Social Media Updates 2020

December 14th, 2020

Reading Time: 30 minutes

The only thing that is constant, is change – particularly when it comes to social media. Every week I review a number of websites so that I can share all the changes in a weekly email newsletter, and update this blog post.

They include new features, retired features, brand refreshes, financial reporting, algorithm updates and more.

Watch my end of year review:

If you would like to receive updates straight to your email inbox at 10.15am (UK) every Monday morning, subscribe here.

If you would like to discuss what the changes mean to you and your business, get in touch.

December

Introducing the Beta for LinkedIn Stories Ads. Read more from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is rolling out some new company page roles which will provide more ways for page admins to manage their presence. Read more from Social Media Today.

November

LinkedIn is up to 722 million members, and continues to see ‘record levels of engagement’. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn has added a range of new tools to help job seekers in their search efforts. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn has added a new hub to assist businesses in supporting underrepresented groups. Read more from Social Media Today.

October

LinkedIn Stories have now rolled out to the UK. Read more from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has also added some new features to enhance its virtual events offering, while it’s also giving all users access to its new video meeting tools. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn has added some new prompts to alert users to potentially inappropriate behavior. Read more from LinkedIn
LinkedIn has also updated its Professional Community Policies to keep members safe. Read more from LinkedIn.

September

LinkedIn has a new look and feel. Read more about the changes, from LinkedIn.
New features include ways to start video meetings and easier ways to message your connections. Read more about the features, here.
LinkedIn Stories are rolling out in the US and Canada. To see how they work, read more from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has announced new features on LinkedIn Pages – including ‘my company’ tab, ‘events’ tab and view page followers. Read more from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has strengthened its professional community policy to ensure users can foster constructive conversations. Read more from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has launched a new resource to help healthcare sector marketers connect with relevant audiences on the platform. Read more from Social Media Today.

August

What you need to know about the LinkedIn Stories feature. Read more from Entrepreneur.
LinkedIn has built a new system to detect and hide inappropriate InMail messages. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn is adding some new, machine learning-fueled alerts to its Sales Navigator platform, and a new tracking tool to keep tabs on past correspondence. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn has sold off its presentation platform SlideShare, which it acquired in 2012, to eBook publishing platform Scribd. Read more from T echcrunch.
LinkedIn has launched a new ad campaign in the UK to promote its efforts to support professionals impacted by COVID-19. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn updates job applicant matching systems to improve recruitment outcomes. Read more from Social Media Today.

July

LinkedIn continues to see solid overall growth, despite the slowdown in global recruitment due to COVID-19. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn continues to add more quick creation options in the post composer. Read more from Social Media Today.
Do you have a name that’s often mispronounced? LinkedIn is currently rolling out a feature that will allow you to record your name and display it on your LinkedIn profile for others to listen to. The total recording time is 10 seconds, so I suggest also including a very brief description of what you do/how you can help people after your name?. You can find instructions to do this, here.
LinkedIn has launched a global skills initiative aimed at bringing more digital skills to 25 million people worldwide by the end of this year. The goal is to help those who have become unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis get the skills they need to land their next job. It includes free access to LinkedIn Learning courses. Find out more, here.
LinkedIn has also added three new features that make it easier to give, and get help.
– Share that you’re open to work
– Offer to lend a hand
– Show support
Read more from LinkedIn, here.

June

LinkedIn continues to make its new ‘Stories’ feature more widely available, this time bringing it to Australian users. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn is testing a new ‘status’ option to help keep connections updated on what you’re up to. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn adds new retargeting options and simplified campaign integration to its Audience Network. Read more Social Media Today.

May

LinkedIn has released its latest Transparency Report, addressing government requests we received as well as our own actions to remove inappropriate content and fake accounts from LinkedIn in the July-December 2019 reporting period. Read more from LinkedIn.

April

Microsoft has reported that LinkedIn is now up to 690 million members, though it’s predicted a slowdown in revenue growth due to COVID-19. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn is making its new Stories feature available to users in Brazil, while it’s also added new settings and details in the main app as it prepares for a wider launch of the function. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn adds new video intro and interview assessment tools to improve digital recruitment. Read more from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has released two new forms of company targeting to boost B2B lead generation – the new target types, Company Category and Company Growth Rate, use data from Forbes and Fortune as well as LinkedIn’s own observable, behavioural data. Read more from Search Engine Land.
LinkedIn Events is now available to all pages to assist with connectivity amid the COVID-19 lockdown. Read more from Social Media Today.

March

LinkedIn has shared how they have approached managing the COVID-19 crisis, and how they’re thinking about the path ahead. Read more, here.
LinkedIn rolls out Conversation Ads, aimed at to improving personalization in messaging. Read more from LinkedIn.
Using LinkedIn to stay informed and connected: resources to help navigate work and Coronavirus. Read more from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn launches Spotify playlists for career development processes. Read more from Social Media Today.

