In the past, users have used app reviews to object to company policies. However, an ongoing campaign can cause significant damage. NBC News has learned that pro-Palestinian activists have successfully dismissed Facebook’s Apple App Store and Google Play Store ratings with “thousands” of one-star ratings. Many of the attendees have accused Facebook of silencing Palestinians … Read more
Years after opening a Pandora’s box of bad behavior, social media companies are trying to find subtle ways to reshape the way people use their platforms. Similar to Twitter, Facebook is trying out a new feature to encourage users to read a link before sharing it. The test will reach 6 percent of Facebook Android … Read more
Former US President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida on February 28, 2021. Facebook blocked Donald Trump’s account in January following the riot in the U.S. Capitol. The former president hasn’t changed his news since the lockdown, according to CNN political scientist Jackie Kucinich. “We see the same news … Read more
On the occasion of Heritage Month for Asia-American and Pacific Islanders, Facebook is rolling out some features and taking some initiatives after increasing violence and hatred against Asians and Pacific Islanders (API). The company also sheds light on the impact and diversity of the community. In May, Facebook users in the US will see a … Read more
European regulators have questions about a Facebook privacy breach, Clubhouse is adding payments, and a robotics company has SPAC plans. This is your daily crisis for April 6th, 2021. The big story: Facebook faces data breach questions A breach of personally identifiable information (such as email addresses and phone numbers) on more than 500 million … Read more
Another day, another hour-long congressional hearing with technical CEOs. Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and Sundar Pichai will testify at a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing where they will have questions about how their companies have dealt with misinformation over the past year. The hearing, officially “Disinformation Nation: The Role of Social Media in Promoting … Read more
Facebook has made a public commitment to fighting racism, but there are concerns that don’t translate into its recruiting practices. According to Reuters sources, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is investigating possible “systemic” racism in the recruitment and promotion of Facebook employees. Facebook program manager Oscar Veneszee Jr. and four candidates have reportedly … Read more
Facebook introduces another experimental app, Atlassian acquires a data visualization startup and Newsela becomes a unicorn. This is your daily crisis for February 26, 2021. The big story: Facebook launches rap app The new BARS app was created by the NPE team (Facebook’s internal R&D group), which allows rappers to choose from professionally created beats, … Read more
Facebook has agreed to tweak some of its policies in response to recommendations from the Oversight Board. The board issued its first round of decisions about content moderation decisions last month in a series of decisions that undid some of Facebook’s original actions. In addition to making these decisions for a handful of specific locations, … Read more
Myanmar’s new military government has ordered local telecommunications companies to temporarily block Facebook in the Southeast Asian nation days after the military seized power in a military coup. Several users of the Myanmar subreddit reported moments ago that Facebook was already inaccessible to them, suggesting that ISPs have already started complying with the order that … Read more