Meta is expanding WhatsApp-style end-to-end encryption to Messenger
Security is vital for digital communication, and that's why the likes of Telegram and WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is so important and popular. Meta has long been keen to expand this security feature to its various other messaging platforms, and now the Facebook-owner has announced that it is implementing E2EE for all Messenger users.
The company points out that this is currently a test phase, so while more and more people will see immediate security enhancements, the rollout will not be complete until the end of the year.
Facebook: The social networking giant's rise from a dorm room idea
In the winter of 2004, a Harvard sophomore named Mark Zuckerberg created a website that would revolutionize the way we communicate and share information. This website, known as Facebook, was initially a small project intended for Harvard students only. But it quickly grew into a global social networking phenomenon, connecting billions of people worldwide.
Zuckerberg was a computer science student with a knack for creating innovative web applications. His first notable creation was a program called CourseMatch, which allowed students to select classes based on the choices of other students. This was followed by Facemash, a website that allowed users to rank the attractiveness of their fellow students. Despite being shut down by Harvard administration due to privacy concerns, Facemash gave Zuckerberg the idea for a social networking site that would eventually become Facebook.
WhatsApp is finally getting more text formatting tools
Although WhatsApp leads the way in many regards, there are plenty of areas in which it is lagging behind. The text formatting options in the message app are incredibly limited, for instance, but this is about to change.
The Meta-owned app is finally being given more formatting tools. The update means that WhatsApp users will no longer be limited to using bold, italics and strikethrough, and the need to find workarounds for the lack of common formatting options will soon be eliminated.
How the metaverse is set to change the way businesses communicate [Q&A]
Increased use of the metaverse and other immersive spaces using VR, AR and digital avatars, is going to change how businesses communicate with their customers.
In an increasingly globalized world part of the issue is how real time experience will cope with the use of different languages. This is expected to put real pressure on automated and machine translation services to deliver fast, accurate results.
Instant video messages arrive in WhatsApp
There are many ways to use Meta's WhatsApp. From typing text-based messages through sending photos, to full-on video chats, there are options to suit just about every eventuality.
With voice messaging having proved incredibly popular, WhatsApp is now expanding its instant messaging options to include video. Just like its audio-based cousin, instant video message let you quickly record and share messages -- this time with video.
Avoid Threads if you value your privacy
The arrival of Threads this week saw Meta taking another step into the social arena with its Twitter clone. There have been lots of entirely understandable concerns voiced about Twitter recently, particularly in light of the chaotic impact of Elon Musk, and this has led to swathes of disgruntled and worried users switching allegiances and joining the likes of Bluesky, Mastodon and, now, Threads.
Whether jumping ship, leaving Twitter and signing up for Threads makes sense very much depends on your reason for doing so. If privacy is your main concern, for instance, there is little -- if anything -- to be gained. Coming from the same stables as Facebook, the fact that Threads sucks up personal data should surprise no one, but the sheer volume and range of what it collects is slightly breath-taking.
Jump on the Threads beta program to get access to new features faster
It can hardly have escaped your notice that Meta officially launched what it is hoping will be its Twitter killer, Threads, this week. The new social platform has already proved astonishingly popular, with millions upon millions of users signing up in a matter of hours.
But while there is a great deal of excitement about what Threads has to offers and how it could disrupt social media, there has also been disappointment at the limitations of the mobile apps. If you're one of the many users who wishes that Threads had more in the way of features, options and settings, Meta has just launched a beta program which anyone is free to join.
Why you might not want to sign up for Threads
Mark Zuckerberg claims that some 30 million people have signed up for Meta's Threads app since its launch on Thursday.
You might be tempted to think, “He would say that,” but in the rush to join the new Twitter alternative are people overlooking the security and privacy implications of the app? Quite a few experts think so.
View your Threads (or anyone else's) on the web
Although it only launched a couple of days ago, Meta's new Twitter rival Threads is already a big success. It's lacking some important features at the moment, although they are coming, and not all of its capabilities are obvious.
For example, it's not clear how to add a second account to Threads, or how to switch between accounts, but it is possible.
Meta faces criticism for poor accessibility features in Threads
Social platform Threads may only be a couple of days old, but it has already amassed millions of users. While Meta might be celebrating the popularity of its new Twitter rival, the company is also facing criticism from various quarters.
Huge privacy concerns mean that Threads not available in the European Union -- not officially, at least. But there are also complaints that the app has been rushed and feels unfinished. Released in Disability Pride month, one of the biggest complaints leveled at Threads is that it lacks basic accessibility options and features.
Meta publishes Threads Dictionary to help newcomers decipher the jargon
For many people the release of Threads, Instagram's text-based conversation app, represents an alternative to Twitter -- a platform which is widely considered to have become more toxic and problematic under Elon Musk. But for an even larger number of people, Threads will be their first step into this type of social media.
Switching from Twitter, Mastodon or Bluesky to Threads -- or using them in conjunction with each other -- is painless, but for anyone who has never used such a platform, the language surrounding it can be slightly mystifying. And this is why Meta has released a Threads Dictionary to bring users up to speed.
How to add and manage multiple accounts in Threads, Meta's new Twitter rival
Threads, Meta's Twitter alternative, is now live and already proving incredibly popular. It's very much a work in progress, with lots of features missing, but the developers are working hard at bringing these to the app.
One question I've seen asked quite a few times is how to add a second account to Threads, and it's definitely not as obvious as it could be. The process is easy enough though, just follow these steps.
As Twitter flounders, rivals Mastodon and Bluesky flourish, and Meta launches Threads on Thursday
The rocky journey for Twitter continues under Elon Musk, with this weekend seeing bizarre constraints introduced in an attempt to reduce unspecified "data scraping". Users of the service found themselves hit with rate limit warnings as Twitter placed restrictions on the number of tweets that can be viewed each day.
Rival Mastodon has already seen a steady influx of Twitter escapees, and this continued over the weekend with a 300,000 jump in the number of active users; Bluesky is also faring well, to the point that sign-ups have been paused to allow for tweaks and fixes to be implemented to accommodate the levels of interest. But now eyes are turning towards Meta, as the Facebook owner prepares for the launch this Thursday of its own Twitter alternative, Threads by Instagram.
Meta officially announces the Quest 3 VR headset
With Apple widely expected to announce its own VR headset next week, Meta has stepped forward to take the wraps off its own next-gen headset.
Meta Quest 3 will debut this fall and be slimmer, more comfortable and significantly more powerful than the Quest 2, with full color passthrough. The new headset will be offer higher resolution, stronger performance and what the company calls "breakthrough Meta Reality technology".
Meta hit with record €1.2 billion fine for transferring European Facebook user data to the US
Facebook owner Meta has been fined a record €1.2 billion (around $1.3 billion) by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC). The fine was issued for breaching EU data sharing regulations by failing to sufficiently protect user data.
In addition to the record fine, Meta has been ordered to cease the transfer of user data from the EU to the US for processing within six months. Responding to the demand to stop the "unlawful processing, including storage, in the US" of European user data, Meta points out that it "uses the same legal mechanisms as other organizations" and indicated that it intends to appeal against the ruling.
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