Instagram plans to give live video users the ability to add moderators

  • Instagram may be adding the ability for users to assign moderators to live video.
  • The possible feature was leaked by a ‘reverse engineer’ who frequently explores the code of social media apps for changes.
  • Presently, only the individual streaming the video can moderate the live comments, but the update would allow a viewer to be granted moderator privileges.
  • Moderators would be able to look through comments, manage requests to go live and turn off questions.
  • According to information uncovered in the code, only one moderator would be assigned per video and only on the most up-to-date version of Instagram.
  • The code also showed the possibility for a “like button” for Instagram stories.
  • Instagram has not confirmed either feature yet or commented on the claims.
  • Full story, here.

Disney’s text-to-speech TikTok voices censored words like “gay” and “lesbian”

  • TikTok users have shown that Disney’s text-to-speech TikTok voice effect refused to read out the words “gay”, “lesbian” or “queer”.
  • The effect was meant to sound like Rocket the Racoon from Guardians of the Galaxy.
  • Rocket was added to TikTok as part of a Disney+ Day promotion for the streaming service.
  • TikTok’s own built-in non-Disney related voice effects that have no ties to the Disney+ promotion don’t display this issue.
  • The error with Rocket seems to have been fixed, but TikTok or Disney have not commented.
  • Prior to the fix, Rocket’s voice would skip over the words, although wouldn’t refuse the words “transgender” or “bisexual”.
  • Attempting to record text that only contained the banned words would result in an error.
  • Full story, here.

Stormont agrees to extend mitigations

  • Stormont ministers have agreed to extend welfare mitigations in Northern Ireland for a further three years.
  • The legislation aims to soften the impact of welfare reforms by helping people who would have been affected by the so-called “bedroom tax”.
  • This ensures that low-paid workers, families, and vulnerable people will continue to be protected from the tax.
  • The mitigations had previously been due to end in March 2020 before being extended temporarily but the Communities Minister, Deirdre Hargey, has committed to closing existing gaps.
  • Currently, a gap exists that stops top-up payments for benefits when someone moves into a new property.
  • By closing these gaps, over 600 families with children who are denied payments, will receive them.
  • Full story, here.