Articles about Facebook

There are times when it makes sense to type a message in WhatsApp, and others when it is better to send a voice message. As the recipient of a voice message, it may not be convenient or possible to listen straight way.

Now WhatsApp has finally added the solutions users have been asking for -- transcripts. This long-awaited feature provides a text version of an audio message so you can read it instead of listening to it.

Continue reading →

Citing "foreign interference activity", Meta has introduced a global ban on Russian state media outlets on its social media platforms. The move is fueled in part by concern about attempts by Russia to influence the 2024 US presidential election.

The ban, which is coming into force over the next few days, means that the likes of RT (formerly Russia Today) and Rossiya Segodnya will no longer have access to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.

Continue reading →

The question of how to train and improve AI tools is one that triggers fierce debate, and this is something that has come into sharp focus as It becomes clear just how Meta is teaching its own artificial intelligence.

The social media giant is -- perhaps unsurprisingly to many -- using data scrapped from Facebook and Instagram posts, but only in Australia. Why Australia? Unlike Europe where General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) necessitated Meta to give users a way to opt out of having their data used in this way, Australia has not been afforded this same opportunity. What does this mean?

Continue reading →

There are many frustrations to complain about in relation to messaging apps, but one of the biggest has to be the fact that the vast majority of platforms do not talk to each other. Facebook Messenger can only be used to talk to other Facebook Messenger users, WhatsApp can only be used to communicate with other WhatsApp users, and so on. But this is about to change.

At least it will change for people in Europe. In response to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Meta is working towards making it possible for WhatsApp and Messenger users to enjoy cross-platform interoperability by enabling third-party chats. This has been in the pipeline for a while, but the changes are now imminent and more details of how it will all work have been revealed.

Continue reading →

Meta has announced a quartet of new features for Messenger all aimed at improving the file sharing experience. Kicking things off is the ability to send high-definition photos to ensure that quality is retained.

This is a change that will please many users, but the other additions are arguably more interesting. There is not only support for the sending of significantly larger files than has been possible thus far, but also a new shared album feature that enables chat participants to collaborate on a photo album. There is also the new option to add people to your Messenger contacts using QR codes.

Continue reading →

As the US Congress talks about potentially banning TikTok, a new survey from Media.com shows that 70 percent of social media users are moderately to extremely concerned that misinformation will impact the 2024 US Presidential election.

Respondents are also inclined to hold social media companies accountable for misinformation and hate speech, with a slim majority (51 percent) favoring increased regulation and 62 percent calling for legal action for social platforms that allow misinformation to spread.

Continue reading →

Meta has announced that it is killing off the Facebook News tab in the United States as well as Australia. The company says that the decision has been taken because it believes "that people don’t come to Facebook for news and political content".

The Facebook News tab is set to be removed in April, and Meta says that it will be focusing "time and resources on things people tell us they want to see more of on the platform, including short form video". The dedicated tab for news has already been deprecated in France, Germany and the UK.

Continue reading →

Catching up with just about every other messaging app currently available, WhatsApp has finally expanded the range of text formatting options it offers.

Before you get too excited, though, temper your expectations -- you're not being given access to word processor-like options. Joining the existing bold, italic, strikethrough and monospace options are new code, quote and list options complete with a new batch of text-based shortcuts.

Continue reading →

Meta's former COO, Sheryl Sandberg, is stepping down from the company's board of directors later in the year. She has played a major role at the firm since joining Facebook when it was merely a startup, having previously spent time at Google.

Widely respected and seen as one of the most influential women in the world of technology, Sandberg served as Facebook's and Meta's COO for over 14 years and has agreed to remain a board member to help with the transition when she leaves the position. In a message posted to her Facebook page she says that "this feels like the right time to step away".

Continue reading →

WhatsApp has launched a new way to help protect your sensitive conversations, extending the capabilities of Chat Lock which rolled out earlier in the year.

The newly added feature makes it possible to both password-protect and hide those chats you don't want anyone else to see. These hidden conversations can only be accessed by those who know of their existence and who have the necessary code to make them visible.

Continue reading →

A new report from access management platform Cerby highlights the critical need for best practices for businesses and political leaders to secure their accounts as the November 2024 US elections quickly approach.

Researchers analyzed social media platforms Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube across six key security parameters. The report provides detailed insights into gaps in their support for enterprise-grade authentication and authorization.

Continue reading →

Life is about to get a little easier for WhatsApp users with more than one account. Many people have a work phone and a personal device, each associated with a different WhatsApp account. There are also plenty of users with two phone numbers for other reasons.

Simplifying living with more than one account, WhatsApp is introducing the ability to log into two accounts simultaneously. This eliminates the need to keep logging in and out, or having to carry two phones around to stay connected. So what's the catch?

Continue reading →

In the third quarter of this year, phishing attacks soared by 173 percent compared with the previous three months, and malware was up 110 percent over the same period.

Email security company Vade has released its quarterly Phishing and Malware Report which shows Q3 2023's malware volumes almost set a record for the highest total of any quarter, trailing only Q4 2016's mark of 126.8 million.

Continue reading →

The Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp has joined the growing legions of apps and services to support passkeys.

Initially available to Android users, the passwordless authentication feature makes it possible to secure a WhatsApp account with face recognition, a fingerprint or a PIN. It is a security feature that is billed as not only offering greater protection than passwords, but also being faster to use.

Continue reading →

After a period of experimentation, Meta has finally decided to permit users to create multiple Facebook profiles. Each profile -- and you can have up to four -- can have its own connections, and will have its own customized Feed.

Meta suggests that Facebook users could use the new option to keep personal and professional relationships separate, but there are many reasons for wanting to maintain more than one Facebook profile. But while the change to allow multiple profiles is a big one, there are limitations and some things are not changing.

Continue reading →