News

Facebook is banning anti-vaccine ads, but there’s a twist

Why were they allowed in the first place?

Published

October 14, 2020

Shivam Vahia

Facebook announced it will ban anti-vaccination ads, after widespread pressure on the social network to curb harmful content. The new global policy says they’ll no longer allow ads that discourage people from getting vaccinated. Furthermore, it’ll also stop campaigns that show vaccines are unsafe or ineffective.

“We don’t want these ads on our platform,” Facebook officials Kang-Xing Jin and Rob Leathern said in a blog post. “Our goal is to help messages about the safety and efficacy of vaccines reach a broad group of people while prohibiting ads with misinformation that could harm public health efforts.”

Although, there’s a twist. The social network will allow ads that advocate or oppose legislation or government policies on vaccines. This includes the soon-to-come Coronavirus vaccine. And, anti-vaccine posts will continue to appear on your timeline or a group since it’s not included in the new misinformation policy.

So, Facebook isn’t removing anti-vaccine content. It’ll just stop profiteering from them. The current stance has also received a lot of criticism from experts because the platform has become a safe haven for the spread of misinformation.

With elections looming in the US, observers are worried the platform is being used to manipulate opinions and spread inaccurate information. While Twitter has taken a very strict stand against misinformation long back, Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently changed his mind and gave in to external pressure.

The company has often defended its slackened moderation by saying users have the right to express themselves. Till yesterday, the platform even allowed Holocaust denial content.

Related Topics:Anti-Vaccine coronavirus Facebook Misinformation Moderation Social Network Vaccine

Apps

Finally! Grab users may now pay directly using GCash

Much-awaited partnership

Published

January 27, 2023

GadgetMatch

Grab Philippines and GCash have finally struck a partnership deal that will make payments on the superapp even easier and more convenient.

Starting February, users will be able to add GCash as a direct payment method on the Grab app, making cashless transactions on food and grocery deliveries, car transport, and other services cashless.

Prior to the collaboration, GCash users could only send money from their account to their GrabPay wallet, and vice-versa, causing a bit of hassle switching in between apps on one’s phone screen.

The partnership also means there will be no more transaction fees unlike before when Grab users have to cash in using their credit or debit cards or linked bank accounts.

Grab customers may also avail of GCash exclusive deals, and even get treats when they pay using the e-wallet.

News

Samsung offers $100 for Galaxy S23 preorders

Or the upcoming Galaxy Book

Published

January 27, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

The Galaxy S23 series is coming. Samsung has officially scheduled the first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year for early February, heralding the coming of the Galaxy S23 series. While the flagship series will certainly wow a lot of users, buying one might crumple bank accounts so soon after the holidays. Luckily, Samsung is holding an early reservation promo ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked event.

If you reserve either the new Galaxy S23 or the new Galaxy Book now, Samsung is giving away US$ 50 worth of Samsung Credit. Additionally, users can reserve both devices and get US$ 100 worth of credit for use on any eligible products in the store.

Simply by signing up with your email address, you can use this link to save up to US$ 100 when you shop with Samsung.

The promo ends next Wednesday, February 1, by 11:59pm EST.

News

Apple halts development of in-house chip

Broadcom is still in

Published

January 27, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

Apple is currently on a quest to reduce its reliance on third-party components for its devices. For the most part, the company is successful in doing so. Apple Silicon is already an important part of the brand’s identity — with work on more in-house components ongoing. Now, Apple is reportedly pausing development on one of its upcoming chips.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will delay the development of its in-house connectivity chip. In the meantime, the brand will keep relying on Broadcom for the same components, going into the iPhone 15 series.

To be clear, the paused component only deals with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Apple is still developing its in-house modem for 5G connectivity — according to outside reports, at least. While the Broadcom deal will still continue, Qualcomm might still get the axe after Apple develops its replacement chip.

Given the positive response to Apple Silicon, building more in-house components might ultimately work well for the brand. If anything, the company can rest easier by controlling how one of its components is produced.

Besides Apple, other brands are also developing their in-house chipsets to rival component makers like Qualcomm. Google, for instance, is doing relatively well with the Tensor lineup. Additionally, though the upcoming series will rely on Qualcomm, Samsung is currently working to bring the Exynos lineup to match current standards.