Social Media Update: Instagram Notes, BeReal Spinoff and TikTok Ban 

This week presented changes in social media including app updates, new legislation and lawsuits. Most Americans use social media everyday, and small changes to these apps can have a large influence over our lives. 

Whether its small app updates or large legislative changes, social media plays an integral role in how we live our lives. Let’s look into the social media update for this week. 

Instagram Introduces Notes

Instagram is rolling out a new feature called Notes where users can post a 60 character tagline of how they’re feeling that day. 

Users can create a note by going to their inbox, selecting the friends they want to share it with and then publishing it. The note will appear at the top of users’ inboxes. People can reply to Notes and these responses will be sent via a DM. Notes disappear after 24 hours. 

Instagram announced this update in a blog post and said Notes are a “way to share your thoughts and see what your friends are up to.”

Many people are comparing Instagram Notes to an updated version of AIM away messages or Facebook Status posts. However, Instagram’s parent company, Meta, said users want an easy, digestible way to share what’s on their minds with their friends. 

Instagram Tests a Spin Off of BeReal

Instagram is testing Candid Stories which allows users to take a photo from the front and back camera at the same time to capture the fullest picture of that moment. This feature challenges BeReal. 

Users can find the Candid Stories feature at the top of their feeds or through the story feature. Users will get a notification to post their Candid Story after they post one for the first time. People can turn off notifications through settings if they don’t want to receive the daily notification for Candid Stories. 

Instagram Releases Group Profiles

Instagram is putting their spin on a group chat by releasing a feature where users can post in a group profile for others to see and collaborate with. Posts and stories posted to group profiles are only visible to the members in the group – not a user’s followers. 

To access Instagram Groups, tap the plus icon in the top right corner and select group profiles.  

Legislators Ban TikTok on Government Devices

The Senate on Wednesday banned TikTok from government owned devices amid security concerns. The Chinese company, ByteDance owns TikTok and has come under scrutiny in the past for stealing users’ information. Calls for banning TikTok have been occurring for over two years, but this newest push effectively bans the app on government devices. 

This ban is in an effort to protect data security for American citizens. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio proposed an additional bill which bans TikTok throughout the country along with other apps who have substantial connections to countries who work against the United State’s interests.  

While this is all going on, the Committee of Foreign Investment has been communicating with TikTok – something that hasn’t happened since the app’s formation. The two entities are working out a plan where American users can use the app and TikTok remediates its use of American data and privacy. 

It’s unclear as of now whether TikTok will be banned in the U.S., but states are beginning to ban TikTok from government owned devices. We’ll have to keep watching to see how this plays out.

Social Media Plays a Large Part in Our Daily Lives

Social media can seem trivial at times, but in reality, social media is a way to connect with people across the world. This international aspect of social media can draw in attention from legislators and change the way we consume media. 

Social media is not always trivial, but it’s nice to see new app updates which attempt to bring friends closer together.