Tag Archives: Facebook

Meta Makes Video Editing Easier

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Meta posted in its Newsroom “Video on Facebook Keeps Getting Better”. They are giving users the ability to edit their Reels or videos. From the newsroom:

We’ve started to roll out updates that will bring more Reels editing tools to Feed, making it even easier to create dynamic videos on Facebook. Whether posting a video for friends and family to see, or trying to reach people who share similar interests, our video editing tools will make it possible for people to express themselves in new ways via Reels or long-form videos.

Seamless editing: We brought audio, music and text all into one place on Reels, making it easier to layer and time creative elements to create the perfect reel. And now, it’s also available on Meta Business Suite for reels and for video on Feed.

More clip editing tools: Get creative with your video by speeding up, reversing or replacing your clips.

Enhanced audio: Mix the right sound into your video by exploring and adding music and audio clips, recording voiceovers, and reducing unwanted noise.

According to Meta, people also now have the ability to upload HDR videos from their phone to Reels and for that video to play back in full HDR, the first of our efforts to bring true HDR video support to our family of apps.

All Videos in One Place on Facebook

We’re also making it simpler to explore and engage with the best videos on Facebook – whether you’re looking for popular reels, long-form videos from top creators, or Live content.

The Video tab, previously known as Facebook Watch, is now the one-stop shop for everything video on Facebook, including Reels, long-form and Live content. The Video tab will look familiar – you can scroll vertically through a personalized feed that recommends all types of video content – but it will also feature new horizontal-scroll reels sections that highlight recommended reels, so you can quickly jump into short-form video content – but will also feature horizontal-scroll reels sections that highlight recommended reels, so you can quickly jump into short form video.

TechCrunch reported that Facebook is porting editing tools for Reels to videos for the main feed – this way, people can create short and long videos from one place. Meta is rolling out this tools to Meta Business Suite users already. Additionally, the company is releasing additional editing features, such has the ability to adjust speed, reverse, or replace a clip. Meta is also introducing support for HDR videos on Reels – both video uploading and playback.

According to TechCrunch, in addition to this video-focused feed of videos, users will be able to access an explore page behind the search button. When users tap on it, they will see different hashtags and topic with related short and long videos.

Engadget reported that Facebook is revamping its in-app video hub to give its content an Instagram-style makeover. The changes will bring Reels’ editing tools to all Facebook videos, as well as a new “Explore” section to highlight trending clips and other recommendations.
According to Engadget, it also comes with a name. The tab previously known as “Facebook Watch” will now simply be called “Video”. The section, which will has short-form clips like Reels as well as live video and longer form content, will continue to live at the top of the Facebook app.

In my opinion, it appears that social media sites are competing against each other in the hopes that users will pick their video creation tools over the ones from other companies. Facebook has been encouraging users to cross-post Reels from Instagram to Facebook.

Meta Is Exploring Ads On Reels

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Meta posted in its Newsroom information titled: “Expanding Ads on Reels”. Meta started the post with: Today, we’re updating and expanding our Ads on Reels tests so more creators can earn money of creating and sharing engaging public reels.

We’re inviting thousands more creators on Facebook to join our updated tests, including many of the creators who previously participated in our Reels Play bonus program on Facebook. And in the coming weeks, we’ll begin testing a similar program on Instagram.

We’re also evolving the program to pay creators baed on the performance of their public ad reels, not the earning of ads on their reels. This means creators can focus on creating engaging content while we optimize the ad experience for advertisers and people.

How to Earn

Payouts will be determined by the number of plays. The better a creator’s reel performs, the more they can earn. Over time, we may begin to incorporate other signals into payouts.

Many variables outside the creators’ control have traditionally influenced their ad earnings, such as how many ads have already been shown to the person viewing their content or whether there’s a relevant ad to deliver that viewer. With a performance-based model, creators can focus on the content that’s resonating with their audiences and helping them grow; advertisers get access to more ad inventory to reach more people; and people get a more consistent viewing experience with more relevant ads.