February

LinkedIn’s head of consumer product, Pete Davies, has confirmed they are testing Stories. Read more, here.
LinkedIn has added a new ‘Fair Chance’ job search filter to help people with a criminal record find employers that are open to hiring them. Read more from Social Media Today.
Linkedin launches new ‘featured’ section on profiles to highlight key achievements and links. Read more from Social Media Today.
LinkedIn’s vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. To better understand how people define opportunity and the barriers they face in accessing it, they have published their first global LinkedIn Opportunity Index. This research gives a view into how people around the world think about opportunity: their attitudes, their realities, and the challenges they face.
Read more, from LinkedIn.
‘We call it breaking views’ – how LinkedIn’s growing editorial team shapes its news feed. Useful insight via The Drum.CEO Jeff Weiner to move into Executive Chairman role and Ryan Roslansky, Senior Vice President of Product, to become CEO on June 1st. Read more, from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has rolled out several new features for Sales Navigator to make it easier to add leads from the sales prospecting platform to Salesforce, share content within a Sales Navigator account, get alerts when a company account shows signs of growth and more. Read more, (from MarketingLand)
LinkedIn has announced that on March 18, it will shut down Sales Navigator for Gmail, an extension that provided further information about the person you were emailing in Gmail, which was formerly known as Rapportive. Read more (from Techcrunch).
Microsoft has once again reported that LinkedIn saw ‘record levels of engagement’ over the last three months of 2019, while the platform also continues to expand its audience across the globe. Read more, from Social Media Today.

January

LinkedIn has announced that it will merge the functionality of its Elevate employee advocacy program into its company pages tools. Core Elevate functionality will be available in Pages by December 2020, at which point Elevate will no longer be available as a standalone app. Read more, from LinkedIn.

Twitter

December

Twitter users complain of timelines being overrun with ‘Promoted Tweets’. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter introduced its own take on stories—fleeting tweets called Fleets—last month. Now it’s making it easier to share tweets inside stories on other platforms (Snapchat and Instagram Stories). Read more from Fast Company.
Twitter has acquired multi-participant video chat app Squad, which could pave the way for new video streaming features in the app. Read more from Social Media Today.

November

Twitter has addressed some key concerns in the use of its new feature Fleets, largely caused by a massive increase in system demand. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter Adds New Warning Pop-Ups When Users Attempt to Like Tweets Which Include Disputed Claims. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter to relaunch account verifications in 2021, and asks for feedback on policy. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter rolls out Stories, aka ‘Fleets,’ to all users. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter has announced a new addition to its ad format options: Carousels. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter may slow down users’ ability to ‘like’ tweets containing misinformation. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter continued to see its total traffic rise in the third quarter, thanks to that trifecta of returning sports, the presidential campaign and the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter has added an app banner offering information about election results and voting by mail. The banners will appear on the home timelines of all US-based users, and they’ll pop up when people search for election-related phrases or hashtags. Read more from The Verge.

October

Twitter has changed how you retweet ahead of the November 3rd US presidential election. Here’s how to retweet using Twitter’s new temporary format…. from The Verge.
Twitter’s adding another way to boost tweet discovery by giving users the option to share Topic listings in tweets, DMs, and even off Twitter, connecting others to key discussions of interest. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has updated the composer element of its Ads Manager, making it easier to see what your promoted tweets will look like before you launch your campaign. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has added another warning prompt to slow the spread of misinformation, this time alerting users when they go to share a tweet which has been flagged under the platform’s rules against misinformation.. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has rolled out a new update to its privacy and safety settings, including new video overviews of how to utilize the various options. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter tests a new way to find accounts to follow. Starting with Android devices, the new feature, “Suggested Follows,” that will pop up a list of other accounts you may want to follow on the profile page of someone you had just followed.Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter has announced some new election integrity measures, including a ban on calls for intimidation at polls and retweet warnings on questionable claims. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has expanded the availability of audio tweets, and re-affirmed plans for auto captions of voice messages. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter may let users choose how to crop image previews after bias scrutiny. Read more from Techcrunch.

September

Twitter begins adding headlines and descriptions to some of its ‘trends’. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter experiments with adding a ‘quotes’ count to Tweets. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter announces a new push to improve Tweet accessibility options. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has shared the results of a new study into the effectiveness of its video ad options. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter is looking to add more context to its Trending lists by displaying example tweets, representative of the trend, for some topics. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter will now display ‘Retweets’ and ‘Quote Tweets’ in a separate count on the main tweet display. Read more from Social Media Today.

August

Twitter adds more detail on DMs from users you don’t follow. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has launched a new Transparency Center to help provide more insight into actions it’s taken based on rule violations, information requests and more. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter claims increased enforcement of hate speech and abuse policies in last half of 2019. Read more from Techcrunch.
After testing them out over the last few months, Twitter is now rolling out its new tweet reply control options to all users. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter is making it easier for businesses, academics, and third-party developers to build on its platform with the launch of its API v2. Read more from The Verge.
Twitter is testing automatic translations for Tweets in different languages. Read more from 9to5Mac.
Twitter will now label accounts that represent state-affiliated media, in order to better inform users about the content being shared by these accounts. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter Q2 misses on sales of $683M, loss per share of $0.16 as COVID-19 takes its toll. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter is surveying users on what features they’d want from a subscription. Read more from The Verge.
Twitter provides insights into the rise of Twitter Watch parties during COVID-19. Read more from Social Media Today.

