Social media enables discovery of brands this festive season

It's that season when the festivals start. Also, this year will be observer to an interesting merry season with the drawn out effect of the pandemic. Because of the monetary vulnerability, the shoppers are supposed to be estimated in their classification decisions. There is a rising worth looking for conduct, with an inclination for confided in brands. Brands need to bump shoppers and get into their thought set, on the media stages where the customers are investing a great deal of energy. With advanced speed increase more than ever disclosure, motivation and buy is all occurrence on versatile. Facebook group of applications with wide scale and profound infiltration offer open doors to advertisers to get found in new ways. Around 80% of Gen Z and Millennial customers, say their bubbly shopping is impacted by Facebook and Instagram.

Industry specialists prescribe advertisers to use online entertainment for driving brand revelation this season. In this light, industry pioneers from Facebook, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Samsung and Lenovo have shared bits of knowledge about driving brand disclosure, understanding developing purchaser media propensities, more current shopper encounters, and building the capacity of advanced business....KNOW MORE

Facebook, Instagram ramp up removal of hate speech, bullying content

 

Facebook has eliminated 26.9 million bits of scorn discourse content in the final quarter of 2020 - up from 22.1 million in Q3 and the organization offers credit to enhancements in its mechanized frameworks that catch and cleanse such remarks.

The informal community additionally impeded 6.4 million bits of coordinated disdain content in the October-December period from its fundamental stage, up from 4 million in Q3.

Instagram likewise saw critical bounces in disdain discourse, harassing and self-hurt expulsions, as per the organization's 'Local area Standards Enforcement Report'.

Facebook brought down 6.3 million bits of tormenting and provocation content from its foundation in the final quarter of 2020 - up from 3.5 million in Q3.

"Last quarter, we shared the pervasiveness of scorn discourse on Facebook unexpectedly to show the level of times individuals see this kind of substance on our foundation. This quarter, disdain discourse pervasiveness dropped, seven to eight perspectives on scorn discourse for each 10,000 perspectives on substance," Guy Rosen, VP Integrity at Facebook, said in a blog entry late on Thursday.

Facebook said that its proactive rate for tormenting and provocation went from 26 percent in Q3 to 49 percent in Q4 on its fundamental stage, and 55 percent to 80 percent on Instagram.

"Enhancements to our AI in regions where subtlety and setting are fundamental, for example, scorn discourse or tormenting and badgering, caused us better scale our endeavors to guard individuals," Rosen educated.

The organization likewise made a move on 2.5 million bits of self destruction and self-injury content in Q4, up from 1.3 million in Q3 because of expanded commentator limit.

On Instagram, it hindered 3.4 million bits of self destruction and self-injury content, up from 1.3 million in Q3.

Instagram's algorithm to limit recycled content on Reels: Report

 

Facebook-possessed photograph sharing stage Instagram is making changes to its calculation to get more unique posts on its foundation.

With the assistance of calculation, Reels that are generally covered by text, are foggy, have a watermark or logo, or have a boundary around it will not be suggested as much of the time.

Instagram client reviews showed that individuals have a "less fulfilling" Reels experience when substance is reused from other applications or is hazy, so it'll begin deemphasizing that content in its suggestion programming, said Devi Narasimhan, Spokesperson, Instagram.

The organization is additionally Facebook-possessed photograph sharing stage Instagram is making changes to its calculation to get more unique posts on its foundation.

With the assistance of calculation, Reels that are generally covered by text, are hazy, have a watermark or logo, or have a line around it will not be suggested as regularly.

Instagram client overviews exhibited that individuals have a "less fulfilling" Reels experience when substance is reused from other applications or is foggy, so it'll begin deemphasizing that content in its suggestion programming, said Devi Narasimhan, Spokesperson, Instagram.

The organization is additionally giving new accepted procedures on its @creators record to give Instagram clients tips on the most proficient method to make content that is probably going to be seen and advanced, The Verge covered Tuesday.

As indicated by the report, the group currently suggests that Reels clients post vertical recordings that utilization music found in Instagram's library or sounds that they find on Reels.

"We're expanding on what we've gained from Explore to suggest fun and engaging recordings in spots like the Reels tab, and customize the experience," said Narasimhan in an email to The Verge.issuing new accepted procedures on its @creators record to give Instagram clients tips on the most proficient method to make content that is probably going to be seen and advanced, The Verge wrote about Tuesday.

