Montana, the 4th largest state by area in the USA, has accepted a bill to ban TikTok starting Jan 1st, 2024. The bill aims to prohibit any mobile application store from offering TikTok to users in the state of Montana. The primary motivator behind Montana’s ban on the trendy app is that Chinese tech giant ByteDance owns TikTok. China, currently ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has always been inclined to have a presence in organizations in Chinese companies, both state and private.

Montana’s decision to ban the app is dictated by the fact that the Communist Party can direct ByteDance to share user information, including real-time physical locations of users. According to the bill, TikTok also gathers essential user information and could share it with foreign states. The state of Montana also believes that TikTok fails to remove content that promotes dangerous behavior. The bill also expresses fears that the app could let China conduct corporate and international espionage that includes tracking adversaries of the Chinese Communist Party, including political figures, journalists, dissidents, etc.

TikTok has already filed a lawsuit against Montana’s decision, and Shou Zi Chew, the company’s CEO, publicly disagreed with the state government during an appearance at the Qatar Economic Forum in the middle east earlier this week. He said that Montana’s decision to ban the app is unconstitutional and goes against the First Amendment, and he is confident that TikTok will prevail. He also talked about “Project Texas” and TikTok’s commitment to every American on TikTok, that US residents must feel safe and confident that user data is securely stored and the platform is free from outside influence. While in Doha, TikTok’s CEO also highlighted that many of the project’s elements are already in place, and all US data is no longer in the company servers but is being stored in Oracle Cloud infrastructure located in the US.

Data sovereignty is a hot topic. More countries worldwide are starting to agree that data is supposed to be subject to the laws and governance structures of the nation where collected. According to many, maintaining data sovereignty would decrease outside influence.

No one knows if Montana’s ban on TikTok will stick around for 2024, but the bill certainly tests how much the government can interfere with how tech companies collect, store, and utilize harvested user data.

The post Why is Montana banning TikTok? appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Social networks provide a space for people to interact, learn from each other and share bits and pieces of their life. While there’s little limit to what is shared online, sharing too much information can lead to harmful consequences.

Social media threats are found on any social network, so users should be aware of what they are and what they look like to avoid them. These scams affect the privacy of your account, so it’s important to take security precautions to protect yourself and your personal data. 

Keep reading to learn more about different social media threats and how to be a safer social media user.

What Is a Social Media Threat?

A social media threat encompasses actions that jeopardize an individual’s or organization’s social media account. As many social media users post or share personal details online, they can be easily taken advantage of by attackers seeking to use their information for money or blackmail. 

These threats emerge in different forms, including impersonations, online harassment and malware. Below are some of the most common social media threats used by attackers to gain access to information.

1. Identity Theft

Identity theft is a common social media threat that can happen to anyone who has shared images or personal information online. Impersonation happens when someone uses public information and pictures to create a fake online profile to pretend either they are that person or create a new persona entirely. 

Identity theft is extremely harmful if the impersonator gains access to your bank accounts or tricks others into sending them money. Identity theft also includes gaining access to your social media accounts and posting content to scam sites, which puts other users at risk of being taken advantage of.

2. Cyberbullying

Roughly 40% of Americans have experienced some form of cyberbullying, which includes harmful and damaging posts, messages or content shared either directly to a user or publicly. Cyberbullying also happens anonymously. 

To better protect yourself against online harassment, keep your account in private mode and be selective of your online followers or friends. Report instances of cyberbullying to the social media platform to get any malicious posts flagged and removed.

Many social networks, like Instagram, have community guidelines in place that have a no-tolerance policy for actions that fall under the cyberbullying umbrella.

3. Fake Giveaways

Many brands are turning to social networks to promote their products and services. Giveaways are cost-effective and reach a wider audience with promoted posts. 

To grow awareness, brands often promote giveaways of their products to followers. According to Easypromos, nearly 93% of brands surveyed run giveaways on their social networks to gain more traffic and clicks to their site. 

While these giveaways may seem too good to be true, sometimes they really are. Scammers will create fake brand profiles that promote giveaways for followers to enter and submit their personal information. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported over 148,000 accounts of prize, sweepstakes and lottery fraud.

4. Likejacking

Likejacking is a crafty scam hackers use to force users to click the “like” button on a post or page without them knowing they did it. 

For instance, users will see an interesting image or video and want to click on it to view more information. What the user doesn’t know is the scammers hid a “like” button behind the image or video so they can’t see they’re clicking it. You’ll then start seeing more of these images pop up and overload your social feeds.

5. Phishing Scams

Phishing is a method used by scammers to collect personal information through online messages, emails, links and spoof websites. These messages appear to be sent by a professional company or trusted source, like a bank or credit card company. 

Hackers send phishing messages to trick the recipient into sending over contact information like password details or credit card account information. These messages may contain malicious links for hackers to gain access to the target’s computers or infect it with a virus. 

