Tag: facebook
Tech Digest daily roundup: Facebook paid consultancy to undermine TikTok
The chief executive of a political consulting firm has responded to a report alleging Meta paid his company to "undermine" TikTok. Internal emails, apparently seen by the Washington Post, allegedly suggested Targeted Victory's campaign aimed to show TikTok "as a danger to American children". Zac Moffatt tweeted that the Post's report mischaracterised their work and "key…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Facebook allows calls for violence against Putin
The owner of Facebook and Instagram will allow users in some countries to call for violence against Vladimir Putin and Russian soldiers. Meta says it has temporarily made allowances for some violent speech, like "death to the Russian invaders," that would usually break its rules. However, it says it won't permit calls for violence against…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Russia limits Facebook access
Russia has limited access to Facebook over the platform's stance on the accounts of several Moscow-backed news outlets amid the invasion of Ukraine. Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor accused the network of "censorship" and violating "the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens". Facebook said it had refused to stop fact-checking and labelling content from state-owned news…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Metaverse app lets kids into virtual strip clubs
Image: BBC Some apps in the virtual-reality metaverse are "dangerous by design", the NSPCC has warned in response to a BBC News investigation. A researcher posing as a 13-year-old girl witnessed grooming, sexual material, racist insults and a rape threat in the virtual-reality world. The children's charity said it was "shocked…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Facebook launches tool to redirect users away from extremist content
Facebook and Instagram users in the UK who search for content related to organised hate or violent extremism will now be redirected to resources and support as part of a major counterspeech update. The social network has announced the expansion of its Redirect Initiative into the UK, as well as Pakistan, which replaces the top…
Facebook user decline: what do the experts say?
Social media giant Facebook has seen the number of its daily active users (DAUs) drop for the first time in its 18-year history. Facebook's parent company Meta Networks says DAUs fell to 1.929bn in the three months to the end of December, compared to 1.930bn in the previous quarter. The firm also warned of slowing…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Number of Facebook users falls for first time
Social media giant Facebook has seen its daily active users (DAUs) drop for the first time in its 18-year history. Facebook's parent company Meta Networks says DAUs fell to 1.929bn in the three months to the end of December, compared to 1.930bn in the previous quarter. The firm also warned of slowing revenue growth in…
Tech Digest daily roundup: John Lennon memorabilia sold as NFTs
John Lennon's eldest son Julian is selling several pieces of music history from his personal collection. However, he will keep the physical items as each piece of memorabilia will be sold as a non-fungible token (NFT). Items being auctioned include a black cape worn by his father in the film Help! and handwritten notes for…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Ukraine hit by massive cyber attack
Ukraine has been hit by a "massive cyber attack", knocking a number of key government websites offline and issuing a warning to the public to "expect the worst". The disruption comes at a time of extreme tensions with Russia, which has massed around 100,000 troops at Ukraine's border. Ukrainian cyber police launched an investigation into…
Facebook and Twitter failing to tackle fake review industry, Which? finds
Facebook and Twitter are failing to tackle fake reviews industry that is trading free items in exchange for bogus five-star ratings to boost the ratings of mediocre products sold on Amazon, a Which? investigation has found. The consumer watchdog uncovered Facebook fake review groups with hundreds of thousands of members between them as well as…
