Mark Zuckerberg has renamed Facebook to Meta in an effort to distract users from privacy concerns and data theft. The new Facebook will apparently focus on the Metaverse. Palki Sharma explains this cutting-edge technology and what it means for you.

Gravitas: Facebook renamed to Meta: Reform or farce?

Facebook changes its corporate name to Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg: The metaverse is coming. Facebook whistleblower: Company is making hate worse. Facebook faces a public relations crisis. Is the metaverse rollout a distraction?

Meta: Why has Facebook changed its name? | Tech It Out

<p>Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced rebranding of the social media platform in a live streaming session on Thursday.&nbsp;"Facebook is now&nbsp;<strong>Meta</strong>," he announced.</p>

<p>"We've learned a lot from struggling with&nbsp;<strong>social issues</strong>&nbsp;and living under closed platforms, and now it is time to take everything that we've learned and help build the next chapter," Zuckerberg said, but added that all apps and their brands will remain the same.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-is-now-meta-says-mark-zuckerberg-changes-company-name-424860">Facebook is now Meta, says Mark Zuckerberg, changes company name</a></strong></p>

<p>Zuckerberg slipped in the information while explaining the Facebook users about the platform's&nbsp;vision for the metaverse in a live streaming session.</p>

<p>Through this the social media platform is "helping to build the metaverse, a place where we’ll play and connect in 3D," Facebook's official Twitter handle explained.</p>

<p>This announcement comes at a time when several former employees are coming forward in forma of whistleblower and making claims about the social media platform's negligence towards misinformation, security issues, fake news and more.</p>

<p>While Facebook was excited to show off their rebranded company, several people expressed their anger over this change of name and lashed out at Zuckerberg, claiming that the problems in the company will not fade away through rebranding.</p>

<p>Twitter users logged in to shower Mark Zuckerberg with their sets of memes and jokes about the new name, 'Meta'.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAK</a> Facebook's new company name is Meta<br />
<br />
It still has all the same problems it had this morning. <a href="https://t.co/3AROaibCeU">pic.twitter.com/3AROaibCeU</a></p>
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) <a href="https://twitter.com/donie/status/1453788294160990216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">How to fix a company: simply change your name<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Facebook?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meta</a> <a href="https://t.co/3fVL1vHeUR">pic.twitter.com/3fVL1vHeUR</a></p>
— Jack O'Connor (@itsjackoconnor) <a href="https://twitter.com/itsjackoconnor/status/1453789382784262144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can't have problems with Facebook if the company isn't called Facebook <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meta</a> <a href="https://t.co/AdZvrD1bWi">pic.twitter.com/AdZvrD1bWi</a></p>
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) <a href="https://twitter.com/LukeSmithF1/status/1453796399783596033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">At least the new Facebook rebrand is accurate <a href="https://t.co/5hiyEzMndV">pic.twitter.com/5hiyEzMndV</a></p>
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) <a href="https://twitter.com/TechnicallyRon/status/1453794952182370308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Meta accomplishes only one thing. It allows Mark Zuckerberg to say he’s not the CEO of Facebook.<br />
<br />
He will now do less controversial things like build a new virtual universe where he can be king.<br />
<br />
While running Facebook.</p>
— Andy Slavitt 🇺🇸💉 (@ASlavitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1453795679059513348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">Hey. <a href="https://t.co/axAbzsW86I">pic.twitter.com/axAbzsW86I</a></p>
— Matthews Martins (@helloimatthews) <a href="https://twitter.com/helloimatthews/status/1453795387953778692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There it is. It’s official. Facebook has a new name.<br />
<br />
Introducing…<br />
<br />
MetaBollocks <a href="https://t.co/SRDMij7jI7">pic.twitter.com/SRDMij7jI7</a></p>
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) <a href="https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1453788769807654920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Facebook's name wasn't the problem<br />
<br />
The toxic nature of content on its platform won't be addressed by rebranding it Meta</p>
— Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdwardTHardy/status/1453798724984057864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">holy shit i cannot get over facebook's new name <a href="https://t.co/42UNPlgfdS">pic.twitter.com/42UNPlgfdS</a></p>
— 🐢 bob 📼 (@bobvids) <a href="https://twitter.com/bobvids/status/1453792610330492928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">His mama named him Facebook ima call him Facebook.</p>
— Rod (@rodimusprime) <a href="https://twitter.com/rodimusprime/status/1453791731711946754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mark Zuckerberg when someone calls his site Facebook instead of Meta: <a href="https://t.co/nlJYAJFqar">pic.twitter.com/nlJYAJFqar</a></p>
— In My Mind (@MeAloneInMyMind) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeAloneInMyMind/status/1453798298700025873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced rebranding of the social media platform in a live streaming session on Thursday. "Facebook is now Meta," he announced.

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced rebranding of the social media platform in a live streaming session on Thursday. "Facebook is now Meta," he announced. "We've learned a lot from struggling with social issues and living under closed platforms, and now it is time to take everything that we've learned and help build the next chapter," Zuckerberg said, but added that all apps and their brands will remain the same. Also read | Facebook is now Meta, says Mark Zuckerberg, changes company name Zuckerberg slipped in the information while explaining the Facebook users about the platform's vision for the metaverse in a live streaming session. Through this the social media platform is "helping to build the metaverse, a place where we’ll play and connect in 3D," Facebook's official Twitter handle explained. This announcement comes at a time when several former employees are coming forward in forma of whistleblower and making claims about the social media platform's negligence towards misinformation, security issues, fake news and more. While Facebook was excited to show off their rebranded company, several people expressed their anger over this change of name and lashed out at Zuckerberg, claiming that the problems in the company will not fade away through rebranding. Twitter users logged in to shower Mark Zuckerberg with their sets of memes and jokes about the new name, 'Meta'. #BREAK Facebook's new company name is Meta It still has all the same problems it had this morning. pic.twitter.com/3AROaibCeU — Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) October 28, 2021 × How to fix a company: simply change your name#Facebook #Meta pic.twitter.com/3fVL1vHeUR — Jack O'Connor (@itsjackoconnor) October 28, 2021 × Can't have problems with Facebook if the company isn't called Facebook #Meta pic.twitter.com/AdZvrD1bWi — Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) October 28, 2021 × At least the new Facebook rebrand is accurate pic.twitter.com/5hiyEzMndV — TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) October 28, 2021 × Meta accomplishes only one thing. It allows Mark Zuckerberg to say he’s not the CEO of Facebook. He will now do less controversial things like build a new virtual universe where he can be king. While running Facebook. — Andy Slavitt 🇺🇸💉 (@ASlavitt) October 28, 2021 × Hey. pic.twitter.com/axAbzsW86I — Matthews Martins (@helloimatthews) October 28, 2021 × There it is. It’s official. Facebook has a new name. Introducing… MetaBollocks pic.twitter.com/SRDMij7jI7 — Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) October 28, 2021 × Facebook's name wasn't the problem The toxic nature of content on its platform won't be addressed by rebranding it Meta — Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) October 28, 2021 × holy shit i cannot get over facebook's new name pic.twitter.com/42UNPlgfdS — 🐢 bob 📼 (@bobvids) October 28, 2021 × His mama named him Facebook ima call him Facebook. — Rod (@rodimusprime) October 28, 2021 × Mark Zuckerberg when someone calls his site Facebook instead of Meta: pic.twitter.com/nlJYAJFqar — In My Mind (@MeAloneInMyMind) October 28, 2021 ×

Meta or Facebook? Twitter users make fun of rebranding of social media platform

<p>Mark Zuckerberg's announcement of changing Facebook's name to 'Meta' has triggered an online debate on social media platform Twitter about the future of tech companies.</p>

<p>"To reflect who we are and what we hope to build I am proud to announce, starting today our company is now Meta," Zuckerberg said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Our mission remains the same, it is still about bringing people together," he added while asserting that "we are still the company that designs technology around people."</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/facebook-changes-its-name-to-meta-as-it-forays-into-newer-horizons-like-virtual-reality-424885/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The change in Facebook's name comes as a rebrand that focuses on building the "metaverse," a shared virtual environment that it bets will be the successor to the mobile internet.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-is-now-meta-says-mark-zuckerberg-changes-company-name-to-reflect-metaverse-vision-424860">Facebook is now Meta, says Mark Zuckerberg, changes company name</a></strong></p>

<p>Earlier, the acronym used for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google was FAANG. After Zuckerberg's decision, the acronym has been reshuffled by analysts and financial journalists.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">How it started How it's going <a href="https://t.co/ewty6VbaVh">pic.twitter.com/ewty6VbaVh</a></p>
— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) <a href="https://twitter.com/MorningBrew/status/1453797543096238080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Taking a jibe at the change of Facebook's name and logo, Twitter users speculated the transformation in the acronym for tech companies.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-or-facebook-twitter-users-make-fun-of-rebranding-of-social-media-platform-424869">Meta or Facebook? Twitter makes fun of rebranding of social media platform</a></strong></p>

<p>While some called it MANGA, which stands for Meta, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and Apple, others called it MAGMA.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">FAANG is over.<br />
meta, apple, google, ms, amazon = MAGMA <a href="https://t.co/F9WGhiA5UP">pic.twitter.com/F9WGhiA5UP</a></p>
— Eric Adler (@ericladler) <a href="https://twitter.com/ericladler/status/1453797659907526668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Shorthands for monikers are usually used by today's tech-savvy generation that faces a character limit on posts in the case of Twitter.</p>

<p>Some Twitteratis even questioned why is Google not using the name of its parent company Alphabet Inc and what would happen if Netflix is dropped from the acronym and is replaced by&nbsp;Elon Musk's Tesla.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">if we're using Meta for Facebook then Google has to be Alphabet so the new acronym should really be:<br />
<br />
MAAAN<br />
<br />
pretty fitting tbh</p>
— Ali Spittel 🐞 (@ASpittel) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASpittel/status/1453794812260323336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What do we call FAANG now? If we drop Netflix for Tesla, it could be MAGAT...</p>
— CIO of The North (@MNupdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/MNupdate/status/1453799924487819280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>MANGA is also a term used for anime or graphic novels in Japan.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">FAANG is now MANGA<br />
<br />
better brush up on your anime.</p>
— Hedgeye (@Hedgeye) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hedgeye/status/1453790162782146560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Facebook is battling criticisms from lawmakers and regulators over its market power, algorithmic decisions, and the policing of abuses on its services.</p>


Mark Zuckerberg's announcement of changing Facebook's name to 'Meta' has triggered an online debate on social media platform Twitter about the future of tech companies.

Mark Zuckerberg's announcement of changing Facebook's name to 'Meta' has triggered an online debate on social media platform Twitter about the future of tech companies. "To reflect who we are and what we hope to build I am proud to announce, starting today our company is now Meta," Zuckerberg said. "Our mission remains the same, it is still about bringing people together," he added while asserting that "we are still the company that designs technology around people." The change in Facebook's name comes as a rebrand that focuses on building the "metaverse," a shared virtual environment that it bets will be the successor to the mobile internet. Also read | Facebook is now Meta, says Mark Zuckerberg, changes company name Earlier, the acronym used for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google was FAANG. After Zuckerberg's decision, the acronym has been reshuffled by analysts and financial journalists. How it started How it's going pic.twitter.com/ewty6VbaVh — Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) October 28, 2021 × Taking a jibe at the change of Facebook's name and logo, Twitter users speculated the transformation in the acronym for tech companies. Also read | Meta or Facebook? Twitter makes fun of rebranding of social media platform While some called it MANGA, which stands for Meta, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and Apple, others called it MAGMA. FAANG is over. meta, apple, google, ms, amazon = MAGMA pic.twitter.com/F9WGhiA5UP — Eric Adler (@ericladler) October 28, 2021 × Shorthands for monikers are usually used by today's tech-savvy generation that faces a character limit on posts in the case of Twitter. Some Twitteratis even questioned why is Google not using the name of its parent company Alphabet Inc and what would happen if Netflix is dropped from the acronym and is replaced by Elon Musk's Tesla. if we're using Meta for Facebook then Google has to be Alphabet so the new acronym should really be: MAAAN pretty fitting tbh — Ali Spittel 🐞 (@ASpittel) October 28, 2021 × What do we call FAANG now? If we drop Netflix for Tesla, it could be MAGAT... — CIO of The North (@MNupdate) October 28, 2021 × MANGA is also a term used for anime or graphic novels in Japan. FAANG is now MANGA better brush up on your anime. — Hedgeye (@Hedgeye) October 28, 2021 × Facebook is battling criticisms from lawmakers and regulators over its market power, algorithmic decisions, and the policing of abuses on its services.

From FAANG to MANGA: Twitter users speculate future of tech companies

<p>Facebook is now Meta. World's most dominant social network has its eyes set on ambitious&nbsp;new pastures. The Mark Zuckerberg-led social media giant will now focus on building a 'metaverse'. Zuckerberg himself made the announcement late on October 28 (Indian time).</p>

<p>The announcement on Facebook's ambitious new step sent the social media in a tizzy. From understanding what is metaverse to planning how to maximise one's presence in it, people were searching all sort of things.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The increased awareness and&nbsp;excitement around the word 'meta' proved to be a windfall for a company.</p>

<p>Meta Marterials Inc. A Canadian company, found itself gaining monetary benefit due the buzz surrounding the word.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-or-facebook-twitter-users-make-fun-of-rebranding-of-social-media-platform-424869">Meta or Facebook? Twitter users make fun of rebranding of social media platform</a></strong>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shares of the company, which goes by the ticker name MMAT, rose by whopping 26 per cent in after-hours trading as people mistook it to be the rebranded entity of Facebook. This was followed by 4.8 per cent gain during trading hours.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The company now has a market cap of $1.3 billion.</p>

<p>Facebook itself was,&nbsp;quite expectedly,&nbsp;in the centre of a fierce debate online after the rechristening. Many wondered why the hugely popular social media network would give such a strong brand name.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/from-faang-to-manga-twitter-users-speculate-future-of-tech-companies-424901">From FAANG to MANGA: Twitter users speculate future of tech companies</a></strong></p>

<p>Zuckerberg tried to answer this in his lengthy Facebook post about the name change.</p>

<p>"We are at the beginning of the next chapter for the internet.." his note began.</p>

<p>"The defining quality of the metaverse will be a feeling of presence -- like you are right there with another person or in another place. Feeling truly present with another person is the ultimate dream of social technology. That is why we are focused on building this.In the metaverse, you'll be able to do almost anything you can imagine -- get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create -- as well as completely new experiences that don't really fit how we think about computers or phones today. We made a film that explores how you might use the metaverse one day," he explained.</p>

<p>Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook profile now describes him as 'Founder and CEO at Meta'.</p>


Facebook is now Meta. World's most dominant social network has its eyes set on ambitious new pastures. The Mark Zuckerberg-led social media giant will now focus on building a 'metaverse'.

Facebook is now Meta. World's most dominant social network has its eyes set on ambitious new pastures. The Mark Zuckerberg-led social media giant will now focus on building a 'metaverse'. Zuckerberg himself made the announcement late on October 28 (Indian time). The announcement on Facebook's ambitious new step sent the social media in a tizzy. From understanding what is metaverse to planning how to maximise one's presence in it, people were searching all sort of things. The increased awareness and excitement around the word 'meta' proved to be a windfall for a company. Meta Marterials Inc. A Canadian company, found itself gaining monetary benefit due the buzz surrounding the word. Also Read | Meta or Facebook? Twitter users make fun of rebranding of social media platform Shares of the company, which goes by the ticker name MMAT, rose by whopping 26 per cent in after-hours trading as people mistook it to be the rebranded entity of Facebook. This was followed by 4.8 per cent gain during trading hours. The company now has a market cap of $1.3 billion. Facebook itself was, quite expectedly, in the centre of a fierce debate online after the rechristening. Many wondered why the hugely popular social media network would give such a strong brand name. Also Read | From FAANG to MANGA: Twitter users speculate future of tech companies Zuckerberg tried to answer this in his lengthy Facebook post about the name change. "We are at the beginning of the next chapter for the internet.." his note began. "The defining quality of the metaverse will be a feeling of presence -- like you are right there with another person or in another place. Feeling truly present with another person is the ultimate dream of social technology. That is why we are focused on building this.In the metaverse, you'll be able to do almost anything you can imagine -- get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create -- as well as completely new experiences that don't really fit how we think about computers or phones today. We made a film that explores how you might use the metaverse one day," he explained. Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook profile now describes him as 'Founder and CEO at Meta'.

