In this week’s Platform Five: Instagram allows users to add pronouns to their bios
What’s changed in the last seven days? What does it mean?
Facebook is pushing ahead with Instagram for Kids despite rising concerns, Instagram introduces pronouns for bios, and TikTok adds new Safety Centre guides.
Let’s take a look at these changes in more detail.
Facebook pushes ahead with Instagram for Kids
Facebook is continuing with its development of Instagram for Kids despite rising concerns about the platform. According to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, Instagram for Kids will stop younger users from joining the main app, where the risks are far greater but others are not so convinced.
Find out more here.
TikTok adds new Safety Centre guides
TikTok has announced a range of updates to its Safety Centre. Among the updates are a range of guides including ‘Guardian’s Guide to TikTok’, bullying prevention, video overviews outlining TikTok safety approaches, and upda1ted links to information on digital literacy and well-being. The new updates aim to help parents understand TikTok.
Learn more here.
Facebook tests new warning prompts to stop users from sharing articles they haven’t read
In an effort to minimise the spread of misinformation, Facebook is encouraging users to reconsider sharing information without understanding the full context with new alerts. The alerts aren’t too dissimilar to ones that Twitter has already implemented. Prompts will appear when users go to share an article they haven’t opened.
Read more here.
Instagram allows users to add pronouns to their bios
The new ‘Pronouns’ option allows users to select up to four pronouns which they can access in ‘Edit Profile’. The pronouns can be updated at any time and are part of a broader push across Facebook’s family of apps to make the user experience more inclusive.
Find out more here.
WhatsApp is re-launching its controversial Privacy Policy update
WhatsApp’s controversial Privacy Policy update is back. The app first tried to implement the new updated back in January which will allow the app to share more data with Facebook but it was met with so much back lash that they paused the roll out. If users don’t accept the update, limitations will escalate gradually to ultimately stop sending messages and calls to users’ phones.
Learn more about the update here.
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