Latest about Facebook: News, Features, Opinions and More 

Don't panic! It's just that Facebook has been down
Facebook has been down on Tuesday night, giving users error messages or long response times.

Facebook set to beef up Instagram with video?
Speculation abounds that Facebook Thursday will unveil tools to enable its popular Instagram app to take and share short videos.

Yahoo discloses user data requests from U.S. law enforcement agencies
Yahoo has received between 12,000 to 13,000 requests for user data from law enforcement agencies in the U.S. between Dec. 1 and May 31 this year, the company said Monday.

Facebook, Microsoft disclose little on national security requests
Facebook and Microsoft each fielded thousands of requests for user data as part of law enforcement investigations from U.S. authorities in the second half of last year, they said late Friday.

Facebook to announce mysterious new product next week
Facebook appears to have a new product up its sleeve that it will unveil next week at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California.

Facebook sets new product reveal for June 20
Facebook is gearing up for a product announcement on June 20, but isn't saying what it has planned.

Lying, prying and spying: Is the NSA worth it?
Is the NSA defending their intellectual property with more success than they protect our country?

Does encryption really shield you from government's prying eyes?
If you're thinking about encrypting email in light of revelations about U.S. government spying, you may be wasting your time.

Spy-proof enterprise encryption is possible, but daunting
Data encryption could help enterprises protect their sensitive information against mass surveillance by governments, as well as guard against unauthorized access by ill-intended third parties, but the correct implementation and use of data encryption technologies is not an easy task, according to security experts.

Facebook copies social rival Twitter, adopts hashtags
Taking a page from Twitter's playbook, Facebook started to roll out the use of hashtags.

Hands-free tech still poses high risk for drivers
A study from AAA finds that even hands-free technology, like Apple's iOS in-car displays, still poses a relatively high level of driver distraction.

Facebook, Twitter support Google's call for transparency in surveillance requests
Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft have joined Google in asking for greater transparency in surveillance requests, following widespread criticism of the U.S. government's surveillance programs and the role of the Internet companies.

Google asks DOJ if it can release details on government data requests
Google has sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI director Robert Mueller seeking permission to disclose specific details about the information it is required to provide to the government in response to requests for user data from U.S. intelligence agencies.

Facebook execs hammered with IPO questions at first shareholders meeting
At Facebook's first shareholders' meeting, CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg took it on the chin from stockholders unhappy about last year's IPO.

10 stars of 'cross-platformity'
At work or play, these 10 applications can be used across a variety of platforms.

Lawsuit filed over NSA phone spying program
A former federal prosecutor and the parents of a Navy SEAL killed in action in Afghanistan have filed a lawsuit against President Barack Obama, Verizon, the National Security Agency and others over the NSA domestic spying operation.

Prism leaker steps forward, cites 'massive surveillance machine'
The person responsible for disclosing details on the growth of U.S. government surveillance programs has identified himself as 29-year-old Edward Snowden, a technology contractor working at the National Security Agency.

Larry Page: US government has no access to information on Google servers
Google has denied involvement in a U.S. government surveillance program called Prism since news broke Thursday that the National Security Agency has been accessing the servers of some of the largest Internet companies, but now company executives insist they had never heard of the program.

Privacy tradeoffs are inevitable to keep nation safe, Obama says
President Barack Obama today forcefully defended the government's data collection activities, calling them vital to protecting the nation against terrorist attacks.

Facebook aims to simplify advertising for marketers
Facebook is gearing up for a new project to simplify its advertising platform, making it easier for marketers to decide how to place ads across the site.

Facebook sets Sept. 12 deadline for moving games to local currencies
Facebook is phasing out its Credits virtual payment system and will be transitioning all games integrated into the social network to a new local payments API by Sept. 12, the company announced Wednesday.

Android finally gets Twitter's video app, Vine
A little more than four months after Twitter unveiled its video service, Vine, the company has launched a version for Android.

LinkedIn aims to block hackers with two-factor login
Add LinkedIn to the list of Internet companies trying to make themselves safer from cyberattacks by adding two-step authentication.

Ads hit Tumblr desktop feeds as Yahoo takeover looms
Tumblr is now putting ads in users' feeds on the desktop, in what could be the first move toward making sure the social blogging site is a profitable business for Yahoo.

Facebook starts verifying VIPs (unwashed masses need not apply)
The coveted blue check mark that indicates you're a Very Important Person on Twitter is now making its way to Facebook.

Nissan, other brands suspend Facebook ads over offensive content
Nissan and some other big brands have suspended advertising campaigns on Facebook after ads were apparently displayed next to offensive content on the site.