Never reply to these types of messages or click suspicious links unless you requested the link or recognize the phone number or email address they come from. For example, check your bank’s customer service phone number or email to make sure it matches. Contact customer service directly to confirm they sent the message to you.

6. Data Breach

A data breach is a harmful cyberattack that occurs when a hacker gains access to confidential information. Data breaches can affect any size or type of organization or business. 

For individuals, this includes access to Social Security numbers, credit card accounts and health care information. For larger organizations, this can include client lists or employee health information.  

If someone accesses these types of data illegally, the target organization may face serious legal trouble. If the data breach causes a violation of any compliance mandates, the affected organization could receive fines and litigation. Depending on the severity of the breach, the company could even lose the right to operate.

7. Malware 

Malware is designed as a code or file that transfers over to a user’s computer to infect it or steal personal information.  

Malware pops up in all forms, but it’s especially popular to use with fake news posts or videos. The scammer’s goal is for the user to click on the falsified news story, which is riddled with a malware virus that can compromise the user’s device or social media account. 

Malware can also show up in fake websites or domains. You may be asked to download a file to access the site, but the file is actually malware, and by downloading it you’ve given the virus (and the person who created it) access to your device.

For example, let’s say a site has a video that “requires” a software update to view it. Double-check that the site is legitimate before downloading anything. If you’re not sure, it’s best to leave the site to avoid any possibility of malware.

8. Brand Impersonation 

Not even brands are safe from social media threats. Scammers might create a social media account to impersonate a brand and contact customers under the guise that they are the legitimate company. 

The attacker’s goal is to either receive personal information from recipients, like account login details, or share messages that harm the brand’s reputation.

9. Affiliate Scams

To round out our list are affiliate scams on social media. Some companies create affiliate programs to contract social media influencers, who are required to post content about the company, and in return earn commission on products or services they sell through their affiliate link. 

Companies use affiliate marketing to drive traffic to their website and earn revenue. However, you will likely come across affiliate marketing content that isn’t real. 

Scammers may post content that appears to be an advertisement offering a free gift card, requiring users to enter their personal email address to receive the gift card. But instead of receiving the gift card, the user is gifted an unending amount of spam emails, some of which may even contain malware.

How Do Social Media Threats Occur? 

Social media threats occur when a user’s personal information and details are accessed online by hackers and scammers. Fraudsters tend to attack accounts that have little security and users who aren’t aware of the dangers of cyberattacks.

How Do You Prevent Social Media Threats?

The best way to prevent social media risks from knocking on your digital door is by knowing how to spot them and being proactive about your online safety. Below are a few ways to ward off social media threats: 

• Ad blockers: Most organizations recommend or request that employees use ad blockers online, and it’s a good idea outside of work, too. Ad blockers eliminate random pop-ups that could contain malware. 

• Filter friend requests: Never accept a friend request from someone you don’t know, even if you have mutual friends. 

• Update passwords frequently: Updating your login credentials regularly and choosing strong passwords will decrease the chances of a hacker figuring out your password. With that, never share your passwords with anyone. 

It’s also best practice to keep educating yourself and others about online threats and scams, as attackers constantly update their tactics to keep tricking unsuspecting users.

6 Tips for Using Social Networks Safely 

Whether you touch base on social media periodically or use it every day, it’s important to practice safe online habits and protect yourself from hackers and spammers. Below are several tips to better protect yourself, your kids and your devices.

1. Install a Security Solution

Install a security solution, like antivirus software, with proactive technologies on the computer. You’ll be protected against malicious codes that spread through these networks, even if no previous attack has been launched.

2. Keep Your Computer Up to Date

Users must be aware of and resolve all the vulnerabilities that affect the programs installed on the computer.

Keep up with software updates for your internet browser and other programs on your computer. These updates include security fixes to keep hackers from accessing your information. Some programs even offer the option of automatic updates if you tend to forget.

3. Don’t Share Confidential Information

 If you access forums and chats to exchange information, talk, etc. remember not to provide confidential information like email addresses or login credentials.

If you do accidentally share login information, immediately update it with a strong password to avoid someone signing in to your account. Update your passwords regularly for the best protection.

4. Teach Children About Social Media

Children must know what information they shouldn’t share. That means parents must know the social networks their children access and teach them how to safely engage.

Promoting open communication about using social media can help your child feel more comfortable. Be open to their questions and concerns, and discuss how to have a healthy relationship with social networks.

5. Only Provide Necessary Information in Your Profile

When creating user profiles, only provide the information necessary. If it requests private data like an email address or age, choose the private profile mode to prevent other users from seeing the information, to ensure no users other than yourself and the administrator accesses your data.

6. Report Crimes

If you observe inappropriate or criminal behavior (like attempts to contact children, inappropriate photos, modified profiles, etc.), you must inform the social network administrators.

