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https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/380217

Texas Governor Greg Abbott yesterday signed a ban on social media “censorship” into law, imposing new restrictions on tech companies that are certain to spark a court battle similar to one happening in Florida.

Industry groups slammed the newly enacted legislation as “unconstitutional.” The law “seeks to punish social media companies for following policies that protect Internet users from dangerous content online,” according to the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA).

The CCIA previously sued Florida to block a state law that would have made it illegal for social media companies to ban politicians. US District Judge Robert Hinkle sided with the tech industry in June, granting a preliminary injunction that blocks the law because it violates the First Amendment rights of companies that moderate user content on their online platforms.

“Unconstitutional and dangerous”

NetChoice, which sued Florida along with the CCIA, called the Texas law “unconstitutional and dangerous.”

“This bill abandons conservative values, violates the First Amendment, and forces websites to host obscene, antisemitic, racist, hateful, and otherwise awful content… By empowering the government to control online speech, HB 20 clearly violates the First Amendment,” NetChoice President Steve DelBianco said. “This law essentially creates a new Fairness Doctrine for the Internet which will only make it harder for conservatives to share their news and views online.”

The law only lets social networks ban hate speech if it involves “specific threats of violence.”

DelBianco said the Texas law “has the same First Amendment flaws as the Florida law that a federal court blocked this summer” and predicted that the “same outcome will almost certainly occur in Texas.” If it isn’t blocked by a court, the Texas law is slated to take effect on December 2.

The Chamber of Progress, a recently formed industry lobby group, said the Texas law “prohibits social media companies from removing content based on the ‘viewpoint’ of the user—even if that content violates the platform’s community standards. During debate last week, Texas Democrats offered amendments that would explicitly allow social media platforms to take down posts related to Holocaust denial, domestic and international terrorism, and vaccine disinformation. Republicans succeeded in defeating all three.”

The law will “put more hate speech, scams, terrorist content, and misinformation online, when most people want a safer, healthier Internet,” the group said. The lobby group’s members include Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, Apple, and other companies that operate online platforms.

Gov. claims Big Tech censors “conservative viewpoints”

Abbott claimed that the law protects freedom of speech.

“We will always defend the freedom of speech in Texas, which is why I am proud to sign House Bill 20 into law to protect first amendment rights in the Lone Star State,” Abbott said in an announcement. “Social media websites have become our modern-day public square. They are a place for healthy public debate where information should be able to flow freely—but there is a dangerous movement by social media companies to silence conservative viewpoints and ideas. That is wrong, and we will not allow it in Texas.”

The Texas law labels social media platforms as “common carriers” and applies its restrictions to social media platforms with over 50 million active users in the US.

“A social media platform may not censor a user, a user’s expression, or a user’s ability to receive the expression of another person based on: (1) the viewpoint of the user or another person; (2) the viewpoint represented in the user’s expression or another person’s expression; or (3) a user’s geographic location in this state or any part of this state,” the law says.

The bill’s definition of “censor” is “block, ban, remove, deplatform, demonetize, de-boost, restrict, deny equal access or visibility to, or otherwise discriminate against expression.” The Texas attorney general or users can sue social media platforms that violate this ban and win injunctive relief and reimbursement of court costs, the law says.

Law applies to “maximum extent” allowed by Constitution

The law has exceptions allowing companies to censor any post that a “social media platform is specifically authorized to censor by federal law; is the subject of a referral or request from an organization with the purpose of preventing the sexual exploitation of children and protecting survivors of sexual abuse from ongoing harassment; directly incites criminal activity or consists of specific threats of violence targeted against a person or group because of their race, color, disability, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, sex, or status as a peace officer or judge; or is unlawful expression.”

The bill authors seemed to be aware that the Constitution limits how far they can go in regulating online platforms and that courts are likely to strike down parts of the law. “This chapter applies to the maximum extent permitted by the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States but no further than the maximum extent permitted by the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States,” the law says. The law also says that if any part “is found by a court to be invalid or unconstitutional,” the rest of the law shall still apply.

Besides the ban on censorship, the new law says that social media “sites must disclose their content management and moderation policies and implement a complaint and appeals process for content they remove, providing a reason for the removal and a review of their decision,” the governor’s announcement said. “They also must review and remove illegal content within 48 hours. House Bill 20 also prohibits email service providers from impeding the transmission of email messages based on content.”

