Like It or Not Facebook Plans to Force Feed You Ads [Update]

[Update] Adblock Plus, one of the best-known tools for blocking ads on the internet, claims to have a workaround that can defeat Facebook new advertising system. According to an official Adblock Plus blog post, users of the software can simply add a single line of code to their filters to make Facebook's ads go away. In response Facebook states, "We're disappointed that ad blocking companies are punishing people on Facebook as these new attempts don't just block ads but "other" Facebook content as well.."


Bad news for you Facebook users out there that are trying to get a little reprieve from the incessant bombardment of ads. Starting this week the social media giant will be employing new measures to bypass and block the most popular ad-blocking technologies out there. Meaning like it or not Facebook is going to be cramming as many ads as they can down your throat!

Facebook has announced that they will be taking measure to modify the digital signature of ads on its website so they are displayed to all users - this new modification is expressly meant to bypass most current ad-blocking apps. Meaning that all users, even those running browser extensions like Ad-block will now see apps on Facebook and in their timelines.

In an attempt to just justify the move Facebook says they are continuing to build "more powerful tools" which let users control the content of advertisements they see, ostensibly allowing users to cater ads to their interests. Though you still can't remove them, or limit them in any way!

We’ve designed our ad formats, ad performance and controls to address the underlying reasons people have turned to ad blocking software. When we asked people about why they used ad blocking software, the primary reason we heard was to stop annoying, disruptive ads. As we offer people more powerful controls, we’ll also begin showing ads on Facebook desktop for people who currently use ad blocking software.

In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Andrew Bosworth, Facebook's vice president of its ads and business platform stated, "We are making it harder for ad blockers to be effective on Facebook for desktop," describing the issue as a matter of principle.

"Facebook is ad-supported. Ads are a part of the Facebook experience; they’re not a tack on,” said Bosworth. "This isn’t motivated by inventory; it’s not an opportunity for Facebook from that perspective. We’re doing it more for the principle of the thing. We want to help lead the discussion on this."

By continuing to force more and more ads on users Facebook ensures their cash cow will continue to be profitable. As we recently reported the company reported billions of dollars in profits this past quarter, due by and large to their ad unit. By ensuring more users see more of their ads the company stands to continue those gains.

Ads and ad-blocking are hardly new. From day one advertisers were looking for ways to monetize websites to their fullest, and ad placement was a cheap and easy option. Unfortunately, these days being bombarded with an overload of ads on your favorite websites is all too common. This has resulted in a great deal of backlash from users and a substantial growth in the development of ad-blocking technology.

In 2016, 69.8 million Americans will use an ad blocker, an increase of nearly 35% from last year, research firm eMarketer says. Next year, that figure is expected to grow another 24% to 86.6 million people. Ad-blocking software is more common on desktop computers and laptops than on smartphones. Though the number of people using ad blocking software on smartphones will jump nearly 63% this year, eMarketer projects.

From a technical standpoint, Facebook is able to circumvent ad blockers relatively easily because of the way it loads ads into the service using their own servers. Many ad-blockers rely on the fact that online publishers and media companies utilize links and scripts from third-party companies to help display ads on their webpages and services. This make those ads much more easily identifiable to blocking technologies.

By modify the digital signature of their ads Facebook believes it will be too costly and time-intensive for developers of ad-blocking software to code in a fix to the issue. For now at least, it appears Facebook as won at this cat and mouse game, though we expect developers are working at workarounds as we type! 

Facebook Shows That Selling Your Data Continues to Be Big Business!

When Facebook reported their quarterly earnings  earlier this week one thing was glaringly true; the company is making more money of you than ever before! According to their own estimates Facebook earns roughly $3.82 per user, multiple that by the more than 1.7 billion active users, and you can see why the social media giant was able to usher in another $6.44 billion in revenue.

Facebook ARPU for Q2 2016

Facebook's main money stream has continued to be ad revenue, hitting more than $6.24 billion with  Mobile ad revenue taking the highest share (84 percent) at $5.42 billion. Facebook is now in fact pushing so many ads and making so much money on you the user, that they have in effect ran out of ad space.

When it comes to on site and in app advertising the company has it a wall of sorts, or the tip of what they are calling  “ad load”—the volume of ads its users typically see. Right now they believe they are in a "green zone” which means they don’t think they can push many more ads to users than they are already seeing during the time they are spending on the site without users becoming overwhelmed or overly annoyed (I personally think most already are!).

In short, Facebook is say they are about to max out on the number of ads it can show users without coming up with even more ways to push ads to you. This means it will need to find other ways to grow the company’s ad business moving forward, they simply don't believe increasing the number of ads it shows people will not be an option.

“The optimal ad load is really a mix of art and science,” Wehner said. “We also want to be thoughtful about making sure each person’s overall feed experience has the right balance of organic and ad content.”

This is why we see the company making bigger pushes to become a "video first" social network. During this week's conference call Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said the company sees “a world that is video-first, with video at the heart of all our apps and services.” Facebook executives also noted that video is playing a large part in driving up time spent on the social network. More time, means more advertising dollars!