Online protection is important to us, and that’s why Panda Security provides cybersecurity services and tools that are used to prevent cyberattacks and threats to your devices. Panda Security’s antivirus software can not only protect against viruses, but protect your data, passwords, and browsing history.

The post 9 Social Media Threats You Should Be Aware Of appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Following a similar announcement in the US, the UK government has announced a crackdown on the TikTok app. Under these plans, politicians and civil servants will be banned from installing the globally popular short video app.

What is the problem?

TikTok is currently the world’s most popular video-sharing social networking app. However, security agencies have raised concerns about the app, particularly because of the close relationship between TikTok and the Chinese state government.

Like many apps, TikTok gathers large amounts of personal data from its users, but no one outside the company knows exactly what they do with that information. Like other ‘free’ services (Google for example), TikTok uses at least some of the data for building marketing profiles so they can better target adverts at their subscribers.

The problem is what TikTok does with the rest of the information they collect; the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre warns that data may also be shared with the Chinese government. This in turn raises questions about whether the Chinese government is able to access politically sensitive or secret information from government devices.

What is happening?

Following advice from the National Cyber Security Centre, the UK has banned the TikTok app from all government-owned devices. They will also be blocking access to TikTok’s website and services when using networks inside government buildings.

Although the government is encouraging members of Parliament (MPs) not to use the app at all, they will still be free to install TikTok on their personal devices. They will not be able to share or view videos while connected to Parliament’s WiFi though.

There are no plans for a nation-wide ban in the UK, so individual citizens are still able to use TikTok – even if official guidance suggests that app is a serious security risk for them too. But as governments around the world consider the implications of Chinese state-affiliated spying using smartphone apps, this could change at some point in the future. The US government is already creating the legislative framework required to ban TikTok (and other sensitive apps) from the country.

Following Scotland’s lead

The UK Parliament’s decision to ban TikTok closely follows a similar move in the Scottish Assembly were ministers are also forbidden from installing the app on government devices. The Scottish Government claims that official use of the app is ‘very limited’ so the ban is unlikely to have a major effect.

Despite legitimate security concerns, some MPs are dismayed by the ban. Ministers including Grant Shapps, Luke Evans, Marco Longhi, Labour’s Zarah Sultana are active TikTok contributors and have raised concerns because they use it to connect with their constituents. But because they will still be able to use personal devices to share video content these complaints seem a little strange.

Similar moves to ban Chinese-owned apps from government devices are being enacted across the world, but what does it mean for general citizens? The reality is that these security concerns apply to everyone – not just politicians. As such every TikTok user should seriously consider whether their personal data and privacy is at risk and take appropriate steps to protect themselves – even if that means leaving the app completely.

The post UK Government (Kind Of) Bans TikTok appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

The White House has made a historic move toward a nationwide ban on the Chinese-owned TikTok. The Biden administration backed bi-partisan legislation introduced by over ten Senators on Tuesday, making it easier for U.S. governments to ban TikTok. However, TikTok is just one of many platforms that might be in trouble as the legislation would allow the government’s flexibility to restrict any other foreign-based technology that poses a risk to national security.

The talks about banning the trendy micro-video social media platform have been going on for years, but the U.S. government has yet to act against the app’s nationwide mass use. TikTok is extremely popular in the USA. The ByteDance-owned app currently has over 100 million users and has been one of the fastest-growing apps in the world, its 2+ billion global users. According to the bill introduced early this week, the ban could affect other technologies from countries such as China, North Korea, Cuba, Russia, Venezuela, and Iran.

The ban is not immediate, but the possibility of TikTok being kicked out of the U.S. market is rising. TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew has been summoned to appear before Congress later this month. The hearing is scheduled for March 23rd, 2023. The Singaporean entrepreneur will be given a chance to elaborate on the actions TikTok is taking to resolve privacy concerns and to mitigate the risks to national security.

Last year the U.S. House of Representatives blocked its members and staff from having the app on their official devices. Staffers and House reps were told they have 30 days to remove the app from their official smart devices due to many security issues. The same rule applies to every federal agency employee in the U.S. The ban is only for official devices, and government employees can still access TikTok on their personal devices.

The U.S. is not the only country considering bans on the app. Canada also approved a federal ban on TikTok that applies to all government-issued devices. Similar to the concerns in the U.S., Canada also quoted user privacy as a primary reason to request the ban.

The possible connection between the Chinese Communist Party’s relationship and ByteDance is one of the main reasons a nationwide ban is considered. However, no one knows if this move from the White House is not just political theater, as the talks about getting the app banned have been going on for years.

The post The White House Makes a Step Toward Nationwide TikTok Ban appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Twitter has been going through a lot over the last few years, and its troubling past continues to haunt the social media giant. It was recently revealed that hackers had stolen the details of approximately 200 million Twitter users. The incident likely happened in 2021 or early 2022 and is now added up to the growing pile of problems the tech giant faced before the change of management in late 2022. How the bad actors managed to obtain the information has not been revealed. Cyber security experts believe a weakness in Twitter’s API, firstly discovered in 2021, is likely how the hackers stole the considerable amount of data points.