July

Twitter has reported its latest performance update, showing an increase in users amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but a significant impact on revenue. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has shared a full update on the attack that targeted the accounts of several high profile users. You can read it from Social Media Today, here.
Twitter has unveiled a new interface for its direct messages on the web, allowing you to send and receive DMs without having to leave your timeline. Read more from The Verge.
Twitter is working on a new subscription platform. Read more from The Verge.

June

Twitter begins rolling out audio tweets on iOS. Read more from TechCrunch.
Twitter has now released its new list search option to all users. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter is adding a new prompt on Retweets when users haven’t opened the link. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter now lets you schedule tweets from its web app. Read more from The Verge.
Twitter adds options to include custom banners on lists, which will be displayed when lists are shared via URL. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter’s making it easier for users to add text descriptions to their uploaded images, with a dedicated ‘+ALT’ button displayed on the image itself. Read more from Social Media Today.

May

Twitter begins live testing of new controls over who can reply to your Tweets. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has removed custom camera captions and larger image presentation format. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter is now turning on the algorithm timeline for everyone and leaving it up to you if you want to opt-out. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter is rolling out changes to threaded conversations. Read more from Techcrunch.
In its latest effort to deal with harassment on its platform, Twitter is looking into giving users a second chance before they tweet. In a new feature, the company is testing, users who use “harmful” language will see a prompt suggesting that they self-edit before posting a reply. Read more from Techcrunch.

April

Twitter Q1: sales up 3% to $808M as it swings to a loss on COVID-19. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has switched off its option to access tweets via SMS in most regions after a new issue was discovered in its systems. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter is making it possible for developers and researchers to study the public conversation around COVID-19 in real time with an update to its API platform. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter notifies users that it’s now sharing more data with advertisers (users in Europe are the exception). Read more from The Verge.
Twitter will now allow some brands to make reference to COVID-19 in ads. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has announced an update to its Explore tab, which will see all Explore listings become more location-specific. Read more from Social Media Today.

March

Twitter says user numbers are up amid COVID-19 lockdown, but warn of revenue impacts. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has provided some examples of positive and responsible ways to communicate amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter reawakens profile verification to help identify authoritative voices on COVID-19 outbreak. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has launched an update for its Go Live with Guests feature which enables users to invite guests into the stream before it begins. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter Offers Advice for Brand Communications Amid Coronavirus Outbreak. Read more from Social Media Today.
Jack Dorsey set to retain Twitter CEO role amid investor group challenge. Read more from Social Media Today.
A new Twitter client finally gives us the power to edit tweets — sort of. Read more from The Verge.
Twitter starts testing its own version of Stories, called ‘Fleets’, which disappear after 24 hours. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter lists as alternate feeds option is now available on Android devices. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter has updated its hate speech policies to cover tweets that make dehumanizing remarks, which are remarks that treat “others as less than human,” on the basis of age, disability, or disease. Read more from The Verge.

February

Twitter acquires Stories template maker Chroma Labs. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter adds new an option to add new Tweets into old Tweet threads. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter is testing a new notification tag on identified misinformation. Read more from Social Media Today.
Twitter reports $1.01b in Q4 revenue, with 152m monetizable daily active users. Read more, from Techcrunch.
Twitter says AI tweet recommendations helped it add millions of users. Read more, from The Verge.
Twitter’s manipulated media policy will remove harmful tweets & voter suppression. Read more from Techcrunch.
Twitter has given conversations a makeover on iOS. When people you follow are in a conversation, you’ll see their replies in a new way in your Home timeline. The new layout makes it easier to see who’s replying to who so you can join in on relevant conversations. Read more, from The Verge.

January

Twitter is rolling out iMessage-like reactions feature to direct messages. Read more, from 9to5Mac.
Twitter users will soon have four options to “tailor” the replies to their tweets: anyone can reply, only those followed by the user can reply, only those tagged can reply, or setting a tweet to allow no replies at all. Read more (from Techcrunch).
Twitter is bringing twttr’s experiments in threaded conversations to its main app. Read more (from TechCrunch).
Twitter has created a new hub for academic researchers to more easily access information and support around its APIs. Read more (from Techcrunch).
Twitter launches Promoted Trend Spotlight – a new takeover ad unit in the Explore tab. Read more (from MarketingLand).
Twitter is removing the audience insights element from Twitter Analytics. Read more (from Social Media Today).
As part of its increased focus on Lists, Twitter has shared that they are working on a range of list updates, including new activity details, location sorting and custom images for List headers. Read more (from Social Media Today).

