Category: Social Media Marketing

Meta faces litigation in Kenya over content moderation

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is facing legal challenges in Kenya as content moderators seek justice for alleged mistreatment and inadequate support. The social media giant’s moderation policies and practices have come under scrutiny, highlighting broader issues of online content regulation and worker rights in the digital age.

Allegations of Mistreatment and Inadequate Support

Content moderators in Kenya have accused Meta of subjecting them to harsh working conditions, including exposure to disturbing and traumatic content without adequate support. These moderators are responsible for reviewing and removing inappropriate or harmful content, such as hate speech, graphic violence, and misinformation, from Meta’s platforms. However, they claim that Meta has failed to provide them with the necessary resources and psychological support to cope with the challenges of their job.

Read also: Meta updates Facebook business page

Reports have emerged detailing instances of moderators experiencing mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as a result of their work. Despite these challenges, moderators allege that Meta has not implemented sufficient measures to address their well-being or provide access to counselling and therapy services. Furthermore, concerns have been raised regarding the lack of transparency and accountability in Meta’s moderation practices, with moderators feeling undervalued and neglected by the company.

In response to their grievances, content moderators in Kenya have taken legal action against Meta, seeking compensation for the alleged mistreatment and negligence. The moderators are represented by advocacy groups and legal organizations, which are pushing for greater accountability and protection of workers’ rights in the digital content moderation industry.

The legal offensive against Meta highlights the growing recognition of the need to address the well-being and rights of content moderators, who play a crucial role in shaping online discourse and safeguarding user safety. Advocates argue that companies like Meta have a responsibility to ensure the welfare of their moderators and uphold ethical standards in content moderation practices.

Implications for Online Content Regulation and Worker Rights

The legal challenges faced by Meta in Kenya shed light on broader issues surrounding online content regulation and worker rights in the digital era. As social media platforms grapple with the proliferation of harmful content and misinformation, the role of content moderators has become increasingly demanding and consequential. However, the conditions under which these moderators operate raise important questions about their treatment, support, and well-being.

Meta restricts Facebook and Instagram teen chatting

Furthermore, the legal battle between Meta and content moderators underscores the need for stronger regulations and oversight mechanisms to protect the rights of workers in the digital content moderation industry. It also highlights the power dynamics at play between multinational corporations and workers in developing countries, where regulatory frameworks and labor protections may be less robust.

Lastly, Meta’s legal troubles in Kenya over content moderation highlight the complex challenges facing social media platforms in regulating online content while ensuring the well-being and rights of their workers. The outcome of these legal proceedings could have significant implications for the future of content moderation practices and worker rights in the digital age.

March 5, 2024
Facebook celebrates 20th anniversary

Facebook celebrates its 20th anniversary on Sunday, February 4, the day that Mark Zuckerberg, then an undergraduate at Harvard University, and three roommates created the social media platform.

Over 271 million people in Africa use Facebook as of 2022, out of a total of over 2 billion active users every day. According to Statista, a research platform, the number is expected to surpass 377 million by the year 2025.

Back in 2004, Facebook was not available to anyone outside of Harvard. In the months and years that followed, the site’s user base grew to include college students, high school students, and working professionals with company email accounts.

Facebook widened its membership net in 2006 because many of its original users had outlived their initial demographics.

Read also: Facebook now supports multiple profiles

The competitiveness of Facebook

Even though MySpace and other similar networks had been around before Facebook, the 2004 launch of Mark Zuckerberg’s site proved how quickly a platform like Facebook could gain traction.

Thanks to features like the ability to “tag” individuals in photos, it gained one million users in under a year and surpassed MySpace in four years.

As the 2000s came to a close, it became par for the course for teenagers to bring along digital cameras on night outs and tag their friends in dozens of photos. One of the main attractions for early adopters was the activity feed, which was updated frequently.

After briefly seeing a dip in daily active users at the end of 2021, Facebook has continued to grow and surpassed one billion users per month by 2012.

The company has maintained and even grown the number of Facebook users by expanding into countries with less internet connectivity and providing free internet. By the year’s end of 2023, Facebook boasted 2.11 billion active users daily.

To be honest, Facebook’s youth appeal has declined in recent years. However, it has brought in a new age of online social activity and is still the most popular social network globally.

Some see Facebook and its competitors as tools that facilitate connection. For some, they are destructive, addictive substances.

