TechPression

Tag: Instagram

  • Meta updates facial recognition to stop celebrity-bait scams on Facebook, Instagram

    Meta updates facial recognition to stop celebrity-bait scams on Facebook, Instagram

    Meta has updated its facial recognition technology to combat celebrity investment scam advertisements by identifying individuals whose pictures are used the most frequently.

    For long, many Facebook and Instagram users fell victim to scams because fraudsters impersonated popular figures to gain their trust and confidence. They would see a celebrity’s picture, click on it and will be directed to another website.

    But Meta has now found a way to nail suspicious accounts parading faces of celebrities to win trust of Face look users with the intent of defrauding them.

    The parent company of Facebook and Instagram on Monday stated it would opt out of facial recognition trials with 50,000 celebrities or public figures globally in December.

    Read also: Facebook aims to retain youth with enhanced social experience

    “Early testing with a small group of celebrities and public figures shows promising results in increasing the speed and efficacy with which we can detect and enforce against this type of scam,” Meta said in a blogpost.

    Understanding Meta’s Approach to Ad Integrity

    Meta will erase an ad if its images match the public figure’s Facebook and Instagram profile pictures if it suspects it is a hoax.

    “This process is done in real time and is faster and much more accurate than manual human reviews, so it allows us to apply our enforcement policies more quickly and to protect people on our apps from scams and celebrities,” David Agranovich, director of global threat disruption at Meta, said on Monday.

    For celebrities to participate in the system, they need to have a profile on either Facebook or Instagram.

    Meta will use the same facial recognition technology to let customers upload video selfies to regain their scammed accounts.

    As of November 2, 2021, Meta discontinued facial recognition for photo tagging due to privacy concerns on their website.

    Meta’s approach to combating online scams and fraud

    Agranovich stressed that the facial data generated will be immediately deleted once the match test is completed for both the scam ads and account hijacking, regardless of whether there is a match, and it’s not used for any other purpose.

    The company said early testing with a small group shows “promising results” in the speed and efficiency in detecting scam ads. Celebrities in the initial rollout will see a notification in their app notifying that they have been enrolled, and they will be able to opt out anytime, Meta said.

    Recently, lawmakers and regulators have pressured Meta to stop investment schemes using deepfake photos of public personalities like Martin Lewis, David Koch, Gina Rinehart, Anthony Albanese, Larry Emdur, Guy Sebastian, and others.

    Read also: Meta discontinues Spark AR Studio

    Andrew Forrest, a mining magnate, is suing the company because he says it didn’t do enough to stop scams that used his image. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is also suing the company.

    Agranovich said the facial-recognition tool was one of several used by the company to detect scams, but admitted some were likely to slip through the cracks.

    “It’s a numbers game, and so while we have automated detection systems that are running against ad creative that’s being created and that do remove a very large volume of violating ads before they can be posted or shortly after they’re posted, scam networks are highly motivated to just keep throwing things at the wall in hopes that things get through, and invariably some of them do,” he said.

    “Even if it is successful, scammers will probably migrate to other tactics. And so we know we’ll have to keep iterating and building new tooling to get ahead of whatever it is they do next.”

  • Facebook aims to retain youth with enhanced social experience

    Facebook aims to retain youth with enhanced social experience

    Facebook, a social media pioneer, is preferred by older generations, while younger users choose Instagram and TikTok for photo and video sharing. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, wants to change this idea.

    Meta’s head of Facebook, Tom Alison, said the platform’s original goal was to help people connect with family and friends. However, its future goal is to help people make new connections and grow their networks, which is more in line with how younger people now use the internet.

    Alison said in an interview, “We see young adults go on Facebook when they are going through a change in their lives.” Marketplace helps them set up their new homes when they move to a new city. They’ll join parenting groups when they have offspring.

    Read also: Nigeria generates #2.55 trillion in taxes from Google, Facebook, Netflix, others in 6 months

    New Tabs Coming to Facebook: Local and Explore

    Facebook showed off two new tabs at the event. They are called Local and Explore and are being tested in some towns and markets. The Local tab collects information about events, neighbourhood groups, and items for sale in the area. The Explore tab, on the other hand, suggests content based on the user’s interests.

    Facebook needs to attract young people because it has a lot of competition. One hundred fifty million people in the U.S. use TikTok, a famous app for short videos, mostly young people (Gen Z). Because of this, Meta made Reels in 2021 to fight.