Facebook

December

Facebook will now list public groups in its Brand Collabs Manager to facilitate sponsored content opportunities. Read more from Social Media Today.

November

Facebook has added some new fundraising tools and initiatives as part of its ‘Season of Giving’ for 2020. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook extends political ad ban another month as Trump refuses to concede. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook is now using AI to sort content for quicker moderation. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook’s Vanish Mode on Messenger and Instagram lets you send disappearing messages. Read more from The Verge.
Amid the chaos of the US Election, some Facebook advertisers have been experiencing various issues and delays. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook says it will put groups on probation for violating its content rules. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook is testing some new visual effects options for still images posted to News Feed. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has reported its Q3 earnings including revenues of $21.5 billion, and net income of $7.8 billion. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook hits pause on algorithmic recommendations for political and social issue groups. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook is limiting distribution of ‘save our children’ hashtag over QAnon ties. Read more from Techcrunch.

October

Facebook is giving users some new, simple options to sort their order in which content is presented in their News Feed. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook launches new Shopping audiences, Instagram Product Tag ads, tests Shops discounts. Read more from Marketing Land.
Facebook is testing a new ‘Neighborhoods’ feature which aims to connect users to local community news and happenings. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook’s added some new discovery tools to its Watch video platform as it seeks to build on growing viewership. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook’s Oversight Board has started to hear cases. If your content has been removed from Facebook or Instagram, you can appeal your case. Find out more from Facebook.
Facebook has shared its latest progress on privacy work, here. Plus updates on how they are preparing for the US Election to protect its integrity. Read more from Facebook, here.
Looking ahead, Facebook and Twitter CEOs have been invited to testify before Congress in November on how they handled the election. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook has introduced a new look Messenger, with additional features coming soon. Read more from Facebook.
Everyone of voting age in the U.S. will soon begin seeing informational videos at the top of Instagram and Facebook, offering tips and state-specific guidance on how to vote through the mail. Read more from Techcrunch.

Facebook added new tools and guides for Coming Out Day 2020. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has launched a new initiative to assist SMBs in the final quarter push for 2020, with a specific focus on black owned brands . Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has announced new group features, including automated moderation tools and new engagement options. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has introduced cross-app communication between Messenger and Instagram, plus other features. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook is testing a new Accounts Center, which will enable users to link their Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accounts via a single authentication process, saving the need to re-open each app when using it as a log-on or payment option. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is removing its 28-day attribution window option for Facebook ads, which will limit advertiser capacity to track campaign performance. Read more from Social Media Today.

September

Facebook is removing its restrictions on text content in Facebook Ad images. Read more from Social Media Today.
Hashtags have not been used too much on Facebook, but this is changing. Facebook is expanding its test of new hashtag use metrics. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook’s new Rights Manager tool lets creators protect their photos, including those embedded elsewhere. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook has launched a new platform to help small businesses manage their Facebook and Instagram presence all from one app. Read more from F acebook.
Facebook has launched a new initiative to help support to battle against climate change and connect Facebook users to accurate climate information. Read more from F acebook.
Facebook is rolling out a new testing option for organic video uploads, in order to help Pages maximize video performance. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is adding some new brand safety tools for video advertisers, including topic exclusions and ‘publisher allow’ lists. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has added a new co-watching feature to Messenger, providing another way to keep people connected around common interests. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has announced a series of new rules designed to further penalize those who violate its community standards, specifically around Facebook Groups. It also introduced rules meant to crack down on the spread of misinformation through these more private networks. Read more from F acebook.
Facebook has launched Facebook Campus, a college-only space designed to help students connect with fellow classmates over shared interests. Read more from Facebook.
With the impacts of COVID-19 wearing on many people, Facebook has outlined a range of new mental health resources that it’s developing for its apps. Read more from F acebook.
Facebook has launched a ‘Get Digital’ program to improve digital literacy among school students. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has announced some new personalization tools for Watch as viewership for the platform increases. Read more from Social Media Today.
After announcing a coming limit on how many ads a business Page can run at any given time in November last year, Facebook has now outlined exactly how its new regulations will apply, with four tiers of advertiser categories that will define how many ads each can run concurrently. Don’t worry, the limits are generous! Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has introduced a forwarding limit on Messenger, so messages can only be forwarded to five people or groups at a time. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook updates Messenger Rooms. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook now lets you customise your Watch video feed with #Topics. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook is letting some users view Instagram Stories on Facebook. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has published its guidelines for determining what content is eligible to appear in recommendations. Read more from Facebook.