Facebook is now Meta, but another company pocketted money from all the buzz

Facebook is planning to change its name and logo as part of a rebranding strategy. Will the change in nomenclature reform Facebook's toxic business model? Palki Sharma tells you why it's time for Mark Zuckerberg to quit.

Gravitas: Facebook set to change name and logo

A US Senate Commerce Committee chairperson Maria Cantwell has called on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to preserve all documents related to a testimony from company's whistleblower.

'Testimony raises significant concerns,' US Senator sends letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has posted strong defence on FB. The FB founder posted a 1,300 word rebuttal and said that the claims against FB do not make sense.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posts strong defence on FB

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has broken his silence on whistleblower Frances Haugen's allegations and has launched a passionate defence on his company and platforms.

Mark Zuckerberg breaks silence on Haugen's allegations, says claims do not make sense

<p>Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday apologised for the six-hour outage of social media apps Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a post on Facebook, Zuckerberg said the social media platforms were coming back to normal. "Sorry for the disruption today -- I know how much you rely on our services to stay connected with the people you care about," he wrote.</p>

<p>Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram went dark around 1600 GMT on Monday (October 4). Website monitoring group Downdetector said that it was largest such failure it had ever seen.</p>

<p>Some users began to regain access around 0045 GMT.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/router-was-bad-says-facebook-after-fb-instagram-whatsapp-go-down-418265">Router was bad, says Facebook after FB, Instagram, WhatsApp go down</a></strong></p>

<p>Though Zuckerberg's post was met with general sigh of relief. There were many who were not happy about how things went down. And Zuckerberg's post was flooded with comments that were angry as well as humourous.</p>

<p>"I was wondering why I could not use WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram yesterday afternoon. I even went to the extent of taking my phone for repair whereby the ICT guy charged me 500 dollar for repair just to have learn later that all social media’s platforms were shut down the whole world yesterday afternoon for almost five hours.... " wrote a user in comment</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hate-speech-for-profit-facebook-whistleblower-reveals-identity-418061">Hate speech for profit: Facebook whistleblower reveals identity</a></strong></p>

<p>"I feel sad for those who didn't receive birthday wishes today due to server issue!" wrote another user</p>

<p>Some of them even thanked Mark Zuckerberg as they said they could sleep peacefully with Facebook not working.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawmakers-grill-facebook-over-teen-mental-health-417319">US lawmakers grill Facebook over teen mental health</a></strong></p>

<p>"Last Night I slept peacefully because Facebook was off. Thanks Mark Zuckerberg," wrote GK Tahmid</p>

<p>Some users poured creativity into memes that described the situation aptly.</p>

<p><img alt="Gollum" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73275b01-6a7e-44c9-8bc5-2acefd1d40ce" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/FB%20meme.JPG" /></p>

<p>Some users had a warning for Mark</p>

<p><img alt="Facebook" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a042e875-e663-4ce5-aa51-76c4017e8015" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/FB%20MEME%202.JPG" /></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A world without Facebook is a world without modern civilisation</p>

<p><img alt="Facebook" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="88cfbe80-d0d5-4d28-a292-7775c245d31a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/fb%20meme%203.JPG" /></p>

<p>Several Facebook employees who declined to be named said that they believed that the outage was caused by an internal routing mistake to an internet domain that was compounded by the failures of internal communication tools and other resources that depend on that same domain in order to work.</p>


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday apologised for the six-hour outage of social media apps Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. In a post on Facebook, Zuckerberg said the social media platforms were coming back to normal.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday apologised for the six-hour outage of social media apps Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. In a post on Facebook, Zuckerberg said the social media platforms were coming back to normal. "Sorry for the disruption today -- I know how much you rely on our services to stay connected with the people you care about," he wrote. Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram went dark around 1600 GMT on Monday (October 4). Website monitoring group Downdetector said that it was largest such failure it had ever seen. Some users began to regain access around 0045 GMT. Also Read | Router was bad, says Facebook after FB, Instagram, WhatsApp go down Though Zuckerberg's post was met with general sigh of relief. There were many who were not happy about how things went down. And Zuckerberg's post was flooded with comments that were angry as well as humourous. "I was wondering why I could not use WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram yesterday afternoon. I even went to the extent of taking my phone for repair whereby the ICT guy charged me 500 dollar for repair just to have learn later that all social media’s platforms were shut down the whole world yesterday afternoon for almost five hours.... " wrote a user in comment Also Read | Hate speech for profit: Facebook whistleblower reveals identity "I feel sad for those who didn't receive birthday wishes today due to server issue!" wrote another user Some of them even thanked Mark Zuckerberg as they said they could sleep peacefully with Facebook not working. Also Read | US lawmakers grill Facebook over teen mental health "Last Night I slept peacefully because Facebook was off. Thanks Mark Zuckerberg," wrote GK Tahmid Some users poured creativity into memes that described the situation aptly. Some users had a warning for Mark A world without Facebook is a world without modern civilisation Several Facebook employees who declined to be named said that they believed that the outage was caused by an internal routing mistake to an internet domain that was compounded by the failures of internal communication tools and other resources that depend on that same domain in order to work.

Facebook outage: Mark Zuckerberg apologises, users have fun commenting

<p>Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, signed off last month on a new initiative code-named Project Amplify.</p>

<p>The effort, which was hatched at an internal meeting in January, had a specific purpose: to use Facebook’s News Feed, the site’s most important digital real estate, to show people positive stories about the social network.</p>

<p>The idea was that pushing pro-Facebook news items, some of them written by the company,&nbsp;would improve its image in the eyes of its users, three people with knowledge of the effort said. But the move was sensitive because Facebook had not previously positioned the News Feed as a place where it burnished its own reputation. Several executives at the meeting were shocked by the proposal, one attendee said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Project Amplify punctuated a series of decisions that Facebook has made this year to aggressively reshape its image. Since that January meeting, the company has begun a multipronged effort to change its narrative by distancing Zuckerberg from scandals, reducing outsiders’ access to internal data, burying a potentially negative report about its content, and increasing its own advertising to showcase its brand.</p>

<p>The moves amount to a broad shift in strategy. For years, Facebook confronted crisis after crisis over privacy, misinformation, and hate speech on its platform by publicly apologizing. Zuckerberg personally took responsibility for Russian interference on the site during the 2016 presidential election and has loudly stood up for free speech online. Facebook also promised transparency into the way that it operated.</p>

<p>But the drumbeat of criticism on issues as varied as racist speech and vaccine misinformation has not relented. Disgruntled Facebook employees have added to the furor by speaking out against their employer and leaking internal documents. Last week, The Wall Street Journal published articles based on such documents that showed Facebook knew about many of the harms it was causing.</p>

<p>So Facebook executives, concluding that their methods had done little to quell criticism or win supporters, decided early this year to go on the offensive, said six current and former employees, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisal.</p>

<p>“They’re realizing that no one else is going to come to their defense, so they need to do it and say it themselves,” said Katie Harbath, a former Facebook public policy director.</p>

<p>The changes have involved Facebook executives from its marketing, communications, policy and integrity teams. Alex Schultz, a 14-year company veteran who was named chief marketing officer last year, has also been influential in the image reshaping effort, said five people who worked with him. But at least one of the decisions was driven by Zuckerberg, and all were approved by him, three of the people said.</p>

<p>Joe Osborne, a Facebook spokesperson, denied that the company had changed its approach.</p>

<p>“People deserve to know the steps we’re taking to address the different issues facing our company — and we’re going to share those steps widely,” he said in a statement.</p>

<p>For years, Facebook executives have chafed at how their company appeared to receive more scrutiny than Google and Twitter, said current and former employees. They attributed that attention to Facebook’s leaving itself more exposed with its apologies and providing access to internal data, the people said.</p>

<p>So in January, executives held a virtual meeting and broached the idea of a more aggressive defense, one attendee said. The group discussed using the News Feed to promote positive news about the company, as well as running ads that linked to favorable articles about Facebook. They also debated how to define a pro-Facebook story, two participants said.</p>

<p>That same month, the communications team discussed ways for executives to be less conciliatory when responding to crises and decided there would be less apologizing, said two people with knowledge of the plan.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg, who had become intertwined with policy issues including the 2020 election, also wanted to recast himself as an innovator, the people said. In January, the communications team circulated a document with a strategy for distancing Zuckerberg from scandals, partly by focusing his Facebook posts and media appearances on new products, they said.</p>

<p>The Information, a tech news site, previously reported on the document.</p>

<p>The impact was immediate. On Jan. 11, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer — and not Zuckerberg — told Reuters that the storming of the U.S. Capitol a week earlier had little to do with Facebook. In July, when President Joe Biden said the social network was “killing people” by spreading COVID-19 misinformation, Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president for integrity, disputed the characterization in a blog post and pointed out that the White House had missed its coronavirus vaccination goals.</p>

<p>“Facebook is not the reason this goal was missed,” Rosen wrote.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg’s personal Facebook and Instagram accounts soon changed. Rather than addressing corporate controversies, Zuckerberg’s posts have recently featured a video of himself riding across a lake carrying an American flag, with messages about new virtual reality and hardware devices. (After this article, which described Zuckerberg as riding an electric surfboard, was published, he wrote on Facebook that it was actually “a hydrofoil that I’m pumping with my own legs.”)</p>

<p>Facebook also started cutting back the availability of data that allowed academics and journalists to study how the platform worked. In April, the company told its team behind CrowdTangle, a tool that provides data on the engagement and popularity of Facebook posts, that it was being broken up. While the tool still exists, the people who worked on it were moved to other teams.</p>

<p>Part of the impetus came from Schultz, who had grown frustrated with news coverage that used CrowdTangle data to show that Facebook was spreading misinformation, said two people involved in the discussions.</p>

<p>For academics who relied on CrowdTangle, it was a blow. Cameron Hickey, a misinformation researcher at the National Conference on Citizenship, a nonprofit focused on civic engagement, said he was “particularly angry” because he felt the CrowdTangle team was being punished for giving an unfiltered view of engagement on Facebook.</p>

<p>Schultz argued that Facebook should publish its own information about the site’s most popular content rather than supply access to tools like CrowdTangle, two people said. So in June, the company compiled a report on Facebook’s most-viewed posts for the first three months of 2021.</p>

<p>But Facebook did not release the report. After the policy communications team discovered that the top-viewed link for the period was a news story with a headline that suggested a doctor had died after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, they feared the company would be chastised for contributing to vaccine hesitancy, according to internal emails reviewed by The New York Times.</p>

<p>A day before the report was supposed to be published, Schultz was part of a group that voted to shelve the document, according to the emails. He later posted an internal message about his role at Facebook, which was reviewed by The Times, saying, “I do care about protecting the company’s reputation, but I also care deeply about rigor and transparency.”</p>

<p>Facebook also worked to stamp out employee leaks. In July, the communications team shuttered comments on an internal forum that was used for companywide announcements. “OUR ONE REQUEST: PLEASE DON’T LEAK,” read a post about the change.</p>

<p>At the same time, Facebook ramped up its marketing. During the Olympics this summer, the company paid for television spots with the tagline “We change the game when we find each other,” to promote how it fostered communities. In the first half of this year, Facebook spent a record $6.1 billion on marketing and sales, up more than 8% from a year earlier, according to a recent earnings report.</p>

<p>Weeks later, the company further reduced the ability of academics to conduct research on it when it disabled the Facebook accounts and pages of a group of New York University researchers. The researchers had created a feature for web browsers that allowed them to see users’ Facebook activity, which 16,000 people had consented to use. The resulting data had led to studies showing that misleading political ads had thrived on Facebook during the 2020 election and that users engaged more with right-wing misinformation than many other types of content.</p>

<p>In a blog post, Facebook said the NYU researchers had violated rules around collecting user data, citing a privacy agreement it had originally struck with the Federal Trade Commission in 2012. The FTC later admonished Facebook for invoking its agreement, saying it allowed for good-faith research in the public interest.</p>

<p>Laura Edelson, the lead NYU researcher, said Facebook cut her off because of the negative attention her work brought. “Some people at Facebook look at the effect of these transparency efforts and all they see is bad PR,” she said.</p>

<p>The episode was compounded this month when Facebook told misinformation researchers that it had mistakenly provided incomplete data on user interactions and engagement for two years for their work.</p>

<p>“It is inconceivable that most of modern life, as it exists on Facebook, isn’t analyzable by researchers,” said Nathaniel Persily, a Stanford University law professor, who is working on federal legislation to force the company to share data with academics.</p>

<p>In August, after Zuckerberg approved Project Amplify, the company tested the change in three U.S. cities, two people with knowledge of the effort said. While the company had previously used the News Feed to promote its own products and social causes, it had not turned to it to openly push positive press about itself, they said.</p>

<p>Once the tests began, Facebook used a system known as Quick Promotes to place stories about people and organizations that used the social network into users’ News Feeds, they said. People essentially see posts with a Facebook logo that link to stories and websites published by the company and from third-party local news sites. One story pushed “Facebook’s Latest Innovations for 2021” and discussed how it was achieving “100 percent renewable energy for our global operations.”</p>

<p>“This is a test for an informational unit clearly marked as coming from Facebook,” Osborne said, adding that Project Amplify was “similar to corporate responsibility initiatives people see in other technology and consumer products.”</p>

<p>Facebook’s defiance against unflattering revelations has also not let up, even without Zuckerberg. On Saturday, Nick Clegg, the company’s vice president for global affairs, wrote a blog post denouncing the premise of The Journal investigation. He said the idea that Facebook executives had repeatedly ignored warnings about problems was “just plain false.”</p>

<p>“These stories have contained deliberate mischaracterizations of what we are trying to do,” Clegg said. He did not detail what the mischaracterizations were.</p>


Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, signed off last month on a new initiative code-named Project Amplify. The effort, which was hatched at an internal meeting in January, had a specific purpose: to use Facebook’s News Feed, the site’s most important digital real estate, to show people positive stories about the social network.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, signed off last month on a new initiative code-named Project Amplify. The effort, which was hatched at an internal meeting in January, had a specific purpose: to use Facebook’s News Feed, the site’s most important digital real estate, to show people positive stories about the social network. The idea was that pushing pro-Facebook news items, some of them written by the company, would improve its image in the eyes of its users, three people with knowledge of the effort said. But the move was sensitive because Facebook had not previously positioned the News Feed as a place where it burnished its own reputation. Several executives at the meeting were shocked by the proposal, one attendee said. Project Amplify punctuated a series of decisions that Facebook has made this year to aggressively reshape its image. Since that January meeting, the company has begun a multipronged effort to change its narrative by distancing Zuckerberg from scandals, reducing outsiders’ access to internal data, burying a potentially negative report about its content, and increasing its own advertising to showcase its brand. The moves amount to a broad shift in strategy. For years, Facebook confronted crisis after crisis over privacy, misinformation, and hate speech on its platform by publicly apologizing. Zuckerberg personally took responsibility for Russian interference on the site during the 2016 presidential election and has loudly stood up for free speech online. Facebook also promised transparency into the way that it operated. But the drumbeat of criticism on issues as varied as racist speech and vaccine misinformation has not relented. Disgruntled Facebook employees have added to the furor by speaking out against their employer and leaking internal documents. Last week, The Wall Street Journal published articles based on such documents that showed Facebook knew about many of the harms it was causing. So Facebook executives, concluding that their methods had done little to quell criticism or win supporters, decided early this year to go on the offensive, said six current and former employees, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisal. “They’re realizing that no one else is going to come to their defense, so they need to do it and say it themselves,” said Katie Harbath, a former Facebook public policy director. The changes have involved Facebook executives from its marketing, communications, policy and integrity teams. Alex Schultz, a 14-year company veteran who was named chief marketing officer last year, has also been influential in the image reshaping effort, said five people who worked with him. But at least one of the decisions was driven by Zuckerberg, and all were approved by him, three of the people said. Joe Osborne, a Facebook spokesperson, denied that the company had changed its approach. “People deserve to know the steps we’re taking to address the different issues facing our company — and we’re going to share those steps widely,” he said in a statement. For years, Facebook executives have chafed at how their company appeared to receive more scrutiny than Google and Twitter, said current and former employees. They attributed that attention to Facebook’s leaving itself more exposed with its apologies and providing access to internal data, the people said. So in January, executives held a virtual meeting and broached the idea of a more aggressive defense, one attendee said. The group discussed using the News Feed to promote positive news about the company, as well as running ads that linked to favorable articles about Facebook. They also debated how to define a pro-Facebook story, two participants said. That same month, the communications team discussed ways for executives to be less conciliatory when responding to crises and decided there would be less apologizing, said two people with knowledge of the plan. Zuckerberg, who had become intertwined with policy issues including the 2020 election, also wanted to recast himself as an innovator, the people said. In January, the communications team circulated a document with a strategy for distancing Zuckerberg from scandals, partly by focusing his Facebook posts and media appearances on new products, they said. The Information, a tech news site, previously reported on the document. The impact was immediate. On Jan. 11, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer — and not Zuckerberg — told Reuters that the storming of the U.S. Capitol a week earlier had little to do with Facebook. In July, when President Joe Biden said the social network was “killing people” by spreading COVID-19 misinformation, Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president for integrity, disputed the characterization in a blog post and pointed out that the White House had missed its coronavirus vaccination goals. “Facebook is not the reason this goal was missed,” Rosen wrote. Zuckerberg’s personal Facebook and Instagram accounts soon changed. Rather than addressing corporate controversies, Zuckerberg’s posts have recently featured a video of himself riding across a lake carrying an American flag, with messages about new virtual reality and hardware devices. (After this article, which described Zuckerberg as riding an electric surfboard, was published, he wrote on Facebook that it was actually “a hydrofoil that I’m pumping with my own legs.”) Facebook also started cutting back the availability of data that allowed academics and journalists to study how the platform worked. In April, the company told its team behind CrowdTangle, a tool that provides data on the engagement and popularity of Facebook posts, that it was being broken up. While the tool still exists, the people who worked on it were moved to other teams. Part of the impetus came from Schultz, who had grown frustrated with news coverage that used CrowdTangle data to show that Facebook was spreading misinformation, said two people involved in the discussions. For academics who relied on CrowdTangle, it was a blow. Cameron Hickey, a misinformation researcher at the National Conference on Citizenship, a nonprofit focused on civic engagement, said he was “particularly angry” because he felt the CrowdTangle team was being punished for giving an unfiltered view of engagement on Facebook. Schultz argued that Facebook should publish its own information about the site’s most popular content rather than supply access to tools like CrowdTangle, two people said. So in June, the company compiled a report on Facebook’s most-viewed posts for the first three months of 2021. But Facebook did not release the report. After the policy communications team discovered that the top-viewed link for the period was a news story with a headline that suggested a doctor had died after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, they feared the company would be chastised for contributing to vaccine hesitancy, according to internal emails reviewed by The New York Times. A day before the report was supposed to be published, Schultz was part of a group that voted to shelve the document, according to the emails. He later posted an internal message about his role at Facebook, which was reviewed by The Times, saying, “I do care about protecting the company’s reputation, but I also care deeply about rigor and transparency.” Facebook also worked to stamp out employee leaks. In July, the communications team shuttered comments on an internal forum that was used for companywide announcements. “OUR ONE REQUEST: PLEASE DON’T LEAK,” read a post about the change. At the same time, Facebook ramped up its marketing. During the Olympics this summer, the company paid for television spots with the tagline “We change the game when we find each other,” to promote how it fostered communities. In the first half of this year, Facebook spent a record $6.1 billion on marketing and sales, up more than 8% from a year earlier, according to a recent earnings report. Weeks later, the company further reduced the ability of academics to conduct research on it when it disabled the Facebook accounts and pages of a group of New York University researchers. The researchers had created a feature for web browsers that allowed them to see users’ Facebook activity, which 16,000 people had consented to use. The resulting data had led to studies showing that misleading political ads had thrived on Facebook during the 2020 election and that users engaged more with right-wing misinformation than many other types of content. In a blog post, Facebook said the NYU researchers had violated rules around collecting user data, citing a privacy agreement it had originally struck with the Federal Trade Commission in 2012. The FTC later admonished Facebook for invoking its agreement, saying it allowed for good-faith research in the public interest. Laura Edelson, the lead NYU researcher, said Facebook cut her off because of the negative attention her work brought. “Some people at Facebook look at the effect of these transparency efforts and all they see is bad PR,” she said. The episode was compounded this month when Facebook told misinformation researchers that it had mistakenly provided incomplete data on user interactions and engagement for two years for their work. “It is inconceivable that most of modern life, as it exists on Facebook, isn’t analyzable by researchers,” said Nathaniel Persily, a Stanford University law professor, who is working on federal legislation to force the company to share data with academics. In August, after Zuckerberg approved Project Amplify, the company tested the change in three U.S. cities, two people with knowledge of the effort said. While the company had previously used the News Feed to promote its own products and social causes, it had not turned to it to openly push positive press about itself, they said. Once the tests began, Facebook used a system known as Quick Promotes to place stories about people and organizations that used the social network into users’ News Feeds, they said. People essentially see posts with a Facebook logo that link to stories and websites published by the company and from third-party local news sites. One story pushed “Facebook’s Latest Innovations for 2021” and discussed how it was achieving “100 percent renewable energy for our global operations.” “This is a test for an informational unit clearly marked as coming from Facebook,” Osborne said, adding that Project Amplify was “similar to corporate responsibility initiatives people see in other technology and consumer products.” Facebook’s defiance against unflattering revelations has also not let up, even without Zuckerberg. On Saturday, Nick Clegg, the company’s vice president for global affairs, wrote a blog post denouncing the premise of The Journal investigation. He said the idea that Facebook executives had repeatedly ignored warnings about problems was “just plain false.” “These stories have contained deliberate mischaracterizations of what we are trying to do,” Clegg said. He did not detail what the mischaracterizations were.

No more apologies: Inside Facebook’s push to defend its image

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="13">On Saturday, after a 3-mile hike through the Presidio, I stood in a throng of tourists looking at the Golden Gate Bridge. As the crowd snapped photos of the landmark, I decided to join in.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="16">But instead of reaching into my pocket for my iPhone, I tapped the side of my Ray-Ban sunglasses until I heard the click of a shutter. Later, I downloaded the photos that my sunglasses had just taken to my phone.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="17">The process was instant, simple, unobtrusive — and it was powered by Facebook, which has teamed up with Ray-Ban. Their new line of eyewear, called Ray-Ban Stories and unveiled Thursday, can take photos, record video, answer phone calls and play music and podcasts.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="18">It all made me feel that I was being dragged into some inevitable future dreamed up by people much more techie than me, one in which the seams between the real world and the technology that supports it had all but vanished.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="19">For years, Silicon Valley has chased a vision similar to that of a William Gibson novel, where sensors and cameras are woven into the everyday lives and clothes of billions of people. Yet the tech companies that have pursued these ideas have often failed to achieve them, as people have shunned wearable computers — especially on their faces.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="20">Remember Google Glass, the smart glasses that Google co-founder Sergey Brin introduced while jumping out of an airplane? That project foundered, with bars in San Francisco at one point barring Glass-wearers — also pejoratively known as "Glassholes" — from entry. Later came Snap’s Spectacles, smart glasses that focused more on fashion and the novelty of recording 10-second video clips. That product, too, never really broke through.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="21">Now Facebook is aiming to usher in an era when people grow more comfortable sharing their lives digitally, beginning with what is in front of their faces.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="22">"We asked ourselves, how do we build a product that helps people actually be in the moment they’re in?" Andrew Bosworth, head of Facebook Reality Labs, said in an interview. "Isn’t that better than having to take out your phone and hold it in front of your face every time you want to capture a moment?"</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="23">Bosworth rejected claims that Facebook was picking up where others had left off. "This product has not been tried before because we’ve never had a design like this before," he said, adding that Facebook and Ray-Ban were focused more on the fashion of eyewear than the tech inside the frames.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="24">"Eyewear is a very specific category that changes the way you look," said Rocco Basilico, chief wearables officer at Luxottica, which owns Ray-Ban and wants to expand into the wearables market. "We started this product from the design, and we refused to compromise on that design."</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="25">Let’s be real for a second. The new glasses, which start at $299 and come in more than 20 styles, face hurdles apart from Silicon Valley’s stop-start history with smart glasses. Facebook has long been under scrutiny for how it treats people’s personal data. Using the glasses to surreptitiously film people is bound to cause concerns, not to mention what Facebook might do with the videos that people collect.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="26">I asked if Facebook’s brand baggage was why its name was not in the title of the glasses. The company said that was not the case.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="27">"Facebook is not naive to the fact that other smart glasses have failed in the past," said Jeremy Greenberg, policy counsel for the Future of Privacy Forum, a privacy nonprofit partly financed by Facebook. But, he added, "the public’s expectations of privacy have changed since the days of previous smart glasses releases."</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="28">With all of that in mind, I took the new Facebook Ray-Bans out for a spin for a few days over the past week.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="29">On close inspection, I found the frames house two cameras, two micro speakers, three microphones and a Snapdragon computer processor chip. They also come with a charging case that plugs into any computer via USB-C cable. On a full charge, the glasses can be used for roughly six hours.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="30">The spectacles require a Facebook account. They are also paired with a smartphone app, Facebook View. After recording videos — the glasses can record up to 35 30-second videos or take 500 photos — people can upload their content wirelessly to the app, where the photos are encrypted. From Facebook View, people can share the content to their social networks or messaging apps as well as save photos directly to their phone’s on-device storage outside the Facebook app.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="31">To preempt privacy concerns, a small indicator light flickers on when the glasses are recording, notifying people that they are being photographed or filmed. As you set up the Facebook View app, it also displays prompts asking users to "respect others around you" and asking whether it "feels appropriate" to take a photograph or video in the moment. The app even invites people to "do a little demo" to show others that they are being recorded.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="32">Still, users may have other hesitations, as I did. The spectacles have an audio activation feature, called Facebook Assistant, which can be turned on to take hands-free photos and videos by saying, "Hey, Facebook."</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="33">For me, that was a sticking point. What do the people around me think when they hear me utter, "Hey, Facebook, take a photo"? Can I still look cool doing that? Can anyone?</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="34">What’s more, to help Facebook improve the assistant, people are asked to allow the device to store transcripts of their voice interactions, which will later be reviewed by a mix of humans and machine-learning algorithms. I did not love that and imagine others will not be too keen, either, no matter how benign their voice interactions might be.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="35">Many of these privacy concerns are beside the point for technologists who see wearables as inexorable for society. For Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the ultimate goal is to eventually release a pair of smart glasses that fully augment reality, which puts a kind of virtual overlay onto the world in front of people.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="37">That idea is yet another step on the road to the metaverse, Zuckerberg’s term for how parts of the virtual and actual world will eventually meld together and share different parts of each other. Perhaps one day I might use a pair of Facebook AR glasses to order a digital hat for myself, which other people who are wearing AR glasses might be able to see.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="38">For a few moments on my hike Saturday, I could just make out that vision of the future that Facebook executives were so excited about.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="39">Clambering down the many trails in the Presidio presented me with dazzling views, which I was able to shoot using only my voice while still having one hand gripping my dog’s leash and the other holding my backpack. Capturing the cityscape was as easy as issuing a voice command while my phone stayed in my pocket.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="40">Even better, I just looked like a normal dude wearing sunglasses, not someone wearing a wacky face computer.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="41">One added bonus was that no one (except my dog) could hear me say, "Hey, Facebook," while I was alone on the trails. But in the city surrounded by people, I confess I might stick to tapping the side of my frames to take photos.</p>


On Saturday, after a 3-mile hike through the Presidio, I stood in a throng of tourists looking at the Golden Gate Bridge. As the crowd snapped photos of the landmark, I decided to join in.

On Saturday, after a 3-mile hike through the Presidio, I stood in a throng of tourists looking at the Golden Gate Bridge. As the crowd snapped photos of the landmark, I decided to join in. But instead of reaching into my pocket for my iPhone, I tapped the side of my Ray-Ban sunglasses until I heard the click of a shutter. Later, I downloaded the photos that my sunglasses had just taken to my phone. The process was instant, simple, unobtrusive — and it was powered by Facebook, which has teamed up with Ray-Ban. Their new line of eyewear, called Ray-Ban Stories and unveiled Thursday, can take photos, record video, answer phone calls and play music and podcasts. It all made me feel that I was being dragged into some inevitable future dreamed up by people much more techie than me, one in which the seams between the real world and the technology that supports it had all but vanished. For years, Silicon Valley has chased a vision similar to that of a William Gibson novel, where sensors and cameras are woven into the everyday lives and clothes of billions of people. Yet the tech companies that have pursued these ideas have often failed to achieve them, as people have shunned wearable computers — especially on their faces. Remember Google Glass, the smart glasses that Google co-founder Sergey Brin introduced while jumping out of an airplane? That project foundered, with bars in San Francisco at one point barring Glass-wearers — also pejoratively known as "Glassholes" — from entry. Later came Snap’s Spectacles, smart glasses that focused more on fashion and the novelty of recording 10-second video clips. That product, too, never really broke through. Now Facebook is aiming to usher in an era when people grow more comfortable sharing their lives digitally, beginning with what is in front of their faces. "We asked ourselves, how do we build a product that helps people actually be in the moment they’re in?" Andrew Bosworth, head of Facebook Reality Labs, said in an interview. "Isn’t that better than having to take out your phone and hold it in front of your face every time you want to capture a moment?" Bosworth rejected claims that Facebook was picking up where others had left off. "This product has not been tried before because we’ve never had a design like this before," he said, adding that Facebook and Ray-Ban were focused more on the fashion of eyewear than the tech inside the frames. "Eyewear is a very specific category that changes the way you look," said Rocco Basilico, chief wearables officer at Luxottica, which owns Ray-Ban and wants to expand into the wearables market. "We started this product from the design, and we refused to compromise on that design." Let’s be real for a second. The new glasses, which start at $299 and come in more than 20 styles, face hurdles apart from Silicon Valley’s stop-start history with smart glasses. Facebook has long been under scrutiny for how it treats people’s personal data. Using the glasses to surreptitiously film people is bound to cause concerns, not to mention what Facebook might do with the videos that people collect. I asked if Facebook’s brand baggage was why its name was not in the title of the glasses. The company said that was not the case. "Facebook is not naive to the fact that other smart glasses have failed in the past," said Jeremy Greenberg, policy counsel for the Future of Privacy Forum, a privacy nonprofit partly financed by Facebook. But, he added, "the public’s expectations of privacy have changed since the days of previous smart glasses releases." With all of that in mind, I took the new Facebook Ray-Bans out for a spin for a few days over the past week. On close inspection, I found the frames house two cameras, two micro speakers, three microphones and a Snapdragon computer processor chip. They also come with a charging case that plugs into any computer via USB-C cable. On a full charge, the glasses can be used for roughly six hours. The spectacles require a Facebook account. They are also paired with a smartphone app, Facebook View. After recording videos — the glasses can record up to 35 30-second videos or take 500 photos — people can upload their content wirelessly to the app, where the photos are encrypted. From Facebook View, people can share the content to their social networks or messaging apps as well as save photos directly to their phone’s on-device storage outside the Facebook app. To preempt privacy concerns, a small indicator light flickers on when the glasses are recording, notifying people that they are being photographed or filmed. As you set up the Facebook View app, it also displays prompts asking users to "respect others around you" and asking whether it "feels appropriate" to take a photograph or video in the moment. The app even invites people to "do a little demo" to show others that they are being recorded. Still, users may have other hesitations, as I did. The spectacles have an audio activation feature, called Facebook Assistant, which can be turned on to take hands-free photos and videos by saying, "Hey, Facebook." For me, that was a sticking point. What do the people around me think when they hear me utter, "Hey, Facebook, take a photo"? Can I still look cool doing that? Can anyone? What’s more, to help Facebook improve the assistant, people are asked to allow the device to store transcripts of their voice interactions, which will later be reviewed by a mix of humans and machine-learning algorithms. I did not love that and imagine others will not be too keen, either, no matter how benign their voice interactions might be. Many of these privacy concerns are beside the point for technologists who see wearables as inexorable for society. For Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the ultimate goal is to eventually release a pair of smart glasses that fully augment reality, which puts a kind of virtual overlay onto the world in front of people. That idea is yet another step on the road to the metaverse, Zuckerberg’s term for how parts of the virtual and actual world will eventually meld together and share different parts of each other. Perhaps one day I might use a pair of Facebook AR glasses to order a digital hat for myself, which other people who are wearing AR glasses might be able to see. For a few moments on my hike Saturday, I could just make out that vision of the future that Facebook executives were so excited about. Clambering down the many trails in the Presidio presented me with dazzling views, which I was able to shoot using only my voice while still having one hand gripping my dog’s leash and the other holding my backpack. Capturing the cityscape was as easy as issuing a voice command while my phone stayed in my pocket. Even better, I just looked like a normal dude wearing sunglasses, not someone wearing a wacky face computer. One added bonus was that no one (except my dog) could hear me say, "Hey, Facebook," while I was alone on the trails. But in the city surrounded by people, I confess I might stick to tapping the side of my frames to take photos.