    Facebook said that young people spend 60% of their time watching videos on the site, and more than half use Reels daily. A new video tab that combines short-form, live, and longer films will also be available in the next few weeks.

    Read also: Vodacom South Africa launches 4G smartphone at lower cost to replace 2G and 3G

    According to the company, Facebook’s dating feature has grown significantly since it launched in 2019. The feature lets users look at and connect with suggested profiles. The number of conversations started on the app has increased 24% year over year among young adults in the U.S. and Canada.

    As Facebook navigates a competitive landscape dominated by platforms like TikTok and Instagram, it’s clear that the social media giant is determined to reclaim its relevance among younger generations.

    By introducing new features like Local and Explore, enhancing its video capabilities, and prioritizing personalized experiences, Facebook aims to create a more engaging and dynamic platform that resonates with today’s youth’s evolving needs and preferences.

    Whether these efforts will be enough to reverse the trend remains to be seen, but Facebook’s renewed focus on youth engagement is a significant step in the right direction.

  • Instagram introduces new teen accounts to improve safety for young users

    Instagram introduces new teen accounts to improve safety for young users

    Instagram has launched a new Teen Accounts feature to improve safety and privacy for users under 18. This initiative responds to growing concerns about social media’s impact on young people’s mental health. 

    Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced the changes, which will automatically convert existing accounts for users under 18 into Teen Accounts within 60 days, ensuring that new users fall into this category from the start.

    Read also: Instagram launches Creator Lab to empower Gen Z users

    Instagram Teen Accounts: Key Features

    The Teen Accounts feature includes several built-in protections designed to create a safer online environment for younger users. All accounts under 16 will default to private, allowing only approved followers to view their content. Additionally, teens can only message individuals they follow, limiting interactions with strangers. Parents will also gain access to tools that allow them to monitor their teens’s messaging activity and the topics they engage with on the platform.

    Another significant aspect of Teen Accounts is introducing a “sleep mode,” which restricts access to Instagram between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. This feature aims to encourage healthier sleep habits among teens by reducing screen time during late hours. Furthermore, the app will implement stricter content settings, limiting exposure to potentially inappropriate material in areas like Reels and Explore.

    Parental control and oversight

    In response to parent concerns about their children’s online safety, Instagram has developed these new features. Instagram will allow parents to view some of the accounts their adolescent child has successfully communicated with through messaging and customise several settings to their preferred modes. For instance, parents must consent to allow their children to move from one private account to another.

    In a recent interview, Antigone Davis, Meta’s head of safety, highlighted such changes, saying they consolidate information on how parents could regulate what their children interact with on Instagram. Meta is also working on ways to accurately determine users’ ages, as those who provide the wrong ages are put in protective categories.

    Read also: How to edit your DMs on X: A step-by-step guide

    Meta addressing mental health concerns

    Teen accounts are being launched at a time when there is growing concern about the impact of social media on teens’ mental health. People who spend more time interacting with others on social media platforms have been associated with other problems, such as anxiety, depression, and body image among teenagers. Given such evidence, several commentators have suggested that there needs to be higher standards for how platforms interact with young people.

    Legal dealings have been made against Meta concerning the company’s operations and practices on social media regarding child protection. In this regard, the company has taken a step in increasing safety measures for younger users. The launch of Teen Accounts is one of Meta’s most extensive attempts at implementing a better world on the internet for teenagers and enabling them to interact with friends and pursue their passions.

    With time, Instagram is transforming its platform, and the development of Teen Accounts is going ahead to ensure the safety of young users. This will make parents happy, knowing that their children are safe online.

  • Instagram launches Creator Lab to empower Gen Z users

    Instagram launches Creator Lab to empower Gen Z users

    Instagram has officially launched the Creator Lab, an educational platform empowering Gen Z talent. This initiative is part of Instagram’s broader strategy to engage younger users by providing them with tools and resources to enhance their creative expression on the platform.

    The Creator Lab will share insights and experiences from established creators, helping aspiring influencers navigate their journeys in content creation.

    Read also: Instagram expands Notes feature to reels and feed posts

    Features of the Creator Lab

    The Creator Lab offers a wealth of resources, including tutorials on how to use Instagram’s latest features effectively. This includes guidance on creating engaging content, building a loyal following, and monetising creative efforts. According to Paras Sharma, Director of Global Partnerships at Meta India, the platform is focused on allowing users to connect over shared interests, and the feedback from young users significantly shapes the features Instagram develops.

