Facebook uses India as a testing ground for profile picture protection features
It's a common belief that anything that appears online is fair game for downloading and sharing, and this idea extends to Facebook profile pictures. Facebook has found that in India in particular there is great concern from users -- particularly woman -- about uploading a profile picture in case it is download and shared elsewhere.
Responding to this, the social network is trialling features that will grant users more control over their profile pictures. Facebook is not only introducing a new profile picture guard, but also encouraging people to add a design layer to their images to discourage misuse by others. If the trial proves successful, the feature will enjoy a wider rollout.
Happy birthday to the GIF... and welcome to Facebook comments!
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the GIF. The humble file format has -- after protracted arguments about how to pronounce the word -- come a long way. After years irritating people in the format of flashing animated ads, the images are now used to adorn messages with pithy memes and pertinent video clips.
GIFs in their current incarnation are supported by messaging tools and social platforms left, right and center, and after including a dedicated GIF button in Facebook Messenger, the social network is now rolling out the same feature in comments.
Facebook expands Safety Check with fundraising and more
Facebook's Safety Check feature has become one of the easiest ways of checking up on loved ones when disaster strikes. It also gives people in the affected area the opportunity to let friends and family know that they're OK, and today Facebook is adding a number of new options, including fundraising.
Starting off in the US, people will now be able to start a fundraiser from within Safety Check to help raise money for those in need. These can be for personal or charitable causes, and the feature makes it easy for others to make donations. There are also other changes that make Safety Check more useful.
Google and Facebook celebrate Pride month with event maps and rainbow reaction
June is Pride month, and two of the biggest names in tech are getting involved in the celebrations. Google and Facebook are both showing their support for LGBTQ communities around the world.
Facebook has introduced a new, temporary, "reaction" in the form of a rainbow flag, while Google Maps is highlighting Pride events in cities around the world -- so you can either navigate to them to take part, or avoid the crowds if you're heading elsewhere.
EU proposals could grant police direct access to US firms' cloud data
The European Union is seeking ways to make it easier for law enforcement agencies to gather evidence from US tech firms. The European Commission has three proposals that could form the basis of future legislation, and one of them involves granting direct access to individuals' data stored in the cloud.
While the proposals are unlikely to prove popular with the public -- particularly when the UK is already subject to the invasive Investigatory Powers Act -- they are being pushed as a tool in the fight against terrorism.
Facebook launches a trio of features to help US constituents connect with elected officials
Donald Trump is just one example of politicians using social media to get their messages out. With President Trump, Twitter acts very much as a one-way means of communications -- Facebook wants to make the channels between elected officials and constituents a two-way street.
As such, the social network is launching three new features -- Constituent Badges, Constituent Insights and District Targeting -- to help users get in touch with their elected representatives. These are the latest attempts by Facebook to increase meaningful civic engagement through its service while fighting back complaints about fake news.
Apple nixes Facebook and Twitter integration from iOS 11
With the arrival of any new operating system, the focus tends to be on what has been added and what has been improved. But it's also important to keep an eye on what has been removed, and this is true of Apple's newly announced iOS 11.
One of the things to have been removed from the upcoming version of Apple's mobile OS is social media integration. Specifically, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo have been dropped from Settings, meaning that these services will no longer be able to offer an easy way to sign into apps and services using social media accounts.
Facebook uses Pride Month to pat itself on the back over LGBTQ support
Social media platforms are, by their very nature, keen to be welcoming to as broad a spectrum of people as possible. Twitter, YouTube, and other services of their ilk like to be seen to be as inclusive as can be imagined and Facebook is no different.
This month is Pride Month, and Facebook is not only joining in the celebrations, but also using it to indulge in a little self-celebration and self-congratulation. The social network is rolling out a rainbow frame, a Pride reaction and Pride-themed masks for photos, Pride stickers in Messenger and more, but the company is also falling over itself to prove how diverse not only its userbase is, but also its workforce.
Tech companies retaliate against Theresa May's claim they offer a 'safe space' for extremists
Following the attacks on London over the weekend, prime minister Theresa May made calls for further regulation of the internet -- despite having already ushered in the snooper's charter, one of the most invasive pieces of online legislation in the world.
Speaking about the attacks, May said: "We cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed. Yet that is precisely what the internet, and the big companies that provide internet-based services provide." Google, Facebook and Twitter have all lashed out, saying they already do a great deal to combat terrorist and extremist content on their networks.
Police ask people not to share London Bridge and Borough Market attack footage on social media
Last night saw two attacks in London leading to the deaths of seven people and dozens of injuries. A van driven at pedestrians on London Bridge, and stabbings in Borough Market have been labelled as terrorist attacks, and Facebook Safety Check was activated for the incident.
The social network was not just used by people to let loved ones know that they were safe following the attacks, but also to share footage of the shocking aftermath. While police are keen for witnesses to come forward with footage they may have shot on mobile phones, they are pleading with people not to share videos on social media.
Not just for photos -- now you can add just about anything to Facebook albums
Albums on Facebook have, logically, been a handy way to store and organize photographs. for a while now. But an update to the social network means that albums can now be used to group together posts, photos, check-ins and more.
In a fairly major overhaul of the system, Facebook is in the process of greatly expanding the capabilities of albums, making them far more versatile and useful. As well as increasing the range of content that can be added, Facebook is also surfacing collaborative albums, introducing featured albums, and more.
Facebook's solution to fake news: 'fight information with more information'
It may be Donald Trump who is obsessed with what he perceives as "fake news" (translation: anything which is not in line with his personal views), but there is a genuine problem with the dissemination of false information online, particularly on social media sites such as Facebook.
Just as it has voiced a commitment to tackling its well-known problems with trolling and abuse, Facebook has also made a great deal of noise about fighting fake news. Despite this, Facebook shareholders have rejected proposals that suggested the company should release a report into the impact of fake news. Mark Zuckerberg thinks he has a solution: "fight information with more information."
Facebook redesigns security settings page making two-factor authentication easily identifiable
Realizing that its security settings were off-putting to many people due to being a shambolic mess, Facebook has rolled out a redesign which it says helps to improve clarity.
As well as giving greater prominence to the most important security settings, some options have been renamed. This comes after Facebook conducted some research into why users were clicking certain options but not changing them -- it turns out they had no idea what the settings actually did.
OnePlus 5 photography sample sparks a mixed reaction
OnePlus continues to drip-feed us snippets of information about its upcoming OnePlus 5. We've already learned that the company has teamed up with DxO to improve the photography side of things, and now we have been treated to the first official sample photo shot on a OnePlus 5.
On both Facebook and Twitter, OnePlus shared a split-screen photograph, one side taken on an unknown camera, the other on the OnePlus 5. The company asked, "Can you tell which photo was taken with the OnePlus 5?" -- and the reaction was rather mixed.
Microsoft, Google, Facebook and others write to House of Representatives asking for reform of NSA surveillance
A letter signed by more than 30 major technology companies has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee calling for a number of key changes to be made to NSA surveillance. The letter, signed by the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Google and Mozilla, asks lawmakers to make a number of considerations when reforming Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act.
The signatories refer to themselves as "U.S.-based companies that provide consumer and business technology, products, and services around the world through the use of electronic data." Their letter is timed to coincide with debate about the reform of Section 702 which is used to justify NSA surveillance programs, and is due to expire at the end of the year. There are calls for increased transparency and controls, as well as the suggestion that surveillance should be reined in.
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