Do you remember when TikTok was facing a ban mid-Covid crisis? Remember all the other bans after that? Well, this time it might be for real. Find out in Sunday Rundown #106 🙂
Are we really going to ban TikTok?
The TikTok ban might be for real this time. Nearly four years after the first attempt to get the ByteDance-owned company either sold or barred from the US, a new bill is flying through congressional votes, and President Joe Biden has already said he’ll sign it if it comes to his desk.
On this episode of The Vergecast, they talk about what’s inside the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (everybody calls it PAFFACAA, just kidding; nobody calls it that, everybody just calls it “The TikTok Ban”) and what we know about TikTok’s connection to China. The answer: not a lot! But four years in, Congress seems more convinced than ever, and that might mean something. Or it might not. We spend a long time debating what that means.
Meta Offers To Halve the Price of Its Ad-Free Subscription Package in the EU
Meta’s offered to cut the price of its ad-free subscription package in Europe, amid complaints from privacy activists that the company’s looking to force users to pay in order to ensure their privacy, which, they claim, is not in the spirit of the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (D.M.A.).
In order to comply with the D.M.A., which requires that social platforms offer users a means to avoid sharing their personal data if they so choose, Meta announced a new offering that enables users to restrict their personal data, and get an ad-free version of the app instead, at a cost of $US10.88 per user, per month.
The solution, in this sense, enables Meta to maximize its revenue opportunities, avoiding financial impacts as a result of the new rules, while also providing users with a complete data tracking opt-out option, in line with the new rules.
Google loses in local search to Instagram, TikTok among Gen Z
The internet search engine has been dethroned as the most popular platform among Gen Z when searching for local businesses to shop in-person, replaced by Instagram (67%) and TikTok (62%), according to a report from marketing platform SOCi shared with Marketing Dive.
Google, which ranks third (61%) as Gen Z’s preferred local search engine, still maintains a stronghold among older generations, though social media is gaining share across the board as a resource for those seeking out local businesses, per the report.
As social poses a stronger threat to Google’s core service, the report also called out the rise of ChatGPT as another potential threat. The findings come as Google rolls out updates to its search service, including the recent integration of its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) model to Google Ads.
Bonus links
- Apple’s antitrust fight begins
- Instagram is developing ‘Blend,’ recommended Reels for you and a friend
- Google Ads Cheat Sheet: The Factors Affecting Your Ad Position [Infographic]
Thank you for taking the time to read our Sunday Rundown #106. If you have a story that you want to see in this series, reply to us below or contact us.