Facebook puts its stamp on public figures with verified Pages
Just like on Twitter, Facebook is now putting a small, blue check mark next to the names of celebrities and other high-profile people and businesses on the site to signify their authenticity.

Nasdaq must pay $10M to settle SEC charges over Facebook IPO woes
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged the Nasdaq stock exchange with violations of securities law for its "poor systems and decision-making" during Facebook's initial public offering, the agency has announced.

Facebook waves good-bye to Waze, opens door for Google
Facebook is reportedly pulling out of acquisition negotiations with mobile app provider Waze, opening the door for a Google buy.

Amazon Web Services integrates with Google, Facebook for easier logins
Using a new API announced by Amazon Web Services, developers can use Amazon.com, Facebook, or Google's sign-in systems for their cloud-based apps.

Facebook crafts new policies to better combat hate speech
Facebook is admitting that it can do a better job in removing certain types of hate speech on the site, and is introducing some new policies to improve its track record.

Google ready to start shipping Glass to #ifihadglass Explorers
For the 8,000 or so people who signed up this spring to be Glass Explorers, your wait for the computerized eyeglasses may soon be over.

Facebook delays Home in Europe, seeks stronger 'First' impression
Users in the U.K. and France will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on the HTC First. The first smartphone to come preinstalled with Facebook Home has been delayed in those countries while Facebook updates the software to address some negative user feedback.

Teens growing cool on Facebook but warming to Twitter, Pew study finds
Some teens are growing tired of the excessive sharing and "drama" on Facebook and more are turning to sites like Twitter and Instagram to express themselves, according to a new study.

Bitcoin's rollercoaster ride is not slowing down
More bumps in the road are probably in store for Bitcoin. The virtual currency has seen some massive swings in value over the last several weeks, but that volatility is not likely to end soon, its lead developer suggested on Saturday.

The 4 Best Things About the Google+ Redesign
Google announced a complete overhaul of its social network, Google+, at this week's I/O conference in San Francisco. Here's an in-depth look at all the changes and why they make Google+ better.

Google Glass ecosystem grows with Twitter, Facebook and CNN apps
Google is working to build out the app ecosystem for its upcoming Glass, showing off work today at Google I/O from partners like Twitter, Facebook, CNN and Elle.

NetChoice says California privacy bills are bad for Internet
E-commerce trade group NetChoice takes aim at state legislation -- and at open access and privacy advocates -- in the newest list of bills it deems would be awful for the Internet.

Windows 8 isn't New Coke, says top Microsoft exec; it's Diet Coke
Frank X. Shaw, Microsoft's head of corporate communications, defended his company's Windows information disclosure strategy, denying that Microsoft has adopted Apple's "cone of silence" approach to imparting news.

Mozilla to Firefox: 'Browser, heal thyself'
Mozilla on Tuesday released Firefox 21, adding more social media connections, tweaking the Do Not Track privacy setting and rolling out a new tool that long term, aims to create a self-healing browser.

State social media privacy laws a mixed bag for businesses
New social media privacy laws that have been enacted in several states around the country, or are in the works, present something of a mixed bag for businesses.

Windows 8 app store fails Top 10 test
Microsoft's Windows 8 app store failed a test touted by a former Microsoft manager and distinguished engineer as a way to determine an ecosystem's relevance.

BlackBerry Messenger is expanding to iOS and Android
BlackBerry's free Messenger service is being expanded to work with iOS and Android devices, the company announced today at its BlackBerry Live event.

7 steps to securing Java
Java, the popular OS-independent platform and programming language, runs on just about every kind of electronic device imaginable, including computers, cell phones, printers, TVs, DVDs, home security systems, automated teller machines, navigation systems, games and medical devices.

What Open Source Hadoop Coming to Windows Means to IT
Hadoop is nearly synonymous with the analysis of big data. The Hortonworks Data Platform on Windows is significant as it means that companies lacking Linux expertise will finally be able to benefit from the big data analysis platform, which has been out of the reach of Windows shops.

Wall Street Beat: Rise in markets could fuel tech M&A
Increasing confidence in the economy and a rising stock market could lay the groundwork for a revival in tech-sector mergers and acquisitions as companies embrace cloud technology and pursue game-changing software, particularly for the mobile market.

Bing adds more Facebook to search
Bing is adding some new social features to its search engine, by letting users comment and "like" their Facebook friends' posts directly on the site.

Google boosts Glass with Google+, search upgrades
Google Glass developers and early adopters should be getting a software upgrade within the next week that adds tweaks to Google+, Gmail and search.

Facebook Home attracts close to 1 million downloads
Facebook has attracted "just about" 1 million downloads of its Home application in its first month of availability.

