Periscope is the latest live-streaming platform to jump on the selfie filter bandwagon with the launch of its very own election-themed facial overlay graphics.
The lighthearted feature gives you the option to don a Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump mask when broadcasting in selfie mode on the Periscope iOS app. The limited edition graphics will be available for the duration of next week — meaning you can’t forever impersonate Trump or Clinton during your live-streams.
Unlike the animated graphics offered by Snapchat — which pioneered the selfie filter format — and more recently by Facebook Live, Periscope’s Clinton and Trump masks were created using actual photographs. The final result, complete with puppet-like mouth movements, resembles something you’d expect to see in South Park.
The images are credited to Gage Skidmore, a prolific election trail photographer whose Flickr photos have reportedly been re-used 30 million times — including by the presidential candidates themselves.
What on the surface may seem like an irreverent new addition is part of Periscope’s bid to get people talking about politics. “We hope this is an entertaining way to have conversations and raise awareness around the election and the importance of voting,” explains the company.
Significantly, the update arrives on the heels of Facebook’s Live video selfie masks. It seems both platforms are fervently trying to boost engagement using playful new features that can attract new users who may otherwise be put off by creating traditional broadcasts.
Periscope claims it will introduce more tools to help live-streamers produce compelling live video soon, which could be an indication that more Snapchat-style graphics are on the way. For now, there is no mention of whether selfie masks will be available on an ongoing basis — in the vein of Facebook Live — after the election.
Related Posts
WhatsApp has begun testing a long-overdue group chat feature
The Meta-owned messaging platform is testing a new feature called "group chat history sharing" (via a WABetaInfo report). As the name suggests, the feature lets a WhatsApp user (likely the admin) share the chat history (up to 100 messages sent within 14 days) with someone while adding them to a group.
You can now choose the kind of content you see on Instagram Reels
The announcement came from Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, giving people a more direct way to shape the kind of videos they actually want to see. At its core, Your Algorithm lets users actively tune their Reels experience.
New UK under-5 screen time guidance targets passive time, what it changes for you
The push is rooted in government-commissioned research that links the highest screen use in two-year-olds, around five hours a day, with weaker vocabulary than peers closer to 44 minutes a day. Screens are already close to universal at age two, so the guidance is being framed as help you can actually use, not a ban.