Facebook uses a targeted advertising system, in layman's terms they collect as much of your data as possible and either sell or use that data to offer advertisers more lucrative ads and it appears to be working and working well.

Facebook promises that with their targeted advertising you can "reach the right people, every day, everywhere, to get more traffic and sales for your website". Their system not only utilizes traditional  things like demographics: age, gender, race, occupation ect but they also use site specific items. Things like your listed hobbies, favorite bands or brands, Facebook likes, location and check-ins. Beyond just what you do on their own site Facebook also tracks browsing and spending habits on other sites, giving company's a much more accurate picture of who you are and what you do!

What does this all mean? Well at the end of the day it means that, user willing, Facebook will continue to collect all the data it can on you, and they will continue to make as much money as possible off of that data! It also means that we can expect to see more adverting on Facebook's other services, as well as more in app and in video advertising. Pretty much we'll just see more ads period!

Facebook Begins Forcing Messenger App On Mobile Users

If you are an active Facebook user and one of the many long time hold-outs from updating or migrating to the stand-alone Messenger App you may soon be left little choice! Facebook has decided they are nailing shut one of the few remaining options mobile users had for accessing chat via their phones and has, quite forcefully, begun pushing downloads of their Messenger App.

For several months now Facebook has been doing its best to gradually push users towards their messenger platform. A move that started when the company decided to build the service outward as a stand alone from the main mobile application. However, until now users could easily access their messages and chat with friends using their browser and the mobile site. Unfortunately that wasn't good enough for Facebook, as they seemingly want to drive as many users as they can to installing the app.

Beginning this past weekend the company began working to remove the Messenger function on the mobile version of its website, pushing users instead to a landing page and redirect instructing you to install the separate Facebook Messenger app. According to Engadget, Facebook’s push toward Messenger for mobile website users appears to affect only Android users for now, but it’s probably only a matter of time before iOS users get forced to Messenger as well. 

Facebook insists that this move comes because it wants users on Messenger so they can have the “best experience” while chatting with their friends. Of course, we highly doubt that, especially with Facebook pushing more adds and service through the messenger platform. I suspect this is more about the all mighty dollar than anything else!

Those of us that still want or need to use Facebook and want to use the messenger service, but not be bothered with the privacy concerns or other issues we've discussed that plague the Messenger app still have one last glimmer of hope. We can jump through a few minor hoops and access our messages though the main site. One simply needs to avoid the mobile site, instead using "Desktop View" on our mobile phones. 

Facebook Teams With Game Developer Blizzard For Live Game Streaming

For those gamers out there that are obsessed with live streaming their own games, or watching other gamers in action, a new deal between game giant Blizzard and social media giant Facebook will offer you a new way to get your fix!

Blizzard has unveiled a new partnership with Facebook that will let you stream several of Blizzard's most popular games directly to your Facebook fans and followers through Facebook Live. More over the deal will also create a cross platform partnership that will allow you to use your current Facebook login and information rather than a new Battle.Net to play Blizzard's games.

The collaboration will begin later this month with the integration of games such as World of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, Diablo III, StarCraft II, and Blizzard's most recent blockbuster release, Overwatch.

"Blizzard games are best when played with friends, so it's important to us to provide our players with features and services that make it easy and fun to share their experiences with each other," said Gio Hunt, executive vice president of corporate operations at Blizzard Entertainment. "We're working closely with Facebook on this integration for Overwatch, as well as our other games, and we look forward to sharing further details on our plans as development progresses."

As part of the collaboration between the two companies, Blizzard recently hosted multiple livestreams via Facebook. The first series of streams centered on Heroes of the Dorm, Blizzard's collegiate tournament featuring its popular team-brawler Heroes of the Storm. Last week, Blizzard hosted a livestreamed launch event for Overwatch on Facebook.

"Blizzard has a passionate community of players, and an incredible track record for launching innovative and high-quality gaming experiences," said Leo Olebe, global games partnerships director at Facebook. "Our collaboration on Overwatch demonstrates Facebook's commitment to partnering with AAA game companies, while further empowering Blizzard gamers to connect and share the content they're most passionate about with the friends they play with around the world."

'Like' It or Not Facebook Reactions Debuts Today!

While the 'Like' button will always remain an iconic symbol for Facebook users have for years been asking for a little more. Today that wish has been granted with the official launch of Facebook Reactions.

Originally showcased and featured back in October, Facebook's Reaction emojis have no gone live for all users and will allow you to add a little more emotion and feeling to your responses to your friend's posts. The new emojis will feature a few focused reactions such as 'love', 'wow' and sad however what we won't see is that all-becoming dislike button.

To add a reaction, hold down the Like button on mobile or hover over the Like button on desktop to see the reaction image options, then tap either Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad or Angry.

Why these choices you may ask? Facebook has said their development team has spent more than a year conducting global research including focus groups and surveys to determine what types of reactions people would want to use most. They also used viewed a vast number of profiles and comments to determine how people are already commenting on posts and the top stickers and emoticons as signals for the types of reactions people are already using to determine which reactions to offer.