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1793689

How Discord is making a push to go mainstream and become the future of social media.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/379290

August 27, 2021 9 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The first thing I said to Jake Paul when we sat down together at his home in Dorado, Puerto Rico was “thank you,” because he’s part of the reason I started boxing a few weeks ago. 

As someone who has dealt with ADHD since I was a child, the intense training has worked wonders on counteracting my symptoms such as depression and fatigue. Turns out research supports my anecdotal experience. 

New literature shows that, for people with ADHD, intense bouts of exercise that emphasize coordinated, repetitive movements — like jabs, crosses and hooks, sticking with our boxing example — lead to more coordinated, focused behaviors outside of the gym. 

A blessing for those of us with this disorder.

Although I didn’t ask Paul if he has ADHD, he did share with me that he’s dealt with anxiety and other mental health struggles, a fact that might have some of you scratching your head asking Why?

If you didn’t know, Paul is on the Mount Rushmore of influencers. At one time, his home was a 15,000-square-foot mansion in Calabasas, one of the richest zip codes in America. 

His net worth was estimated to be over $10 million in 2017, making him the seventh-highest-paid YouTube star in the world at the time, according to Forbes.

He amassed millions of subscribers and billions of views on his YouTube channel and was living a life most young people dream of (54% of Gen Z and millennials would become an influencer if given the chance, according to a report by Morning Consult).

Yet Paul still felt lost. Empty, even. 

Until he found boxing. And what’s it’s done for me, it’s done for him tenfold. It didn’t just alleviate his anxiety and resentment. It gave him purpose, meaning, structure and stability. Things we could all use more of.

“When you’re young, living in LA, filming videos all the time.. you’re friends with everyone… there’s a new party every single night… It’s chaotic. [But] it’s a dead end. It’s not a realistic lifestyle. LA is a fantasy world you can get caught up in,” Paul told me. “And I did. [But] when you’re getting hit in the face or hitting someone in the face, nothing else matters. All that matters is that present moment.”

Now, it’s not the millions of subscribers or billions of views that matter most to him. It’s the man standing across from him inside the ring. And this Sunday, August 29, he’s facing off against Tyron Woodley, a four-time defending UFC Welterweight champion. 

Yet Paul feels better than ever, primed and ready for the biggest fight of his life. 

Here’s what you can learn from Jake Paul’s transition from YouTube star to professional boxer, so you too can find more meaning and fulfillment in your life, all while eschewing your demons and bettering yourself.

Who knows? After reading this, you might be inspired to put on boxing gloves for the first time too.

(Paul’s responses have been edited and condensed for clarity and readability.)

[embedded content]

1. “Fall in love with the process.”

In Paul’s old life, chaos was commonplace. Every day was different. This made life exciting for him, but the joy was fleeting and eventually, the inconsistency got to him. 

Given Paul’s successes, hearing he felt this way hit me like a shot, as my life too has been defined by the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. What entrepreneur hasn’t experienced this phenomenon? 

And my peaks and valleys — your peaks and valleys — are nowhere near the size and scope of his.

Before long, Paul began to crave what all of us do as we mature: structure and stability. 

“You can’t live in a mansion with all of your homies, just partying every single day,” he says. “What are you going do when you’re 30? You’re going wake up and be like, ‘All right guys, let’s go to the club?’ No, you’ve got to grow up at some point.” 

Boxing forced him to grow up, take a hard look at himself and confront his flaws head on. But that grueling process gave him the structure and stability he longed for. 

And the bedrock of his structure and stability has been his day-to-day routine — his process.

“Learn to fall in love with those little improvements that you’re making [every day]; learn to fall in love with the art and the process. That’s one of our sayings as a team, because it can get repetitive when you’re doing the same thing week after week after week. So we find fun in the little moments. That helps everything. It doesn’t feel like a job, and it’s a healthier lifestyle [I live now].” 

Don’t try to cheat the process, because you’re only cheating yourself. Instead, acknowledge you will have to fight to get to where you want to be. Embrace the repetition, as therein lies the improvement.

Be courageous enough to look at yourself in the mirror, acknowledge your shortcomings and embrace the day-to-day challenges as you work to overcome them.

Look your problems in the eye for long enough, and solutions might look back at you.

2. “Enjoy the game of life.”

