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Twitter bans Russia-linked accounts following indictments
The US' indictment of Russian officers over the DNC hacks is having an effect... at least, on Twitter. The social network has banned accounts for both DCLeaks and Guccifer 2.0 in response to the indictment. In a statement explaining the suspensions, the company told Engadget that they were "connected to a network of accounts" that had already been shut down for violating rules. At the same time, Twitter was aware that the shutdowns were considered overdue -- DCLeaks and Guccifer 2.0 have long been linked to Russia, and the indictments just formalized the connections.
Facebook’s approach to fighting fake news is half-hearted
Earlier this week, Facebook hosted a group of reporters (myself included) at its NYC office for a Q&A session about its efforts to fight fake news. The event, led by Head of News Feed John Hegeman and News Feed product specialist Sara Su, began with Facebook showing us a short film called Facing Facts. It's a documentary that debuted last May, which tells the story of the company's uphill battle to rid its site of a misinformation plague that seems incurable. For months, Facebook has talked about how hard it is working to fix the issue (by hiring third-party fact-checkers, removing fake accounts and more), but on Wednesday it left us with more questions than answers. That's because Facebook believes reducing and flagging fake news stories is better than removing them altogether, and that doesn't seem like the best approach.
Instagram's latest Story sticker is for Q&A
Instagram's Stories now involve much more two-way interaction than simple polls. True to recent leaks, both Android and iOS users can use a Questions sticker that (surprise) lets you ask followers for feedback. They can answer as many times as they like, and all your responses will live in your viewers list for a given story. You can share responses with the public, but Instagram will hide usernames and profile photos to prevent naming and shaming.
Snapchat makes it easier to find user-made AR Lenses
Snapchat has let virtually anyone create Lenses for months. There's been one main problem, though: you couldn't just browse the user-made augmented reality effects, so finding one frequently involved a bit of luck. As of today, it's much easier. Snap is introducing a Lens Explorer that helps you discover community Lenses alongside the official examples. Tap a smiley face in the Lens Carousel and you can unlock user Lenses without having to find a Story that unlocks it. And if you're looking for a specific filter, you just have to search for it.
Jaden Smith's latest album is only available on Instagram
Whatever you think of Jaden Smith's music, you have to give him credit for finding new ways to capture listeners' attention. The budding rapper has debuted SYRE: The Electric Album, a reinterpretation of his album from last year, solely through Instagram -- as of this writing, you can't go to your favorite streaming music service to check it out. The format is a gimmick, of course, but it also lets the young star sell his work (his profile now looks like a giant SYRE ad) and find out how many plays he's getting with each track.
Facebook's latest AI acquisition is focused on natural language
Facebook might have another AI tool for its quest to tackle fake news. The social network has acquired Bloomsbury AI, a London firm specializing in using machine learning to understand natural language in documents. The move is ostensibly about improving "natural language processing research" and its uses, but TechCrunch sources had previously noted that Bloomsbury would tackle fake news and other content problems.
FBI, SEC and FTC are also investigating Facebook's data leak
Facebook has to deal with multiple federal agencies simultaneously investigating its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. According to The Washington Post, the FBI, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have joined the DOJ's probe into the two companies. The New York Times reported back in May that the FBI and the DOJ are looking into the political consulting firm, but it sounds like the probe is much bigger than that.
Instagram may let you ask questions in Stories
You can already run polls in your Instagram Stories, but what if you'd like your feedback to be a little more verbose? You might get that wish. A tipster for Android Police has shared what looks to be a test for a questions feature in Stories -- add it to your creation and your friends can type their own answers, which you'll see listed by user. We've asked Instagram if it can confirm details, but the rollout doesn't appear to be too region-specific. You're looking at an Indonesian user's screen above, while Italians have also reported seeing the option.
Facebook shared user data with 52 tech companies
It's no secret that Facebook shared user data with device and software makers as part of its partnerships. Now, however, the scope of those deals has become clearer. Facebook has responded to a House Energy & Commerce Committee request for data with a 747-page response detailing the social network's data sharing deals with other companies. All told, Facebook has shared user info with 52 firms, including Chinese firms like Alibaba, Huawei, Lenovo and Oppo -- some of these were already known. It has ended already partnerships with 38 of them (some due to companies ending relevant business, like HP/Palm and Inq), with seven more due to expire in July 2018 and one more in October.
Facebook is showing users all the ads a Page could serve
A day after it was reported that Facebook was getting ready to launch new ad transparency tools globally, the company is now making a major change to Pages. Starting today, people will be able to see any active ads running on a Page across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, even if they're not being served to them specifically. On Facebook's site, you can go to a Page and you'll see a new "Info and Ads" button, which you can click to get information like when it was created, name history and see all the ads it has served since day one. If you notice anything suspicious, like a dubious political ad, you can then report it. Facebook says it'll be adding more Page information in the coming weeks.
China may punch a hole in the 'Great Firewall' for select tourists
The Chinese government's prohibition of popular social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube has spanned several years. China has previously flirted with relaxing its strict internet rules, but it stood firm and such promises never materialized. Now, its island province Hainan may take the lead -- all in the name of tourism.
