It's been 352 days since the Facebook Clear History button was announced, and still we have no such button. What's the holdup? Why would Facebook announce a button that could wipe out an individual's files and history on the social network's servers, then not deliver? The answer is clear: They probably never intended on delivering such a button.
Earlier this year, Twitter said it planned to offer a new feature that allowed users to hide replies on their tweets. The moderation tool will potentially cut down on the number of unrelated and unwanted replies on tweets, joining the existing -- and more drastic -- mute, block, and report features. In a new update on its latest efforts to reduce abuse on its platform, Twitter said it will release the new ability this summer.
It's probably rare to see @msn.com or @hotmail.com or even the newer @outlook.com these days but users of these long-standing email accounts do exist. They may show their age but now they might also be showing something else. Microsoft has recently acknowledged and sent warnings to Outlook.com users about a security breach that allowed hackers to pilfer no small amount of data. Unfortunately, it seems that Microsoft wasn't admitting to everything and the reach of this compromise is actually worse than it let on.
Brace yourself, social media addicts: Facebook is facing a massive outage across its main Facebook product, as well as Instagram and WhatsApp. Users around the world report difficulty accessing these platforms, with many reporting that they are completely down. The problem started around 6:30AM ET, at least based on reports from users. The issue impacts Facebook's mobile apps and websites.
Microsoft has sent an email to some Outlook.com users informing them of a security breach. The issue involved compromised credentials belonging to a support agent that left some accounts exposed to 'unauthorized parties,' according to Microsoft, with the vulnerability having existed from January 1 to March 28, 2019. The compromised credentials have since been disabled.
Google's habit of regularly and sometimes unceremoniously killing off its services and apps has become sort of a running joke that there are now websites dedicated to honoring those dearly and some not so dearly departed products. Some of those may have been forgotten after years of being buried and that may give Google a chance to recycle the name for something completely different. Just like Google Currents which is now the G Suite's replacement for another dead product: Google+.
Facebook has announced some new steps it is taking to address 'problematic content' on its platform, including reducing the reach of Groups that spread misinformation. This restriction will apply to Groups that 'repeatedly' share the content, according to Facebook, which also plans to reduce the amount of low-quality content its users see in their News Feed.
Twitter has just reduced the number of accounts its users can follow in a single day, the company has announced, but don't worry. The change isn't meant to impact you or any other legit Twitter user. Instead, this new limitation is targeted at the spammers who need to quickly follow large numbers of accounts, constantly following and unfollowing users while hoping to avoid being spotted.
Although Twitter has mostly survived unscathed amid the flood of privacy and safety scandals that have rocked Facebook and most social media at large, it has its own fair share of problems it has so far failed to address sufficiently. The brevity and spontaneity it encourages come at the price of control and moderation. As part of its attempts to remedy that, it is testing a new feature in Twitter conversations that will clearly label who's who in replies.
The day of reckoning for Google+ has arrived, with the little-loved - and oft-mocked - social network shutting down, at least for individual accounts. Google signed the Google+ death warrant last year, initially planning to give the remaining loyalists until August 2019 before the plug would be pulled.
If you're one of the nearly 1.7 million people subscribed to the Games subreddit, you're being greeted by a rather silent forum today. The moderators of /r/Games have shut the whole production down for April Fools' Day, but this isn't some kind of prank. Instead, the motivation behind this shut down is serious, as the moderators are attempting to shine a light on toxicity within the larger gaming community and within their subreddit.
Facebook has announced that starting next week, it will begin removing white nationalism and white separatism content if it praises either ideology, is in favor of them, or otherwise represents them. The ban will apply to both the main Facebook platform and Instagram, with the company saying that these movements 'have no place on our services.'