Latest news with #MattNavarra
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
X Restricts Emoji Use in Promoted Posts
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. After recently outlawing hashtags in promoted posts, X is now taking aim at another aesthetic element, with the platform implementing new restrictions on ads that contain more than one emoji. Because, reasons. As X explains in the above notification (highlighted by social media expert Matt Navarra): 'Effective shortly, ads with more than one emoji in the ad copy or creative will have a lower quality score and may experience higher pricing" So X doesn't want you to add emojis to ads, in addition to hashtags. Because Elon thinks that they look bad, and doesn't like them cluttering up his X feed. Or something like that, anyway. The exceptions, as X notes, are promotions in Japan and Korea, which will not see any penalties even if they exceed this new emoji limit. But any other ads that include more than one emoji will be restricted to some degree. Which seems weird, right? X's U.S. ad sales have dipped almost 60% on pre-Elon levels, and it's been struggling to win back more ad partners to get its core revenue stream back on track. But now, it's imposing more restrictions on what people can include in their ads, for seemingly no other reason than Elon just doesn't like the look of them. Like, more restrictions is probably bad for business in this respect. Right? Whatever the reason, if you are looking to use X ads, you now have a new consideration to keep in mind, to ensure you're maximizing your ad reach and resonance in the app. No hashtags, no more than one emoji. I mean, it could, theoretically at least, make for better-looking ads, sure, but I'm also sure that plenty of advertisers have seen success in the past with promotions that run counter to these rules. Maybe X has data that shows these ads don't perform as well, or maybe Elon just noticed an ad with too many emojis and made a call. We'll likely never know for sure. Recommended Reading X Announces New Brand Safety Measures, in Partnership with Integral Ad Science Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fast Company
18-07-2025
- Fast Company
Internet regulation is entering its hall pass era
Big changes are coming to the web in the days ahead. On July 25, the U.K.'s Online Safety Act will take effect, bringing sweeping changes to how users experience the internet. Within the next week, websites like Reddit and Bluesky will begin asking users to verify their age—either by providing official ID, bank details that prove their age, or a selfie analyzed by age-estimation software. The act mandates that platforms implement 'highly effective' age verification measures to prevent underage users from accessing inappropriate content—whether that's pornography, violent material, or other age-inappropriate content. This follows a Supreme Court decision in June requiring users in Texas to provide personal information to access pornographic websites. There are growing concerns that what began with adult sites could soon expand to more general platforms. 'We can expect trickle-down verification creep,' warns social media expert Matt Navarra. 'First porn, then gambling, then AI content tools, and eventually even comment sections.' Some observers argue that a new era of internet regulation is beginning. They're calling it the 'hall pass era': To go anywhere or do anything online, users will have to hand over personal information to a range of providers. 'This shift towards a more ID-locked web is one of the biggest, messiest evolutions we've seen online in years,' says Navarra. 'The era of the anonymous internet died a long time ago, but pseudonymity remains, and we are watching the death flows of the free internet,' says Myles Jackman, a U.K. obscenity lawyer opposed to the upcoming changes. Carolina Are, a fellow at Northumbria University's Center for Digital Citizens, acknowledges the intent behind age checks but warns that ID-based systems could backfire. She argues they risk exposing users—especially marginalized groups—to privacy violations, given how much data platforms already collect. 'Just look at people being refused entry into the U.S. due to social media posts,' she says. David Greene, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, agrees that the motivations— stopping bots and protecting kids —are understandable. But he calls the proposed age restrictions overly broad and rights-infringing. He notes they could harm adults who depend on anonymity, such as whistleblowers, sex workers, or domestic abuse survivors. Navarra expresses frustration at how open platforms are being forced to bend to a conservative worldview. 'Bluesky requiring official ID is the ultimate irony,' he says. 'This platform literally was born out of Twitter's decentralization dream [of] open, federated, anti-censorship ideals—and now you need a passport to post.' According to Greene, the issue reflects 'not a lot of deep thinking about the nature of the problem.' Are agrees, suggesting the shift favors corporate interests over the public good. 'While [ID tech] has potential, it's being adopted like every other technology: creating a gold rush climate for ID check—private—companies that will expand like tech start ups and with a 'move fast and break things' approach rather than a public sector, do no harm approach,' she says.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta Is Gifting Verified To Selected Creators
