KC DEBRIEF WEEK 11, FRIDAY 24/03/15
DIGITAL TITANS
_Tiktok. The US House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill that could see TikTok banned in America. It would give the social media giant's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, six months to sell its controlling stake or the app would be blocked in the US. While the bill passed overwhelmingly in a bipartisan vote, it still needs to clear the Senate and be signed by the president to become law. Lawmakers have long held concerns about China's influence over TikTok.
ALSO
_ Despite overwhelming support in the House, a bipartisan effort to force ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban in the US is unlikely to pass in the Senate, according to tech policy and media experts. In the most advanced effort yet to crack down on TikTok in the US, the House of Representatives today voted in a 352-65 vote to advance a bill that would require the video-sharing platform’s Chinese parent ByteDance to divest from the app within about six months or face a nationwide ban. Republicans in the chamber, it would appear, were not deterred by former President Donald Trump’s recent public opposition to the bill – a sentiment he voiced after meeting with a key GOP donor who holds a 15% stake in ByteDance. President Joe Biden, who himself joined the social app last month in a new election campaign push, has indicated his support for the bipartisan bill, saying he will sign it into law should it advance through Congress. A number of representatives voiced their satisfaction with the decision this morning. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a statement that the House’s approval “demonstrates Congress’ opposition to Communist China’s attempts to spy on and manipulate Americans, and signals our resolve to deter our enemies.”
_CNN. The former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced on Wednesday that Elon Musk had abruptly terminated a deal to exclusively host Lemon’s new talkshow on X, formerly Twitter. Lemon said in a post on the platform that Musk cancelled the partnership hours after the two of them had filmed an interview, which was set to be part of the show’s debut episode. Lemon said Musk texted him, “contract terminated”.“His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me,” Lemon said in the post.Musk did not deny axing Lemon’s show. The billionaire tweeted, “His approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media’,’ which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying. And, instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity. All this said, Lemon/Zucker are of course welcome to build their viewership on this platform along with everyone else.” Musk has previously called himself a “free speech absolutist”.Lemon stated in his Wednesday post that he would still air the interview with Musk on YouTube and on X, and included the side-eye emoji.“While Elon goes back on his word, I will be doubling down on my commitment to free speech,” Lemon stated.
_Spotify is starting to make music videos available for Premium subscribers on mobile, desktop, and TV devices, pitting the streamer against one of YouTube’s core utilities. While the modern music video market has become an industry of few haves and many have-nots, the ease of Spotify’s new feature could make the whole form go viral again even for the most indie of artists. This isn’t Spotify’s first foray into videos, and YouTube Music and Apple Music also show music videos, but what makes Spotify’s so groundbreaking is the accessibility — songs and videos exist together, as opposed to being in a separate section. That’s great for discoverability and viewership but potentially murky when it comes to compensation since, unlike on YouTube or clips on TikTok, they won’t carry any ads (yet).
_Apple. Under pressure from European regulators, Apple (AAPL.O) took a step back in its feud with Epic Games on Friday, clearing the way for Epic to put its own game store on iPhones and iPads in Europe. Earlier this week, Apple had taken steps to block Epic from starting up a store and bringing back the popular game Fortnite, which Apple removed from its App Store in 2020 after Epic broke the iPhone maker's in-app payment rules in protest.
ALSO
_Discord opens up to games and apps embedded in its chat app. Developers can now build new games and apps that are played directly inside the chat app. Discord will soon allow developers to build new games and apps that can be used directly in its chat app. A selection of minigames and apps have been available to Discord users for months now, but starting March 18th, all Discord developers will get access to a new Embedded App SDK that lets them build these special embedded apps.Discord has used its Activities feature to enable apps like YouTube, promote minigames like poker, and even encourage users to play with a shared whiteboard experience. These apps all appear as an embedded iframe inside Discord, but they’ve been limited to select developers so far.
_Instagram overtook TikTok in new app downloads last year, with the US photo-sharing platform’s growth powered by copying its Chinese rival’s success with short-form videos. Instagram’s total number of app downloads grew 20 per cent in 2023 to 768mn compared with a year earlier, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, making it the most downloaded app in the world. Downloads of TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, edged up a mere 4 per cent to 733mn over the same period. The statistics suggest that Meta’s photo-sharing platform is having success in targeting new users, with chief executive Mark Zuckerberg having identified the growth of TikTok as among the biggest threats to his social media empire. In 2020, Instagram introduced “reels”, a feature that allowed users to share short clips, cloning the TikTok’s viral video features that had hooked millions of Gen Z consumers.
