Twitter seems have been hit by yet another blow to its privacy and security reputation. The social media company has been found keeping data on direct messages that were deleted by users, despite stating that it does the opposite on its Help pages. Even more surprising is that DMs are being stored years after deletion, including those sent to or from accounts that were suspended or deactivated.
Facebook might be setting a new world record soon but not in a very good way. Reports indicate that it is negotiating with the US Federal Trade Commission over what could be the largest fine ever levied on a technology company, breaking Google's $22.5 million in 2012. But while the still non-final multi-billion dollar penalty is seen as a "day of reckoning" for the social network giant, it will take more than just monetary fines to make Facebook change its ways.
Fame has its price, as many high-profile personalities can attest to. In addition to dealing with both love and hatred, there's also the matter of potential threats to their safety. That's true for both a single person and a large company, especially one that's both famous and infamous like Facebook. But while most other companies have to take a reactive stance, Facebook tries to be one step ahead of danger by putting its own users in a "Be On Lookout" or BOLO list of people whom it perceives as a potential threat to the safety of its employees and offices.
Reddit has released its transparency report for the year 2018, detailing the number and types of requests it received, including ones sent by governments around the world. For its latest report, the company has included information about retractions, restorations, and copyright removals, plus info on when it removed content in violation of its Content Policy.
Mark Zuckerberg wants to unify the company's separate messaging services. Not everyone agrees, especially considering the privacy nightmare it could lead to. The social networking giant, however, could be attacking the problem from a slightly different angle. There are now signs that Instagram is playing around with a version of its Direct messaging feature for web browsers on desktops. And while this might sound like a great standalone feature, it could also be just the opening salvo for a series of changes.
On Tuesday, Twitter revealed via its Support account that the platform is currently experiencing an "issue" with multiple aspects of its service, including Likes. The confirmation follows complaints from users who noticed unusual variations in the Likes on their tweets, the changes having prompted speculation that Twitter was suspending large numbers of accounts or removing Likes for nefarious reasons.
Gmail in the browser is about to get even more flexible, with Google adding new right-click menu options to its email UI. The update is designed to make those whose email lives still remain in the browser more straightforward, with Google promising it'll begin rolling out from today.
Browsers these days are so powerful you can almost do anything in them. Yes, sometimes even run older (ancient, really) operating systems in a browser tab. Want to play 3D games? Google's Project Stream is working on that. How about virtual and augmented reality experiences? That's in the works, too. And with the new WebXR Device API on its way to become a standard specification, there might be a time when all you need for VR and AR is a portable headset and a web browser.
You may not know it yet, but your location is almost as important as your email address and password. It is one of the things hackers and advertisers love to know, precisely because of how much we've come to unknowingly depend on it. From check-ins to store deals to, of course, navigation, we've come to rely on location data in our modern lives. Even in navigation, however, location can be a hit or miss, both powered and limited by GPS technology. That is why for the next evolution of Google Maps, the search giant is mashing together augmented reality, computer vision, and AI to deliver more accurate and more useful directions and information.
It turns out that a "sensitivity screen" wouldn't enough after all. In reviewing the role it may have played in a recent teen suicide, Instagram has reportedly thought of putting a blurry block on top of graphic images of self-harm and suicide. But given the complexity of balancing equally valid concerns, Instagram is setting its foot down on a simpler solution. Graphic self-harm photos are out. Non-graphic ones are allowed but you'd be hard-pressed to find them.
As if the social network with the biggest variety of ways to post a piece of content was king, Instagram's released another new feature. This new system allows creators to take clips from their IGTV videos to post to the main news feed. Instagram said they did this so that "you can preview IGTV videos in your feed."
Google Fiber is shutting down in Louisville, Kentucky, the company has announced. The decision to pull out of that market was due to ongoing troubles the company has been experiencing, ones that would require it to "essentially rebuild" its entire network to fix. That's not possible, Google Fiber said in its announcement today, and so instead it will be terminating service later this year.