August

Facebook’s old web design will disappear in September. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook is planning to roll out a new update of its Ad Preferences tool which will make it easier to control your personal ad and data settings. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has announced some new measures to help support black-owned businesses as part of its broader efforts to address racial inequality. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook outlines new machine learning process to improve the accuracy of community standards enforcement. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has launched a new Educator Hub, which is designed to help students, parents, and teachers by providing a range of educational resources, which are focused on improving learning outcomes, updating lesson plans, and teaching digital literacy. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has launched the ability for businesses, creators, educators and media publishers to earn money from online events on Facebook. Now Page owners can create an online event, set a price, promote the event, collect payment and host the event, all in one place. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook adds new page follow settings to control which updates you see. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook begins merging Instagram and Messenger chats. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook tests TikTok-style video format on its main app in India. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook continues to clean up its targeting options, removing over 1,000 targeting options, mainly because they are not widely used or they are duplicative. Read more from AdWeek.
Facebook has launched a US 2020 Voting Information Centre. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook is adding another new feature for groups, with a new post-level analytics option which will provide more context as to how people are engaging with group updates. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is adding a new pop-up prompt when people go to share posts about COVID-19 which provides links to authoritative information on the pandemic. Read more from Social Media Today.Facebook adds new sponsored post options for Groups. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has updated its Messenger chat plug in for websites, which will now enable non-logged in users to send messages to your business. Read more from Social Media Today.
In honour of National Black Business Month and as part of their ongoing commitment to invest in the Black business community, Facebook will be supporting and highlighting Black-owned businesses through a month-long series of training, programming and small business spotlights. Read more from Facebook.Despite ad boycott, monopoly probe and a pandemic, Facebook revenue grows 11%. Read more from The Drum.
Facebook adds official music videos in new challenge to YouTube. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook has provided an overview of its latest improvements in accessibility features. Read more from Social Media Today.

July

Facebook has introduced a new way to broadcast live with up to 50 people, from Messenger Rooms. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook Messenger has introduced App Lock and other new privacy settings. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook is testing a new Page design with a cleaner layout and no more ‘Like’ button. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook Messenger now lets your share your screen on mobile devices. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook is adding new information prompts to dispel COVID-19 myths. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook launches new hosting system for music videos, which could give Facebook Watch a boost. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has shared their 2020 Diversity Report, outlining the steps taken to improve diversity and inclusion in their workforce. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook says it will prioritise original reporting and ‘transparent authorship’ in the News Feed. Read more from TechCrunch.
With Facebook and Instagram Shops on the way, Facebook has added some new Customer Audience creation options to align with increasing eCommerce activity. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has announced a range of new tools to help creators monetize their Facebook content, while also enabling more people to apply for monetization capacity. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has launched its Christmas 2020 research and planning hub, which provides a range of resources to help marketers get their holiday campaigns ready.

June

To ensure people have the context they need to make informed decisions about what to share on Facebook, they are rolling out a notification screen that will let you know when news articles you might be about to share are more than 90 days old. Read more from Facebook.
Mark Zuckerberg has announced that Facebook will roll out new labels to better explain why some content from politicians, which technically violates platform rules, has been left active and unchecked. This comes as a number of companies are planning a boycott of Facebook ad spend in July. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is providing more color customization options for groups in order to cater to vision-impaired users. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is testing the ability to share collections of curated content more publicly. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook has announced a new set of stickers, frames, effects, and more, for both Facebook and Messenger, to help users celebrate Pride Month. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is rolling out a new Voting Information Center to promote political participation, while users will also have the option to switch off political ads. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is adding some new options specifically for parenting groups, in order to make it easier for parents to ask sensitive questions. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook looks to prompt more comments with new comment engagement stats. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is adding a new option to switch between personal and business accounts in Messenger. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook adds Wikipedia knowledge boxes in search results. Read more from Social Media Today.
Chris Cox returns as Facebook’s chief product officer. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook is making it easier to bulk-delete your embarrassing old posts. Read more from The Verge.
All Facebook users can now access a tool to port data to Google Photos. Read more from TechCrunch.
Facebook updates controls over what posts and content are displayed on your profile. Read more Social Media Today.
Facebook is set to able state-controlled media outlets to help people better understand who’s behind the news they see on Facebook. Read more Social Media Today.
Facebook launches Collab, a mix-and-match app for making collaborative music videos. Read more from Techcrunch.
A second-screen experience called Venue – Facebook’s latest experiment is an attempt to make live TV events more social. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook is expanding its verification requirements to profiles with large audiences as it seeks to ensure people are who they claim to be on the platform. Read more from Social Media Today.

May

Facebook is launching Facebook Shops and investing in features across their family of apps that inspire people to shop and make selling online easier. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook is also working on a range of more advanced AR and AI-based tools to improve the online shopping experience. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has outlined some new tools for its Workplace professional platform in order to help connect the rising number of people working from home. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is updating its Creator Studio app with post creation functionality. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has begun testing mid roll ads in video clips, which could provide new considerations for video campaigns. Read more from Social Media Today.
After months of testing, Facebook’s redesign is finally official (and until you get it, the option to update manually is available, too). Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook has added gift cards, jobs, and donation tools to its COVID-19 community help hub. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook is updating its group settings to stop any Facebook Group, of any size, from changing its settings from ‘private’ to ‘public’, in order to protect group users from unintended exposure. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook’s new Oversight Board has announced its first members, marking a fundamental change in the way some of the most difficult and significant decisions around content on its platforms will be made. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook’s Director of Product Management Rob Leathern has provided an overview of where the platform currently stands on advertiser verification, and how it’s looking to improve its systems in order to ensure that more businesses are verified, increasing ad transparency, and system integrity, into the future. Read more from Social Media Today.

