X now pays creators based on engagement
Engagement farming might worsen on X after the Elon Musk-owned platform announced significant changes to how it pays creators. Moving forward, users will receive money based on the engagement their posts generate from X Premium users. This marks a shift from the previous system, where payments were linked to how often ads were served in replies.
Google reformats “What people are saying” in SERPs
Google is now testing a new-look “What people are saying” feature in search results. Previously, Google populated this format with text-based content from forums. Now, it’s displaying shorter videos from TikTok and other social media platforms.
Threads catches heat for “moderation failures”
Meta’s aggressive moderation policies faced criticism this week. The Verge reported that moderation on both Instagram and Threads “is out of control,” with bans and restrictions currently being applied “on a hair trigger.”
Social media consultant Matt Navarra was one of those affected. He recently shared a story about how Tom Brady was duped by the “Goodbye Meta AI” meme circulating on socials earlier this month. He later received a notification stating his account would be downranked as a result.
Adam Mosseri responded to Navarra, saying he would be “looking into it.” However, it’s just one of many similar stories recounted by disgruntled users in the past week or so.
Google rolls out Store ratings to the UK
Google Store ratings have finally arrived in the UK. The feature, which has been available in the US for years, allows users to click on a brand’s rating and see useful information, including payment options, shipping costs, and return policies.
Store ratings are available in the shopping section of Google’s search results, as well as in ads and on YouTube. The feature also expanded to Australia, Canada, and India this week.
Google added: “If you’re a merchant serving these countries and don’t already have store ratings enabled, you can participate in a free Google Customer Review program or gather reviews on various independent review websites.”
Is YouTube hiding the skip button?
Reports that YouTube has started hiding the skip button during ads were refuted by the platform’s spokesperson this week. It follows complaints by news site Android Police and other users that the traditional countdown timer on ads was either blocked by a mysterious ‘black rectangle’ or not shown at all.
YouTube’s Oluwa Falodun said: “On skippable ads, the button appears after 5 seconds into playback, as always.”
So, what has caused the issues? YouTube says it’s currently updating the UI for ads so viewers can “engage more deeply” with them while providing a “cleaner” overall experience. This means the skip button might appear differently on both desktop and mobile.
Google could be forced to spin off Android and Chrome
Finally, the Department of Justice has proposed separating Chrome and Android after Google was found to have acted like a “monopolist” in online search and advertising.
The DOJ is currently considering “behavioural and structural remedies” to prevent Google from leveraging its products and services to exclude rivals and new entrants. It also wants Google to provide a full breakdown of the indexes, data, and models used in its search engine to ensure fair competition.