Facebook may be driving deal for Waze mobile app
Facebook reportedly is in talks to buy a popular Israeli-based crowd-sourced mapping and traffic app.

Facebook plans to design an open-source switch
As part of the Open Compute Project (OCP), Facebook's network engineering team is leading a project to develop an open source networking switch.

6 Tips to Build Your Social Media Strategy
With so many social media options, how do you pick the best one(s)? IT executives and social media experts share their top six tips for selecting the social media platforms that will provide the greatest return on your investment of time and resources.

Downdetector.com scours Twittersphere to detect service outages faster
A Dutch startup has launched a service that studies data from social networks to quickly identify online service outages -- sometimes, it says, before the service providers know about the outages themselves.

Yahoo recruiting iOS developers to 'radically improve' Flickr
Yahoo's Flickr mobile app may be getting a completely new look in the months to come, as the company seeks to hire multiple iOS engineers to "radically improve" the photo-sharing site's app and attract new users, the company said in a recent job notice.

Facebook on a mobile roll
Facebook last week cited mobile growth as a major contributor to its first-quarter increase in sales and profits.

What I learned living abroad as a digital nomad
Digital nomad Mike Elgan returns to the U.S. after 10 months of travel and shares these tips for working and living abroad.

Facebook gets to keep its 'Timeline' following trademark settlement
Facebook has reached an agreement with the company Timelines Inc. to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit over the social network's use of the name Timeline.

Wall Street Beat: Tech stocks jump as market indexes hit milestones
On the back end of an earnings season that by many accounts could have been worse, tech investors appeared to be in the mood to celebrate on Friday, sending shares of IT companies higher as key stock-market indexes hit milestone highs.

H-1B reform debate pits tech firms against iT veterans
Many U.S. tech companies are pushing hard this year for an increase in the number of high-skill immigrants allowed into the country, but many veteran IT workers question their motives for wanting to increase the number of visas under the controversial H-1B program.

Facebook rethinks its 'hackathons' with an eye toward mobile
Facebook is retooling its famous "hackathon" all-night coding workshops to give engineers more time to conceive new products, hopefully with a focus on mobile.

Facebook cites mobile growth as it posts increased sales, profit in Q1
Facebook posted a revenue increase of 38% in the first quarter that was bolstered by broad engagement across the site, the company reported Wednesday.

Facebook's big data plans include warehouses, faster analytics
Facebook may treasure the data it has on its one billion-plus users for its advertising returns, but the analysis the site performs on that data is expected to continue to pose numerous challenges over the coming year, an engineer said.

Google may have smart eyeglasses but Budweiser has smart beer glasses
Budweiser is trying to make it easier to make friends -- Facebook friends -- when you're drinking beer.

21 tips for supercharging your cloud storage
Cloud storage isn't just for files and photos. With the right tools and services, you can do much more: organize data, or automate uploads and downloads. Synchronize, of course. Score extra space without paying an extra cent. Run a basic Web site from a cloud service, manage media, or even fax.

Designing your digital legacy
We lead rich virtual lives on social networking sites like Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. So what happens when real life catches up, and our flesh-and-blood bodies succumb to mortality? For our virtual selves, at least, some concrete answers are available--ways to settle our digital affairs after death, while minimizing hassle and heartache for loved ones.

On Facebook, men talk about music, women discuss family and friends
The average Facebook user has 342 friends and teenage girls and boys tend to misreport their relationship status as married, according to an analysis of Facebook data by Wolfram Alpha founder Stephen Wolfram.

Facebook buys Parse, gets into development tools business
Facebook is acquiring Parse, a cloud service company that makes it easier for developers to build mobile apps by providing them with a hosted back-end infrastructure, the companies announced Thursday.

How companies should navigate social media in a crisis
Companies using social networks like Twitter and Facebook need to face what to do during a national crisis like the Boston Marathon bombing.

Tumblr updates iOS app for wider social media sharing
Tumblr is giving its users more options to share their posts across other social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, with a new iOS app released Wednesday.

AP Twitter hack looks like a security tipping point
Getting hacked on Twitter is fast becoming a rite of passage for big corporations, but Tuesday's attack on the Associated Press could be a tipping point and shows that social networks must do more to keep their users safe, security experts said.

Wall Street pushes for exemptions in state social-media monitoring laws
Even as several states have put in place, or are proposing new laws barring employers from monitoring the social media activities of their employees, one Wall Street regulator is seeking exemptions to such rules for some financial services companies.

Mobile data and messaging exceeds voice revenues for the first time on mobiles: Telsyte
The value of mobile data and messaging revenues has exceeded voice call revenues for the first time in Australia, according to new research from technology analyst firm, Telsyte.

