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The world’s largest social network has more than 2 billion daily users, and is expanding rapidly around the world. Led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook undergirds much of the world’s communication online, both through its flagship app and its subsidiaries Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. Despite huge financial success, Facebook is also confronted with questions about data privacy, hate speech on the platform, and concerns that frequent social media use can lead to unhappiness. The Verge publishes a nightly newsletter about Facebook and democracy, subscribe here.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Fake podcast invites are one way for scammers to take over popular Facebook pages.

The Linus Tech Tips YouTube channel hack and takeover showed what an attacker could do after stealing session tokens with a fake sponsorship offer, but this report details how a podcast invite and Facebook Live connection is another angle.

The “podcast host” manipulated the hobbyist “guest” into exposing a unique “datasets” URL for their page. Once the scammer had it, they could invite themselves in as a new admin and lock the rightful owners out.

How a social engineering hack turned these Facebook pages into a dumping ground for spam

[Engadget]

Instagram and Facebook cross messaging is coming to an endInstagram and Facebook cross messaging is coming to an end
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
The states suing Meta over youth mental health reveal more of their evidence.

The attorneys general of 33 states sued Meta in October, but many details of what executives allegedly knew about the impacts of Facebook and Instagram on youth mental health were redacted. The New York Times reports a version with more details has been unsealed, and you can read all 233 pages here.

Between the first quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2023, Meta received over 1.1 million reports of under-13 users on Instagram via its underage reporting webform and in-app underage reporting process. These processes were only a few of many ways that Meta acquired actual knowledge of under-13 users on its Social Media Platforms. Despite this actual knowledge, Meta disabled only a fraction of those accounts and routinely continued to collect children’s data without parental consent,

In a statement, Meta says the lawsuit “mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents.”

People of the State of California v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (4:23-cv-05448) redacted complaint

[DocumentCloud]

Meta disbanded its Responsible AI teamMeta disbanded its Responsible AI team
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Now Meta’s Messenger app has a Notes status update feature just like Instagram and WhatsApp.

Over the last year, Meta has added AIM status-like features to Instagram and WhatsApp and today announced it’s rolling out Notes (using the same name as Instagram’s feature) for Messenger globally.

You can’t post them from the desktop, but a support document explains how to add or remove Notes via iPhone, iPad, or Android device by clicking the thought bubble next to your profile picture. If you don’t remove them manually, the messages expire after 24 hours.

Screenshot of the Messenger app showing icons for online friends with message bubbles over their faces showing their current status posted as a note. One nmaed Ana is telling her friends “Best time of the Year!, while Alicia posts “wtw?” abd Michael’s note is an upside down smiley face emoji.
Notes in Messenger
Image: Meta
Meta teases new AI-powered editing tools coming to Facebook and InstagramMeta teases new AI-powered editing tools coming to Facebook and Instagram
Social media giants must face child safety lawsuits, judge rulesSocial media giants must face child safety lawsuits, judge rules
Threads users can keep their posts off Instagram and Facebook nowThreads users can keep their posts off Instagram and Facebook now
Ad-free Instagram and Facebook is here — and it’s expensiveAd-free Instagram and Facebook is here — and it’s expensive
Meta to require political advertisers disclose AI-generated contentMeta to require political advertisers disclose AI-generated content
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Mark Zuckerberg is not fighting anyone any time soon.

Meta’s CEO posted this picture to Instagram Friday night, saying, “Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery.”

He was apparently training for his next competitive MMA match. Recovery from this type of injury takes up to a year for professional athletes, so an executive closing in on 40 could be out of action for a while. On the plus side, maybe this will keep Elon Musk from randomly threatening to show up at Zuckerberg’s house for a brawl.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Facebook is making it easier to publish Instant Games.

Now, you can publish them without a Facebook review. Facebook won’t organically surface those games, which will be available as part of the app’s “Play Lab” tier, but the reduced friction could make it easier to get early feedback on a game that may not be ready for a full launch just yet.

Introducing New Distribution Model for Instant Games

[Meta for Developers]

Facebook will let creators test different versions of ReelsFacebook will let creators test different versions of Reels
Facebook and Instagram launch a paid ad-free subscriptionFacebook and Instagram launch a paid ad-free subscription
Dozens of states sue Meta over youth mental health crisisDozens of states sue Meta over youth mental health crisis
Meta’s Telegram-like ‘broadcast channels’ are coming to Facebook and MessengerMeta’s Telegram-like ‘broadcast channels’ are coming to Facebook and Messenger
Wes Davis
Wes Davis
Meta now temporarily limits comments on posts about the war in Gaza.

