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Facebook will soon let you delete your messages, just like the companys executives
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Facebook will soon add a feature that will let Messenger app users delete messages, according to Fortune. - photo by Herb Scribner
Facebook will soon add a feature that will let Messenger app users delete messages, according to Fortune.

The companys decision to add a delete function came after a TechCrunch report that found Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergs old messages from as far back as 2010 had been deleted.

The report said Facebook installed a time-lapse function, which, like Snapchat, would allow executives to automatically delete their messages in their inbox if they chose to do so.

The company developed the feature after Sony was hacked in 2014, which exposed private information from within the company.

After Sony Pictures emails were hacked in 2014 we made a number of changes to protect our executives communications. These included limiting the retention period for Marks messages in Messenger. We did so in full compliance with our legal obligations to preserve messages, Facebook said in a statement to TechCrunch.

Now the company plans to implement the feature into your own app.

We will now be making a broader delete message feature available. This may take some time, a Facebook spokeswoman told Fortune. Until this feature is ready, we will no longer be deleting any executives messages. We should have done this sooner and were sorry that we did not.

According to CNN, Facebook began rolling out another tool on Monday to allow users to see if their data has been hacked. The tool will continue to be rolled out over time, meaning some users will get it ahead of others.

So heres how it works, according to Wired: If you or a friend used the This is your Digital Life quiz, a message will appear telling you that the quiz was banned. Then, you will be sent a link where you can find all areas of your data that were affected.

"We have banned the website 'This Is Your Digital Life,' which one of your friends used Facebook to log into," the message will read. "You can learn more about what happened and how you can remove other apps and websites any time if you no longer want them to have access to your Facebook information."

However, those who werent affected will see a link that will explain which apps are connected to their Facebook accounts and what data those third parties can see. The link also directs users to a tool that allows them to disconnect apps from accounts, CNN reported.

Zuckerberg said last month that the social network would add this tool to "show everyone a tool at the top of your News Feed with the apps you've used and an easy way to revoke those apps' permissions to your data."

The update comes as Facebook faces its largest scandal to date. Zuckerberg is set to testify before Congress Tuesday, where hes expected to admit that Facebook made a mistake with the recent data breach in which Cambridge Analytica received data for more than 87 million users, according to Mashable.

The Energy and Commerce Committee published Zuckerbergs prepared remarks, in which he admits that Facebook didnt do enough to solve the data breach issues.

"Facebook is an idealistic and optimistic company. For most of our existence, we focused on all the good that connecting people can bring," Zuckerberg says in the written testimony. "But its clear now that we didnt do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well."
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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