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Tag: facebook

  • Facebook offers COVID-19 self-reporting survey for epidemiologists’ research

    Facebook offers COVID-19 self-reporting survey for epidemiologists’ research

    Facebook is offering a new way to help health organizations in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Now, VentureBeat reports about a new survey that Facebook’s users will be able to fill out and therefore provide info about the virus spread, as part of a research program done by Carnegie Mellon University.

    The survey option will be available for American users as a link in the top section of the News Feed page. Researchers will be able to identify places in need for medical resources as well as create maps with self-reported coronavirus infections. Facebook stated that if the approach is successful, the method can be used in other countries as well.

    Additionally, Facebook stated that Carnegie Mellon researchers will not share responses to the survey with Facebook and Facebook will not share information with the researchers too.

    To further help organizations fight the pandemic, Facebook provides aggregated data to epidemiologists via its Disease Prevention Maps. Based on the data, researchers can offer information on people’s mobility in different areas to local authorities.

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  • Zoom for iOS stops sharing information with Facebook after a new update

    Zoom for iOS stops sharing information with Facebook after a new update

    Last week, we reported that the popular video-conferencing app Zoom had a concerning privacy issue, when Vice’s Motherboard informed us that the app was sharing data with Facebook, even for people who didn’t have a Facebook account.

    Now, Motherboard brings to our attention that Zoom has removed the code from its iOS app that was sending data to Facebook and is now offering the new version of the code with an update. The app used Facebook’s software development kits (SDKs) on its backend and therefore it sent analytics data, mainly related to targeted ads, to Facebook, without notifying the app’s users in its privacy policy.

    However, Zoom’s CEO, Eric S. Yuan, apologized in a blog post about the concern raised by the situation. He stated that Zoom users’ privacy is extremely important to the company and that they have decided to remove Facebook’s SDK from the iOS app. Additionally, he said that the information, sent to Facebook, did not include names, notes, attendees or any meeting-related information, but data about devices’ OS and some technical specifications.

    He also provided the following list of example information that the SDK was sending to Facebook:

    • Application Bundle Identifier
    • Application Instance ID
    • Application Version
    • Device Carrier
    • iOS Advertiser ID
    • iOS Device CPU Cores
    • iOS Device Disk Space Available
    • iOS Device Disk Space Remaining
    • iOS Device Display Dimensions
    • iOS Device Model
    • iOS Language
    • iOS Timezone
    • iOS Version
    • IP Address

    The update is now available for download for Zoom for iOS from Apple’s App Store. With the new version, users will be able to log in using their Facebook account only through a browser, and not directly from the app. Previously, the in-app Facebook login was associated with the now removed Facebook SDKs.

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  • Facebook launches Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub

    Facebook launches Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub

    Facebook, just like many other big companies, are trying to ease the transition to social distancing by offering free services and products. But people need to stay informed about what’s happening in the world even when they’re self-isolating.

    In that regard, Facebook launched recently the so-called Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub, which offers users tips and resources that should help them stay connected to their friends, family, and community in general.

    The new Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub will also act as a tool to prevent the spread of misinformation, as it explains how people can recognize and avoid scams and fake news. Beyond that, Facebook’s new hub is about serving its users as they try to maintain their communities and social connections even when they can’t be together in real life. On top of that, you’ll be able to find accurate and reliable information about COVID-19 developments, as well as tips to help you prevent the spread of fake news.

    Last but not least, the Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub will also act as a communication bridge between important organizations like WHO (World Health Organizations) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control) with Facebook’s developer partners with the purpose of helping these organizations to share information more effectively.
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  • Coronavirus outbreak is affecting Facebook services too

    Coronavirus outbreak is affecting Facebook services too

    As more countries enact lockdowns due to coronavirus spreading and order population to stay home, wireless service provides are faced with new challenges. YouTube, Netflix and a couple of other important streaming services have already adjusted the quality of their stream to avoid internet congestion across Europe.

    Facebook is one of the companies that registered unprecedented traffic during the coronavirus outbreak. Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp have become vital apps for those who must remain home if they want to stay in touch with their friends and family. As such, Facebook announced that it’s struggling to maintain the reliability of its services during the COVID-19 outbreak.