As per the report, the group presently suggests that Reels clients post vertical recordings that utilization music found in Instagram's library or sounds that they find on Reels.

"We're expanding on what we've gained from Explore to suggest fun and engaging recordings in spots like the Reels tab, and customize the experience," said Narasimhan in an email to The Verge.

FB, Twitter CEOs defend handling of disinformation in US election

 

The CEOs of Facebook and Twitter have affirmed before an incredible Senate Judiciary Committee of Congress where they protected their treatment of disinformation in the intently battled US official political race.

Facebook CEO and originator Mark Zuckerberg told officials on Tuesday that in front of the November 3 political decision, the web-based media goliath attempted the biggest political decision trustworthiness exertion by any privately owned business as of late.

Inside and out, I accept this was the biggest political race trustworthiness exertion by any privately owned business as of late. This is the thing that individuals expect of us, Zuckerberg told the Senate Judiciary Committee which held a conference on Censorship and the 2020 Election.

I'm happy that from what we've seen up until now, our frameworks performed well. Yet, political race impedance stays a progressing danger that will never completely be comprehended. So we keep on improving with every political race, he stated, giving subtleties of the endeavors being embraced by the California-settled organization during the decisions.

Taking note of that they assume liability at Facebook to ensure the trustworthiness of this political race truly, Zuckerberg said that in 2016, the organization started to confront new sorts of dangers and following quite a while of planning, they were prepared to protect against them.

We assembled complex frameworks to ensure against political decision obstruction that joined man-made brainpower, huge human audit and organizations with the insight network, law implementation and other tech stages, he said.

Facebook has brought down in excess of 100 organizations of troublemakers who are attempting to facilitate and meddle all around the world.

It set up an organization of autonomous reality checkers that covers in excess of 60 dialects and made political publicizing more straightforward on Facebook than anyplace else, including TV, radio and email. It additionally acquainted new approaches with battle citizen concealment and deception, he said.

All things considered, the pandemic made new difficulties regarding how to deal with deception about COVID-19 and casting a ballot via mail, how to plan individuals for the truth that outcomes would require some investment and how to deal with in the event that somebody rashly announced triumph or wouldn't acknowledge the outcome, Zuckerberg said.

Creators can now protect their images, videos on FB, Instagram

 

Facebook has reported to extend admittance to Rights Manager to support more makers - who have a huge or developing list of substance - better control when, how and where they share content across Facebook and Instagram.

It implies that Page administrators would now be able to submit pictures and recordings for rights security, extending the scope of the element and more makers can give takedown demands over re-transferred recordings and pictures on Facebook and Instagram which are possessed by them.

"Page administrators can present an application for content they've made and need to secure," said Jeniece Primus, Product Manager at Facebook.

The organization additionally declared to enable more makers to gather promotion profit from coordinated Rights Manager substance and offering in-stream advertisements in more nations.

"Inside Rights Manager, we've improved our Collect Ad Earnings apparatus and are extending accessibility, which implies that more makers will have the option to gather advertisement income from coordinating recordings that remember for stream promotions," Facebook said in an assertion on Monday.

The organization has added another channel see for spotting monetizable matches, better direction for how to catch adaptation openings, exportable income reports, and the capacity to gather advertisement profit while setting a proprietorship connect on the coordinated video.

"Furthermore, the new in-stream promotions switch in the Creator Studio application empowers simple administration from cell phones," Facebook educated.

The interpersonal organization likewise dispatched new video experiences to help rights holders measure and streamline their security exercises, and influence fan-driven dissemination as a vital piece of their business insight.

"We've extended In-stream advertisements to Egypt, Iraq, Morocco and Turkey, adding to the 45 nations where the in-steam program is now accessible".

If Google, FB, Twitter are 'public spheres', they cannot censor content too

 

When talking among themselves, Silicon Valley top dogs in some cases express peculiar things. In an inward introduction in March 2018, Google heads were approached to envision their organization going about as a "Great Censor," so as to restrict the effect of clients "carrying on seriously."

In a 2016 interior video, Nick Foster, Google's head of configuration, imagined a "objective driven record" of all clients' information, enriched with its own "volition or reason," which would push us to take choices (state, about shopping or travel) that would "mirror Google's qualities as an association."

