After months of testing and users asking for it, Facebook finally rolled out its long-awaited dark mode option for mobile. Facebook already offers the dark mode feature for its other apps, including Messenger, Facebook Lite, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Facebook initially started testing it back in March and then again in June, but now dark mode will be widely available for FB users to try out. Perhaps to make doom scrolling more enjoyable?
Spotify prides itself on introducing new music and artists to users with their algorithm or “signals”- as they like to call it. To make their personalized recommendations, Spotify considers various factors like the time of day, songs users are saving, and adding to playlists, etc. And to better help artists connect with listeners, Spotify is starting to use artist input to prioritize which songs get discovered first and when. Artist priority will be added to Spotify’s signals to improve artist visibility and discoverability when making personalized recommendations and listening sessions for users. This new feature won’t cost anything upfront, just a lowered promotional recording royalty rate.
Facebook Prepares Emergency Measures Post Election
To prepare for election unrest online, Facebook prepares to rollout potential internal tools to slow the spread of misinformation. Executives stated this plan would only go into effect if election-related violence were to occur. The measures include “slowing the spread of viral content and lowering the bar for suppressing potentially inflammatory posts,” as well as “tweaking the news feed to change what types of content users see.” The threat of post-election violence is far from fake news. With recent reports of groups plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Facebook has decided to take unprecedented steps to slow the spread of misinformation and the organization of violent movements on its platform.