#MidweekMinute: Major Facebook & Snapchat developments

Facebook is testing and introducing tools for Messenger, Donations, and even facial recognition technology; Snapchat has, of course, redesigned itself, but has also introduced object recognition and new AR ad formats.

Facebook Broadcast

Facebook tests tool to make it easier for businesses to send message blasts on Messenger (Marketing Land)

Facebook prototypes Messenger Broadcast for businesses (TechCrunch)

Facebook Donations

Facebook drops fee on donations, will match $50M/year, adds Mentor feature (TechCrunch)

Facebook is dropping its fundraising fees for nonprofits, but not for personal causes (Quartz)

Facebook Selfie Logins

Facebook may ask you to prove you’re not a bot with a selfie (Digital Trends)

Facebook uses selfies as login authentication for suspicious activity (The Verge)

Facebook’s new security measure asks users to upload a photo of their face (BGR)

Facebook Testing Streaks Feature

Facebook is testing a Snapchat ‘streaks’ clone for Messenger (The Daily Dot)

Facebook's latest feature test looks like Snapchat's streaks (Engadget)

Facebook maintains streak of copying Snapchat with new Messenger test (Business Insider)

Snapchat Redesign

Snapchat Remakes Itself, Splitting the Social From the Media (The New York Times)

What Snapchat’s major redesign and algorithmic feed means for marketers (Marketing Land)

Snapchat Redesigns Mobile App to Split Friends From Media (Bloomberg)

Snapchat Photo Recognition Filters

Snapchat now recognizes food, pets, and more when suggesting filters (The Verge)

Snapchat’s newest filters can recognize what’s in your photos (TechCrunch)

Snapchat's latest filters recognize pets and food (Engadget)

Snapchat applies for patent to serve ads by recognizing objects in your snaps (The Verge)

Snapchat's New Advertising Tools

Asos, HBO and BMW pilot Snapchat's new ad formats (Marketing Drive)

Snapchat Brings New Advertising Tools to Aid Revenue Growth (Nasdaq)

Snapchat seeks salvation in long-form and “hands-on” AR ads (TechCrunch)