Cyber security researchers stumbled upon a list that contains approximately 200 million email addresses of Twitter users that is currently up for grabs on hacking forums for about $2 worth of digital currency. Multiple cyber security researchers verified some of the leaked information, and all confirmed that the data is genuine. However, it is unknown who is behind the attack. Twitter has not commented on the multiple media reports about the data breach, which does not come as a surprise – Elon Musk is famously opposed to having active PR departments in his businesses. He dissolved Tesla’s press department in 2021, and the PR employees at Twitter were one of the first to go when he purchased the social media platform for $44 billion last year.

Emails are not the only data points included in the data leak. Cybercriminals have found other information in the lists, including phone numbers and publicly available information such as names, Twitter handles, user names, number of followers, and account creation dates. Most of those information elements are not deemed sensitive as they are public information. However, they still present a danger when tied up with an email address. Twitter has not yet shared its plan to address the potential problems from this data leak.

How does this affect you?

The fact that the list, predominantly consisting of emails, is now openly available on the dark web means that bad actors will likely start to utilize it to commit crimes. Malicious actions could include phishing campaigns, social engineering scam attempts, and brute-force attacks. Unfortunately, such lists are often what hackers need to launch successfully targeted attacks. Luckily, there are top antivirus software solutions out there that can add a second layer of security that ensures threat actors fail to reach you.

The post 200 million Twitter users had personal data stolen before Elon Musk’s takeover appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

YouTube is the second most popular social media platform in the world, and it boasts around 2.5 billion users each month. With the rise of targeted ads both during and between videos, unwelcome data collection and algorithms interfering with uploads, delivery and discovery, there are plenty of users searching for the best YouTube alternatives.

While it’s still important to have premium protection services downloaded onto your devices no matter what platform you use, there are alternatives to YouTube that can significantly decrease frustrations for creators, users and businesses alike.

Check out these 20 YouTube alternatives that are great for creating, hosting and sharing content. 

Table of Contents

• Dailymotion
• Vimeo
• DTube
• Odysee
• Vevo
• Twitch
• TED
• Facebook Watch
• BitChute
• Wistia
• VideosHub
• Spotlightr
• Brightcove
• SproutVideo
• Brid.TV
• 9GAG
• Crackle
• Uscreen
• PeerTube
• Veoh

1. Dailymotion

Notable feature: Free

If you’re looking for a YouTube alternative that is almost identical to the original, Dailymotion is a great option. Similar to YouTube, Dailymotion allows users to set up channels, host unlimited videos, gain followers and monetize content by partnering with advertisers. This alternative to YouTube also streams news and entertainment videos globally, connecting more than 300 million users monthly.

Pros:

• Unlimited video uploads for free
• Support for HD and 4K videos
• Monetization available
• Embedded video player
• Less competition for users

Cons:

• Smaller audience
• Ads on all types of videos

Best alternative for:

• Users looking for a free video watching and hosting platform
• Businesses needing a free HD video embed host

2. Vimeo

Notable feature: Free

Along with video hosting, Vimeo offers users a variety of creative options including collaboration, sharing, lead generation and more. With more than 260 million users worldwide, Vimeo claims it is the perfect platform for creatives, entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes. Additionally, this YouTube alternative is ad-free and its current users are highly engaged, making it a good option for creators and businesses looking to grow a fan base and following.

Pros:

• Supports 4k videos
• Livestreaming is available
• Established users

Cons:

• Limited weekly uploads with free plan
• Video size maximums with free plan
• No monetization options

Best alternative for:

• Creators looking for a hosting platform for visual art, animation and more
• Businesses needing a free HD video embed host

3. DTube

Notable feature: Free

Unlike YouTube, DTube uses blockchain technology to share and host content. Additionally, this alternative to YouTube is decentralized, meaning there is a lower possibility of server outages and interrupted viewing time. DTube also allows users to post videos without censorship. Additionally, users can share videos from other hosting platforms.

Pros:

• Monetization is available through cryptocurrency
• No censorship

Cons:

• Smaller audience
• Cumbersome interface

Best alternative for:

• Cryptocurrency users and fans
• Creators looking to avoid censorship

4. Odysee

Notable feature: Uses blockchain technology

As the child company of LBRY, Odysee runs entirely on blockchain technology and uses LBRY credit to pay users. Aside from simple video hosting and sharing, Odyssey allows creators to use its platform to develop apps. Plus, this platform prioritizes content created by independent users rather than corporate content.

