Social Media

In less than two weeks, Twitter's Moments will no longer be available to mobile users.

Seemingly in recognition of the fact that hardly anyone used the feature, Twitter is killing off the ability to create Moments in its iOS and Android apps. But the company is not completely shutting down Moments -- the feature will still be available to those who really want to continue using it.

Just as there is a trend for dark themes in software at the moment, there is also something of a movement of "Lite" apps that use less data and resources. Originally intended for parts of the world where connectivity iss an issue, such apps have become popular with more and more people; because if you can use less data, why not?

We've seen Twitter Lite, Facebook Messenger Lite, and Facebook Lite -- although, until now, this last app has only been available to Android users. Now, however, Facebook Lite is expanding its reach with the launch of an iOS app.

Since the revelation that a "security issue" allowed hackers to steal access tokens to view people's Facebook accounts, the company has provided a further update about the incident. Facebook has already provided one update about the attack, but now the investigation has progressed and the social network is trying to offer reassurances to those who have understandable concerns about security.

The company says that the attackers did not access any apps that make use of Facebook Login, the system that makes it possible to sign into other accounts and services with Facebook credentials.

The problems of bullying, harassment and trolling on social media are getting worse all of the time and the likes of Twitter and Facebook are under pressure to offer tools and protection to their users. Today Facebook unveils new options to help empower those who fall victim to such attacks.

One new feature provides a way to report or delete multiple posts at once, and there is also a way to report bullying on behalf of someone else. Facebook is introducing new protections for public figures -- who frequently find themselves under attack -- and is also pushing education programs.

The Guardian was among many outlets to write about the huge Facebook vulnerability and attack reported yesterday, and people were understandably keen to share the story on the social network. However, many people found that they were unable to do.

Large numbers of Facebook users who tried to share the Guardian's story -- as well as one published by the Associated Press -- were greeted by a message informing them that the messages was spam and could not be posted. The matter has been addressed, but it led to complaints that Facebook was trying to hush up the story, and renewed calls to #DeleteFacebook. On its blog, Facebook's security team has also given more details about the "security issue" that happened earlier this week,

Facebook has revealed that it discovered a security issue which could have exposed the accounts of 50 million people.

A vulnerability was discovered in Facebook's View As feature on Tuesday, September 25, but the company has not given too many details about how the flaw was exploited or by whom, but it has said that attackers were able to steal access tokens and access other people's accounts. Law enforcement agencies have been informed, and an investigation is under way.

Continuing to face criticism for failing to successfully tackle abuse on its platform, Twitter has announced a new approach. The company is planning to introduce new policies, but before they become part of official rules it will ask for feedback from users.

Starting off with a new Dehumanization Policy, Twitter will invite users to give their opinion and complete surveys about proposed policy changes. The first policy to be subject to this public scrutiny says: "You may not dehumanize anyone based on membership in an identifiable group, as this speech can lead to offline harm".

Six years after their company was bought by Facebook, Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have resigned. The pair say they are "planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again".

But while the departures have been presented as being amicable, sources suggest that the resignations came about because of Systrom and Krieger's unhappiness at the direction in which Facebook was taking the app.

People have many complaints about Twitter, but one that crops up time and time again from users is how the timeline is displayed. Like many other social media sites, Twitter ditched the idea of showing your tweets in the order in which they were posted in favor of using algorithms to show you what it thinks you want to see.

But now this is about to change again. After vocal outpourings from critics of the algorithm-driven timeline, Twitter is going to give users a choice -- have your timeline controlled by an algorithm, or view a chronological timeline instead.

If you have enrolled in the beta version of Twitter -- and, in some instances, even if you haven't -- you may well have noticed the appearance of Twitter bug reporter icon in the Android status bar. It very likely annoys you, and you probably want to get rid of it.

Hunt through the app's settings, and you'll find nothing that relates to the icon. So, what can you do? You could move away from the official Twitter app and try one of the third-party options, but you may not want to. Read on to find out how to stick with the app you've come to know and love (perhaps) and banish the Twitter bug reporter icon once and for all.

Every year Apple fans who are unable to attend the iPhone launch -- that is, just about everyone -- either follows live blogs or seeks out how to watch the live stream in their preferred browser on their platform of choice. This year there will be a new option.

For the first time ever, Apple will be live streaming its iPhone launch event on Twitter. There had been rumors that this would happen, but now the new way to tune in has been confirmed.

Fueling the right-wing conspiracy theorist's view that the world is out to get him, Twitter has followed the lead of other social media companies and banned Alex Jones from its platform.

With his output dubbed "hate content", Jones found himself removed from Spotify, Facebook and iTunes, but Twitter's Jack Dorsey previously refused to follow suit saying that the Infowars frontman "hasn't violated our rules", insisting that his company enforces its rules "impartially, regardless of political viewpoints". But after Jones posted videos earlier this week that violated Twitter's policy on abusive content, he has been permanently banned.

Following a successful launch in the US a year ago, Facebook is launching its Watch service globally. Competing directly with the likes of YouTube, Facebook Watch is the social network's platform for original video content, including Major League Baseball games and entertainment news.

Just 12 months after launching in the US, the service enjoys 50 million monthly viewers and Facebook will be hoping to continue this success in other parts of the world. The company is pushing the social aspect of Facebook Watch as a major draw.

While getting a verified account is something that's usually associated with Twitter, other social media services have similar schemes -- Facebook, for instance. The latest to join the verification party is Instagram which is now giving users the option of applying for a verified badge.

It is possible for anyone to request to have their account verified, but only a handful of applicants are likely to be accepted. Instagram has outlined details of how to apply, and the criteria that need to be met.

Starting tomorrow -- Thursday, August 16 -- Twitter is disabling push notifications for third party clients. If you use the likes of Twitterific, Fenix or Plume, this could mean you miss out on important messages as Twitter clamps down on what third party tools are able to do.

Twitter has long had a tempestuous relationship with app developers, including its frankly bizarre token limit which effectively restricts the number of users any app can ever attract. This latest move is billed as a part of a security drive, but it's one that will impact a large number of people. There is something you can do to ensure you get Twitter notifications on your iPhone or Android handset, but it's not ideal.