How Facebook birth Meta

As a result of Facebook’s phenomenal success, Mark Zuckerberg established an unparalleled technological and social media empire with an unparalleled user base and influence.

In 2021, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta after acquiring and rapidly expanding a number of promising startups, such as Oculus, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

The company claims that over three billion people worldwide use Meta products daily.

Oculus, a virtual reality company, was acquired by Facebook for $2 billion, Instagram for $1 billion, and WhatsApp for $19 billion. As if that weren’t bad enough, Meta has been accused of emulating its competitors when it couldn’t acquire them.

In a move reminiscent of Snapchat’s prominent Stories feature, Instagram introduced Reels to counter TikTok’s dominance in the video-sharing app market, and Meta attempted to mimic X, formerly known as Twitter, with Threads.

Rising levels of competition and stringent regulations have elevated the significance of tactics to an all-time high.

Concerned about Meta’s potential market dominance, UK regulators prevented it from owning Giphy in 2022, forcing the company to sell the service at a loss.

Meta updates Facebook business page

What the future holds for Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg’s ability to maintain Facebook’s relevance is evident in the site’s rise and continued dominance. Many media outlets doubted the platform’s viability for its 20th anniversary when it was celebrating its 10th.

Whoever thinks it will never work will think twice before asking when it could end. The truth, though, is that over the next two decades, it will face an enormous challenge in retaining its status as the most popular social network.

Not only is the industry experiencing its usual rapid evolution, but Meta is also making strong efforts to base its operations on the concept of the Metaverse.

Meta also values artificial intelligence highly. As a result, Facebook is no longer the company’s primary focus. Considering its evergreen appeal, it is debatable whether the world is.

February 6, 2024
Elon Musk, X owner pleads with advertisers to return

Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly Twitter, is pleading with advertisers to return to the platform, even though it has been in the news recently for the wrong reasons.

The CEO, Linda Yaccarino, stressed X’s dedication to putting child safety online first in a letter sent to both current and past advertisers.

Elon Musk, the company’s owner, said that advertisers’ worries about the platform were insignificant at the time of this plea.

After participating in a congressional meeting on online safety, Yaccarino told lawmakers that X supported their plans for online safety bills.

Read also: U.S. Senator warns Elon Musk over Twitter’s issue

The report was the first to report the news. The message is meant to set X apart from other social networks whose leaders are more carefully approaching upcoming rules.

X has had trouble stopping the spread of harmful and insulting content on its platform, even though it says it is entirely different from Twitter’s predecessor.

Recent events, like managing upsetting pictures related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the blocking of searches for Taylor Swift’s name because of deep fake content, have made these problems worse.

Back story

X, which used to be called Twitter, is now trying to fix things with advertisers after Elon Musk’s rude answer to them in November. CEO Linda Yaccarino is in charge of these efforts.

The CEO’s strategy aligns X with planned legislation by portraying it as a platform for child internet safety.

After Musk’s contentious comments, Walmart became the first major firm to pull its ads from X. Walmart’s exit from X after Musk’s recent complaints are noteworthy.

Disney, IBM, and Sony have also pulled their advertising from X, making it harder for the platform to retain business agreements.

After these problems and advertisers pulling their ads, X knows how important advertising is to its income.

Twitter to bring back end-to-end encryption to secure DMs

As Yaccarino knows that marketers are essential to the platform’s financial stability, he is using his outreach efforts as a strategic move to change X’s image and rebuild trust with business partners.

The main thing that X is doing as it deals with these problems is working hard to change its image by focusing on its dedication to keeping people safe online and following the rules set by the government.

The results of these initiatives will dictate X’s course as it tries to regain trust, mend fences, and get the ongoing backing of important advertising partners.

February 2, 2024
How to make money on TikTok in Africa

An average person with a smartphone spends an average of 6 hours on TikTok a week. Imagine making those hours count by making money from it.

Elsa Majimbo was a regular Gen Z who was bored and homesick like every other youth during the lockdown. Unlike other youths with access to the internet, Elsa started making little commentary jokes, and with consistency, she garnered a following and eventually brand recognition. The comedienne is currently doing well for herself in the US.

Who would have thought that a bored Kenyan could leverage comedy to make her way out of her country just through TikTok? Unlike Elsa’s time when there wasn’t any direct means of monetising the TikTok app, there are currently tons of ways other than brand recognition to make money on TikTok.

