tiktok’s harsh new nickname for zuckerberg

…You’re going to love this

Author

Matt Navarra
March 17, 2023

Hello, geeks…

Welcome to this week’s edition of Geekout

To kick things off… This “Mark Fuckerberg” TikTok. She’s not wrong! 😆👌

Yes… TikTok’s American nightmare continues. The U.S Government is now demanding ByteDance sell its stake in the app, or face a TikTok ban (how many times has the U.S threatened this now?🤔)

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…And internationally, yet more countries around the world have banned the app on government devices (UK, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, and no doubt more will follow). More on this in a moment.

📊 POLL: Do you think TikTok will get banned in the U.S? 

Is it game over for ByteDance this time?

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Good news! Mark Zuckerburg is no longer obsessing about the Metaverse (we all got bored of that). Instead, he’s decided to jump in on the A.I. hype (because who isn’t?).

Meanwhile, at Hellsite HQ…. Elon Musk’s got a new growth hack to boost his Twitter account following (when you spend $44 billion, you’ve gotta get some perks I guess?)

Also, Twitter has been downranking competitors' accounts (Oh Elon 🙄). I feel sorry for TikTok’s social media manager… Twitter has shadow-banned 19 of their accounts!

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Right… Let’s get into it!

First up: The news generating the hottest headlines in social this week 👇

🔥 GEEKOUT HOT 5

  1. U.S Threatened to Ban TikTok If ByteDance Don’t Sell Stake [ESCALATING]

  2. UK Banned TikTok On All Government Devices [BANNED]

  3. BBC Agreed to Review Social Media Rules Following Lineker Row [NEW RULES]

  4. Mark Zuckerberg Confirmed 10,000+ More Job Cuts At Meta [ZUCKED]

  5. TikTok Adds Refresh FYP And Retrain Your Algorithm Feature [NEW FYP]

You know the drill! I tracked 100’s of social media news sources, so you don’t have to.

Here’s everything else I spotted this week that’s worthy of your attention:

Mark Zuckerberg knew about the risks of Facebook/Instagram addiction, court filings revealed… Instagram was spotted testing another batch of new features, including: Top 3 Sticker for Stories, Resize image + photo sticker button for Stories, and Instagram Live with ‘Followers you follow back’ option… Instagram made it easier to re-share Reels you’ve already recently sent to friends (Adam Mosseri: “You will not escape Reels!”)

Twitter users are fed up with seeing tweets in their feed from junk accounts they don’t even follow…. Twitter added a Bookmark count on tweets (because there are not enough numbers under tweets right now 🙄)...

Twitter may soon let you opt-out of seeing ads from specific categories…Twitter is considering a ‘set a reminder for an individual tweet’ feature (can’t think when i’d ever use this)... Twitter may add ‘why you saw this tweet’ info to tweets in your feed.

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Influencers are being paid by pharmaceutical companies to promote drugs on TikTok… Snapchat made its content guidelines public for the first time…Snapchat also added new parental controls to block sensitive or suggestive content (teens hating Snap overlords right now)…

…And finally

YouTube DIDN’T launch this creepy, bizarre feature… (my best typo in 2023, so far 😆)

DID YOU SEE… 👀

  • 🛠️ TOP TOOLS I: 9 Facebook Analytics Tools For 2023 [CHECK EM OUT]

  • ⚒️ TOP TOOLS II: 20 Top Content Marketing Tools [ACCESS TOOLS]

  • 🧪 EXPERIMENT: Do Other Social Networks Hate YouTube? [VIEW RESULTS]

  • 🆓 FREE COURSE: Twitter’s New 8-Part Video Marketing Course ‘Unskippable’ [TEACH ME]

It’s time to dig a little deeper on the stories EVERYONE’S talking about…
Geekout analysis of the top talking points in social this week is coming up next 📱👇

– Matt

🚨 Everyone's talking about...

U.S. Threatens Ban if TikTok’s Chinese Owners Don’t Sell Stakes

What a hellish week it must have been at TikTok HQ.

The recent wave of bans of the app on US state government devices was just the start. It emerged this week that the US government recently made an explicit threat to ban the app across the USA if ByteDance doesn’t sell TikTok.

And a sale might not be as simple as some American politicians would like. Any sale to a non-Chinese company is likely to be rejected by China. And who could afford to buy it without being worried about years of antitrust wrangles?

TikTok’s CEO argues that selling the app won't satisfy US security concerns. The company is still pushing to get approval for its plan to let US company Oracle store American users’ data to safeguard it against any Chinese government interference.

