An update began appearing atop users’ feeds, reading, “An update to your data-sharing settings: The control you have over what information Twitter shares with its business partners has changed. Specifically, your ability to control mobile app advertising measurements has been removed, but you can control whether to share some non-public data to improve Twitter’s marketing activities on other sites and apps. These changes, which help Twitter to continue operating as a free service, are reflected now in your settings.”

A link to this help center page was also provided.

A Twitter spokesperson clarified that the change affects a data-sharing setting relating specifically to mobile apps measurement, and it applies globally to all users except those in the European Union, European Free Trade Association states and the U.K., in order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation.

The social network further elaborated: “Twitter shares certain non-public personal information with advertisers who run mobile app advertising campaigns through Twitter. This information can include which ads a particular browser or device saw, watched or otherwise interacted with; but it does not include your name, email, phone number or Twitter username. For example, Twitter might share that a mobile device identifier viewed or clicked on an ad for a particular mobile application.”

The spokesperson said, “This is part of our ongoing work around transparency and control. We want to ensure that people understand the settings we provide, what they do and how to use them.”

The lens enables Snapchatters to select from a variety of Lego Dots styles to decorate frames around their faces.

Lego is also running video ads on Snapchat, including six-second non-skip commercials, which incorporate the ability for users to swipe up and access the lens.

Snap Inc. director of U.S. creative strategy Kaitlin McGirl said, “The campaign is showing a high level of relevance as parents look to entertain their families at home more than ever right now. We’re seeing a very high engagement time with the lens due its interactive, creative and customizable selfie-experience. The commercials are also having a hyper-efficient cost per view from Snapchatters who have played with the lens. It’s great to see this level of engagement, especially from the parents on our platform.”

Note: These screenshots were captured in the Facebook and Messenger applications on iOS.

Step 1: On the page’s video tab, tap “See All” under the playlist you want to share.

Step 2: Tap the arrow icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 3: Tap “Send in Messenger.” This will open the Messenger app on your device.

Step 4: Tap “Send” to the right of any person or group you want to send the playlist to. Or, tap “Search” to search for a contact manually. Note: You can also tap “Write a message…” to type your own message that will be sent along with the playlist.

The initiative rolled out to mark World Health Day Tuesday.

Snapchatters can use the application’s camera technology to scan 23 international currency notes across 33 countries, which triggers an AR visualization of ways their donations can support the WHO’s immediate response efforts to the coronavirus pandemic, including tracking the spread of Covid-19, ensuring that patients receive care and providing critical supplies to front-line workers.

Media publishers on Snapchat’s Discover platform can also enable users to swipe up and donate directly from their content.

Snapchat said more than 445 Discover Stories or Shows related to the coronavirus pandemic have been produced to date, and over 68 million people have viewed related content on Snapchat.

All donations go to the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

Snap Inc. senior director of creative strategy Jeff Miller said, “We want to empower Snapchatters around the world to take collective action in the response to Covid-19—showing them that every dollar can make a difference. Over three quarters of our Snapchatters engage with AR each day, so we built a global experience based on this behavior to draw the connection between loose bills and real change.”

Snapchat has already been working with the WHO on educational and informative AR experiences, and it said those lenses reached nearly 130 million users in just a few days of being live.

The team will host a virtual 2020 NFL Draft Experience Thursday, April 23, on the Official Miami Dolphins Fan Group on Facebook, presented by Bud Light Seltzer.

Fans joining the group will have access to exclusive content including interviews with draft picks, question-and-answer sessions with current players and live video analysis from Dolphins analysts.

Miami Dolphins vice president of marketing Laura Sandall said, “While we remain vigilant of the ongoing situation that continues to impact so many, we hope the Facebook virtual draft party will bring fans together to celebrate our new players and interact with the team from their own homes. We look forward to welcoming the draft picks to South Florida and introducing them to the community when it is safe to do so.”

Note: These screenshots were captured in the Facebook application on iOS.

Step 1: When viewing videos on a Facebook page, tap “See All” on the playlist you want to share.

Step 2: Tap the arrow icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 3: Tap “Share Now” to share the playlist to your feed. Or, if you want to add a personal comment to your post first, tap “Say something about this…” to do so.

The social network reminded users that they should not use the same password on Facebook as they do on other platforms and sites, and that their passwords should be hard to guess and complex, and should not include telling information such as the person’s name or common words. More information is available here.

Login information should never be shared with anyone else.

Facebook’s Privacy Checkup tool can also be used to trigger alerts if someone tries to login to an account from an unrecognized device or web browser.

Instagram users can also opt for two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to their accounts.

Facebook suggested that people access their security settings to review where they are currently logged into Facebook or Instagram and end past sessions on devices they are not using.

People should also ensure that the contact information on their accounts is up to date so that they can login if they happen to forget their password.

Finally, the social network addressed phishing and scams, saying that people should make sure emails they allegedly receive from Facebook come from facebookmail.com and review emails sent by Facebook in their security and login settings, with the same principles applying to Instagram.

Facebook said, “To avoid scams, beware of people asking you for money who you don’t know in person, or someone claiming to be a friend or family member in an emergency.”

More safety and security tips are available here and here.

The social network shared the information in a series of tweets.

Twitter removed 2,541 accounts in Egypt-based network El Fagr for amplifying messaging that was critical of Iran, Qatar and Turkey, saying that it received information that the people behind those accounts were taking direction from the Egyptian government.

The social network also discovered 3,104 accounts being accessed from a single Internet-protocol range in Honduras, which were heavily retweeting from the account of President Juan Orlando Hernández. Twitter said a staffer created the fake accounts on the behalf of the government.

Twitter conducted an investigation after a report by research collective Bellingcat and it removed 795 fake accounts that were pushing content from suspicious “news” websites and promoting pro-government content in Indonesia targeting the West Papuan independence movement.

Another network of 5,350 accounts was removed for amplifying content that praised Saudi leadership and was critical of Qatar and Turkish activity in Yemen. It was associated with Saudi Arabia and operated out of multiple countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Finally, toward the end of 2019, Twitter removed of 8,558 accounts that were working to promote Serbia’s ruling party and its leader.

The social network said information on all accounts that it removed is available in its information operations archive.

She added, “It’s not exactly business as usual these days. Everyone is scrambling to adjust to the new normal—both at work and at home … There’s also a much bigger emphasis on ideas that can happen fast, with whatever’s already on hand.”

People may be stuck at home, but they are still seeking ways to stay healthy and fit, as Pinterest saw searches for home bodyweight workouts rise 205%, while home workouts with no equipment saw a 329% spike.

Similar gains were seen for mental health topics such as self-care at home (332%) and meditation tips for beginners (108%).

The temporary shuttering of schools across the country caused searches for work from home with kids to skyrocket 1,657%. Other related topics that saw boosts included nature walk activities for kids (407%) and home games for kids (331%).

Food-related searches were altered to reflect easy, flexible recipes incorporating ingredients that are already in the house. Yeastless bread recipes saw a whopping 4,400% increase, while searches for bread in crockpot soared 3,191%, and sweet Amish bread shot up 1,499%.

Salon visits are down, by necessity, so searches are up for beauty and personal care topics including home haircuts (417%), homemade eyebrow wax recipes (321%) and manicure at home tutorials (159%).