    During this emergency, we’re doing everything we can to keep our apps fast, stable, and reliable. Our services were built to withstand spikes during events such as the Olympics or on New Year’s Eve. However, those happen infrequently, and we have plenty of time to prepare for them. The usage growth from COVID-19 is unprecedented across the industry, and we are experiencing new records in usage almost every day.

    And it’s not just the increased traffic that is putting a strain on all Facebook’s services, but the fact that all of the company’s employees are now working from home makes it even more challenging to maintain stability.

    In that regard, the social network giant announced that it will temporarily reduce bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in those regions that are most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the company is now testing and preparing for any issues that might arise in the coming months.

    Unfortunately, the crisis hasn’t reached its peak yet, as more countries are just starting to be affected by the coronavirus outbreak, so we can definitely expect things to get worse in the coming weeks.

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  • Facebook in legal battle with Australia over alleged user data breach

    Facebook in legal battle with Australia over alleged user data breach

    Last year, Facebook received a penalty of $5 billion by the American Federal Trade Commission for sharing personal information via a survey product called “This Is Your Digital Life”, which disclosed users’ Facebook data to a political consultant Cambridge Analytica. Now, an Australian privacy regulator is filing a lawsuit against the tech giant over the same survey, which this time is said to have shared the data of more than 300,000 Australians.

    The lawsuit is filed in regards to 311,127 users’ personal data being unlawfully shared, with the users not being aware of their data’s disclosure. According to Reuters, the lawsuit didn’t request any specific amount in damages, however, each breach of the privacy law can amount to around $1.1 million penalties at most. So in total, if each of the 311,127 instances is taken into consideration, the penalty facing Facebook could be up to a maximum $348 billion.

    The disclosed personal information could be used for monetization and political purposes and is considered a serious interference with the privacy of Australian individuals. However, Facebook did not provide any comment on the issue.

    Overall, until now, allegedly Facebook has unwillingly shared information of over 87 billion users via the aforementioned survey tool. According to the Australian lawsuit, Facebook was not aware of what data it shared with the program, but this is still considered a failure to protect user data.

  • Facebook launches faster, cleaner Messenger app for iOS devices

    Facebook launches faster, cleaner Messenger app for iOS devices

    It will probably take a lot of time for Facebook to integrate all its services into a single app, and we don’t even know if it will eventually succeed. But every major endeavor starts with a small step, and today Facebook made one.

    The social network giant has just announced it has launched a brand-new Messenger app for iOS devices, which is cleaner, smaller and faster. The new Messenger for iOS is just 1/4 the size of the previous app and contains just 360,000 lines of code, down from 1.7 million.

    Because of that, the app will load twice as fast and will consume a lot fewer resources while it’s running. Another important aspect is that Messenger for iOS is now simpler than ever. Facebook reduced the contact list from 40 versions to just one.

    Although the app has been rebuilt from the ground up, some features might be temporarily unavailable, but Facebook promised to bring them back as soon as possible, so if you notice that something is missing, then you’ll have to wait for developers to add it.

    Facebook has already started the rollout of the new Messenger for iOS, but it will take a few weeks for the app to appear for everyone, so give it time if you don’t see it in the App Store yet.

  • Facebook will ban and remove ads promising cure for the coronavirus

    Facebook will ban and remove ads promising cure for the coronavirus

    While governments are working hard to limit the coronavirus outbreak and to protect their citizens’ health, Facebook is working to protect people from misinformation in regards to the current public health situation.

    The tech giant will now ban ads promising a cure for the coronavirus, or ads that attempt to create a sense of urgency about the situation, which, as defined by a Facebook spokesperson, means implying of limited supply or other ways to urge people to buy coronavirus related products right away.

    The social media platform will also remove content containing conspiracy theories that have been flagged by health organizations, along with claims that create confusion in regards to available health resources.

    A lot of social platforms are experiencing surges of misinformation regarding COVID-19, which can prove to be harmful to people. Facebook used fact-checkers to suppress false news or misinformation in its news feed, and now it has decided upon completely removing such content from the platform.

