Digital Platform Policy Highlights - Digest 14
Summer 2023 Edition: Reversing monetization policies, increasing lock-in, compensating users, or adding new features: these are some ways that digital platforms followed to retain their existing users
This post is part two of a series documenting policy changes and feature improvements introduced by platforms in Summer 2023. A lot of interesting changes.
TL;DR → Policy Changes to Retain Existing Users include:
Reddit exempting accessibility apps from API pricing changes
Threads account tightly connected to the linked Instagram account
Google entering the next stage in the Cookie-Replacement project
Twitch cancels new ad rules after backlash from streamers
Twitch, a popular streaming platform, withdrew its new ad rules that would have restricted the way streamers could display ads from sponsors. Specifically, “burned-in” ads (ads part of the video stream, which Twitch wouldn’t have received a cut of), would have been prohibited. The guidelines were met with strong criticism from streamers. The reversal is a victory for the Twitch Game Streamers, which has often complained about Twitch taking an ever-larger cut of ad revenues from creators (link)
Reddit exempts accessibility apps from API pricing changes after protests
Reddit will offer exemptions from its new API pricing to developers of non-commercial accessibility apps, which help users with disabilities browse the platform. The decision comes after a backlash from the Reddit community, especially the r/Blind subreddit, which threatened to shut down in protest. The exemption marks a small concession after Reddit set prohibitively high pricing for API usage, a change that Reddit users classified as an act of betrayal after having receiving users’ contribution for free for all these years (link)
Doordash to pay couriers hourly
DoorDash is offering couriers the option to earn hourly rates based on the time they spend making a delivery. The change comes as many couriers have complained that DoorDash pays them too little for the work they do. As regulators and governments are trying to classify gig workers employees in order for them to receive benefits (like sick leave and health insurance), DoorDash intends to stay ahead by addressing their workers’ concerns and win them over its side (link)
Threads profiles can’t be deleted without deleting linked Instagram account
Instagram’s new app, Threads, uses Instagram’s account system. That means you can’t delete your Threads account without deleting your Instagram one. The inability to delete Threads profiles independently has sparked backlash from users who are concerned about privacy and data control. While Instagram has said that it is “looking into” adding that functionality, the current policy makes it seems like a blatant attempt to lock in Threads’ users from heading back to X (link)
Twitter starts sharing ad revenue with verified accounts
X has been talking about sharing revenue with verified accounts since at least February 2023, but now they finally have implemented it. The program is only available to users who pay for the Blue subscription and have earned more than 5 million tweet impressions each month for the last 3 months. Such payments seem to incentivize “power-users” to continue using X, especially since BlueSky and Threads threaten to take them away (link 1 and link 2)
Google’s project to replace third party cookies enters next stage
Google is starting to roll out its Privacy Sandbox APIs, which are designed to replace third-party cookies with more privacy-friendly alternatives. The APIs will allow developers to target and measure ads without tracking users across sites. Competitors like Firefox and Safari have already blocked third-party cookies entirely. These moves by competitors, amid mounting privacy concerns among consumers, threatens to drive Google users to its competitors. Google has to balance those pressures with the fact that it earns most of its revenue from advertising, and needs the data to power its huge ad business (link)
GitHub’s coding chatbot enters public beta
After a successful run with “Github Copilot” product, GitHub has launched a new code chatbot called Copilot X Chat, which allows developers to write code in natural language and receive suggestions and corrections from the AI. This product, accessible as beta for Microsoft’s Visual Studio and VS Code users, integrates with GitHub’s code repository and can access code snippets and examples. It is interesting to see whether Copilot X Chat can further enhance the attractiveness of VS Code app as a goto IDE for Python developers (link)
Xbox Games can now be bought using Venmo
Venmo is now a payment option in the Xbox Store, meaning Xbox players can buy their games through their Venmo accounts. Venmo’s parent company, Paypal, has been offered in the Xbox store for more than 16 years, and the addition of Venmo could further reduce any “friction” there is to buying games on the Xbox store. While adding Venmo, by itself, is not an important tech policy change, it may be XBox’s step towards a policy that allows gifting or renting of games through Venmo, a social payment service (link)
Research help from Anantesh Mohapatra (Thanks a ton, Anantesh!)