The vertical video takeover is here
The vertical video takeover is here

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on all things vertical video, follow David Pierce. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started For a while, every social and media platform […]

The EU says TikTok still isn’t doing enough to protect kids

The European Commission says TikTok may be violating the Digital Services Act by failing to adequately protect minors’ accounts and privacy on the platform.

Patreon cut 20% of its staff. Its CEO insists AI isn’t replacing them.
Patreon cut 20% of its staff. Its CEO insists AI isn’t replacing them.

Patreon is cutting a fifth of its staff. Its founder wants you to know it is not because of AI. On Thursday the creator-payments company laid off 93 people, about 20% of its workforce, as 404 Media first reported. Chief executive Jack Conte called the …

Meta is banning the ‘pervert glasses’ creeps from Instagram
Meta is banning the ‘pervert glasses’ creeps from Instagram

Meta has a nickname problem. Its Ray-Ban smart glasses have earned an ugly label: “pervert glasses”. Men wear them to film women in the street. Pranksters wear them to ambush shop workers. Now Instagram is trying to scrub the evidence. The platform wil…

Facebook Has a New Marketplace App and Verification Checks for Everyone

In a curious move, the social network is siphoning off its most popular features into separate apps.

Facebook debuts Seller app for Marketplace and tests a TikTok-style video feed

Facebook is rolling out a standalone Seller app for Marketplace power users and testing a video-first home screen that mirrors TikTok’s format.

Facebook is getting a free verified badge to help spot real people

Facebook is rolling out a free, selfie-based Verified badge so you know there’s a real person behind a profile before you swipe, chat, or buy.

3 Influencer Marketing Conferences Talent Managers Should Attend

Influencer marketing conferences are usually sold on their agendas. For talent managers, the real value is who else is in the room.

Facebook considers giving up and becoming TikTok
Facebook considers giving up and becoming TikTok

Facebook is planning some big changes to try and keep its users from jumping to rival social platforms like TikTok – changes that sound dubiously similar to becoming a TikTok clone. Facebook head Tom Alison announced today that the platform will begin testing a “reimagined experience” later this year that will put a subset of […]

Vietnam wants under-16s to keep their accounts, just not post on them
Vietnam wants under-16s to keep their accounts, just not post on them

Vietnam has settled on an unusual way to police children online. Under a draft decree unveiled this week, users under 16 would keep their social media accounts but lose the right to post, comment, or react to anything on them. It is a narrower move tha…