Smart glasses made google look dumb. Now Facebook is giving them a try.

<p>Facebook&nbsp;Inc launched its first smart glasses on Thursday in a step toward its aim of offering true augmented-reality spectacles.</p>

<p>The glasses, which were created in partnership with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, allow wearers to listen to music, take calls or capture photos and short videos and share them across&nbsp;Facebook's services using a companion app.&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;said the glasses line, called "Ray-Ban Stories," would start at $299.</p>

<p>The social media giant, which reported revenue of about $86 billion in 2020, makes most of its money from advertising but has invested heavily in virtual and augmented reality, developing hardware such as its Oculus VR headsets and working on wristband technologies&nbsp;to support augmented reality glasses.</p>

<p>Facebook's chief scientist said last year the company was five to 10 years away from being able to bring to market "true" AR glasses, which would superimpose virtual objects onto the wearer's view of the real world.</p>

<p>Major tech firms including Amazon.com Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google, Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc, and Snap Inc have raced to develop various smart glasses products, but early offerings like Google Glass proved difficult to sell to consumers put off by high price points and design issues.</p>

<p>Snap, which unveiled its smart Spectacles in 2016, this year launched AR glasses but they are not for sale and are offered only to AR creators. Snap's CEO, Evan Spiegel, said in 2019 that he expected it would be a decade before consumers widely adopted AR smart glasses.</p>

<p>Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently announced the company was setting up a team to work on building the metaverse, a shared virtual environment which it is betting will be the successor to the mobile internet.</p>

<p>"We’ve believed for a long time that glasses are going to be an important part of building the next computing platform," said Zuckerberg in a video posted on his&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;page on Thursday.</p>

<p>Facebook, which has been criticized over its handling of user data, said it would not access the media used by its smart-glasses customers without their consent.</p>

<p>The company also said it would not use the content of the photos or videos captured using the glasses and stored in the&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;View app for personalizing ads, and said the glasses would be an "ads-free experience."</p>

<p>The glasses include an optional virtual assistant so photos and videos can be captured hands-free through voice commands.&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;said an LED light on the glasses would show when the camera is on, to make other people aware when a wearer is taking a photo or video.</p>

<p>It published a guide outlining how to use the glasses responsibly, for example turning them off in private spaces like public bathrooms and not using them for illegal actions like harassment or capturing sensitive information such as PIN codes.</p>


Facebook Inc launched its first smart glasses on Thursday in a step toward its aim of offering true augmented-reality spectacles. The glasses, which were created in partnership with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, allow wearers to listen to music, take calls or capture photos and short videos and share them across Facebook's services using a companion app.

Facebook Inc launched its first smart glasses on Thursday in a step toward its aim of offering true augmented-reality spectacles. The glasses, which were created in partnership with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, allow wearers to listen to music, take calls or capture photos and short videos and share them across Facebook's services using a companion app. Facebook said the glasses line, called "Ray-Ban Stories," would start at $299. The social media giant, which reported revenue of about $86 billion in 2020, makes most of its money from advertising but has invested heavily in virtual and augmented reality, developing hardware such as its Oculus VR headsets and working on wristband technologies to support augmented reality glasses. Facebook's chief scientist said last year the company was five to 10 years away from being able to bring to market "true" AR glasses, which would superimpose virtual objects onto the wearer's view of the real world. Major tech firms including Amazon.com Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google, Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc, and Snap Inc have raced to develop various smart glasses products, but early offerings like Google Glass proved difficult to sell to consumers put off by high price points and design issues. Snap, which unveiled its smart Spectacles in 2016, this year launched AR glasses but they are not for sale and are offered only to AR creators. Snap's CEO, Evan Spiegel, said in 2019 that he expected it would be a decade before consumers widely adopted AR smart glasses. Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently announced the company was setting up a team to work on building the metaverse, a shared virtual environment which it is betting will be the successor to the mobile internet. "We’ve believed for a long time that glasses are going to be an important part of building the next computing platform," said Zuckerberg in a video posted on his Facebook page on Thursday. Facebook, which has been criticized over its handling of user data, said it would not access the media used by its smart-glasses customers without their consent. The company also said it would not use the content of the photos or videos captured using the glasses and stored in the Facebook View app for personalizing ads, and said the glasses would be an "ads-free experience." The glasses include an optional virtual assistant so photos and videos can be captured hands-free through voice commands. Facebook said an LED light on the glasses would show when the camera is on, to make other people aware when a wearer is taking a photo or video. It published a guide outlining how to use the glasses responsibly, for example turning them off in private spaces like public bathrooms and not using them for illegal actions like harassment or capturing sensitive information such as PIN codes.

Facebook unveils its first-generation smart glasses

<p>The National Crime Agency (NCA) of Britain has warned that Facebook's plan to encrypt its messages can prevent detection of child abuse.</p>

<p>The social media giant's end-to-end encryption can hamper access to ''incisive technology'' according&nbsp;to NCA's director Rob Jones.</p>

<p>The warning comes as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company was working on plans to extend encryption.</p>

<p>It is bound to alarm privacy campaigners. UK's government is also trying to curb the tech titan's plans.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/facebook-misinformation-gets-six-times-more-engagement-than-factual-posts-study-411355" hreflang="en">Facebook misinformation gets six times more engagement than factual posts: Study</a></strong></p>

<p>Facebook had allowed its users to make voice and video calls within its main app on a trial basis, aiming to make it easier to place calls without opening its standalone Messenger app.</p>

<p>Under this strategy, Facebook extended the option of end-to-end encryption in which nobody else, not even the company itself can listen or see what is said or sent.</p>

<p>After facing criticism for introducing child safety updates, Apple had announced a delay in its introduction.</p>

<p>The company had promised last month to check US customer phones and computers for child sex abuse images.</p>

<p>But the move sparked a global backlash from a wide range of rights groups, with employees also criticising the plan internally.</p>

<p>As per the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the tech industry made over 21 million referrals internationally of child sexual abuse on its platforms in 2020.</p>


The National Crime Agency (NCA) of Britain has warned that Facebook's plan to encrypt its messages can prevent detection of child abuse. The social media giant's end-to-end encryption can hamper access to ''incisive technology'' according to NCA's director Rob Jones.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) of Britain has warned that Facebook's plan to encrypt its messages can prevent detection of child abuse. The social media giant's end-to-end encryption can hamper access to ''incisive technology'' according to NCA's director Rob Jones. The warning comes as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company was working on plans to extend encryption. It is bound to alarm privacy campaigners. UK's government is also trying to curb the tech titan's plans. Also read | Facebook misinformation gets six times more engagement than factual posts: Study Facebook had allowed its users to make voice and video calls within its main app on a trial basis, aiming to make it easier to place calls without opening its standalone Messenger app. Under this strategy, Facebook extended the option of end-to-end encryption in which nobody else, not even the company itself can listen or see what is said or sent. After facing criticism for introducing child safety updates, Apple had announced a delay in its introduction. The company had promised last month to check US customer phones and computers for child sex abuse images. But the move sparked a global backlash from a wide range of rights groups, with employees also criticising the plan internally. As per the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the tech industry made over 21 million referrals internationally of child sexual abuse on its platforms in 2020.

UK: National Crime Agency warns Facebook's encryption can prevent detection of child abuse

<p>Facebook has approached academics and policy experts about forming a commission to advise it on global election-related matters, said five people with knowledge of the discussions, a move that would allow the social network to shift some of its political decision-making to an advisory body.</p>

<p>The proposed commission could decide on matters such as the viability of political ads and what to do about election-related misinformation, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the discussions were confidential. Facebook is expected to announce the commission this fall in preparation for the 2022 midterm elections, they said, though the effort is preliminary and could still fall apart.</p>

<p>Outsourcing election matters to a panel of experts could help Facebook sidestep criticism of bias by political groups, two of the people said. The company has been blasted in recent years by conservatives, who have accused Facebook of suppressing their voices, as well as by civil rights groups and Democrats for allowing political misinformation to fester and spread online. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, does not want to be seen as the sole decision-maker on political content, two of the people said.</p>

<p>Facebook declined to comment.</p>

<p>If an election commission is formed, it would emulate the step Facebook took in 2018 when it created what it calls the Oversight Board, a collection of journalism, legal and policy experts who adjudicate whether the company was correct to remove certain posts from its platforms. Facebook has pushed some content decisions to the Oversight Board for review, allowing it to show that it does not make determinations on its own.</p>

<p>Facebook has had a spotty track record on election-related issues, going back to Russian manipulation of the platform’s advertising and posts in the 2016 presidential election.</p>

<p>There are several elections in the coming year in countries such as Hungary, Germany, Brazil and the Philippines where Facebook’s actions will be closely scrutinized. Voter fraud misinformation has already begun spreading ahead of German elections in September. In the Philippines, Facebook has removed networks of fake accounts that support President Rodrigo Duterte, who used the social network to gain power in 2016.</p>

<p>“There is already this perception that Facebook, an American social media company, is going in and tilting elections of other countries through its platform,” said Nathaniel Persily, a law professor at Stanford University. “Whatever decisions Facebook makes have global implications.”<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Facebook has approached academics and policy experts about forming a commission to advise it on global election-related matters, said five people with knowledge of the discussions, a move that would allow the social network to shift some of its political decision-making to an advisory body.

Facebook has approached academics and policy experts about forming a commission to advise it on global election-related matters, said five people with knowledge of the discussions, a move that would allow the social network to shift some of its political decision-making to an advisory body. The proposed commission could decide on matters such as the viability of political ads and what to do about election-related misinformation, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the discussions were confidential. Facebook is expected to announce the commission this fall in preparation for the 2022 midterm elections, they said, though the effort is preliminary and could still fall apart. Outsourcing election matters to a panel of experts could help Facebook sidestep criticism of bias by political groups, two of the people said. The company has been blasted in recent years by conservatives, who have accused Facebook of suppressing their voices, as well as by civil rights groups and Democrats for allowing political misinformation to fester and spread online. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, does not want to be seen as the sole decision-maker on political content, two of the people said. Facebook declined to comment. If an election commission is formed, it would emulate the step Facebook took in 2018 when it created what it calls the Oversight Board, a collection of journalism, legal and policy experts who adjudicate whether the company was correct to remove certain posts from its platforms. Facebook has pushed some content decisions to the Oversight Board for review, allowing it to show that it does not make determinations on its own. Facebook has had a spotty track record on election-related issues, going back to Russian manipulation of the platform’s advertising and posts in the 2016 presidential election. There are several elections in the coming year in countries such as Hungary, Germany, Brazil and the Philippines where Facebook’s actions will be closely scrutinized. Voter fraud misinformation has already begun spreading ahead of German elections in September. In the Philippines, Facebook has removed networks of fake accounts that support President Rodrigo Duterte, who used the social network to gain power in 2016. “There is already this perception that Facebook, an American social media company, is going in and tilting elections of other countries through its platform,” said Nathaniel Persily, a law professor at Stanford University. “Whatever decisions Facebook makes have global implications.”

Facebook said to consider forming an election commission

<p>Facebook sparked a fresh controversy after it&nbsp;cut off some academic researchers for "scraping" data from the platform for investigating&nbsp;the misinformation spread through political ads on the social network.</p>

<p>The California tech giant&nbsp;says the New York University researchers violated its terms of service and were involved in unauthorised data collection from its massive network.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-tech-titans-are-making-billions-during-the-pandemic-402687/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The academics, however, say the company is attempting to exert control on research that paints it in a negative light.</p>

<p>The NYU researchers with the Ad Observatory Project had for several years been looking into Facebook’s Ad Library, where searches can be done on advertisements running across Facebook’s products.</p>

<p>Facebook&nbsp;product management director Mike Clark said the accounts from the project were disabled "to stop unauthorised scraping and protect people's privacy in line with our privacy program."</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/next-great-leap-in-evolution-of-internet-why-is-facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-betting-on-metaverse-401150" hreflang="en">'Next great leap in evolution of internet': Why is Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg betting on metaverse?</a></strong></p>

<p>The access was used to “uncover systemic flaws in the Facebook Ad Library, to identify misinformation in political ads, including many sowing distrust in our election system, and to study Facebook’s apparent amplification of partisan misinformation,” said Laura Edelson, the lead researcher behind NYU Cybersecurity for Democracy.</p>

<p>The NYU project had been at loggerheads for months with&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;over the program, which used a browser tool to collect data on ads spreading political hoaxes, violence, and COVID-19 misinformation.</p>

<p>"Research cannot be the justification for compromising people's privacy," Clark said in a blog post, arguing that the researchers were collecting user names, ads, and links to user profiles even for people who did not install the browser tool or consent to the collection.</p>

<p>But the&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;move prompted an angry response from researchers and free-speech activists who argued the social network is blocking independent access to its internal tools.</p>

<p>"By suspending our accounts,&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;has tried to shut down all this work.&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;has also effectively cut off access to more than two dozen other researchers and journalists who get access to&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;data through our project, including our work measuring vaccine misinformation," Edelson added.</p>

<p>Facebook says it makes information on political ads available through its Ad Library and provides “privacy-protected data sets” to researchers through other means.</p>

<p>The row marked the latest clash for&nbsp;Facebook, which has sought to clamp down on third parties with access to private user data while at the same seeking to enable outside researchers to study its inner workings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facebook&nbsp;claims it took the action in compliance with a 2019 settlement with US regulators on user privacy in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal in which data was scraped for political ad targeting.</p>

<p>But critics said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;needs more transparency.</p>

<p>"We can't allow&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;to decide what the public gets to know about&nbsp;Facebook. Independent research that respects user privacy is absolutely crucial right now," said Alex Abdo of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.</p>

<p>"It's essential to figuring out how disinformation spreads on the platform, how advertisers exploit&nbsp;Facebook's micro-targeting tools, and how&nbsp;Facebook's system of amplification may be pushing us further apart."</p>

<p>Matt Bailey of the writers' free expression group PEN America said the action "is part of a larger pattern of&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;seeking to undercut or silence anyone analyzing the platforms' practices from the outside.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Facebook sparked a fresh controversy after it cut off some academic researchers for "scraping" data from the platform for investigating the misinformation spread through political ads on the social network.

