
Google Signs Licensing Agreement with News Publishers
After years of pushback, Google finally agrees to sign licensing agreements with news publishers. Before this, all of their content was viewable to users at zero cost. “A vibrant news industry matters —perhaps more than ever,” Google’s Vice President of Product Management, Brad Bender, said in a statement. These agreements were signed almost a year after Facebook and Apple agreed to pay for the rights to use and access content from leading news sites.
Instagram Commits to Supporting Creators with New Feature
Throughout the pandemic, Instagram has seen its creators turn to Live and IGTV more and more. Viewership has gone up 70%, and Instagram wanted a way for these fitness instructors, chefs, etc., to get paid for their work. That’s why Instagram created ‘Badges,’ a feature that will be available for viewers to purchase during creators’ Live videos.

TikTok Breaks Down Their Extremely Accurate “For You” Algorithm
Like many other apps, TikTok uses a recommendation system to suggest videos that are relevant and unique to its users. The “For You” feed leads to discovery and community for users. Some of the key elements they use for their algorithm are user interactions, video information, and device and account settings.
Youtube Targets Tiktok With Similar Short-form Video Option ‘Shorts’
Youtube has entered the testing phase for a new 15-second long video option. ‘Shorts’ was made to rival the popular app, TikTok, and will be available on Youtube’s mobile app. This announcement comes after Instagram’s TikTok-like option ‘Reels.'