Tag Archives: Facebook

Trump Data Firm Stole Info From 50M Facebook Users

The New York Times reports: As the upstart voter-profiling company Cambridge Analytica prepared to wade into the 2014 American midterm elections, it had a problem. The firm had secured a $15 million investment from Robert Mercer, the wealthy Republican donor, and wooed his political adviser, Stephen K. Bannon, with the promise of tools that could identify the personalities of American …

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Stolen Info: Facebook Bans Trump-Affiliated Data Firm

The Washington Post reports: Facebook is suspending the Trump-affiliated data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, after learning that it failed to delete data that it had taken inappropriately from users of the social network, Facebook said late Friday. Facebook said it was suspending the accounts of Strategic Communication Laboratories, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, as well as the accounts of …

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Unilever Threatens To Pull Web Ads Over Fake News

CNN reports: Unilever is threatening to pull its advertising from digital platforms that it says have become a “swamp” of fake news, racism, sexism and extremism. The forceful warning to digital platforms such as Google and Facebook will be delivered at an advertising conference in California later on Monday. “We cannot continue to prop up a digital supply chain which …

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Facebook Tests Long-Demanded “Dislike” Button

The Daily Beast reports: Facebook is testing a “downvote” button with certain users, effectively creating the “dislike” button long predicted by memes and articles since inception of the Like button. The test appeared for several users on Thursday in the comment section of posts within Facebook groups and on old Facebook memories content. Users shared screenshots with The Daily Beast. …

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Rupert Murdoch: Facebook Should Pay News Outlets

Variety reports: Rupert Murdoch weighed in on Facebook’s attempts to improve the accuracy of the news its delivers across its global platform — and suggested that what would really work is for the internet giant to follow the model of the pay-TV industry. “If Facebook wants to recognize ‘trusted’ publishers then it should pay those publishers a carriage fee similar …

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Social Media Giants Testify On Battling Extremists

CNBC reports: Facebook, Google and Twitter told Congress Wednesday that they’ve gone beyond screening and removing extremist content and are creating more anti-terror propaganda to pre-empt violent messages at the source. Representatives from the three companies told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that they are, among other things, targeting people likely to be swayed by extremist messages …

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GERMANY: Neo-Nazi Party Tests New Hate Speech Laws, Immediately Zapped By Facebook And Twitter

CNN reports: Germany’s tough new social media law appears to be working: A far-right member of parliament had her Twitter account suspended shortly after posting an anti-Muslim message. Under a law that took full effect in Germany on Monday, Twitter, Facebook and other social media companies can be fined as much as €50 million ($60 million) if they fail to …

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Facebook Rolls Out New Facial Recognition Feature

TechCrunch reports: Facebook wants to make sure you know about and control the photos of you people upload, even if they don’t tag you. So today, Facebook launched a new facial recognition feature called Photo Review that will alert you when your face shows up in newly posted photos so you can tag yourself, leave it be, ask the uploader …

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House Democrats Release Russian Facebook Ads

Talking Points Memo reports: Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee posted Wednesday a selection of the Facebook ads purchased by Russia-linked accounts as the committee’s hearing on how Russia exploited social media during the 2016 election got under way. The committee Dems posted screenshots of the ads, as well as some of the the meta data associated with the ads, …

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REVEALED: Russian Election Content On Facebook Was Seen By 126 Million, Many Times More Than Thought

The Washington Post reports: Facebook plans to tell lawmakers on Tuesday that 126 million of its users may have seen content produced and circulated by Russian operatives, many times more than what the company previously disclosed about the reach of the disinformation campaign during the 2016 presidential election, according to documents obtained by the Washington Post. Google on Monday acknowledged …

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Facebook Tests Taking Non-Promoted Media Posts Out Of User Feeds, Outlets Report Massive Drop In Hits

The Hill reports: Facebook is testing a new update that would move non-promoted posts out of users’ newsfeeds, which could be a major hit to media publishers who use the platform to bring traffic to their websites. The changes are currently being tested in six countries including Slovakia, Serbia and Sri Lanka, according to Filip Struhárik, a journalist at Slovakian …

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Facebook, Instagram Outages Hit Users Worldwide

Mashable reports: Bad news, friends: Facebook appears to be down for a large number of users. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, is reportedly struggling too. Users of the social media platform began reporting issues around 11:11 a.m. EST, and it appears the outage has spread. The problems appear to be affecting users on both desktop and mobile. Multiple services, …

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Facebook Tests “Context” Button To Fight Fake News

TechCrunch reports: Facebook thinks showing Wikipedia entries about publishers and additional Related Articles will give users more context about the links they see. So today it’s beginning a test of a new “i” button on News Feed links that opens up an informational panel. “People have told us that they want more information about what they’re reading” Facebook product manager …

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Facebook Publishes Full-Page Ads In Wake Of Russia Revelations: We Will Fight Against Election Interference

Fortune reports: Facebook took out full-page advertisements in Wednesday’s issues of the New York Times and Washington Post in an effort to defend itself as the company takes fire for its role in Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The company, which has acknowledged that about 10 million Americans saw Russian-linked ads on Facebook, outlined in its ad the …

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Russian Facebook Ads Targeted Key Swing States

CNN reports: A number of Russian-linked Facebook ads specifically targeted Michigan and Wisconsin, two states crucial to Donald Trump’s victory last November, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the situation. Some of the Russian ads appeared highly sophisticated in their targeting of key demographic groups in areas of the states that turned out to be pivotal, two of …

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ACLU Battles DOJ Search Warrants Seeking Information On 6000 Facebook Users Who “Liked” Anti-Trump Page

Law Newz reports: The ACLU-DC is trying to stop three search warrants that would let the Department of Justice snoop around protesters’ Facebook accounts over Inauguration Day protests. They filed in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday, saying the government’s demands violate the Fourth Amendment because they are so broad and threaten First Amendment speech. These warrants ask for too much …

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Zuckerberg Hits Back At Trump’s Conspiracy Claim

From Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook page: I want to respond to President Trump’s tweet this morning claiming Facebook has always been against him. Every day I work to bring people together and build a community for everyone. We hope to give all people a voice and create a platform for all ideas. Trump says Facebook is against him. Liberals say we …

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Trump: Facebook And All Media Conspire Against Me

The Washington Examiner reports: President Trump alleged Wednesday major media organizations and social networks are working in a vast conspiracy against him. Trump has long maintained the media is out to get him and harm his administration, or at the very least not telling the full story of his presidency or electoral victory. The tweet comes after Facebook revealed Russian-connected …

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Russian Facebook Ads Backed Stein, Sanders, Trump

Politico reports: Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was the beneficiary of at least one of the Russian-bought political ads on Facebook that federal government officials suspect were intended to influence the 2016 election. Other advertisements paid for by shadowy Russian buyers criticized Hillary Clinton and promoted Donald Trump. Some backed Bernie Sanders and his platform even after his presidential …

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REPORT: Trump Campaign Conspired With Family Research Council To Infiltrate Facebook Management

Buzzfeed reports: Steve Bannon plotted to plant a mole inside Facebook, according to emails sent days before the Breitbart boss took over Donald Trump’s campaign and obtained by BuzzFeed News. The email exchange with a conservative Washington operative reveals the importance that the giant tech platform — now reeling from its role in the 2016 election — held for one …

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