Investigation claims Facebook rife with political manipulation
A former employee at Facebook alleges that the social media giant prioritises PR in the west. In other countries with less influence, policy abuses and political deception on the platform are reportedly being ignored. Facebook is reportedly allowing world leaders and influential figures to go against company policy and post...
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Facebook app ‘Sparked’ to bring kindness to dating
In a ruthless age of dating, where potential suitors are mercilessly swiped by and matches routinely ghosted, Facebook is promoting a kind approach to speed-dating with its new app ‘Sparked.’ Getting into dating these days is easier than ever, thanks to a multitude of free apps such as Tinder, Bumble,...
Facebook unveils its Clubhouse competitor ‘Hotline’ with beta test
Hot on the heels of Clubhouse and wanting to gain a slice of the burgeoning audio chat market, Facebook is finally showing its hand with ‘Hotline’ beta tests. Well... that didn’t take long, did it? Clubhouse’s meteoric rise over the last year has cemented ephemeral audio chat as the hottest new...
Clubhouse users can soon make in-app donations to creators
As the latest part of its monetisation efforts, Clubhouse will allow users to make donations to their favourite creators. The flagship audio app won’t take a cut of payments. It’s been quite the inaugural year for flagship audio chat app Clubhouse. Already numero uno in the audio chat space, Facebook...
The Biden administration looks to bring ‘vaccine passports’ to the US
With talk of overseas travel and big entertainment events returning in the not so distant future, the Biden administration is pushing digital apps to credentialise those who have been vaccinated. If you’re planning a holiday to or from the US in the next few years, you may have to bring...
Facebook’s donation tools raise $5bn for worthy causes
Through public donation tools on both Facebook and Instagram, Zuckerberg claims more than $5 billion has been raised in non-profit fundraisers. The pandemic has definitely been something of a double edged sword for Facebook. With folk condemned to their homes across the globe over the last 12 months, engagement has risen...
Facebook considered least secure social media site
A recent study suggests that Facebook is considered to be the least secure social media platform, despite TikTok’s ties to China and longstanding controversies. Before receiving the results from the latest tech surveys you’d be forgiven for thinking that TikTok takes the crown as the least secure social media platform, at least as far as public opinion is concerned. Plagued by accusations of Chinese spyware and repeatedly called out...
Clubhouse opens monetisation opportunities to creators
With other big players circling to take advantage of the audio chatroom space, Clubhouse is now opening monetisation opportunities to keep its creators in house. Clubhouse is fast discovering that there’s no such thing as a USP patent in the social media space. But as user incentives go, free stuff and dollars in the bank is good way of keeping people onside. As Twitter and Facebook lurk in...
Is big tech aiding a tyranny against India’s climate activists?
As an international conspiracy falls apart against India’s adored climate activist Disha Ravi, big tech is being forced to answer for its role in aiding a national tyranny. In India, one of the nation’s most affected by climate change, it appears eco-activists are no longer safe to protest. Last month, Disha Ravi - a 22-year-old climate activist and one of the founders of Fridays for Future - was arrested on conspiracy...
How ‘virtual escape rooms’ are helping students enrol during Covid-19
Thanks to Covid-19, enrolling at new schools has become a challenging process on all fronts. With campus tours and face-to-face interviews off the table, admissions officers are now evaluating prospective students through virtual escape rooms. It turns out ‘escape room’ experiences have uses beyond bringing workmates together for novel team bonding sessions, or inspiring the naff horror movies on Netflix. Covid-19 rapidly changed the landscape for schooling throughout 2020. Social distancing...