Pros:

• Publishes a variety of content formats, including videos, audio and documents
• Monetization through cryptocurrency
• Pricing models available per stream or view
• Ad-free viewing
• Supports videos up to 1080p

Cons:

• Interface can malfunction
• Many YouTube users autopost to Odysee instead of using the platform individually

Best alternative for:

• Users interested in cryptocurrency
• Content creators who want to expand outside of traditional platforms
• Creators looking to avoid censorship

5. Vevo

Notable feature: Music video network

If you’re looking for a YouTube alternative that allows video and channel grouping, Vevo is a great choice. Vevo users are able to follow artists and channels, comment on videos and share content to social media channels. Additionally, this platform offers users high-quality videos from Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group. 

Pros:

• Featured playlists and new releases
• Extensive video catalog
• Videos grouped by artist

Cons:

• Focus on music videos and web series

Best alternative for:

• Music creators and producers
• Businesses in the music industry

6. Twitch

Notable feature: Livestream gaming

Gamers, unite! Twitch is the perfect YouTube alternative for gamers and game lovers alike. This platform is a livestreaming website for sports and games, specifically video games, role-playing games (RPGs) and massively multiplayer online strategy games (MMOs). You can sort videos by recommendations or rating and browse the site by category.

Pros:

• Large library of game-based content
• Livestreaming and gamer chat possibilities
• Free options available
• Supports videos up to 1080p

Cons:

• Niche audience
• Most content is livestreamed rather than shot and edited
• Account banning is common
• Ad-free only with a premium account

Best alternative for:

• Amateur and professional gamers
• Gaming companies and game developers

7. TED

Notable feature: Industry experts

Aside from its reputation as a conference host and nonprofit organization, TED is a great alternative to YouTube for educational videos. Speakers cover topics from technology and business to social and global issues. Students, researchers, technology businesses and other companies with new ideas benefit from this platform’s offerings. 

Pros:

• More than 3000 talks are available
• Expert speakers and organization-led videos
• The Interface includes search, recommendations and topic options
• Free viewing options
• Supports videos up to 1080p

Cons:

• Users cannot upload their own videos
• Videos are streamed and uploaded at the discretion of the organization
• Collects personal information, cookies and IP addresses

Best alternative for:

• Students, researchers and knowledge- or idea-based businesses

8. Facebook Watch

Notable feature: Free

As the most popular social media platform, Facebook is quickly becoming a YouTube alternative. Based on interests, searches and viewing history, Facebook Watch recommends trending videos and allows users to browse creator profiles and content. While the interface is significantly different from YouTube, many creators and business owners use both to grow their platforms and brand recognition.

Pros:

• Large potential audience 
• Sharing opportunities to different audiences
• Monetization options
• Supports large, long files
• Users can target custom audiences
• Livestreaming capabilities
• Supports videos up to 1080p

Cons:

• Embeds are difficult and bulky
• Interface is significantly different than YouTube

Best alternative for:

• Vloggers, chefs and traveling creators
• Small businesses looking to reach local or regional audiences
• Marketers who want to create targeted ad campaigns

9. BitChute

Notable feature: Decentralized

Established in 2017, BitChute is a newer, less censored YouTube alternative that sees more than 50 million average monthly visits. Referred to as a piece of “alt-tech,” BitChute was created as a secondary space for creators looking to bypass censorship and content restrictions. Content on this platform can be viewed anonymously, but commenting, sharing, subscribing and voting all require users to register for an account.

Pros:

• Free content with no ads
• Contains user-generated content
• Monetization options available
• Collected data is encrypted

Cons:

• Only supports videos up to 480p
• Many creators have been banned or removed from mainstream platforms

Best alternative for:

• Creators with focuses on politics or activism
• Users interested in open-source content

10. Wistia

Notable feature: Business-centric

Wistia is a YouTube alternative for professional businesses using video content as a main form of marketing. Similarly to YouTube, Wistia provides users with in-depth analytics, plus it has options for in-video lead generation and automation possibilities. Additionally, Wistia’s embed options are fully customizable and even include CTAs for lead capturing.

Pros:

• Supports 4k videos up to eight gigabytes
• Customizable embed options
• Lead generation capabilities
• Allows for email synching and autoresponses

Cons:

• No free options
• Small audience opportunities

Best alternative for:

• Businesses reliant on lead generation
• Marketers who focus on on-site video creation

11. VideosHub

Notable feature: Short-form media

Formerly known as Metacafe, VideosHub is a YouTube alternative with 12 million monthly views that supports short-form video content. Most content creators use this site to host 90-second to 180-second videos that users can view and share across social platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Plus, all content is vetted by a team of volunteer moderators, ensuring that content is family-friendly, fun and fast. 

