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Facebook Adds Support For Physical Authentication:

It’s abundantly clear at this point that passwords alone are not enough to protect online accounts, but adding a “second authentication factor” or additional element that helps prove you are who you claim can have pitfalls of its own. So this week Facebook added support for a strong “second factor” that has been gradually gaining momentum. Physical dongles that you keep plugged into your computer or carry with you are a quick and easy second piece of proof for logging into your account; Facebook will now support any physical security key that uses the open source Universal 2nd Factor standard developed by the FIDO Alliance. Sure, it’s possible to lose these dongles, but they’re robust because physical objects are hard to surveil and replicate remotely.

Facebook Finally Says It Will Not Help Build Muslim Registry:

AT THE BEGINNING of December, The Intercept reported on eight major American technology firms unwilling to state on the record that they would not help the Trump administration create a national Muslim registry. Since then, 22 different advocacy groups petitioned those companies to respond —today, Facebook breaks its silence.

The following statement was issued to The Intercept by a Facebook spokesperson:

“No one has asked us to build a Muslim registry, and of course we would not do so.”

The statement comes the day after another Facebook rep accidentally emailed BuzzFeed News, dismissing the question of the Muslim registry as a “straw man.” This now makes Facebook and Twitter the only two companies willing to say they will not help build an unconstitutional, draconian list of Muslims. If any of the rest would like to join, we encourage you to do so.

Facebook’s “Free” Internet Will Harm Low-Income Consumers:

Facebook claims Free Basics is the solution to getting internet access to more of the estimated 4.2 billion people worldwide who are still offline. At the same time, many American mobile service providers are already touting their own “zero-rating” programs, which allow customers to access selected content without it counting towards data caps. This is meant as a salve for disparities in broadband access, especially as more and more Americans rely solely on mobile broadband for internet access. But here’s the thing: It’s a farce. As Indian and American activists fighting for both internet access and internet freedom, we know that letting corporations dictate our choices online will not build the digital future we’re fighting for.

Germany orders Facebook to stop sharing and delete WhatsApp user data:

Johannes Caspar, the data protection commissioner of Hamburg, where Facebook Germany is headquartered, said Tuesday there was no legal basis for Facebook to use WhatsApp’s user information.

“Facebook and WhatsApp are independent companies that process their user’s data on the basis of their own terms and conditions and data privacy policies. After the acquisition of WhatsApp by Facebook two years ago, both parties have publicly assured that data will not be shared between them. The fact that this is now happening is not only a misleading of their users and the public, but also constitutes an infringement of national data protection law,” said Caspar in a statement, adding that “It has to be [users’] decision as to whether they want to connect their account with Facebook. Therefore, Facebook has to ask for their permission in advance. This has not happened.”

accessnow:

“Your passport, Facebook, and Twitter please.”

We already told you about the U.S. government’s proposal to add an “optional” field asking you to list your social media accounts every time you cross the border. And thousands of you have already told the U.S. government you think that’s a bad idea. Unfortunately, their proposal just got even worse.

We’ve seen the revised form (PDF download) Customs and Border Protection is proposing, and the “Social Media Identifier” field isn’t even marked as optional — making it mandatory for travelers entering the United States to divulge their social media accounts.

This kind of broad-strokes data collection violates fundamental privacy rights and hinders freedom of expression — and there’s no proof it would do anything to improve security. Instead, it sets a terrible example for countries around the world to start monitoring everyone’s social media at the border.

Take action now to stop the U.S. government’s expansion of social media surveillance.

Facebook censored a live stream video posted by Dakota pipeline protesters:

Facebook has admitted to censoring a video posted by activists protesting the Dakota Access pipeline, with the social network blaming the removal on its automated spam filter. The live stream video, published on Tuesday by the media collective Unicorn Riot, showed police arresting around two dozen protesters at a Dakota pipeline site. Unicorn Riot published a link to the live stream on its Facebook page, but the URL was blocked and other users were unable to share it. The link has since been restored, and a Facebook spokesperson apologized for the removal in a statement to Motherboard.

In a statement to Antimedia, a member of Unicorn Riot said that the video was censored “shortly before two of our journalists were arrested onsite,” adding that posts and comments that contained the URL “triggered popup security alerts.” According to the collective, Facebook’s debugger said that the link violated the site’s “community standards.”

“Your passport, Facebook, and Twitter please.”

We already told you about the U.S. government’s proposal to add an “optional” field asking you to list your social media accounts every time you cross the border. And thousands of you have already told the U.S. government you think that’s a bad idea. Unfortunately, their proposal just got even worse.

We’ve seen the revised form (PDF download) Customs and Border Protection is proposing, and the “Social Media Identifier” field isn’t even marked as optional — making it mandatory for travelers entering the United States to divulge their social media accounts.

This kind of broad-strokes data collection violates fundamental privacy rights and hinders freedom of expression — and there’s no proof it would do anything to improve security. Instead, it sets a terrible example for countries around the world to start monitoring everyone’s social media at the border.

Take action now to stop the U.S. government’s expansion of social media surveillance.