Facebook sparked a fresh controversy after it cut off some academic researchers for "scraping" data from the platform for investigating the misinformation spread through political ads on the social network. The California tech giant says the New York University researchers violated its terms of service and were involved in unauthorised data collection from its massive network. The academics, however, say the company is attempting to exert control on research that paints it in a negative light. The NYU researchers with the Ad Observatory Project had for several years been looking into Facebook’s Ad Library, where searches can be done on advertisements running across Facebook’s products. Facebook product management director Mike Clark said the accounts from the project were disabled "to stop unauthorised scraping and protect people's privacy in line with our privacy program." Also read| 'Next great leap in evolution of internet': Why is Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg betting on metaverse? The access was used to “uncover systemic flaws in the Facebook Ad Library, to identify misinformation in political ads, including many sowing distrust in our election system, and to study Facebook’s apparent amplification of partisan misinformation,” said Laura Edelson, the lead researcher behind NYU Cybersecurity for Democracy. The NYU project had been at loggerheads for months with Facebook over the program, which used a browser tool to collect data on ads spreading political hoaxes, violence, and COVID-19 misinformation. "Research cannot be the justification for compromising people's privacy," Clark said in a blog post, arguing that the researchers were collecting user names, ads, and links to user profiles even for people who did not install the browser tool or consent to the collection. But the Facebook move prompted an angry response from researchers and free-speech activists who argued the social network is blocking independent access to its internal tools. "By suspending our accounts, Facebook has tried to shut down all this work. Facebook has also effectively cut off access to more than two dozen other researchers and journalists who get access to Facebook data through our project, including our work measuring vaccine misinformation," Edelson added. Facebook says it makes information on political ads available through its Ad Library and provides “privacy-protected data sets” to researchers through other means. The row marked the latest clash for Facebook, which has sought to clamp down on third parties with access to private user data while at the same seeking to enable outside researchers to study its inner workings. Facebook claims it took the action in compliance with a 2019 settlement with US regulators on user privacy in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal in which data was scraped for political ad targeting. But critics said Facebook needs more transparency. "We can't allow Facebook to decide what the public gets to know about Facebook. Independent research that respects user privacy is absolutely crucial right now," said Alex Abdo of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. "It's essential to figuring out how disinformation spreads on the platform, how advertisers exploit Facebook's micro-targeting tools, and how Facebook's system of amplification may be pushing us further apart." Matt Bailey of the writers' free expression group PEN America said the action "is part of a larger pattern of Facebook seeking to undercut or silence anyone analyzing the platforms' practices from the outside. (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook sparks fresh controversy by cutting off research on political ads

<p>Imagine a world where you could sit on the same couch as a friend who lives thousands of miles away, or conjure up a virtual version of your workplace while at the beach.</p>

<p>Welcome to the&nbsp;metaverse: a vision of the future that sounds fantastical, but which tech titans like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg are betting on as the next great leap in the evolution of the internet.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-joe-biden-lashes-out-at-facebook-over-vaccine-misinformation-399119/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The&nbsp;metaverse&nbsp;is, in fact, the stuff of science-fiction: the term was coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel "Snow Crash", in which people don virtual reality headsets to interact inside a game-like digital world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The book has long enjoyed cult status among Silicon Valley entrepreneurs,&nbsp;but in recent months the&nbsp;metaverse&nbsp;has become one of the tech sector's hottest buzzwords, with companies pouring millions of dollars into its development.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facebook fuelled the excitement further Monday by announcing the creation of a new team to work on Zuckerberg's vision of the&nbsp;metaverse.</p>

<p>Facebook, the world's largest social network, has invested heavily in virtual reality and augmented reality, developing hardware such as its Oculus VR headsets and working on AR glasses and wristband technologies.</p>

<p>It has also bought a bevy of VR gaming studios, including BigBox VR. It has about 10,000 employees working on virtual reality, The Information reported in March.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg has said he thinks it makes sense to invest deeply to shape what he bets will be the next big computing platform.</p>

<p>"I believe the&nbsp;metaverse&nbsp;will be the successor to the mobile internet, and creating this product group is the next step in our journey to help build it," he said on his Monday Facebook post.</p>

<p>He told The Verge: "If we do this well, I think over the next five years or so ... we will effectively transition from people seeing us as primarily being a social media company to being a&nbsp;metaverse&nbsp;company."</p>

<p>As with many tech buzzwords, the definition of the&nbsp;metaverse&nbsp;depends on whom you ask. But broadly, it involves blending the physical world with the digital one.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the help of augmented reality glasses, it might allow you to see information whizz before your eyes as you walk around a city, from traffic and pollution updates to local history.</p>

<p>But&nbsp;metaverse&nbsp;enthusiasts are dreaming of a future in which the idea could be extended much further, allowing us to be transported to digital settings that feel real, such as a nightclub or a mountaintop.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As workers have grown weary of video conferences during the pandemic, Zuckerberg is particularly excited about the idea that co-workers could be brought together in a virtual room that feels like they are face-to-face.</p>

<p>Games in which players enter immersive digital worlds offer a glimpse into what the&nbsp;metaverse&nbsp;could eventually look like, blurring virtual entertainment with the real-world economy.</p>

<p>As far back as the early 2000s, the game Second Life allowed people to create digital avatars that could interact and shop with real money.&nbsp;</p>

<p>More recently, plots of land in Decentraland -- a virtual world where visitors can watch concerts, visit art galleries, and gamble in casinos -- have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars in MANA, a cryptocurrency.</p>

<p>The hugely popular video game Fortnite has also expanded into other forms of entertainment, with 12.3 million people logging in to watch rapper Travis Scott perform last year. Fortnite's owners Epic Games said in April that $1 billion of funding raised recently would be used to support its "vision for the&nbsp;metaverse".&nbsp;</p>

<p>And on Roblox, a gaming platform popular with children, a digital version of a Gucci bag sold in May for more than $4,100,&nbsp;more than the physical version would have cost.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Imagine a world where you could sit on the same couch as a friend who lives thousands of miles away, or conjure up a virtual version of your workplace while at the beach.

Imagine a world where you could sit on the same couch as a friend who lives thousands of miles away, or conjure up a virtual version of your workplace while at the beach. Welcome to the metaverse: a vision of the future that sounds fantastical, but which tech titans like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg are betting on as the next great leap in the evolution of the internet. The metaverse is, in fact, the stuff of science-fiction: the term was coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel "Snow Crash", in which people don virtual reality headsets to interact inside a game-like digital world. The book has long enjoyed cult status among Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, but in recent months the metaverse has become one of the tech sector's hottest buzzwords, with companies pouring millions of dollars into its development. Facebook fuelled the excitement further Monday by announcing the creation of a new team to work on Zuckerberg's vision of the metaverse. Facebook, the world's largest social network, has invested heavily in virtual reality and augmented reality, developing hardware such as its Oculus VR headsets and working on AR glasses and wristband technologies. It has also bought a bevy of VR gaming studios, including BigBox VR. It has about 10,000 employees working on virtual reality, The Information reported in March. Zuckerberg has said he thinks it makes sense to invest deeply to shape what he bets will be the next big computing platform. "I believe the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet, and creating this product group is the next step in our journey to help build it," he said on his Monday Facebook post. He told The Verge: "If we do this well, I think over the next five years or so ... we will effectively transition from people seeing us as primarily being a social media company to being a metaverse company." As with many tech buzzwords, the definition of the metaverse depends on whom you ask. But broadly, it involves blending the physical world with the digital one. With the help of augmented reality glasses, it might allow you to see information whizz before your eyes as you walk around a city, from traffic and pollution updates to local history. But metaverse enthusiasts are dreaming of a future in which the idea could be extended much further, allowing us to be transported to digital settings that feel real, such as a nightclub or a mountaintop. As workers have grown weary of video conferences during the pandemic, Zuckerberg is particularly excited about the idea that co-workers could be brought together in a virtual room that feels like they are face-to-face. Games in which players enter immersive digital worlds offer a glimpse into what the metaverse could eventually look like, blurring virtual entertainment with the real-world economy. As far back as the early 2000s, the game Second Life allowed people to create digital avatars that could interact and shop with real money. More recently, plots of land in Decentraland -- a virtual world where visitors can watch concerts, visit art galleries, and gamble in casinos -- have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars in MANA, a cryptocurrency. The hugely popular video game Fortnite has also expanded into other forms of entertainment, with 12.3 million people logging in to watch rapper Travis Scott perform last year. Fortnite's owners Epic Games said in April that $1 billion of funding raised recently would be used to support its "vision for the metaverse". And on Roblox, a gaming platform popular with children, a digital version of a Gucci bag sold in May for more than $4,100, more than the physical version would have cost. (With inputs from agencies)

'Next great leap in evolution of internet': Why is Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg betting on metaverse?

<p>Social media giant Facebook will pay&nbsp;the creators of popular posts, from fashionistas to comedians and video gamers, $1 billion&nbsp;through 2022.</p>

<p>It is the strongest signal yet that Facebook now recognises the strategic importance of the "creator economy".&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-joe-biden-lashes-out-at-facebook-over-vaccine-misinformation-399119/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat have waged an increasingly fierce battle to attract figures with big followings that can in turn attract serious advertising revenues.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last November, photo and video app Snapchat began paying $1 million a day to top creators, although the payments have since tapered off. Popular YouTubers have been receiving a slice of the site's billions in ad revenues since 2007.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facebook has been comparatively slow on the uptake. While the site began paying popular video-makers in 2017, most vloggers have found YouTube to be far more lucrative.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facebook-owned Instagram has meanwhile launched the careers of many a food blogger and fashion influencer, but the app only began sharing its advertising income directly with them last year.</p>

<p>Traditionally, the bulk of Insta-celebrities' earnings has come through product endorsement deals negotiated directly with brands.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Late to the influencer party</strong></p>

<p>Joe Gagliese, co-founder of international influencer agency Viral Nation, said it was not surprising that Facebook's efforts had lagged behind competitors'.</p>

<p>Founded in 2004, Facebook had already built a hugely lucrative advertising business by the time the phenomenon of full-time internet celebrities emerged at the end of the decade. Courting influencers wasn't crucial to its "primary business", Gagliese said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But as creators have headed elsewhere, their predominantly young followings have followed, contributing to a sense that Facebook, in the eyes of Gen Z, has become an irredeemably uncool website where their parents hang out.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facebook's user base is indeed ageing. The proportion of over-65s has shot up roughly a quarter over the past year, almost double the average, according to the Digital 2021 report from media companies We Are Social and Hootsuite.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the meantime, Chinese-owned TikTok was the world's most downloaded app in the first half of 2021.</p>

<p>It has largely replaced Facebook as the driver of international social media crazes,&nbsp;not least during the pandemic, as bored millions have turned to its dance videos and cooking trends for light relief.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this context, Facebook's $1 billion gambit is being seen partly as an attempt to regain cultural relevance and stem the youth exodus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The only way for these platforms to keep their relevance with younger generations is to understand what resonates with them and keep up with the pace of innovation," said Claudia Cameron, head of marketing and insights at Amsterdam-based influencer agency IMA.</p>

<p>"Creators are a very important part of this equation, as they set the tone for what's cool."</p>

<p><strong>A drop in the ocean?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>While young users from Iran to Brazil have been flocking elsewhere, industry insiders say it is far too early to regard Facebook as doomed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"You can't underestimate them, because they are so powerful when it comes to the tech," said Gagliese.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facebook's vast income,&nbsp;it raked in $84.2 billion in advertising revenues last year, more than the GDP of some countries,&nbsp;gives it huge funds with which to innovate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is also, despite its relative loss of street cred, still growing, with 2.8 billion monthly users worldwide.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gagliese suggested Facebook should be spending far more on its efforts to lure internet stars from other platforms.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Unless Facebook leans in really hard,&nbsp;I'm talking, 'way more than a billion dollars' hard,&nbsp;it's going to be very hard for them to attract all these new creators," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facebook has yet to outline detailed plans for the $1 billion, but Cameron pointed out that a large chunk will likely be distributed via Instagram, which still enjoys a "cool" factor.</p>

<p>That would be good news for TikTok comedian Mwas, who also has a sizeable following there.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I'm taking a wait-and-see approach," he said.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Social media giant Facebook will pay the creators of popular posts, from fashionistas to comedians and video gamers, $1 billion through 2022. It is the strongest signal yet that Facebook now recognises the strategic importance of the "creator economy".

Social media giant Facebook will pay the creators of popular posts, from fashionistas to comedians and video gamers, $1 billion through 2022. It is the strongest signal yet that Facebook now recognises the strategic importance of the "creator economy". YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat have waged an increasingly fierce battle to attract figures with big followings that can in turn attract serious advertising revenues. Last November, photo and video app Snapchat began paying $1 million a day to top creators, although the payments have since tapered off. Popular YouTubers have been receiving a slice of the site's billions in ad revenues since 2007. Facebook has been comparatively slow on the uptake. While the site began paying popular video-makers in 2017, most vloggers have found YouTube to be far more lucrative. Facebook-owned Instagram has meanwhile launched the careers of many a food blogger and fashion influencer, but the app only began sharing its advertising income directly with them last year. Traditionally, the bulk of Insta-celebrities' earnings has come through product endorsement deals negotiated directly with brands. Late to the influencer party Joe Gagliese, co-founder of international influencer agency Viral Nation, said it was not surprising that Facebook's efforts had lagged behind competitors'. Founded in 2004, Facebook had already built a hugely lucrative advertising business by the time the phenomenon of full-time internet celebrities emerged at the end of the decade. Courting influencers wasn't crucial to its "primary business", Gagliese said. But as creators have headed elsewhere, their predominantly young followings have followed, contributing to a sense that Facebook, in the eyes of Gen Z, has become an irredeemably uncool website where their parents hang out. Facebook's user base is indeed ageing. The proportion of over-65s has shot up roughly a quarter over the past year, almost double the average, according to the Digital 2021 report from media companies We Are Social and Hootsuite. In the meantime, Chinese-owned TikTok was the world's most downloaded app in the first half of 2021. It has largely replaced Facebook as the driver of international social media crazes, not least during the pandemic, as bored millions have turned to its dance videos and cooking trends for light relief. In this context, Facebook's $1 billion gambit is being seen partly as an attempt to regain cultural relevance and stem the youth exodus. "The only way for these platforms to keep their relevance with younger generations is to understand what resonates with them and keep up with the pace of innovation," said Claudia Cameron, head of marketing and insights at Amsterdam-based influencer agency IMA. "Creators are a very important part of this equation, as they set the tone for what's cool." A drop in the ocean? While young users from Iran to Brazil have been flocking elsewhere, industry insiders say it is far too early to regard Facebook as doomed. "You can't underestimate them, because they are so powerful when it comes to the tech," said Gagliese. Facebook's vast income, it raked in $84.2 billion in advertising revenues last year, more than the GDP of some countries, gives it huge funds with which to innovate. It is also, despite its relative loss of street cred, still growing, with 2.8 billion monthly users worldwide. Gagliese suggested Facebook should be spending far more on its efforts to lure internet stars from other platforms. "Unless Facebook leans in really hard, I'm talking, 'way more than a billion dollars' hard, it's going to be very hard for them to attract all these new creators," he said. Facebook has yet to outline detailed plans for the $1 billion, but Cameron pointed out that a large chunk will likely be distributed via Instagram, which still enjoys a "cool" factor. That would be good news for TikTok comedian Mwas, who also has a sizeable following there. "I'm taking a wait-and-see approach," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

What is Facebook's $1 billion gamble to regain lost users?

<p>Former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> has reportedly decided to sue the CEOs of social media giants Facebook, Twitter and Google.</p>

<p>Trump has decided to launch a class-action lawsuit against Facebook CEO&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg, Google chief Sundar Pichai&nbsp;and Twitter CEO&nbsp;Jack Dorsey after the social media platforms banned the former president, Axios reported on Wednesday.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-drank-bleach-to-cure-covid-claims-man-behind-magic-cure-393147" hreflang="en">'Donald Trump drank bleach to cure Covid', claims man behind 'magic cure'</a></strong></p>

<p>A little after the report, Trump announced his plans to sue the three CEOs. "Today, in conjunction with the America First Policy Institute, I'm filing as the lead class representative, a major class-action lawsuit against the big tech giants including Facebook, Google and Twitter as well as their CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg Sundar Pichai and Jack Dorsey -- three real nice guys," he said in a press conference&nbsp;at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.</p>

<p>Trump explained that he has decided to sue the three CEOs as their social media platforms have become "enforcers of illegal, unconstitutional censorship".</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-told-chief-of-staff-hitler-did-good-things-book-396485" hreflang="en">Trump told Chief of Staff, 'Hitler did good things': Book</a></strong></p>

<p>The former reality TV star was banned from various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and a few others. The decision was taken as a response to Donald Trump’s posts on social media platforms on January 06 when the Capitol riot took place.Facebook and Twitter were one of the first ones to suspend and ban Trump’s account as the officials believed that Trump was responsible for motivating his supporters to attack the Capitol building on January 06.</p>

<p>Since his ban from social media, the infamous President has tried launching his own blog, which was shut down within a month. After that, his aide has launched a social media app, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/donald-trumps-team-launches-twitter-like-social-media-platform-gettr-395473">GETTR</a>, which resembles Twitter.</p>


Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly decided to sue the CEOs of social media giants Facebook, Twitter and Google. Trump has decided to launch a class-action lawsuit against Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google chief Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey after the social media platforms banned the former president, Axios reported on Wednesday.

Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly decided to sue the CEOs of social media giants Facebook, Twitter and Google. Trump has decided to launch a class-action lawsuit against Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google chief Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey after the social media platforms banned the former president, Axios reported on Wednesday. Also read | 'Donald Trump drank bleach to cure Covid', claims man behind 'magic cure' A little after the report, Trump announced his plans to sue the three CEOs. "Today, in conjunction with the America First Policy Institute, I'm filing as the lead class representative, a major class-action lawsuit against the big tech giants including Facebook, Google and Twitter as well as their CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg Sundar Pichai and Jack Dorsey -- three real nice guys," he said in a press conference at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Trump explained that he has decided to sue the three CEOs as their social media platforms have become "enforcers of illegal, unconstitutional censorship". Also read | Trump told Chief of Staff, 'Hitler did good things': Book The former reality TV star was banned from various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and a few others. The decision was taken as a response to Donald Trump’s posts on social media platforms on January 06 when the Capitol riot took place.Facebook and Twitter were one of the first ones to suspend and ban Trump’s account as the officials believed that Trump was responsible for motivating his supporters to attack the Capitol building on January 06. Since his ban from social media, the infamous President has tried launching his own blog, which was shut down within a month. After that, his aide has launched a social media app, GETTR, which resembles Twitter.