When I asked Paul about his future and how most people have a vision of working to retired and sit on a beach someplace, he acknowledged he felt that way once, too. 

Boxing changed all that for him. He realized life itself is what should be enjoyed, not the so-called retirement phase that comes at the end of it. “As a human, you’ve got to work for things. You’ve got to have a goal and you’ve got to have progress,” Paul says.

“I always had the thought that [one day] ‘Oh, I’m just gonna retire and go chill.’ But then I [was] like, ‘No, I enjoy the game of life, and I enjoy the chess match that we play every single day’. Getting and accomplishing our goals.. that’s really what’s fun. That progress keeps everything exciting. Now I think it would be boring to retire.”

As entrepreneurs, it’s easy for us to immerse ourselves in the metrics. That has its purposes, but it’s wise to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, too.

Life is a series of games, so why not make them games you enjoy? Don’t create a life you want to escape, run or retire from. Instead, create a life rich with challenges that amplify your actions with purpose.

3. “Bring excitement to the fight.”

Paul is polarizing. 

Just visit any social media post with his name on it, and you’re guaranteed to find ire and outrage. Paul acknowledges this. Hell, I’m prepared for it simply because I wrote this.

And although many boxing greats like Mike Tyson have said Paul’s transition to boxing has been good for the sport, many combat sports fans feel differently. 

But Paul continues to succeed. Why? Because he’s bold and brings excitement to his fights.

To paraphrase the great Robert Greene, who wrote in his classic The 48 Laws of Power, “The timid are frowned upon. You shouldn’t choose a course of action half-heartedly. Your doubts will become apparent and will tarnish your reputation. It’s always better to act boldly.” Despite the critics and naysayers, Paul remains bold in his actions. 

Be bold too, in your own way. 

“A lot of boxers are like, ‘He doesn’t deserve to be where he’s at or doing these big fights [because] he didn’t work like us,’” Paul says. “What people don’t understand is that I’ve been working since I was 10 years old… polishing my content skills, polishing my marketing skills, polishing my business skills. And that has set me up to where I am today. I was working just as hard, just in a different way.” 

“It’s been beneficial, because all of that just grows what I’m doing, and I’m able to get my message out there and market myself. And I think a lot of fighters see that, hopefully I can inspire them to maybe take a note from my book and be like, ‘All right, we need a YouTube channel, we need TikTok. We need to be [on Twitter], we need to bring excitement to the fight,’ versus just showing up and being a fighter.”

The takeaway here is to bring excitement to everything you do. As an entrepreneur, never underestimate your life experience because it doesn’t fit the mold or society’s expectations.

Paul has been written off by many because he was a content creator and marketer first. Unbeknownst to them, this is his greatest advantage, as it allows him to drum up excitement long before the fight starts. 

So, ask yourself: How can you leverage your unique life experiences to stand out, shake up your industry and keep things exciting, for yourself, for your customers — and for the spectators.

And if they write you off, so be it. 

They aren’t the ones writing the checks.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/382222

August 23, 2021 6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Facebook groups can be a beautiful thing, but too many people take advantage of Facebook business groups for their own personal promo. The work someone else put into creating, building and moderating a Facebook group can all be threatened by people who won’t follow the rules or even basic etiquette there. 

Here are six ways to use business Facebook groups the right way.

Read the rules and follow them

This seems basic, but group rules are there for a reason. If you don’t agree with the rules, don’t join the group or choose to leave the group later if they feel oppressive. If someone calls your attention to the rules in a nice way, don’t argue about the alleged infraction. Simply own up to it or ask for further clarification and move on. If a group owner or set of moderators has made a call that your post violates the rules, a back-and-forth argument isn’t worth your time or theirs.

Most entrepreneur Facebook groups have rules about promoting yourself. This can include your podcast episodes, your books, coaching calls, “free” offers, your website and more. If you’re not sure if something flies, ask the moderator. It shows respect and is a good chance to get approval for something that might otherwise get deleted out of context. When I do this as a group member, I liked to add, “This post was approved by Admin X” so it’s clear I’m not breaking any rules. 

Related: 4 Tips for Running Your Freelance Business as a Digital Nomad

Search first, then post 

If you’re new to a group, always use the search function before asking a question. Some groups get flooded with dozens of repeat questions, pushing engagement down. If it’s been a year since someone asked your question and the answers might be different, go ahead and ask again. But if you’re the 15th person this month to ask, “What’s the best book on retirement for business owners?” you’re not going to get great responses, either.