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  • Vodafone is the latest partner to bail from Facebook’s Libra project

    Vodafone is the latest partner to bail from Facebook’s Libra project

    Facebook’s digital currency initiative Libra continues to fall apart as British telco Vodafone becomes the latest partner to bail from the project.

    In a statement, Vodafone said: “Vodafone Group has decided to withdraw from the Libra Association. We have said from the outset that Vodafone’s desire is to make a genuine contribution to extending financial inclusion.

    “We remain fully committed to that goal and feel that we can make the most contribution by focusing our efforts on M-Pesa. We will continue to monitor the development of the Libra Association and do not rule out the possibility of future cooperation.”

    Digital currencies are beginning to gain traction following the success of Bitcoin. The king of cryptocurrencies is quickly becoming a modern store of value but it’s looking unlikely to be adopted by many average consumers for daily purchases.

    Part of the reason for the lack of day-to-day use of Bitcoin is its slow transaction times and poor scalability. Advancements, particularly off-chain “layer two” solutions like Lightning Network, are helping to fix these problems but at the cost of decentralization and security.

    Behind most digital currencies is a blockchain. The so-called “trilemma” with blockchains is that, in order to achieve scalability, you must sacrifice decentralization or security. Bitcoin is seen as a reliable store of value because it’s secure and its decentralization properties also make it appealing in a world of global uncertainties, censorship, and currency manipulation.

    Your average consumer only cares that a transaction is fast and cheap while also adequately secure, especially when dealing with predominantly smaller transactions like buying a coffee. Currencies like Ripple are criticized by cryptocurrency enthusiasts as being “centralized” but they fulfill the needs of your typical person.

    Facebook’s Libra intends to be a centralized currency along the lines of Ripple. Taking advantage of Facebook’s massive global userbase, Libra could potentially scale very quickly.

    Many partners initially jumped on the Libra project including Visa, PayPal, Mastercard, and eBay. Not long after Facebook released its whitepaper for Libra did it come under intense regulatory scrutiny. All the aforementioned partners decided to leave the project.

    Several central banks are looking to issue their own digital currencies for their advantages like fast international payments and lower fees. And, of course, they’ll persuade most people to adopt centralized alternatives to cryptocurrencies.

    China looks set to be the first major country to issue its own digital currency. The country already uses mobile payments extensively, with the ability to pay for pretty much everything through apps such as WeChat and Alipay. If China goes ahead with a digital yuan, you can bet the US won’t be far behind with a digital dollar.

    On Tuesday, the Bank of England announced it too is exploring central digital currencies alongside the Bank of Canada, Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Sveriges Riksbank, and the Swiss National Bank.

    While digital currencies are pretty much inevitable, Libra is looking more uncertain by the day.

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  • With ads out of the picture, how Facebook will monetize WhatsApp

    With ads out of the picture, how Facebook will monetize WhatsApp

    There are many different kinds of mobile payment services available depending on the phone in a user’s hand. There is Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and LG Pay just to name a few. And these create streams of cash for the companies providing this service. For example, Apple earns .15% of the amount of each transaction where Apple Pay is used. For example, if you use Apple Pay to cover a $200 purchase, Apple receives 30 cents. While that doesn’t sound like a lot of money, Apple has been averaging over 11 million Apple Pay transactions per day.
    The promise of getting paid a small percentage of millions of transactions every day is attracting another player to the business. During Facebook’s conference call last week (following the release of its latest quarterly earnings report), co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed plans to turn WhatsApp and Messenger into private platforms that will allow users to connect to businesses. This is similar to the plans that the Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI) has for Android users through the Rich Communication Services (RCS) app that they plan on disseminating some time this year. RCS is the next generation of messaging for Android and the CCMI is made up of the four major U.S. wireless providers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint).

    While talking about his plans, Zuckerberg said, “One example that we’ve been working on is WhatsApp Payments where you’re going to be able to send money as quickly and easily as sending a photo.” And the executive even revealed a timeframe. “I’m really excited about this, and I expect this to start rolling out in a number of countries and for us to make a lot of progress here in the next six months. We got approval to test this with one million people in India back in 2018. And when so many of the people kept using it week after week, we knew it was going to be big when we get to launch.”