Read also: How TikTok operates digital and financial inclusion

Although the TikTok creator fund doesn’t cover countries in Africa, there are still other ways African creators have been able to monetise their presence on the 7-year-old app. These include:

Gifts from Live stream

Gifts from videos

Work with artist

Affiliate marketing

Brand deals and sponsorship

Selling a product

Gifts from Live streams

Once you gain 1000 followers, you have passed one of the criteria to host a Live stream. Others include having no community guideline violations and being over 16 years old. Do note that when it comes to receiving and sending virtual gifts on TikTok, you have to be over 18. TikTok depicts your age from what you input while creating your account.

As you stream, some viewers tend to send you gifts, which get converted to money. TikTok takes 50% of what a creator earns. If you send $250 worth of gifts, you receive $125 in your wallet, which you can withdraw directly to your set bank account.

All these sound promising, but building trust and a community takes a lot of work. You might not earn anything from your first few streams. Money shouldn’t be your focus when starting.

Concentrate on being confident, entertaining and engaging. With time, you would already have a community that is waiting for you to go Live so they can send you gifts.

Gifts from videos

This is another feature that enables you to receive gifts from your videos directly through your videos. It works like the Live stream, but in this case, you are receiving gifts from the videos you upload.

In Africa, you only require 10,000 followers to activate this feature, which is better than 100,000 followers for countries in Europe and America.

In addition to 10,000 followers, the account should be older than 30 days, with at least one video uploaded in the last 30 days.

Not all videos are eligible for these gifts. Ineligible videos include duets, stitches, ads, promoted posts, sponsored videos, and videos with any violation of community guidelines.

Once you can create eligible videos which are engaging and value-packed, an endless opportunity to receive gifts awaits you.

Work with artist

TikTok has recently launched this feature, and it is open to Africans. It can be accessed through the creator portal.

Artists list their songs for a set period. Creator gets to use their songs to create videos, which should be created according to the requirements set for each video.

Once the campaign is still going on, creators who have met the requirements for video will be allowed to submit their videos.

The number of videos your video gets would determine the remuneration you make. So, the campaign has a fixed amount to be distributed among only a few people. These few people are selected from only the top-performing videos. Some other campaigns have a broader spectrum of earnings wherein you only earn according to the views you accumulate and not by selection.

This feature is not yet popular amongst creators, so you can quickly hop on it before the competition becomes fierce.

Affiliate marketing

If you are interested in affiliate marketing or are already a marketer, TikTok is a platform to build such a career.

Affiliate marketing can be done in two ways on TikTok. You can market any product of your choice and direct your target audience to the link in your bio.

Affiliate marketers who use this method simply add a link to their bio while editing their profile.

The effective way to gain traffic is to consistently create content and use the right keyword when describing your post. TikTok also works like a search engine.

If you created a video on an ‘LG TV’, TikTok would promote this video to the ‘For You Page’ of its viewers who have such search history, and because you have ‘LG TV’ in the description of the video, such viewers get to find when they search for ‘LG TV’.

You would also need to work with the cover photo text. The cover photo edit offers you the opportunity to use any of the TikTok customised templates to inscribe texts on your videos. You can use this tool to make your keywords pop up to your target audience.

If you do not want to use TikTok’s template, you can simply use text which edits your videos on TikTok. That has been effective, too. If the text doesn’t appear throughout the video, you need to use the cover photo edit and ensure you select an auto-generated photo that bears the text. You can bolden the text by increasing the fonts, adding a canvas/label or both.

Another way to market for sellers is by promoting products already on the TikTok store. It requires you to direct your viewers to the store on TikTok and get a commission directing from TikTok after they purchase. Such earnings would be reflected in your balance.

Brand deals and sponsorship

This is one of the oldest ways creators have been making money on TikTok. All it requires is for you to build your influence and accumulate a reasonable amount of followers, and then brands will begin to locate you.

There are many companies that have the money you need but not the influence you have. They need you to recommend their products to your audience, and they pay you for it.

Even bigger brands still need influencers to promote their products. This is because, as an influencer, your audience trusts you, and they are prone to want to associate with something because you reckon with it; that’s the power you have when you are an influence. It gives social proof of the product.