'Three real nice guys': Donald Trump to sue Facebook, Google and Twitter CEO

<p>Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on July 4 posted a video of himself waving American-flag waving while surfboard-riding. The video has created a stir on the internet. In the video, Zuckerberg can be seen gliding through the water while holding the US flag.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The video gives a perfect Independence day vibe as in the background, one can hear John Denver's anthem to West Virginia, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" playing. The Facebook CEO appears to be riding an electric surfboard on an idyllic-looking lake.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Since uploaded, the video has gone viral with people sharing it all across social media. "This is some meme materials", wrote an Instagram user in the comment section. Another person wrote, "Here is Mark Zuckerberg proving he’s not just richer than you, he’s more patriotic".&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Zuckerberg " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7f5285a7-83f4-4979-8ee3-6b0c8113add8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Screenshot%202021-07-06%20at%2010.31.25%20AM.png" /></p>

<p>Fouth of July&nbsp;is an American holiday celebrating independence.&nbsp;While July 4th was made a federal holiday only in 1941, the tradition actually goes back to 1776.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explainer-why-fourth-of-july-is-a-big-thing-in-usa-395755"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Explainer: Why Fourth of July is a big thing in USA</strong></a></p>

<p>On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress assembled and decided that the thirteen (13) American colonies are no longer subordinate to the Colonial British rulers and the then British Monarch, King George III.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So, they voted in favour of independence and on 4th July 1776, delegates from the thirteen colonies came together to sign the historic 'Declaration of Independence'.</p>

<p>Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, this document was the first step towards the formation of the country we know today as the United States of America.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Made popular by&nbsp; Abraham Lincoln who used these words in his Gettysburg Address of 1863, these words from the declaration have come to represent the ethos of human rights.</p>


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on July 4 posted a video of himself waving American-flag waving while surfboard-riding. The video has created a stir on the internet.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on July 4 posted a video of himself waving American-flag waving while surfboard-riding. The video has created a stir on the internet. In the video, Zuckerberg can be seen gliding through the water while holding the US flag. The video gives a perfect Independence day vibe as in the background, one can hear John Denver's anthem to West Virginia, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" playing. The Facebook CEO appears to be riding an electric surfboard on an idyllic-looking lake. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck) × Since uploaded, the video has gone viral with people sharing it all across social media. "This is some meme materials", wrote an Instagram user in the comment section. Another person wrote, "Here is Mark Zuckerberg proving he’s not just richer than you, he’s more patriotic". Fouth of July is an American holiday celebrating independence. While July 4th was made a federal holiday only in 1941, the tradition actually goes back to 1776. Also read | Explainer: Why Fourth of July is a big thing in USA On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress assembled and decided that the thirteen (13) American colonies are no longer subordinate to the Colonial British rulers and the then British Monarch, King George III. So, they voted in favour of independence and on 4th July 1776, delegates from the thirteen colonies came together to sign the historic 'Declaration of Independence'. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, this document was the first step towards the formation of the country we know today as the United States of America. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Made popular by Abraham Lincoln who used these words in his Gettysburg Address of 1863, these words from the declaration have come to represent the ethos of human rights.

Mark Zuckerberg's surfing video holding US flag creates stir on the internet

<p>Social media giant Facebook has introduced an option of getting alerts or warnings and a support system to combat extremism on its platform.</p>

<p>It comes as the social networking platform is facing&nbsp;pressure from lawmakers and civil rights groups to fight extremism on its platforms.</p>

<p>Screenshots shared on Twitter showed a notice asking "Are you concerned that someone you know is becoming an extremist?" and another that alerted users "you may have been exposed to harmful extremist content recently." Both included links to "get support."</p>

<p>Facebook&nbsp;said the small test, which is only on its main platform, was running in the United States as a pilot for a global approach to prevent radicalisation on the site.</p>

<p>"This test is part of our larger work to assess ways to provide resources and support to people on&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;who may have engaged with or were exposed to extremist content, or may know someone who is at risk," said a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;spokesperson in an emailed statement. "We are partnering with NGOs and academic experts in this space and hope to have more to share in the future."</p>

<p>It said the efforts were part of its commitment to the Christchurch Call to Action, a campaign involving major tech platforms to counter violent extremist content online that was launched following a 2019 attack in New Zealand that was live-streamed on&nbsp;Facebook.</p>

<p>Facebook&nbsp;said in the test it was identifying both users who may have been exposed to rule-breaking extremist content and users who had previously been the subject of&nbsp;Facebook's enforcement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The company, which has tightened its rules against violent and hate groups in recent years, said it does remove some content and accounts that violate its rules pro-actively before the material is seen by users, but that other content may be viewed before it is enforced against.</p>

<p>The social media site was criticised in its involvement in&nbsp;the January&nbsp;6 Capitol riot when groups supporting former President Donald Trump tried to stop the US&nbsp;Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in the November election.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Social media giant Facebook has introduced an option of getting alerts or warnings and a support system to combat extremism on its platform. It comes as the social networking platform is facing pressure from lawmakers and civil rights groups to fight extremism on its platforms.

Social media giant Facebook has introduced an option of getting alerts or warnings and a support system to combat extremism on its platform. It comes as the social networking platform is facing pressure from lawmakers and civil rights groups to fight extremism on its platforms. Screenshots shared on Twitter showed a notice asking "Are you concerned that someone you know is becoming an extremist?" and another that alerted users "you may have been exposed to harmful extremist content recently." Both included links to "get support." Facebook said the small test, which is only on its main platform, was running in the United States as a pilot for a global approach to prevent radicalisation on the site. "This test is part of our larger work to assess ways to provide resources and support to people on Facebook who may have engaged with or were exposed to extremist content, or may know someone who is at risk," said a Facebook spokesperson in an emailed statement. "We are partnering with NGOs and academic experts in this space and hope to have more to share in the future." It said the efforts were part of its commitment to the Christchurch Call to Action, a campaign involving major tech platforms to counter violent extremist content online that was launched following a 2019 attack in New Zealand that was live-streamed on Facebook. Facebook said in the test it was identifying both users who may have been exposed to rule-breaking extremist content and users who had previously been the subject of Facebook's enforcement. The company, which has tightened its rules against violent and hate groups in recent years, said it does remove some content and accounts that violate its rules pro-actively before the material is seen by users, but that other content may be viewed before it is enforced against. The social media site was criticised in its involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot when groups supporting former President Donald Trump tried to stop the US Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in the November election. (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook introduces alerts, support option to combat extremism on its platform

<p>Australia's competition watchdog is looking into a claim that Facebook Inc refused a publisher's request to negotiate a licensing deal, the regulator told Reuters, setting the stage for the first test of the world's toughest online content law.</p>

<p>The Conversation, which publishes current affairs commentary by academics, said it asked Facebook to begin talks as required under new&nbsp;Australian legislation that requires the social media firm and Alphabet Inc's Google to negotiate content-supply deals with media outlets.</p>

<p>Facebook declined without giving a reason, The Conversation said, even though the publisher was among the first in&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;to secure a similar deal with Google in the lead-up to the law in 2020.</p>

<p>The knockback could present the first test of a controversial mechanism unique to&nbsp;Australia's effort to claw back advertising dollars from Google and Facebook: if they refuse to negotiate licence fees with publishers, a government-appointed arbitrator may step in.</p>

<p>In a statement responding to Reuters questions, Facebook's head of news partnerships for&nbsp;Australia, Andrew Hunter, said the company was "focused on concluding commercial deals with a range of&nbsp;Australian publishers".</p>

<p>Hunter did not answer specific questions concerning The Conversation, but said Facebook was planning a separate initiative "to support regional, rural and digital&nbsp;Australian newsrooms and public-interest journalism in the coming months", without giving details.</p>

<p>"If Google's done a deal with them, I can't see how Facebook should argue that they shouldn't," Rod Sims, the chair of the&nbsp;Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), said in an interview.</p>

<p>"The question of designation might need to come into play," he noted, using the term for assigning an arbitrator.</p>

<p>Under the law, the decision to designate a Big Tech firm for intervention was made by the treasurer, which is advised by the ACCC, noted Sims, but "an absolute 'no' for an organisation that should be getting a deal is something we'll look into."</p>

<p>The Conversation was "exactly what we had in mind with the Code", he said, although the situation had some way to play out before any further action would be taken.</p>

<p>Governments around the world are introducing laws to make the tech giants compensate media companies for the links that drive readers - and advertising revenue - to their platforms. But&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;is the only country where the government may set the fees if negotiations fail, a factor that drove Facebook to block newsfeeds in the country just before it was passed.</p>

<p>Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who earlier this year negotiated with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg over the laws, was not immediately available for comment.</p>

<p><strong>"SCRATCHING OUR HEADS"</strong></p>

<p>Since the law took effect, a handful of the country's biggest media players, from News Corp to the&nbsp;Australian Broadcasting Corp, have struck deals with the tech giants.</p>

<p>But some small and independent publishers whose content helps draw four-fifths of&nbsp;Australia's 25 million population to the Facebook site said the law had created a two-tier industry where rival titles that were owned by large parent companies secured deals while others missed out.</p>

<p>Nelson Yap, publisher of&nbsp;Australian Property Journal, which is on a government register of media businesses covered by the law, said he was in early discussions with Google but had emailed Facebook twice with no response.</p>

<p>He said he read Facebook's public statements about talking to publishers and "I'm sitting here going, with whom? Not with us. Despite reaching out, we haven't heard anything. We're all scratching our heads, trying to work out what to do next."</p>

<p>A Facebook spokesperson did not answer a question about any contacts with the Property Journal. Country Press&nbsp;Australia, a regional newspaper industry group, said it was holding constructive talks with Facebook on behalf about 140 publishers.</p>

<p>The Conversation editor Misha Ketchell said that "obviously we are disappointed that we haven't been able to engage in negotiations with Facebook so far, but we remain optimistic that we will be able to reach an agreement".</p>

<p>The ACCC's Sims said the deal pipeline had "gone quieter than I would have envisaged" but urged smaller publishers to be patient.</p>

<p>"On the one hand I'm concerned that people aren't getting a response to the emails, on the other hand I have seen it before and then things change and deals get done," he said.</p>


Australia's competition watchdog is looking into a claim that Facebook Inc refused a publisher's request to negotiate a licensing deal, the regulator told Reuters, setting the stage for the first test of the world's toughest online content law.

Australia's competition watchdog is looking into a claim that Facebook Inc refused a publisher's request to negotiate a licensing deal, the regulator told Reuters, setting the stage for the first test of the world's toughest online content law. The Conversation, which publishes current affairs commentary by academics, said it asked Facebook to begin talks as required under new Australian legislation that requires the social media firm and Alphabet Inc's Google to negotiate content-supply deals with media outlets. Facebook declined without giving a reason, The Conversation said, even though the publisher was among the first in Australia to secure a similar deal with Google in the lead-up to the law in 2020. The knockback could present the first test of a controversial mechanism unique to Australia's effort to claw back advertising dollars from Google and Facebook: if they refuse to negotiate licence fees with publishers, a government-appointed arbitrator may step in. In a statement responding to Reuters questions, Facebook's head of news partnerships for Australia, Andrew Hunter, said the company was "focused on concluding commercial deals with a range of Australian publishers". Hunter did not answer specific questions concerning The Conversation, but said Facebook was planning a separate initiative "to support regional, rural and digital Australian newsrooms and public-interest journalism in the coming months", without giving details. "If Google's done a deal with them, I can't see how Facebook should argue that they shouldn't," Rod Sims, the chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), said in an interview. "The question of designation might need to come into play," he noted, using the term for assigning an arbitrator. Under the law, the decision to designate a Big Tech firm for intervention was made by the treasurer, which is advised by the ACCC, noted Sims, but "an absolute 'no' for an organisation that should be getting a deal is something we'll look into." The Conversation was "exactly what we had in mind with the Code", he said, although the situation had some way to play out before any further action would be taken. Governments around the world are introducing laws to make the tech giants compensate media companies for the links that drive readers - and advertising revenue - to their platforms. But Australia is the only country where the government may set the fees if negotiations fail, a factor that drove Facebook to block newsfeeds in the country just before it was passed. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who earlier this year negotiated with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg over the laws, was not immediately available for comment. "SCRATCHING OUR HEADS" Since the law took effect, a handful of the country's biggest media players, from News Corp to the Australian Broadcasting Corp, have struck deals with the tech giants. But some small and independent publishers whose content helps draw four-fifths of Australia's 25 million population to the Facebook site said the law had created a two-tier industry where rival titles that were owned by large parent companies secured deals while others missed out. Nelson Yap, publisher of Australian Property Journal, which is on a government register of media businesses covered by the law, said he was in early discussions with Google but had emailed Facebook twice with no response. He said he read Facebook's public statements about talking to publishers and "I'm sitting here going, with whom? Not with us. Despite reaching out, we haven't heard anything. We're all scratching our heads, trying to work out what to do next." A Facebook spokesperson did not answer a question about any contacts with the Property Journal. Country Press Australia, a regional newspaper industry group, said it was holding constructive talks with Facebook on behalf about 140 publishers. The Conversation editor Misha Ketchell said that "obviously we are disappointed that we haven't been able to engage in negotiations with Facebook so far, but we remain optimistic that we will be able to reach an agreement". The ACCC's Sims said the deal pipeline had "gone quieter than I would have envisaged" but urged smaller publishers to be patient. "On the one hand I'm concerned that people aren't getting a response to the emails, on the other hand I have seen it before and then things change and deals get done," he said.

Facebook rejects talks with Australia publisher in test for online law

<p>Musician Roger Waters of Pink Floyd is not impressed by Facebook CEO&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg as he slammed the latter at a forum in support of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Roger read out a letter from Mark Zuckerberg which he recently received by email. He read: "It's a request for the rights to use my song, 'Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2' in the making of a film to promote Instagram. So it's a missive from Mark Zuckerberg to me - arrived this morning, with an offer of a huge, huge amount of money, and the answer is - f**k you! No f***ing way!"</p>

<p>Watch him speak here:</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Roger Waters thoughts on Mark Zuckerberg buying his music. <a href="https://t.co/qAB3enscH7">pic.twitter.com/qAB3enscH7</a></p>
— RealEyes1776 (@RE_1776) <a href="https://twitter.com/RE_1776/status/1403810464035913730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The rock legend emphasised that he was reading the letter to show to the world how Facebook wants to “take over absolutely everything” and said that he would not “be a party&nbsp;to the bullshit”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The song in question is Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ which was written by Roger Waters. It was first released in 1979 on Pink Floyd's rock opera ‘The Wall’. Apart from being a protest song against abusive schooling, the piece is often regarded as a countercultural manifesto against the depersonalization of an individual in society.</p>

<p>The legend of rock music also called the founder and CEO of Facebook Zuckerberg "one of the most powerful idiots in the world." He added, "You think, 'How did this little prick, who started off by saying, 'She is pretty, we'll give her a 4 out of 5,' 'She's ugly, we'll give her a 1,' how the f**k did he get any power in anything?" Waters wondered. "And yet here he is, one of the most powerful idiots in the world."<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Musician Roger Waters of Pink Floyd is not impressed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as he slammed the latter at a forum in support of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Musician Roger Waters of Pink Floyd is not impressed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as he slammed the latter at a forum in support of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Roger read out a letter from Mark Zuckerberg which he recently received by email. He read: "It's a request for the rights to use my song, 'Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2' in the making of a film to promote Instagram. So it's a missive from Mark Zuckerberg to me - arrived this morning, with an offer of a huge, huge amount of money, and the answer is - f**k you! No f***ing way!" Watch him speak here: Roger Waters thoughts on Mark Zuckerberg buying his music. pic.twitter.com/qAB3enscH7 — RealEyes1776 (@RE_1776) June 12, 2021 × The rock legend emphasised that he was reading the letter to show to the world how Facebook wants to “take over absolutely everything” and said that he would not “be a party to the bullshit”. The song in question is Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ which was written by Roger Waters. It was first released in 1979 on Pink Floyd's rock opera ‘The Wall’. Apart from being a protest song against abusive schooling, the piece is often regarded as a countercultural manifesto against the depersonalization of an individual in society. The legend of rock music also called the founder and CEO of Facebook Zuckerberg "one of the most powerful idiots in the world." He added, "You think, 'How did this little prick, who started off by saying, 'She is pretty, we'll give her a 4 out of 5,' 'She's ugly, we'll give her a 1,' how the f**k did he get any power in anything?" Waters wondered. "And yet here he is, one of the most powerful idiots in the world."