If you can’t find your topic in the search, it’s fair game! 

No shady promos

There are always a few people trying to skirt the “no promotions” rules. They think that by offering a shielded promotion they’ll get away with it. 

I kick a few people out of my group every single week for posting total spam offers or fraud, but the shady promos are often the most irritating (and, in my experience, more likely to get reported to me as a group admin when another member doesn’t want to call out the offending poster but recognizes it as spam or a promo). 

Your, “I just added 6,000 people to my Facebook group overnight; comment below and I’ll DM you my secrets” post isn’t fooling anyone. Neither is posting a question that you’re clearly asking to answer yourself. 

The golden rule applies: Don’t want Facebook groups ruined for you as a member? Do unto others. 

And finally, if you’re joining a group with someone who offers a similar service or product to you, this is not your chance to mine and poach their followers. There’s a big difference between giving value to that audience in something like a podcast episode or webinar and trying to add every group member as a personal friend on Facebook so you can pitch them. 

Don’t invite people to groups with rules 

Just about every Facebook group I belong to has multiple posts from a moderator about this topic. When you “invite” someone to a group from within the group, the questions/rules do not pop up for them. That means they’ll sit in group request purgatory or get outright declined. Instead, send your friend a link to the group itself so they can click “join,” read the rules and sign up to acknowledge them. 

Report posts that break rules 

No sense in piling on to a post and giving it more attention than it deserves when it breaks the rules. Report it to the moderators, who will get a notification and review the request. Only the moderator sees who marked the post as a problem, so this is an anonymous way of reaching out if you don’t want to call attention to the person or if you’re not really sure they broke a rule in the first place. 

Related: 6 Ways to Find Clients Online and Offline

Be respectful with ‘coffee chats’

Coffee chats are a nice way to connect and meet with other people, but they can also be a huge waste of time if not used properly. I joined a group once built entirely on the concept of the 15-minute coffee chat. The purpose was to meet other service providers we could refer business to. Half the people didn’t show up for their appointed time and spent their 15 minutes trying to sell me on their service or online course. Needless to say, I never referred any business to anyone from that group. 

If you’re going to do a coffee chat, truly connect with someone. This is not the place to word vomit all the paid offers you have and where they can buy them. If you sign up for a coffee chat with someone, show up on time and go in with the right intentions. 

If you join a lot of groups, make a spreadsheet 

Many groups do allow promotions on certain days. When these days pop up, there’s usually a post made by a moderator noting it where you can comment and share your offer like a blog post, podcast episode or lead magnet. It gets tough to keep track of, so use a spreadsheet to track which days of the week you can post things so it’s easy to follow those rules. You can even include a link to the group directly in the spreadsheet for quick access on promotional days. 

Now, go forth, be considerate and network!

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/379090

August 21, 2021 7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It’s no secret that social media marketing can help your business build brand awareness, connect directly with your target audience, drive more traffic to your products and services and increase revenue. 

The downside is that managing it all can be incredibly time-consuming.

If you want to be successful on social media, you’ll have to show up consistently. That means dedicating time to researching and developing strategies, creating and publishing content, having meaningful conversations with potential customers and analyzing your efforts. 

The social media landscape is constantly evolving in response to platform updates, new features and changes in user behaviors. Keeping up with it all can feel like a full-time job — and it is, for a social media manager.

Related: 5 Smart Ways to Use Social Media to Grow Your Business in 2019

A social media manager is responsible for ensuring your business stays top of mind with your target audience. They create and publish content, communicate with potential customers on your behalf and use their skills to help you reach your goals.

Outsourcing your social media workload to someone with knowledge and experience will allow you to spend your time on other things, like developing new products or services or hiring and training team members.

But where do you find a qualified candidate? And what exactly should you be looking for?

Identify your business needs

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to hiring a social media manager. Your business’s specific needs will ultimately determine who you choose for the position and what tasks they’ll be responsible for. 

To get started, answer the following questions:

• Do you need a full-time employee, part-time employee or a freelancer?

• Do you want to work with an individual or an agency?

• Should they be local, or can the position be handled remotely?

