This week in social media, Facebook adjusted the algorithm for your News Feed another time, while again being declared the number one app on Android and iOS smartphones. Meanwhile, Twitter tested a GIF button for its mobile app, and Snapchat ran its first mobile app-install ad.
This week in social media, Facebook took on Periscope by opening up live streaming on iPhone to everyone, while Twitter had one of its worst weeks ever. Meanwhile, Snapchat made it easier to add friends in an update to its app.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced Sunday that four department heads would be leaving their positions. This is the biggest move Dorsey has made since he returned to the company in mid-2015.
This week in social media, Facebook launched a sports hub designed to catch online social buzz over live sporting events. The company also figured out a technique to deliver 360-degree VR video with a fraction of the bandwidth, all while Twitter hit a new low on Wall Street.
Instant messaging app WhatsApp is eliminating the small charges that it normally charged customers after their first year of using the app. Now, the app will remain free for life.
This week in social media, Facebook COO followed CEO Mark Zuckerberg's example and gave a huge amount of her company stock to charity. Meanwhile, Twitter was under pressure to crack down on hate speech, Snapchat began shopping for ad tech startups, and Foursquare's co-founder and CEO announced he would be stepping down.
This week was a busy one for Facebook. It launched a new collaboration with Uber through Messenger, announced changes to its controversial "real name" policy, launched its fast-loading Instant Articles for Android, and finally, Facebook was named the most popular smartphone app of 2015 by a Nielsen report. Meanwhile, Twitter hit an all-time low on Wall Street.
Silicon Valley has a diversity problem, and despite working for a year to create more diverse workplaces with higher levels of Latinos, blacks and women, progress has been slow. But there are bright minds at work on solutions, which is one reason why Facebook COO and LeanIn.org Founder Sheryl Sandberg discussed diversity during an "ask me anything" style Q&A on Quora this week.
This week Facebook announced an offline mode, so mobile users can still see new stories in their News Feeds, even when their connections are spotty. Meanwhile, Twitter announced it would start showing ads to the vast majority of people who visit the platform, and a new study shows Snapchat is the fastest growing social network among millennials.
This week in Social Media, Mark Zuckerberg announced he and his wife would donate 99 percent of their Facebook stock to charity, prompting critics to express a great deal of skepticism.
This week in social media, experts warned that one of the most recent viral hits on Facebook, the "Most Used Words" app, is a privacy-infringing nightmare. Meanwhile, Snapchat launched a challenge to Twitter Moments called Story Explorer, and Reddit has decided to honor visitors' "Do Not Track" settings on browsers.