Amos Robi

<ul><li>Singer Michael Bundi expressed concerns about the delayed rollout directly to Moon Baz, the Creator Partnerships Lead for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at Meta</li><li>Moon Baz reassured creators that the launch had not been cancelled </li><li>Meta had announced plans to introduce monetisation opportunities for Kenyan users by June 2024</li></ul>

Kenyan Facebook creators may have to wait longer for monetisation opportunities as the country's political situation remains unstable.

Kenyan singer Michael Bundi recently took to Meta's platform Threads, to express his concerns about the delayed rollout. He directly addressed Moon Baz, the Creator Partnerships Lead for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at Meta.

<h3>Concerns raised by Michael Bundi</h3>

<a data-link-role-code="open_new_tab" href="https://www.pulselive.co.ke/entertainment/celebrities/michael-bundis-son-fayez-bundi-in-celebration-after-receiving-youtube-recognition/zblqnd3">Michael Bundi's </a>query highlighted the growing frustration among Kenyan creators regarding the delayed launch of Facebook monetisation.

He asked Moon Baz, "Hi Moon Baz, most of the people who were hopeful about Facebook monetisation in Kenya are losing hope that it may become a reality. Is there a possibility that the programme rollout was cancelled? Asking on behalf of the young creators in the 254."

Moon Baz, the Creator Partnerships Lead for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at Meta

READ: <a href="https://www.pulselive.co.ke/business/international/meta-spent-billions-to-close-offices-and-lay-people-off-now-we-know-why/1ppj38p">Meta spent billions to close offices and lay people off. Now we know why.</a>

Moon Baz responded, reassuring creators that the rollout had not been cancelled but was merely postponed due to the current sensitive political climate in Kenya.

"We are still ready to launch! We are mindful that this is a sensitive moment in the country and out of respect we have paused the launch temporarily. We are hoping to launch very very soon!! The rollout was not cancelled," she stated.

In March 2024, Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, announced plans to introduce monetisation opportunities for Kenyan users by June 2024.

Speaking at State House, Nairobi, Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg revealed that President William Ruto had emphasised the need for creators to earn revenue directly from the platform, rather than relying solely on local product endorsements.

An AI generated portrait of a young Kenyan man using a smartphone on a bustling street in Nairobi, near a matatu station

READ: <a href="https://www.pulselive.co.ke/business/international/metas-legal-trouble-with-kenya-maybe-settled-in-a-kenyan-court/jlztm3b">Meta’s legal trouble with Kenya maybe settled in a Kenyan court</a>

Kenyan creators can look forward to several monetisation tools once the programme launches:

<ol><li>Instream Ads on Facebook &amp; Instagram Instream ads are image or video ads that appear before, during, or after a video, allowing advertisers to reach their target audience non-disruptively while users engage with video content.</li><li>Instagram Gifts This feature allows creators to monetise their Reels content. Viewers can send virtual gifts to show their appreciation for the creators' work.</li><li>Facebook Stars Facebook Stars enables followers to support creators by purchasing and sending Stars, appreciating their gaming, live, on-demand, photo, or text content.</li></ol>

President William Ruto with Meta Global President Nick Clegg at State House, Nairobi on March 18, 2024

READ: <a href="https://www.pulselive.co.ke/business/domestic/facebook-announces-monetisation-for-kenyans-eligibility-and-payments/cv09zgg">Easy ways Kenyans will make money on Facebook &amp; IG [Eligibility &amp; payments]</a>

Kenya will soon become an eligible country for these monetisation tools. To qualify, creators must meet the following criteria:

<ul><li>Have more than 5,000 followers</li><li>Be over 18 years old</li><li>Have more than five active videos on their page</li><li>Accumulate over 60,000-minute views in the last 60 days</li><li>Comply with monetisation policies and community standards</li></ul>

An AI-generated lively scene in downtown Nairobi where a group of young, energetic Kenyan content creators are producing a street-style vlog

Kenyan Facebook creators may have to wait longer for monetisation opportunities as the country's political situation remains unstable.

Why Kenyans will wait longer before earning from Facebook & Instagram

WhatsApp, the Meta-owned instant messaging giant, is rolling out a pioneering privacy feature designed to safeguard users' profile pictures from unauthorized screenshots, a move aimed at bolstering personal privacy on the platform.

This innovative update seeks to address the concerns of Android users by preventing the downloading and sharing of profile pictures without explicit consent, marking a significant step forward in the protection of personal digital spaces.

The initiative, as reported by WABetaInfo, introduces a mechanism that allows users to prevent others from taking screenshots of their profile photos.

This development is a response to the growing need for enhanced privacy measures on social media and messaging platforms, where personal images can sometimes be misused.

"By allowing users to block screenshots of their profile photos, WhatsApp gives users more control over their privacy and ensures that their images aren’t shared or stored without permission," WABetaInfo explains.

READ: <a href="https://www.pulselive.co.ke/business/domestic/pulse-picks-2023-most-downloaded-android-and-ios-mobile-apps-in-kenya/5kmcry2">Most popular Android &amp; iOS mobile apps in Kenya in 2023 [Pulse Picks]</a>

The feature, which is currently available to a select group of beta testers through the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android, aims to curtail the unauthorized distribution and misuse of profile photos.

Instances of impersonation or harassment using others' profile photos have prompted this proactive approach.

"By restricting the ability to take screenshots of profile photos, WhatsApp can mitigate the risk of these photos being misused or distributed without the owner’s consent," WABetaInfo elaborates on the feature's significance.

Upon attempting to take a screenshot of a profile photo, users will encounter a notification that blocks the action, thereby adding an extra layer of privacy.

This measure, while it does not completely eliminate the possibility of capturing the image through other means such as using a secondary device, significantly deters the casual and unauthorized sharing of profile photos.

This initiative is part of WhatsApp's ongoing efforts to enhance user privacy. Previously, in 2019, WhatsApp made it impossible for users to download others' profile pictures.

Additionally, the platform provides options for users to restrict the visibility of their profile pictures to ‘everyone,’ ‘nobody,’ or ‘my contacts’ only, through the privacy settings.

Beyond protecting profile pictures, WhatsApp is also exploring other data protection measures.

WhatsApp, the Meta-owned instant messaging giant, is rolling out a pioneering privacy feature designed to safeguard users' profile pictures from unauthorized screenshots, a move aimed at bolstering personal privacy on the platform.

Meta

Why Kenyans will wait longer before earning from Facebook & Instagram

WhatsApp unveils new feature to prevent screenshot of profile pictures