haoyanggu

[haoyanggu]

TikTok’s Return to U.S. App Stores

According to Andrew Hutchinson’s 2/14 article on Social Media Today titled TikTok Reinstated in US App Stores After Assurance From the Attorney General, Apple and Google have reinstated TikTok in their U.S. app stores after receiving assurances from the Justice Department and the newly appointed Attorney General, Pam Bondi, that they would not face penalties for allowing download of the app. This move follows President Trump’s executive order pausing the enforcement of the recently enacted law that required TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations till early April. With no intention of selling, TikTok was removed from app stores. However, now, the Biden-era legislation’s fate remains uncertain under the Trump administration’s approach to enforcement.

The New York Times article co-authored by Maheshwari, Mickle, and Grant viewed the event from a more legislative angle, adding that the reinstatement of TikTok has reignited debates on the platform’s security concerns and the executive branch’s power in enforcing congressional legislation. While Trump’s executive order grants TikTok an additional 75 days to negotiate a sale, concerns persist about selective enforcement and the possibility of constitutional crisis.

TikTok’s Global Struggles

TikTok's challenges extend beyond U.S. borders. In Canada, TikTok faces similar scrutiny, with the Canadian government calling for the platform to dissolve its local business over national security concerns. According to a recent article by Hutchinson, TikTok has launched a public relations campaign emphasizing its contributions to Canadian small businesses and creators in response. This move, framed as a goodwill effort, appears to be an attempt to rally public support and pressure policymakers to reconsider their stance.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding TikTok underscores broader issues in media regulation. Businesses and content creators reliant on TikTok for audience engagement must navigate an unpredictable landscape, while policymakers weigh economic interests against national security risks.

With TikTok’s reinstatement lasting only as long as Trump’s 75-day pause, the coming months will be crucial in determining the app’s future in the U.S. Whether TikTok secures a lasting resolution or faces another removal will ultimately depend on political negotiations and legislative policies.

(Word count: 349)

[haoyanggu]

02.07.2025 Snapchat+'s New Gen AI Features Leading the Game

Yesterday, Snapchat introduced a wave of AI-driven updates for Snapchat+ subscribers! From AI-generated stickers to mobile-based text-to-image, the platform is making artificial intelligence a core part of the user experience.

According to Social Media Today’s February 6, 2025, article “Snapchat+ Adds New Features, Including Gen AI Elements”, subscribers now have access to AI-powered custom stickers that generate images based on user messages. For instance, if you type “let’s grab lunch”, Snapchat’s AI will create a matching visual sticker, blending generative AI with daily conversations.

The app has also introduced AI-generated movie posters, allowing users to insert themselves into stylized film-like scenes.

Beyond generative stickers and movie posters, Snapchat is now pioneering on-device AI. According to Digital Watch Observatory’s February 6, 2025, article “Snap’s New AI Model Brings Text-to-Image to Mobile Devices”, the company has developed an AI model capable of running text-to-image generation entirely on mobile devices. Unlike cloud-based AI systems, Snapchat’s model can operate off-line and can generate high-resolution images in just 1.4 seconds on an iPhone 16 Pro Max, according to Hutchinson. This shift to on-device processing reduces reliance on external AI providers, lowers operational costs, and improves privacy and speed for users.

The Bigger Picture: Snapchat’s Google AI Partnership

Snapchat’s AI expansion isn’t happening in isolation. As reported in Social Media Today’s September 24, 2024, article “Snapchat Partners With Google for Expanded AI Push”, Snapchat has shifted its AI assistant, “My AI,” from OpenAI’s GPT models to Google’s Gemini AI. Snap’s CEO Evan Spiegel explained that Google’s Gemini AI offers superior multimodal capabilities, meaning it can process text, images, video, and audio more effectively, allowing for more context-aware results.

While it remains unclear whether Snapchat will fully phase out OpenAI, its deepening relationship with Google suggests a broader trend where companies are diversifying their AI integrations beyond a single provider.

Why This Matters for the Social Media sector?

With the ever-growing trend of integrating AI into seemingly all aspects of our lives and Snapchat+ surpassing 11 million subscribers as of the fourth quarter of 2024, Snap has seized the opportunity and reached the front of the sector. By integrating Google’s Gemini AI and developing on-device generative AI models, although Snapchat isn’t the earliest social media platform in terms of joining the AI game, snapchat has positioned itself as a leader in AI-powered social media.

Is this going to be the next big trend in the social media sector, or is it just another gimmick? Only time will tell!

Sources:

Hutchinson, A. (2025) Snapchat+ adds new features, including gen ai elements, Social Media Today. Available at: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/snapchat-plus-feature-update-february-2025/739465/ (Accessed: 07 February 2025).

DW Team (2025) Snap’s new AI model brings text-to-image to mobile devices, Digital Watch Observatory. Available at: https://dig.watch/updates/snaps-new-ai-model-brings-text-to-image-to-mobile-devices (Accessed: 07 February 2025).

Hutchinson, A. (2024) Snapchat partners with Google for expanded AI push, Social Media Today. Available at: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/snapchat-partners-google-expanded-ai-push/727981/ (Accessed: 07 February 2025).

Image Source:

New Year, new features (2025) Snap Newsroom. Available at: https://newsroom.snap.com/february-product-bundle?lang=en-US (Accessed: 07 February 2025).

Word Count: 411

[haoyanggu]

01-26-2025 My Sector is Social Media

My sector is social media, and I will be following the New York Times, Social Media Today, and Forbes.

The business section of the New York Times provides valuable business insights into the social media sector with articles such as this.

Social Media Today will be the main source for my research and provides cutting-edge information on anything social media, including minor changes on platforms such as this.

Forbes is another very valuable source providing first-hand information on the latest status of the social media industry. Additionally, analytical articles such as this is in-depth and offers great insights for research.