Facebook's updating its data use policy yet again, in an attempt to satisfy the Irish data protection authority - and potential shareholders. The new policy looks similar to the old, but goes into much more detail about how the company uses the data it gathers. This was ordered by both the Irish Data Protection Commissioner and the US Federal Trade Commission. "We’re adding more examples and detailed explan ...

Facebook's created an App Center - not so much a store, but a showcase where users can browse the best Android, iOS, mobile and web apps that integrate with the social network. Users won't actually be able to download all the apps from the center - Apple's policies put paid to that - but will have to go to Google Play or the App Store, as they do now. However, Facebook will also sell 'bespoke' apps through ...

Dr. Cecilie Schou Andreassen of the University of Bergen has a theory about why some people develop chronic Facebook dependency. According to Andreassen, Facebook addiction occurs most frequently amongst younger users, and tends to ensnare individuals who are anxious or socially insecure - probably because they find it easier to communicate via social media than face-to-face. How to measure your Facebook ad ...

Facebook's valuation for its forthcoming IPO will be about $90 billion, rather than the rumored $100 billion - but it'll still be the biggest-ever internet company IPO, raising around $10 or $11 billion. There had been concerns that Facebook's recent shopping spree, buying Instagram and a stash of Microsoft patents, might have delayed the IPO until June. According to an SEC filing, the company plans to pric ...

Facebook's struck a deal with five major security vendors allowing it to offer their anti-virus products for free. Microsoft, McAfee, TrendMicro, Sophos, and Symantec have also agreed to share their URL blacklists with Facebook in an effort to combat malware. The new Facebook AntiVirus Marketplace offers free, six-month licenses from the five vendors, which will also provide educational materials for the Fa ...

For those bewildered by the privacy issues surrounding Facebook apps - and let's face it, who isn't? - there's a new FCC-endorsed service available to rate them. Research firm PrivacyChoice says its Privacyscore for Facebook makes clear which apps protect users' privacy and which don’t, and tells users if they’ll be tracked, and by whom. "Hundreds of millions of people use Facebook apps every day, sharing p ...

Facebook has today improved users' ability to see what information the company is holding about them - but hasn't gone far enough, according to privacy campaigners. First introduced in 2010, Download Your Information lets users access a list of what they've shared on Facebook, including photos, posts, messages, friend lists and messages. "Now you can access additional categories of information, including pr ...

KFC Thailand has apologized for posting a Facebook message that urged people to rush home during Wednesday's tsunami scare and order a bucket of KFC chicken. As people were being urged to evacuate from beaches, the company posted this message: "Let's hurry home and follow the earthquake news. And don't forget to order your favorite KFC menu." Hundreds of angry commenters on Thai web boards denounced the com ...

Facebook is spending $1 billion to buy the photo-sharing company Instagram in the social network's largest acquisition ever. On the surface, that's a huge sum for a tiny startup that has a handful of employees and no way to make money. But the lack of a business model rarely dampens excitement about hot tech upshots these days. As Facebook has shown, itself without ads or revenue in its early days, money go ...

Two US senators are demanding an investigation into allegations that many employers are ordering staff and job applicants to hand over their Facebook passwords. Last week, Facebook's chief privacy officer, Erin Egan, revealed a trend for companies to seek access to their staff's private information, and warned that employees should just say no. However, this is easier said than done, which is why Charles Sc ...