    The Creator Lab will also post the content in various languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and English. This multilingual strategy allows more people to learn and benefit from the resources available, regardless of their native language.

    New features for engaging content

    However, the introduction of the Creator Lab is not the only change in recent months that aimed at improving the user experience of viewers; Instagram has experienced several changes recently and here are some of them: Some of them include creative text options for Posts, Reels, and Stories options, expanding carousel limits to up to 20 pieces of content, and an addition of music for mixed media carousels. Instagram has also pointed out that this generation is keen on content that elicits engagement, including ‘Add Yours’ and other sticker additions that prompt the audience to participate.

    Such updates also comply with the trends typical for younger IG users, shifting from singly-focused, self-oriented content, like ‘photo dumps,’ to more collaborative ones.

    Read also: TikTok recognizes African content creators

    Exploring the Impact of Creator Lab on Social Media 

    It can be predicted that the Creator Lab will greatly influence Instagram usage by Gen Z users. While presenting tools and educational materials for members interested in pursuing careers in content creation, Instagram is now promoting itself as a platform that encourages its users to unleash their creativity and make a living off of it.

    Given Instagram’s continuous growth, the Creator Lab remains an ongoing investment in discovering the new generation of creators. To retain its market share on the social media platform and innovation, Instagram prioritises users and follows their inclinations, particularly those of young people.

    Instagram’s Creator Lab is an exciting addition for both Instagram and its users in the Gen Z continent. By leveraging education, engagement, and empowering the public, this effort holds the potential to boost the platform’s creativity while developing a community of freelance creators on the go.

  • Meta cracks down on 63,000 ‘Yahoo boys’ scam accounts

    Meta cracks down on 63,000 ‘Yahoo boys’ scam accounts

    In its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report, Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, revealed on Wednesday that it had deleted 63,000 accounts linked to the infamous “Yahoo Boys” scam organisation.

    The accounts, which were removed throughout the previous two weeks, were used to disseminate blackmail scripts and conduct financial sextortion schemes. According to Meta, a smaller network of 2,500 accounts connected to about 20 people mainly targeted adult males in the US using fictitious identities.

    By combining sophisticated technical signals with thorough investigations, Meta claimed to have detected and deleted these accounts while also improving its automated detection methods.

    Read also: Nigeria’s FCCPC fines Meta $220 million over ‘discriminatory practices’

    According to the social media behemoth, “Yahoo Boys, loosely organised cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria that specialise in different types of scams, have been fuelling financial sextortion, a borderless crime, in recent years.”

    The statement said, “We’ve removed about 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that were part of a coordinated network of about 2,500 accounts trying to target people with financial sextortion scams.”

    The business added, “We’ve also eliminated a collection of Facebook pages, groups, and accounts managed by Yahoo Boys—banned in accordance with our Dangerous Organisations and Individuals policy—that were seeking to coordinate, hire, and instruct new con artists.”

    According to Meta, the investigation revealed that while some scammers had targeted kids, the majority of scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful. The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children was notified of these cases.

    Meta collaborates with other tech companies to combat internet scam

    Meta disclosed that it also shared information with other tech businesses through the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program to stop these scams on other platforms.

    Facebook’s parent company also reported that it had eliminated some 7,200 assets from Nigeria, including 1,300 Facebook profiles, 200 pages, and 5,700 groups offering resources linked to scams.

    It elaborated that these resources were discovered to provide instructions and scripts for con games and connections to photo collections used to fabricate accounts.

    Since the disturbance, Meta’s systems have been actively thwarting these groups’ attempts to reappear, steadily enhancing their detection capacities.

    Meta collaborating with law enforcement agencies 

    The business stated that it has been collaborating closely with law enforcement as well, answering legal requests, warning authorities of impending threats, and helping investigations and prosecutions.

    According to the social media behemoth, its actions go beyond deleting accounts.

    We also provide funding and support to the International Justice Mission and NCMEC for the operation of Project Boost, a course that teaches law enforcement organisations worldwide how to receive, process, and respond to NCMEC reports.

    The company stated, “We’ve already held several training sessions in Nigeria and the Cote d’Ivoire. Our most recent session was held just last month.”

    Meta said it has tightened its messaging policies for users under 16 (under 18 in some countries) and posts safety alerts to promote responsible behaviour online to better protect its users, particularly teenagers.

    Read also: Meta to appeal FCCPC’s $220m fine

    Meta legal battle with Nigeria’s authority

    Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission penalised Meta $220 million this week for many data protection legislation infractions connected to WhatsApp.

