The Scoop: Meta bans harassment content made with smart glasses

Surprise: Not everyone is using Meta’s smart glasses in wholesome ways.

Now, Meta’s Instagram is cracking down on video footage shot on its glasses that features users pestering people in public and being a general nuisance to women and society at large.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri explained in a story that content of this sort would be banned on the platform, according to Business Insider.

“If you’re posting content that is taking advantage of people and harassing them, like a lot of these pickup line kind of videos that we’ve heard of and seen, then we’re going to take the content down,” Mosseri said.

Further reporting from Business Insider found that Instagram has so far deactivated two large accounts — each with over a million followers — of pickup artists who use the glasses to film themselves approaching women in public. Meta confirmed that the accounts were closed for violating its policy about posting troubling content that originates from its glasses.

“We don’t want people to be surreptitiously taking videos of other people and harassing them and then posting them on our platform,” Mosseri added. “We’re trying to fight that every way we can.”

Why it matters: Every professional communicator knows the value of scenario planning.

In this case, Meta should have anticipated that people would use the smart glasses, which are difficult to detect if they’re recording or not, for dubious purposes. Meta, of all companies, should know that creating powerful new technology and pushing it out into the world doesn’t always result in something positive for humanity.

Now Meta is backed into a corner where it has to essentially disown and disallow content that stems from its own device.

In fairness, Meta should publicize a clear policy of what’s tolerated and what’s not, much like how its Community Standards page details rules around “creepshots” and bully and harassment.

A quick glance at Mosseri’s Instagram account shows the story Business Insider reported on is no longer available.

This makes the news about its smart glasses feel more like an off-the-cuff sidenote than a coherent, well-planned policy update.

How is Taco Bell responding to the cyclospora outbreak?

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named Taco Bell as a possible source of the cyclospora outbreak, the restaurant chain has gone into damage control.

A press release on its website noted it had removed all affected lettuce from Taylor Farms. “We believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests,” read a line from the statement.

Taco Bell posted a similar message on Instagram: “We take your health and safety seriously and have removed all affected Taylor farms lettuce from Taco Bell stores.” But added a slight twist: “You always got us. We always got you. See you in the drive-thru.”

More recently, Taco Bell’s CEO Sean Tresvant turned to LinkedIn to continue to push the messaging forward.

He addressed his note to “every Taco Bell fan,” before thanking everyone for their support and uplifting comments during the crisis.

“Our fans reminded the world that Taco Bell is a part of your stories, your routines, your celebrations, and the everyday moments in between,” Tresvant wrote. “We aren’t entitled to your loyalty. We earn it one meal at a time.”

The episode highlights how Taco Bell is using different tones on distinct channels to reach specific audiences. While the press release is more formal, the Instagram post is more playful. Tresvant’s message on LinkedIn, meanwhile, is more earnest and heartfelt.

“My thoughts are with everyone affected,” Tresvant wrote. “There is a better way forward, and we are going to lead the way. We owe that to you.”

All three approaches, of course, work together to persuade the public that Taco Bell is a safe place to enjoy that next meal.

Why is Sony renovating the Cinerama Dome?

After closing during the pandemic, Hollywood’s iconic Cinerama Dome movie theater is scheduled to reopen in 2028, thanks to Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“Hot damn! We’re bringing the Dome back, baby,” Tom Rothman, CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. “We believe in moviegoing down to our soul, and no venue on earth stands more for that than the one-of-a-kind Dome. I am deeply proud that Sony is investing in Hollywood, literally.”

Throughout the press release, Sony makes sure to spotlight its reverence for the landmark. When discussing upcoming renovations, for example, Sony states the theater’s “historic legacy and singular moviegoing experience will be honored and carefully preserved, with the iconic ‘Cinerama’ name and exterior branding left intact.”

Ravi Ahuja, CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, notes “There is no moviegoing destination anywhere in the world that commands the affection, history, and cultural significance of the Cinerama Dome. It represents the kind of singular experience we value and champion.”

While Sony no doubt hopes the famous theater will generate revenue, the announcement frames the investment as a statement about what the company values. In today’s digital age, where consumers can stream pretty much anything from a device at home, pouring money into restoring a physical building is a way to distinguish the brand from others in the entertainment industry.

Is Tom Brady doing too much?

Now that Tom Brady is retired, the seven-time Super Bowl champion appears to be everywhere. Some worry overexposure and a string of silly publicity stunts is harming his legacy.

Recent examples include Brady slapping Logan Paul at Fanatics Fest in New York as part of an ongoing feud with the former YouTuber. Last month, in partnership with the delivery service Gopuff, Brady launched a line of coconut water with the difficult-to-forget name Good Nut. Earlier this year, Brady starred in an ad campaign for Pizza Hut, a brand that doesn’t quite line up with the former quarterback’s health-conscious image.

NFL Network host Kyle Brandt joked that Brady’s antics were as ridiculous as if Daniel Day-Lewis appearing on “Love Island.”

The point is that Brady’s brand mystique is fading with every public appearance that doesn’t live up to the focus and discipline he displayed on the field. Rather than commanding attention, Brady seems to be chasing it.

In branding, scarcity can be a valuable asset. Same with consistency and integrity.

As Front Office Sports put it: “Come back to us, Tom — even if that means seeing you less.”