This week: Elon Musk bows to Brazilian courts, LinkedIn removes Gold Top Voices Badges, and YouTube strikes new music deal
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Welcome to the Battenhall Weekly, Edition #35
After X was banned in Brazil last month for failing to take down accounts accused of spreading misinformation, the social platform is now complying with the Brazilian Supreme Court’s orders to bring access back to the country. However, the company has been ordered to pay one last fine of nearly $2 million USD (10 million reals). The court also froze Elon Musk’s additional business assets that operate in Brazil, including those related to Starlink and SpaceX. No specific date has been given for when the platform will go live again in Brazil.
LinkedIn is ending its ‘Gold Top Voice badge program’ for Collaborative Articles due to pushback regarding how contributors were awarded the distinction. The Gold program uses an AI- supported, merit-based system that doesn’t vet contributors’ credibility, making it harder to maintain high-quality articles. The ‘Blue Top Voice program’ will continue, however, since it’s an exclusive badge awarded by LinkedIn’s editorial team.
Snapchat has rolled out a new Footsteps feature that enables users to see how much of the world they’ve explored based on the Snaps taken and saved. Initially exclusive to Snapchat+ subscribers, it is now available to iOS users with a future rollout planned for Android users. This unique feature seems to be another attempt by Snapchat to differentiate itself from competitors like Instagram and TikTok.
TikTok and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have forged a new partnership to increase communications with global citizens, promote health literacy, and advocate for healthy behaviours, while also addressing misinformation across social platforms. WHO plans to leverage its network of health influencers to strengthen this collaboration.
YouTube and the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC) have reached a new deal that will bring many popular artists, and their songs, back to the platform. Songs from artists like Adele and Nirvana were removed earlier this week, but both companies have settled on a new contract with a reworked compensation structure for artists.
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