    The inquiry, which began in May 2021, discovered that Meta’s privacy policies violated consumers’ rights by engaging in discriminatory activities and unapproved data sharing.

    Meta intends to appeal, claiming it does not agree with the ruling’s conclusions and the given fine. The FCCPC guarantees that Nigerian users are treated fairly and that local laws are followed.

  • Instagram expands Notes feature to reels and feed posts

    Instagram expands Notes feature to reels and feed posts

    Instagram recently expanded its Notes function to include Reels and feed posts, which increased user engagement. Notes, which began in December 2022, allowed users to submit short text updates, encouraging interaction among followers. This change will revolutionise how users interact with content, making it more dynamic and engaging.

    Previously limited to Stories, the Notes feature integrates seamlessly into Instagram’s platform. Users can add context, commentary, and creativity to their visual content in new ways.

    This expansion will boost interaction rates, fostering a more immersive and interactive user experience. With this update, Instagram aims to stay ahead in the competitive social media landscape.

    Read also: X launches private likes feature to enhance user privacy

    Enhancing user engagement with Instagram Notes

    Including notes to reels and feed posts is a calculated action to increase Instagram user interaction. Notes provide users with background or remarks on their material, acting as a quick and straightforward means of contact with their fans. This tool lets users personalise their postings so that followers interact with them on a closer level more quickly.

    Instagram guarantees these changes are quickly visible and accessible by letting Notes show at the top of followers’ inboxes. Driving engagement depends on this visibility since consumers are more inclined to interact with materials that interest them. Younger users, who are 10 times more likely than older groups to create a Note, will find this function especially appealing.

    As Instagram continues to innovate, network users will probably experience more engagement and a more profound feeling of community. Sharing brief ideas alongside visual material can result in more meaningful dialogues and connections, improving the user experience.

    Creating Engaging Content with Instagram Notes

    Instagram’s more extensive approach to staying competitive in the fast-changing social media scene is based on extending the Notes function. As platforms like TikTok become popular, Instagram understands it has to change and provide tools that appeal to its user base. Instagram diversifies the material users may produce and distribute by including text-based elements into its visual-centric platform.

    Read also: Threads to use pinned columns like the old TweetDeck

    This action also reflects a growing trend among social media users who value the capacity to express themselves via both text and images. Instagram’s expansion of Notes is a fitting response to consumers’ growing search for venues that allow for natural and various kinds of expression.

    Expanding the Notes function to Reels and feed posts by Instagram marks a significant step towards increasing user involvement and community interaction. Instagram wants to maintain its place in the cutthroat social media scene by giving consumers more options to connect, addressing their changing tastes and strengthening its position.

    It will be interesting to observe how consumers welcome this new approach of distributing and interacting with material as this function becomes available to a larger audience.

  • Nigerians are now eligible for Facebook monetisation

    Nigerians are now eligible for Facebook monetisation

    Ad revenue from Facebook and Instagram is now available to content creators in Nigeria, thanks to the country’s eligibility.

    This modification was implemented on Thursday, June 27th, by Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. Before this update, content creators residing in Nigeria could not use Facebook to monetise their work unless their page was managed from an eligible country.

    In 2023, content creators from the US, Canada, Australia, and South Korea were early adopters of “Ads on Reels,” a performance-based monetisation programme where payouts are determined by reel viewership.

    The change allows Nigerian content creators to monetise their work through Facebook features such as in-stream ads, live ads, ads on reels, bonuses, and subscriptions.

    Read also: Meta trains Facebook and Instagram AI in Europe

    Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg announced during his March visit to Nigeria, and this latest development follows in his footsteps.

    Instagram will not be the only platform that can be monetised. Meta announced in March that creators in Nigeria who are eligible to use their monetisation products will also have the opportunity to earn money on Facebook. “We’re working diligently to make these monetisation features available for Nigerian creators in June, and our team is dedicated to a swift rollout,” Meta said.

    How Facebook monetisation works

    There is a robust creator economy in Kenya and Nigeria, where people make all sorts of content, from fashion videos and skits to instructional videos and more.

    Get up to 60,000 minutes of video views, have five or more eligible videos shared, and have at least 5,000 followers to be eligible to earn from the platform.

    A green checkmark will appear next to each fulfilled requirement, while an ‘x’ will appear next to each unfulfilled requirement.

