TikTok trialling 24-hour vanishing video stories feature 

  • TikTok ‘stories’ will be trialling a new vanishing clip feature functioning similarly to Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram. 
  • ‘TikTok Stories’ will be in a newly added slide-over sidebar, where you’ll be able to see video stories posted by accounts you follow on TikTok for 24-hours before they disappear.  
  • TikTok has not revealed details on how extensive the testing phase for stories is or when/if it will see a wider release, although some creators have already got access. 
  • This comes after yesterday’s news of WhatsApp’s new disappearing photos and videos and Monday’s farewell to ‘Twitter Fleets’. 
  • Check out our guide on video stories here and use our TikTok Safety Card to learn how to block, report and mute on this platform.  
  • Read the full story here. 

MP Maria Miller pushes for AI ‘nudifying’ tool ban 

  • Maria Miller MP wants a parliamentary debate on whether digitally generated nude images need to be banned.
  • This comes as another Artificial Intelligence (AI) based service, that allows users to undress women in photos, spreads on social media.  
  • The website, ‘DeepSukebe’ has had more than five million visits in June alone. 
  • Despite its popularity, social media is the least trusted source of news. 
  • Nudifying tools aren’t new – ‘DeepNude’ launched in 2019, but creators quickly withdrew the service and offered refunds following backlash.  
  • Maria Miller MP wants the issue to be included in the upcoming Online Safety Bill.  
  • Full story here. 

Facebook allows climate misinformation push by the fossil-fuel industry 

  • A report released on Thursday revealed that Facebook failed to enforce policies to stop a fossil-fuel industry misinformation campaign during last year’s presidential election. 
  • InfluenceMap, a London-based company, identified an increase in social media advertising on behalf of fossil-fuel companies. 
  • These are thought to attempt to shape political debates on climate change, despite Facebook’s public support on tackling climate change. 
  • The report found that 25 oil and gas industry companies spent approximately $9.5m to place more than 25,000 ads on Facebook US platforms, reaching over 431m views.
  • This follows Tuesday’s report of Twitter working with news companies to tackle misinformation. Check out our post on misinformation here. 
  • Read the full story here.  

Professional Footballers’ Association calls for Twitter to stop taking the ‘easy option’ on racism 

  • The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) calls for more decisive actions against discrimination on social media. 
  • Research showed a 48% increase in racist abuse sent to players on Twitter during the second half of last season and after England’s Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy. 
  • 600 reports of racist comments and 11 arrests have been identified in a hate crime investigation into social media messages targeting Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho after the Euro final.
  • The PFAs analysis on Twitter uncovered that 75% of 359 accounts on Twitter that sent explicit racist abuse to players were still active on the platform as recently as last month.
  • This follows news on Twitter’s failing hateful material policies and criticism of Twitter’s approach to antisemitic tweets.
  • Access the full article here.