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Facebook is one step closer to striking deals with some of Australia’s largest media companies after conceding it could change or remove previously non-negotiable “poison pill” clauses in contracts that would allow the tech giant to walk away from any deals.The $764 billion ($984 billion) tech giant has been trying to strike commercial deals with large media outlets such as News Corp Australia, The Guardian’s local operations, the ABC and Nine Entertainment Co for use of news articles on its platform for several weeks to avoid being punished under new media bargaining laws. It has failed to do so because of the inclusion of clauses that allow it to blow up the agreements at any point in time.Talks between some media companies and Facebook are finally progressing.Credit: Industry sources who spoke anonymously because talks are confidential said Facebook has now told media companies it may be able to remove or change these provisions, a sign that it may strike deals in a matter of weeks if there is enough money on the table.  » Read More

05:52 WHAT'S THE ISSUE?Earlier this year, Australia passed a landmark media law forcing digital platforms like Facebook and Google to pay local media outlets to link their content in people's news feeds and search results.It's a considerable first step on the long road to regulation but will it set a precedent for making Big Tech to pay for journalism in other countries?Stephen Scheeler, the former CEO for Facebook in Australia & New Zealand joins The Agenda with Stephen Cole to explain how the new law can be seen as a victory for both Facebook and the Australian government. MEET THE EXPERTAs well as being the former CEO for Facebook in Australia & New Zealand, Stephen Scheeler has had over 25 years of experience in e-commerce, media and technology.Scheeler is the founder of global advisory The Digital CEO, a senior advisor to McKinsey & Company, and executive-in-residence at the Australian Graduate School of Management.  » Read More

It’s high time the federal government do something about It. March 13, 2021 | 2:56 AM Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the Senate judiciary and commerce committees on April 10, 2018 on Capitol Hill over social media data breach, in Washington, DC, USA. Photo by Olivier Douliery/Abaca/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images). If the political world feels increasingly off kilter, there’s a probably a good reason. Numerous forces are combining to rollick not only the United States but the entire world. These include increasing inequality, rising housing costs, wage declines and job destabilization as a result of technological changes, public policy and globalization–and, of course, the COVID pandemic and the looming specter of the climate crisis. But a huge part of the malaise involves angry political polarization, particularly asymmetric polarization by white supremacists in America and Europe, and ethnonationalists more broadly around the world. Decline in trust in institutions runs hand in hand with a newly fractured media landscape, in which legitimate media companies and journalists struggle to survive financially but disinformation thrives.  » Read More

Facebook is attempting to merge all three of its main networks in order to have a more seamless experience. Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are among them. Instagram and WhatsApp used to have their own separate identity before. After Facebook has owned them, the features became quite common among each other. Despite the fact that all of these have a few common features, they are linked to each other by Facebook in some forms. After introducing the story feature in both the apps, now Facebook is deciding to add Instagram reels on WhatsApp too. According to an app researcher, WhatsApp might include Instagram Reels in a future update. Given that, these social media platforms are owned by Facebook. Facebook is working to merge them all for a better user experience. This allows users to effortlessly move among WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.People prefer to contact different friends on separate sites. Usually, on all three platforms, friend circles are not common, therefore, exchanging mutual information will be helpful for both users and the business. Room is a substitute for Zoom on Facebook and through this app,  » Read More

OPEN APP Home Companies News Facebook to provide grants to four women-led NGOs Facebook to provide grants to 4 early-stage women-led NGOs 2 min read . Updated: 12 Mar 2021, 05:31 PM IST Staff Writer India and Bharat Together and Skilled Samaritan Foundation have been selected for incubation and will receive grants of ₹15 lakh eachMeanwhile, Tech4Good and Shakti An Empathy Project have been selected for acceleration and will receive grants of ₹50 lakh each Facebook will provide grants to four early-stage women-led NGOs through Facebook Pragati that will focus on boosting women entrepreneurship through the adoption of digital skills and tools. The four early-stage startups, Tech4Good, Shakti An Empathy Project, India and Bharat Together and Skilled Samaritan Foundation, have been selected from among a pool of 1,326 applications. India and Bharat Together and Skilled Samaritan Foundation have been selected for incubation and will receive grants of ₹15 lakh each.  » Read More

