Facebook has repeatedly pushed back against calls to split up Instagram and WhatsApp from the social media giant, arguing it won’t solve its woes around privacy, election meddling and other issues.  It turns out even one of its competitors, Snapchat, isn’t sure if a break-up is a good idea. Evan Spiegel, the CEO and co-founder …

Payments company PayPal is withdrawing from an association made up of Facebook and other companies that are overseeing a new cryptocurrency called Libra, which is scheduled to launch in 2020. The move by PayPal underscores the challenges that Facebook and its partners that are part of the Libra Association face as the group tries to get the cryptocurrency off the …

Facebook is still betting that virtual reality will be the next big computing platform, and part of that plan involves getting developers to create more content to attract more users. “We need to build a lot of technology that’s going to help advance and deliver this feeling of presence. The second thing that we need to do is build an …

Facebook is killing a feature that allows administrators and members who’re part of the social network’s groups to post videos and photos that vanish within 24 hours, the company said on Friday.  The feature, called group stories, has been available globally since December. The company plans to start sunsetting group stories on Sept. 26 at 9 a.m. PT. Existing group …

Twitter users in the US and Japan tired of seeing hurtful or irrelevant remarks on their tweets now have a new tool: hiding replies. The feature is part of an experiment the social media site is conducting that could help fuel more positive conversations. To hide a reply, you click on a gray downward arrow on the right-hand corner of …

Facebook wants to remind you that it’s still making an impact for charities even as it battles a series of scandals. The social media giant said Thursday that since 2015, its users have raised more than $2 billion on Facebook for the causes they care about. About half of that total comes from fundraising that happens on people’s birthdays. The …

Shelby Ruth, a 20-year-old Canadian, started online dating because it was a quick way to meet new people. So when Facebook launched its new dating feature in Canada last year, she signed up because the social network made it easy to do. Compared with Tinder, Ruth noticed, users share more profile information on Facebook Dating. But there are also downsides. …

Facebook said Tuesday it’s expanding a tool that some US governments and first responders use to alert local residents about emergencies such as active shooters, missing people and winter storms.  The social media giant said a feature called “local alerts,” will become available to all US governments and first responders who run a Facebook Page by the end of the …

Finding a restaurant can be tough if you don’t eat meat, gluten or are on a low-carb diet. Yelp, the local search and review site, wants to make that process easier by personalizing search results for its US users. The company said Tuesday it’s rolling out a section for preferences that includes dietary restrictions to more users. You’ll have seven …

It’s the social media hoax that won’t die. Since the beginning of the week, celebrities, politicians and everyday folks have fallen for a ruse about supposed changes coming to Instagram’s privacy policies. The practical joke declares IG is implementing a “rule where they can use your photos.” Though the head of the Facebook-owned service has debunked the hoax post, people …