Articles about Social Media

There are many things that Twitter users would like to see implemented on the platform, not least of which is the option to edit tweets. As this is extraordinarily unlikely to happen, they'll have to make do with the next best thing -- a dislike button.

Except Twitter doesn't want you to call it that. And it does not function in the way you'd probably hope. So... prepare to be underwhelmed and disappointed by the downvote option which is now available worldwide.

Continue reading →

From a privacy point of view, there is much to love about end-to-end encryption, as employed by the likes of WhatsApp. But while users may delight in the knowledge that their communication is free from surveillance, there are some groups that have a different opinion.

Law enforcement agencies have long-complained that E2E encryption stands in the way of investigations, and serves to complicate evidence gathering. Many governments are of the same mind, and it's not just those that are traditionally regarded as totalitarian by other countries. Governments from ostensibly democratic countries are opposed to E2E encryption, and some are using underhand tactics in negative PR campaigns.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has revealed details of tests that are currently underway that will change the way feeds are displayed on the platform. Among the options that are on the way is the much-requested ability to see a chronological feed.

In all, there are three feed viewing options that are undergoing testing -- something Mosseri describes as giving "you more control over your Instagram experience". Of the three views, two of them allow for chronological scrolling through posts.

Continue reading →

Instagram has been busy adding new options and features recently, with no fewer than three rolling out this week. Head of the visual social network, Adam Mosseri, shares details about Instagram Playback, Reels Visual Replies, and Profile Embed.

Instagram Playback is a perfect end-of-year feature, giving users the ability to share their favorite Stories from the year in a new post. The company has also made it possible to reply to commends with Reels, and -- assuming you live in the right part of the world -- to embed a miniature version of your Instagram profile in websites.

Continue reading →

TikTok is currently testing a new desktop tool that will enable users to stream their own live footage to the platform. TikTok LIVE Studio is currently only available to download for Windows, and it would seem to be TikTok's answer to Twitch.

If you have a TikTok account, the beta software can be used to stream content from various sources. This could be games, as happens with Twitch, or it could be from an app or webcam capture -- or, as the introductory blurb puts it, "stream and share experiences directly to TikTok".

Continue reading →

The big news at Twitter recently may have been the departure of Jack Dorsey, but incoming CEO Parag Agrawa has wasted little time in stamping his mark on the company.

After revamping its privacy policy, Twitter has now acquired Slack rival Quill. As a result of the acquisition, the messaging service has a very short future ahead of it. Users have just a few days to export their messages before Quill servers close down and all user data is deleted.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

Twitter has announced an important change to its privacy policy so that the sharing of images and videos of people without consent is now forbidden.

In many ways this is simply a tightening up of existing privacy protections and anti-doxxing policies, giving individuals a route to having media depicting them removed from the platform. The new policy does not apply to everyone, however.

Continue reading →

Phishing remains the dominant attack vector for bad actors, growing 31.5 percent over 2020 level, according to the latest quarterly trends report by PhishLabs.

Social media is now the attack target of choice, with attacks per target climbing steadily, up 82 percent year-to-date. The payment services industry continues to be the most targeted, but staffing and recruiting experienced the steepest increase in attacks compared to Q2.

Continue reading →

Almost a decade after killing off support for previews of Instagram posts within tweets, Twitter and Instagram have finally made friends, relented and decided to bring the feature back.

The reappearance of Twitter Card previews is something that will be welcomed by people who cross-post between Instagram and Twitter. It comes as great news for anyone who was irritated by Instagram's decision to stop displaying previews of tweeted content back in 2012.

Continue reading →

According to a new report 59 percent of all workers are using corporate email for personal use, but Gen Zs are the biggest offenders at 93 percent.

The study from SailPoint also finds that Gen Z (77 percent) and Millennials (55 percent) are using corporate emails for their social media logins, compared to just 15 percent of Gen X and seven percent of Boomers.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

Twitter and other social platforms have long been accused of having a liberal bias, censoring conservative voices, and being biased in favor of left-wing ideologies. But a new study shows that -- at least in the case of Twitter -- the reverse is true.

Having conducted an in-depth analysis into the effects of machine learning and recommendation algorithms, Twitter found that it is right-leaning news outlets that benefit from the greatest amplification. The question is "why?".

Continue reading →

Having been kicked off Twitter, Donald Trump is making good on his promise to launch his own social media platform. The new venture is TRUTH Social and it is the former US president's attempt to "fight back against Big Tech".

TRUTH Social comes from the newly created Trump Media and Technology Group and Digital World Acquisition Group, and Trump says that it will operate as "a rival to the liberal media consortium", adding, "I am excited to send out my first TRUTH on TRUTH Social very soon". From what we can see of it at the moment, it looks very much like a Twitter-clone.

Continue reading →