Notably, reactions will be available for both individual and business pages — meaning that even though we won't see that dislike button we all want, we will see some possibility of negative reactions to misleading posts and advertisements. This was likely something Facebook was trying to avoid, though they have said they plan to keep an eye on any misuse of reactions. So you may want to avoid over-reacting..to some of those ads, at least for now! 

Facebook’s New Dislike Button Is More About Emojis and Reactions Than Dislikes

We've all heard the rumors that year after year swirl around that Facebook was rumored to be working on a dislike button — a blue thumbs down button to counter the ubiquitous blue thumbs up that has become a significant part of our pop-culture. Now, it’s finally here, and guess what it’s not anything like you'd expect and certainly not as simple as choosing between like and dislike.

Starting today, Facebook will begin running a very limited test of a new feature the social media giant is calling "Reactions" or a new button that will allow users of its mobile app to respond with a corresponding emoji to express additional emotions beyond Facebook's iconic "Like" button (the thumbs-up).

These new 'reactions' include: "Love," "Haha," "Yay," "Wow," "Sad," and "Angry," and they can only be accessed on the mobile version of Facebook by "long-pressing" or hovering over the good old "Like" button. Facebook didn't just choose these new emotions randomly, of course. As Facebook's chief product officer Chris Cox explains in a post introducing the new feature (with video embedded below).

Today we’re launching a pilot test of Reactions — a more expressive Like button. As you can see, it’s not a “dislike” button, though we hope it addresses the spirit of this request more broadly. We studied which comments and reactions are most commonly and universally expressed across Facebook, then worked to design an experience around them that was elegant and fun. Starting today Ireland and Spain can start loving, wow-ing, or expressing sympathy to posts on Facebook by hovering or long-pressing the Like button wherever they see it. We’ll use the feedback from this to improve the feature and hope to roll it out to everyone soon.
Posted by Chris Cox on Thursday, 8 October 2015

Testing for the new 'dislike' or reactions emojis is currently limited to mobile users in Spain and Ireland, why there it is unclear, however Facebook says the feature will eventually be expanded to all users, though no timeline has been given for when.

On the face of it this might seem like a slap in the face for those that wanted an actual 'Dislike' button, but we all know that Facebook wasn't too likely to add tools that make it easier for users to berate one another, harass others or in anyway disapprove of advertisers. They definitly wouldn't want to open that can of worms! 

The move should be encouraging though as it does show at least some form of an acknowledgment by Facebook that the omnipresent "Like" button is not without flaws and that the fact that users have made it clear that it is profoundly limiting when it comes to the actual emotions people want to share hasn't fallen on deaf ears. So we can see this as some sort of minimalist victory that Facebook understand that posts about personal disappointments, annoyances, illnesses, tragedies, frustrations, or other challenges in life have never been a good fit for the "Like" button and that some changes need to be made!

Facebook Security Setting Exposes Personal Information

Security researchers have discovered a new loophole in Facebook's default security settings that would allow searchers to access areas of your profile, even when set to private, through a search of your phone number.

British software engineer Reza Moaiandin, of Salt Agency, recently posted the details of his discovery stating that he could harvest Facebook users' data on a mass scale by exploiting a little-known privacy setting that allows anyone to find a Facebook user by typing their mobile phone number into the social network's search box. The default setting on its "Who can find me?" function is turned to "Everyone/public" - meaning anyone can find another user by their mobile number, even if it is not visible on their public profile.

According to the findings even those that had set their phone number as private were now searchable as the default setting only stops those numbers from appearing in your personal profile when non-friends are viewing it. However, without making changes to your security settings anyone can create a script with possible number combinations which can be run through these URLs, and if a number is associated with a Facebook account, it can then be associated with a name and further details (images, and so on).

"This could be a huge phishing problem if no limit is created, and the loophole is discovered by the wrong person," he wrote in a blog post. "Unfortunately, for the 1.44 billion people currently using Facebook, this means that sophisticated hackers and black market sellers can access names and mobile phone numbers in as little as an hour through reverse engineering."

Mr Moaiandin told The Guardian the loophole was akin to "walking into a bank, asking for a few thousand customers' personal information based on their account number, and the bank telling you: 'Here are their customer details.' "

How to up date your Facebook security for better privacy!

Facebook users can and should change their privacy settings manually to avoid this potential invasion of privacy and it doesn't take much time. In fact it only takes a few seconds and really doesn't hurt anything in the long run!

From a desktop

1. Open Facebook in your browser, click on the upside down triangle at the top right, and select Settings.
2. Select Privacy from the left pane.
3. Find Who Can Look Me Up under Privacy Settings and Tools
4. Select Who can look me up using the phone number you provided? and change it to Friends of Friends or just Friends. Just Friends is likely your best bet.
5. You will also notice an option for Who can look me up using the email address you provided? I suggest doing this as well, just as a matter of extra privacy.

From your smartphone

1. In the Facebook app, tap on the hamburger icon (three lines) at the top right and find Account Settings.
2. Tap on Privacy.
3. Find Who Can Look Me Up under How You Connect.
4. Select Who can look me up using the phone number you provided? and change it to Friends of Friends or just Friends. Here again just Friends would be the setting of choice.
5. You will also notice an option for Who can look me up using the email address you provided? Again changing this is up to you but I always have it limited.