Then get specific about what you want your social media manager to do:

• What are your objectives and goals for using social media?

• Which platforms will they be responsible for?

• Are you interested in organic strategies, paid advertising or both?

• Will this role require knowledge of tasks that fall outside of general social media management (ex. email marketing, influencer marketing, SEO, etc.)?

Keep in mind, a jack of all trades is typically a master of none. Each social media platform requires a different set of skills. It’s not easy to find someone who’s an expert in them all. 

In fact, it’s not unusual to find social media managers who’ve decided to focus on specific platforms or services, like Facebook and Google ads, influencer marketing or Pinterest. 

Social media managers typically have to wear multiple hats, but you shouldn’t expect to hire a single individual who can achieve your desired results while simultaneously juggling your Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn and Snapchat accounts. That’s a pretty tall order, even for the most experienced social media marketers.

If you need someone to manage multiple channels or handle tasks that fall outside of traditional social media management — like content marketing, email marketing or SEO — consider working with an agency instead. Boutique social media agencies can offer more support and a wider range of services than an individual can by delegating the heavier workload to their team of social media managers, content creators and platform specialists.  

Of course, your budget will be a deciding factor in who you ultimately hire. When determining your budget for social media management, remember to plan not only for the cost of your social media manager’s salary or retainer fee, but also for any additional costs related to your social media marketing efforts — like ad spend, influencer fees, contests and giveaways.

Related: 10 Tools for Social Media Managers in 2020

What to look for in a social media manager

Since the industry is always changing, many social media managers will make an effort to invest in ongoing education by completing courses and acquiring certifications. Ask your candidates what sort of training they’ve had that makes them qualified for the position and request to see real world examples of their experience in the form of portfolios and case studies.

Case studies are one of the best indicators of a social media service provider’s strategic abilities because they showcase a specific, measured result that the service provider achieved over a period of time. This highlights their ability to plan and execute social media marketing objectives effectively. Of course, you can also request to see references, client testimonials and other types of social proof that illustrate the service provider’s experience.

Additionally, consider the candidate’s knowledge or interest in your business’s industry. There are many social media managers who’ve chosen to work within specific niches in order to streamline their offers and support clients in a more impactful way, and this can help narrow your search. 

For example, there are social media managers who only work with businesses in the wedding industry, pet industry or with beauty brands. Niching down to only support specific kinds of businesses gives these service providers an edge over more general social media managers. They come with a deeper knowledge and hands-on experience around what works within that particular industry. 

How to find the right social media manager

Once you’ve determined what skills and experience level you’re looking for in a social media manager, it’s time to start your search. There are two ways to go about finding the right candidate. 

The first option is to share the role directly and let interested candidates come to you. To do this, you’ll first want to create a detailed job description which outlines all of the job’s requirements and responsibilities. Post the job description directly on your company’s website, as well as on its LinkedIn page and social media channels. Make sure to include clear instructions around how you want candidates to apply, which makes it simple for them to contact you.

You can also list your job description on third-party career websites where social media managers are frequently looking for new opportunities. These sites provide a convenient secondary option for finding a social media manager by providing you with a simple way to search through listings and contact social media managers.

You can actively search for social media managers and list your opening on sites like Upwork, Freelancer and The Social Media Manager Market. Instead of passively waiting for the right candidate to discover your opportunity, you can also reach out to the freelancers and business owners listed on these directories and career websites to get the ball rolling. 

Going into your search with realistic expectations and a clear understanding of the skills and experience level you’re looking for should make hiring a social media manager for your business a much more enjoyable task.

Related: Social Media Managers Are the Next Generation of CMOs

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/378459

Facebook released its first report today detailing which content it says is widely viewed on the site and Instagram. The report comes as research and news stories have highlighted how misleading posts and outright disinformation can draw intense engagement on the company’s platforms.

Much of the scrutiny has focused on far-right accounts, which according to Facebook’s own tool, CrowdTangle, receive the most engagement—likes, shares, and comments. For example, Kevin Roose, a reporter at The New York Times, uses CrowdTangle to tweet out a list of the “10 top-performing link posts by US Facebook pages every day, ranked by total interactions.” His experiment has revealed that, day after day, far-right accounts and pages from the likes of Ben Shapiro, Dan Bongino, and Newsmax appeared on the list, sometimes occupying multiple spots. Facebook’s critics have pointed to the list as evidence that the platform has become a right-wing media machine.

