centrally-operated platforms such as Instagram and Facebook could draw inspiration from these alternative networks to provide better algorithmic choices and control to their users.