April

Facebook has published its latest earnings report, showing double-digit increases users and revenue – though it has warned of a more significant slowdown on the horizon. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook expands access to option to transfer your photos and videos to Google photos. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook advertisers concerned with brand safety can now choose to exclude ads from appearing in Live content. Read more from MarketingLand.
Facebook is introducing ‘Messenger Rooms’ where you will be able to invite up to 50 people to join a video call, even if they don’t have a Facebook account. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook is bringing back ‘Live With’ so you can add another person into your live video. Read more from Facebook.
Soon you will be able to mark Facebook Events as online only and, integrate Facebook Live so you can broadcast to your guests. Facebook also plans to add the ability for Pages to charge for access to events with Live videos on Facebook. Source: Facebook
In an effort to improve transparency in the lead up to the US election, Facebook will now list the primary location from where a Facebook or Instagram page is managed on the post itself. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook is abandoning its push to have all advertisers to switch to its automated Campaign Budget Optimization process, which would have seen the removal of manual ad set budgeting options from the available tools for ad management. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is looking to tap into the rising popularity of gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic with the launch of a new, dedicated Facebook Gaming app which incorporates gaming content, play options and groups. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook Avatars, which lets users customize a virtual lookalike of themselves for use as stickers in chat and comments, is now available across Europe. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook adds a ‘care’ reaction to the like button. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook has added some new data points to its Ad Library listings to improve transparency and insight. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook adds new options to mute group members for longer periods of time. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook provides new templates to help brands communicate key messages during COVID-19 shutdowns. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook rolls out hours and services update for COVID-19 communications. Read more from MarketingLand.
Facebook’s new ‘Quiet Mode’ option lets you turn off the app’s push notifications. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook announces new annual app check-up process to detect potential data misuse. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook adds new tools for groups to help ensure members are getting accurate COVID-19 information. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has launched a new app, this time focused on facilitating interaction between romantic partners, within their own, private space. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is launching a new option that will enable gamers to organize their own tournaments. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has introduced a new Messenger desktop app for group video calls and chats. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook adds new video features, including ‘series’ and updates to bulk uploader. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has added a new ‘Experiments’ section to Ads Manager, which provides a central home for all your Facebook ad tests and results. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has updated its tools that allow you to easily view and download data about how you have used their services, on both Facebook and Instagram. Read more from Facebook.
Facebook is working on a new Auto Status function for Messenger, which would enable users to share what they’re up to with friends, even without actively posting. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook adds gift card discovery tool, service impact listings to help businesses impacted by COVID-19. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has launched a new ‘Community Help’ platform, where people can either offer assistance to others in their community, or request help with tasks. Read more from Social Media Today.

March

Facebook is working to keep its systems operating, and seeing lower ad spend amid COVID-19 lockdown. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook adds new tools for Facebook Live amid rising demand and usage. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has released new digital literacy resources for kids and parents, tips for supporting remote workers. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has launched a new Messenger COVID-19 community hub to highlight key connectivity tools. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is launching a $100M grants program to help the small business community weather the challenges related to the COVID-19 outbreak. They will be posting more information over the next few weeks around eligibility and the full application process. In the meantime, you can visit facebook.com/grantsforbusiness/
Facebook now lets most users opt-in to dark mode & desktop redesign. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook has added a new ‘Mood’ mode for the Facebook Stories camera, which enables you to create a GIF-centric Stories frame conveying a chosen feeling. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook is testing a new option which would connect brand loyalty programs to in-app activity. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook Warns of Ad Approval Delays Amid Staff Changes Due to COVID-19 Impacts. Read more from Social Media Today.
Facebook has launched a new Business Resource Hub which aims to provide support for all businesses affected – directly or indirectly – by the coronavirus outbreak, with tips and links to resources to help brands navigate the impacts and maintain their operations.
Facebook is testing the option to cross-post Stories to Instagram, instead of just vice-versa. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook gives its main function menu a colourful refresh. Read more from Social Media Today.

