Google+ Is Regaining Momentum, Proving Its Many Skeptics Wrong

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Why Google+ Isn't Going Anywhere Anytime Soon (L2 Think Tank)
Google+, which gained momentum after a successful launch in 2011 but then suffered from a slowdown in growth, is now surging in popularity, defying the predictions of many pundits who said it would fade away. L2 Think Tank Founder Scott Galloway says that's because Google has effectively integrated Google+ with its most popular products, such as Search and Gmail, which places the social network in front of Google users throughout the day.

We noted in our recent analysis that Google+ has surpassed Twitter in monthly unique visitors on PCs. Read >

Facebook Pays $20 Million Settlement In Privacy Lawsuit (Reuters)
Facebook was sued in 2011, because "Sponsored Stories" shared users' "likes" of certain ads with friends without paying them or giving them the option to opt out. As part of the settlement, Facebook will also give users more control over how their content is shared. Read >

Users Take To Twitter And Tumblr During VMAs (AdWeek)
During MTV's Video Music Awards, 1.1 million Tumblr users posted content with VMA-related keywords while 3 million Twitter users did the same. Read >

Computer Virus Has Affected 800,000 Facebook Users (The New York Times)
A new virus that appears as a link in an e-mail or Facebook message is downloading malware on users computers that allows the perpetrator to gain access to all stored data on that person's browser, including passwords. Read >

Vine And Other Online Video Services Are Getting Better And Better (GigaOm)
Online video is growing up. Network speeds, production values, and audiences' embrace of authenticity all contribute to the attraction of online video. Read >

Twitter Hires Its First Head Of Commerce (Bloomberg)
Twitter has hired Nathan Hubbard, former president of Ticketmaster, as its first head of commerce. Hubbard told Bloomberg News that he's going to "go to people who have stuff to sell and help them use Twitter to sell it more effectively." In other words, Twitter is preparing for its foray into social commerce. Read >

Instagram Now Offers Photo-Straightening Tool (GigaOm)
Instagram's iOS app now comes with the built-in ability to straighten photos. Read >

Which Hashtags Did Instagram Ban From Search Results? (The Data Pack)
Instagram has banned certain hashtags that contain profanity and extensions of foul language. Read >