Tag: facebook
Facebook suspends ‘tens of thousands’ of apps
Facebook has said it has suspended “tens of thousands” of apps made by about 400 developers as part of an investigation following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Starting in March 2018, Facebook began looking into the apps that have access to its users’ data. The probe came after revelations that data mining firm Cambridge Analytica used…
Facebook brings its video-calling Portal devices to UK
Facebook’s range of video-calling Portal devices are to go on sale in the UK for the first time, the company has announced. Three new versions of the screen-based smart home hubs have been announced, and will now also support Amazon’s voice-based assistant, Alexa, and support encrypted video calling via WhatsApp. First released in the US…
Google answers 11 million questions from British children a day
New analysis shows the internet has never been more popular as a tool for learning with Google answering 11 million questions a day from UK school kids. As children return to school this month, the figures prepared by Internet Association highlight the increase in the use of the internet for learning. New figures showed Google…
US states target Google in monopoly probe
Chief prosecutors in 50 US states have announced an investigation into Google’s “potential monopolistic behaviour”. The announcement follows one from a separate group of states on Friday that disclosed an investigation into Facebook’s market dominance. The two probes widen the scrutiny of big tech companies beyond sweeping federal and congressional investigations and enforcement action by…
Millions of Facebook user phone numbers exposed
Facebook has confirmed that hundreds of millions of user phone numbers were left in an unprotected server, which reportedly included several million British details. According to TechCrunch, 18 million UK phone numbers were among 419 million records left in an open online server that was not secured with a password. Facebook has confirmed the report,…
Facebook brings facial recognition setting to all users
Facebook is making its facial recognition setting available to all users but is keeping the function turned off by default amid ongoing unease about the technology. The social network’s face recognition system creates a “template” of a user’s face based on other images they are tagged in, which means it can inform people if someone…
Facebook ‘considering hiding like counts’
Facebook is reportedly considering a trial that would hide the number of likes posts receive, following a similar test already being carried out on Instagram. Earlier this year, Instagram begun hiding likes and video views as part of a trial aimed at removing “the pressure” and shifting the focus to “sharing the things” its users…
Facebook Pop-Up Cafés to offer free privacy checks
Facebook is launching its first pop-up cafés aimed at encouraging users to personalise their privacy settings. The firm is opening pop-ups in London and Manchester, which will offer a free drink to visitors who choose to be guided through a privacy check-up on the site, with further branches to open in Brighton, Edinburgh and Cardiff…
Facebook gives users control over data from other online activities
Facebook is to allow users to clear data which has been linked to their account based on their activity on other websites. The social network said it will begin offering users the chance to see and remove “Off-Facebook Activity” information about themselves that has been sent to the social network by other apps and sites…
Facebook removes China-linked accounts attacking Hong Kong protesters
Facebook has removed a number of accounts which posted images depicting protesters in Hong Kong as terrorists and cockroaches. The social network said it removed the small number of accounts, which had around 15,500 followers, after they were found to be involved in “co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour”. Facebook said it found the accounts were linked to…