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. Not sure that this is a great indicator of take-up for Meta's Meta Verified product, but… Over the last few months, Meta has been running a program which includes gifting Meta Verified to selected creators. As you can see in this example, posted by @ayfondo on Threads (and shared by Matt Navarra), Meta's informing some creators that they are eligible to get access to Meta Verified for free for one year, as a means to increase interest in its paid subscription offering. Meta Verified offers creators enhanced support, more account protection, and add-on profile elements, in addition to a blue checkmark to signify identity in the app. Meta's pitching this as a reward for 'valued creators,' with its identity verification elements, in particular, helping to enhance their in-app experience. Meta's had a program in place to lure creators from other platforms for some time, which includes Meta Verified offers like this. But the fact that Meta's giving it away doesn't really suggest that it's been a big seller for the platform as yet, nor that it's having the desired credibility boost that Meta had hoped. Meta followed the lead of X in offering verification as a paid add-on element. That provides Meta with an additional revenue stream, and some apps have been able to convert their paid add-on offerings into significant revenue drivers, feeding more cash into their coffers. But at the same time, paid verification undermines a key value proposition of what that blue checkmark initially offered, in lending credibility, and a level of notoriety, to an account. It used to be that a blue checkmark meant that this person was important, and likely a valuable connection, because they were only awarded to people with high follower counts and or a high profile off the platform. But now, anyone can buy one, which erodes the value of the blue tick as a product, as the marker itself doesn't really mean much anymore. And given that these add-on subscriptions are never going to be a key revenue driver for each of the main social apps, it may seem like it may not have been worth selling checkmarks, and undermining that core value of the signifier. But then again, Meta's likely making a few hundred million per quarter from the offering, as are X and Snapchat for their respective verified packages, so it's hard to argue with the logic. Meta still hasn't shared any official data on Meta Verified take-up, but taking a look at Meta's Q1 performance numbers, it looks like Meta's probably sold around 7 million or so subscriptions to Meta Verified, with its 'Other' revenue stream increasing by around $280 million per quarter versus when the product was launched in Q2 2023 (note: its 'Other' income excludes Reality Labs, so Ray Ban glasses and VR headset sales). Using basic math, that would equate to an additional $93 million in revenue per month in this segment. Dividing that by the average cost of Meta Verified ($13), you get about 7.2 million subscriptions. That's obviously a ballpark estimate, as there are various other factors to consider, but that also makes sense, based on Meta's overall userbase. Meta has almost 4 billion users across its family of apps (Facebook, Messenger, IG, and WhatsApp), and 7 million or so subscribers would equate to less than 1% of its total user base, which is about the same rate that most social subscription offerings are seeing. So while checkmarks are no longer the marker of prestige that they once were, and are no longer sought after in the same way, the cash that they generate for the platforms is significant. And for a product that didn't exist till two years ago, that's pretty good, even if it means that blue ticks don't mean what they used to. Will offering them to high-profile users increase interest, and get more people to stay on as paying subscribers after that trial period? Seems like a worthy experiment either way. Recommended Reading Meta Updates Enforcement Rules to Focus on Explanations, Not Suspensions Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
BBC News
17-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
WhatsApp wan monetize di app for users all ova di world?
WhatsApp dey launch three new ad features inside one global roll-out across di messaging app. Meta say di new ads no go show for pipo private chats, and for di contents of dia messages wey dey coded. WhatsApp instead go use di kontri, city and language of di user, plus how dem dey interact wit oda ads and which channel dem dey follow, to increase suggested content. But pipo wey don choose to link dia WhatsApp account to Facebook or Instagram go see more personalised ads. Di new ad features go appear for one section dem call Updates, wey be one separate tab for di bottom of di app. How di Update section go work WhatsApp claim say dem get 1.5 billion users globally. Businesses wey get channels go fit choose to promote ads for di Updates section to attract new followers, and dem go fit also charge subscription to access extra contents. WhatsApp go take 10% commission from dat money, dem fit also charge extra money for di app store level depending on di size of di business. Companies go also fit advertise dia products for di form status update, wey dey similar to Instagram story and e go link through to start chat if dem click on am. Social media expert Matt Navarra tell BBC say Meta dey "lay di foundation for WhatsApp to finally become a monetisable platform at scale". But "monetising part of" WhatsApp, while keeping personal chats private, no go dey without risk for di company, e add. Dis particularly go be di case for markets like UK and Europe, e tok, wia dem see di app primarily as a messaging tool, wey no too send for content feeds or adverts. "Any perception say di app dey become noisy or Facebook-ified go spark backlash," e tok. 