This could prove difficult. A TikTok whistleblower claims the company’s plan for protecting US users’ data is deeply flawed. The company denies this, but twitchy lawmakers are likely to err on the side of caution at a time when trust between the US and China is hardly in plentiful supply.

Meanwhile, the UK swiftly went from reviewing TikTok’s use on government devices to a ban within days. Belgium and New Zealand implemented similar bans, with France looking likely to follow.

The next big question is if other countries will follow the US in threatening an all-out ban.

It’s worth noting that away from the geopolitical storm around TikTok, at least some users seem unfazed by fears about the app - this just isn’t a concern to most people.

Some users even blame Meta for all this talk of bans. Let’s be frank, Meta’s lobbyists have been quietly supporting a ban, and the elimination of a key competitor would be music to Mark Zuckerberg’s ears when his company is going through a challenging time of its own.

Speaking of which… 👇

Meta is laying off 10,000 more employees in a series of cuts

There’s going to be a horrible atmosphere inside Meta in the coming weeks.

Mark Zuckerberg this week announced 10,000 more employees would be laid off. But rather than the brutal but quick cuts we’ve seen elsewhere recently, Meta will be gradually letting staff go.

Having an axe hanging over your job for weeks on end can’t make for a pleasant working environment. Unsurprisingly, staff are wondering if they can still trust Zuckerberg.

The cuts are part of a wider reorganisation of the company, stripping out layers of management and dropping products and features that aren’t a priority.

Just hours before the cuts were announced, Meta said it would be abandoning the NFT features in Instagram and Facebook. Other features are saying goodbye (see later in this newsletter), and the company could reportedly try to sell or spin off Kustomer.

But while there seems to be less emphasis on the metaverse at Meta as A.I. becomes the big new hot thing, don’t count on Zuck abandoning it altogether.

BBC to review social media rules for all staff in bid to resolve Gary Lineker row

The most talked-about news story in the UK over the past week has essentially been one about social media guidelines.

Football legend turned sports broadcaster Gary Lineker likes to tweet about social issues, so it was unsurprising to see him use Twitter to compare the language used by the government about refugees to that used in 1930s Germany.

But as the face of the BBC’s top football show, the corporation–more worried than ever about appearing to be ‘impartial’–told him to ‘step back’ from the show until he agreed to tighter social media rules.

The result? Many sports fans, media experts, and social media experts united to call the whole thing a really dumb overreaction by the BBC. Lineker’s colleagues supported him by refusing to host shows while he was off air. The BBC had almost no football coverage on TV at all last weekend… all because of a tweet.

I’ve been told for years by BBC insiders that the corporation’s social media policies can be crazy. And while it recently launched new social media guidelines, they are ambiguous enough to leave a massive grey area around what stars like Lineker–who don’t work in the News department–are allowed to say online.

The whole Lineker incident had blown over by Monday morning, as the BBC apologised to him and vowed to launch another review of its social media guidelines.

With others like The Apprentice star Alan Sugar allowed to tweet about politics without retribution, many wonder how much it’s actually fear of the government and the right-wing press that drives BBC policy.

The BBC is in an unusual position where, because it’s funded by the public, it needs to be seen to be far more purely ‘impartial’ than many other media outlets.

But the incident is a reminder that when setting staff social media policies at any organisation, grey areas are a recipe for tricky problems down the line. The rules have to be applied consistently and transparently or you’re just asking for trouble.

😆 LOL tweets

🐣 Brand Twitter

Ryanair’s Twitter persona is famously unapologetic for how cheap and basic the airline’s service is.

Good to see that hasn’t changed 💀

📈 Going viral

Andrew Garfield grabbed himself meme status at the Oscars again, with an… interesting grin.

😮 WTF?!

There’s been plenty to say “WTF?!” about this week…

Snapchat’s A.I. has been behaving like a bad older brother:

And:

👀 Must-reads

Who Is Still Inside the Metaverse?

Searching for friends in Mark Zuckerberg’s deserted fantasyland.

And don’t miss:

👌 Creator pro tips

Learn how the creator of Marketing Millennials attracted 90k subscribers in just NINE months.

How Daniel Murray Grew Marketing Millennials to 90k Subscribers

Also:

🔨 Top tools

If you make a lot of video calls and you’re not using Camo to enhance the experience, now’s the time to try it.

