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Justice Department antitrust head says big tech isn’t necessarily bad
Earlier this week, after Facebook and Twitter executives testified before Congress about misinformation, election meddling and content monitoring, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he would be meeting with state AGs about social networks "intentionally stifling the free exchange of ideas." The talks will also address concerns over anti-competitiveness among big tech companies. But now, Makan Delrahim, the Justice Department's antitrust division head, has put those competition concerns into some context.
Twitter and Periscope now offer audio-only live broadcasts
Twitter has offered at least some form of live video for years, but what if you can't (or don't want to) put something on camera? You no longer have to point followers somewhere else to hear your thoughts. The iOS versions of both the main Twitter app and Periscope now support audio-only live broadcasts, giving you the chance to reel in listeners without having to make yourself presentable or draw attention to your presence. You can track audience stats like you can with video, as well.
FCC chairman pushes for internet content transparency laws
The FCC isn't involved in the latest round of tech companies' congressional testimony, but that isn't stopping Chairman Ajit Pai from chiming in. The regulator has written a blog post effectively calling for laws requiring internet companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter to disclose how they decide on bans, demonetization and other policy decisions. People have "virtually no insight" into how tech giants make their decisions, he said, arguing that people should "seriously think" about forcing companies to "abide by new transparency obligations."
Facebook tells Senate it needs help stopping election interference
Facebook has been scrambling to fight election meddling ahead of the 2018 midterms, but it doesn't want to go alone. The social network has released COO Sheryl Sandberg's prepared testimony ahead of her Senate appearance on September 5th, and she uses the presentation to call for more government help in battling interference from countries like Russia. Facebook's staffers "can't stop interference by ourselves," she said, noting that Facebook doesn't have "all the investigative tools" of government and can't always identify perpetrators or their motivations.
Instagram displays more info to prove popular accounts are legit
Instagram is no stranger to fake accounts, and it's taking extra steps to ensure that you're not following fraudsters. It's rolling out an "About This Account" feature in the next few weeks that will show you details for users with large follower counts, including when they signed up, where their activity is located, the ads they're running and their social connections. You can figure out whether that politician's account is just a Russian ploy, or whether your celebrity crush really followed you.
Tumblr revamps its rules to clamp down on hate and violence
If Alex Jones thought he could catch a break after steering his followers to Tumblr... well, he might not want to get too comfortable. Tumblr (owned by our parent brand Oath) is revamping its Community Guidelines with stricter policies, most notably against hate speech and violence. It's starting by dropping "gray area" statements from its anti-hate policy that implied users should only report hate speech when it's "especially heinous." It wants users to bring up any instance where Tumblr users promote hate or violence, whether it targets race, religion, gender identity or other factors.
Instagram is testing virtual communities for college students
Facebook's pledge to "spark conversations and meaningful interactions" apparently extends to Instagram. The photo-sharing app has started testing a feature designed to bring college students going to the same university together in a virtual community. According to CNBC, the Facebook-owned company is inviting select users to join groups for their schools based on the accounts they follow, their connections and their public posts. If someone who got invited chooses to try it out, they have to opt in by choosing their university and graduating year from a set of predetermined choices.
All Pandora users can now share tunes on Snapchat
Pandora thinks it has a way to thrust its not-so-dominant Premium music service into the public consciousness: hooking into a social network that's also fighting for relevance. Premium subscribers can now share songs, stations and whole playlists as Snapchat cards, whether they're headed to Stories or directly to friends. You were previously limited to using a free or Plus membership, and in a much less sophisticated fashion to boot. And yes, Pandora is fully aware that your friends probably don't use the service. If they aren't Premium members (but live in the US), they can listen to half an hour of uninterrupted tunes so long as they're willing to watch a 30-second ad.
Facebook is rating users based on their 'trustworthiness'
Facebook hasn't been shy about rating the trustworthiness of news outlets, but it's now applying that thinking to users as well. The company's Tessa Lyons has revealed to the Washington Post that it's starting to assign users reputation scores on a zero-to-one scale. The system is meant to help Facebook's fight against fake news by flagging people who routinely make false claims against news outlets, whether it's due to an ideological disagreement or a personal grudge. This isn't the only way Facebook gauges credibility, according to Lyons -- it's just one of thousands of behavior markers Facebook is using.
EU draft law would force sites to remove extremist content
The European Union is no longer convinced that self-policing is enough to purge online extremist content. The Financial Times has learned that the EU is drafting legislation to force Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other internet companies to delete material when law enforcement flags it as terrorist-related. While EU security commissioner Julian King didn't provide details of how the measure would work, a source said it would "likely" mandate removing that content within an hour of receiving notice, turning the existing voluntary guidelines into an absolute requirement.