In the event that that doesn't strike you as peculiar — like discourse from some tragic sci-fi novel — at that point you have to peruse more tragic sci-fi. (Start with Yevgeny Zamyatin's incredibly insightful "We.")

The lowliest workers of huge tech organizations — the substance arbitrators whose work it is to spot terrible stuff on the web — offer a fairly alternate point of view. "Keep in mind 'We're the free discourse wing of the free discourse party'?" one of them solicited Alex Feerst from OneZero a year ago, suggesting an early Twitter trademark. "How vain and unmindful does that sound at this point? All things considered, it's the morning after the free discourse party, and the spot is destroyed."

Also, how.

I don't have a clue whether, as the New York Post affirmed a week ago, Democratic official chosen one Joe Biden met with a Ukrainian energy leader named Vadym Pozharskyi in 2015. I don't have the foggiest idea whether Biden's child Hunter attempted to handle such a gathering as a major aspect of his board directorship manage Pozharskyi's firm, Burisma Holdings. What's more, I am pretty dubious that the gathering, if to be sure it occurred, was the explanation Biden requested that the Ukrainian government fire its examiner general, Viktor Shokin, who was exploring Burisma. I am even open to the hypothesis that the entire story is bunk, the messages counterfeit, and the PC and its hard-drive an infowars blessing from Russia, with affection.

What I cannot deny is that in the event that I read the story on the web and thought that it was convincing, I ought to have had the option to impart it to companions. Rather, both Facebook and Twitter settled on a choice to attempt to execute the Post's scoop.

Facebook quietly removes 20% text limit on ad images

 

Facebook has carefully taken out the standard that restricted content space on promotion pictures to just 20%. It implies that the interpersonal interaction monster won't punish promotions with more picture text on them.

Facebook had a 'text overlay' device for promoters to guarantee that text didn't take up more than 20% of their advertisements.

As shared by web-based media master Matt Navarra, Facebook is reaching sponsors to illuminate them regarding the update.

"Enormous news for Facebook sponsors. Facebook is murdering its '<20% text in picture' rule for advertisements," he tweeted as of late.

Facebook said that it "will no longer punish promotions with higher measures of picture text in sales and conveyance".

"We will start steadily eliminating outer material and sources that show that we uphold elevated levels of text in pictures," the informal community included.

Prior, the 'text overlay' instrument by Facebook checked if the promotion lined up with the 20% limitation or not.

"To make a superior encounter for watchers and promoters, advertisements that show up on Facebook, Instagram, and the Audience Network are screened dependent on the measure of picture text utilized in your advertisement," read the prior Facebook rule.

"In view of this audit, notices with a higher level of picture text may not be appeared. If it's not too much trouble note that special cases may apply to certain advertisement pictures. For instance, exclusions apply to book covers, collection spreads and item pictures".

Facebook, in any case, said that sponsors are as yet urged to diminish the measure of text with pictures.

Facebook rolls out 'App Lock' for Messenger to protect users' privacy

Facebook on Wednesday declared new protection and security highlights for Messenger including App lock, which empowers clients to include "another layer of security".
With App lock, clients can bolt Messenger and it will require a verification strategy like Face ID or Touch ID to open it.
"Application Lock lets you add another layer of security to your private messages and keeps others from getting to them," said Jay Sullivan, Director of Product Management, Messenger Privacy and Safety, in an announcement.
"…App Lock utilizes your gadget's protection settings like unique mark or face confirmation to open the Messenger application, and your touch or face ID isn't transmitted to or put away by Facebook," Sullivan included.
Be that as it may, starting at now, the element is just accessible on iPhone and iPad. It will come to Android in the "following hardly any months".
"You can discover this component in the new Privacy settings area. The Privacy segment makes it simple to get to settings and highlights like the crowd for your accounts, quieted stories and blocked individuals. Application Lock and the Privacy area let you tailor your experience and pick settings that work best for you. We're continually attempting to give you more power over your protection, so as we present more security highlights, you'll have this incorporated spot to discover them," Sullivan said.

Sullivan further expressed that they are taking a shot at new controls so clients can conclude who can message or call them straightforwardly, who goes to their solicitations envelope, and who can't message or call them by any means. This will be like the message controls on Instagram.