As little as 10,000 followers is enough to attract brands and sponsors. The bigger your following, of course, the bigger the deal. Each comes with its perk. Some companies target only smaller influencers based on their budgets, while only bigger brands with more companies go for the influencers with millions of followers and views. This means everyone has cut.

So, if you are a Creative who enjoys telling stories or making skits, do not hold back; it will pay off soon.

TikTok Shop makes e-commerce possible

Selling a product

Who says you only have to market for others and not yourself?

If you can market for other sellers and brands, the product can equally be your product. TikTok can be an easy, cheap means to own an online store.

You can use TikTok to reach your target audience as an entrepreneur. Why waste the cheap publicity you can gain? All you need is to show up, and interested individuals will follow up.

You can navigate this even if you don’t have your store. Your number can be listed on the video so interested buyers can contact you. A link to your email can be set in your bio. Linktree is another popular tool used by creators. You can redirect people to your WhatsApp or Telegram account to proceed with the transaction.

If you have a website already, it’s even better. This time, the link in your bio is the link to your website and not that of a third party.

Take advantage of the platform that has your audience on it.

As with affiliate marketing, you can also make use of keywords, cover templates, and more to attract your audience. And as with working with brands, this time around, you are creating content to promote your products. Thanks to TikTok, you can reach your target audience.

When TikTok came to Africa, creators could only rely on having a large following to attract brands in order to make money. Gifts through Live streaming was also an alternative. Thanks to the competition TikTok has without other platforms, such as YouTube and Meta, the options for monetization have increased. This is a good time to bring on your creative spirit and make money.

November 24, 2023
Telegram users in Kenya face technical issues

A significant number of Telegram users in Kenya have reported that they have been experiencing periodic loss of access to the widely used Telegram chat service since Thursday.

The problem appears to be becoming more prevalent for the second day in a row, affecting a sizeable number of customers all around the country.

Read also: Chapa partners with Telegram to enable digital payments in Ethiopia

Details of the problem

When attempting to log in to the application through a browser, for instance, you can see the error message “web.telegram.org took too long to respond.” The fact that the inaccessibility does not remain constant is an additional mystery that must be solved. It is possible that one of your Telegram accounts may log you in without any problems, while the other will give you an error message when you try to access it.

A further problem that users of Telegram are currently confronted with is a delay in updating channels. Users of the app are, as expected, receiving Telegram notifications on both their mobile and desktop devices. However, when the app is opened, a user may find that the Channel for which they have just received a notification does not have the most recent version. There is no set pattern to the delay that occurs when upgrading channels. In the present situation, it can range anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.

When it comes to sending texts, you’ll experience the same delay. A significantly longer period of time than is typical for a user message to remain unsent on the chat platform. It’s possible that the search bar on the platform may display the word “reconnecting,” leading users to believe that there’s something wrong with their network connection.

The app login itself being unavailable is currently the worst-case situation that has been observed. It is possible that you will find yourself logged out of your Telegram account if you access it from a browser. This takes place in a hurried manner and without prior warning.

Only Telegram in Kenya is likely affected

Telegram has not recognized the problems Kenya is experiencing on any of its official channels. As a result, internet users are left to speculate and even double-check with their internet service providers (ISPs) to determine whether or not the platform has been restricted. As of right now, it appears that the problem is only affecting customers in Kenya, according to reports that have been coming in since November 8th.

The monitoring service Downdetector by Ookla has not identified any significant problems with the platform. It is important to highlight the fact that Downdetector “only reports an incident when the number of problem reports is significantly higher than the typical volume for that time of day.” Because there have been no global reports filed by these platforms or by individual users, it appears that this issue is specific to Kenya.

In response to a question posed by a user, Airtel Kenya provided the following statement in their response: “We are working to resolve the telegram issue as soon as possible, and we will inform you once a permanent fix has been done.”

However, the problem is not exclusive to customers of the Airtel Kenya Network by any means. Additionally, customers who rely on Safaricom have reported having the same issue. According to my own first-hand account, switching from Safaricom Home Fibre to Zuku was ultimately successful in fixing the issue. The root of the problem has not been identified as of yet.

The remedy already utilized

As a workaround for the persisting problem, a significant number of users are now connecting to Telegram over Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). A virtual private network, or VPN, is a set of tools that encrypts your internet connection and replaces your original IP address with a new one that originates in a different part of the world.