All creators onboarding to the test will automatically be added to the new payout model, and over the coming weeks creators previously testing Ads on Facebook Reels will be transitioned in. In addition, we’ll begin to test Ads on Instagram Reels with a similar performance-based payout model among a small group of creators and advertisers in select markets.

We also plan to start testing a performance-based payout model for In-Stream ads on Facebook with a small group of creators to support creators making all types of content.

TechCrunch reported that payouts for reels are determined by the number of plays, which means that the better a creators Reel performs, the more the creator can earn. Over time, Meta may look at other factors when determining payouts, the company says.

To be eligible for an invite for the program on Facebook, TechCrunch noted, creators must live in one of 52 countries and meet minimum requirements, such as being at least 18 years of age and passing Facebook’s Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies.

Once a creator is added to the program they must complete the onboarding process, which includes accepting the terms of use and providing payout details. From there, they just need to create engaging Reels to start earning.

Engadget reported that it’s not clear just how much creators can expect to make through this new program. Meta had previously promised Reeks creators monthly bonuses up to $35,000 a month when it launched the Reels Play bonus program in 2021.

But the company reportedly slashed those payments last year, before “pausing” the program entirely in March. According to a Meta spokesperson, the ‘overarching goal’ is for creators to be able to earn consistent payouts, but these numbers “will very widely by creator.”

Based on all of this, it seems to me that those who chose to opt-into Meta’s new Reels monetization are taking a gamble. Sure, some super popular people on Facebook and Instagram will likely find that Reels is a gold mine. Not sure regular creators will see much money from Meta.

Facebook Pages Impersonating Meta Are Spreading Malware

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Sketchy Facebook pages impersonating businesses are nothing new, but a flurry of recent scams is particularly brazen, TechCrunch reported.

A handful of verified Facebook pages were hacked recently and spotted slinging likely malware through ads approved by and purchased through the platform. But the accounts are easy to catch – in some cases, they were impersonating Facebook itself.

TechCrunch also reported that the compromised accounts include official-sounding pages like “Meta Ads” and “Meta Ads Manager.” Those accounts shared suspicious links to tens of thousands of followers, though their reach probably extended well beyond the paid posts.

In another instance, a hacked verified account purporting to be “Google AI” pointed users toward fake links for Bard, Google’s AI chatbot. That account previously belonged to Indian singer and actress Miss Pooja before the account name was changed on April 29. That account, which operated for at least a decade, boasted more than 7 million followers.

Meta posted on their Engineering at Meta blog information titled: “The malware threat landscape: NodeStealer, DuckTail, and more” Here is part of what the company posted:

  • We’re sharing our latest threat research and technical analysis into persistent malware campaigns targeting businesses across the internet, including threat indicators to help raise our industry’s collective defenses across the internet.
  • These malware families – including Ducktail, NodeStealer and newer malware posing as ChatGPT and other similar tools – targeted people through malicious browser extensions, ads, and various social media platforms with an aim to run unauthorized ads from compromised business accounts across the internet.
  • We’ve detected and disrupted these malware operations, include previously unreported malware families, and have already seen rapid adversarial adaptation in response to our detection, including some of them choosing to shift their initial targeting elsewhere on the internet.

“…We know that malicious groups behind malware campaigns are extremely persistent, and we fully expect them to keep trying to come up with new tactics and tooling in an effort to survive disruptions by any one platform whee they spread. That’s why our security teams tackle malware – one of the most persistent threats online – as part of our defense-in-depth approach through multiple efforts at once. 

