Week in Social: Pinterest videos, Creator Shows, and Twitter's latest censorship offering

Twitter is testing its new ‘hide replies’ feature in Canada

Twitter trolls’ (and there are so, SO many) days in the spotlight are coming to something of an end this week, with Twitter rolling out its new ‘hide replies’ feature in Canada. The move, which gives Twitter users more control over which comments are visible in the conversations they start, is something the platform has been talking about and testing since earlier this year and will likely be rolled out internationally if all goes well with this initial release.

Twitter’s Michelle Yasmeen Haq and Brittany Forks said of the feature: “Every day, people start important conversations on Twitter, from #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, to discussions around #NBAFinals or their favorite television shows. These conversations bring people together to debate, learn, and laugh. That said we know that distracting, irrelevant, and offensive replies can derail the discussions that people want to have. We believe people should have some control over the conversations they start.”

Of course, with this new feature, Twitter runs the risk of seeing important and necessary conversations steered a certain way, and the high probability of critical viewpoints being censored, which is why the feature hides the comments from just the default view—meaning users will still be able to tap an icon to view hidden replies.

Read more at TechCrunch

Snapchat is launching Creator Shows featuring content from actors, athletes, and influencers

In an online universe where video is king of kings and content creators abound, Snapchat announced its new Creator Shows just ahead of the recent VidCon. Featuring celebrities like Serena William, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Kevin Hart, and creators like Emma Chamberlain, Loren Grey, and Rickey Thompson, the three- to five-minute videos are a way for Snapchat users to get a glimpse into the worlds and minds of some of their favorite big names (and not to mention a genius way for Snapchat to attract new users to its platform). Lasting around three- to five-minutes with eight to 10 episodes per season, Creator Shows will be first-person vertical vids covering a number of different themes. For example, Rules of Success with Arnold Schwarzenegger will feature motivational advice from everyone’s favorite muscleman; Throwback Toys with Jordyn Jones is a retro toy unboxing series; and Chasing Clout with Spencer Pratt will feature the “pop culture oracle” himself. Check them out this summer on Snapchat’s Discover page.

Read more at The Verge

Pinterest introduces new video tools for brands and creators

Pinterest is securing its place as the go-to inspiration hub. Not only has there been a jump of 31% in searches for “inspirational videos” since last year, but users say they are 54% more likely to be inspired by videos found here than any other media platform.

To keep up with inspirational demand, the platform has new features for brands and creators to make getting their content uploaded and noticed easier than ever. The features include an improved uploading tool, refreshed gallery tab, lifetime analytics metric, and a Pin scheduling function. The platform also says that improved personalization and recommendation algorithms is driving video discovery on the platform. For example, a video for pizza recipes or make up for a specific skin tone will surface related videos and products.

Read more at VentureBeat

Twitch dominates live streaming with its second-biggest quarter to date

If you’ve heard of live streaming, chances are you’ve heard of Twitch. A new report from StreamElements shows that the platform dominates the live streaming space, accounting for more than 70% of all live streaming hours watched in Q2—a not-to-be-sniffed-at total of 2.72 billion hours. It is followed by YouTube Live with 735.54 million hours, Facebook Gaming with 197.76 million hours, and Mixer with 112.29 million hours. Despite this mind-blowing number though, new Twitch users still complain of having trouble gaining fans. The report found that the majority of Twitch’s viewership comes from people tuning into its top 5000 accounts. Of the 2.7 billion hours watched, these channels drove 2 billion of them. Also, worth noting is Q2 viewership of top gaming titles declined, while vlogging grew.

The full report is available at StreamElements