Facebook, Twitter, others to deny requests on Hong Kong user data

Social media platforms and messaging apps including Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Google and Twitter say they're going to deny enforcement requests for user data in Hong Kong while studying ramifications of a national security law enacted last week.
Facebook and its messaging app WhatsApp said in separate statements Monday that they might freeze the review of state requests for user data in Hong Kong , pending further assessment of the National Security Law, including formal human rights due diligence and consultations with international human rights experts.
The policy changes follow the rollout last week of laws prohibiting what Beijing views as secessionist, subversive or terrorist activities, or as foreign intervention within the territory's internal affairs.
The legislation criminalizes some pro-democracy slogans just like the widely used Liberate Hong Kong , revolution of our time, which the Hong Kong government says has separatist connotations.
The fear is that the new law erodes the freedoms of the semi-autonomous city, which has operated under a 1 country, two systems" framework after Britain handed the colony to China in 1997.
That framework has allowed Hong Kong and its people freedoms not found in China , like unrestricted internet access.
Spokesman Mike Ravdonikas said Monday that Telegram understands the importance of protecting the proper to privacy of our Hong Kong users.
Telegram has been used broadly to spread pro-democracy messages and knowledge about the protests in Hong Kong .
Telegram has never shared any data with the Hong Kong authorities within the past and doesn't shall process any data requests associated with its Hong Kong users until a world consensus is reached in reference to the continued political changes within the city, he said.
Twitter also paused all data and knowledge requests from Hong Kong authorities after the law went into effect last week, the corporate said. it's studying the implications of the safety law.

Like many public interest organisations, civil society leaders and entities, and industry peers, we've grave concerns regarding both the developing process and therefore the full intention of this law, the corporate said during a statement. 

Sony PlayStation joins Facebook ad boycott over hate speech, misinformation

Sony Playstation has joined more than 400 publicists who have chosen to pull out promotions from Facebook and Instagram over its inability to control abhor discourse and deception.

The #StopHateForProfit blacklist has in excess of 400 members and the social liberties gatherings, including the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League on June 17, are presently requiring a worldwide extension of Facebook promotion blacklist.

"On the side of the #StopHateForProfit battle, we have internationally suspended our Facebook and Instagram action, including publicizing and non-paid substance, until the finish of July," PlayStation said in an announcement to GamesIndustry.biz on Thursday.

As many organizations end promoting on Facebook and Instagram, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is sure the brands would before long profit for the stage.

As indicated by a report in The Information, Zuckerberg advised workers he was hesitant to bow to the dangers of a developing promotion blacklist, saying "my estimate is that every one of these publicists will be back on the stage soon enough."

The interpersonal interaction goliath said it was showing signs of improvement at expelling hurtful substance and that the stage doesn't in any capacity benefit from detest discourse.

The call to blacklist advertisements on Facebook began after the interpersonal interaction goliath chose to permit questionable posts by US President Donald Trump to keep awake.

American food organization Chobani, sedate creator Pfizer and programming significant SAP were among the most recent brands pulling who joined Coca Cola, adidas, cleaning flexibly firm Clorox, Conagra (the producer of Slim Jim, Duncan Hines and Pam), cheap food chain Denny's, Ford and Starbucks to pull their advertisements from the stage.

Facebook's computerized promoting represented more than 98 percent of the organization's about $70 billion in income a year ago.

Starbucks latest to pause social media ads over call for Facebook's boycott

Starbucks is the most recent organization to state it will delay internet based life advertisements after a crusade drove by social liberties associations required a promotion blacklist of Facebook, saying it doesn't do what's needed to stop supremacist and savage substance.
Starbucks said Sunday that its activities were not part of the #StopHateforProfit crusade, yet that it is delaying its social advertisements while chatting with social liberties associations and its media accomplices about how to stop abhor discourse on the web.
The espresso chain's declaration follows proclamations from Unilever, the European purchaser merchandise goliath behind Ben and Jerry's frozen yogurt and Dove cleanser; Coca-Cola; cellphone organization Verizon and outside organizations like Patagonia, Eddie Bauer and REI; film organization Magnolia Pictures; pants producer Levi's and many littler organizations. A portion of the organizations will delay promotions just on Facebook, while others will cease from publicizing all the more extensively via web-based networking media.
Because of organizations stopping publicizing, Facebook official Carolyn Everson said not long ago the interpersonal interaction stage is focused on cleansing contemptuous substance from its administrations.
Our discussions with advertisers and social liberties associations are about how, together, we can be a power for good, said Everson, VP of Facebook's worldwide business gathering.
Facebook's fairly estimated worth dropped Friday by more than 8 percent, or about $50 billion, as more organizations said they would delay advertisements.

