Dozens of cybercriminal groups used Facebook to set up shop

Facebook Inc. housed dozens of cybercriminal groups that set up shop on the platform as online marketplaces to sell a variety of illegal services, such as stolen credit card information, account theft and spamming tools, a team of researchers found. Cisco Systems Inc.’s Talos security unit uncovered 74 groups with names like "Spam Professional" and "Facebook hack (Phishing)," it said in a blog post published Friday. Those online marketplaces, which counted about 385,000 members, were quite easy to locate for anyone with a Facebook account, the group said. Once a person joined one such group, Facebook’s own algorithms would often suggest similar groups, making criminal hangouts easy to find, according to Talos. Facebook confirmed that the groups, some of which Talos said had been on the platform for as long as eight years, have been removed. "These groups violated our policies against spam and financial fraud and we removed them. We know we need to be more vigilant and we’re investing heavily to fight this type of activity," Facebook said in a statement. The revelation of cybercriminal activity adds to the mounting security and privacy concerns surrounding Facebook. Earlier this week, researchers at cybersecurity firm UpGuard found troves of user information inadvertently posted publicly on Amazon.com Inc.’s cloud computing servers. — Bloomberg News Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2019-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why some experts say it's time for Twitter and Facebook to ban anti-vaccination posts

As measles cases continue to rise in Canada and the U.S., experts are calling on social media platforms to ban anti-vaccination posts, saying the risks to public health created by misinformation outweigh the right to free speech. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2019-05-22 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Far-Right Propaganda Floods Facebook Ahead of EU Elections

Fake accounts spread white-nationalist messages and amassed larger followings than actual far-right parties before being taken down, according to a new report. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2019-05-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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HMH Books & Media Sets Indie Plan

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books & Media has started Fast Track, a program aimed at helping independent booksellers set up direct order accounts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Mantel's final Cromwell novel set for March 2020

Hilary Mantel’s next novel The Mirror & the Light will be published in March 2020, 4th Estate has revealed, following fevered speculation around a billboard image circulated online. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-21 20:27:05 UTC ]
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Alarming Lessons From Facebook’s Push to Stop Fake News in India

The world’s largest election has become something of a test case in how technology giants handle fake news after years Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-05-21 19:00:27 UTC ]
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Amazon Literary Partnership grant recipients include nine groups in California

The Amazon Literary Partnership announced Monday that it was giving more than $1 million in grants to 66 literary nonprofit groups across the country, including nine in California. Amazon has awarded the grants annually since 2009, with the money going to small publishers, writing centers,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-05-21 17:40:00 UTC ]
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Facebook and Google Pressured EU Experts to Soften Fake News Regulations, Say Insiders

Google and Facebook pressured and “arm-wrestled” a group of experts to soften European guidelines on online disinformation and fake news, Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-05-21 15:02:38 UTC ]
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If anyone can give us a real Facebook alternative, it’s Apple

You’d like to leave Facebook, but there’s nowhere to go. A new social network from a company with a proven reputation for privacy isn’t such a crazy idea. Facebook is so big, and its reach so wide, that few rival networks even get out of the starting gates, much less gain the critical mass of... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-05-21 09:00:08 UTC ]
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Instagram: Facebook probes breach of millions of influencer accounts

An Indian company had stored the data of 49 million Instagram users in an unguarded online database. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2019-05-21 07:38:44 UTC ]
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Clarke steps down from W H Smith as group reports strong sales

Stephen Clarke is stepping down as group chief executive at W H Smith with high street m.d. Carl Cowling to take on the role, as the group reports strong sales in its latest report.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-21 07:15:56 UTC ]
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‘Game of Thrones’ finale sets an HBO record

The much griped-about series finale of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” on Sunday night broke the premium cable network‘s all-time ratings records, as nearly 20 million viewers tuned in to find out who would get to sit on the Uncomfortable Pointy Chair. According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, the... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-05-20 20:41:27 UTC ]
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Some Facebook users can’t turn off face recognition, study suggests (updated)

Consumer Reports filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission after finding that 8 out of 31 test accounts lacked the ability to turn off facial recognition. Updated 5/20 7:30 p.m. PST with Facebook comment.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-05-20 18:15:48 UTC ]
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Facebook’s robotic arms and legs are learning faster than ever

Although Facebook Inc. doesn’t sell robots, its researchers use plenty of them — and the company said its machines are getting a lot smarter a lot faster. The social media giant announced Friday that its engineers, working with computer scientists from New York University, have reduced the... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2019-05-20 17:10:00 UTC ]
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Facebook’s robotic arms and legs are learning faster than ever

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[ Baltimore Sun | 2019-05-20 17:10:00 UTC ]
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Facebook Research is developing touchy-feely curious robots

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[ Engadget | 2019-05-20 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Inside Facebook's New Robotics Lab, Where AI and Machines Friend One Another

The social network has a plan to merge the worlds of artificial intelligence and real-world machines, so that both may grow more powerful. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2019-05-20 10:30:00 UTC ]
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'We don't understand the impacts': Former Facebook exec calls for more government scrutiny

The tech giant's former NZ and Aus boss calls for more examination following the surprise election win in Australia. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2019-05-19 21:15:47 UTC ]
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What can you do when you've been shamed on Facebook?

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[ Stuff | 2019-05-17 23:43:50 UTC ]
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Adams Publishing Group Selects LEAP

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[ Editor & Publisher | 2019-05-17 19:45:47 UTC ]
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Facebook’s A.I. Whiz Now Faces the Task of Cleaning It Up. Sometimes That Brings Him to Tears.

Facebook has heralded artificial intelligence as a solution to its toxic content problems. Mike Schroepfer, its chief technology officer, says it won’t solve everything. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-05-17 13:03:59 UTC ]
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