Facebook just announced on its blog that it isrolling out a litany of privacy-related updatesthat streamline its various interfaces, simplify privacy control, and add more power in the hands of users. Facebook has always had a feature similar in function to Google+’s Circles but it has so far been underemphasized and complicated to use.It is now being moved to the forefront, with the lock button under the sharing widget getting a more verbose and prominent look....

Facebook’s VR isn’t about gaming, it’s about data — surprise, surprise Why does Facebook make virtual reality headsets? Facebook acquired VR company Oculus in 2014 foran estimated US$2.3 billion. But where Oculus originally aimed at gamers, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg wants VR for social media. At the same event last year, Zuckerberg said Facebook sees VR as a pathway to a new kind of “social computing platform” using the enhanced feeling of “presence” that VR affords....

VR can provide an immersive escape from the mundane. But there’s one thing it won’t let you escape from for much longer: advertising. Facebook announced on Wednesday that it will soon start testing ads inside Oculus headsets — despite the VR brand’s founder once promising that it would never happen. “We are not going to track you, flash ads at you, or do anything invasive,”pledgedOculus creator Palmer Lucky, shortly after Facebook bought his firm in 2017....

Facebook announced a bunch of tools and resources to spread awareness about mental health last night. This move comes ahead of Mental Health Day on October 10. But it also comes along with the recent allegations against the company about ignoring the mental health impact ofInstagram’s algorithms on teens. The firm said that it has worked with experts on mental health all around the world to build these tools. Here’s what the company has launched:...

Facebook islaunching a new featuretoday to help you keep in touch with your local community: Neighborhoods. It’s essentially the social network’s take on dedicated community social network appslikeNextdoor. You’ll have to be 18 years or older to join, as well as confirm your neighborhood (the app gives you the option of a few nearby locations). The company gives you the option of adding “interests, favorite places, and a bio” so your neighbors can get to know you....