    WhatsApp Pay’s rollout may be limited at first to developing countries where WhatsApp is used to connect consumers with businesses. In India, the service uses the National Payments Corporation of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). The latter allows peer-to-peer payments and business transactions to be conducted through bank accounts. Not yet fully licensed in India, WhatsApp Pay is in Pilot Mode in the country. Discussing the plans, Zuckerberg said, “We’re taking a number of different approaches here, ranging from people buying and selling to each other directly to businesses setting up storefronts, to people engaging with businesses directly through messaging and a number of things on payments –using existing national systems like India’s UPI to creating new global systems.” Once WhatsApp Pay is fully licensed in India, it will reach 400 million Indians.
    Zuckerberg says that handling transactions and facilitating business is going to be important for his company’s properties that include Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. In fact, last month Facebook decided not to monetize WhatsApp by placing ads on the app which makes it more important for services like WhatsApp Pay to be offered in as many countries as possible.
    Facebook ended up acquiring WhatsApp for $21.8 billion in cash and company stock; the deal closed in October 2014. The deal originally called for payments of $4 billion in cash and $12 billion in stock, but Facebook shares appreciated in value between the time the deal was announced and when it closed. When Facebook purchased WhatsApp, it quickly removed the $1 annual subscription fee that users were being charged; with over 1.5 billion users globally, this seemingly insignificant fee would be bringing in over $1.5 billion a year. Offering commerce services like WhatsApp Pay seems the best way for Facebook to monetize its purchase of the app without greatly offending users.
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  • Facebook dark theme rolling out to more Android users

    Facebook dark theme rolling out to more Android users

    Facebook has been trying to implement the long-awaited dark theme into its Android app for many months, which isn’t something unusual. We’ve been hearing reports about the company’s struggles to finalize the feature, but it looks like Facebook’s endeavor turned into a marathon rather than a sprint.

    Starting today, a lot more people have started to see the new dark theme in the Facebook app reports. We’re still not convinced that Facebook has finally nailed the feature for Android users and is making it available for everyone.

    However, it’s a clear sign that the company is confident in the results and is rolling out the dark theme to more Android users, one of the final steps before a wider deployment. It’s probably just coincidence that a few days ago WhatsApp has finally managed to deliver the highly-anticipated dark theme to Android beta users.

    We can’t promise you that you’ll see the new dark theme right away, but we’re certain it won’t take long until Facebook will start a wider roll-out of the feature, so stick around for more updates on the matter.

  • Facebook reportedly tested a facial recognition app

    Facebook reportedly tested a facial recognition app

    It would be interesting to see how many people flat out don’t trust Facebook. This is the company that got fined $5 billion by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for failing to adhere to a consent decree it signed back in 2011. The terms of the consent decree prevented Facebook from using member profiles without the express consent of subscribers. In 2015-2016 Aleksandr Kogan, a Russian-American professor at Cambridge University, collected profiles through the use of an app he developed ostensibly for research purposes. But Kogan sold as many as 87 million user profiles to a company called Cambridge Analytica, which was hired by the Trump campaign to turn the data into information that it could use.

    As recently as the first day of this year, an organization called Privacy International issued a report claiming that certain Android apps sent users’ personal information to Facebook. The social-media site allegedly received this personal data even if the user did not have a Facebook account.

    What brings up Facebook’s apparent inability to keep members’ private data private is a report from Business Insider stating that the company had developed a facial recognition app between 2015 and 2016 that was developed for employees. The app was never released to consumers and has been discontinued. The frightening thing about the system is that according to one source, it could identify any Facebook member if enough data about the member was available. The app was in the early stages of development, according to the report. Facebook employees with the app installed on their phones could point the camera at a person and seconds later the display would show their name and Facebook profile photo.

