social media - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Facebook releases a separate app for private photo sharing

  Facebook has taken a step away from its main site to develop what it thinks is a better way to share photos privately.

• Facebook's API change severs Microsoft apps from friends' info

  Facebook has rolled out a new API (application programming interface) that has crippled most of the connections Microsoft built into its mobile and desktop apps to link with Facebook calendars, contacts and photos.

• Why Twitter's CEO is looking for a job

  Dick Costolo is out as CEO of Twitter not so much for what he did wrong, but because he didn't do nearly enough right.

• Facebook ranking change will support a push into news

  If you pore over news articles in your Facebook News Feed, expect to see more of them going forward.

• Four challenges for Twitter's next CEO

  Dick Costolo has stepped down as CEO of Twitter after five years on the job, relinquishing his post amid longstanding problems including sluggish growth and frequent abusive comments posted to the social network. Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey, who is also CEO of Square, will be interim CEO when Costolo steps down on July 1.

• Get ready for more buy buttons on Facebook

  When you're not liking your friends' photos on Facebook, you're likely to soon have more opportunities to buy stuff.

• Twitter, to curb abuse, lets users share block lists

  Twitter, to reduce abusive content on its site, is letting users share lists of the people they block, so they can more easily silence those account holders on their own profiles.

• Facebook letting more stores ping your phone when you're inside

  You might find yourself browsing more than the shelves at your local store, if Facebook knows you're there. It's expanding a location-aware program that will let businesses pop information into the top of your news feed.

• Facebook, Twitter represent bulk of blocked traffic on corporate networks

  CIOs and IT managers are in many ways fighting a losing battle when it comes to blocking employee access to social media services and other websites on corporate networks. Every day, employee make an average of 6.2 attempts to access blocked social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, according to a new report from Allot Communications, an Israeli enterprise IP service provider. Whether those attempts are intentional or the result of links in messages, redirects from other sites or ads, IT is responsible for the integrity of its systems.

• Facebook's lean Android app is less than 1MB in size

  Facebook has released a stripped down version of its Android app aimed at growing its service in developing countries and other areas with poor connectivity.

• Jay Z tries to grow Tidal with a desktop app

  Tidal, the paid music streaming service owned by artist and businessman Jay Z, can now be accessed via a desktop app.

• FBI calls for new wiretap law covering social media

  Encrypted social networking tools are hindering the FBI's ability to track terrorists and recruiters who are appealing to young people in the U.S., an FBI official told lawmakers.

• Facebook sued in US court for blocking page in India

  Facebook has been sued in California by a Sikh non-profit organization for blocking their page in India, reflecting the challenges U.S. social networking companies face in their expansion into countries with different laws on free speech and expression.

• How you might get food delivered through Pinterest

  When you search for a recipe on Pinterest, the results soon might include a way to have the ingredients delivered to your door within 45 minutes.

• Facebook will send encrypted emails is users add PGP key to profile

  Some Facebook users should soon be able to receive encrypted emails from the social networking site if they add PGP public keys to their profiles.