February

Facebook’s Creator Studio is now available as a mobile app for both iOS and Android. Similar to the desktop hub, the Creator Studio app allows users to track how their content is performing across Facebook Pages, as well as publish, schedule and make adjustments to posts, respond to fan messages and more. Read more from Techcrunch.
Facebook Messenger is getting a new simpler design. Read more from The Verge.
Facebook is now testing a new “Top Admins and Moderators” insights stream, which would provide an overview of the total activity levels of each assigned group admin and moderator. Read more (from Social Media Today).
Facebook has announced a new agreement with Reuters which will see the company work with The Social Network to detect and address misinformation on its platform. Read more (from Social Media Today).
Facebook has added a new ‘one-time notification’ messaging option for businesses to get in touch with customers and update them on relevant info. Read more, from Social Media Today.
Facebook reported another record quarter on Wednesday but warned that privacy regulations will limit ad targeting capabilities and slow the future revenue growth. Read more, from MarketingLand
Facebook has shared details of the work they are doing to give you more control over your privacy, including:
- Prompting people to review their privacy settings
- Giving you more control of your off-Facebook activity
- Introducing alerts for third-party logins
Read more, from Facebook.

January

Facebook’s updated desktop layout is now appearing for more users. Read more (from Social Media Today).
New features will allow people to see fewer political and social issue ads on Facebook and Instagram. Read more (from Facebook).
Facebook has updated the Privacy Checkup tool to help you strengthen your account security and control who can see what you share and how your information is used. Read more (from Facebook).
Facebook quietly announced a new feature coming later this month that will allow users to control whether or not an advertiser can show ads to them using a Custom Audience list. Read more (from MarketingLand).
Facebook has added new ‘Page Management History’ tab in Page tools. Read more (from Social Media Today).
Facebook removed the option to sign up for Messenger without a connected Facebook account. Read more (from Social Media Today).
Facebook added some new elements to its Instant Articles offering for publishers, including a new function bar and Stories links. Read more (from Social Media Today).

Instagram

December

Instagram launches shopping in Reels. Read more from Techcrunch
Instagram has launched its first ever shoppable catalog, in collaboration with fashion influencers in the UK. Read more from Social Media Today.

November

Instagram businesses and creators may be getting a Messenger-like ‘FAQ’ feature. Read more from Techcrunch.
Keyword search is coming to Instagram. Until now, you could only search for hashtags or accounts. Read more from The Verge.
New messaging features now available on Instagram and Messenger. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram revamps its mobile messaging app Threads. Read more from Techcrunch. Instagram Adds New Branded Content Options, Including Branded Content Tags in Reels. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram Adds New Option Which Enables Users to Opt-Out of Third-Party Data Usage for Ad Targeting. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram is expanding Guides, to make it easier to find, curate and share the products, places and posts you love from your favorite accounts on Instagram. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram has announced a new update for its standalone Threads app. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram has published a new guide on the various measures users can implement to combat negative experiences on the platform. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram has introduced Reels and Shop tabs to make it easier to discover short, fun videos and shop on Instagram. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram has rolled out technologies to find suicide and self-harm content and make them less visible to better protect their community in Europe. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram has temporarily removed the “recent” tab on hashtag pages to potentially stop the spread of “harmful content” around the US election. Typically when you search a hashtag on Instagram, you can choose between browsing the “top” posts or the most recent. Now, it seems you can only view the top ones. Read more from The Verge.
Instagram continues to focus on improving its live video experience, and has announced multiple small changes that’ll make streaming on the platform and then saving those live videos easier. The biggest update is that streamers are no longer limited to 60-minute broadcasts — they can go live for up to four hours. Read more from The Verge.

October

Instagram rolls out fan badges for live videos and expands IGTV ads test. Read more from Techcrunch.
Instagram is adding a new, post-level age gate option for brands to better protect young users. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram targets rule-breaking influencers – following an investigation by a UK watchdog which found the platform was failing to protect consumers from being misled. Read more from The BBC.
Instagram celebrated it’s tenth birthday with the launch of several new features, including a private “Stories Map,” offering a retrospective of the Stories you’ve shared over the last three years, a pair of well-being updates, and the previously announced IGTV Shopping update. Read more from Social Media Today.
To support National Bullying Prevention Month, Instagram has announced two new features to reduce negative interactions. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram adds new audio features for Reels, including option to save sounds for your clips. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram plans test of shopping on Reels. Read more from Techcrunch.
Instagram’s Threads app now lets you message everyone, like its Direct app once did. Reach more from Techcrunch.
New messaging features have been introduced for Instagram. Read more from Instagram.

September

Sir David Attenborough joined Instagram and breaks the world record for the fastest time to reach one million followers. Read more from Guinness World Records.
Instagrams’ TikTok clone Reels updates to allow longer videos and easier edits. Read more from Techcrunch.
Instagram adds automatic closed captions for IGTV videos. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram is starting to test different versions of its home screen. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram is working on a range of ways to boost its new ‘Reels’ option in order to capitalize on concerns around TikTok. Read more from Social MediaToday.
Instagram has shared an update on its efforts to address systemic bias and representation within its internal systems and processes. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram Guides may soon allow creators to recommended places, products and more. Read more from Techcrunch.