According to the reports we've seen Facebook has denied it had a "security loophole", as the accessed data was designated to be public. The site said it had strict rules on how developers may use its application programming interfaces. "The privacy of people who use Facebook is extremely important to us," a spokeswoman said further stating, "everyone who uses Facebook has control of the information they share, including information on their profile and who can look them up by phone number."

While we agree this may not technically be a 'security issue' since it is designed to be public, the fact that it is public by default certainly can make it a privacy issue for those that aren't aware of the need to change the setting.

Facebook's New Messenger Platform May Be The Last Straw For Me!

It is no secret that Facebook is looking to become all things mobile and in doing so they are looking to expand every aspect of not just their main site but their social add-ons like the standalone messenger application. Today at the company's F8 developer conference they announced a couple new projects involving the messenger platform which integrate even more services into the fold creating an even larger mobile foot-print for the company's platform.

First is the new Messenger Platform, which allows developers to integrate separate stand alone applications into the Facebook Messenger service. The new platform is meant to allow users to download third party add-ons for Facebook Messenger keeping you glued to Facebook while you share even more content from other sites. For instance, if you’d like to send a GIF with Giphy, attach an image with Imgur or send personalized stickers with JibJab, you no longer have to go to each website to complete these actions. Just download each app to work alongside the Facebook Messenger app, send it over to your friends or colleagues and you’re all set.

In addition to the Messenger Platform, Facebook also announced Businesses on Messenger. A more business oriented service, I take that as a potential advertising platform, that enables users to connect with businesses via messenger to do things like: receive receipts, track/cancel orders, and even have a conversation with the business regarding a recent order. The goal would seemingly be to replace a direct phone call, email or other online connection.

The new Businesses on Messenger platform will launch in the coming weeks with a limited number of partners. Of course, Facebook says you don’t have to receive your updates through Messenger or communicate with a a business, but the option will be there if both the business and user would like it.

Facebook's Growing Encroachment on Privacy

At the heart of it these subtle changes to the Facebook Messenger application seem to be fairly innocuous. Unfortunately from a privacy stand point that may not be so. The addition of third party apps, and inclusion of connections to businesses could poise several security issues and could open the door to several new privacy concerns.

As the social media giant continues to grow both it's mobile and advertising platforms we start to see lines being blurred.The company's 'all encompassing' approach could allow for further incursions into a users shopping habits, usage on outside sites and other areas they may not currently have.This access could lead to more acutely pinpointed advertising. It could also lead to more privacy concerns with potential for leaks or cross-platform hijacks.

My thoughts:
I for one have never been sold on the idea of allowing a single company to have total control and access to all of my online life. I tend to lend towards keeping my multiple platforms separate, not using Facebook or Gmail account log-ins as frequently as possible, not relying solely on a single use platform for email, messaging services ect. I've never been one to 'place all my eggs in one basket'. Call it the old school geek in me, but from a security stand point that has always been a traditional stance.

I wouldn't mind having better access and better communication with businesses I use. However, the thought of having to give up any further privacy to Facebook (or any other site) isn't one I'm open to. Neither is the idea of download multiple different add-ons to communicate with friends through messenger. I wasn't impressed with the changes Facebook made to the messenger app when they forced it on users as a standalone service. Nor am I convinced that Facebook Messenger privacy isn't a concern. These new changes will undoubtedly pave the way for more monetization efforts, which will also open the door to more ads and intrusions.

Therefore these new changes, as well as further growing concerns over my overall privacy within Facebook, may just be the last straw for this geek. I may have to let the Facebook ship sail and leave messenger in the past - probably where it belongs!

Facebook Message Scanning Lawsuit - What You Need to Know!

Earlier this week U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton passed down a ruling that Facebook Inc must face a class action lawsuit in which the social media site is accused of violating its users' privacy by scanning the content of messages they sent to other users for advertising purposes.

At the heart of the lawsuit, which was initially filed in 2013, are allegations that Facebook actively scanned the content of private messages sent between users for links to websites and would then count any links in a tally of "likes" of the pages. These "likes" would then be used to compile user profiles, which in turn were used for building a database that was used for delivering targeted advertising to its users.

In basic terms, Facebook would use tools to read private messages for the most popular links being shared across its own site, even if they were sites or pages not within Facebook. That information would then be used to target advertising to each user. This data most likely would also be shown to prospective advertisers to help bolster sales of advertising via Facebook allowing them to profit from your personal information.

The complaint, filed by Facebook user Matthew Campbell, alleged that the scanning of these private messages violated both federal and California state law. Facebook had originally argued that the alleged scanning of its users' messages was covered by an exception under the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act for interceptions by service providers occurring in the ordinary course of business. However, judge Hamilton dismissed those claims stating that Facebook had "not offered a sufficient explanation of how the challenged practice falls within the ordinary course of its business."