The Twitter account, Roose said, “drove executives crazy” at Facebook. They felt it was making Facebook look like it favored right-wing accounts. All of that brings us to today.

Facebook released the first of what will be a quarterly “Widely Viewed Content Report.” The report will appear alongside the company’s Community Standards Enforcement Report, an existing release that includes data on hate speech and child endangerment. The newest report is Facebook’s attempt to provide more “transparency and context,” said Anna Stepanov, the company’s director of product management.

The top-performing link posts by U.S. Facebook pages in the last 24 hours are from:

1. Dan Bongino
2. Ben Shapiro
3. Ben Shapiro
4. Ben Shapiro
5. Dan Bongino
6. Dan Bongino
7. Dan Bongino
8. Ben Shapiro
9. Ben Shapiro
10. Ben Shapiro

— Facebook’s Top 10 (@FacebooksTop10) May 14, 2021

The new report shows a slew of information, including which domains, links, pages, and public posts cracked the top 20, along with how many people saw that content. In a blog post, Stepanov pointed out that just under 13 percent of content views were posts with links—post types that may send users to other sites with disinformation—and that 57 percent of posts users viewed were from family and friends. Notably, the report does not include data on ads.

Scattered among the top posts are the expected meme questions (e.g., “What is something you will never eat no matter how hungry you get?”), a Joe Biden post, and how to DIY a swimming pool from old pallets.

Domains that received the most views are another significant part of the report, and here, Facebook could use more transparency and context. Among the top 10 domains are sites that have struggled to tame disinformation themselves, including YouTube and Twitter. The report doesn’t include any additional information like which channels or accounts the posts pointed to.

Partial picture

In focusing on views over engagement, Facebook is only providing part of the picture. As anyone who has used Facebook knows, there’s a significant difference between content appearing on a user’s news feed and their engaging with it. Many posts are displayed but quickly scrolled past. Those that draw engagement, though, are literally worth more. Advertisers will pay 10 times more for one engagement than they will a single view. By withholding information about engagement, the “Widely Viewed Content Report” obfuscates the impact of the disinformation.

The fact that family and friends are a primary generator of content doesn’t help counter the idea that Facebook might be reinforcing partisan echo chambers. One study showed that when a headline agreed with a person’s political views, the person was 20 percent more likely to share the link with friends, whether or not the person felt the information was true.

The way that Facebook calculates “widely viewed” is complicated, too. Only posts that are created or shared publicly are considered and shown in the report. All links, though, whether shared publicly or privately, are included, creating a misalignment in reporting the two different post types.

The report also omits what might be the most important number—the denominator that underlies these percentages, or the total amount of content that is viewed on Facebook every day. Saying that the 20 most widely viewed posts represent less than 0.1 percent of all US views is like saying only 0.03 percent of Americans got COVID yesterday. That may not seem like a lot, but when you multiply that number by how many people live in this country and when you consider the number of available hospital beds, the scope of the problem comes into sharper focus. Ars asked Facebook how much content was seen by users in the US, but the company refused to provide that information. Until Facebook discloses more data, no one will know the true extent of the company’s disinformation problem.

Still, it’s easy to make a quick-and-dirty estimate. Facebook has 1.88 billion daily active users, and many post several times per day. So there are likely tens of billions of content views per day. To pressure test that theory, I tallied the report’s top 20 posts, which the report said represent about 0.1 percent of all content viewed in the US, and then spread it out over the 91 days in the second quarter. The math suggests that, at a minimum, at least 10 billion posts are viewed every day in the US. Even that estimate is probably extremely conservative since it includes only links and public posts. If just a tiny fraction of that number is disinformation, the problem could be small as a percentage, like the report suggests, and simultaneously enormous in absolute terms.

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1788178

Two lawmakers have received temporary account suspensions from YouTube and Twitter over their repeated posting of COVID-19 disinformation, yet videos from both espousing similar disinformation remain on Facebook.

On Tuesday, YouTube removed a video posted by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in which he falsely claimed that masks were not effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Also yesterday, Twitter suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) for one week after she falsely claimed that neither vaccines nor masks reduce the transmission of COVID. Both masks and vaccines do work, in fact, and there’s ample evidence that wearing masks slows the spread of the disease.

