In its Q3 earnings report, Alphabet shared that YouTube clocked $7.2 billion in ad revenues, up more than $2 billion over the same quarter last year. (Last year, it made $5 billion in Q3, meaning revenues have grown by 44% year-over-year). This doesn’t include revenues for YouTube's subscription products, including YouTube TV, YouTube Music Premium, or YouTube Premium. Despite this growth, YouTube fell short of analyst projections of $7.4 billion, CNBC reports. And Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat said that privacy features implemented by Apple earlier this year had had a “modest impact on YouTube revenues.” Nevertheless, Porat lauded Alphabet’s commitment to privacy. In its Q3 earnings report, Alphabet shared that YouTube clocked $7.2 billion in ad revenues, up more than $2 billion over the same quarter last year.
Instagram is expanding the ability to share links within Stories to everyone. In a blog post, Instagram noted that businesses and creators have long used links for sharing products, off-platform content, and to share other resources. In June, Instagram launched link Stickers to verified accounts, or those with more than 10,000 followers. This was to replace the ‘swipe-up’ action, which was previously how influencers pointed users to off-platform links, notes The Verge. (Everyone else was relegated to the age-old 'link in bio' directive). Instagram is expanding the ability to share links within Stories to everyone.
Snap vowed in a blog post today to becoming Carbon negative by 2030 meaning that it will remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it is emitting. Snap first announced its climate strategy last spring, at the time committing to carbon neutrality meaning no net release of carbon dioxide and 100% renewable electricity. Now, it has signed The Climate Pledge alongside 200 other businesses including P&G, Salesforce, ASOS, and Logitech which calls for regular reporting, carbon elimination, and credible offsets, Snap said. At the same time, Snap acknowledged that the market for carbon removal is unpredictable, and indirect emissions can be difficult to calculate, so it plans to be transparent about its progress and revisit its commitments in coming years. Snap vowed in a blog post today to becoming Carbon negative by 2030 meaning that it will remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it is emitting.
YouTube may have taken some inspiration from TikTok for its just-rolled-out ‘New To You' section, which sounds a bit like TikTok’s celebrated ‘For You Page’. The 'New To You' feed is accessible via a bubble at the top of the app homepage, and is also available on desktops and smart TVs. Users may also be prompted with the new feature while scrolling through their feeds. Techcrunch notes that the section goes a step beyond existing YouTube recommendations by surfacing content from channels that viewers have not previously encountered. It's also different than YouTube's Explore listings, which organize content by category such as beauty or gaming but don't take into account specific interests. YouTube may have taken some inspiration from TikTok for its just-rolled-out ‘New To You' section, which sounds a bit like TikTok’s celebrated ‘For You Page’.
Prominent YouTube executive Malik Ducard, who has been with the company for a decade most recently as VP of content partnerships has exited to join Pinterest. Variety reports that Ducard will serve as Pinterest’s first chief content officer, and is charged with developing a strategy for Pinterest to tap into the creator economy. He will report directly to Pinterest co-founder and CEO Ben Silbermann. “As we continue our work to drive meaningful engagement between creators and their communities, we’re thrilled to have Malik’s leadership, deep expertise, and incredible relationships,” Silbermann told Variety in a statement. “I felt his values of ensuring content is safe, inspiring, and reflective of the world around us, were directly aligned with our mission.” Prominent YouTube executive Malik Ducard, who has been with the company for a decade most recently as VP of content partnerships has exited to join Pinterest.