Users are able to circumvent any geo-restrictions and access content that may be unavailable in their present location because of this feature. In Kenya, the usage of virtual private networks (VPNs) does not violate any laws.

Telegram introduces stories, for Premium subscribers

The speculation

Some people believe that the intermittent interruption of Telegram service is being caused by local internet service providers limiting access to the servers. Even if there is no hard evidence to back up this claim just yet, considering the current state of affairs, it is not out of the realm of possibilities that it may be true.

Airtel Kenya, a local telecommunications provider, is aware of the situation and has issued the following statement in response: “We apologize for the inconvenience, we are working to resolve the telegram issue as soon as possible and we will inform you once a permanent fix has been done, kindly bear with us as we do so. Thank you for your patience.”

In the event that this is the case, it would not be the first time that local providers have restricted access to a messaging application. In the past, occurrences that are quite similar to this one have taken place in numerous regions of the world, frequently as a result of political or regulatory issues.

Another possible explanation for this is that it has something to do with the ongoing national examinations. In the past, Kenyans have been known to utilize the messaging software Telegram as a platform to distribute exam information that has been obtained illegally.

November 14, 2023
Petal Ads, Baaz partner to foster social network growth in Middle East, North Africa

Petal Ads, a cutting-edge advertising platform by Huawei, and Baaz, the premier Arabic social media platform, have reaffirmed their collaboration through a new agreement.

The signing ceremony took place at Huawei’s Cairo premises, solidifying their commitment to fostering social network growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Baaz: Fostering Connection and Cultural Values

Baaz is a unique social media platform designed specifically for the Arab world, catering to the diverse communities in the region. It enables users to connect with like-minded individuals who share common interests and values while upholding the rich cultural and societal heritage of the MENA region. Baaz empowers these communities with innovative features that facilitate meaningful conversations and content sharing within a secure and privacy-conscious environment. The platform boasts advanced encryption technology to ensure user data protection and privacy, creating a safe space for sharing authentic information. The official Baaz app, available on HUAWEI AppGallery, has already achieved over 6 million downloads in Egypt alone, showcasing its rapid growth.

Read also: Egyptian fintech, Exits MENA secures $1.25m funding

Petal Ads: Revolutionising Advertising in MENA

Petal Ads, Huawei’s revolutionary advertising platform, elevates advertising by enriching ads with premium features and utilising big data analytics for precise multi-dimensional targeting. This ensures that ads are delivered with pinpoint accuracy to users across HUAWEI Mobile Services’s intelligent ecosystem and beyond. In addition to Huawei’s own media, Petal Ads extends its reach to major third-party apps and media in the MENA region, boasting integration with over 18,000 apps, attracting millions of users monthly. Partners benefit from the platform’s Data Management Platform (DMP), which facilitates niche audience creation for enhanced targeted advertising. With features like one-click installation and automatic bid adjustment, Petal Ads enhances user experience and maximises the effectiveness of advertising budgets.

The Vision for a Smarter AI World in Middle East and North Africa Region

The Managing Director of Huawei Consumer Business Group, Eco Development and Operation, North Africa, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “We are overjoyed to share the establishment of this new partnership between Petal Ads and Baaz. HUAWEI Mobile Services prioritises supporting the growth of local companies that can make a difference through their groundbreaking offerings and share our vision for a smarter AI world for all. We are confident that the unparalleled multidimensional targeting, excellent cost-effectiveness, and adaptability of Petal Ads will add more value to Baaz’s vibrant social media platform.”

Building on Petal Ads and Baaz Past Success

The previous collaboration between Petal Ads and Baaz in the fourth quarter of 2022 yielded exceptional results. Baaz’s Petal Ads-powered instals campaign achieved impressive AppGallery installations and a competitive CPI rate compared to other advertising platforms. Encouraged by this success, Baaz has extended its partnership with Petal Ads throughout the second half of 2023, investing in continuous campaigns to drive robust app growth, capitalising on Huawei’s extensive user base of over 730 million.

Mossab Sharayri, Chief Executive Officer at Baaz, emphasised their commitment to enhancing user experience: “The partnership with HMS widens the horizons of collaboration to better serve our mutual and huge Egyptian users’ base. At Baaz, we constantly seek partnerships that enhance our users’ experience, empower them to purposefully lead communities, and encourage meaningful discussions around their interests. Huawei’s innovative advertising platform, as well as its broader open and smart ecosystem, align perfectly with our vision for developing the next generation of social media.”

