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Snapchat throws shade at Facebook with Russian bot filter

Snapchat is taking full advantage of Facebook’s position in the news cycle on April Fools’ Day this year with a genius amount of shade. After

April 1, 2018

Facebook has found itself embroiled in yet another colossal controversy related to how its sprawling, multibillion-person social network has been abused by bad actors. This time, the culprit is Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm used by President Donald Trump’s campaign during the 2016 US election to target election ads on Facebook. It turns out, Cambridge Analytica misused the user data of as many as 50 million Facebook users via its affiliated behavior research firm Strategic Communication Laboratories, which violated Facebook’s terms of service by acquiring said data from a third-party app and reportedly lying about when that data was deleted and how it was used. The announcement was made on Friday to preempt the publication this weekend of two blockbuster reports from The New York Times and The Guardian featuring claims from former Cambridge Analytica employee and whistleblower Christopher Wylie, who says the data formed the foundation of the firm’s election toolset. In a few short days, the stories have called into question the entirety of Facebook’s ad platform, the data collection practices of its API-using third-party services, and the company’s commitment to user privacy and the policing of its platform. Facebook has suspended Cambridge Analytica and Strategic Communication Laboratories. Yet the fallout from the two firms’ actions — and Facebook’s weak attempts to ensure the data was not misused — has prompted widespread condemnation from politicians and tech critics and forced Facebook to hire a digital forensics team today to investigate the situation. So now is as good a time as ever to remind you that — beyond deleting your Facebook account for good — there are some precautions you can take to protect your privacy and make use of Facebook as a utility without compromising your personal data. No single user can prevent a company like Cambridge Analytica from lying to the public and lying to Facebook about where its data came from and how it’s using it. But you can make sure that a significant chunk of your data is never out there in the first place. Here’s where to start: Step one: turn off location services Location data is among the most sensitive data you can grant to a third-party app or service. With location data, companies know where you’re going, where you came from, and can even glean insights from your daily travels like where you live and work and what restaurants and other businesses you frequent. For Facebook, this data is invaluable to advertisers, and it’s also quite the pitfall for users who may not understand or realize when an app has access to this data. While we don’t know if this type of data was among the trove Cambridge Analytica reportedly had access to, it’s still sensitive data that you should only give out when you think the core service you get in exchange is worth it. For instance, it makes sense to grant Google Maps access to your location, but it makes less sense to allow some shady third-party recommendation service to use the same data. Location data is among the most sensitive personal information you can share online To turn off or limit Facebook’s access to your location on iOS, head to your iPhone’s Settings app, scroll down to “Privacy” under the general tab, and tap Location Services. From there you can disable the feature entirely and toggle it on, off, and only while using a piece of software on an app-by-app basis. Scroll down to find Facebook, and switch it to either “While Using the App” or “Never.” There isn’t a good enough reason to give Facebook access to your location all the time, so make sure to never leave it set to “Always.” On Android, head to “Account Settings,” tap “Location.” From there, you can toggle Facebook’s access from on to off.

Hi-Tech

How to use Facebook while giving it the minimum amount of personal data

Facebook has found itself embroiled in yet another colossal controversy related to how its sprawling, multibillion-person social network has been abused by bad actors. This

March 20, 2018

Hi-Tech

MoviePass Is Tracking Your Location

We were all waiting for the other shoe to drop on the super cheap, all-you-can-watch movie service, and it finally has. In a recent presentation,

March 7, 2018

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Polestar 1, Volvo’s new turbocharged electric coupe

The Geneva Motor Show 2018 gets off to a fast start with a Tesla challenger In an effort to take the luxury electric car fight

March 6, 2018

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Instagram could soon be launching voice and video calling-Say what?

Instagram has been crushing the competition for awhile now (looking at you, Kylie-Jenner-shunned-Snapchat), and is now looking to expand its territory of domination. As initially

March 5, 2018

Hi-Tech

Tesla’s electric trucks may be more cost-effective than expected

When Tesla unveiled its Semi electric truck, it made audacious claims about the big rig’s value — namely, that companies would recoup the cost of

February 26, 2018

Snapchat throws shade at Facebook with Russian bot filter

How to use Facebook while giving it the minimum amount of personal data

MoviePass Is Tracking Your Location

Polestar 1, Volvo’s new turbocharged electric coupe

Instagram could soon be launching voice and video calling-Say what?

Tesla’s electric trucks may be more cost-effective than expected

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Snapchat throws shade at Facebook with Russian bot filter

How to use Facebook while giving it the minimum amount of personal data

MoviePass Is Tracking Your Location

Polestar 1, Volvo’s new turbocharged electric coupe

Instagram could soon be launching voice and video calling-Say what?

Tesla’s electric trucks may be more cost-effective than expected

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