Twitter stock additionally dropped more than 7 percent Friday.

Facebook brings in new Messenger feature to protect minors from scams

In an offer to make Messenger more secure, Facebook has presented another element that will help a great many individuals, particularly minors, stay away from conceivably hurtful collaborations and potential tricks without trading off their protection.

The Messenger clients will currently observe security sees springing up in a talk and give tips to assist them with spotting dubious action and make a move to square or disregard somebody when something doesn't appear to be correct, news office IANS revealed.

Facebook began turning this element out on Android in March and would carry this to more individuals around the globe on iOS this week.

"Protection, wellbeing and security are key to Messenger. We strive to guarantee Messenger is a sheltered spot to associate with the individuals who matter most while likewise securing their protection," as per By Jay Sullivan, Director of Product Management, Messenger Privacy and Safety.

As Facebook Messenger moves to start to finish encryption, it is putting resources into security protecting devices to guard individuals without getting to message content.

"We built up these wellbeing tips with AI that takes a gander at conduct signals like a grown-up sending a lot of companion or message solicitations to individuals under 18," educated Sullivan.

Facebook said that guarding minors on its foundation is perhaps the best obligation.

Errand person as of now has unique assurances set up for minors that breaking point contact from grown-ups they aren't associated with, and utilizes AI to distinguish and cripple the records of grown-ups who are taking part in improper collaborations with youngsters.

The new wellbeing highlight teaches individuals younger than 18 to be careful while connecting with a grown-up they may not know and enables them to make a move before reacting to a message.

Coronavirus: Facebook cancels conference, Microsoft withdraws from another

Current Affairs
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Thursday it would drop its yearly engineer meeting because of fears over the coronavirus episode and Microsoft Corp went with the same pattern by pulling back from a gaming gathering planned for one month from now.
"Instead of the in-person F8 occasion, we're arranging different ways for our locale to get together through a combo of privately facilitated occasions, recordings and live gushed content," said Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, Facebook's executive of stage organization.
The gathering, which pulled in 5,000 individuals from around the globe a year ago, was planned to be hung on May 5 and 6 in San Jose, California.
Microsoft now has plans to hold a computerized just occasion from March 16-18. Facebook has prior pulled out of the Game Developers Conference set to be held in San Francisco.
In California, an individual was distinguished with coronavirus contamination on Wednesday, getting the all out number of cases the United States to 15, as indicated by the U.S. Habitats for Disease Control and Prevention.
The office has cautioned of the chance of a network spread of the coronavirus in the nation. Prior this month, The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the yearly telecoms industry gathering, was canceled after a mass migration by exhibitors because of fears over the coronavirus episode.

AT&T Inc , Verizon Communications Inc and International Business Machines Corp had before pulled back from the RSA digital security gathering, set for Feb. 24 to 28 in San Francisco, due to coronavirus-related concerns...READ MORE

Google users in UK to lose EU data protection due to Brexit: Report

Current Affairs
Google is wanting to move its British clients' records out of the control of European Union security controllers, setting them under U.S. locale rather, sources said.
The move, provoked by Britain's exit from the EU, will leave the touchy individual data of several millions with less assurance and inside simpler reach of British law authorization. The change was portrayed to Reuters by three individuals acquainted with its arrangements. Google plans to require its British clients to recognize new terms of administration including the new ward.
Ireland, where Google and different U.S. tech organizations have their European home office, is remaining in the EU, which has one of the world's most forceful information security runs, the General Data Protection Regulation. Google has chosen to move its British clients out of Irish ward since it is misty whether Britain will adhere to GDPR or embrace different standards that could influence the treatment of client information, the individuals said.
On the off chance that British Google clients have their information kept in Ireland, it would be increasingly hard for British specialists to recuperate it in criminal examinations. The ongoing Cloud Act in the United States, be that as it may, is relied upon to make it simpler for British specialists to get information from U.S. organizations. England and the United States are likewise on track to arrange a more extensive exchange understanding.

