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 […]
Meta’s smart glasses have been a PR headache for the company. Public backlash has been swift, and fierce; people are concerned about the erosion of privacy and expansion of surveillance. Some especially bad actors are using the glasses to film themselves “pranking” random strangers. Women have become unsuspecting social media content for men filming themselves […]
TikTok has attracted the ire of the European Union over its protection of children who use the video sharing platform. The European Commission announced preliminary findings today under the Digital Services Act (DSA) that offer specific issues to address. The Commission suggests that TikTok should adjust the default settings of minors’ “public” accounts so the […]
Twitch is giving parents more control over how their children are using the streaming platform, including the ability to block them from broadcasting entirely. Parental controls are now available that allow guardians to link Twitch accounts with their 13- to 17-year-old children, providing account management features and a weekly email summarizing their teen’s activity, including […]
There’s a symbiotic – and sometimes frustrating – relationship between social media sites and the creators that depend on them. Platforms need influencers’ and creators’ content to keep consumers on their apps; the creators, in turn, need to be able to reach those audiences to justify creating their content in the first place. Creators want […]
Adobe’s experimental camera app has taken an unexpected turn. After Project Indigo was launched last year to provide a “more natural (SLR-like) look” for iPhone photography, the Indigo camera app is now being updated with a suite of generative AI tools. And the change doesn’t rely upon Adobe’s own Firefly AI models. Adobe describes the […]
The manosphere influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested Saturday in Miami by US Marshals in relation to new rape and sex trafficking charges in England. According to the Associated Press, British authorities are seeking the brothers’ extradition. The new charges facing Andrew Tate include seven counts of rape, three of sex trafficking, three counts […]
TikTok is starting to test an opt-in tool that scans for AI likenesses and lets creators report them to the company, as spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra. The tool is initially being tested with “some” US creators, TikTok US spokesperson Zachary Kizer tells The Verge. YouTube has been working on a similar tool […]
X will use Grok AI to better detect stolen content, redirect payouts to original creators, and crack down on engagement bait.
Character.AI’s plan to become more than just an LLM-powered chatbot platform is going beyond interactive books, comics, and audio dramas. Today, the company announced the debut of c.ai Series – short-form, episodic videos designed to be watched and interacted with – on your phone. Unlike traditional microdrama services that feature cheaply produced, live-action shows starring […]