Egyptian, ‘Exits MENA’ secures key license from regulator

A Win-Win Collaboration

In addition to Petal Ads’ revolutionary advertising capabilities, HUAWEI Mobile Services offers partners exclusive benefits within Huawei’s dynamic smart ecosystem. HMS shares knowledge and expertise to assist in the development of cutting-edge apps and digital services for regional users while partners gain access to a vast and active audience, fostering genuine joint success.

About Petal Ads

Petal Ads, a paid presentation service provided by Huawei for pan-ecosystem partners, delivers a wide range of mainstream ad formats to over 730 million global Huawei device users. Petal Ads serves as a bridge to Huawei device and Huawei Mobile Services users, providing a unique opportunity to transmit key information and quality services to a global user base. Powered by Huawei’s HMS Core, with a presence in over 170+ countries and regions, Petal Ads is committed to creating a fully connected, intelligent world.

September 18, 2023
Google introduces video series on Playstore

Google, the biggest search engine, has introduced an original video series titled “The Play Report” to help users discover new apps; the series will also be available on the Play Store.

The business has announced that it would begin displaying these movies on the Play Store homepage for a subset of users in the United States. These videos will be made available for other users to watch on the Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube accounts that are associated with Google Play.

These videos may be YouTube Shorts, according to the appearance of a GIF that was published on the firm’s blog post, although the company did not state this particular fact officially. A practical install icon for the programme that is being discussed in the video will also be displayed to users in addition to the video itself.

According to big search engines, each episode will highlight a different app with commentary from industry professionals, app designers, and even Google personnel.

Read also: Google records 2 billion monthly YouTube Short video watch, earn $74.6bn in revenue

Achievements of Google through Shorts

It is important to note that the Play Store already enables developers to attach YouTube videos as part of their app’s media assets, which can be found on the listing page for the app. It is unclear at this time whether the search engine will extend the support for short videos on Play Store to additional creators or developers outside the scope of this programme. The Android manufacturer also failed to disclose whether the featured apps are selected by the firm itself or by the app’s creators themselves.

Already, Google has reaped a significant amount of success because to Shorts. The firm reported that more than 2 billion people who are logged in each month are viewing Shorts in July, during the results call for the company’s Q3 2023 fiscal quarter. Google’s utilisation of the short video format as a tool to assist in app discovery is being expanded to include the Play Store.

Google updates Android with new logo, 3D Bugdroid

About Google

Google is a multinational technological business based in the United States,which specialises in artificial intelligence, internet advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, and consumer electronics.

Because of its dominant position in the market, extensive data collecting, and technological advantages in the field of artificial intelligence, it has been called “the most powerful company in the world” and is considered to be one of the most valuable brands in the world. One of the Big Five technology corporations is Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google. The other four Big Tech businesses are Amazon, Apple Inc., Meta Platforms, and Microsoft.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two American computer scientists, established the search engine on September 4, 1998. At the time, both men were pursuing doctoral degrees in computer science at Stanford University in California. Together, they own around 14% of its publicly listed shares, and because they have super-voting stock, they control 56% of the company’s stockholder voting power. In 2004, the business had its initial public offering (IPO), which marked the beginning of its public existence.

In 2015, Google underwent a restructuring that resulted in the company becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Alphabet’s major subsidiary, Google, also serves as a holding company for the various internet-related businesses and interests owned by Alphabet.

On October 24, 2015, Larry Page stepped down from his position as CEO of Google to take over as CEO of Alphabet. Sundar Pichai succeeded Page as CEO of Google. Pichai was appointed as the next CEO of Alphabet on the 3rd of December, 2019.

September 12, 2023
YouTube seeks to prevent medical misinformation

For the purpose of assisting people in the United Kingdom to avoid harmful medical misinformation on the internet, YouTube has introduced a verification mechanism for medical experts living in the UK.

In the year 2021, users located in the United Kingdom accounted for more than two billion video views of clips on health issues.

In an effort to combat the spread of inaccurate information, YouTube has introduced a new verification badge that will be affixed to the profiles of medical professionals and organisations, such as licenced physicians, registered nurses, psychologists, and other health-related professionals and companies.