Jack Dorsey explains why Twitter is reluctant to fight fake news
Twitter chief Jack Dorsey's media tour has swung past CNN, and he's using this latest opportunity to defend more of the social network's controversial decisions over subjects like fake news. In an interview with Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter, Dorsey argued that his company hadn't "figured this [fake news] out" and was reluctant to outright remove false reports. It would be "dangerous" for Twitter staffers to serve as "arbiters of truth," he claimed.
Snapchat's much-needed Android overhaul is hiding in plain sight
Snap promised a sorely needed redesign for Snapchat's sluggish Android app back in November, and it's now clear what that tune-up will entail. Jane Manchun Wong has discovered (with additional detail from Kieron Quinn) that Snapchat's Android app hides a rough alpha version of the revamp with an experience more on par with the iOS version. The new interface is slightly tidier, but the most noticeable change is performance -- gone is the choppiness that you usually have to endure on Android. As a rule, the new app should be smooth as silk on reasonably powerful devices.
Facebook hit with federal complaint over discriminatory housing ads
Despite past efforts, Facebook hasn't avoided federal-level trouble over allegations it enabled discriminatory housing ads. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has officially filed a complaint against Facebook, accusing the social network of violating the Fair Housing Act. HUD claimed that Facebook's ad personalization let advertisers redline ZIP codes and exclude people based on gender, race, religion, accessibility, national origins and even parental status. The company was limiting home choices for protected classes "under the guise" of targeted ads, HUD said.
Senators want Google and Facebook to block 3D-printed gun files
US authorities lost the legal battle that would prevent Defense Distributed from legally releasing its 3D-printed gun files, but social networks can still ban them from their platforms. Facebook is already blocking people from posting their blueprints in the form of Computer Aided Design (CAD) files on its website and on Instagram, and now a group of Senators are asking other tech giants to do the same thing.
Jack Dorsey is finally realizing Twitter is a terrible place
Twitter's attempts to clean up its service using policies often feel like a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, and the company's leadership finally appears to be acknowledging that fact. CEO Jack Dorsey told the Washington Post in an interview that he was exploring reforms to key parts of Twitter's functionality to curb the spread of hate speech and fake news. As he put it, the company's policy-driven approach to date has only been tackling "surface-level symptoms" rather than the root causes, such as the incentives Twitter provides to its users.
Instagram's direct message polls give you private feedback
Instagram's polls are good for soliciting feedback (or just stroking your ego), but what if you'd rather not share the results with absolutely all of your followers? You now have that option. Poll stickers are now available for direct messages, making it easy to pick your friends' brains without broadcasting it as a Story. You can ask your closest pals for fashion tips without spoiling what you'll wear, for example.
Twitter bans far-right group Proud Boys ahead of Washington rally
Just because Twitter is reluctant to take action against some of its more malicious users doesn't mean it isn't cracking down against others. Twitter has confirmed to BuzzFeed News that it banned the accounts of the far-right group Proud Boys for reportedly breaking its rules prohibiting "violent extremist groups." The social network shut down the group's main account, its satellite accounts and that of its founder Gavin McInnes. While the company didn't specify what prompted the move, it came just after a violent August 4th protest in Portland, Oregon, and just ahead of the extreme right-wing Washington, DC rally on August 12th.
Democratic National Committee serves Wikileaks a summons on Twitter
You'll have to be creative to serve a secretive online organization like Wikileaks whose founder is hiding out in a foreign embassy. It definitely became an issue for the Democratic National Committee, which filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the group for the role it played in the 2016 cyberattack that targeted the political party. Now, the DNC has finally served the organization, and you can even see it for yourself... because it all went down on Twitter.
Microsoft's AltSpaceVR lets you build a virtual hangout
Microsoft's AltspaceVR differs drastically from other social networks by letting you share the same (virtual) space with your friends. Now, it's giving you more places to hang out with custom building kits. You start with a virtual hangout based on the popular "Campfire" and "Alien Planet" spaces, then customize it by grabbing assets from a curated library of flora, structures and shapes. You can then host muliplayer social games within your space and even add custom 3D design and sound.
Facebook's new Groups tool connects members to mentors
If you thought that Facebook's mentor program would be a good fit for group members looking for a helping hand, you'll be glad to hear that Facebook agrees. The social network is bringing its Mentorship feature to Groups, letting you coach others in your running club or support network. Group administrators have to create the programs and choose the people they believe are best-qualified. After that, everyone else in the group can sign up for a chance to be paired up with mentors. Each program is guided and promotes weekly check-ins.