It includes: malware analysis and targeted threat disruption, continuously improving detection systems to block malware at scale, security product updates, community support and education, threat information sharing with other companies and holding threat actors accountable in court. This helps raise the cost for these malicious groups and limits the lifecycle of any single strain of malware – forcing threat actors to continue to invest time and resources into constantly adapting to stay afloat…

Meta provided some information about Ducktail:

“…A long-running malware family known in the security community as Ducktail is a good example. For several years, we’ve tracked and blocked iterations of Ducktail originating from Vietnam that have evolved as a result of enforcements by Meta and our industry peers. Ducktail is known to target a number of platforms across the internet, including:

LinkedIn to socially engineer people into downloading malware;

Browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Firefox to gain access to people’s information on desktop; and

File-hosting services such as Dropbox and Mega, to host malware.

Meta also provided some information about Novel NodeStealer malware:

“In late January 2023, our security team identified a new malware NodeStealer that targeted internet browsers on Windows with a goal of stealing cookies and saved usernames and passwords to ultimately compromise Facebook, Gmail, and Outlook accounts. NodeStealer is custom-written in JavaScript and bundles the Node.js environment. We assessed the malware to be of Vietnamese origin and distributed by threat actors from Vietnam…”

Regarding NodeStealer, Meta wrote: “While the file is a Windows executable file (with an exe Extension) it is disguised as a PDF file with a PDF icon. We also observed metadata on the file that attempts to disguise the file as a product of “MicrosoftOffice”. 

The best advice I can give people who are on Facebook is to put a 2FA app (two-factor authentication) on your phone. In addition, be wary of sketchy looking ads that have clickable links in them.

Meta’s Job Cuts Are Gutting Customer Service

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CNBC reported that when Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram began its cost-cutting spree in late 2022 and amped it up this year, it affected Instagram influencers in negative ways.

According to CNBC, as part of the company’s two rounds of layoffs, equaling roughly 21,000 job cuts, Meta gutted wide swaths of its customer service operation, leaving influencers and businesses with nobody to contact about their accounts.

According to former Meta employees and documents filed to the U.S. Department of Labor, many of the layoffs affected staffers in client support, customer experience and communities.

CNBC spoke with influencers, small businesses and Meta account managers as well as a half-dozen contractors and former Meta employees about the deterioration in customer service at the company since the job cuts began in November. Taken together, they tell the story of a company whose quick pivot in late 2022 from rapid expansion mode to forced contraction had an outsized impact on parts of the business that don’t generate revenue.

CNBC also reported that the slashing of customer service has left Meta unable to address user issues ranging from people being locked out of their accounts to software bugs not getting fixed in Facebook Groups. It’s long been a challenge for Meta, given that Facebook and Instagram are used daily by billions of people. In August, Meta’s vice president of governance, Brent Harris, told Bloomberg News the tech giant was looking to improve its support.

In addition, CNBC notes that, according to a screenshot shared with CNBC, Facebook notified group administrators on Jan. 19 that Groups Support would no longer be available as of Jan. 23. The message with the headline “Saying goodbye to Groups Support,” didn’t provide an explanation for the change and referred administrators to various help pages and resources in case they experienced technical problems.

Also according to CNBC, Meta shares lost two-thirds of their value last year as year-over-year revenue dropped for three straight quarters. The struggling ad business coincided with Zuckerberg’s effort to pivot the company to the nascent metaverse, a futuristic proposition that’s costing billions of dollars every quarter.

Some of CNBC’s article features Instagram influencers who are being taken advantage of by nefarious people who are hoping to make money off of a popular influence’s photos. People take photos of influencers and use them to make a fake account – likely in the hopes of tricking people to send them money – because they person doesn’t know the account is not legitimate.

I don’t use Facebook, but I do have an Instagram account. It is a private one, which allows me to post my art in a place where my friends can see it. I don’t accept friend requests from strangers, in part, because there is always a chance that an artist’s work could be stolen from them.

In my opinion, this entire situation, which is causing chaos on Instagram and harming Groups on Facebook, did not need to happen. Meta should be putting in effort to prevent account stealing, but it appears the company just doesn’t care what happens to their users.

