Table of Contents
For many years, social media networks like Facebook and Twitter have had problems with spam, scams, and more. This week, they announced new plans to stop those problems: ask social media users to pay money.
Now, when someone creates a Twitter account, they receive an SMS to confirm their account information. The process is currently free.
Starting March 20th, users will have to pay \$8 to $11 if they want to confirm their account by SMS. However, users can use an authentication app for free. Many people say that authentication apps are safer than SMS.
Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, will offer a service that helps new content creators. The service will give users a blue checkmark and promote their accounts. People who pay for the service can also get help and support from real people.
The new service will also protect users from people who try to copy or steal their accounts.
Last year, Meta started a new customer support division to help its users. However, it’s expensive and extremely difficult to give real support to around 2 billion users.
Recently, asking people to pay for things that were previously cheap or free has become a trend in Silicon Valley. Social media networks try to make money from their users and keep their networks safe, fun, and easy to use.
Vocabulary
- Social media – services like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.
- Network – a large number of things that have a connection with each other and work together as a system
- Spam – unwanted emails or messages sent to many people at one time; to send a lot of “fake” messages in a short time
- Scam – a dishonest or illegal plan or activity, usually to take someone’s money;
- Announce – share information openly; to tell the public; to make a statement; to report
- User – a person who uses something
- Account – your profile or page on social media; your access to social media
- Receive – get; take in; accept; encounter; experience;
- SMS – “Short Message Service” which is a text message sent through a mobile phone or other mobile device
- Confirm – to prove true or accurate; to report that something is true or fact
- Authentication app – an app that generates/makes security codes for signing in to sites that need a high level of security
- Offer – provide; supply; propose; to make something available for sale or use
- Service – system or tool that performs an action that is helpful to people; a business that offers a particular type of help or work; utility; system
- Content creator – a person who makes information, images, video, etc. a website or social media account
- Checkmark – a symbol, usually a small tick or a cross, used to indicate that something is correct or complete; ✓; ✅
- Promote – to advertise; to market; to push; to make people aware; to make popular
- Protect – keep safe or secure; guard; defend
- Steal – to take something without permission; to take something that’s not yours; rob
- Customer support – the team of people who provide help when customers have trouble with a company’s products or services
- Division – a major section of an organization or company; department; branch; sector
- Extremely – very; so
- Billion – 1,000,000,000 = one-billion
- Previously – before; earlier; at an earlier time
- Trend – something that’s popular or becoming popular
- Silicon Valley – a region in Northern California that is the global center for high technology and innovation
- Make money – earn money; make a profit; gain or acquire money
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- What do you think about the trend of social media networks charging users for services that were previously free or cheap? Is it a positive or negative development?
- In your opinion, is it justifiable for social media networks to charge users for customer support in order to maintain their networks?
- Do you think the new service from Meta will be popular? What effects will it have on Instagram or Facebook? Are you interested in it?
Original Story
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