Read also: Stakeholders tasks YouTube TV on flawed $600 advertising

Remark from YouTube executive

Dr Vishaal Virani, head of UK health for YouTube, stated that the transition to verified health videos for users in the United Kingdom was essential due to the large number of people in the United Kingdom who receive healthcare information through the video-sharing platform.

Virani told the BBC, “Whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, whether the health industry is pushing for it or not, people are accessing health information online. We need to do as good a job as possible to bring rigour to the content that they are subsequently consuming when they start their care journey online.”

The implementation

In June, the verification system started accepting applications from healthcare practitioners living in the UK who already held a valid medical licence.

Accounts that submitted their films for the verification process are now beginning to see a mark of authenticity on YouTube next to their channel names.

This would help to make it as simple as possible for people to determine whether the material they are viewing came from a trained medical expert.

When submitting their accounts, potential health makers are subjected to a stringent and multi-step verification process that is carried out in collaboration with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the National Health Service.

Creators in the health industry have their older videos reviewed as well; however, they do not receive verification when it comes to whether or not their older movies have contained any medically inaccurate content.

YouTube to pay AI-generated music artists and rights holders

About YouTube

YouTube is a website that allows users to upload, share, and view videos online. Its headquarters are located in San Bruno, California, in the United States. On February 14, 2005, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim were the ones who first made it available to users all around the world.

It is the second most frequented website in the world, behind only Google Search, and it is owned by Google. More than 2.5 billion people log in to YouTube on a monthly basis, and those users watch more than one billion hours of video content every single day. As of the month of May 2019, the rate at which videos were being uploaded to platforms like YouTube was greater than 500 hours of content each minute.

YouTube has evolved beyond its basic website to include mobile apps, network television, and the ability to link with other platforms ever since it was purchased by Google. Music videos, video clips, news, short films, feature films, songs, documentaries, movie trailers, teasers, live streams, vlogs, and many more types of video content can be found in YouTube’s various video categories.

The vast majority of video on YouTube is produced by individual users, including joint efforts between YouTubers and commercial advertisers. Established media conglomerates such as Disney, Paramount, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. Discovery have all established and grown their own corporate YouTube channels in order to sell their products to a wider audience.

The societal influence that YouTube has had is unprecedented, as seen by its power to shape popular culture and internet trends and its role in the creation of celebrities worth several millions of dollars.

In spite of its expansion and success, it has been subjected to widespread criticism for allegedly aiding in the dissemination of false information and the sharing of content that is protected by intellectual property rights; routinely violating the privacy of its users; facilitating censorship; putting the health and safety of children in jeopardy; and for the inconsistent or incorrect implementation of platform guidelines.

September 11, 2023
WhatsApp introduces screen-sharing feature, competes with Microsoft, Zoom, Google

Screen sharing is WhatsApp‘s newest addition, which was released in August, 2023 as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality of the video-calling experience on its platform.

With this update, WhatsApp is taking on established video conferencing applications such as FaceTime from Apple, Google Meet, and Microsoft Meet.

The new function, which was revealed in the morning by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, through a post on Facebook and on his Instagram channel, will make it possible for you to share your papers, images, and even your shopping cart with contacts who are present on video conversations.

Read also: WhatsApp expands channels feature to include seven more countries

How to access the feature

The ability to share your screen over WhatsApp may be accessible by tapping or selecting the “Share” icon. This feature was initially offered for some beta testers on Android in late May. Users have the option of sharing either a certain app or their complete screen with other people. This operates in a manner very comparable to how screen sharing functions on common video-conferencing services such as Google Meet and Zoom.

A media outlet was informed by WhatsApp that the screen-sharing capability has been rolling out in stages on all supported platforms, including Android, iOS, and Windows Desktop. That implies there is a possibility that you will not see the feature right away, but you should shortly.

Alongside the introduction of screen sharing, WhatsApp also introduced support for video calling in Landscape mode. This new mode provides a wider and more immersive viewing experience compared to the Portrait mode that was previously available. Support for the Landscape mode can also be useful when using the platform’s screen sharing functionality.

WhatsApp has supported video calling for more than six years, with the feature first becoming available to all users of the app in November of 2016. However, in order to maintain its standing in the market and remain competitive, the instant messaging software is progressively enhancing the quality of its service.

Recent updates to WhatsApp’s iOS app have included support for picture-in-picture mode for video calls. Additionally, it made it possible to send and receive brief video messages within conversations, which is significant given that video in general has become an essential mode of communication for many users.