Meta Is Testing Meta Verified – A Paid Subscription Service

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Meta announced they are testing Meta Verified, a new subscription bundle that includes account verification with impersonation protections and access to increased visibility and support. Personally, I think this decision was influenced by Twittter’s Twitter Blue subscription service.

The subscription is available for direct purchase on Instagram or Facebook in Australia and New Zealand starting later this week. People can purchase a monthly subscription (USD) $11.99 on the web and (USD) $14.99 on iOS and Android.

With Meta Verified, you’ll get:

  • A verified badge, confirming you’re the real you and that your account has been authenticated by a government ID.
  • More protection from impersonation with proactive account monitoring for impersonators who might target people with growing online audiences.
  • Help when you need it with access to a real person for common account issues.
  • Increased visibility and reach with prominence in some areas of the platform – like search, comments and recommendations.
  • Exclusive features to express yourself in unique ways.

Meta stated: Its important to feel confident that your identity and accounts are safe and that the people you’re interacting with are who they say they are. That’s why we’re building a series of checks into Meta Verified before, during, and after someone applies.

  • To be eligible, accounts must meet minimum activity requirements, such as prior posting history and be at least 18 years old.
  • Applicants are then required to submit a government ID that matches the profile name and photo of the Facebook or Instagram account they’re applying for.
  • Subscriptions will include proactive monitoring for account impersonation.

TechCrunch reported that Facebook-parent Meta has launched a subscription service called Meta Verified that will allow users to add the coveted blue check mark to their Instagram and Facebook accounts for up to a $15 a month by verifying their identity, its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Sunday, tapping a revenue channel that has returned mixed success for its smaller rival Twitter.

According to TechCrunch, the revenues of Meta, which has opted not to charge its customers for most of its services in more than a decade and a half since its founding, have taken a hit in recent years following Apple’s decision to introduce stringent privacy change on iOS that curtails the social firm’s ability to track users’ internet activities.

The Zuckerberg-led firm, which makes nearly all of its money from advertising, said last year that Apple’s move would cost the company more than $10 billion in lost ads revenue in 2022.

TechCrunch also reported that Meta’s announcement follows Snap launching its own subscription service last year, through which it has converted over a million users into paid customers already.

I have an Instagram account, but I don’t use Facebook. The idea of giving Meta access to a government ID that matches the profile name on my Instagram is alarming. I don’t feel that giving that type of information to Meta is safe, especially since the company has a history of tracking people.

John Carmack Is Leaving Meta

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John Carmack, a pioneer of virtual reality technology, is leaving Meta after more than eight years at the company, according to an internal post reviewed by The New York Times.

The New York Times reported that in the post, which was written by Mr. Carmack, the technologist criticized his employer. He said Meta, which is in the midst of transitioning from a social networking company to one focused on the immersive world of the metaverse, was operating at “half the effectiveness” and has “a ridiculous amount of people and resources, but we constantly self-sabotage and squander the effort.”

“It’s been a struggle for me,” Mr. Carmack wrote in the post, which published on an internal forum this week. “I have a voice at the highest levels here, so it feels like I should be able to move things, but I’m evidently not persuasive enough.”

Mr. Carmack was the former chief technology officer of Oculus, the virtual reality company that Facebook bought for $2 billion in 2014. Mr. Carmack was one of the most influential voices leading the development of V.R. headsets. He stayed with Facebook after Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive, decided to shift the company last year to focus on the meta verse and renamed Facebook as Meta.

According to The New York Times, Mr. Carmak’s post, which said he was ending his decade in V.R., concluded by saying he had “wearied of the fight” and would focus on his own start-up. (He announced in August that his artificial intelligence firm Keen Technologies, had raised $20 million.)

This week, Mr. Carmack testified in a court hearing over the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to block Meta’s purchase of Within, the virtual reality start-up behind a fitness game called Supernatural. The agency has argued that the tech giant will snuff out competition in the nascent meta verse if it is allowed to complete the deal.

