Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. government seeks Facebook help to wiretap Messenger – sources. “The U.S. government is trying to force Facebook Inc (FB.O) to break the encryption in its popular Messenger app so law enforcement may listen to a suspect’s voice conversations in a criminal probe, three people briefed on the case said, resurrecting the issue of whether companies can be compelled to alter their products to enable surveillance.”
CNET: Facebook and NYU want to use AI to make MRI exams faster
CNET: Facebook and NYU want to use AI to make MRI exams faster. “MRI scans may some day be available for a lot more people in need. Facebook on Monday said it’s teaming up with NYU School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology to launch ‘fastMRI,’ a collaborative research project that aims to use artificial intelligence to make MRI — magnetic resonance imaging — 10 times faster.”
Recode: Inside Facebook’s plan to protect the U.S. midterm elections
Recode: Inside Facebook’s plan to protect the U.S. midterm elections. “On one hand, Facebook’s safeguards to prevent another election interference campaign appeared to work. On the other, it was a sign that Facebook will once again be a target — or perhaps a weapon — for people who want to divide American voters ahead of the 2018 midterms and destabilize support for government officials. Harvard lecturer Eric Rosenbach is bracing for the latter. “
CNET: Facebook takes heat from HUD over allegedly discriminatory housing ads
CNET: Facebook takes heat from HUD over allegedly discriminatory housing ads. “Facebook is getting in trouble again for housing ads that a US agency says are discriminatory. The Department of Housing and Urban Development said Friday that it’s filed a formal complaint against Facebook for violating the Fair Housing Act because the social network lets landlords and home sellers engage in housing discrimination.”
New York Times: ‘Weaponized Ad Technology’: Facebook’s Moneymaker Gets a Critical Eye
New York Times: ‘Weaponized Ad Technology’: Facebook’s Moneymaker Gets a Critical Eye. “Brands love it. So do political campaigns, like those for President Trump and former President Barack Obama, which tailored their messages to narrow subsets of voters. But microtargeting, as the technique is called, is coming under increased scrutiny in the United States and Europe. Some government officials, researchers and advertising executives warn that it can be exploited to polarize and manipulate voters. And they are calling for restrictions on its use in politics, even after Facebook, in response to criticism, recently limited some of the targeting categories available to advertisers.”
Tubefilter: Facebook’s Birthday Fundraisers Have Raised $300 Million In The Past Year
Tubefilter: Facebook’s Birthday Fundraisers Have Raised $300 Million In The Past Year. “Facebook has many functions—you can use it for everything from sharing photos of a recent trip to influencing political campaigns. But lots of people simply check into the social platform to wish their friends and acquaintances a happy birthday, and because of that, Facebook users have raised $300 million in the last year for various causes.”
Go Zuck Yourself: Facebook destroys patent suit over timeline (The Register)
The Register: Go Zuck Yourself: Facebook destroys patent suit over timeline . “Facebook has prevailed in a suit over its iconic news feed and claims it ripped off the idea from a patent troll. Judge John Koetl granted Summary Judgement [PDF] to House Zuck, approving its motion to dismiss an allegation that the Facebook timeline violated Mirror Worlds’ purchased patents on the organization of messages and news items.”