    Last year, a lawsuit against Facebook was certified as a Class Action meaning that several similar suits were consolidated into one. The plaintiffs claimed that the app was using facial recognition on their phones without permission. Since 2010, the company had been collecting facial templates based on users’ physical characteristics in order to show members’ names in photographs. But the plaintiffs say that this violates the 2008 Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act which prohibits companies from collecting and storing biometric data without permission. Facebook’s defense is that facial templates do not count as biometric data. This feature remains on the app, and when someone “tags” a Facebook subscriber in a photo it links back to the subscriber’s Facebook profile. This feature used to be enabled by default on the app, but users must now opt-in.

    Facebook is also reportedly developing its own AI assistant similar to Google Assistant, Siri and Alexa. The company would use it for its Portal line of smart displays; currently, the Portal speakers use Amazon’s Alexa digital helper. Back in 2015, Facebook did add such a feature for the Messenger app which it called “M.” While “M” used AI to answer certain questions, those it couldn’t handle were sent to a call center manned by humans. In January 2018, Facebook eliminated the feature.

    Meanwhile, Facebook is one of four tech firms (along with Apple, Google, and Amazon) that is being investigated by the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee for possible antitrust violations. Just this past week, the committee released written responses from the four tech firms to questions it asked each of the companies. Facebook admitted in its reply that it dropped certain apps from its developer platform if they competed with Facebook’s own features. As an example, the company admitted that it dropped Vine, Twitter’s now-defunct app that created six-second video loops. Facebook said that Vine was a copy of its News Feed. Committee members also wanted to know the “exact circumstances” behind Facebook’s decision to drop apps like Phhhoto, MessageMe, Voxer, and Stackla. The company said that it “will restrict apps that violate its policies.”

    If Facebook cannot be trusted with personal and biometric data, we should be breathing a sigh of relief that it stopped developing the aforementioned facial recognition app. Or did it? Can we believe Facebook when they say that it is no longer developing such a tool?

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  • Facebook tests a fresh new feature

    Facebook tests a fresh new feature

    It’s one thing to copy a feature from an app that belongs to another company, but Facebook is now thinking about copying a feature from a family member. Popular Photos are being tested on Facebook and provide users with photos from friends and family members that they can scroll to view. Popular Photos, which are curated by algorithm, appears under a photo opened from the News Feed and offers an Instagram-like experience.
    For those unaware, days after Instagram finally released the Android version of its app, Facebook swooped in to buy the company for a reported $1 billion. At the time, many wondered why Facebook would pay so much for what was then essentially a photo filter app. But Zuckerberg and company got the last laugh since the transaction might have turned out to be one of the most profitable tech deals ever; estimates of Instagram’s valuation today are in the neighborhood of $100 billion.
    Facebook has confirmed that the test is underway and plans on doing more testing of Popular Photos in the future. Only a very small percentage of Facebook users are part of the testing process. The feature opens when a user taps on a photo in his News Food or on a profile; this creates a full-screen view of the image. While swiping and scrolling on the image usually takes the user back to his feed, those that are part of the test will see more photos along with a button that says “See More Photos.” And since Popular Photos is offering a way to communicate visually, captions are capped at 65 characters; Facebook users see the date and time that a photo was posted and can “Like” the image and leave a comment.
    Facebook could also monetize the feature by adding ads in between the photographs. Of course, this would depend on whether or not Facebook decides to officially rollout out Popular Photos to all mobile users. This wouldn’t be the first feature that it took from its stablemate although, in the case of Stories, Instagram had already copied it from Snapchat.
  • Facebook, the 800-pound gorilla homegrown Vietnamese social media

    Facebook, the 800-pound gorilla homegrown Vietnamese social media

    Vietnam got its latest in a long line of social networks Tuesday but doubts remain about the viability of homegrown players in a Facebook-dominated country.

    Lotus belongs to media company Vietnam Communications Corporation (VCCorp), which has invested VND700 billion ($30.2 million) in it and is seeking to raise another VND500 billion ($21.6 million).

    VCCorp hopes to have four million regular users within a year and partner with 500 content creators in various areas.

    Many Vietnamese social networks have made their debut this year after Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said the country needs to have its own social media, which should garner at least 60 million accounts and 60-70 percent of the country’s social network pie by 2022.

