Priti Patel urges Meta to give up on end-to-end encryption plans

Posted on August 22, 2022 by Admin

UK home secretary hits out at Facebook’s owner over move that could hinder child abuse investigations

Priti Patel has hit out at Facebook’s plans to encrypt direct messages, even as the company is facing criticism in the US for failing to protect the privacy of women seeking abortions.

The UK home secretary has urged Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, as well as WhatsApp, to give up on its intentions to apply “end-to-end encryption” to direct messages sent from Messenger and Instagram.

Instagram and Facebook suspend Robert Kennedy Jr’s anti-vaccine group

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Admin

Critics calls move ‘too late too little’ after group repeatedly violated policies on Covid-19 misinformation

Instagram and Facebook have suspended a prominent anti-vaccine group led by Robert Kennedy Jr for repeatedly violating rules prohibiting misinformation about Covid-19.

The non-profit, Children’s Health Defense (CHD), is one of the most influential anti-vaccine organizations active on social media, where it has spread misleading claims about vaccines and other pandemic-related public health measures.

Mexico police arrest alleged serial killer who lured women with job offers

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Admin

At least seven young women believed to have been killed after responding to ads on Facebook

Authorities in Mexico have arrested a suspected serial killer accused of luring at least seven young women on Facebook with false job offers.

Surveillance camera footage from two states showed the man meeting with the victims in public places, and in one case driving a victim away on a motorbike, officials said.

US supreme court blocks Texas law targeting social media rules

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Admin

Measure passed by Republican-led legislature seeks to bar platforms from removing user posts based on ‘viewpoint’

The US supreme court temporarily blocked a Texas law that would bar social media companies from removing user posts based on their “viewpoint”, as lower courts battle over whether it would violate first amendment rights.

In a 5-4 decision, the justices granted a request from two technology industry groups that have argued the Republican-backed measure would turn platforms into “havens of the vilest expression imaginable”.

Meta asks to be spared tighter rules in Australia, saying iPhone’s tracking blocker is hurting business

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Admin

Company tells consumer watchdog it is set to lose $10bn this year in wake of Apple iOS feature hampering ability to collect user data

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Meta says Apple’s decision to allow users to stop apps tracking them on their phones has diminished Facebook’s advertising market power, and therefore the social media giant should not face further regulation in Australia.

In mid-2021 Apple rolled out a new feature in iOS 14.5 called “app tracking transparency” which asks for users’ consent before an app can track their activity across websites and apps, and allows users to opt out of the tracking at any time.

UK watchdog will have power to impose huge fines on big tech firms

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Admin

According to the government, Digital Markets Unit will protect small businesses and consumers

A new tech watchdog will be given the power to impose multibillion-pound fines on major firms such as Google and Facebook if they breach rules designed to protect consumers and businesses.

The Digital Markets Unit (DMU) will protect small businesses from predatory practices and will give consumers greater control over how their data is used, the government said.

Facebook moderators call on firm to do more about posts praising Bucha atrocities

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Admin

Company insists any content glorifying violence against Ukrainians not allowed, but moderators say lack of guidance means they feel forced to leave up some content

Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

Facebook moderators have called on the company to let them take action against users who praise or support the Russian military’s atrocities in Bucha and across Ukraine.

Almost a month after evidence of widespread murder and mass graves was uncovered by Ukrainian forces taking the suburb of Kyiv, the social network still has not flagged the atrocity as an “internally designated” incident, the moderators say.

Woman rescued after surviving in a forest for six days on yogurt and snow

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Admin

Sheena Gullett was stranded in a broken down car after it became stuck in the snow in California and her friend went for help

A woman stranded for six days in a broken-down car in a remote northern California forest survived by rationing yogurt and eating snow, authorities said.

The ordeal of Sheena Gullett, 52, was detailed in a Facebook post by the Lassen county sheriff’s office. Gullett and friend Justin Lonich, 48, were driving to Little Valley, a small incorporated community, on dirt roads off Highway 44 on 14 April when their vehicle became stuck in snow. They spent the night in the vehicle and in the morning its battery was dead.

Facebook struggles as Russia steps up presence in unstable west Africa

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Admin

Increasingly sophisticated efforts to influence opinion are making it harder to establish whether they breach Facebook’s policies

Facebook is struggling to contain pro-Russian and anti-western posts that are contributing to political instability in west Africa, investigators and analysts have said.

The platform, which has expanded rapidly across the continent in recent years, has made significant investment in content moderation, but still faces enormous challenges in curbing deliberate disinformation campaigns. One major area of concern is the strategically important Sahel region, which has suffered a series of military takeovers over the last 18 months.

Facebook a no-show in Andrew Forrest criminal case arguing West Australian court lacks jurisdiction

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Admin

Mining billionaire alleges social media giant failed to stop clickbait advertising scams using his image on its platform

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Facebook believes an Australian court has no jurisdiction to hear a criminal case brought against it by mining magnate Andrew Forrest – who claims the tech giant failed to stop clickbait advertising scams using his image.

The case in the magistrates court of Western Australia is believed to represent the first time Facebook – owned by Meta Platforms – has faced criminal charges.

EU agrees sweeping new digital rules in effort to curb big tech’s power

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Admin

Digital Markets Act seeks to prevent the likes of Google and Facebook parent company Meta from dominating digital markets

The European Union reached an agreement on landmark digital rules to rein in online “gatekeepers” such as Google and Facebook’s parent company, Meta.

EU officials agreed late on Thursday on wording for the bloc’s Digital Markets Act, part of a long-awaited overhaul of digital regulations with major implications for the global tech market. The act, which still needs other approvals, seeks to prevent the biggest of tech firms from dominating digital markets through the threat of fines or even the possibility of a company breakup.

Roundup Newswires

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Category Archives: Facebook

Instagram and Facebook suspend Robert Kennedy Jr’s anti-vaccine group

Mexico police arrest alleged serial killer who lured women with job offers

Meta asks to be spared tighter rules in Australia, saying iPhone’s tracking blocker is hurting business

UK watchdog will have power to impose huge fines on big tech firms

Woman rescued after surviving in a forest for six days on yogurt and snow

Facebook struggles as Russia steps up presence in unstable west Africa

Facebook a no-show in Andrew Forrest criminal case arguing West Australian court lacks jurisdiction

EU agrees sweeping new digital rules in effort to curb big tech’s power