Adblock Plus says open source developers will fight for users' right to block ads on Facebook
Following on from Facebook's decision to override users' ad blocking tools, Adblock Plus has fired one more shot, saying that it will continue the fight for the right to an ad-free social networking experience.
After finding a way to prevent Facebook blocking ads, which Facebook then bypassed once again, Adblock Plus says that while the game of cat and mouse may continue, it wants to use what it describes as "probably be the last time we talk about it for a while" to say that the open source community will fight the good fight for users.
Facebook starts to take more notice of your preferences to personalize your newsfeed
Facebook's constant tinkering with newsfeed algorithms has a tendency to leave people asking what on earth is wrong with a simple chronological display of posts. But the social network -- driven by ads -- feels that it knows better and likes to play with the code that determines what you see.
Having made changes to ensure that you see more posts from the people you know (well, Facebook is supposed to be about friends and family...) the latest change sees the social network aiming to bring you posts that are "more personally informative".
Ad blockers find a way to circumvent Facebook's ad blocking circumvention
Facebook's announcement that it would start to punch through ad blockers to make sure everyone sees ads was met with understandable condemnation and consternation. One of the best known ad blockers, Adblock Plus, soundly criticized the move, saying that it was an example of 'cat-and-mouse games'.
And so it begins. Facebook may have said that it will circumvent ad blocking tools, but now ad blockers are fighting back. The open source community has worked is magic and come up with code that circumvents Facebook's circumvention. How meta...
Adblock Plus responds angrily to Facebook's plan to circumvent ad blockers
Facebook's plans to show adverts to everyone regardless of whether they are using an ad blocker was always going to prove controversial. The decision to bypass the privacy and security tools that many people have put in place has riled one company in particular -- Adblock Plus.
Describing the social network's latest move as being 'all anti-user', Adblock Plus's Ben Williams says that it is an 'unfortunate move' that 'takes a dark path against user choice'. He goes on to pooh-pooh the idea that Facebook made the decision based on what users want.
Facebook's ads will bypass ad blocking software
Advertising on Facebook has undergone many changes over the years, but the latest tweak is likely to prove particularly controversial. As well as announcing the rollout of new controls for users to set ad preferences, the social network today says that its ads will circumvent ad blocking software.
The idea of bypassing the likes of Adblock Plus will almost certainly rub many Facebook users the wrong way. In an attempt to sweeten the pill a little, the company says its new ad preferences controls will enable you to filter out irrelevant ads so you only see ads that might be of interest.
Facebook cuts the clickbait to make newsfeeds newsworthy
Clickbait causes anger, and it's everywhere. From the 'One weird trick' hooks through 'she opens the door, what happens next will blow your tiny little mind' all the way up to '10 cheese recipes, number 8 will drive you insane' -- you know it when you see it and it likely rubs you up the wrong way.
You've probably noticed that such headlines proliferate on Facebook, doing little to improve the quality of content in your newsfeed. You're not alone in noticing; Facebook is aware of the problems and is taking steps to clear out the crap and cut back on clickbait.
No, Facebook wasn't deliberately censoring Wikileaks' #DNCLeak emails
Julian Assange promised to deliver a cache of emails that would harm 'liberal war hawk' Hillary Clinton and her presidential campaign. Living up to Assange's promise, Wikileaks delivered the goods.
It wasn't long before controversy struck, but this was not because of the content of the emails. The communication between US Democratic Party committee members was shared on Facebook but it didn't take long for the content to be blocked, leading to accusations of censorship.
Facebook's solar-powered 'Aquila' internet airplane completes first flight
When I find myself without internet access for even just a short period of time -- say, less than an hour -- I feel like I am having withdrawal symptoms. I get anxious, irritable, and frustrated. First world problems, am I right?
Sadly, according to Facebook, there are 4 billion people on the Earth with no access at all -- makes a short outage seem rather insignificant. Mark Zuckerberg and company are looking to change this with an unlikely tool -- solar-powered airplanes that beam the internet to the ground. Today, Facebook announces that its experimental aircraft successfully completed its first flight last month in Arizona.
Facebook celebrates 1 billion monthly Messenger users
The battle between messaging apps has been going on for a number of years now, but the same names keep floating to the top.
WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger regularly feature in the top chat apps, and today Facebook announces that it has hit a key milestone -- one billion users every month. To celebrate, the social network has a little gift to say thanks... but don’t get too excited.
After truck attack in Nice, Google offers free calls to France and Facebook activates Safety Check
The world woke this morning to news that a trunk had been driven through a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France. With 84 people killed and many seriously injured, people around the world are not only shocked and appalled, but also concerned about friends and family in the area.
As has become worryingly common, Facebook today activated its Safety Check feature to allow people in Nice to let those they know that they are safe. In addition to this, Google and a number of phone providers are offering free calls and texts between the US and France.
Facebook's 13,000 employees will use Microsoft Office 365
Facebook has signed a deal with Microsoft to use some of the software giant’s cloud-based productivity tools.
Facebook’s 13,000 employees will use some of Microsoft's Office 365 services, such as email and calendar, while other services, like Skype for Business or Yammer, will not be used as directly compete with Facebook’s own.
Facebook explains live video censorship policies after live-streaming a fatal shooting
It was only a matter of time before Facebook's decision to open up live video to everyone was going to result in controversy. Sure enough, earlier this week, the social network became the medium through which the shooting dead of Philando Castile by a police officer was shared with the world. The graphic video quickly became notorious, but then vanished temporarily.
There were suggestions that Facebook was censoring the footage, but the company said that a technical glitch was to blame. But whether the video was censored, collapsed under the weight of traffic, or did succumb to a problem, the killing of Philando Castile on Facebook Live raises many questions about how the platform is used, and Facebook has responded to the incident with an explanation about its censorship policies.
Facebook Messenger ups security with end-to-end encryption in 'secret conversations'
Continuing in its relentless drive to take over the world of messaging, Facebook Messenger is gaining end-to-end encryption. To start with, the security feature is only rolling out on a 'limited test basis' but if feedback is positive, it will get a wider airing.
Facebook says that the move comes in response to requests for additional security options to protect discussions about sensitive matters, saying that security and privacy experts have been involved in the implementation of the feature.
Our private data is worth less than we think
Brits think their personal data is really, really valuable. There is nothing wrong with that, and private data should be valued highly, and guarded as such. However, once criminals get a hold of such data, they’ll sell it for such a low price you simply won't believe.
According to a new TotallyMoney.com report, based on a poll of 1,000 consumers, we value an email address at £983. In reality, it is being sold for five pence. A similar thing is with the browsing history. Its actual price on the black market is a ridiculous £0.0014. On average, we value it at £934.
Woman live-streams the police shooting of her boyfriend on Facebook
We've had quite a few shooting deaths lately, some of them caught on video. Just yesterday we saw the cell phone video that was captured of an incident in Baton Rouge. That incident resulted in widespread protests, though all peaceful so far.
Now, just a day later, yet another video surfaces from Minnesota depicting a man shot during a traffic stop. The gentleman died of his wounds.
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