I use it all the time for calls and TV appearances, and I highly recommend it…

Camo 2 revamped with support for any camera, Apple Silicon hardware boosts, and more

Also:

🪦 RIP

Features heading to the social media graveyard:

This week, Meta said goodbye to features that seemed like a good idea in the crazy days of Covid lockdowns:

  • Social audio is pretty much dead now, spare Clubhouse limping on and Twitter Spaces being reasonably active:

Meta’s Shelving the Last Elements of its Social Audio Push

  • … and online events aren’t as big as people thought they’d be:

Also:

🗣️ Industry chatter

Influencer Amy Marietta has been talking to Instagram bosses, and has shared some handy tips to make the most of the platform.

Check out the TikTok videos here and here.

Meanwhile, a former TikTok exec has been saying the quiet part out loud. I think we all knew this, right…?

🤔 Matt’s musings

I spoke up about Twitter’s increasingly cluttered UI….

And got a useful reply from Twitter. Check the replies for even more insights from Twitter insiders.

💡 New feature spotlight

LinkedIn is putting A.I. to good use here:

Meanwhile, TikTok wants to make you smarter…

💬 You can quote me on that

When I’m in the news, you’ll find it here:

Where does President Biden’s ultimatum to TikTok leave advertisers leveraging the platform? I gave my thoughts to The Drum:

As Biden issues ultimatum to TikTok, some worry marketers have too many eggs in the basket

Also:

💬 Quoted

Kevin gets it….

🎧 Worth a listen

For more from Kevin Systrom on the state of social media and more, his interview with Kara Swisher is well worth diving into:

‎On with Kara Swisher: SVB, IG & AI with Instagram Co-founder Kevin Systrom

Meta News

People Used Facebook's Leaked AI to Create a 'Based' Chatbot that Says the N-Word

“After 4chan published LLaMa online, others have taken the language model and created a functioning chat bot in Discord, which claimed that the n-word can refer to people who don't have good intentions.”

  • Mark Zuckerberg was warned about Facebook and Instagram addiction risks, a new court filing has shown. [Bloomberg $$$]

  • Meta has threatened to end news access for Canadians if the Online News Act becomes law. [Reuters $$$]

  • Facebook’s behavioural ads lacked legal basis, a Dutch court has ruled. [TechCrunch]

  • Meta’s tracking technologies violated EU data protection law, according to Austria’s data protection authority. [TechCrunch]

New features and tests:

Facebook:

  • Facebook has a new sharing UI for selecting post audiences, scheduling, and sharing posts to Groups. [@oncescuradu]

  • Facebook now shows a story view count in full-screen mode on Android. [@oncescuradu]

  • Facebook is killing its online paid events feature. [@jonah_manzano]

Instagram:

  • Instagram is making it easier to reshare Reels you already sent to friends. [TechCrunch]

  • Instagram is testing a new way to add someone else’s story to your story. [@hammodoh1]

  • Instagram has been spotted testing a new option to switch to an audio call while recording an audio message. [@ahmedghanem]

  • Instagram is testing new resize and photo sticker tools for Stories. [@hammodoh1]

  • Instagram now lets some users change the colour of the ‘Ask me a question’ sticker. [@BusMark_w_Nika]

  • Instagram could soon let you edit chat messages. [@alex193a]

  • Instagram is working on a ‘Top 3’ sticker. [@alex193a]

  • Instagram might make it quicker to reach Stories when scrolling through the feed. [@alex193a]

  • Instagram could soon let you go live only for followers you follow back. [@alex193a]

WhatsApp:

  • WhatsApp is testing a new group feature that lets admins approve new members who join via a shared link or QR code. [@ahmedghanem]

  • WhatsApp is working on adding Communities to its Business offering. [WABetaInfo]

  • WhatsApp is rolling out voice support for posting status updates. [9to5Mac]

VR, adtech, and more:

  • Meta is testing a new way of authenticating accounts via missed calls. [Social Media Today]

  • Meta Spark has changed how published effects are handled. [@ahmedghanem]

Twitter News

Twitter’s $42,000-per-Month API Prices Out Nearly Everyone

“Tiers will start at $500,000 a year for access to 0.3 percent of the company’s tweets. Researchers say that’s too much for too little data.”