Pros:

• A platform for family-friendly content
• Supports reviews, music videos, news clips and more
• Free options available

Cons:

• Uploads are limited to 100 MB
• Content must be approved by moderators before being hosted by the platform
• Not ad-free and may host third-party advertisers

Best alternative for:

• Creators looking to make short-form video content
• Content designed with followers and clients in mind

12. Spotlightr

Notable feature: Business-centric

Officially rebranded from vooPlayer, Spotlightr is similar to other lead-capture-focused YouTube alternatives like Wistia. As a video marketing platform, Spotlightr includes analytics tools, lead generation opportunities and special security features. In addition to video viewing and hosting, this platform allows users to run contests and giveaways for certain videos. 

Pros:

• Supports 4k videos
• Analytics and audience tools available
• Integrates marketing automation

Cons:

• No free options
• Only allows for 25 GB of storage
• Complicated interface

Best alternative for:

• Businesses reliant on lead generation
• Marketers who focus on on-site video creation

13. Brightcove

Notable feature: Business-centric

Brightcove is a great YouTube alternative for enterprises and businesses. This platform provides users with a variety of hosting and live video streaming options, as well as live video deliverability to smartphones and apps. Hosted videos can also be advertised on and analytics are available in real time.

Pros:

• Supports UltraHD videos up to 8K
• Includes purchasable and sellable ad blocks
• Manageable content across apps and websites
• Collaboration tools available
• Analytics tools included
• Video interactions help build audiences

Cons:

• No free options
• Complicated interface

Best alternative for:

• Businesses looking for a centralized video platform
• Users who want to personalize video experiences

14. SproutVideo

Notable feature: Business-centric

For small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to grow through video marketing, SproutVideo is an exceptional alternative to YouTube. SproutVideo allows users to create customizable video players for every page on a website and unique video embeds. Additionally, videos can include lead generation forms and CRM integrations.

Pros:

• Supports HD and 4K videos
• Lead generation options
• Advanced analytics, including geotracking
• Customizable CTAs

Cons:

• No free options
• Complicated interface
• More than 500 GB/month of storage costs extra

Best alternative for:

• Small businesses who want to grow their video marketing
• Entrepreneurs interested in video and audience analytics

15. Brid.TV

Notable feature: Business-centric

As a YouTube alternative, Brid.TV focuses on content monetization and platform growth. This platform delivers HD videos to audience members across a variety of devices. Additionally, users can host videos and manage their content library as well as track analytics, customize their video players and integrate automation with CMS software.

Pros:

• Simple setup
• Affordable for enterprise-level customers
• Integrates with iOS and Android

Cons:

• No free options
• Plugins can be glitchy

Best alternative for:

• Users interested in quick monetization
• Businesses looking to boost views and revenue

16. 9GAG

Notable feature: Short-form media

Do you love social media and short-form video? Then 9GAG is the go-to alternative to YouTube for you! Rather than commentary videos or news stories, this platform hosts GIFs, memes and other short videos that are easily shareable. 9GAG also categorizes its videos so they are easy to find and send to other video lovers.

Pros:

• Short and shareable
• Easily searchable and categorized
• Ad-free

Cons:

• Small audience
• Interface is similar to Tumblr and Facebook
• Only supports videos up to 360p
• Long-form content does not usually succeed

Best alternative for:

• Creators making short-form videos or image-focused animation
• Businesses using comedy in marketing

17. Crackle

Notable feature: Professional media

For viewers looking to watch videos and television shows on a platform like YouTube, Crackle is a great alternative. This platform contains Sony-exclusive content, including legendary media. What Crackle lacks in user-generated content it makes up for in free, professionally created content from production houses like Columbia Pictures.

Pros:

• Supports videos up to 1080p
• Most professionally created videos are free

Cons:

• Not ad-free
• Less user-generated content

Best alternative for:

• Viewers looking for movies and television shows

18. Uscreen

Notable feature: Business-centric

As a YouTube alternative, Uscreen offers users the ability to download videos, save favorites to a personal library and organize videos based on categories or topics. This platform also allows users to livestream content, review analytics and set community features. Additionally, Uscreen is one of the best video platforms for content monetization by providing creators and businesses a streamlined distribution platform. 

Pros:

• HLM5 video viewing and speech algorithms
• Library for saved favorite videos
• Curates list of trending topics
• Monetization options

Cons:

• No free options
• Livestreaming and chat are more expensive
• Limited storage space

Best alternative for:

• Creators looking for video monetization options
• Businesses needing an all-in-one video hosting and distribution platform

19. PeerTube

Notable feature: Decentralized

Have you ever wanted YouTube to be dedicated solely to your favorite hobby, activity or video game? With PeerTube, that’s exactly what you can find or create! PeerTube is an open-source, decentralized platform that allows creators to establish their own individual YouTube alternatives known as instances. Each instance is run and regulated by a creator or a group.

Pros:

• Free content with no ads
• Supports videos up to 1440p

Cons:

• Thousands of instances rather than one central hub
• Rules and regulations vary by creator

Best alternative for:

• Large businesses with a variety of videos to host and share
• Creators with niche topics of interest

20. Veoh

Notable feature: Free

Veoh is a great YouTube alternative for those looking to stream user-generated content and watch professional shows or movies. Established in 2005, this platform follows the privacy regulations of the United States with content that is separated into categories — including videos, music, movies, channels and groups. Veoh allows users to upload their own content and organize their media into individual playlists.