Lana Davis and David Davis set aside their differences and discovered a newfound respect for one another. DALLAS — Last summer, as she watched protestors march against racial injustice, Lana Davis was stunned. Stunned by what she saw in the Facebook comments section. “It was getting really, really sad and depressing and so I guess I was just at a point where I was like, ‘I have to say something,’” Lana said. She directed much of her frustration at one man, in particular: David Davis. She told him that his comments were rude and disrespectful. Lana said she was hoping it would start a conversation, but admits she didn’t expect a response. To her surprise, Lana actually did get a response. She and David went back and forth until eventually, David expressed his disappointment. “And I thought, ‘what am I doing,’” David said. “Somebody once said when you’re talking, you’re not listening. I was doing a lot of talking and not a lot of listening.” David’s change of heart began when he messaged Lana privately and heard her out.  » Read More

Residents group call for crucial vote to be delayed in New Mexico A community organization says that the Village of Los Lunas needs to delay a vote into a huge Facebook data center expansion, over water concerns in New Mexico, US.The Valencia Water Watchers group claim that the village in Valencia County has failed to be transparent about how much water will be used by the facility, and that it's not clear what impact the New Mexico expansion will have on reserves.No water for farming, plenty for Facebook – Facebook “I’ve had one or two cuts a year. I’ve lost a lot of money… we don’t have enough water. Facebook does not need more water," a local farmer said at a virtual public meeting attended by 50 concerned citizens, KRQE reports. "We as farmers need more water."More than 200 have signed a petition calling for a delay to a vote on whether the village should provide generous tax breaks to Facebook and greenlight the $800m project.  » Read More

Ross Shelleman is the CEO of Aisle Rocket, a full-service performance marketing and creative services agency.   getty Facebook’s overwhelming dominance in the social advertising space has been well established for years now. But as demographics and media behaviors shift and Facebook continues to come under scrutiny for its practices, brands and agencies are beginning to question the platform’s dominant position within their digital media budgets.  Without a doubt, Facebook continues to deliver the targeting at scale on which many marketers have come to rely. But as marketers look to future-proof their strategies for the years to come, they’re realizing that diversification beyond Facebook and onto other growing social platforms makes infinite sense. As they do so, it’s imperative that they recognize that moving beyond Facebook isn’t as simple as just migrating creative and ad spend to another destination. Facebook has achieved its dominance within the marketplace for a reason: Advertising on the platform is effective, at scale,  » Read More

Catch up with an artist you can relate to this weekend via Facebook Live.The Grand Rapids Public Museum will host a free live interactive program with artist Sean Kenney, who created the award-winning traveling exhibit “Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections Made with Lego Bricks,” produced by Imagine Exhibitions, which is on display at the museum. Workers complete construction of a giant dragonfly in the "Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections" exhibition, beginning Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Courtesy GRPM.org) Kenney will share his experience as a professional artist working with Lego bricks, lead a behind-the-scenes tour of his studio space and answer questions submitted by viewers.The live program is at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 14, at bit.ly/3l29Pwl. Tickets for the exhibit, which runs through May 2, are $12, $7 for children, at grpm.org or 616-929-1700. A venus flytrap captures a meal in "Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections" beginning Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.  » Read More

Facebook is expected to release its first smart glasses product later this year, but the company also has an eye on your wrist for creating a proper augmented reality (AR) experience – and it's one that doesn't involve an iPhone.Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google all have widely available hardware, but Facebook's Portal didn't hit its stride until the pandemic, unlike existing hits such as Amazon's Echo smart speakers, Microsoft's Surface laptops, Google's Pixel phones, and the iPhone. Facebook does have Oculus virtual reality headsets, though – and now the social networking company is exploring the idea of glasses synced-up with a wrist-borne device.SEE: Virtual hiring tips for job seekers and recruiters (free PDF) (TechRepublic)According to Facebook, you'd be less distracted than smartphone users by this future technology, which exploits the company's advances in artificial intelligence (AI) fields such as computer vision and natural language processing.  "Imagine a world where a lightweight, stylish pair of glasses could replace your need for a computer or smartphone," the company says in a new blogpost.  » Read More