Past that, the United States has among the most fragile security assurances of any significant economy, with no expansive law in spite of long stretches of backing by buyer insurance gatherings. A Google representative declined to remark in front of an open declaration...READ MORE

SC asks parties to reveal pending criminal cases against poll candidates

Current Affairs
The Supreme Court on Thursday guided every single ideological group to transfer on their site subtleties of pending criminal arguments against applicants challenging surveys, taking note of that there has been a disturbing increment in criminalisation of governmental issues.
The zenith court said ideological groups will likewise need to transfer purposes behind choosing applicants with pending criminal cases on their site.
The court passed arranges on a scorn supplication which raised the issue of criminalisation of governmental issues asserting that bearings given by the pinnacle court in its September 2018 decision identifying with exposure of criminal precursors by applicants are not being followed.
A seat headed by Justice F Nariman likewise coordinated that ideological groups will distribute these subtleties via web-based networking media stages like Facebook and Twitter and in one nearby vernacular and one national paper.
The top court said ideological groups should present a consistence report right now the Election Commission inside 72 hours of choosing applicants having pending criminal bodies of evidence against them.
It coordinated that the EC will carry it to the notification of the peak court in the event of disappointment of ideological groups to consent to its bearings.

While articulating the request, the seat said apparently there has been a disturbing increment in criminalisation of governmental issues in the last four general decisions...READ MORE

Macron, Trump agree to extend talks on France's digital tax: Report

Current Affairs
The Indian Railway’s ticketing portal has filed a complaint against a fake website selling tourism packages in its name and even has a copycat digital assistant.The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has warned the website (www.irctctour.com) is duping people with fraudulent transactions.
"The tourism portal is the website of IRCTC where the various tour packages and services of IRCTC are displayed," says the fake website, which copies the design and features of the genuine portal.IRCTC sent an email to its registered users and even had put up a message on its portal about the fake website.
irctctour.com The tourism portal is the website of IRCTC where the various tour packages and services of IRCTC, says the fake website
IRCTC is the only entity authorised by the Indian Railways to provide online railway tickets, catering services to railways and packaged drinking water at railway stations and in trains. It is the world's second-busiest and highest of 1.5 million to 1.6 million tickets every day. Meanwhile, IRCTC Tourism offers tour facilities to over 1.05 million persons annually. The various tourism business segments of IRCTC include luxury train tours, Bharat darshan special tourist trains, rail tour packages, international and domestic air packages, land tour packages, hotel booking, etc. Its official portal is irctctourism.com.

Earlier, IRCTC warned its customers not to disclose any confidential information related to their account number, ATM card, PIN, TPIN, UPI details over phone or through e-mails. It notified users that attempts were being made to fraudulently withdraw money from their accounts. IRCTC also said that it never makes phone calls, sends e-mails/SMS asking customers to give their personal or security information for refunds, TDR or in any other case....Read More

Facebook's Zuckerberg drops annual challenges to focus on longer-term goals

Current Affairs
Facebook Inc Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday he was dropping his annual challenges this year to take a longer-term focus on the decade ahead.Zuckerberg said he plans to work on a new private social platform, decentralised technology, generational issues and new forms of digital governance among others.
The move would see him focus more on his role as CEO and the problems that have afflicted Facebook instead of personal goals such as learning Mandarin and reading two books a month."Rather than having year-to-year challenges, I've tried to think about what I hope the world and my life will look in 2030 so I can make sure I'm focusing on those things," he said.
Zuckerberg, whose company is under pressure for failing to adequately police content and protect user privacy on its platform, said he expects governments to come up with clearer rules for the internet over the next decade."Platforms like Facebook have to make tradeoffs on social values we all hold dear - like between free expression and safety, or between privacy and law enforcement, or between creating open systems and locking down data and access," he said.
"I don't think private companies should be making so many important decisions that touch on fundamental democratic values."Over the next decade, Zuckerberg plans to fund and give a platform to younger entrepreneurs and scientists to cure, prevent and manage diseases.