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters will not let Facebook CEO 'idiot' Mark Zuckerberg use their songs

<p>Facebook's independent oversight board on Wednesday upheld&nbsp;the platform's ban of former US President Donald Trump in a case that sets a precedent for how social media handles harmful content from world leaders.</p>

<p>Facebook indefinitely blocked Trump's access to his Facebook and Instagram accounts over concerns of further violent unrest following the January&nbsp;6 storming of the US&nbsp;Capitol by supporters of the former president.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-launches-his-own-social-media-space-on-his-website-382917/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>At the time of the suspension, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a post that "the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great."</p>

<p>The company later referred the case to its recently established board, which includes academics, lawyers and rights activists, to decide whether to uphold the ban or restore Trump.</p>

<p>"Both of those decisions are no-win decisions for Facebook," said Kate Klonick, an assistant law professor at St. John's University who embedded at Facebook to follow the board`s creation. "So, offloading those to a third party, the Oversight Board, is a win for them no matter what."</p>

<p>The binding verdict marks a major decision for the board, which rules on a small slice of challenging content decisions and which Facebook created as an independent body as a response to criticism over how it handles problematic material. Facebook has also asked the board to provide recommendations on how it should handle political leaders` accounts.</p>

<p>Tech platforms have grappled in recent years with how to police world leaders and politicians that violate their guidelines.</p>

<p>Facebook has come under fire both from those who think it should abandon its hands-off approach to political speech and those who saw the Trump ban as a worrying act of censorship.</p>

<p>Trump was permanently banned from Twitter Inc, where he has more than 88 million followers.</p>

<p>Trump, who has been sending out short, emailed press releases, continued to promote election misinformation in one on Monday, saying "the</p>

<p>Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!"</p>

<p>On Tuesday, he launched a new web page to share messages that readers can then re-post to their Facebook or Twitter accounts. A senior adviser has said Trump also has plans to launch his own social media platform.</p>

<p>Facebook has said Trump, who has 35 million Facebook followers, would be subject to the same policies as ordinary users after the end of his presidency. This means that if Trump returned to the platform, his posts would now be eligible for fact-checking. Following a widening of the board`s scope in April, Facebook users would also be able to appeal the former president`s posts to the board.</p>

<p>Trump`s suspension was the first time Facebook had blocked a current president, prime minister or head of state. Facebook`s oversight board said it received more than 9,000 comments from the public on the Trump ban, the most it has had for a case so far.</p>

<p>Several academics and civil rights groups have publicly shared their letters urging the board to block Trump permanently, while Republican lawmakers and some free expression advocates have criticized the decision.</p>

<p>"I would hope that they`re also thinking about the precedent-setting of this," said Katie Harbath, a former Facebook public policy director and a fellow at the Washington D.C.-based Bipartisan Policy Center. "What does that look like internationally, what does that look like in the long term?" she added.</p>

<p>The Oversight Board, an idea that Zuckerberg first publicly floated in 2018, currently has 20 members, including former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and several law experts and rights advocates. Decisions need only majority approval.</p>

<p>The board, which some have dubbed Facebook`s "Supreme Court," has been hailed as a novel experiment by some researchers but blasted by other critics who have been skeptical over its independence or view it as a PR stunt to deflect attention from the company`s more systemic problems.</p>

<p>It is funded through a $130 million trust created by Facebook and has so far made rulings on a small number of cases from hate speech to nudity.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Facebook's independent oversight board on Wednesday upheld the platform's ban of former US President Donald Trump in a case that sets a precedent for how social media handles harmful content from world leaders.

Facebook's independent oversight board on Wednesday upheld the platform's ban of former US President Donald Trump in a case that sets a precedent for how social media handles harmful content from world leaders. Facebook indefinitely blocked Trump's access to his Facebook and Instagram accounts over concerns of further violent unrest following the January 6 storming of the US Capitol by supporters of the former president. At the time of the suspension, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a post that "the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great." The company later referred the case to its recently established board, which includes academics, lawyers and rights activists, to decide whether to uphold the ban or restore Trump. "Both of those decisions are no-win decisions for Facebook," said Kate Klonick, an assistant law professor at St. John's University who embedded at Facebook to follow the board`s creation. "So, offloading those to a third party, the Oversight Board, is a win for them no matter what." The binding verdict marks a major decision for the board, which rules on a small slice of challenging content decisions and which Facebook created as an independent body as a response to criticism over how it handles problematic material. Facebook has also asked the board to provide recommendations on how it should handle political leaders` accounts. Tech platforms have grappled in recent years with how to police world leaders and politicians that violate their guidelines. Facebook has come under fire both from those who think it should abandon its hands-off approach to political speech and those who saw the Trump ban as a worrying act of censorship. Trump was permanently banned from Twitter Inc, where he has more than 88 million followers. Trump, who has been sending out short, emailed press releases, continued to promote election misinformation in one on Monday, saying "the Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!" On Tuesday, he launched a new web page to share messages that readers can then re-post to their Facebook or Twitter accounts. A senior adviser has said Trump also has plans to launch his own social media platform. Facebook has said Trump, who has 35 million Facebook followers, would be subject to the same policies as ordinary users after the end of his presidency. This means that if Trump returned to the platform, his posts would now be eligible for fact-checking. Following a widening of the board`s scope in April, Facebook users would also be able to appeal the former president`s posts to the board. Trump`s suspension was the first time Facebook had blocked a current president, prime minister or head of state. Facebook`s oversight board said it received more than 9,000 comments from the public on the Trump ban, the most it has had for a case so far. Several academics and civil rights groups have publicly shared their letters urging the board to block Trump permanently, while Republican lawmakers and some free expression advocates have criticized the decision. "I would hope that they`re also thinking about the precedent-setting of this," said Katie Harbath, a former Facebook public policy director and a fellow at the Washington D.C.-based Bipartisan Policy Center. "What does that look like internationally, what does that look like in the long term?" she added. The Oversight Board, an idea that Zuckerberg first publicly floated in 2018, currently has 20 members, including former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and several law experts and rights advocates. Decisions need only majority approval. The board, which some have dubbed Facebook`s "Supreme Court," has been hailed as a novel experiment by some researchers but blasted by other critics who have been skeptical over its independence or view it as a PR stunt to deflect attention from the company`s more systemic problems. It is funded through a $130 million trust created by Facebook and has so far made rulings on a small number of cases from hate speech to nudity. (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook oversight board upholds ban on Donald Trump

<p>Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse.</p>

<p>Facebook's incursion into the audio market comes as the sudden explosion of interest in Clubhouse, an audio app where billionaires and celebrities including Tesla CEO Elon Musk have popped in to chat, could be waning.</p>

<p>Downloads of the Clubhouse app, which is only available on Apple's iOS devices, suffered an estimated 70 per cent&nbsp;decline in March from February when it hit a high.</p>

<p>Facebook has seen a steady rise in users opting for voice, from audio calls at the social network to leaving spoken messages using WhatsApp of Messenger.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg said the world's largest social media network planned in the coming months to launch features including short-form audio clips called "Soundbites" and ways to create sound effects or improve audio quality.&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;said in a blog post&nbsp;it would begin to test live audio rooms, which would launch by the summer.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;was looking to "treat audio as a first-class medium in the way that we would photos or video" in an interview on Discord with Casey Newton, editor of newsletter Platformer.</p>

<p>The rapid growth of the year-old app Clubhouse has demonstrated the potential of audio chat services.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The app, which is not yet available on Android, faces competition from multiple companies working on Clubhouse clones.</p>

<p>Twitter Inc is testing its live audio feature Spaces, along with new features from Discord, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn, Slack and Spotify Technology.</p>

<p>Reddit also unveiled a preview of its "Reddit Talks" product to moderators on Monday.</p>

<p>Analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated Clubhouse had a 72 per cent&nbsp;decline in growth from about 9.6 million February installs to about 2.4 million in March.</p>

<p>Facebook, which has long been criticized for its handling of problematic content across its products, will face the challenges of moderating live and recorded audio content.</p>

<p>Facebook&nbsp;said its live audio rooms would be available on its Messenger product and in its main app. It said it would test the rooms with public figures as well as in Groups - a product the company has vigorously promoted as providing places for people with common interests but which have also been used to spread misinformation and organize extremist activity.</p>

<p>As part of the announcements, Zuckerberg also said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;is working with Spotify on "Project Boombox" to share and listen to music on its platform.</p>

<p>Facebook&nbsp;said users would be able to send donations, or tips, to creators in live audio rooms through "Stars". After launch, it will offer other types of monetization like single-purchase access or subscription for rooms. It also announced an audio creator fund for Soundbites.</p>

<p>The company is working to attract more creators who are accustomed to receiving tips and other direct payments from fans.</p>

<p>More than 170 million people are connected to Facebook pages centered on podcasts, and some 35 million users are members of podcast fan groups, but listening to one required leaving the social network.</p>

<p>Facebook also planned to begin testing Live Audio Rooms, expected the feature to be available to all users by the middle of this year.</p>

<p>To make its audio offerings sustainable for the long term, Facebook is building in ways for people creating content to make money.</p>

<p><em>(With input from agencies)</em></p>


Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse. Facebook's incursion into the audio market comes as the sudden explosion of interest in Clubhouse, an audio app where billionaires and celebrities including Tesla CEO Elon Musk have popped in to chat, could be waning.

Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse. Facebook's incursion into the audio market comes as the sudden explosion of interest in Clubhouse, an audio app where billionaires and celebrities including Tesla CEO Elon Musk have popped in to chat, could be waning. Downloads of the Clubhouse app, which is only available on Apple's iOS devices, suffered an estimated 70 per cent decline in March from February when it hit a high. Facebook has seen a steady rise in users opting for voice, from audio calls at the social network to leaving spoken messages using WhatsApp of Messenger. Zuckerberg said the world's largest social media network planned in the coming months to launch features including short-form audio clips called "Soundbites" and ways to create sound effects or improve audio quality. Facebook said in a blog post it would begin to test live audio rooms, which would launch by the summer. Zuckerberg said Facebook was looking to "treat audio as a first-class medium in the way that we would photos or video" in an interview on Discord with Casey Newton, editor of newsletter Platformer. The rapid growth of the year-old app Clubhouse has demonstrated the potential of audio chat services. The app, which is not yet available on Android, faces competition from multiple companies working on Clubhouse clones. Twitter Inc is testing its live audio feature Spaces, along with new features from Discord, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn, Slack and Spotify Technology. Reddit also unveiled a preview of its "Reddit Talks" product to moderators on Monday. Analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated Clubhouse had a 72 per cent decline in growth from about 9.6 million February installs to about 2.4 million in March. Facebook, which has long been criticized for its handling of problematic content across its products, will face the challenges of moderating live and recorded audio content. Facebook said its live audio rooms would be available on its Messenger product and in its main app. It said it would test the rooms with public figures as well as in Groups - a product the company has vigorously promoted as providing places for people with common interests but which have also been used to spread misinformation and organize extremist activity. As part of the announcements, Zuckerberg also said Facebook is working with Spotify on "Project Boombox" to share and listen to music on its platform. Facebook said users would be able to send donations, or tips, to creators in live audio rooms through "Stars". After launch, it will offer other types of monetization like single-purchase access or subscription for rooms. It also announced an audio creator fund for Soundbites. The company is working to attract more creators who are accustomed to receiving tips and other direct payments from fans. More than 170 million people are connected to Facebook pages centered on podcasts, and some 35 million users are members of podcast fan groups, but listening to one required leaving the social network. Facebook also planned to begin testing Live Audio Rooms, expected the feature to be available to all users by the middle of this year. To make its audio offerings sustainable for the long term, Facebook is building in ways for people creating content to make money. (With input from agencies)

Facebook takes on Clubhouse, unveils big audio push, adds podcasts

<p>Advocates for children from around the world urged&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens.</p>

<p>Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among nearly 100 groups and individuals from North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia to make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg.</p>

<p>Instagram "exploits young people's fear of missing out and desire for peer approval," the letter contended.</p>

<p>"The platform's relentless focus on appearance, self-presentation, and branding presents challenges to adolescents' privacy and well-being," it argued, building on concerns about predators, bullies, and inappropriate content.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-building-a-version-of-instagram-for-children-under-13-371695">Facebook building a version of&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;for&nbsp;children&nbsp;under 13</a></strong></p>

<p>Instagram is exploring the launch of a version of the image-centric social network for children under 13, with parental controls.</p>

<p>Facebook-owned Instagram, like its parent company, allows only those older than 13 to join but verifying age on the internet makes it challenging to catch all rule-breakers.</p>

<p>"The reality is that kids are online,"&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;spokeswoman Stephanie Otway said.</p>

<p>"They want to connect with their family and friends, have fun and learn, and we want to help them do that in a way that is safe and age-appropriate."</p>

<p>Facebook&nbsp;is working with child development and mental health experts to prioritise safety and privacy, according to Otway.</p>

<p>Instagram, which has more than a billion users, recently unveiled technology aimed at preventing underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don't know.</p>

<p>The platform is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behavior" to interact with teens.</p>

<p>The children's advocates were dubious about the proposed youth version.</p>

<p>"Facebook's long track record of exploiting young people and putting them at risk makes the company particularly unsuitable as the custodian of a photo sharing and social messaging site for children," their letter said.</p>

<p>"In short, an Instagram site for kids will subject young children to a number of serious risks and will offer few benefits for families."</p>

<p><em>(With input from agencies)</em></p>


Advocates for children from around the world urged Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens. Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among nearly 100 groups and individuals from North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia to make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg.

Advocates for children from around the world urged Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens. Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among nearly 100 groups and individuals from North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia to make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg. Instagram "exploits young people's fear of missing out and desire for peer approval," the letter contended. "The platform's relentless focus on appearance, self-presentation, and branding presents challenges to adolescents' privacy and well-being," it argued, building on concerns about predators, bullies, and inappropriate content. Also read| Facebook building a version of Instagram for children under 13 Instagram is exploring the launch of a version of the image-centric social network for children under 13, with parental controls. Facebook-owned Instagram, like its parent company, allows only those older than 13 to join but verifying age on the internet makes it challenging to catch all rule-breakers. "The reality is that kids are online," Facebook spokeswoman Stephanie Otway said. "They want to connect with their family and friends, have fun and learn, and we want to help them do that in a way that is safe and age-appropriate." Facebook is working with child development and mental health experts to prioritise safety and privacy, according to Otway. Instagram, which has more than a billion users, recently unveiled technology aimed at preventing underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don't know. The platform is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behavior" to interact with teens. The children's advocates were dubious about the proposed youth version. "Facebook's long track record of exploiting young people and putting them at risk makes the company particularly unsuitable as the custodian of a photo sharing and social messaging site for children," their letter said. "In short, an Instagram site for kids will subject young children to a number of serious risks and will offer few benefits for families." (With input from agencies)

Ditch plans for kids' version of Instagram, advocates for children urge Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

<p>Britain's competition watchdog said on Friday social media company&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;Inc removed 16,000 groups that were selling and buying fake reviews of various products and services, the second time the regulator had to intervene.</p>

<p>US-based&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;also made further changes to detect, remove and prevent paid content that could mislead users on its platforms, including popular photo-sharing app Instagram, UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Friday.</p>

<p>"We have engaged extensively with the CMA to address this issue. Fraudulent and deceptive activity is not allowed on our platforms, including offering or trading fake reviews," a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;representative said.</p>

<p>The CMA began a crackdown on false reviews from 2019 when it first asked&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;and e-commerce platform eBay Inc to check their websites after it found evidence of a growing marketplace for misleading customer reviews on the platforms.</p>

<p>Facebook&nbsp;has also been under scrutiny by the CMA for antitrust concerns over the technology company's acquisition of GIF website Giphy. It has been under pressure the world over for its data sharing practices as well as fake news and hate speech.</p>

<p>"The pandemic has meant that more and more people are buying online, and millions of us read reviews to enable us to make informed choices when we shop around. That's why fake and misleading reviews are so damaging," said CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli.</p>

<p>CMA's crackdown on&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;coincides with Britain's efforts to set up a dedicated digital markets unit within the regulatory authority to specifically look at governing digital platforms.</p>


Britain's competition watchdog said on Friday social media company Facebook Inc removed 16,000 groups that were selling and buying fake reviews of various products and services, the second time the regulator had to intervene.