The case is Campbell v. Facebook Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 13-5996 and seeks class action status on behalf of all U.S. users who sent or received private messages that included website addresses in their content. As reported by Bloomberg the suit is seeking as much as $10,000 in damages for each user and could benefit all users of the site.

Facebook is not alone in facing these allegations. Lawsuits against Internet companies and social networks are multiplying as more users become more aware of how much personal information these sites are collecting, how they are using it and how they are revealing it to third parties, often without end user knowledge. Google Inc., Yahoo! Inc. and LinkedIn Corp. also are facing accusations of intercepting communications for their profit at the expense of users or non-users.

Why Facebook Messenger Privacy IS An Issue And Why You Should Be Concerned

Over the past week you've likely read several reports raising concerns over Facebook's new messenger app and the alarming number of permissions the app requests access to. While many sites, including Facebook themselves, have tried to detract from the original reports, stating that those articles are from alarmists that don't really understand the app permissions. That doesn't mean that you should trust buy into those reports any further than you should the original flag raisers.

Why is everyone so concerned about the Facebook App?

First let me start by explaining why so many people have raised flags over the new app and why they are voicing concerns. When installed the Facebook Messenger App requests what many see as a rather large number of permissions. Those include the ability to take pictures and videos; record audio; send/receive and edit text messages; and read your calls logs and contacts - all things Facebook says you need in order to contact and interact with your Facebook friends within the app.

The concern here, and in my opinion rightfully so, is that there are no specific details as to how these permission will be used.  In their response, Facebook said "that Android controls the way the permissions are named, and the way they're named doesn't necessarily reflect the way the Messenger app and other apps use them." This doesn't exactly detail what these permissions are doing however. For instance, why does Facebook need to see me phone's contact information given my friends list on FB should already be accessible to the app? Or why does it need direct call or SMS/MMS access if I'm only using the app to send messages?

Sure the Facebook Messenger app does need some of these permission for authentic reasoning, but it hardly needs all of them. So why add them? My guess it is future thinking on Facebook's part. They want the app to become your go to service for all your messaging and calling needs. So they add those permissions now just in case they launch more services down the road.

What about my privacy? Why should I still be concerned?

Let me say first and foremost this boils down to one thing and one thing only! Do you really trust Facebook (or any other site for that matter) with access to your entire device, your location and all these permissions? You are trusting that they won't do anything bad, negligent ect with all that information they are collecting on you. So the question here is should you really trust them, or trust that they won't sale that information?

What they did with that so called 'emotional experiment' should show just how much influence your devices and social media websites can have over your daily life. If they are willing to cross that line the where does it stop? Facebook is already utilizing location information and background noise to start control the ads you see and the info you see in your news feed. Controlling what information a person has access to can be a very powerful tool and a very harmful one if used wrongly.

This is where most of my main concern comes from. The overall scope of data they are accessing and the overall lack of transparency shown when it comes to how they are using that data and these new permissions.

Unified services mean an end-all to privacy!

It wasn't too long ago that we used several services to satisfy all of our communications and web needs. You had separate services providers for search, email, chat and social media. The a few years ago many of those services started to blend into what we have now. Unified service providers with unified log-ins. These days you likely use your Facebook log-in for more than just Facebook and of course your Google log-in now works across all Google services and likely many of your favorite sites.

While this makes things easier for the end user it also makes it easier for these sites and services to closer track their users which in turn quickly erode away at your privacy. When Google unified its privacy policy it quickly came under fire with a lawsuit filed via EPIC. In that case the concern was that the aggregated data would allow for more accurate, targeted advertising.

The problem there lies not with the actual social media services, but Google's back end advertising service that is being tied to all the rest of its sites. This is similarly where we sit today with Facebook and some of the concern over the site's policies. Previously most of our social media sites where just that, websites not actual services. Today those sites looking to diversify want to become our all-in-on location for more services. Facebook, Apple, Google et al. don't just run single side services anymore. They run giant conglomerations all tied together that provide many different services under the guise of one entity.

These giant entities now have cross platform access to higher levels of user data than ever before! They can not only access emails, messages and on-site data. But they are accessing user location information, daily habits, and off site information and details (something Facebook is currently facing lawsuits over).

I for one think it is about time that someone starts to question the validity of these unified services and privacy policies. How about you? Do you think this is 'much ado about nothing'? Or are users concerns really valid?

Facebook Wants To Sell You Stuff With New 'Buy' Button

Facebook has just made it a bit easier for you to make those impulse buys with the launch of a new “Buy” call-to-action button that will be featured on ads and Page posts. The new feature will allow shoppers to purchase a product directly from businesses featured on the social media site without having to visit an outside page.

The new service, which Facebook described in a blog posting, is initially being tested with a "few small and medium-sized businesses" in the United States, and will soon be available on the mobile and desktop PC version of its website. Facebook users viewing sponsored ads from the select merchants will soon see the Buy Button as an option, allowing them to purchase whatever goods or services that are being offered.

For those concerned about privacy and/or security Facebook says they built the feature with privacy in mind, and have taken steps to help make the payment experience safe and secure. None of the credit or debit card information people share with Facebook when completing a transaction will be shared with other advertisers, and people can select whether or not they’d like to save payment information for future purchases.

