Social Media Digest: Twitter Is Becoming a Pro-Kremlin Platform and Meta Launches Paid Verification Service
Since the world has been undergoing political reformation, the social media environment has been trying to keep up with the current realities. In the social media digest below, you will find more details on Meta’s new verification service for US users, another update on TikTok vs. US government confrontation, and the newest YouTube TV paid plan.
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Meta’s new verification service
Twitter has become an inspiration for other global tech companies like Meta. After the Elon Musk-owned platform announced a new paid verification system, Meta installed its own paid service. It is now available in Australia and New Zealand. Moreover, US users on Instagram and Facebook also have access to the update.
In the best traditions, the device used for registration affects the price – $11.99 per month for web users and $14.99 for mobile app consumers. The first option is perfect for Facebook users, but the second one will allow users to verify themselves on Instagram and Facebook.
Among the main requirement for the users are:
- ID document verification (users must be miners after 18);
- two-factor authentication turned on.
Meta Verified service is currently available only for the US market, but predictably, other parts of the world will also have a chance to use it.
Twitter is the new favorite place for pro-Kremlin voices
While Meta launched a new verification system inspired by Twitter to make its platforms better, Elon Musk seems to use it for the advancement of Kremlin supporters. Twitter Blue service was a new verification plan for $8, which allows users to become a verified persona on the platform. Indeed, a special mark of authenticity makes people trust the content even more.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine at the beginning of 2022, the representatives of different governments and authorities have supported Ukraine. However, the Kremlin propaganda spreads even on such platforms as Twitter.
One of the pro-Kremlin accounts with 60 000 subscribers is allowed to continue distributing the anti-Ukrainian narratives that negatively affect the information front.
TikTok vs. US government: more details on the confrontation
The US government has been fighting the TikTok spread nationwide for the latest years. There were various allegations and suspicions, which in the outcome, led to the partial ban of the app for the US authority’s representatives. Additional to the ban, the US President's administration stated that the main requirement for TikTok now is for ByteDance – the parent company to sell the platform.
Moreover, after other countries decided to follow the example of the American government, TikTok has been suggesting more compromises. The CEO of the video platform Shou Zi Chew insists that forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok would not solve any part of the issue. "So far, I haven't heard anything that cannot actually be solved by this," he said.
Currently, the ByteDance company has not reacted to the requirement to sell. GBC Tile will keep you updated with further details on the future outcome.
YouTube TV: new details on the paid plan
It seems like YouTube surprised users with the new paid plan on the YouTube TV platform. Just six years ago, the subscription price was 114% less expensive, proving the price policy's constant growth. Currently, a subscription plan, including over 100 TV channels, costs $72.99 per month, which is $8 more than before.
It is safe to assume that the global economic crisis has touched a significant part of the business. According to the YouTube TV tweet, the main reason for such a decision was a "content costs have risen."
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