Reddit apologizes for 'online witch hunt' for Boston bombing suspect
In a testament to the issues surrounding the appropriate use of social media during a tragedy, Reddit is publicly apologizing for the role that it played last week in fueling an online witch hunt that led to identifying an innocent Brown University student as a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Facebook Home hits 500K downloads
In the 10 days that Facebook Home has been available, it has had more than 500,000 downloads.

Yahoo slims down, again, trashing Deals, SMS Alerts
Yahoo is giving itself a bit of a makeover. Earlier this week it launched two new mobile apps for email and weather; now it's ditching numerous longstanding products, including Deals and SMS Alerts, in an attempt to sharpen its focus, the company announced Friday.

Update: Boston police use Twitter to inform residents during manhunt
Boston police today used Twitter and Facebook to reach out to residents during a manhunt for one of the men suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon this past Monday.

Get social with OS X's Twitter integration
Beginning in Mountain Lion, OS X features social media integration options with both Twitter and Facebook, letting you post to the services from the OS itself, as well as sync contacts.

Yahoo launches new weather, email apps in its 'second sprint' of rebuilding
Yahoo has released two new mobile apps, for weather and email, suggesting the company may be on track toward delivering on its promise of offering users a range of new mobile products over the next several months.

Americans spend 16 minutes of every hour online on social nets
Americans are so fixated on social networks that they spend an average of 16 minutes out of every hour on them, according to a study by Experian Marketing Services.

Facebook Home on iPhone? Not a chance, say experts
There is absolutely no way that Apple will surrender its iPhone interface to Facebook Home, analysts said today.

Yahoo profit jumps by 36% amid a decline in revenue
Yahoo's profits rose more than 30% in the first quarter, due to a variety of factors including lowered operating costs, though sales at the company declined.

Investigators comb social nets to look for bombing clues
With federal and state investigators searching for clues about the person or organization behind the Boston Marathon bombing, social networks could hold a treasure trove of information.

Facebook readies iOS app update featuring 'Chat Heads' messaging
Chat Heads, the buzzy messaging feature released as part of Facebook's Home software for Android-based smartphones, is now coming to the iPhone and iPad.

Microsoft exec talks mobile smack, trashes iOS as 'boring,' Android as 'a mess'
Microsoft's top executive for mobile phones took shots at both iOS and Android today, calling Apple's operating system "boring" and claiming Google's is "a mess."

Give enterprise software a social makeover to attract users
When it comes to developing enterprise applications, organizations are increasingly realizing that user experience is as important as functionality. In response, vendors are taking a more agile approach to building those apps in order to better meet users' needs.

Boston blasts show two sides of social media
Twitter users reacted fast to the explosions that ripped through the Boston Marathon Monday, but the incident also revealed how social media can only be so reliable in such situations.

Facebook affirms its privacy commitment with national campaign
Facebook is teaming up with the nation's attorneys general to launch a public awareness campaign aimed at keeping young people safer on the site.

Majority of Aussie companies using social media for customer service
More than two-thirds (70 per cent) of Australian businesses are using the social media to deliver customer service, according to a study by consultancy and research firm, Fifth Quadrant.

Facebook Home goes live in Google Play
Facebook Home, which doesnt replace the Android OS but sits on top of it, includes a family of Facebook-focused apps and also works with the apps a user already has on her phone.

A week with Pulse: A Google Reader junkie's journey
As Google Reader gets ready to join that big obsolete app store in the sky on July 1, RSS-addicts like myself are on the search for a suitable alternative. Previously, I test-drove the popular Feedly app and website for a week and found it to be a worthy Reader successor. For this go-around, I've spent some time with Pulse, an RSS-catcher that is heavy on design, but short on versatility.

Facebook's Zuckerberg forms advocacy group
The group will focus on immigration reform that includes both border security and a path to citizenship, along with higher school standards and support for teachers.

Facebook targets ads based on actual user purchases
Facebook has launched a program that will target advertisements based on what users have actually purchased, but said that advertisers will not have direct access to information that identifies the user.

California AG Harris urges app developers to respect users' privacy
The wealth of personal data that mobile apps collect on their users needs to be conspicuously stated to consumers or developers could face legal heat, California attorney general Kamala D. Harris said Wednesday.

After public dumping of social network, GM returns to Facebook ads
After dumping Facebook a little less than a year ago, General Motors is back, running an advertising test on the social network.

Facebook, Pandora and Twitter seize mobile ad display market
An IDC study has found sweeping changes in how mobile display advertisements are sold, with Facebook, Pandora and Twitter successfully wresting away control from advertising networks over the last year.

