The Friday Five: Apple in Privacy Dispute with UK Gov, Twitter Becomes ‘X’, and Threads Sign-Ups Appear to Plateau

Hello all! Welcome to this week's edition of the Friday Five, brought to you by #TeamEmbryo!

We hope you had a good working week and are looking forward to a few days off. Before the weekend comes calling, though, let's first dive into five of the most interesting stories from the past week. This week in particular has been quite hectic in the world of marketing and social media, as you'll see!

So, without further ado, let's jump into what we'll be covering in today's newsletter!

1. TikTok Releases Text-Based Posts In Latest Social Media Shake Up

TikTok, you know it, the app that all the other apps are trying to copy, now appears to be borrowing features from its rivals and offering text-only posts.

The new feature aims to provide users with "another way to express themselves" amidst the competition with other giants in the industry.

Users can now choose from three options when creating posts: photos, videos, or text.

What's more, they can customise their text posts by adding sound, location, or Duets, which are video reactions to other users' posts.

This new feature comes at a time when social media competition has intensified in recent weeks, with Meta's new Threads platform garnering over 100 million users within five days of its launch, and Elon Musk rebranding Twitter to X.

As the battle for users' attention continues, TikTok is determined to remain a dynamic and interactive space, offering a blend of text, images, and videos to keep its one billion active users engaged worldwide.

Check out the BBC News article for more.

2. Threads Activity Slows: A Sign of Things to Come or Just a Bump in the Road??

The newly launched Threads appears to have hit its rough patch. Since hitting 100 million users it has seen a decline in daily active users and a reduction in downloads.

The current version of Threads is quite basic, lacking features like a 'Following' feed, but updates are expected soon to address these limitations.

The addition of such a feed will enable users to view content only from the profiles they follow, similar to Twitter. While this may lead to lower post-exposure, it's seen as a necessary step to improve user experience and bring Threads closer to the appeal of tweets.

Despite the setbacks, Threads has garnered immense interest, with 117 million profiles created, nearly half of Twitter's active user base. Elon Musk's polarising approach on Twitter has pushed many users away, and Threads has provided a seemingly popular alternative for those seeking a different platform.

Notable personalities, including celebrities and journalists, have shown interest in Threads, potentially bringing their audiences along. Additionally, the platform's popularity in emerging mobile markets like India and Brazil indicates further growth potential, as Twitter has struggled to gain traction in these regions.

Despite this reduction in usage and downloads, Threads has shown that it can compete, and the opportunity to challenge Twitter's dominance remains open.

Social Media Today, LLC goes further on this story.

3. Ta'ra Twitter, Say Hello to 'X'

Elon Musk's Twitter ownership took its most controversial move yet by rebranding the platform (almost) entirely to X.

The official name of the company has already been altered from Twitter Inc to X Corp earlier this year. Musk's vision for "X, the everything app" takes inspiration from China's WeChat, aiming to integrate messaging, payments, marketplace, and public posts all in one place.

The rebrand, however, hasn't completely altered the look or feel of the site. At the time of writing X still has the Twitter.com domain and the site looks the same as it did when the bluebird was front and centre.

Under Musk's leadership, Twitter has witnessed several changes, including staff layoffs, verification checkmarks behind a paywall, and reinstating banned accounts.

As you can imagine, this latest rebrand has been met with plenty of questions and scepticism. Many have questioned the need for an entire rebrand and change of what was, ostensibly, a winning formula before Musk took over.

One notable competitor is Meta's Threads app, which gained immense popularity, amassing 100 million users within five days of its launch. Threads boast a stricter moderation policy, attracting users dissatisfied with Twitter's lax stance.

Head to Sky News for more.

4. Gov’s Plan to Tackle Illegal Ads and Child Safety Receives Positive Reception

The government's latest initiative, the Online Advertising Programme, aimed at curbing illegal and harmful online advertising, has received positive feedback from the industry.

Under the new rules, the advertising supply chain, including publishers and ad tech platforms, will bear greater responsibility in combating illegal and scam ads.

Social media platforms, websites, and advertising display networks like Google Ads and Amazon Ads are urged to take stronger measures to protect under-18s from exposure to alcohol and gambling ads.

The government also intends to crack down on fake celebrity scams and pop-up malware to ensure a safer online environment.

The regulations to address harmful online advertising will encompass both legislative and non-legislative approaches, working alongside the Online Safety Bill.

ISBA, the voice of advertisers in the UK, and The Advertising Association (AA) have praised the government's response to the Online Advertising Programme consultation.

They emphasise the importance of building a trusted advertising environment and an evolving regulatory system to prevent harm and stress the need for evidence-based decisions about changing existing advertising regulations.

The Internet Advertising Bureau's CEO, Jon Mew, urges caution in pursuing legislative responses without thoroughly exploring other regulatory solutions.

He calls for proportionate and justified proposals, as well as reinforced efforts to enforce existing laws against illegal actors.

There is further insight over at Marketing Week .

5. No, We'll Hang Up! Apple Threatens to Pull iMessage and FaceTime in the UK in Row with Gov

Apple has warned that upcoming changes to British surveillance laws could impact iPhone users' privacy and lead to the withdrawal of security features, potentially resulting in services like FaceTime and iMessage being shut down in the UK.

The company's concerns revolve around the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, which grants the Home Office the authority to request access to encrypted content through technology capability notices.

Apple contends that the proposed changes would give the UK government oversight of security updates to its products, including iOS software updates, essentially giving the home secretary control over global security and encryption updates.

The company fears this could force it to introduce vulnerabilities in its security technologies or stop developing them altogether.

The tech giant emphasises that it has never created a "backdoor" for government use and would prefer to withdraw security features in the UK rather than compromise user privacy.

End-to-end encryption is vital for services like FaceTime and iMessage, and Apple considers it crucial for user data security.

Apple's submission on the matter represents a strong stance, and if the UK government proceeds without addressing these concerns, the company might consider leaving the UK market, leaving British users with reduced privacy and security protections.

For in-depth coverage, be sure to head to The Guardian .

That wraps up this week's edition of the Friday Five. We hope these summaries proved valuable. Remember, we're here every Friday to bring you the latest updates and trends that shape the digital landscape.

Wishing you all a fantastic week ahead and thank you for tuning in every Friday. See you next Friday for five more stories from the marketing world.