1. It looks like TikTok is in for yet another round of scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. On Friday, the social media platform announced major changes to its security leadership, which is sure to raise more questions about its ties to China. Global security chief Roland Cloutier will step down in September, transitioning to a senior advisor role while current security executive Kim Albarella will replace him
on an interim basis, TikTok said. This comes as the company faces increased pressure from the Trump administration, which has accused TikTok of posing a national security risk due to its parent company’s ties to China. It remains to be seen how these latest changes will impact TikTok’s relationship with the U.S. government, but one thing is for sure: the platform is in for a bumpy ride.
2. As more and more browsers strip out tracking parameters, Facebook is finding new ways to track URLs. No query strings attached: Firefox is the latest browser to let users opt out of tracking parameters from URL strings. So if a user opts out of URL tracking, their browser automatically strips out the "fbclid" parameter from any Facebook link they click on. Of course, this only works if the user has opted out of tracking in the first place.
But it's a small step in the right direction for privacy-conscious users. And it's yet another headache for Facebook, which is already struggling to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of online privacy.
3. If you're like me, you love playing Roblox. I mean, what's not to love? You can be anyone you want to be, do anything you want to do, and go anywhere you want to go. Plus, it's just plain fun. But did you know that you can also make money with Roblox? That's right - cha-ching! According to Sensor Tower's new report, users spent more money on non-gaming apps than games for the first time in App Store history. So if you're looking to make some
serious dough, I suggest you put a cha-ching on it and get yourself a non-gaming app subscription. Trust me, you won't regret it.
4.As any advertiser knows, video is now an essential part of any marketing strategy. However, with so many different platforms and options available, it can be difficult to know where to focus your efforts. TikTok is often being touted as the video platform of choice, but the highest number of hours spent online is actually being attributed to social media use on platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. This is due to the fact that people are
spending more time than ever scrolling through their feeds and watching videos. As a result, brands need to be strategic about where they place their videos in order to reach the widest audience possible. By understanding how people are consuming video content, brands can ensure that their marketing efforts are focused in the right place.
5. The storied history of Wordle is littered with copycats, imposters, and wannabes. But in recent years, one game has managed to stand out from the pack: Heardle. Now, after years of domination, Heardle has finally met its match. On Tuesday, Spotify announced that it has purchased the game in a move that signals its ambition to become a major player in the world of trivia games. For Spotify, Heardle is more than just a fun diversion for music
nerds; it also has the potential to act as a music discovery tool. Thanks to its extensive database of songs and artists, Heardle can help users discover new music that they might not have otherwise found. And with its built-in social features, it can also help users connect with friends who share their taste in music. In other words, it's the perfect acquisition for Spotify. With Heardle in its arsenal, Spotify is now poised to take over the trivia game world.
6. Well well well, it looks like LinkedIn may be testing a new feature that allows pages to feature their customers who have purchased from them. This is definitely an interesting development, and it will be interesting to see how LinkedIn page owners make use of this new tool. I can imagine a few scenarios where this could come in handy. For example, let's say you run a small business and you want to show off your satisfied customers. Or
maybe you're a salesperson who wants to highlight your successes. Either way, this new feature could be very useful. And who knows, maybe LinkedIn will even add a "endorsement" feature that lets people endorse the products or services they've bought. That would certainly make things more interesting! We'll just have to wait and see what LinkedIn has in store for us next.
7. Google had a bit of an issue on the 15th of July, 2022. For a time, the company wasn't indexing any new content that was published online. This led to a lot of frustration for people who were trying to get their work seen by the world. However, Google eventually fixed the problem and things are back to normal now. In the meantime, we can all enjoy the fact that we live in a world where even the biggest and most powerful companies can have a
hiccup every now and then.
8. Google is doing it again. The company is testing a new 'x-day returns' snippet that appears for some web pages in the US. This time, it's on both mobile and desktop. As usual, Google is tight-lipped about the whole thing. But we can speculate that the company is testing the new feature to see if it can improve its search results. After all, if people are looking for a product that they can return within a certain number of days, Google wants
to be able to give them that information. Of course, we don't know for sure how long the test will last or whether the feature will be rolled out to all users. But it's definitely something to keep an eye on. So if you're in the US and you see the 'x-day returns' snippet appearing in your search results, now you know what it is. And you can thank (or blame) Google for it.
9. If you want to know what the kids are into these days, just log onto Tumblr. The social media platform has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to Gen Z’s hunger for 2010s nostalgia. From K-Pop to vaporwave, there’s no corner of the internet that hasn’t been exhumed and repurposed by the kids of today. And while some of it is admittedly baffling to anyone over the age of 25, there’s no denying the power of the web’s cultural memory. With
its vast archive of user-generated content, Tumblr is the perfect place to take a trip down memory lane. So whether you’re looking for fashion inspiration, music recommendations, or just a good laugh, there’s sure to be something on Tumblr that will appeal to you.
10. LEAD GENERATORS BEWARE: WEB SESSION DATA TECHNOLOGIES MAY PRESENT A LEGAL PROBLEM: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that use of certain technologies on a website to track and record web session data before obtaining affirmative consent may be a violation of California’s wiretap statute. Read More.
11. In the age of data privacy concerns, brands must get creative in their use of customer data to personalize shopper journeys. This is where non-personally identifiable information (non-PII data) comes in. Successful marketing in this new environment begins with objectives based on accurate insight into the customer journey. Non-PII data is information that cannot be used to identify an individual, such as ZIP code, gender, or age range. While
this type of data may seem limited, it can actually be quite powerful in helping to create personalized experiences. Learn more.