HiTechEdge

Tag: social media

  • Twitter Pulls Its Auto Cropping Algorithm Amid Bias Issues

    Twitter Pulls Its Auto Cropping Algorithm Amid Bias Issues

    Twitter has announced it is pulling its algorithm responsible for automatically cropping images amid bias issues.

    Twitter began hearing feedback in October 2020 that there were issues with how the algorithm was functioning, that it was not treating everyone equitably. The company investigated and did find issues with it.

    Testing showed there was an 8% difference from demographic parity favoring women. Likewise, there was a 4% difference in favor of white people instead of black. Similarly, there was a 7% difference in favor of white women instead of black, and a 2% difference in favor of white men instead of black.

    One area where the algorithm did not appear biased was in the realm of the “male gaze.”

    We also tested for the “male gaze” by randomly selecting 100 male- and female-presenting images that had more than one area in the image identified by the algorithm as salient and observing how our model chose to crop the image. We didn’t find evidence of objectification bias — in other words, our algorithm did not crop images of men or women on areas other than their faces at a significant rate

    Ultimately, however, the biases were enough to make Twitter reevaluate use of the algorithm.

    We considered the tradeoffs between the speed and consistency of automated cropping with the potential risks we saw in this research. One of our conclusions is that not everything on Twitter is a good candidate for an algorithm, and in this case, how to crop an image is a decision best made by people.

  • TikTok Tackling Cyberbullying With Mass Comment Deletion

    TikTok Tackling Cyberbullying With Mass Comment Deletion

    TikTok is taking steps to combat cyberbullying by giving users the ability to mass-delete comments.

    TikTok has quickly skyrocketed in popularity with users around the world, quickly becoming one of the most popular social media platforms. Unfortunately, as with all social media, cyberbullying can be a major problem. TikTok has been working to combat bullying, giving users the tools they need to fight back.

    The most recent feature being rolled out is the ability to mass-delete comments and block accounts. The feature is particularly useful given the current social media climate, where large numbers of individuals can quickly gang up on a single user, overwhelming their account with negative comments.

    To manage interactions on a video, people can long-press on a comment or tap the pencil icon in the upper left corner to open a window of options. From there, people can now select up to 100 comments or accounts rather than having to go one by one, making it more seamless to delete or report multiple comments or block users in bulk.

    TikTok says the feature is rolling out in select markets, with global rollout happening over the next several weeks.

  • Twitter Relaunches Verification

    Twitter Relaunches Verification

    Twitter has announced it is relaunching its verification process, opening the door for anyone to apply.

    The coveted blue check mark next to a name indicates an account that has been verified, and it carries a level of trust and authority with it. Unfortunately, the company was less than clear in times past about who could or could not become verified. There were also many instances of the process being abused, with individuals being given verification without good reason.


    Twitter is now relaunching the verification process with clearer rules and an invitation for anyone to apply.

    “Over the past several months, we’ve been working to bring clarity to the verification eligibility criteria and launched a new policy shaped by public feedback,” according to the company’s blog. “We also started enforcing that policy by automatically removing the verified badge from accounts that no longer meet the updated criteria for verification, such as those that are inactive or incomplete. We’re grateful for all who participated in our public feedback period and shared ideas for how we can improve verification on Twitter.”

    While anyone can apply, they must fit within six categories to be approved: government; companies, brand and organizations; news organizations and journalists; entertainment; sports and gaming; and activists, organizers and influential individuals.

    The company says the verification application will start showing up in the Account Settings tab over the next few weeks.

  • Details Emerge About Twitter’s Upcoming Subscription Service

    Details Emerge About Twitter’s Upcoming Subscription Service

    Details have emerged about Twitter’s upcoming subscription service, including Undo Tweets and Bookmark Collections.

    Jane Manchun Wong is a well-respected tipster with a knack for uncovering tech companies’ new features before they’re announced. She has weighed in on Twitter’s upcoming subscription service, which the company bought Scroll to serve as the basis of.

    According to Wong, the subscription service will be named “Twitter Blue” and will cost $2.99 a month. The service will also bring some of the most requested features, including Undo Tweets and Bookmark Collections.

  • Twitter Introduces Tip Jar for Contributing to Favorite Tweeters

    Twitter Introduces Tip Jar for Contributing to Favorite Tweeters

    Twitter has unveiled Tip Jar, a new featured designed to allow users to financially contribute to their favorite tweeters.

    The social media platform has been exploring ways of increasing engagement and driving growth, especially as it has been eclipsed by some newer rivals. Tip Jar is a new feature aimed at doing just that, albeit in a tangible way beyond following or retweeting.

    Senior Product Manager Esther Crawford made the announcement via a blog post.

    Tip Jar is an easy way to support the incredible voices that make up the conversation on Twitter. This is a first step in our work to create new ways for people to receive and show support on Twitter – with money. 

    Starting today, everyone using Twitter in English can send tips to applicable accounts on Twitter for iOS and Android. For now, a limited group of people around the world who use Twitter in English can add Tip Jar to their profile and accept tips. This group includes creators, journalists, experts, and nonprofits. Soon, more people will be able to add Tip Jar to their profile and we’ll expand to more languages. 

    Accounts with Tip Jar enabled will have a Tip Jar icon next to the Follow button. Twitter currently supports Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal and Venmo, and will not take a cut from the tip.

    At the same time, there is a need for caution, as some users are warning that using PayPal with Tip Jar could lead to a person’s home address being revealed.