Britain's competition watchdog said on Friday social media company Facebook Inc removed 16,000 groups that were selling and buying fake reviews of various products and services, the second time the regulator had to intervene. US-based Facebook also made further changes to detect, remove and prevent paid content that could mislead users on its platforms, including popular photo-sharing app Instagram, UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Friday. "We have engaged extensively with the CMA to address this issue. Fraudulent and deceptive activity is not allowed on our platforms, including offering or trading fake reviews," a Facebook representative said. The CMA began a crackdown on false reviews from 2019 when it first asked Facebook and e-commerce platform eBay Inc to check their websites after it found evidence of a growing marketplace for misleading customer reviews on the platforms. Facebook has also been under scrutiny by the CMA for antitrust concerns over the technology company's acquisition of GIF website Giphy. It has been under pressure the world over for its data sharing practices as well as fake news and hate speech. "The pandemic has meant that more and more people are buying online, and millions of us read reviews to enable us to make informed choices when we shop around. That's why fake and misleading reviews are so damaging," said CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli. CMA's crackdown on Facebook coincides with Britain's efforts to set up a dedicated digital markets unit within the regulatory authority to specifically look at governing digital platforms.

Facebook axes 16,000 groups for selling or buying fake reviews of products, services

Personal data of 533 million Facebook users has leaked online. Reports say, Mark Zuckerberg is among the victims. But, this is not the first time Facebook has compromised the personal data of its Founder & CEO.

Gravitas: Mark Zuckerberg's phone number leaked and revealed

In a massive data leak, the personal information of more than 500 million Facebook users was published online on Saturday by a user in a low-level hacking forum.

Over 500 million Facebook users phone number and personal data leaked online

<p>Lawmakers grilled the leaders of Facebook, Google and Twitter on Thursday about the connection between online disinformation and the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, causing Twitter’s CEO to publicly admit for the first time that his product had played a role in the events that left five people dead.</p>

<p>When a Democratic lawmaker asked the executives to answer with a “yes” or a “no” whether the platforms bore some responsibility for the misinformation that had contributed to the riot, Jack Dorsey of Twitter said “yes.” Neither Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook nor Sundar Pichai of Google would answer the question directly.</p>

<p>The roughly five-hour hearing before a House committee marked the first time lawmakers directly questioned the CEOs regarding social media’s role in the January riot. The tech bosses were also peppered with questions about how their companies helped spread falsehoods around COVID-19 vaccines, enable racism and hurt children’s mental health.</p>

<p>It was also the first time the executives had testified since President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Tough questioning from lawmakers signaled that scrutiny of Silicon Valley’s business practices would not let up, and could even intensify, with Democrats in the White House and leading both chambers of Congress.</p>

<p>The CEOs have become Capitol Hill regulars in recent years. Zuckerberg has testified seven times since 2018. Dorsey has appeared five times and Pichai has testified four times since then. But these hearings, regarding disinformation, antitrust and data privacy, have not led to regulations. Though there is bipartisan animus toward the companies, there is still little agreement on how specifically to hold the internet giants to account. Dozens of privacy, speech and antitrust bills have gone nowhere in the past few years.</p>

<p>“It will be very challenging to translate these concerns into legislation,” said Alexandra Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a tech think tank.</p>

<p>At the heart of the hearing were questions about whether the companies had a financial incentive to keep users engaged — and clicking on ads — by feeding them divisive, extreme and hateful content. Lawmakers from both parties said Congress should reconsider a law that shields the platforms from lawsuits over content posted by their users.</p>

<p>“You’re not passive bystanders,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “You’re making money.”</p>

<p>Lawmakers, who compared the business practices of social media companies to tobacco and alcohol companies, grew frustrated at times with what they said was the executives’ evasiveness.</p>

<p>Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., asked the tech CEOs to answer yes or no: Did their platforms contribute to the spread of misinformation before the riot?</p>

<p>Zuckerberg and Pichai dodged the question. Dorsey was more direct.</p>

<p>“Yes,” he said. “But you also have to take into consideration the broader ecosystem. It’s not just about the technology platforms we use.”</p>

<p>Doyle pressed the other executives.</p>

<p>“How is it possible for you not to at least admit that Facebook played a leading role in facilitating the recruitment, planning and execution of the attack on the Capitol?” he asked Zuckerberg.</p>

<p>“I think that the responsibility here lies with the people who took the actions to break the law and do the insurrection,” Zuckerberg said. He added that people who spread the misinformation bore responsibility as well.</p>

<p>“But your platforms supercharged that,” Doyle said.</p>

<p>Later, while still participating in the videoconference hearing, Dorsey tweeted a single question mark with a poll that had two options: “Yes” or “No.” When asked about his tweet by a lawmaker, he said “yes” was winning.</p>

<p>The January riot at the Capitol has made the issue of disinformation deeply personal for lawmakers. The riot was fueled by false claims from President Donald Trump and others that the election had been stolen, which were rampant on social media.</p>

<p>Some of the participants had connections to QAnon and other online conspiracy theories. And prosecutors have said that groups involved in the riot, including the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, coordinated some of their actions on social media.</p>

<p>Lawmakers also criticized the platforms for the way they have enabled the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and the vaccines for COVID-19. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who represents part of Silicon Valley, told Dorsey that Twitter should “eliminate all COVID misinformation — and not label or reduce its spread, but remove it.”</p>

<p>Republicans criticized the companies for the amplification of toxic content that particularly harmed children. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said social media was her “greatest fear” as a parent. “I’ve monitored where your algorithms lead them. It’s frightening. I know I’m not alone,” Rodgers said.</p>

<p>The Republican members also focused on decisions by the social media platforms to ban Trump and his associates after the Jan. 6 riots. The bans hardened views by conservatives that the companies are left-leaning and are inclined to squelch conservative voices.</p>

<p>“We’re all aware of Big Tech’s ever-increasing censorship of conservative voices and their commitment to serve the radical progressive agenda,” said Rep. Bob Latta of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the panel’s technology subcommittee.</p>

<p>The company leaders defended their businesses, saying they had invested heavily in hiring content moderators and in technology like artificial intelligence, used to identify and fight disinformation.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg argued against the notion that his company had a financial incentive to juice its users’ attention by driving them toward more extreme content. He said Facebook didn’t design “algorithms in order to just kind of try to tweak and optimize and get people to spend every last minute on our service.”</p>

<p>He added later in the hearing that elections disinformation was spread in messaging apps, where amplification and algorithms don’t aid in spread of false content. He also blamed television and other traditional media for spreading election lies.</p>

<p>The companies showed fissures in their view on regulations. Facebook has vocally supported internet regulations in a major advertising blitz on television and in newspapers. In the hearing, Zuckerberg suggested specific regulatory reforms to a key legal shield, known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, that has helped Facebook and other Silicon Valley internet giants thrive.</p>

<p>The legal shield protects companies that host and moderate third-party content, and says companies like Google and Twitter are simply intermediaries of their user-generated content. Democrats have argued that with that protection, companies aren’t motivated to remove disinformation. Republicans accuse the companies of using the shield to moderate too much and to take down content that doesn’t represent their political viewpoints.</p>

<p>“I believe that Section 230 would benefit from thoughtful changes to make it work better for people,” Zuckerberg said in the statement.</p>

<p>He proposed that liability protection for companies be conditional on their ability to fight the spread of certain types of unlawful content. He said platforms should be required to demonstrate that they have systems in place for identifying unlawful content and removing it. Reforms, he said, should be different for smaller social networks, which wouldn’t have the same resources like Facebook to meet new requirements.</p>

<p>Pichai and Dorsey said they supported requirements of transparency in content moderation but fell short of agreeing with Zuckerberg’s other ideas. Dorsey said that it would be very difficult to distinguish a large platform from a smaller one.</p>

<p>Lawmakers did not appear to be won over.</p>

<p>“There’s a lot of smugness among you,” said Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. “There’s this air of untouchable-ness in your responses to many of the tough questions that you’re being asked.”<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Lawmakers grilled the leaders of Facebook, Google and Twitter on Thursday about the connection between online disinformation and the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, causing Twitter’s CEO to publicly admit for the first time that his product had played a role in the events that left five people dead.

Lawmakers grilled the leaders of Facebook, Google and Twitter on Thursday about the connection between online disinformation and the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, causing Twitter’s CEO to publicly admit for the first time that his product had played a role in the events that left five people dead. When a Democratic lawmaker asked the executives to answer with a “yes” or a “no” whether the platforms bore some responsibility for the misinformation that had contributed to the riot, Jack Dorsey of Twitter said “yes.” Neither Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook nor Sundar Pichai of Google would answer the question directly. The roughly five-hour hearing before a House committee marked the first time lawmakers directly questioned the CEOs regarding social media’s role in the January riot. The tech bosses were also peppered with questions about how their companies helped spread falsehoods around COVID-19 vaccines, enable racism and hurt children’s mental health. It was also the first time the executives had testified since President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Tough questioning from lawmakers signaled that scrutiny of Silicon Valley’s business practices would not let up, and could even intensify, with Democrats in the White House and leading both chambers of Congress. The CEOs have become Capitol Hill regulars in recent years. Zuckerberg has testified seven times since 2018. Dorsey has appeared five times and Pichai has testified four times since then. But these hearings, regarding disinformation, antitrust and data privacy, have not led to regulations. Though there is bipartisan animus toward the companies, there is still little agreement on how specifically to hold the internet giants to account. Dozens of privacy, speech and antitrust bills have gone nowhere in the past few years. “It will be very challenging to translate these concerns into legislation,” said Alexandra Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a tech think tank. At the heart of the hearing were questions about whether the companies had a financial incentive to keep users engaged — and clicking on ads — by feeding them divisive, extreme and hateful content. Lawmakers from both parties said Congress should reconsider a law that shields the platforms from lawsuits over content posted by their users. “You’re not passive bystanders,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “You’re making money.” Lawmakers, who compared the business practices of social media companies to tobacco and alcohol companies, grew frustrated at times with what they said was the executives’ evasiveness. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., asked the tech CEOs to answer yes or no: Did their platforms contribute to the spread of misinformation before the riot? Zuckerberg and Pichai dodged the question. Dorsey was more direct. “Yes,” he said. “But you also have to take into consideration the broader ecosystem. It’s not just about the technology platforms we use.” Doyle pressed the other executives. “How is it possible for you not to at least admit that Facebook played a leading role in facilitating the recruitment, planning and execution of the attack on the Capitol?” he asked Zuckerberg. “I think that the responsibility here lies with the people who took the actions to break the law and do the insurrection,” Zuckerberg said. He added that people who spread the misinformation bore responsibility as well. “But your platforms supercharged that,” Doyle said. Later, while still participating in the videoconference hearing, Dorsey tweeted a single question mark with a poll that had two options: “Yes” or “No.” When asked about his tweet by a lawmaker, he said “yes” was winning. The January riot at the Capitol has made the issue of disinformation deeply personal for lawmakers. The riot was fueled by false claims from President Donald Trump and others that the election had been stolen, which were rampant on social media. Some of the participants had connections to QAnon and other online conspiracy theories. And prosecutors have said that groups involved in the riot, including the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, coordinated some of their actions on social media. Lawmakers also criticized the platforms for the way they have enabled the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and the vaccines for COVID-19. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who represents part of Silicon Valley, told Dorsey that Twitter should “eliminate all COVID misinformation — and not label or reduce its spread, but remove it.” Republicans criticized the companies for the amplification of toxic content that particularly harmed children. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said social media was her “greatest fear” as a parent. “I’ve monitored where your algorithms lead them. It’s frightening. I know I’m not alone,” Rodgers said. The Republican members also focused on decisions by the social media platforms to ban Trump and his associates after the Jan. 6 riots. The bans hardened views by conservatives that the companies are left-leaning and are inclined to squelch conservative voices. “We’re all aware of Big Tech’s ever-increasing censorship of conservative voices and their commitment to serve the radical progressive agenda,” said Rep. Bob Latta of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the panel’s technology subcommittee. The company leaders defended their businesses, saying they had invested heavily in hiring content moderators and in technology like artificial intelligence, used to identify and fight disinformation. Zuckerberg argued against the notion that his company had a financial incentive to juice its users’ attention by driving them toward more extreme content. He said Facebook didn’t design “algorithms in order to just kind of try to tweak and optimize and get people to spend every last minute on our service.” He added later in the hearing that elections disinformation was spread in messaging apps, where amplification and algorithms don’t aid in spread of false content. He also blamed television and other traditional media for spreading election lies. The companies showed fissures in their view on regulations. Facebook has vocally supported internet regulations in a major advertising blitz on television and in newspapers. In the hearing, Zuckerberg suggested specific regulatory reforms to a key legal shield, known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, that has helped Facebook and other Silicon Valley internet giants thrive. The legal shield protects companies that host and moderate third-party content, and says companies like Google and Twitter are simply intermediaries of their user-generated content. Democrats have argued that with that protection, companies aren’t motivated to remove disinformation. Republicans accuse the companies of using the shield to moderate too much and to take down content that doesn’t represent their political viewpoints. “I believe that Section 230 would benefit from thoughtful changes to make it work better for people,” Zuckerberg said in the statement. He proposed that liability protection for companies be conditional on their ability to fight the spread of certain types of unlawful content. He said platforms should be required to demonstrate that they have systems in place for identifying unlawful content and removing it. Reforms, he said, should be different for smaller social networks, which wouldn’t have the same resources like Facebook to meet new requirements. Pichai and Dorsey said they supported requirements of transparency in content moderation but fell short of agreeing with Zuckerberg’s other ideas. Dorsey said that it would be very difficult to distinguish a large platform from a smaller one. Lawmakers did not appear to be won over. “There’s a lot of smugness among you,” said Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. “There’s this air of untouchable-ness in your responses to many of the tough questions that you’re being asked.”

US lawmakers grill tech CEOs on Capitol riot, getting few direct answers

<p>Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday urged US lawmakers to offer protection for liability for content to only those platforms that had the ability to remove the unlawful content.</p>

<p>The proposal outlined in testimony prepared for a congressional hearing detailed Facebook's idea for reforming a law known as Section 230 which shields internet services from liability for content posted by others</p>

<p>Zuckerberg maintained that Congress "should consider making platforms' intermediary liability protection for certain types of unlawful content conditional on companies' ability to meet best practices to combat the spread of this content."</p>

<p>Instead of being given blanket immunity, Zuckerberg said "platforms should be required to demonstrate that they have systems in place for identifying unlawful content and removing it."</p>

<p>Mark Zuckerberg also maintained that online services should not be held liable for "if a particular piece of content evades its detection,"&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facebook, Twitter, Alphabet also testify on Thursday. The platforms have been under fire from Democratic Party for misinformation about coronavirus pandemic and US Presidential elections held in 2016 and 2020.</p>

<p><strong>(With agency inputs)</strong></p>


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday urged US lawmakers to offer protection for liability for content to only those platforms that had the ability to remove the unlawful content.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday urged US lawmakers to offer protection for liability for content to only those platforms that had the ability to remove the unlawful content. The proposal outlined in testimony prepared for a congressional hearing detailed Facebook's idea for reforming a law known as Section 230 which shields internet services from liability for content posted by others Zuckerberg maintained that Congress "should consider making platforms' intermediary liability protection for certain types of unlawful content conditional on companies' ability to meet best practices to combat the spread of this content." Instead of being given blanket immunity, Zuckerberg said "platforms should be required to demonstrate that they have systems in place for identifying unlawful content and removing it." Mark Zuckerberg also maintained that online services should not be held liable for "if a particular piece of content evades its detection," Facebook, Twitter, Alphabet also testify on Thursday. The platforms have been under fire from Democratic Party for misinformation about coronavirus pandemic and US Presidential elections held in 2016 and 2020. (With agency inputs)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg proposes changes to internet rules

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