The month is almost over but the social media mavericks show no signs of slowing. One platform is tightening security and taking on the pioneer of search engines, while another channel is giving you a commercial-free option… for a price. Here’s a look at what you might’ve missed in social media news this week.
Facebook Gives Upgrade to Search Feature
On Thursday, Facebook’s Vice President of Search, Tom Stocky, announced an upgrade that will make searchable content universal. “Today, we’re updating Facebook Search so that in addition to friends and family, you can find out what the world is saying about topics that matter to you,” Stocky explained. An estimated 1.5 billion searches are made every day on the social media site, according to Stocky, and that number should skyrocket once this new feature is available for everyone. Experts believe Facebook is using this new tool to directly compete with Google on search, and they may eventually open it up for advertising, much like Google currently does.
Social Alerts Now Paired With Security Alerts
The world’s largest social media network will now send you a warning when it thinks your account has been “targeted or compromised by an attacker.” These new notifications are specifically tailored to warn you when someone in a different country is potentially trying to break into your Facebook account. Earlier this year, members of the Islamic State Group allegedly tried to hack the social media accounts of U.S. military personnel, according to The Washington Post. While Facebook won’t reveal how they were able to attribute these alleged attacks, they did explain, “we plan to use this warning only in situations where the evidence strongly supports our conclusion.” Facebook suggests you use multi-factor authentication, like login approvals, to prevent these kinds of cyber-attacks.
YouTube Goes Red
On Wednesday, YouTube unveiled a new subscription service that allows users to watch videos without ads. YouTube Red costs $10 every month and gives users unlimited access to all the music, video games, and how-to videos their hearts desire. Over the past year, the top 100 advertisers on YouTube increased spending by 60 percent, according to The New York Times. Experts at YouTube apparently aren’t worried about missing out on advertising revenue. “People are embracing paid subscriptions for ad-free content at an incredible pace,” said Robert Kyncl, the chief business officer at YouTube.
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