Grasping for a Vine: Video for Instagram Will Be Sole Reveal at Facebook Event Thursday

We’re ready for our close-up, Mr. Systrom.
instavid380

Amazon Debuts a Gifting Product on Facebook’s Crowded Platform

The social gift-giving options continue to multiply, with a new birthday-themed product from the online commerce giant.
amazon gift card $100

Voices

Tech Experts Flock to Ad Festival on Riviera

Growing numbers of technology experts are invading the annual advertising schmooze fest on the French Riviera this week, in a further sign of the transforming effect new technologies are having on the ad business.

NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Says Tech PRISM Denials Were “Misleading”

In a live online Q&A at the Guardian today, Edward Snowden, the man who revealed the PRISM documents and much more, said the leaks were having his desired effect.
edward_snowden

A Closer Look at Microsoft’s FISA Disclosure Numbers

A little back-of-the envelope math shows some interesting patterns.
edwin_armstrong_math-feature

News Byte

Twitter Backs Google, Says Facebook Made Mistake in Data Disclosure Deal With Feds

After Facebook came to an agreement with the Federal government in which the social giant could disclose information request numbers to the public, Google said Facebook’s deal wasn’t enough, condemning Facebook for agreeing to publish the data in aggregate. Twitter legal director Ben Lee chimed in shortly thereafter, siding with Google: “We agree with @Google: It’s important to be able to publish numbers of national security requests — including FISA disclosures — separately,” he said in a tweet on Friday evening. The back and forth comes in the wake of a week of intense scrutiny of the NSA and tech companies, after whistleblower Edward Snowden released a series of potentially damning documents suggesting a data-sharing relationship between the Feds and a number of Valley giants.

Google Calls Facebook’s Data Disclosure Deal With the Feds “A Step Back for Users”

Facebook may have provided data disclosures to users. But Google says Facebook didn’t push hard enough.
privacy_important

Twitter Tries Harder to Explain Itself