Facebook isn't the only social media company testing out this type of feature. Twitter has been quietly testing a new "Buy now" button that apparently lets you purchase items featured in tweets without leaving the site. The Twitter Commerce service will appear inside users’ Twitter stream, similar to promoted tweet advertisements, according to the documents seen by ReCode.

Facebook Will Soon Offer More Controls Over Targeted Ads

Facebook users may have recently started to notice more and more ads on the social media site that seem to 'know' what they've been doing online, the pages they like, or the searches they make. These 'targeted ads' are nothing new to the site, but soon you'll see more of this is a type of interest-based advertising.

On Thursday, Facebook announced that is will take a few new steps to improve their targeted advertising system. Adding in ads that not only cover your Facebook activity, but also your web searching and browsing history. However, the company has said they are also giving users more control as to what is shared and what ads they'll see. In their announcement Facebook said users will soon be able to opt out of their targeted ad system completely through controls in their Web browser and iOS and Android phones. 

You can opt out of Facebook's ad targeting in your web browser using the industry-standard Digital Advertising Alliance opt out, and on your mobile devices using the controls that iOS and Android provide.

Here's the details of how to opt out:

• Go to the Digital Advertising Alliance at www.aboutads.info/choices/
• If you are using an ad blocker or anything else that blocks cookies, you will have to turn that off.
• On the first screen, select the "companies customizing ads for your browser" tab.
• Scroll down until you see Facebook.Click the check box next to Facebook. Then click "submit."
• You can also opt out on your phone.
• For iOS users, open settings and go to General>Restrictions>Advertising under "Privacy" section. Select "limit ad tracking."
• For Android users, go to Google Settings>Ads>Opt Out of Interest-Based Ads and you're done.

For those that don't mind a few ads or want control over the other ads within the Facebook system. Facebook is introducing ad preferences, a new tool accessible from every ad on Facebook that explains why you’re seeing a specific ad and lets you add and remove interests that you are shown. So for instance, if you’re not interested in electronics, you can remove electronics from your ad interests.

Facebook and Google Privacy Changes, What You Need To Know!

Earlier this week both Facebook and Google made several changes that will great impact your online ID and privacy. Google by way of a terms of service (TOS) change, and Facebook by means of removing a feature that once allowed users to block who can search their name when using Facebook's search bar.

Google's Shared Endorsements Can Use Your Name And Photos

Through an update to the search giants TOS Google can now share your photos and name if at some point in the past you gave a product or service a +1 on Google plus. The company revealed the changes to its Terms of Service on Friday highlighting the changes. The most important one is that Google clarified how your profile name and photo might appear in "Google products," including display ads. For customers that aren't currently 'opted out' of Google the old Google +1 Personalization settings you will now by default be opted into Shared Endorsements. Which means Google will have full use of your name, profile photo, and a personal endorsement that may appear in Google ads.

For users wishing to opt out you can do so through the Shared Endorsements settings on your Google profile. Google has also pointed users to its Ad Settings tool, for more granular control over what ads you see.

Facebook Search No Longer Blocks Search By Name

Facebook has confirmed it will be removing the "Who can look up your Timeline by name?" feature which was once used to block a users name from the site's search results. As a result any user can now be searched for using Facebook's search bar. In the blog post announcing the move Facebook also mentions the need for users wanting to keep personal details private need to keep an eye on post visibility settings. The new graph search will make more posts more visible making post privacy setting more important to users rather than search visibility.

In the coming weeks, people who are sharing posts publicly on Facebook will soon see a notice reminding them that those posts can be seen by anyone, including people they may not know. The notice reminds people how to change the audience for each post.

To quickly control who can find posts you shared in the past, visit the privacy settings page. With one click, you can limit the audience of posts you’ve shared in the past. This means any posts that were previously shared with Friends of Friends or Public will now be shared just to Friends.

Should These Changes Concern Me?

Anytime your personal privacy is involved you should be greatly concerned. The information collected and now shared via social media sites can be used against you in numerous ways. Either from people looking to do you personal harm, hackers looking to gain access to personal information to send privatized attacks or gain access to your identity or personal accounts, or just businesses looking to exploit the information they receive.

By and large these companies are over stepping their usage of your personal information for their own gains. As evidence of the recent lawsuit Facebook settled for the company's Sponsored Stories, to the tune of $20 million. Google amongst others have been on the end of a growing amount of Federal Trade Commission scrutiny. Clearly someone is taking notice out there and you should too!

Facebook Settlement Finally Reached, Your $15 Check May Be In The Mail Soon

Remember a few years back when Facebook was hit with a class-action lawsuit over "sponsored stories." At the time of the lawsuit you may have been emailed a form to be a participant entitling you to a part of the cash award. After more than two years of deliberation, a U.S. federal judge in California has finally granted final approval for Facebook’s $20 million settlement, entitling those of you that didn't trash those emails to a minor monetary settlement.