PEOPLE, MEDIA, CULTURE
_AI AI LA la land.
//At SXSW, a new AI version of Marilyn Monroe was revealed by Authentic Brands Group, in collaboration with Soul Machines, following their acquisition of the icon's intellectual property rights in 2011. This advanced AI, known as "Digital Marilyn," replicates Monroe's distinctive voice and mannerisms in a real-time interactive format. The creation of digital likenesses of deceased celebrities has sparked considerable debate concerning ethical implications and the need for consent. Zelda Williams, notably critical of this trend, highlighted the unsettling efforts to reproduce the appearances and voices of the deceased. Despite ethical concerns, the development of such digital avatars continues. Soul Machines' latest project, "Digital Marilyn," leverages GPT 3.5 to produce a highly realistic AI capable of conducting conversations with emotional depth and detailed expressions for about 20 minutes. Described as more than a mere imitation, "Digital Marilyn" is touted as an autonomous entity capable of engaging in meaningful interactions, providing fans and newcomers alike a semblance of connection with Monroe's persona. However, this initiative has raised questions about the exploitation of deceased celebrities' images, especially when introduced on platforms like Instagram for International Women's Day.
//Apparel companies thredUP, Stitch Fix lean into AI, and optimized marketing mix to jumpstart growth. Though apparel and accessories is the third fastest-growing product category we measure—growing 3.9% to reach $616.37 billion in US sales this year—retailers need to find creative ways to court consumers as they remain price-sensitive. For resaler thredUP, it’s using AI to build on the success it found in fiscal year 2023 with increased orders (6% growth YoY) and revenues (12% YoY). While Stitch Fix is shifting its media mix to quell an 18% YoY revenue loss in Q2 2024 and a 17% YoY decline in active clients. Putting the AI in retail: thredUP has recently rolled out new AI-backed search capabilities on its site, enabling consumers to search not only by item, but by trend, occasion, or phrase. For example, a user can type in “Sunday brunch dress” or “Academy Awards chic” and find entire outfits that fit the query.
BRANDS
_ Airbnb is banning the use of indoor security cameras in all of its listings, the company announced on Monday. Previously, Airbnb has allowed hosts to have indoor security cameras in common areas, such as hallways and living rooms, as long as they disclosed them on their listing page and did not place them in bathrooms and areas where guests sleep.In a blog post, the company said it is now banning indoor security cameras “regardless of their location, purpose or prior disclosure.” Airbnb says a majority of the listings on its platform don’t report having an indoor security camera, and that the update will only impact “a smaller subset of listings.” The change comes after numerous reports of guests finding hidden cameras in their rentals. The update won’t get rid of the issue of hidden cameras, as it targets rule-abiding hosts.Airbnb is also introducing new rules for outdoor security cameras and noise-decibel monitors. Hosts will be required to disclose the presence and location of outdoor cameras before guests book. Hosts can’t use outdoor cameras to monitor indoor spaces and aren’t allowed to place them in private outdoor areas like an enclosed outdoor shower or sauna.
MMMM OF THE WEEK
_The Princess of Wales has issued an apology and acknowledged that she edited a family photograph released in celebration of Mother's Day, following the decision by major news organizations to withdraw the image. The photograph features Kate Middleton with a joyful expression, surrounded by her three children, marking the first official portrait of the princess post her abdominal surgery in January. Yet, shortly after its release on social media, several photo agencies retracted the image amid concerns over possible manipulation.
Observant royal enthusiasts noted several inconsistencies in the editing, including a mismatch in Princess Charlotte’s cardigan sleeve.
In a Monday morning Instagram post, Kate stated: "As someone who occasionally delves into photography, I do sometimes experiment with editing. I wish to apologize for any confusion News Agencies Delete Kate Middleton Photo Citing 'Manipulated Image'
_ How the porn bots took over Twitter
_Why a 23-Year-Old TikTok Influencer with a Million Followers is Ready to Leave it All Behind for a 9-To-5 Job