  • Twitter downranks the accounts of rivals like TikTok, Snap, and Meta according to a new report. [Platformer $$$]

  • Elon Musk actively preferred vendors suing rather than being paid as he took over Twitter, a former staffer says. [Financial Times $$$]

New features and tests:

  • Twitter now recommends Elon Musk as the top follow for all new users. [@MattNavarra]

  • Twitter has added a bookmark counter on tweets on iOS. [@TwitterSupport]

  • Twitter is working on a new option to show you why you’re seeing each tweet in your feed. [Social Media Today]

  • Twitter could soon let you choose whether to see a specific group of ads or not. [@nima_owji]

  • Twitter has played with a design for a ‘remind me’ option on tweets. [@ehkian]

TikTok News

Inside TikTok's battle for brands and why some agencies feel left out

“The hot social app is striking some deals directly with advertisers—sidestepping agencies.”

  • TikTok says in overrode its algorithm to boost the World Cup and Taylor Swift, but the company says this is like how Netflix promotes certain content. [Gizmodo]

  • The FBI And DOJ are investigating ByteDance’s use of TikTok to spy on journalists. [Forbes]

  • TikTok has launched a docuseries highlighting US businesses that benefit from its platform. [NBC News]

  • TikTok is hiring an A&R lead in LA to sign and develop new music artists. [Insider $$$]

  • TikTok is a terrible source of monkeypox information, a study has found. [Gizmodo]

  • TikTok has renewed its partnership with UFC for more exclusive livestreams. It’s the third most-followed sports league on the platform. [TubeFilter]

  • TikTok has been accused of mishandling sexual harassment allegations in the UK. [Financial Times $$$]

  • TikTok has partnered with Dentsu on a new ad campaign performance tracking solution. [Social Media Today]

New features and tests:

  • TikTok now lets you reset your FYP algorithm if you’ve grown tired of it. [TikTok newsroom]

  • TikTok is adding a dedicated feed for STEM content. [TechCrunch]

  • TikTok has been spotted showing Reels-like ‘use template’ prompts. [@oncescuradu]

  • TikTok now lets creators pin and promote their customised perks. [@jonah_manzano]

💥 More social media news and updates

Snapchat makes its content guidelines public

“The goal is to give parents more assurance about what their teens see on Snapchat.”

  • Setting time limits your time on social apps might actually increase the time you spend on them. [Washington Post $$$]

  • TikTok and Meta moderators have teamed up in push for better working conditions. [Financial Times $$$]

  • Discord revised its privacy policy after a user backlash over changes made as it introduced new A.I. features. [Gizmodo]

  • Disney wants Reddit and Google to reveal who leaked the Marvel ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ script. [Sky News]

  • China has launched yet another crackdown on social media. [The Register]

  • Twitch CEO Emmett Shear is stepping down. He’s been with the company since its Justin.tv beginnings. [TechCrunch]

  • Wordpress.com owner Automattic has acquired an ActivityPub plugin so blogs can join the Fediverse. [TechCrunch]

  • Pinterest has announced new video content partnership with Dotdash Meredith. [Social Media Today]

  • Social location app Gowalla is back after relaunching at this year’s SXSW. [TechCrunch]

  • Twitter rival Koo has integrated ChatGPT to help users create content. [Reuters $$$]

  • Truth Social is under investigation for allegedly accepting $8m of Putin-linked money, it has been reported. [The Guardian]

New features and tests:

  • YouTube has added multi-language audio analytics and new Shorts music sharing options. [Social Media Today]

  • YouTube now lets you select a thumbnail for Shorts on iOS. [@MattNavarra]

  • LinkedIn has added an A.I. assistant that will 'enhance' your profile and help recruiters write job ads. [TechCrunch]

  • LinkedIn has launched a new ‘Podcast Academy’ to expand its podcast network. [Social Media Today]

  • LinkedIn has added a new ‘High Contrast’ option to photos. [@ahmedghanem]

  • Snapchat has launched new content controls for parents, and is working on parental controls for its AI chatbot. [Snapchat Privacy & Safety Hub]

  • Quora's Poe chatbot will let you pay a monthly fee to use a GPT-4 powered version. [TechCrunch]

  • Ghost has launched an anonymous group messaging app incorporating ChatGPT. [TechCrunch]

📖 Weekend reading

The semiautomated social network is coming

How A.I. is starting to take over social media.

😳 And finally...

It’s mindblowing how much A.I. is going to transform content creation in the near future.

Here’s a great example 🤯 

Tap through for the full thread 👇

📅 Back next week...

…And a bit like TikTok on government devices… You are outta here!

Geekout. Done. 👊 Nice one.

I’m heading off to tell everyone about Geekout PRO.

I’d be your best friend forever if you retweet this tweet about it.

I appreciate your support ❤️

Goodbye geeks

– Matt

_______

This newsletter is edited by Martin SFP Bryant

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