This Week In Digital

This week's DigiDigest brought to you by Dana Sharman, Account Coordinator at MAVERICK Inc.

Facebook remains resilient 

Creepy or convenient? That is the recent debate surrounding Facebook's recent device, The Portal. Just a few weeks following their latest scandal (another security data breach), the social media giant has introduced an Amazon Alexa smart speaker, but with the addition of video. While some view this handsfree device as an innovative way to keep in touch with friends and family, others seem to be shying away, a significant reason being that a Facebook account is required to activate the device.  Moreover, some of its features, such as the speakers and camera's ability to automatically follow a caller as they move around their room while talking, seem a little... too much. 

Instagram doubles down on bullying

The social media platform is no stranger to online bullying but as the new head, Adam Mosseri begins his reign, he plans to change this. While Instagram already has several systems in place to spot harmful behaviour, it is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to further protect its youngest community members. AI is now used to track images and captions, automatically passing suspicious content to its Community Operations team in the hope to catch hurtful posts quickly. To top it off, Mosseri and his Instagram team is spreading the love by launching a kindness camera filter which will fill your selfie with a screenful of hearts, and we’re here for it!

Introducing… Snap Originals

Have you ever been in the midst of one of Snapchat's original shows and been hit with an overwhelming desire to step into the screen for an in-depth look? No? Same here, but we're up to trying to new things! Snapchat is using virtual reality to allow users to take a break from select shows and explore the set, giving them a "behind-the-scenes" experience. By simply swiping up while watching a show, its VR features lets users move their screen around to explore the set, right down to the props. Three new shows will be launched to host this new feature so whether you’re into comedy, mystery thrillers or docuseries, Snapchat has you covered.