In this week’s Platform Five: WhatsApp adds ‘Chat Lock’ for privacy
What’s changed in the last seven days? What does it mean?
WhatsApp adds chat lock for privacy, Instagram adds GIFs in comments, Twitter users will decrease by 25%, Meta announces new reel editing tools, and TikTok is banned completely by a US state
WhatsApp adds chat lock for privacy
WhatsApp launches another privacy protection feature, with its new ‘Chat Lock’ option allowing users to move private chats out of their main inbox and into their own password protected folder in the app. This feature will not only benefit those who share a device with others, but also for individuals who leave their device in places where they are visible to others.
Learn more here.
Instagram adds GIFs in comments
Instagram announces their newest feature of now being able to post GIFs in Instagram comments. Users will now be able to search for and share Giphy GIFs in the comment stream, providing users with another way to respond to Instagram posts.
Read more here.
Twitter users will decrease by 25%
Pew Research has shared some insights into Twitter engagement before and after Elon Musk’s takeover of the app, which shows an increased number of users are taking a break from tweeting. Studies shows that around a quarter of active Twitter users don’t expect to be using the app at all in 12 months time.
Find out more here.
Meta’s new reel editing tools
Meta has announced a range of new editing tools for Instagram Reels as part of a product education workshop held in India. Some of these tools which are available for global users include the ability to split a single clip into two, altering the playback speed controls, and swapping clips out for another without changing other settings.
Read more here.
TikTok is banned completely by a US state
Montana becomes the first US state to issue a full ban on TikTok. The majority of US states have banned TikTok on government-issued devices due to concerns around its connection to the Chinese Government, although Montana is the first jurisdiction to banning the app outright, on the basis of security concerns.
Learn more here.
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