The suit filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, is Angel Fraley et al., asserted that Facebook improperly used photos and names found on user profiles in Sponsored Story ads, which are created by users “liking” companies’ pages or content. The plaintiffs also argued that Facebook violated a California law that forbids companies from using people’s likenesses or names in advertisements without their consent. Finally, the suit asserted that Facebook should have received parental consent to use the names and likeness of any user under the age of 18.

Under the terms of the settlement, Facebook will pay $20 million to compensate class members, approximately $11 million of that will be doled out to the attorney's . Leaving behind roughly $9 million to be divided amongst the approximately 614,000 Facebook users who appeared in Sponsored Stories without their consent, and filed the necessary paperwork to join the class action lawsuit by the May 2, 2013 deadline. In addition to the monetary payment Facebook also promised to give users more control over how their content is shared.

See the full order of final settlement below:

Fraley v. Facebook: Order Granting Final Approval (Document 359)

Facebook Home Now Available, Looks Like A Security And Privacy Nightmare

Facebook's newly introduced Facebook Home UI for Android is now available for those owners of the HTC First, HTC One X, HTC One X+, the Samsung Galaxy S III and the Samsung Galaxy Note II. The new Android launcher aims to bring a more "people-centric" view to your device and offers several changes and a more Facebook centric experience to Android.

For those that haven't had a chance to review the feature of the new app here is a quick rundown of what to expect. When you turn on a phone running Facebook Home, the lock screen and the home screen default to something called Cover feed. Cover feed is a running steeam from your News Feed, complete with post and images showing what your friends are currently sharing on their Facebook profiles. You will also see push notifications. These include updates from Facebook and other apps on your home screen. You can choose to move notifications away until you want to access them later or you can flick them away from view.

In addition to the Facebook centric side of the launcher you'll see a new app launcher that overwrites your standard view. From your profile bubble you'll be able to launch your phones apps, Facebook apps or even the messenger app.

Facebook Home Security and Privacy

When it was initially announced Facebook home faced sever scrutiny over privacy concerns, prompting Facebook to issue a response. This response however is very short sided and doesn't address any on device concerns. It more or less only address your concerns about how and what Facebook shares. The major concern should be with how the app handles security on the device, which is very poorly.

I download the app today and ran it on my Galaxy S III. Immediately I noticed you don't need to unlock the screen to see any of my friends or their posts. I re-adjusted my setting only to see that even with the highest level of protection my GS III offers (password), anyone with access to my phone did so in a totally unlocked state. This means not only can they see and comment on my Facebook (or my friends) they had total access to my personal info on my phone. COMPLETE CONTROL!

Needs to say I un-installed it as soon as I could! If you want to try to give it a go and see what I'm talking about for yourself visit the Google Play store.

Big Changes Coming To Your Facebook News Feed

These days it seems as though everyone is tinkering with their sites trying to gain more exposure, or perhaps place more ads in the eyes of users. Facebook has been on a roll, rolling out several changes over the past year or so. Despite the fact that many haven't set well with users they are at it again, this time promising "bigger" things for your news feed.

Earlier today Facebook unveiled a new look for the social site's news feed, showing larger images and offering different feeds based on users' interests. The social media giant says the plan is to make News Feed more customized for each user, offering different feeds that focus on friends, music and photos, for instance. Users can choose to view their News Feed chronologically, or they can opt for an All Friends feed, for instance, which shows users what their friends are sharing, or they could choose a Following feed that will show the latest news from the pages, businesses, bands and organizations a user follows.

"The stories around you are intricate and detailed and should be displayed with more than just text," Zuckerberg said. "We believe that the best personalized newspaper should have a broad quality of content... socially and locally updated from people around you. A front page or top news or most important news going on across all topics. And the ability to drill down into any topic you want."

We've completely rebuilt each story to be much more vibrant and colorful and highlight the content that your friends are sharing, Facebook said in its blog . Photos, news articles, maps and events all look brighter and more beautiful.

The company is rolling out the redesigned feature for the Web today. Mobile and tablet platforms will roll out in the next few weeks.

My thoughts and opinions!

Just looking at the images Facebook shared in its blog posting I can tell you right now this is not going to go well. Sure advertisers want really rich things like big pictures or videos but historically speaking users, especially those on Facebook, haven't. The big draw to the site has generally been the lack of intrusive ads and overbearing images. Now they are adding in more of both and think telling users its something "they" wanted is going to keep them appeased?

Hate to say it but if they keep pushing out these major changes users are going to start looking for the next big thing and jumping ship!

That Facebook Legal Notice Is Legit And Could Get You Some Easy Cash

If you are a member of Facebook then you've likely received what you probably thought was a scam email. However, those emails notifying you of a a class action lawsuit (Angel Fraley v. Facebook) or completely legit and yes the social network is proposing to pay $20 million into a fund to be used to pay members $10 each.

Angel Fraley v. Facebook is an ongoing legal battle that has been winding its way through the courts since March 2011, when five Facebook members, including two minors, maintained they claimed to represent a class of people injured by the Sponsored Stories. The "Sponsored Stories" are targeted Facebook advertisements that use information about your friends to sell stuff to you.