    Professional mode pages and profiles are checked periodically by Facebook technology to make sure they meet the requirements.

    How social media became “digital oil” for content creators

    Over the past few years, the primary function of digital platforms has evolved from facilitating casual communication and the exchange of personal information to serving as a means of financial support.

    Many Nigerians see online social networks as replacing ‘oil’, the country’s leading resource. Content creators can monetise their work by sharing it on social media. Several media types are used, such as articles, videos, and images.

    Read also: X launches private likes feature to enhance user privacy

    Some content creators are known as influencers because of the many people who follow and watch their work. These content creators often amass substantial wealth as influencers by endorsing businesses and brands and the monetary compensation they receive from social media platforms.

    Earnings for creators are affected by things like the number of followers, engagement with the audience, and the type of content they create. Yet, building a personal brand on social media allows even individuals with a smaller following to make a substantial amount of money consistently.

    Since the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 spared most Nigerians their jobs, the country’s population of content creators has grown. Many Nigerians turned to filming family and themselves coping with the lockdown to self-express and engage. For many, the experience gained from this activity has led to content creation.

  • Kenyan dominates globally in short-form video news consumption

    Kenyan dominates globally in short-form video news consumption

    Kenya is now leading the world in short video consumption, according to a recent poll by the Reuters Institute’s 2024 Digital News Report. An impressive 94% of Kenyans watch short videos weekly, leaving even the United States in the dust at 60%.

    Short-form videos, typically 5-90 seconds, are the preferred format on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, as they cater to modern attention spans and content consumption habits.

    Short-form videos, typically 5-90 seconds, have become the primary medium for information consumption in the information era as they cater to modern attention spans and content consumption habits.

    Read also: TikTok takes steps to protect fairness in SA’s upcoming elections

    Websites and apps like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have entirely transformed how we consume news, entertainment, and education. Usually lasting between sixty and ninety seconds, small videos have emerged as the new norm for holding viewers’ interest.

    The short attention span of contemporary viewers, who are presented with abundant information daily, is the driving force behind this change in consumer behaviour.

    Short-form videos are popular for content producers and viewers because they provide a clear and captivating means of presenting news, tales, and complicated ideas. New types of storytelling have emerged due to the popularity of short-form video material, with producers using music, images, and editing tricks to communicate their ideas successfully.

    Global Short-Form Video News Trend

    Nigeria followed with 92% of its population consuming short-form video news content, South Africa 82% while France reported 45%, and the United Kingdom (UK) 39%.

    In Kenya, TikTok is the most frequently cited social media network for news content. According to the Reuters Institute’s analysis, TikTok continues to be the most popular platform among younger users, registering a 13 per cent growth across all markets and a 23 per cent growth among the 18-24 age group.

    Read also: Instagram unveils ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ campaign

    Digital Age Short-Video Evolution

    Short-form videos are becoming the most popular way to consume information in this information era. How we consume news, entertainment, and education has changed dramatically due to websites like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Short films (60–90 seconds) capture viewers’ attention and make important ideas.

    Since people’s attention spans are getting shorter, short-form movies provide an exciting and concise means of presenting news, tales, and complex concepts. They are an essential resource for companies, instructors, and performers looking to engage their audiences.

    Kenyan members of parliament have since registered a willingness to have Tik tok banned in the country due to the company’s failure to adhere to the policies of self-regulation, but the government instead pushed to have the platform self-regulate and ensure that Kenyan content creators can continue making profits from the popular platform.

  • Meta trains Facebook and Instagram AI in Europe

    Meta trains Facebook and Instagram AI in Europe

    A European advocacy organisation has rejected Meta’s idea to train its Artificial Intelligence (AI) models using the personal data of Facebook and Instagram users.

    The privacy advocacy group NOYB ( None of Your Business) issued a statement on Thursday urging European data protection authorities to take action against Meta’s plans to utilise Facebook and Instagram user data for AI training.

    NOYB emphasised the potential violations of the General Data Protection Regulation and called on privacy enforcers to investigate and prevent Meta from misusing personal data. The group’s statement highlights concerns over the exploitation of user’s sensitive information without their consent and the potential risk associated with AI systems being trained on vast amounts of personal data.

    Read also: How to Use Meta AI for Generating Images on WhatsApp

    Additionally, this will urge national privacy watchdogs to take quick action, citing recent changes to Meta’s privacy policy that will take effect on June 26 as permission for the company to access years’ worth of private photographs, postings, or online tracking data for the AI technology owned by Facebook.

