It’s time to take a look at the week that was – welcome back to The Weekly Download!
On the agenda: Facebook’s latest initiative to limit COVID-19 misinformation, TikTok’s newest interested buyer, Twitter’s move to help reduce harassment, Blockbuster’s comeback, Friday Fun, and more.
Facebook Will Now Warn Users Before Sharing COVID-19 Articles
To help prevent the spread of misinformation and out-of-date news articles, Facebook will now warn users before sharing COVID-19 articles on the platform.
The new notification screen includes contextual information about an article or link, like when it was first shared and its original source. Facebook says the goal is to “help people understand the recency and source of content before they share it” and to “direct people to our COVID-19 Information Center to ensure people have access to credible information about COVID-19 from global health authorities.”
While Facebook has taken other measures to combat coronavirus misinformation, such as banning anti-mask groups, the platform remains a hotspot for conspiracy theories and misinformation.
Twitter is Interested in Buying TikTok
As we shared last week, the race for TikTok to secure an American buyer is on. Microsoft is reportedly interested, and it seems that they’re not the only ones. According to news sources, Twitter is also in the running for TikTok’s US ownership.
While Twitter has yet to confirm their interest, Reuters claims that cash could be the limiting factor in purchase for the social media network.
It wouldn’t be Twitter’s first acquisition of a short-form mobile video app – back in 2012, Twitter purchased Vine before the app’s demise just a few years later.
Twitter Limits Tweet Responses to Reduce Harassment
A new feature from Twitter will allow users to limit the responses they receive on original tweets. The feature, which has been in testing since May, was rolled out earlier this week across the platform.
Now when you tweet, you can limit who can reply to either the people you follow or the people you mention by simply tagging their handle. People who can’t reply can still view, share, and “like” your tweets.
Limiting replies is designed to reduce harassment on Twitter and help people feel more comfortable posting on the platform. According to Twitter, internal research showed people who submitted abuse reports are three times more likely to use these settings. The new feature will also make it easier for users to have focused conversations on the platforms without being bombarded by distracting replies.
You Can Now Rent the World’s Last Blockbuster Store for a Night on Airbnb
Feeling nostalgic and want to take a little trip down memory lane? You can now rent the world’s last physical Blockbuster store, located in Bend, Oregon, for a 90s-themed sleepover on Airbnb.
The good news: it costs just $4 a night for a socially-distanced movie night. The bad news: only residents of Deschutes County, where Bend is located, will be able to book the listing.
Friday Fun
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Can’t Convince His Daughter He Was in ‘Moana’
Another attempt by Dwayne Johnson to convince his 2-year-old daughter that he was, in fact, in Moana, has sunk like a rock (pun intended).
Check out the cute clip below:
Gordon Ramsay is Rating TikTok Cooks
You might know Chef Gordon Ramsay for his bluntly hilarious (and sometimes, kind of mean) commentary on shows like Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, and Kitchen Nightmares.
Now Gordon Ramsay is now on TikTok, and the results of his new duet series #RamsayReacts are pretty amazing – no one’s cooking videos are safe, not even his daughter’s!
