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Facebook Groups now include Reels and more anti-misinformation tools
Facebook Groups now include Reels, and can automatically flag misinformation for review.
WhatsApp's latest privacy features include the ability to hide your online status
WhatsApp just introduced several important privacy features including online status blocking that it showed in beta last month.
Facebook gives Group admins new tools to block misinformation
Facebook is giving group admins new tools to help prevent misleading information from spreading.
Facebook is adding monetization features to groups
Facebook is bringing monetization features into yet another part of its service: groups.
Twitter starts rolling out Communities, its dedicated space for groups
Twitter is now starting to test Communities, “a more intimate space for conversations” on the platform.
Facebook will let group admins ‘slow down’ toxic conversations
Facebook introduced a new tool that will allow moderators to restrict comments on posts in an effort to “slow down” conversations.
Facebook will crack down on groups that break its rules repeatedly
Facebook is taking one of its most significant steps to limit the influence and reach of problematic groups.
Facebook pauses recommendations of political and social issues groups
The company quietly stopped doing so ahead of the presidential election.
Facebook will start surfacing public group posts in News Feeds
Admins will have more ways to manage conversations and monetize groups.
Apple's revamped Messages focuses on groups
As part of its WWDC 2020 reveals, Apple announced that it is revamping Messages with new group messaging features in iOS 14.
Facebook removes hundreds more accounts over hate speech
Facebook has removed more accounts associated with hate groups.
Facebook issues new recommendations for discussing racism in groups
Facebook is acknowledging a wave of anti-racist discussion by recommending new ways of managing groups.
Google Groups still exists and it's getting a redesign
Google has famously killed off a number of social network and messaging services over the last couple of decades (remember Allo? Or Google Talk?). But, amazingly, the Usenet-linked Google Groups setup that's been operational since 2001 is still cranking along. It hasn't had a UI update to match the company's other tools in years though, and a Material-design makeover is incoming. The filtering and search will also be revamped, and they claim it will be easier than ever to start a new group.
WhatsApp gives you more ways to avoid annoying group chats
WhatsApp is giving you more ways to block people from adding you to group chats. Its updated privacy settings replace the original "nobody" option with a "my contacts except" choice that lets you prevent certain people (or all of them, if you prefer) from dragging you into a group. Your close friends and family can add you to a chat, for example, but a co-worker can't rope you into a sports discussion without your permission.
Facebook confirms 100 app developers retained member data from Groups
Facebook became a lot stricter with the kind of user information app developers can access after the Cambridge Analytica scandal blew up last year. In April 2018, it rolled out changes to its Group API so that when an administrator authorizes an app for a Group, its developer can only see the Group name, its number of users and its post content. Before the change, developers could also see the names of members and their profile pictures. The social network has revealed, however, that some apps retained access to member names and profile pics even after the change -- further, up to 100 developers may have improperly accessed those information since then.
Facebook adds new ways for public figures to make money and stay safe
Facebook wants to make it easier for famous people to engage with their fans on the site. That's why the company is launching new ways for Facebook users to interact with public figures they follow, be it internet creators, authors, athletes or sports teams. As part of these efforts, Facebook has started testing a feature that will let multiple public figure accounts contribute to the same Facebook Story during an event, plus a new tool in News Feed that's going to recommend people public figures they should follow. These suggestions, naturally, will be based on content you've engaged with on Facebook or other famous people you follow already.
Facebook simplifies its Group privacy settings
Facebook wants to make it easier to understand its Group privacy settings. It's doing away with public, closed or secret settings. Instead, Groups will be "private" or "public." Facebook claims this will simplify who can find a Group and see its members and posts.
Facebook takes down more fake accounts from Iran
Today, Facebook removed 51 accounts, 36 Pages, seven groups and three Instagram accounts that were involved in "coordinated inauthentic behavior" based in Iran. According to the company, the individuals responsible pretended to be located in the US and Europe, impersonated news organizations and journalists in the Middle East and tried to contact public figures under the guise.
Facebook’s ‘privacy-focused’ plan is another diversion
When Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at F8 2019, he once again outlined the company's new "privacy-focused" vision. It's a message he's been spreading over the past few months, and it will focus on six key principles: encryption, interoperability, ephemerality, safety, secure data storage and private interactions. While Zuckerberg went all in on how Facebook-owned apps will soon work seamlessly together, and how private conversations will play a key role, he seemed unaware the new plan could create problems of its own.