August

Instagram’s new suggestion feature ensures your feed will never end. Read more from Fast Company.
Instagram has added a new notification which will alert users when they go to share a private post with their connections. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram has added new QR codes for profiles, which will replace Nametag Codes. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram is introducing new authenticity measures to ensure you’re seeing content from real people, not bots or others trying to mislead. Read more from Instagram.
Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with anyone on Instagram. Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. You can share reels with your followers on Feed, and, if you have a public account, make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore. Find out more from Instagram.

July

Instagram is rolling out a new way to raise money for a personal cause. The tests are taking place in the US, UK and Ireland on Android, followed by iOS. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram is introducing Instagram Shop, a new destination in Explore that makes it easier to shop from brands and creators. It will roll out first in the US, and then globally in the coming weeks. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram has started the official rollout of its pinned comment feature that lets any user pin three comments on a post to the top of a thread. Read more from The Verge.
Instagram is starting a small global test of the Instagram Shop tab, which will allow users to shop from top brands and creators via a new tab in the app’s navigation bar. Read more from Techcrunch.
Instagram has added some new tools to help IGTV creators manage how their content appears when it’s listed in the main feed, and within the Discover tab. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram is testing putting all Stories on one page. Read more from TechCrunch.

June

Instagram has published a new set of requirements for businesses looking to use its shopping tools, including the new Shops option. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram expands its TikTok clone ‘Reels’ to new markets. Read more from Techcrunch.Instagram adds new features for Pride Month, including rainbow hashtags. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram tests shopping tags in post captions. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram tests a new format for recommended content listings below the ‘all caught up’ marker. Read more from Social Media Today.
You may soon need to get creator permission to embed Instagram posts in your content. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram tests Messenger integration, new ‘Plans’ sticker for scheduling online meet-ups. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram has announced new ways for creators to make money through Instagram Live and IGTV. Read more from Instagram.

May

Instagram has introduced ‘Guides’, a way to more easily discover recommendations, tips and other content from your favourite creators, public figures, organisations and publishers. The first guides available focus on wellness content. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram has shared new guidelines and product improvements around music in Instagram and Facebook videos and livestreams. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram users can now create Messenger rooms from their Instagram Direct inbox. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram is testing new ways to navigate through your Stories feed. Read more from Social Media Today.

April

Instagram has introduced live donations to help support causes you care about. Read more from Instagram.
Instagram is adding some new font types for Stories. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram launches #MonthofGood initiative to inspire connection during Ramadan. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram updates IGTV app and adds new IGTV preview option for Stories. Read more from Social Media Today.
You can now stream Instagram Live videos directly on your desktop. Read more from Business Insider.
Instagram launches ‘Thank You Hour’ sticker and story to share appreciation during COVID-19 pandemic. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram launches new ‘I stay home for’ sticker to promote COVID-19 containment efforts. Read more from Social Media Today.
Everyone can now access Instagram DMs on the web. Read more from The Verge.
Instagram is partnering with Netflix on a new self care series for young adults. Read more from Social Media Today.

March

Instagram launches new co-watching feature to help users connect amid COVID-19 lockdown. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram is to roll-out IGTV advertising in challenge to YouTube. Read more from Bloomberg.
Instagram’s testing a new set of animated selfie stickers for Stories. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram is testing a new option to promote the sale of gift cards via your business profile. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram had launched a new ‘Stay Home’ sticker that you can find in Stories. If you use the sticker, your photo or video will be added to a shared Instagram story where people can see how you’re staying home and staying safe. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram is working on a disappearing messages option within its direct tools. Read more from Social Media Today.
Instagram and Facebook won’t feature any new augmented reality effects in the immediate future. Read more from The Verge.
Instagram is embracing its potential as a news source through a new call-out at the top of its homescreen feed. Read more from Techcrunch.
Instagram is testing the capability to restrict multiple accounts at once. Read more from Social Media Today.

February

Instagram launches new appears process for disabled accounts. Read more (from Social Media Today).
Instagram is changing its advertising rules to require political campaigns’ sponsored posts from influencers to use its Branded Content Ads tool that adds a disclosure label of “Paid Partnership with.”
Read more (from Techcrunch).
Instagram brought in $20 billion in ad revenue last year, more than a quarter of Facebook’s earnings. Read more, from The Verge.
Instagram Rolls Out Option to Reply to Stories With GIFs. Read more, from Social Media Today.
Instagram is working on a new video trimming feature for Instagram Stories, which would be a welcome update for creators. Read more, from Social Media Today.
Instagram prototypes letting IGTV creators monetize with ads. Read more, from Techcrunch.
Instagram now lets you see which accounts you interact with the most and least. Read more, from The Verge.
Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first person to reach the 200 million followers mark on Instagram and this tally is only bettered by the social media platform itself with 330M followers.

January

New Instagram Stories tool lets you quickly feature Story mentions from other users. Read more, from Marketing Land.
Instagram has added new SloMo, Echo and Duo modes to Boomerang. Read more (from TechCrunch).