X launches Chat, its new encrypted DMs
X launches Chat, its new encrypted DMs X has revealed Chat, an encrypted upgrade to the platform’s direct messaging service. It also includes support for video and voice calls, disappearing messages, and file sharing. The company announced Chat on Friday, and it’s available now on iOS and the web, with an Android version coming “soon.” […]
Sky Sports killed off its female-focused Halo brand after just three days
Sky Sports killed off its female-focused Halo brand after just three days Girls like pink and peach, right? That Sky Sports felt the need to launch a TikTok channel specifically marketed towards women and billed as its “lil sis” was questionable enough. But once people got a taste of the content on Halo, it was […]
Patreon is adding tweet-like features and more recommended content
Patreon is adding tweet-like features and more recommended content Patreon is introducing a suite of new features, and some of them are reminiscent of traditional social media platforms. The most obvious callback is something Patreon is calling Quips, which — you guessed it — are essentially tweets. Quips are smaller text, photo, or video posts […]
Discord now lets parents control who contacts their teens, but messages stay private
Discord now lets parents control who contacts their teens, but messages stay private Discord is expanding the safety controls parents and guardians have access to in its Family Center, including increased visibility of their teens’ activity, allowing guardians to control sensitive content filtering and data privacy settings, and giving them more control over who can […]
Influencers have fractured reality in Portland
Influencers have fractured reality in Portland The legal fight over whether the president can send troops into Portland, Oregon, depends on whether judges believe their own eyes or their smartphones. Even before inception, the lawsuit has been dogged by a war on reality fueled by social media influencers, some of whom have direct lines to […]
Threads is giving you more control over your replies
Threads is giving you more control over your replies Threads will now give you more control over which post replies are made public. | Image: Meta Threads is launching two new tools today designed to give users more control over replies on their posts so they can keep conversations civil, respectful, or on-topic. Reply approvals […]
ICE is building a social media panopticon
ICE is building a social media panopticon As Immigration and Customs Enforcement carries out raids across the country, the agency is working rapidly to expand an online surveillance system that could potentially track millions of users on the web. Federal records uncovered by The Lever reveal that ICE is paying $5.7 million to use an […]
Meta wants its metaverse everywhere
Meta wants its metaverse everywhere Horizon Central, the town square of Meta’s metaverse, already runs on the new Meta Horizon game engine. This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. The glasses stole the show: When Meta held […]
Mastodon snags Bluesky’s starter packs feature and includes the ability to opt out
Mastodon snags Bluesky's starter packs feature and includes the ability to opt out Mastodon is introducing “Packs” to help you quickly find accounts to follow and fill up your feed. The decentralized social network announced the feature as part of the FediForum event on Tuesday. It will work similarly to Starter Packs on Bluesky, which […]
Facebook is turning into TikTok
Facebook is turning into TikTok Meta is making some updates to reels on Facebook, including that it has upgraded the platform’s “recommendations engine” so that “it learns your interests quicker and shows you newer and more relevant reels.” This year, Meta has been making a big push into making Facebook relevant again, with CEO Mark […]