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Facebook's new Messenger app: Path to the next billion users?

It may seem odd to talk about user growth for Facebook, which with 1 billion-plus members is already more than three times the size of the entire U.S. population. But much of what the company does boils down to just that: How to add the next billion users? And then the billion after that?

And that's why today's announcement that Facebook is revamping its mobile messenger app is such a big deal. If it works -- and that's still a big if -- Facebook may be able to reel in many of the holdouts who so … Read more

Facebook users seek answers on advertising, privacy

When given the opportunity to question those who lead Facebook's privacy team about proposed changes to the social network's data use policy before voting on the matter, Facebook users were more concerned with how the site currently manages its data.

Questions during today's half hour live Web talk (archived here) included ones about how posts on Timeline are displayed, what information is shared with advertisers, online bullying, what happens if your account is hacked and, of course, what about that viral copyright post. (It's fake.) One user wasn't even sure there was a vote: "… Read more

Privacy group to appeal Ireland's Facebook audit

A data-privacy advocacy group known as Europe v. Facebook says it plans to take the Irish authorities to court to put teeth into data protection in Europe.

The privacy group, which is based in Austria, has been campaigning for more privacy and greater data protection for the 1-billion-plus members of the social network. It has thus far won some concessions, such as Facebook switching off its facial recognition feature for European users.

But the group says the concessions made by Facebook do not go far enough. To push for greater protections, it wants to take the Irish government to court … Read more

Facebook Android Messenger only needs name, phone number

Facebook today made a few tweaks to its Messenger feature, allowing Android users to create an account with just their name and phone number.

Unlike in the past, people now aren't required to have a Facebook account to access Messenger.

The move is a way for Facebook to reach a bigger audience, attracting people who don't already have Facebook accounts and getting them to gradually use more Facebook services. In addition, it could also become a way to increase the Facebook usage of existing members by giving them a way to communicate via Facebook with friends who aren'… Read more

Facebook wins preliminary OK of 'Sponsored Stories' settlement

Facebook has won preliminary approval of a proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed over the social network's use of members' names and images in advertising.

Under the settlement's terms, Facebook agreed to pay $10 to each user who objected to being included in the social network's "Sponsored Stories" advertisements, as well to initiate user controls that allow people to be excluded from the program.

U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg said today that the settlement "has no obvious deficiencies" and "appears to be the product of serious" negotiations between lawyers … Read more

Facebook opens vote on policy changes, addresses privacy concerns

Nation Facebook has officially opened its polls. So from now until noon on December 10, Facebook's billion-plus members will be able to vote on a number of proposed policy changes as to how Facebook governs its site. These include how Facebook handles your data, and a plan to abolish the social network's practice of allowing users to vote on policy changes in the first place.

The proposed changes, rolled out just over a week ago, have led to plenty of criticism from privacy advocates, who urged CEO Mark Zuckerberg to reverse course on the whole thing.

And as … Read more

Facebook turns to other game developers, highlights Avengers Alliance

Facebook put up a new blog post today, patting itself on the back for Open Graph's role in the success of Playdom's Avengers Alliance game.

The social network said shared stories that linked to the game on people's news feeds and timelines were clicked on 7 million times -- the third-largest source of clicks to the Marvel game -- and users who installed the game after clicking through Open Graph stories made an in-game purchase twice as often as those who joined the game through an invite.

The post also included comments from the game developer about … Read more

Facebook app now auto-uploads smartphone photos

Facebook is releasing photo sync for iOS to the general Facebook community, after months of testing.

The new feature, available for Android and the iPhone, automatically uploads photos taken on a smartphone to a private album on a user's Facebook profile. Those photos can then be removed, kept private, or shared publicly. A total of 2GB worth of photos can be stored from mobile devices.

Facebook said it began testing photo sync in August and "will continue to make it available to more people."

Don't like the idea of your photos automatically sent to your Facebook … Read more

Friday Poll: Has Facebook jumped the shark?

A lot of things have jumped the shark. The Fonz did it first, literally donning water skis for the stunt and marking the beginning of the end for "Happy Days."

MySpace did it. Even the phrase "jumped the shark" has done it.

And what about the most popular social-networking site? In some people's eyes, Facebook is pulling on its swim trunks and eyeing the big beastie.

Bradley Horowitz, chief of rival Google+, argues that Facebook has already landed on the other side of the shark. Horowitz recently called Facebook out for the way it implements … Read more

The crazy truth: Google+ can thrive alongside Facebook

It's easy to call Facebook the social network of the past. It's harder to build the social network of the future.

To hear Bradley Horowitz tell it, though, Google is well on its way. Google+, he says, lets people share with others in a more natural way than its competitors. Easy privacy controls, an environment free from obtrusive advertising, and highly polished mobile apps combine on Google+ to deliver a next-generation social network, as Horowitz tells it.

"It's not attempting to chase the social networks of the past," he said this week at a Business Insider conference in New York, … Read more