Pinterest bans ads that promote weight loss
The team at Pinterest noticed how many people are facing issues with body image, especially as we emerge from the pandemic and head towards a summer of socialising with friends we may not have seen in a while. Pinterest wants the platform to be a positive place that users come to for inspiration and an escape, and weight loss ads do not promote this narrative.
Pinterest said: “We’re empowering Pinners to plan for a summer and beyond without weight loss ads, so they can focus on what matters most.”
At present, Pinterest is the only major social media platform to condemn all weight loss ads, in addition to it’s ad policies that have long prohibited body shaming and dangerous weight loss products or claims. The new policy has received positive feedback online, which may encourage more platforms to follow in the footsteps of Pinterest.
Instagram will no longer be just a photo-sharing app
According to its’ boss, Adam Mosseri, “no longer a photo-sharing app”. Adam shared a video on Twitter last week in which he shared Instagrams’ plans for the remainder of the year.
Noticing the success of social video sharing on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, the team at Instagram are making plans to make video content more centric on the app. In order to encourage engagement on video content, users will soon begin to see recommended full-screen videos, even from accounts they don’t currently follow.
Initial testing for the new feature has taken place, with a new version coming out this week that will allow users to specify the types of video topics they would like to see more or less of. Adam added how this is Instagram’s first step towards implementing “full-screen, immersive, entertaining, mobile-first video more broadly”.
Users can now make three minute long TikTok videos
TikTok has reigned as the champion of short video content since its launch in 2018, however now, the app is increasing the maximum video length from one minute to three minutes. In a blog post, TikTok’s product manager, Drew Kirchhoff, said the change would allow for “even richer storytelling and entertainment”.
You may have already noticed some creators using the new three-minute feature for their videos – it will be available for all users over the coming weeks. There has been mixed feedback from creators and users alike in regards to the new feature, some stating how the short video feature is what makes TikTok unique and attractive, yet others say this will allow for them to veer away from making videos on a topic broken up into multiple parts.
The common denominator between the new changes from Instagram and TikTok is that they are making alterations in order to provide offerings that are as similar to their competitors as possible. We will continue to follow and provide updates on how the new features are working for these social media platforms, as well as staying up to date with any upcoming changes.
