WhatsApp is gaining some great new privacy features including screenshot blocking
WhatsApp is not only one of the popular messaging apps out there, it is also one that is subject to some of the fastest development work. Existing features are constantly being tweaked, new options are being added all the time, and Mark Zuckerberg has just revealed three exciting new privacy-focused features.
In an announcement on his personal Facebook page, the CEO of Meta teased a trio of new features which will help to improve the privacy of group and one-on-one chats. The upcoming additions are part of a new global campaign from WhatsApp that focuses on and promotes privacy and security features.
Facebook is finally restoring the chronological feed
Facebook's love of algorithms has meant that there has been a highly polarizing focus on recommended content in users' feeds rather than posts from friends, family and pages of genuine interest. But this is changing.
In a move that will please millions of Facebook users who have become increasingly frustrated with the way recommended content is pushed into their feed, Mark Zuckerberg has announced that iOS and Android users are being treated to feed split over two tabs. While one of these will remain populated with content surfaced by Facebook's "discovery engine", the other is a chronological feed of content from friends, groups and Pages.
Tech companies say they will help employees with travel expenses for abortions following the overturning of Roe v Wade
The US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, ruling that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the United States. With more than half of states either implementing an immediate ban on abortions or intending to do so as soon as possible, there are serious concerns about women's health care. Large-scale protests continue across the country, but particularly in Washington DC.
While unable to help the majority of those affected by the ruling, many of the major technology companies have detailed the support they offer employees seeking abortion services. Among those to offer helps such as the reimbursement of travel expenses are Microsoft, Meta and Apple.
Meta has a new way for you to waste money -- buying virtual designer clothes in Avatars Store for Facebook, Instagram and Messenger
For people with less sense than money, there are NFTs to waste hard-earned cash on. But Meta is introducing a new way to part fools from their money -- Avatars Store.
These will be available for Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, and will give users the opportunity to buy digital clothes with which to adorn their avatar. Attempting to justify the selling of more digital fluff, Mark Zuckerberg insists that "digital goods will be an important way to express yourself in the metaverse and a big driver of the creative economy".
If tech giants were countries Apple and Microsoft would be among the top 10 richest
In an interesting bit of equivalence, UK-based insolvency specialist Real Business Rescue has compared the market value of the world's richest companies to countries' GDPs to show how big these businesses have become compared to the rest of the world.
As the table below shows, Apple -- which became the first trillion dollar company in 2018 -- would rank eighth in the world, just behind France, while Microsoft is ranked ninth and worth more than Italy.
Data privacy is the top metaverse challenge say developers
Ever since Facebook rebranded itself as Meta at the tail end of last year the metaverse has been creating a buzz in the tech world -- though not so much outside it.
Real-time engagement API specialist Agora has carried out a study that looking at how developers feel about the current state and evolution of the metaverse, which finds that data privacy is the biggest concern.
Meta is clamping down on irritating 'watchbait' videos on Facebook
The idea of clickbait is nothing new. Sensational headlines have been used since the early days of the press to draw in users, and it is something that has continued into the internet age. But there is also a related problem that blights social media platforms such as Facebook: watchbait.
The idea is much the same as a clickbait headline; videos are given misleading, overblown headlines and descriptions that often omit key details in a bid to get people to watch to the end. Now Meta has announced that it is taking action, including using an automatic detection system that will reduce the distribution reach of offending videos.
Facebook and Instagram will permit the promotion of violence against Russians and calls for the death of Putin
Meta has announced a temporary change in its hate speech policies, meaning that users in some countries will be allowed to post content that would otherwise have been banned. The change means that users of Facebook and Instagram will be able to promote violence against Russian soldiers, as well as call for the death of President Putin, without fear of censorship.
Posts that include violent speech such as "death to the Russian invaders" are to be permitted in numerous countries, but there is the matter of the context of the invasion of Ukraine to keep in mind. At the same time, the privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has surprised many by announcing that it will downrate sites that publish Russian propaganda and disinformation.
Meta will warn you if someone screengrabs your encrypted Messenger chats
Meta is adding a new warning to encrypted chats in Messenger so that users will know if another participant has taken a screenshot of the conversation.
The company formerly known as Facebook has already implemented this same feature into messages sent when the app's Vanish Mode is activated. While Messenger has not been updated to prevent screenshots from being taken in in E2E encrypted chats or Vanish Mode conversations, the appearance of the warning should serve as a deterrent against secret screen grabbing.
Facebook tracks you across the web and Mozilla wants your help in finding out how
Everyone knows that Facebook collects data on people online and then uses this to tailor content and advertising. Exactly how it does this remains something of a mystery, however.
Mozilla has partnered with non-profit newsroom The Markup for what it’s calling the 'Facebook Pixel Hunt' to find out how Meta tracks people across the web through its pixel-powered ad network, and what it does with this collected data.
Meta launches new Privacy Center, leaving Facebook users the unenviable task of learning about privacy and security
TCFKAF (the company formerly known as Facebook), Meta, has launched Privacy Center, a new way for users to "learn more about our approach to privacy across our apps and technologies". Across five modules -- Security, Sharing, Collection, Use and Ads -- Meta gives users information about privacy across its services.
It also provides links to its endless and scattered collection of tools, settings and options for taking control of privacy and security. The new hub has already come in for criticism, however, as it places onus the burden of responsibility on users rather than hand-holding then through the process of locking down privacy.
Meta explains why it is taking so long to bring end-to-end encryption to Facebook Messenger and Instagram -- and what it is doing in the meantime
Meta recently announced that the protection, privacy and security offered by end-to-end encryption will not be coming to Facebook Messenger or Instagram until some time in 2023. Until then, anyone looking to send secure messages through Meta's platform will have to turn to WhatsApp.
What was not made particularly clear at the time of the announcement, however, is just why there is such a delay. Now Meta has opened up and revealed some of the thinking behind holding back on the roll-out of end-to-end encryption across all of its messaging services.
Meta says there will be no end-to-end encryption for Facebook and Instagram messages until 2023
WhatsApp users may enjoy the benefits of end-to-end encryption, but the same cannot be said of messages sent via Facebook or Instagram. What's more, this is not going to be changing any time soon.
While Meta (or Facebook as it was at the time) previously announced plans to introduce encrypted messaging to the Facebook and Instagram platforms, there was heavy criticism from campaigners and organizations for child safety. Now the company has said end-to-end encryption will not be arriving until 2023.
Meta is deleting a billion 'faceprints' and closing down Facebook's facial recognition system
Facebook's parent company, Meta, has announced a major shift for the social networking, saying it will no longer use facial recognition to identify users in photographs.
As well as closing down the facial recognition system, the company will also delete over a billion people’s individual facial recognition templates. Meta says that it is part of "company-wide move to limit the use of facial recognition in our products", and it is move that will be welcomed by privacy advocates.
Meta leak shows Facebook smartwatch could be an Apple Watch killer
Meta, TCFKAF (the company formerly known as Facebook) appears to be working on a range of smartwatches that bear more than a passing resemblance to the Apple Watch.
At least two wearables are thought to be in development, one of which is codenamed Milan. But what is causing the greatest interest is an image of a smartwatch featuring a notch that is home to a camera.
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