1. Google Announces Spam Fighting AI
Google announced the introduction of new artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help fight against a range of spam. Internal estimate calculates that the AI has the ability to block 99% of spam. [Source: Search Engine Journal]
2. Facebook Adds New Messaging Features, Including Chat Themes and Read Receipts on Instagram
Facebook has unveiled a raft of new messaging features across Messenger, Instagram Direct and Messenger Kids, with new, themed stickers and backgrounds, visual replies and read receipts on IG, improved audio recording tools and an updated archive feature. [Source: Social Media Today]
3. Apple expands its ad business with a new App Store ad slot
Apple is introducing a new way for developers to advertise on the App Store. The new ad slot, however, will reach users before they search. This can expose the app to a wider audience. [Source: TechCrunch]
4. Microsoft Rolls Out Customer Match, Updates to Match Types, New Text Ad Formats & More
Microsoft announced another round of feature rollouts for advertisers, including changes to match types, ad formats, product rollouts and more. These updates follow two rounds of big announcements in early April and late April. [Source: Search Engine Journal]
5. Twitter Rolls Out Larger Image Display in Timelines to All Users on Android and iOS
After testing it out over the last couple of months, Twitter is now rolling out its new tweet image display format, which will mean that full-sized previews of attached tweet images are now shown within user timelines, as opposed to the current cropping down to fit your picture into a specific tweet image frame. [Source: Social Media Today]
6. Google Play App Listings to Have Apple’s App Store-Like Privacy Labels Starting Next Year
Google has announced that soon it will be mandatory for all apps to announce how they use the users’ data in order to provide transparency with reference to their privacy. For this, the Google Play store will have a safety section where developers will have to list all the information about what user data is collected by their apps and how that data is handled. [Source: NDTV Gadgets 360]
7. Twitter is buying Scroll, the subscription service that removes ads from news sites
Twitter’s acquisition spree continues with Scroll, a $5-a-month subscription service that removes ads from participating news sites. Twitter is working on building out a new kind of subscription plan that will include Scroll and other homegrown Twitter services. [Source: The Verge]
Snapchat has shared its latest slate of Snap Original programming, a key element of growth for the platform, while it’s also previewed its new Creator Marketplace, which will eventually facilitate brand/influencer partnerships for on-platform campaigns. [Source: Social Media Today]
9. Microsoft Bing opens Content Submission API as beta
Bing announced the Content Submission API is now in more of a public beta phase after being in a private beta for over two-years now. The Bing Webmaster Team said now, in addition to the URL submission API, it now gives publishers and site owners “the ability to notify Bing directly about URL along with content changes via Bing Content Submission API.” [Source: Search Engine Land]
10. YouTube Allows Videos to Be Sampled by Default
YouTube Video creators are automatically opted-in to allow other creators to sample their content for YouTube Shorts videos. [Source: Search Engine Journal]
