New York Times: Facebook’s New Tool Lets You See Which Apps and Websites Tracked You. “The company introduced a new tool that lets people better see and control the information that Facebook has gathered about their browsing habits outside the social network. The tool, Off-Facebook Activity, allows users to view the hundreds of sites and apps that share data and customer information with Facebook. They can then erase the data it they want.” Not available in the US yet, unfortunately, but if you’re in Ireland, South Korea, or Spain, you’re in luck.
New York Times: State Attorneys General Said to Be Near Formal Investigation of Tech Companies
New York Times: State Attorneys General Said to Be Near Formal Investigation of Tech Companies. “The state attorneys general in more than a dozen states are preparing to begin an antitrust investigation of the major tech companies, according to two people briefed on the discussions, increasing pressure on the firms.”
The Verge: Facebook’s antitrust investigation could finish as soon as next year
The Verge: Facebook’s antitrust investigation could finish as soon as next year. “Facebook’s looming antitrust fight could come as soon as next year, according to statements by FTC Chairman Joe Simons reported by the Financial Times. Simons told FT that he sees the 2020 elections as a looming deadline for the probe, and would seek to make any finding before November 2020 as a result.”
Mashable: Twitter and Facebook suspend accounts linked to Chinese government
Mashable: Twitter and Facebook suspend accounts linked to Chinese government . “Twitter and Facebook have suspended accounts for running a state-sponsored propaganda campaign targeting Hong Kong protesters. Twitter says it suspended 936 accounts that were ‘deliberately and specifically attempting to sow political discord in Hong Kong’ as well as 200,000 more ‘spammy’ accounts that were ‘proactively suspended before they were substantially active.'”
The Next Web: Facebook should stop trying to disrupt payments with Libra and focus on repair
The Next Web: Facebook should stop trying to disrupt payments with Libra and focus on repair. “When companies attempt to enter new highly regulated markets, regulators typically look at the company’s intentions and previous compliance. Facebook has a long history of willful neglect of their consumers’ privacy, as evidenced by numerous disclosures, including a document seizure by the United Kingdom’s parliament.”
Mashable: Facebook pop-up cafes will teach users about their privacy settings
Mashable: Facebook pop-up cafes will teach users about their privacy settings . “According to the Evening Standard, the social media behemoth is getting all trendy and opening five ‘pop-up cafes’ in the United Kingdom between Aug. 28 and Sept. 5. They’ll serve free coffee and are meant to help UK users set up their privacy settings. ” I wonder if they could give us an update on Facebook’s Clear History tool.
Lifehacker: Change These Facebook Settings to Make Your Audio Recordings More Private
Lifehacker: Change These Facebook Settings to Make Your Audio Recordings More Private. “As always, the best way to deal with these kinds of things is to not wait for the company to fix one of its programs, but ensure you’re doing everything you can to keep your data—and your voice—under your control.”