Contractor hoped to sell social media surveillance to oppressive regimes
Western companies are still interested in selling surveillance tools to governments that could easily abuse them. The Intercept claims to have leaked documents suggesting that Circinus, the defense contractor run by Trump fundraiser Elliott Broidy, planned to sell social media surveillance tools to governments still known for suppressing free speech, including Tunisia and the UAE. Circinus' tools harvest sites like Facebook and Twitter in a bid to find and identify "detractors" -- that is, political dissidents. While the software only sifts through public data, it's likely this information would be used to punish critics who could otherwise count on a degree of anonymity.
Instagram’s IGTV could soon challenge YouTube’s dominance
Instagram was born as a simple photo-sharing app in 2010, but it began moving into video in 2013, when it started letting users upload short clips. Now, five years after making that initial push into the space, the company plans to take its efforts even further with the launch of IGVT. It's a stand-alone app that'll feature vertical videos up to an hour long, which is a major shift from the one-minute time limit on Instagram. IGTV will also have a dedicated space in the main Instagram app, in case you want to watch these videos in the same place you look at pictures and Stories. With creators including Fortnite champ Ninja and singer Lele Pons on board, it's clear Instagram wants to lure internet personalities like them to IGTV -- even if it can't pay them just yet.
Facebook expands news fact-checking program to 14 new countries
It's a Thursday morning, so that means Facebook has an announcement to share regarding its fight against fake news. The social network says it has expanded its third-party fact checking operations to an additional 14 countries. More than that, fact-checking photos and videos (verifying metadata against the context of the post, examining for any doctored elements) is making it way to another four countries.
A first look at Instagram's IGTV
As rumored, Instagram is ready to get into long-form video. And today the company made those plans official with the reveal of IGTV, its new standalone video app geared toward internet creators, like the ones who have made a living out of YouTube. IGTV is all about vertical videos, and although it has its own app, you can get the full experience within the main Instagram application, too -- from uploading to keeping up with your favorite content makers, including the cutest dog on earth, Jiffpom. Inside Instagram, soon you'll see an icon that'll take you into the full vertical video experience, or you can choose to download the IGTV app if you want to keep Stories and pictures out of it.
Instagram reaches 1 billion monthly users
After surpassing 800 million monthly active users last September, we knew it was only a matter of time before Instagram would reach that coveted 1 billion mark -- and today is that day. The company has announced its latest milestone at an event in San Francisco, where it's also launching IGTV, its new standalone long-form video app. With 1 billion monthly actives, Instagram continues to grow at a tremendous pace since being acquired by Facebook in 2012, when it had just 40 million. If that's not impressive, then what is? Instagram now also joins other Facebook-owned social apps that have hit that remarkable number: Messenger (1.3 billion) and WhatsApp (1.5 billion). And then, of course, there's Facebook, which is at 2.2 billion and counting. Despite the privacy controversies of late, it's clear people love Facebook products, and Instagram's insane growth is only one of the many perfect examples of that.
Instagram takes on Snapchat and YouTube with IGTV
Where there's smoke, there's fire. For Instagram, that smoke recently came in the form of rumors about it launching a feature to host curated, long-form videos in its app. And well, there's fire, alright. Today, at an event in San Francisco, Instagram made IGTV official, a new standalone app geared toward creators like those on YouTube and Snapchat Discover. As expected, this is all about giving users the ability to upload videos that are longer than a minute (up to an hour). And yes, the footage is vertical, as this is intended to be a mobile-first experience. IGTV will be available on Android and iOS "in the coming days," but you can watch the longer videos starting today inside the main Instagram app.
Facebook won't exempt publishers from new political ad policy
If publishers think Facebook would give them an exemption from its new political ad disclosure policy, they have another thing coming. The social network's Campbell Brown has rejected calls for publisher exemptions to the "paid for" label in a blog post, arguing that equal treatment is necessary to ensure the policy works. It would "go against our transparency efforts," Brown said, and would be ripe for abuse. A "bad actor" could hide its identity by claiming to be a publisher, and news outlets can take definite political stances.
Facebook tells advertisers to get consent for email and phone targeting
Facebook has had no shortage of privacy debacles lately, and it's taking steps to prevent another one before it starts. The company has instituted requirements for its Custom Audience advertising that, as of July 2nd, will tell them to ask permission for targeting ads based on contact info like email addresses and phone numbers. They'll also have declare how they got that contact info (direct consent, partners or a mix of both).
Twitter is making it easier to follow your favorite topics and events
Twitter has always been the ideal site for conversations and reactions around live events, be it a sports game, an awards show or serious breaking news. Up until today, you've been able to use the Twitter mobile apps to get notifications from specific accounts you're into, like an NBA team or a media outlet, as well as breaking news. But now, the company wants to take that one step further and make it easier for you to see the latest about events and topics you care about. You'll notice this in the form of push notifications that will be sent to your phone based on your particular interests, including who you follow and what you tweet about.
