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The glasses have two embedded 5MP cameras

Facebook and Ray-Ban's smart glasses - cool or a cod?

Facebook and Ray-Ban have launched their first joint attempt at smart glasses. But are they cool, or just a gimmicky cod?

Business • 09 Sep 21

Google topped the lobbying spending at €5.75m, a new report shows today

Google, Facebook, Microsoft top EU lobbying spending

Alphabet's Google unit, Facebook and Microsoft are the three biggest lobbying spenders in Europe in a battle against tough new laws aimed at curbing US tech giants' powers, a study released today showed.

Business • 31 Aug 21

Russia fines US web giants for breaching data law

Russia has fined Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp for failing to store the data of Russian users on local servers, the country's internet watchdog said today, as authorities clamp down on foreign internet companies.

Business • 26 Aug 21

The app allows up to 16 people together in VR and up to 50 total including video conference participants

Facebook launches VR remote work app

Facebook has today launched a test of a new virtual-reality remote work app where users of the company's Oculus Quest 2 headsets can hold meetings as avatar versions of themselves.

Business • 19 Aug 21

Facebook claims 90% of the content it took down across 12 of its 13 policy areas was removed before any user saw it or reported it

Hate speech declining on Facebook social network claims

The prevalence of hate speech on Facebook is decreasing, the social media giant has claimed, as it published its latest report on how the site enforces its rules.

Business • 18 Aug 21

Taliban members have reportedly continued to use Facebook's end-to-end encrypted messaging service WhatsApp

Facebook confirms ban of Taliban

The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan poses a new challenge for big US tech companies on handling content created by a group considered to be terrorists by some world governments.

Business • 17 Aug 21

The move comes days after Facebook said its US employees must get vaccinated to step into offices

Facebook delays return to office for US employees

Facebook has pushed back its office return date for all US and some international employees until January 2022 due to concerns over the highly infectious Delta variant.

Business • 13 Aug 21

Facebook may have to sell GIF-maker Giphy

Britain might require Facebook to sell GIF website Giphy after the country's competition regulator said its investigation found the deal between the two companies would hurt the display advertising market.

Business • 12 Aug 21

A number of England's soccer players received abusive messages on social media platforms like Instagram following the Euro 2020 final

Instagram offers new tool to help hide abusive comments

Instagram is introducing new features which it says will help reduce the amount of abusive and offensive messages users receive on the platform.

Business • 11 Aug 21

You can think about the metaverse as an embodied internet, where instead of just viewing content - you are in it', Mark Zuckerberg told The Verge

Facebook aims to build 'metaverse' online shared world

Facebook is creating a product team to work on the "metaverse," a digital world where people can move between different devices and communicate in a virtual environment, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced.

Science and Technology • 27 Jul 21

Schrems' Facebook complaint referred to EU court

Austria's Supreme Court has questioned the legal basis on which Facebook collects user data and referred key issues for a ruling by Europe's top court, after awarding symbolic damages to activist Max Schrems in his privacy case against the company.

Business • 20 Jul 21

The Irish DPC leads oversight of Facebook

DPC told to investigate processing of WhatsApp data

A European Union privacy watchdog rejected a call by Germany's lead data protection regulator for an EU-wide ban on Facebook's processing of personal data from its WhatsApp subsidiary, but told the social network's lead EU regulator, Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) to investigate.

Business • 15 Jul 21

Netflix's expansion comes at a time when the company is looking at new ways to draw in subscribers

Netflix hires former Facebook exec as gaming VP

Netflix has said it has hired a former Facebook executive to lead its video games unit, as the company ramps up its efforts to grow beyond its traditional streaming business.

Business • 15 Jul 21

WhatsApp in January introduced a privacy policy which allows it to share some data with Facebook and other group firms

WhatsApp targeted in EU consumer complaints

Facebook's WhatsApp today faced a barrage of complaints by the European Consumer Organisation and others over a privacy policy update, which has prompted a global outcry and led some users to switch to rival apps Telegram and Signal.

Business • 12 Jul 21

A US judge has dismissed competition complaints against Facebook that sought to force the social media company to sell Instagram and WhatsApp

Facebook hits $1 trillion value as complaints rejected

A US judge yesterday dismissed federal and state competition complaints against Facebook that sought to force the social media company to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, saying the federal complaint was "legally insufficient."

Business • 29 Jun 21

The company is aiming to make money from its short-form video feature

Facebook launches ads globally for Instagram Reels

Facebook is launching ads globally on its TikTok clone Instagram Reels, the company said today.

Business • 17 Jun 21

More than 250,000 people were employed by multinationals here at the end of 2020

Is Ireland's multinational romance coming to an end?

Questions are now growing about whether Ireland can hold on to its low corporation tax rate much longer, writes Will Goodbody.

Analysis and Comment • 12 Jun 21

By the end of this year there will be 3,000 staff at Facebook's Dublin base, the head of Facebook Ireland Gareth Lambe said

Facebook says remote working move may slow jobs growth

Facebook still plans to "aggressively" grow staff numbers in its European headquarters in Ireland but a company-wide policy allowing permanent remote work from other countries could slow that growth over time, its Irish chief has said.

Business • 11 Jun 21

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said some Irish based employees could request to work from a list of seven European countries, including the UK

Working abroad model a 'complex situation' for firms

The decision by Facebook to allow some of its Dublin-based staff to work remotely in another country presents a very complex situation for employees and employers that might avail of such a scheme, according to one employment expert.

Business • 11 Jun 21

Facebook will let any employee whose job can be done remotely ask to work that way permanently

Facebook remote work made permanent as offices re-open

Facebook said it will give employees the option of sticking with remote work for the long term, even offering to help some interested in moving to other countries.

Business • 10 Jun 21

Facebook said Trump's actions constituted a "serious violation" of its rules

Trump condemns Facebook ban as 'insult' to US voters

Facebook has banned former US president Donald Trump from its platform for two years, saying he deserved the maximum punishment for violating its rules over a deadly attack by his supporters on the US Capitol.

World • 04 Jun 21

Meanwhile, Britain's competition regulator is also investigating Facebook

EU opens probe into Facebook's use of advertiser data

Europe and Britain launched formal antitrust investigations into Facebook today to determine if the world's largest social network was using customer data to unfairly compete with advertisers, in a new assault on its business model.

Business • 04 Jun 21

WhatsApp is used by 2 billion people worldwide

What's up with using WhatsApp at work?

Is WhatsApp a secure and appropriate tool of communication at work?

Business • 02 Jun 21

The 'Boost with Facebook' programme will offer digital skills training to help SMEs grow their online footprint, establish an online shop front and connect with new customers

Facebook offers digital training for over 10,000 SMEs

Facebook has announced a new digital training programme for over 10,000 small Irish businesses to support their recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Business • 27 May 21

Tech platforms have grappled in recent years with how to police world leaders and politicians that violate their guidelines

Facebook oversight board upholds Trump's suspension

Facebook's independent oversight board has upheld a ban on former US president Donald Trump while ordering further review of the case, in a decision with a potentially far-reaching impact on the regulation of online speech.

US • 05 May 21