The ability to share one’s screen has been an essential component of video-conferencing apps for some time now, including ones designed specifically for consumers. Apple, for instance, improved the functionality of its FaceTime service in 2021 by introducing SharePlay, which allowed users of iOS devices to directly share their screens. The functionality of this feature is now available to desktop, Android, and iOS users thanks to recent updates made by WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Chatbot helps business growth

WhatsApp long term goal

WhatsApp’s long-term goal is to become a multinational, cross-platform alternative to FaceTime. On November 14, 2016, the messaging service WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, will officially launch video calling for its more than one billion users across the world on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. A number of users recently discovered that the feature was activated in beta versions of WhatsApp for Android and for Windows Phones, which was a sign that a public debut was on the horizon. Its introduction to the public comes after a string of reports from those people.

Users of WhatsApp can access the new feature by clicking the call icon located in the upper right corner of a discussion. This will bring up an overlaid interstitial that will question the user if they want to make a voice call or a video call to the friend or family member they are now conversing with. To initiate the video call, all you need to do is select the “video call” option that’s available on this screen.

During the actual call, you can choose to use the camera facing front or the camera facing back, you can mute the call, or you can end the conversation by pressing the red button. It appears that the user interface for Android and iPhone differs slightly in terms of the location where the picture-in-picture video feed is presented, as well as the size of the buttons, their order, and their placement.

WhatsApp already provides a number of functions that are considered to be standard for communications apps. These features include voice calling and group texting. However, according to the firm, video calling continues to be one of the most often requested features by customers.

August 12, 2023
Meta to apply VAT tax, levies on advertising in Ghana

Meta, owners of Instagram, Facebook, and Whatsapp, will implement Ghana’s VAT rates across all of its advertising platforms, starting on August 1, 2023,

The engine behind the News on Meta

According to the help page of Meta’s website, all Meta advertisements that are placed in Ghana are subject to a value-added tax (VAT) as well as levies at the applicable local tax and levy rates.

This will apply to advertisers whose businesses have Ghana specified as the ‘Sold To’ nation or whose personal addresses are currently configured to be in Ghana.

Read also: Meta launches open source language model Llama 2

Operational procedures

Users who are registered for VAT in Ghana will be required to enter their details, including their VAT/TIN number, within the context of the payment settings.

According to Meta, the VAT identification number will be displayed on ad invoices in the future. Whenever a user is charged for ads, including Meta ads, all applicable VAT and levies will be applied to the total amount. This is the case regardless of whether the user is purchasing the ads for personal or commercial use.

The overarching context

The Ghana Revenue Authority has been taking steps to expand its tax net in order to meet its goals and achieve its objectives. This has included the use of electronic invoices as well as the construction of a framework for the implementation of taxation on internet businesses that are owned by foreign corporations in Ghana.

The figures

The value-added tax rate in Ghana is currently set at 15%. Other taxes and levies that are assessed include the GetFund Levy (2.5%), the National Health Insurance Levy (2.5%), and the COVID Levy (1%).

Google Kenya to Charge 16% VAT on taxable goods and services

About Facebook and Instagram

The American tech giant Meta Platforms owns Facebook, an online social media and networking tool. Mark Zuckerberg made it in 2004.

Facebook is a website where people can create free profiles and meet online with friends, coworkers, and people they don’t know. It lets people share photos, songs, videos, articles, and their own ideas and thoughts with as many people as they want.

By signing up, you can connect to the world and get all the information you need. You can find your friends and ask them to connect. You can tell all of your friends about every part of your personal life. It gives you a way to talk to other people.

Digital ads are its main way of making money. Because of the huge number of users and the spread of social media, advertisers big and small see Meta as a great place to show ads to viewers.

Instagram is a free app for iPhone and Android that lets you share photos and videos. People can add photos or videos to our service and share them with their followers or a small group of friends. They can also look at, write on, and like Instagram posts that their friends have shared.

With 1,000 followers, an Instagram account makes an average of $1,420 per month and up to $100 per paid post. But Instagram doesn’t pay influencers directly, so even if you don’t have 1,000 followers yet, you can start making money as soon as you get your first advertising deal or join an affiliate programme.

Instagram’s main goal is to give people a place to share their pictures and videos by adding styles, filters, and effects to them.

July 26, 2023