'Natural extension' No be coincidence say di new features bring WhatsApp more in line wit Meta oda platforms Facebook and Instagram. "Obviously all join togeda," WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart tok. "We get stories on Instagram and stories on WhatsApp, and now we get way for businesses to promote themselves in both, and we think say dat na good thing." E say im believe say di move na "natural extension of messaging services" and di features no different from rival apps like Snapchat and Telegram. For Oga Navarra, e also reflect a wider shift for di social media landscape. "Di feed dey die, public sharing dey down, pipo dey retreat into DMs and Stories in small groups," e tok. "Meta dey try turn WhatsApp to platform without users realising it and if dem move too fast or e begin dey look like anoda ad network, pipo fit stop to dey use di app or worse, distrust di app." WhatsApp make users vex recently wen di introduce permanent button for Meta AI tool, wey users no fit deactivate or delete, and Oga Cathcart say users wey no wan see di ads or follow channels no go dey forced to. "I want to stress this won't affect your inbox," he said. "If na only messaging you dey use WhatsApp for, you no go see am." "I wan make am very clear, dis no go affect your inbox," e tok. "If you dey use your WhatsApp only for messaging, you no go see di ads." E say di Update section of di app "no dey popular" for UK but dem dey use am more for oda parts of di world, and di firm go "look di feedback" about di unremovable AI tool - but many other features dey for di app wey also be permanent. "You no fit delete di channels button, you fit delete di Updates button, you no go fit delete di calls button," e tok. "I mean, we also no wan get service wey get plenty settings….e go dey too complex"
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WhatsApp to start showing more adverts in messaging app
WhatsApp is launching three new ad features in a global roll-out across the messaging app. The Meta-owned platform says the new ads will not be shown in the same place as people's private chats, nor will the contents of their messages - which are encrypted - be used to decide which ads to display. WhatsApp will instead use the country, city and language of the user, as well as how they interact with other ads and which channels they follow, to drive suggested content. But people who have chosen to link their WhatsApp account to Facebook or Instagram will see more personalised ads. The new ad features will appear in a section called Updates, which is a separate tab at the bottom of the app. WhatsApp claims to have 1.5 billion users globally. Businesses with channels will be able to choose to promote ads in the Updates section to attract new followers, and also charge a subscription to access extra content. WhatsApp will eventually take a 10% commission of that fee, and there may also be extra costs on top of that taken at the app store level depending on the size of the business. Firms will also be able to advertise in the form of a status update, which looks similar to an Instagram story and will link through to start a chat if clicked on. Social media expert Matt Navarra told the BBC that Meta is "laying the foundation for WhatsApp to finally become a monetisable platform at scale". But "monetising the periphery" of WhatsApp, while keeping personal chats private, would not be without risk for the company, he added. This could particularly be the case in markets like the UK and Europe, he said, where the app is viewed primarily as a messaging tool with less appetite for content feeds or adverts. "Any perception that the app is becoming noisy or Facebook-ified will spark backlash," he said. How does WhatsApp make money? It's no coincidence that the new features bring WhatsApp more in line with Meta's other platforms Facebook and Instagram. "Obviously there's overlap," said WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart. "We have stories on Instagram and stories on WhatsApp, and we now have a way for businesses to promote themselves in both, and we think that's a good thing." He said he believed the move was a "natural extension of messaging services" and not dissimilar to features of rival apps such as Snapchat and Telegram. For Mr Navarra, it also reflects a wider shift in the social media landscape. "The feed is dying, public sharing is down, people are retreating into DMs and Stories in small groups," he said. "Meta's trying to turn WhatsApp into a platform without users realising it and if they move too fast or it starts to feel like another ad network, people might disengage or maybe worse, distrust the app." WhatsApp angered users recently with the introduction of a permanent button for Meta's AI tool, which cannot be deactivated or deleted, and Mr Cathcart said users who did not want to see ads or follow channels would not be forced to. "I want to stress this won't affect your inbox," he said. "If you're only using WhatsApp for messaging, you're not going to see this." He said the Update section of the app was "not particularly popular" in the UK but was used more in other parts of the world, and the firm would "look at the feedback" about the unremovable AI tool - but there were many other features of the app which were also permanent. "You can't delete the channels button, you can't delete the Updates button, you can't delete the calls button," he said. "I mean, we also don't want to have a service that has lots of settings… that's complexity too." WhatsApp tells BBC it backs Apple in legal row with UK over user data Meta AI searches made public - but do all its users realise? Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