Early this morning, Meta updated a blog post about its efforts regarding the war. The company detailed some changes it has made, including new, more limited default visibility settings for public posts made in the region, and making it easier for users to mass-delete comments on their posts.

Meta also said it had fixed several global bugs impacting the spread of information in the region.

Meta’s Ongoing Efforts Regarding the Israel-Hamas War | Meta

[Meta]

EU gives Meta 24 hours to respond to pro-Hamas contentEU gives Meta 24 hours to respond to pro-Hamas content
Doctored Joe Biden clip triggers Facebook Oversight Board reviewDoctored Joe Biden clip triggers Facebook Oversight Board review
Facebook’s new AI-generated stickers are lewd, rude, and occasionally nudeFacebook’s new AI-generated stickers are lewd, rude, and occasionally nude
Meta’s head of news relations, Campbell Brown, has stepped downMeta’s head of news relations, Campbell Brown, has stepped down
Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Would you pay $14/mth for ad-free Facebook or Instagram?

Or nearly $17/mth to use both. That’s what Meta is reportedly pitching EU regulators who want Zuck and Co to stop using personal data to target ads at European citizens without their consent. The bloc’s users could have three options by the end of this month: pay up, use for free but agree to personalized ads, or quit, with the latter looking very tempting.

WSJ News Exclusive | Meta Floats Charging $14 a Month for Ad-Free Instagram or Facebook

[The Wall Street Journal]

Facebook and Instagram will soon get a slew of AI-powered creator toolsFacebook and Instagram will soon get a slew of AI-powered creator tools
Facebook can be sued over biased ad algorithm, says courtFacebook can be sued over biased ad algorithm, says court
Meta’s AI chatbot plan includes a ‘sassy robot’ for younger usersMeta’s AI chatbot plan includes a ‘sassy robot’ for younger users
Facebook officially embraces fake profilesFacebook officially embraces fake profiles
Facebook changed its logo — see if you can tell the differenceFacebook changed its logo — see if you can tell the difference
Meta is expanding its paid verification badge to business accountsMeta is expanding its paid verification badge to business accounts
X continues to throttle links to competitorsX continues to throttle links to competitors
Meta sets GPT-4 as the bar for its next AI model, says a new reportMeta sets GPT-4 as the bar for its next AI model, says a new report
Wes Davis
Wes Davis
The Fifth Circuit Appeals court rules Biden admin “likely” violated the First Amendment.

A panel of judges ruled that government officials crossed a line while pressuring social media companies to curb covid misinformation, writing that they aren’t “permitted to advance these interests to the extent that it engages in viewpoint suppression.”

The court ... vacated much of U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty’s injunction, with the exception of a provision concerning alleged coercion, which it narrowed.

The 5th Circuit said the narrower injunction applied to the White House, the surgeon general, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FBI, but would no longer apply to other federal officials covered by the lower court order.

The judges had previously lifted the injunction, and this narrower one is on hold for ten days as the administration pursues a review by the Supreme Court.

Court eases curbs on Biden administration's contacts with social media firms

[Reuters]

Facebook’s unloved ‘News’ tab is going away in EuropeFacebook’s unloved ‘News’ tab is going away in Europe
Meta’s Oversight Board is too slow to matterMeta’s Oversight Board is too slow to matter
Facebook cracks down on global disinformation campaign linked to law enforcement in ChinaFacebook cracks down on global disinformation campaign linked to law enforcement in China
Instagram is adding a chronological feed for Reels and Stories in EuropeInstagram is adding a chronological feed for Reels and Stories in Europe
Meta accused of ignoring reports on dangerous contentMeta accused of ignoring reports on dangerous content
Facebook and Instagram start blocking news in CanadaFacebook and Instagram start blocking news in Canada
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
This year’s Meta Connect will be a two-day event, in-person at Meta HQ.

We’ve known the date for Meta’s next developer event since the company revealed the details of its Quest 3 headset, and now there’s more information available.

The two full days of programming will include a Keynote hosted by Mark Zuckerberg, the Developer State of the Union, and breakout sessions covering a range of topics related to AI and virtual, mixed, and augmented reality. Those who attend in person will also have access to demo experiences, networking events, and more.

Meta could make highly targeted ads opt-in, but only in EuropeMeta could make highly targeted ads opt-in, but only in Europe
Facebook needs stricter rules banning gender-based violence, says Oversight BoardFacebook needs stricter rules banning gender-based violence, says Oversight Board

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