To settle the proposed lawsuit resulting from those allegations of unlawful use of its members' content, the social network is proposing to pay $20 million into a fund to be used to pay members who appeared in the sponsored stories. For every member that received the legal notice from Facebook the company may be pay you up to $10 as part of the settlement. There’s no guarantee you will get the money, however, it doesn't hurt anything to try it!


Even if you dumped your copy of the email you can fill out a claim form and see what happens. If you still have the email keep it. As it contains a unique identifier that will help in filling out the form and hopefully getting your cold hard cash! 

Facebook's Big Announcement, Graph Search

Following an announcement of a scheduled press event for today which led to nearly a week of rumors and speculation Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally took the wraps off the company's "big" plans. While most rumors had the company prepping a smartphone or new mobile strategy, Zuckerberg said its focus is on a new social based search.

Dubbed "Graph Search", the new tool will use the thoughts and opinions of the sites 1 billion users to search and sort results for you. Over the years Facebook has built a massive collection of information about what company, restaurants, retailers and gadgets its users have tried.With Graph Search Facebook will comb through that data and give you a unique search view based on the reviews and information provided by not only the rest of the Facebook users but also your friends, and even their friends.


"Facebook Graph Search has the potential to really change the game over time," said Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group. "The power of Graph Search comes from Facebook's sheer size. The more data there is to search and map, the more valuable the results. It can make Facebook a much more valuable tool."

The tool, which is available now, is still in its very early stages. The beta version rolled out today on a limited basis to users on the order of hundreds or thousands, Zuckerberg said, and is years away from being complete. At the moment, Graph Search can only handle queries based on people, photos, places and interests.

While the new search tool is still in its infancy it isn't coming without trepidation. During the event, Facebook executives where it with questions from the audience regarding privacy controls, including whether queries performed using Graph Search will allow people to see likes or other friends' information that is currently hidden from their own timeline. Facebook executives assured attendees that with Graph Search users can only see content that they could see before, and users can only search for content that has been shared with them. The company is also rolling out more user-friendly privacy controls to keep users' information hidden and make it easier to untag photos.

For more on Facebook's new Graph Search checkout this page, complete with sign-up list and a few videos.
 

Acer Facebook Contest Win An S7 Ultrabook Each Day Until The End of 2012

Hoping to spread the word and boost sales of their new S7 Ultrabook, Acer is running a Facebook contest giving lucky Facebook fans a chance to win a new S7 each day until December 31st.

"We've conducted four unique Facebook sweepstakes in the last year that have culminated in more than one million engaged fans interacting with Acer on a daily basis, and we're doing it yet again with the Acer S7 Select program," said Hugues Gontier, senior director of marketing, Acer America. "The Acer Aspire S7 has been widely praised as one of the most innovative and gorgeous touch-enabled Ultrabooks in the industry and we're thrilled to give our Facebook fans the opportunity to enter for a chance to win an Aspire S7 Ultrabook every day through this holiday season."

To enter, you have to visit a special page on Acer's Facebook Timeline, install the app, and start selecting friends that share attributes with the Aspire S7, such as "stylish," "brilliant," and "smooth," to name a few of the adjectives.

The Acer S7 Ultrabook features a 13.3-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) touchscreen display, Windows 8 is half an inch thin, and weighs just 2.87 pounds. Powering them is either a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U Processor or the more powerful Intel Core i7-3517U CPU. The official rules suggest a retail price of $1650 so while the exact model Acer is giving away isn't clear it would appear to be the Acer S7 model S7-391-9839 or the S7-391-9886

Facebook Launches New Jobs Board

The world's largest social media site has launched a new platform aimed at helping its users find jobs. launching an app to help users find jobs. That's right Facebook today launched a new job-board application, powered by job listings from Monster.com, Work4Labs, BranchOut and the DirectEmployers Association which already features more than 1.7 million listings.

The new app page allows visitors to search through jobs by keyword, location or through various categories such as Administrative/Clerical, Food Services/Hospitality or for those geeks out there IT/Software Development and Science/Engineering/R&D. Result are sorted according to each service they are listed on and provide a [very] brief job description.

"Today's launch of the Social Jobs Application highlights what we've known all along -- that both recruiters and job seekers benefit when jobs are posted where candidates spend their time, and research overwhelmingly tells us that this is on Facebook," Stephane Le Viet, CEO of Work4Labs, said in a press release. "Undoubtedly, there will be an acceleration of the shift to social media as the primary channel to find a job with the extraordinary push of this consortium. We are fully committed to making the Social Jobs Application on Facebook the best possible resource for connecting candidates and companies."

Work4 Labs said it's posted 2.2 million jobs to Facebook via their various page in the last 18 months because "that's where potential employees are." Fifty percent of employers use Facebook in their hiring process, according to a Social Jobs Partnership survey. 

The new service is clearly aimed at directly at LinkedIn which dubs itself the "World's Largest Professional Network." As of now it doesn't appear as though Facebook is making money directly off this application, so this doesn't mean the company is getting into the jobs listing business just yet. Still, LinkedIn has cause to be worried. The new app, and the partnership arrangement, highlights how much Facebook is at the core of social jobs recruiting.