    In February Nhat Viet Manufacturing and Investment company, which makes metal tools, launched VietNamTa, which is said to have an almost identical interface as Facebook. But it loads slower and there are also concerns about security.

    In June tourism-oriented social network Hahalolo debuted, and it seeks to have two billion users within five years and list on Nasdaq in the U.S.

    In July Gapo was launched after getting VND500 billion ($21.6 million) from investment firm G-Capital. The developers aim to pay users who contribute attractive content, and claimed to have reached two million users this month out of a target of 50 million by 2021.

    The Ministry of Information and Communications said 436 social networks had been licensed as of last year, but many have failed to attract a reasonable number of people and few survived for more than a year.

    Go.vn, which debuted nine years ago, promised to usurp Facebook’s position within six months with five million users. Its founders aimed for a 40-50 percent share of Vietnam’s social network traffic by 2015, but it is now no longer active.

    Others such as Zingme, Tamtay.vn and Yume.vn have followed the same path.

    Competing with Facebook appears to be a bridge too far for local players. Tran Anh Dung, CEO and founder of digital content startup MOG, said it would be virtually impossible for Vietnamese social networks to surpass Facebook unless the government makes specific policy changes to incentivize them.

    Niche markets could offer them opportunities, but they are not distinguishing themselves enough, he said.

    “Some players are trying to be different but I’m not sure if they are special enough to attract users.”

    Another challenge is resources. If a social network does not get a big infusion of funds in the beginning, it could be fatal, he added.

    Vietnam ranks seventh in the world in number of Facebook users with 58 million, or 75 percent of the population aged 13 or more, according to a report released in July by U.K. advertising agency We Are Social.

    An average Vietnamese uses social media for two hours and 23 minutes a day, same as the global average, according to market research firm GlobalWebIndex.

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  • Spotify now lets users share music on Facebook Stories

    Spotify now lets users share music on Facebook Stories

    Spotify has just made it possible for people listening to music to share it on Facebook Stories. If you want your friends and followers to know what songs you like, you can now share it on Facebook Stories and viewers will hear a 15-second preview before tapping to listen.

    Here is how you can do that: tap “Share” when viewing the track on Spotify, select Facebook, customize your Story, and post it to your followers. As mentioned earlier, your followers will get a 15-second preview that they can listen to, but they can also tap “Play on Spotify” if they want to hear more.

    The new feature is a logical step forward and an upgrade from the similar option that artists and their teams have been using for quite a while to promote their tracks, albums, playlists, podcasts, and more.

    For the time being, the preview feature will only play when a single track is shared to Stories. However, if you want to share other content like albums, playlists, or your profile, your followers will have the option to tap directly into that content on Spotify, but they won’t hear a preview.

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  • Facebook reportedly working on a new app called Threads

    Facebook reportedly working on a new app called Threads

    In an attempt to catch up with Snapchat, Facebook is reportedly working on a new app called Threads, which will allow users to share their status, location, and other information with closest friends.

    The app will be designed as a companion app to Instagram is meant to let users share information with their “close friends” list on Instagram. The app is already being tested internally at Facebook, but the company declined to comment for the time being.

    Illustrated screenshots from Threads, the new messaging app from Facebook and Instagram have already been obtained by the media. Although they’re not captured in-app, some of the features are visible such as automatic sharing between users and the people on their “close friends” list on Instagram.

    Users will be able to opt in to automatic sharing, while the app will update the status of the user sharing information with their friends such as location, speed and more. Apparently, Facebook chose no to let the app share your actual real-time location, instead, it will notify your friends that you’re “on the move.”

    There’s also an option that will allow Threads users to update their status manually. However, sharing information is just a secondary focus, as the app’s core remains messaging. All messages from friends will appear in a central feed and there will be green dots showing which of your friends are active.

    Whenever one of your friends posts a story on Instagram, you’ll be able to see that within Threads. Also, the app has a camera that lets users capture photos and videos, which can be sent to close friends.

    Unfortunately, it’s unclear when and if Facebook will actually release Threads to the general public. The internal testing is meant to determine whether or not the app might be useful, so it will take some time before we’ll hear about it again; or not.

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