Pros:

• Free accessible content
• Supports videos up to 1080p
• Interface is navigable
• Large video library

Cons:

• Not ad-free
• Disorganized video library

Best alternative for:

• Viewers looking for free movies and TV shows

You can start hosting your newest videos and supporting your favorite businesses on one of these YouTube alternatives at any time. If you choose to use an alternative to YouTube as your main form of video viewing or hosting, download a free VPN for browsing and keep your passwords varied for additional protection. 

Resources: Audiosocket | Sell Courses Online

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A new report published by UK think tank Crest Advisory has found that social media is fueling a rise in physical attacks between primary school children. Based on a three-year study, researchers believe that relatively minor disagreements can quickly escalate into violence – and even murder.

Crest Advisory is now calling for the UK government to assign social media apps and platforms a rating system that will allow parents to better understand the potential risks faced by their children online.

What did researchers discover?

Social media apps are now one of the primary ways that students communicate with each other. When there is an incident at school, victims and bullies will frequently trade insults online, watched and encouraged by their classmates.

However, instead of naturally petering out, these relatively minor disagreements escalate into major confrontations. And there is an expectation between pupils that the argument will continue offline – often involving fighting or other physical violence.

The report cites the case of 13-year-old schoolboy Olly Stephens who was involved in a social media dispute with two of his classmates. Initially his bullies planned to record a video humiliating him to be reshared online. However, matters quickly escalated and the bullies ended up killing Olly instead, planning the entire murder using social media apps.

Ongoing exposure to inappropriate content

Crest also found that children using social media are frequently exposed to age-inappropriate content. Violent videos are readily available, and users are often shown advertisements for weapons. Researchers believe that this imagery may amplify conflict and accelerate disagreements towards violence, particularly for children with known vulnerabilities.

How would the ratings system wrk?

The Crest report, Fixing Neverland, recommends that social media websites be rated according to how safe they are for children. They also strongly recommend the creation of a standardized national system for age verification to prevent children accessing age-restricted platforms.

These safeguards should be backed by other resources offline too. Education professionals should receive additional training in ‘online conflict resolution’ skills that will allow them to de-escalate social media arguments more effectively. Pupils themselves should receive training from ‘digital safer schools’ teams, led by police officers who can advise on safer use of social media tools.

Crest also believe that these measures should be backed by a public awareness campaign, helping parents to better understand the risks and challenges their children face online. Launching the report, Joe Caluori, Crest Advisory Head of Research and Policy, said:

“Our research shows that parents of primary school aged children are unprepared for the risks their children face online, including petty spats which are allowed to escalate quickly, resulting in serious violence, causing life changing injuries and even death, as in the tragic case of Olly Stephens.”

Whether the UK government adopts any of these recommendations remains to be seen. However, it is clear that left unchallenged, social media use could have serious negative consequences for school-aged children.

Want to know more about protecting your kids online? Take a look at our guide, How to keep your kids safe from harmful content online.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint alert highlighting that foreign countries might try to manipulate information and spread disinformation in an attempt to influence the 2022 midterm elections. The government security agencies did not specify where the threat to democracy might be coming from but believed that foreign adversaries would likely intensify efforts to influence the outcome of the upcoming elections.

FBI and CISA believe that foreign state-sponsored actors might amplify false claims of voter suppression, voter and ballot fraud, and other information that would aim to challenge the legitimacy of the results of the elections. The actors might even try to incite violence by spreading lies and false narratives before, during, or after the elections.

One of the possible scenarios described by the government security agencies includes bad actors providing and amplifying false claims on spoofed websites and dark web media channels. Foreign individuals might try to meddle with the midterm elections by giving fake evidence of “successful” cyber-attacks that “prove” voting inaccuracies.

The security alert urges Americans to critically evaluate the sources of information and trust verified information from reputable media outlets. Unfortunately, the agencies did not provide a list of media outlets that are considered respectable. Instead, the agencies highlighted that sensational content could be created and shared by foreign-sponsored bad actors who wish to promote false information and cause anger and distrust among Americans.

FBI and CISA also used the public services announcement to highlight that, on some occasions, news sites and social media platforms may sound and look authentic. Still, Americans should remember that foreign citizens own them or they own significant stakes in those entities. Social media users might unintentionally spread lies and misinformation if they forget to evaluate the content critically before sharing it with their followers. Security agencies advise users always to question content even if it comes from a reliable source, but it lacks a second reliable source that supports the claim.

Social media companies sometimes offer in-platform tools to help people report elections-elated disinformation or false statements. However, the tools are far from perfect; sometimes, the actual social media companies can be manipulative.