Paul and Greene are suspended from YouTube and Twitter, respectively, for one week. Paul’s suspension was handed down because YouTube had to remove another one of his videos last week. As this is his second offense, his account will be unable to publish for seven days. Greene is now on her fourth strike on Twitter, meaning that another violation could result in her being banned from the platform permanently.

Vaccines for COVID-19 have been very effective in reducing infections, even in the face of the delta variant. In a new preprint study, both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines helped prevent hospitalizations in people exposed to delta. And while they weren’t quite as effective at preventing infections by the new variant, they are still a good tool in reducing the spread of the disease. 

Furthermore, masks, even cloth ones, have been shown to be effective at slowing the transmission of COVID-19. With delta on the rise, masks remain an option for people—vaccinated or not—to reduce exposure and halt the spread of the virus. The CDC is recommending that everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission wear one indoors.

One down…

While YouTube took down one of Paul’s videos, it has yet to remove another in which the senator questions the efficacy of masks despite the evidence that they work. That video, from August 5, is a reposted segment from Fox News in which he said, “The more [mask] mandates we got, the more of the disease we got. Now, I don’t think the mask caused the disease, but I don’t think the mask helped any.” We’ve asked YouTube for comment on why that video remains up while the other was taken down, and we’ll update this story if we receive a response.

Both Paul’s and Greene’s Facebook accounts remain active, though both include videos that rehash similar disinformation about masks. On his Facebook page, Paul reposted the same Fox News segment that remains on his YouTube page. Greene recorded a live video on August 2, which is archived on her Facebook page, in which she said, “You’re going to be arrested if you don’t wear a mask that, guess what, doesn’t work. It’s likely a little piece of cloth covering your face, or a napkin, like a paper mask—those don’t stop COVID from spreading, either.” Both videos remain on Facebook despite ample scientific evidence that masks prevent the spread of COVID-19.

We asked Facebook whether the two videos violate the company’s COVID-related misinformation policies, and we’ll update this story if we hear back.

Other bans

Yesterday, Twitter also permanently banned former San Francisco Giant’s player Aubrey Huff, also for repeated violations of the company’s COVID policy. Huff has become a minor player in far-right circles, frequently posting inflammatory content, downplaying the severity of COVID, and posting outright falsehoods about COVID vaccines. 

Earlier this month, SkyNews Australia, the country’s Fox News equivalent that is also owned by News Corp, was given a “strike” by YouTube, which meant the channel couldn’t post videos for a week. YouTube wouldn’t say which videos violated the platform’s policies, but a spokesperson told CNN that “we don’t allow content that denies the existence of COVID-19 or that encourages people to use hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin to treat or prevent the virus.” 

There’s no evidence to suggest that either drug does anything to help COVID-19 patients. Ivermectin is most commonly used to treat parasitic worm infections—not viral infections—and certain doses can be dangerous. The WHO halted its trials of hydroxychloroquine last year after results showed that COVID-19 patients received no benefit from the drug.

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1786420

Instagram quietly updated the self-submission form to allow users to attach more information to their verification request.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/377689

August 8, 2021 7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Most entrepreneurs would agree that real, engaging followers on Instagram are some of the most powerful audiences that you can build on social media. I’ve been helping business owners convert their dead Instagram accounts into multi-million dollar businesses for a few years now, and I’m starting to get tired of seeing snake-oil salesmen promote their “Instagram growth secrets.” I think it’s time to set the record straight when it comes to Instagram growth for businesses.

I’ll tell you this right now: There are no secrets. Growing on Instagram simply requires time, patience and hard-work. Whether you’re promoting your yoga classes or selling t-shirts, these tips will help launch your business forward on Instagram.

1. Post engaging content

One would think that this is the most obvious step that businesses are taking to get ahead, but this is where 90% of businesses fail. In order to properly grow on Instagram, a business must be able to post high-engaging content consistently.

Even if you don’t have a large audience at the moment, you should strive to get as many likes and comments per post as possible. Post engagement is what leads to growth on Instagram. Some people think they can simply post promotional material and earn their followers some other way — that’s not the case.

Here’s the hard reality business owners will face on Instagram: Nobody wants to see unnecessary promotional material on their feed.