He pointed out that while the internet helped people to connect with each other across the world, it also made people crave for intimacy."For the next decade, some of the most important social infrastructure will help us reconstruct all kinds of smaller communities to give us that sense of intimacy again," he said... Read More

Facebook says 100 app developers may have accessed users' data for months

International News
In yet another data breach, Facebook on Wednesday revealed that at least 100 app developers may have accessed Facebook users' data for months, confirming that at least 11 partners "accessed group members' information in the last 60 days".
The social networking giant found that the apps -- primarily social media management and video streaming apps -- retained access to group member information, like names and profile pictures in connection with group activity, from the Groups API (application programming interface).
"Although we've seen no evidence of abuse, we will ask them to delete any member data they may have retained and we will conduct audits to confirm that it has been deleted," the company said in a statement.
"We've removed or restricted a number of our developer APIs, such as the Groups API, which provides an interface between Facebook and apps that can integrate with a group," it added.Facebook is facing scrutiny after personal data of 87 million users were harvested by UK-based political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has slapped Facebook with a $5 billion fine as a result of the breach.
According to the company, the apps designed to make it easier for group admins to manage their groups more effectively and help members share videos to their groups."For example, if a business managed a large community consisting of many members across multiple groups, they could use a social media management app to provide customer service, including customized responses, at scale."

"But while this access provided benefits to people and groups on Facebook, we made the decision to remove it and are following through on that approach," said Facebook.According to Facebook's director of platform partnerships, Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, the new framework under their agreement with the FTC means more accountability and transparency into how it builds and maintains products.....READ MORE

WhatsApp sues Israeli firm NSO for spying on journalists, activists

Technology
WhatsApp on Tuesday sued Israeli technology firm NSO Group, accusing it of using the Facebook-owned messaging service to conduct cyberespionage on journalists, human rights activists and others.
The suit filed in a California federal court contended that NSO Group tried to infect approximately 1,400 "target devices" with malicious software to steal valuable information from those using the messaging app.WhatsApp head Will Cathcart said the lawsuit was filed after an investigation showed the Israeli firm's role the cyberattack, despite its denials.
"NSO Group claims they responsibly serve governments, but we found more than 100 human rights defenders and journalists targeted in an attack last May. This abuse must be stopped," Cathcart said on Twitter.The lawsuit said the software developed by NSO known as Pegasus was designed to be remotely installed to hijack devices using the Android, iOS, and BlackBerry operating systems.
The complaint said the attackers "reverse-engineered the WhatsApp app and developed a programme to enable them to emulate legitimate WhatsApp network traffic in order to transmit malicious code" to take over the devices."While their attack was highly sophisticated, their attempts to cover their tracks were not entirely successful," Cathcart said in an opinion piece published in the Washington Post, noting that the investigation found internet-hosting services and accounts associated with NSO.

The suit calls on court to order NSO Group to stop any such attacks and asks for unspecified damages.WhatsApp in May called on users to upgrade the application to plug a security hole that allowed for the injection of sophisticated malware that could be used for spying at the messaging app used by 1.5 billion people around the world...READ MORE

Sound legal basis a must for digital monies like Facebook's Libra: G7

Company News

Facebook's proposed digital currency must have legal and regulatory issues worked out in key economies before it can be put into use, the Group of Seven economies said Thursday.
In a new report on stablecoins -- a type of digital currency backed by reserves assets -- the G7 also urged regulators to coordinate their work to prevent issuers from seeking out the most favorable country from which to operate.
"For stablecoin developers, a sound legal basis in all relevant jurisdictions... is an absolute prerequisite," according to the report from the G7 working group led by Benoit Coeure, a European Central Bank board member.
Facebook's Libra has generated intense scrutiny from officials worldwide who worry about the impact it could have on the financial system.France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire is due to hold a news conference to discuss the report's findings.
Digital currencies are ripe for use by terrorist organizations or for money laundering, so developers must have "legal clarity" about "all participants in the stablecoin ecosystem, such as coin holders and issuers," the report said.
They also pose other challenges to the financial system and to banks, if they are adopted widely.
"Ambiguous rights and obligations could make the stablecoin arrangement vulnerable to loss of confidence -- an unacceptable risk, especially in a payment system of potentially global importance," the report said.

 The G7 called said national regulators "must coordinate across agencies, sectors and jurisdictions," to address the risks and "forestall harmful regulatory arbitrage." "These risks, which are of a systemic nature.