Latest Tech Bytes

​Facebook Apologizes for “Killing Off” its Users
If you had received a notification from Facebook recently that informed you or your friends had passed away, you would have understandably been pretty shocked. But, believe it or not, this is exactly what happened to a large number of Facebook users. Facebook have since issued an apology for the error, which resulted in thousands of users’ profiles being converted into memorialized mode.

This setting is reserved for users who pass away and is intended to change their Facebook page into a digital memorial. If you were affected, you’re in good company; the glitch even impacted Mark Zuckerberg’s profile.
​
Facebook Gives Discriminatory Ads the Boot
Facebook recently announced that advertisers would no longer be able to target Facebook advertisements according to racial or ethnic groups in response to claims that the social media giant’s advertising practices were discriminatory.
​
Facebook have now ceased operation of its “ethnic affinities” functionality for advertisement types that have historically been associated with discrimination, such as employment, housing, and loans. The company announced it will use a range of advanced tools to detect potentially discriminatory ads and will issue new policies that explicitly outline the standards advertisers are expected to adhere to. Facebook’s announcement came after ProPublica, an investigative news outlet, exposed how Facebook’s previous advertisement system allowed marketers to exclude target groups based on their ethnic affinities, an act that is in violation of some federal laws.
 
Hackers Can Take Control of Google’s Pixel in Less Than a Minute
The audience was wowed at a recent security conference in Seoul when a team of ethical hackers from China’s Qihoo 360 successfully hacked Google’s Pixel mobile phone in less than 60 seconds. According to the experts at the event, the team successfully rendered the phone vulnerable to remote code execution, meaning that would-be wrongdoers could potentially use the device to spy on Pixel users, steal from their digital accounts, and take control of the device to instigate botnet attacks. If you’re a Google Pixel user, you don’t need to lose sleep over this minor exploit. Google will soon release a patch to ensure all their phones are protected against attacks of this nature.