Image used with permission by copyright holderDanger can be difficult to spot in our digital age, but Facebook has taken a few additional steps to help its users gain at least the sense of security. On Monday, the social media giant relaunched the Facebook Safety Center, which promises to equip users with tools and resources to combat bullying and encourage safe sharing throughout the online community. With help from external experts, including a Safety Advisory Board, Facebook says its new and improved Safety Center gathers “feedback from our community to develop policies, tools, and resources to keep you safe.”
Initially launched in 2010, the Facebook Safety Center has grown up quite a bit. It is available in more than 50 languages, and moreover, is now working alongside some 60 partners to make its tools more widely available. In a Facebook post introducing the updated Center, Facebook’s Head of Global Safety Antigone Davis notes the update also “brings our Bullying Prevention Hub to everyone on Facebook. The Hub is a resource for teens, parents and educators seeking guidance on on how to prevent and address bullying.”
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The social network is also reminding users of five tips to help control their user experience and make it a safe and positive one for both individuals and communities alike. First off, you ought to turn on two-step verification for Facebook to protect your privacy. Secondly, Facebook recommends reporting each and every offensive or abusive post. Further, the platform tells users that creating customized audiences could help drive your content to people who would benefit from it the most — be it friends, colleagues, or family members. Along the same vein, Facebook notes that controlling tagging and customizing your timeline can allow for a more curated experience. And finally, Facebook reiterates the importance of its privacy and security checkups, which can show you how to do all the aforementioned steps.
“For Facebook, making the world more open and connected, giving people the power to share some of their most important moments, means keeping people and their information safe,” Davis concluded. “We hope you find our new Safety Center informative and engaging.”
Bluesky barrels toward 1 million new sign-ups in a day
Social media app Bluesky has picked nearly a million new users just a day after exiting its invitation-only beta and opening to everyone.
In a post on its main rival -- X (formerly Twitter) -- Bluesky shared a chart showing a sudden boost in usage on the app, which can now be downloaded for free for iPhone and Android devices.
Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.
If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.
I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened
In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.
Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.