The FBI and CISA strongly encourage Americans to be careful and report anything, they believe is suspicious or criminal, to their local FBI office. FBA locations are available all around the country, and you can find the closest one to you here www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field.

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Unsolicited nude photos have been significant concern over the years. With the exponential adoption of social media over the last fifteen years and the constantly increasing popularity and affordability of smartphones with high-end cameras, technology has made it very easy for people to share private photos and distribute unsolicited content.

Sharing intimate photos between two consenting adults is generally not illegal. However, people, predominantly women, who work as casting agents, social media managers, and journalists have seen things they never sign up to see. A recent study by Pew Research Center concluded that no one is protected, and even regular folks and low-profile influencers are very likely to be victims of cyberflashing. According to the survey, more than half of the women thirty years or younger have experienced cyberflashing at least once.

Social media and dating apps have acknowledged the problem and are actively working to figure out how to fight cyberflashing. A popular dating app for women called Bumble recently scored a significant win by working with California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, who recently signed the cyberflashing bill SB 53 into law. The new law, often referred to as the FLASH Act, will go into effect on January 1st, 2023, in the Golden State. Similar bills have already been adopted in other states, such as Texas and Virginia. The bills introduced among states would allow plaintiffs to get between $500 to $30,000 in damages. Many states have open discussions about the topic, and some believe that one day there will be a federal law against cyberflashing.

Meta’s Instagram is also actively working to develop tools that protect users from receiving unsolicited private photos. The new filter addition would be part of Instagram’s “Hidden Words” feature, allowing app users to filter direct messages containing content they might find offensive. Apple’s Messages app does offer tools that could warn users when receiving or sending photos that contain nudity. Many believe that cyberflashing incidents could have long-lasting psychological damage, as seen in real-life victims of indecent exposure and flashing.

Cyberflashing is not the only problem associated with nude photos. Storing and sharing personal sensitive content could backfire even if the content is shared between consenting adults. Relationships sometimes go wrong, and sometimes, the sore partner in a relationship might decide to retaliate. Revenge porn has been recognized as a crime in some states, such as California but continues to ruin lives and careers. The fact that offenders can get up to 6 months in jail and be heavily fined does not stop them from sharing private content.

One way to not become a victim is to rely on filters offered by antivirus companies or tools integrated into the social media apps of choice. In addition, consumers need to be fully aware that storing nude photos in digital format is risky, and those files need to be well protected. Lastly, users must always block and report cyberflashing incidents to local police and the admins of the platform of choice.

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TikTok has established itself as one of the top performing social media platforms for U.S. teens. The Chinese-owned short-form user video platform has constantly grown since it entered the U.S. market in 2016.

Pew Research recently released a survey that shows TikTok is currently the top social media platform for teens. Approximately 2/3 of the surveyees answered that they use TikTok. Facebook only got 32% in the same survey. Facebook is not the only social media platform that is losing the interest of U.S. teens – Conversely, Twitter and Tumblr also did not score well in the survey. The online poll covered the answers of 1,316 teens aged 13 to 17 and was conducted from April 14 to May 4, 2022.

Even though, over the years, Facebook has tried to introduce various tools that would allow users to have better control of who sees their content, teenagers are starting to not be very keen on being on the same social platform as their grandparents. So, while Meta enjoyed the fresh influx of new users over the years, this move also effectively dethroned Facebook’s reputation as the coolest kid on the block.

Facebook has not been silent. Meta has tried to capture the teens’ interest. Last month, Facebook redesigned its home feed to resemble TikTok. The new tab called ‘Feeds’ is very similar to TikTok’s algorithm of chosen videos. In 2021, Facebook also introduced ‘Reels,’ a short video format tab resembling TikTok, but Meta still failed to successfully tackle TikTok’s continuing advance.

The thirst for visual and video content is undoubtedly a significant player in teenagers’ attention. The Pew Research survey showed that YouTube is used by 95% of teens. YouTube is the most common online platform used by teens. Instagram and Snapchat are also performing well amongst teenagers. However, the survey showed that YouTube and TikTok are the platforms teens use most frequently. YouTube managed to keep teenagers interested by introducing TikTok-like features such as YouTube Shorts. Shorts is Google’s spot to shoot, share, and binge short videos (60 seconds or less) on YouTube.

Another major blow for Facebook came from the answer to the question of what app teens use almost constantly. Approximately 19% of the surveyees answered that YouTube is their platform of choice, and TikTok got 16%, followed by Snapchat with 15%, and Instagram with 10%. Facebook scored only 2%.

Facebook has undoubtedly taken a hit from teenagers, but it continues to be the largest social media platform in the world and the most preferred by adults.

TikTok can be addictive. Many antivirus software solutions come equipped with parental control functions that keep teenagers safe from nasty cyber-attacks and give parents the freedom to monitor and have a say in their child’s online behavior.

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