Facebook's new app: 'Slave'
My name is Stefan Hammond and my picture is above. OK, the pic's a few years old and I don't look quite that good. But that's me.

Facebook weighs in on Home's privacy implications
Facebook has posted a Q&A on its website about the privacy implications of its new Facebook Home software for Android phones, though it was unclear if it has addressed all the concerns raised.

QuickPoll: Do you want Facebook Home as your smartphone's home screen?
Facebook unveiled a Facebook-focused home screen dubbed Facebook Home for Android phones. The launcher is designed to work with the apps you already have on your phone, along with Facebook's new line of apps. Do you want Facebook Home as your smartphone's home screen?

Facebook and Minnovation
Facebook's big announcement was a big "so what?" and minimal innovation at its finest

Facebook Home goes after mobile market with 'ferocity'
Less than a year after calling mobile one of its biggest risks, Facebook has made another big move to attack the mobile market with Facebook Home for Android devices.

Our blogs about Facebook 

Microsoft: We've had surveillance requests on over 31,000 customers

How much snooping do government agencies actually do on people and businesses? Judging by the surveillance requests they ask of Microsoft, quite a bit. Microsoft reports that for the second half of last year, it had received requests on between 31,000 and 32,000 customers. And Google, Facebook, and Apple have had many tens of thousands others.

Microsoft leads the way into massive NSA, FBI privacy invasion

Facebook loses millions of users, Guardian claims. True?

'Independent data suggests' that Facebook is hemorrhaging, the story says. But the source of that data disagrees.

Sharon Gaudin: Google buying WhatsApp? Analyst says, 'Do it'

Speculation swirling that Google is looking to buy WhatsApp. No surprise here

Microsoft: Android is too "complicated;" Facebook Home is old and in the way

Microsoft pulled no punches criticizing Facebook Home and the Android operating system, calling Home old and dated, and saying that Android on top of which it sits is too complicated. Much better, the company says is using Facebook on a Windows Phone.

Facebook Home: Good for Facebook, but what about users?

Facebook's new Android launcher might be appealing -- if, you know, it didn't force your phone to revolve completely around Facebook.

Facebook phone? An Android launcher makes more sense

Rumors are running wild that Facebook will finally launch its own Android-based phone or OS, but a custom Android launcher might be the more sensible approach.

No surprise: Microsoft's Steve Ballmer doesn't make list of top 50 CEOs; approval rating is still under 50%

Glassdoor is out with its annual ranking of the top 50 CEOs in America, and once again Steve Ballmer didn't make the list. His favorability rating languishes at less than half of the top-rated CEO, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.

Want to be a billionaire? Work for Microsoft, Google, Facebook, or Wal-Mart but not Apple

If your goal in life is to be a billionaire, start making out your job application to Microsoft, Google, Facebook, or Wal-Mart. In the most recent list of billionaires compiled by Forbes, six are are associated with Google, five with Wal-Mart, four with Facebook, and three Microsoft. As for Apple, there's only a single billionaire, Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs' widow.

Microsoft, Apple, and Google agree: The federal ban against gay marriage must go

Microsoft, Apple, Google, and other tech giants rarely agree on anything. But they all agree on this: The Supreme Court should rule that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which for federal purposes defines marriage as only being between a man and a woman, is unconstitutional.

Microsoft tops Facebook and Twitter for getting "cooler," survey finds

You might think that the words Microsoft and "cool" rarely come in the same sentence, but a new survey finds that more young people think Microsoft is "cooler" today than in the last few years than think that Facebook or Twitter is "cooler" today than in the past few years. So finds a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Apple closes Java hack, and why it's time to switch Java off

The Apple critics are dancing their dance once again today following news of a Java-based malware attack on Macs. But, given Java is the bad boy in the room, shouldn't critics and Kool-Aid drinkers alike just do the right thing and switch Java off for good?

Facebook is malware, people suddenly realize

Facebook causes countless 'critical' websites to crash. Last night, when users tried to load many major media outlets, Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) took over and spat out: 'An error occurred. Please try again later.' The company is downplaying it as an 'issue' but others see it as a huge wake-up call. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers just say 'no' to Facebook Connect.

Dear Facebook: Please learn how to design Android apps that don't suck

Facebook's Android apps are like lessons in bad design -- and it's reaching a point where there's really no excuse.

Facebook Graph Search underwhelming so far

Facebook granted me access to its Graph Search today, allowing me to search through various "likes" and check-ins of my friends and even their friends. So far I've found the results pretty underwhelming.

• More blogs about Facebook