    The advocacy group said it had launched 11 complaints against Meta and asked data protection authorities in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Spain to launch an urgent procedure because of the imminent changes.

    Meta Denies Data Misuse Despite NOYB Criticism

    In response to NOYB’s critique of its plan, Meta has denied it and linked to a blog post from May 22 in which it claimed that it trains AI using data that is licenced and publicly accessible online, along with publicly published information on its goods and services.

    Nevertheless, a notice distributed to Facebook users stated that Meta might continue to handle data about individuals who neither use its services nor have an account, provided that they appear in an image or are referenced in posts or captions shared by other users.

    Max Schrems, the founder of NOYB, said in the statement that Europe’s top court had already ruled on this issue in 2021.

    NOYB said it has already filed several complaints against Meta and other Big Tech companies over alleged breaches of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which threatens fines of up to 4% of a company’s total global turnover for violations.

    Read also: M-PESA Africa partners with Remitly, others to launch first class money transfer

    Data protection watchdogs add pressure to Meta and Tech Giants

    Several tech platforms like Meta are coming under the radar of data protection watchdogs over their propensity to misuse the data of billions of people on their platforms. In October last year, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) said it investigated Meta and other companies over possible data breaches based on user complaints.

    The Commission claims that allegations against Meta included behavioural advertising without the data subjects’ express authorisation. It further stated that the data processing that is the investigation’s subject may have impacted some 40 million Facebook accounts in Nigeria.

  • Instagram unveils ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ campaign

    Instagram unveils ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ campaign

    Instagram has unveiled its global and pan-African campaign ‘Made By Africa, Loved by the World’ in observance of Africa Day on May 25.

    For the first time, Instagram highlights four extraordinary women from Africa and the diaspora who have made an international name for themselves in sports, entertainment, and music. These women are women of impact.

    Read also: Meta improves Instagram with new Ideas; stickers for Music, others

    Meet the 2024 “Made by Africa and Loved by the World” women

    The campaign is in its fourth year; this year, the featured women come from Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria. In four stunning short films, Eniola Aluko, Bontle Modiselle, Victoria Kimani, and Tasneem Elaidy share their motivational stories, showcasing their triumphs, tribulations, and cherished pursuits.

    South African Bontle Modiselle: Bontle is well-known in South Africa’s entertainment industry for her stellar dancing performances, which have taken her all over the globe. She is a multiple-award winner and a major player in the country’s entertainment sector.

    One of the most influential women in sports today is Eniola Aluko of Nigeria, a pioneer in women’s football who has done much to advance the sport. Not only has Eniola played for some of the best teams in the world, but she also made history not long ago when she became the first African-American woman to join the board of directors of FC Como Women, an Italian women’s top-flight football club.

    Kenyan singer, songwriter, and performer Victoria Kimani is well-known for her unique take on R&B, Afropop, and Hip-Hop. The Grammys once called Victoria “Kenya’s Best Kept Secret” because of her successful career in the African music scene and beyond, where she has collaborated with famous local and international artists.

    Egyptian singer and songwriter Tasneem Elaidy first gained fame on social media for her original music and cover songs, but her powerful vocals have since brought her worldwide renown. Following the release of her cover version of a popular song, she gained an enormous online following, with over 100 million views for her music across all platforms, nearly 2 million Instagram followers, and 3 million TikTok followers. 

    Other details of the campaign

    The films that featured the women, co-directed by Shehroze Khan and featuring five up-and-coming filmmakers—Egyptian Haya Khairat, South African Michael Rodriques, Kenyan Nyasha Kadandara, and London-based Nigerian Aaliyah Mckay—amplify the stories and voices of women who are reshaping Africa’s international perception.

    Read also: Threads to use pinned columns like the old TweetDeck

    The third edition of Instagram’s community challenge, ‘#ShareYourAfrica,’ will be hosted by local African content creators in partnership with the campaign. The challenge aims to unite new and established African content creators to start a movement and celebrate African culture.

    Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director, Africa, Middle East & Turkey (AMET), Meta shared that for the fourth year in a row, the team is thrilled to highlight and honour some of the incredible women worldwide who are making a tremendous influence. These women are making a difference in the worlds of football, music, entertainment, and culture by positively influencing the story of African women. 

    She noted that the team believe that culture and connection are fundamental, and they also believe that their platform offers the ideal setting for people to share their interests, talents, and creations with an international audience.