CNN reported that Carmack was celebrated for his work developing Wolfenstein 3D, Quake and Doom, and co-founded video game company id Software. He was an early advocate for virtual reality, though it was not uncommon for him to criticize Meta.

When asked for comment by CNN, Meta pointed to Carmack’s post and a tweet from CTO Andrew Bosworth.

“It is impossible to overstate the impact you’ve had on our work and the industry as a whole,” Bosworth tweeted. “Your technical prowess is widely known, but it is your relentless focus on creating value for people that we will remember most. Thank you and see you in VR.”

CBS News reported that John Carmack cut his ties with Meta Platforms, a holding company created last year by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, in a Friday letter that vented his frustration as he stepped down as an executive consultant in virtual reality.

“There is no way to sugar coat this; I think our organization is operating at half the effectiveness that would make me happy,” Carmak wrote in the letter, which he shared on Facebook. “Some may scoff and contend we are doing just fine, but others will laugh and say ‘Half? Ha! I’m at quarter efficiency!”

Carmack’s departure comes at a time that Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, has been battling widespread perceptions that he has been wasting billions of dollars trying to establish the Menlo Park, California, company in the “metaverse” – an artificial world filled with avatars of real people.

It seems to me that John Cormack finally got frustrated enough with the metaverse project, and its apparent lack of progress, to decide to leave the company. I hope his own startup will be more efficient and interesting for him than the “metaverse” was.

Meta’s Oversight Board Criticizes ‘Cross Check’ Program For VIPs

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Meta Platforms Inc. has long given unfair deference to VIP users of its Facebook and Instagram services under a program called “cross check” and has misled the public about the program, the company’s oversight board concluded in a report issued Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the report offers the most detailed review of cross check, which Meta has billed as a quality-control effort to prevent moderation errors on content of heightened public interest. The oversight board took up the issue more than a year ago in the wake of a Wall Street Journal article based on the internal documents that showed that cross check was plagued by favoritism, mismanagement and understaffing.

Meta’s Oversight Board posted information titled: “Oversight Board publishes policy advisory opinion on Meta’s cross-check program”. From the information:

Key Findings: The Board recognizes that the volume and complexity of content posted on Facebook and Instagram pose challenges for building systems that uphold Meta’s human rights commitments. However, in its current form, cross-check is flawed in key areas which the company must address:

Unequal treatment of users. Cross-check grants certain users greater protection than others. If a post from a user on Meta’s cross-check lists is identified as violating the company’s rules, it remains on the platform pending further review. Meta then applies its full range of policies, including exceptions and context-specific provisions, to the post, likely increasing its chances of remaining on the platform.

Ordinary users, by contrast, are much less likely to have their content reach reviewers who can apply the full range of Meta’s rules. This unequal treatment is particularly concerning given the lack of transparent criteria for Meta’s cross-check lists. While there are clear criteria for including business partners and government leaders, users whose content is likely to be important from a human rights perspective, such as journalists and civil society organizations, have less clear paths to access the program.

Lack of transparency around how cross-check works. The Board is also concerned about the limited information Meta has provided to the public and its users about cross-check. Currently, Meta does not inform users that they are on cross check lists and does not publicly share its procedures for creating and auditing these lists. It is unclear, for example, whether entities that continuously post violating content are kept on cross-check lists based on their profile. This lack of transparency impedes the Board and the public from understanding the full consequences of the program.

NPR reported that the board said Meta appeared to be more concerned with avoiding “provoking” VIPs and evading accusations of censorship than balancing tricky questions of free speech and safety. It called for the overhaul of the “flawed” program in a report on Tuesday that included wide-ranging recommendations to bring the program in line with international principles and Meta’s own stated values.

Personally, I don’t think it is fair for Meta to pick and choose which users are exempt from Meta’s rules about what people can, and can not, post. Hopefully, the Oversight Board’s review will require Meta to treat all users equally.