Instagram users want to follow personalities. They want to follow identities. They want to follow content that delivers value. Most businesses will struggle to produce a personality worth following. If you’re struggling on Instagram, you should rethink your entire content strategy and ask yourself this question: Does my business have a likable identity or is it just a promotional face for my company?

Let’s say you run a coffee shop. It’s not enough to post your daily specials. It’s not enough to post pictures of your customers. It’s not enough to post pictures of your shop. That’s what every coffee shop in the world does, and that content likely won’t drive your engagement up.

You should experiment with every type of content and see what draws the most engagement. Create funny Instagram Reels with your baristas. Do a live stream of a latte foam art tutorial. Run a giveaway where people have to like and comment on your post to win a year of free coffee. If you truly want to stand out on Instagram, you’ll need to create a unique identity by producing high-engaging content. If you notice a piece of content that received unusually high engagement, try to replicate that success.

The Instagram algorithm only works in your favor when your engagement is spiking. When Instagram realizes that your content is starting to get more attention from your followers, your account will get the exposure it deserves. Your account will then get pushed forward in hashtags, in locations, in similar accounts and in the explore page.

Related: 15 Ways to Optimize Your Instagram Profile

2. Follow high-quality accounts

Strategically following Instagram accounts is another key to success that is often seen as controversial. Many people have rejected the idea that the “follow/unfollow” strategy (when you routinely follow and unfollow Instagram accounts in an attempt to gain followers) is a valid growth method, but I believe it’s incredibly effective when done correctly.

Most people simply don’t use follow/unfollow strategically. At its core, this method should be used to instantly place your account in front of people who will support you. The follow/unfollow method should be used to build a base of engaging followers that will help you catapult your account into the eyes of more people. Instagram’s algorithms don’t favor smaller accounts as much as other social media platforms (such as Tik Tok), so using this strategy to build a core audience can help you grow your account exponentially later on with your engaging content.

Most people don’t do follow/unfollow correctly, and I think that’s why it typically gets discredited. I’ve personally coached someone who used follow/unfollow to gain a base following of 10,000 people, and then they turned that number into over a million by simply posting engaging content.

Finding the right people to follow is the biggest issue people run into when doing this strategy. It’s important to find people who are likely to be interested in your specific type of content. This can be done in various creative ways.

For example, I often work with personal fitness trainers who are desperately looking for clientele. They post good, educational content on Instagram, but they can’t seem to gain any new clients in their local area. We’ll then employ a follow/unfollow strategy where we strategically follow members who engage with particular gym locations in their city. This is essentially like handing out your business card to local gym-goers, and then them instantly checking out your Instagram “landing page.” This leads to hundreds of new followers, and dozens of new clientele for personal trainers.

Follow/unfollow simply succeeds in the area of gaining qualified followers. Sure, you can’t gain 5,000 followers per month on follow/unfollow alone, but you can gain 500 followers per month, and that will help you carve out your space on Instagram.

Related: 3 Organic Instagram Marketing Strategies That Will Help You Thrive During the Pandemic

3. Be ultra social

Simply put, Instagram is a social media platform. It rewards people who are social. If you are running a business, you have something to offer people – whether that’s a product, your services or simply your expertise – there are plenty of ways to share your value on Instagram. If you are leaving high-quality comments, sending helpful DMs and engaging with others in your niche (niche-specific engagement is important), then you will likely begin to gain followers from your contributions.

If you engage with others, people will likely begin to engage with you. And like I said earlier: Engagement leads to growth. The Instagram algorithm won’t discredit you for genuinely leaving helpful comments on 30 posts every day. If 10 of those post authors return the favor to you on your most recent post, then you will likely receive an increase of exposure. It’s a win-win. You get to help other people, and you get to grow on Instagram.

Related: 5 Ways You Can Turn Your Instagram Account Into a Revenue-Generating Machine

In conclusion

Whenever I tell people these steps to growth, I often get met with disappointed faces. People often search for the “easy-way out” because they’re typically convinced that other people clearly must’ve used some kind of “secret” that explains their meteoric growth. And while it’s true that there have been black hat growth secrets that have worked in the past, most accounts that have used these methods have ended up facing consequences one way or another.  

In the seven years that I’ve been doing Instagram marketing, I’ve always seen the accounts that abstain from shady methods succeed in the long run. If you truly focus on engaging with others and creating great content, you too will find Instagram success for your business.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/377619