Facebook is implementing extra security measures as millions more users join the social media network.
And there are some simple steps that you’ll need to take to help keep your account safe.
Now, Facebook really is the original social media giant.
Founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2004, it is considered one of the Big Four media giants alongside Amazon, Apple, and Google.
For a long time, it dominated the internet.
In the early ’00s, pretty much everyone was a Facebook addict, spending hours writing on one another’s walls and “poking” each other.
The founding of the platform has become something of a legend.
The 2010 biographical drama movie, The Social Network, told the story of how the company was founded by Harvard student, Mark Zuckerberg. The movie starred Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Armie Hammer, and Justin Timberlake.
Over the years, Zuckerberg has proven himself to be a shrewd businessman.
And one of the areas in which the Facebook empire has truly excelled is through clever choices of acquisitions.
In April of 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram.
The purchase cost one billion dollars and was one of the most expensive social media spendings to date. But it’s clear that it paid dividends, as Instagram has only grown in popularity since 2012.
And that wasn’t their only smart buy.
In 2014, Facebook acquired the chat platform, WhatsApp, for a whopping nineteen billion dollars. Woah.
In recent years, Zuckerberg made the bold decision to merge Facebook with 2 of the most popular and fastest-growing social media platforms out there.
By adding a suffix to their names.
When loading up the likes of Instagram and WhatsApp, users will now see the suffix “from Facebook” underneath.
Just so we don’t forget who owns them, right?
Some suspect that there’s a specific reason for the change.
They believe that Facebook is hoping to utilize its sister companies, Instagram and Whatsapp, as a means of gaining some cool points.
As result of his dominance in the world of social media…
Zuckerberg’s success has continued to grow and so has his wealth…
As Zuckerberg is now a centibillionaire.
This means his fortune has surpassed 100 billion dollars, The Guardian reports.
He joins the ranks of Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.
It’s a truly mind-boggling amount of wealth.
The news of Zuckerberg’s wealth status followed his announcement that he would be launching a rival to TikTok.
The Tik Tok alternative is Instagram Reels.
And despite having a high competition to compete with, Reels have proved to be highly popular.
People can’t get enough of them.
It’s safe to say that Zuckerberg’s social media empire is one of the most successful out there.
But it seems he wants a change from the well-known “Facebook” that everyone knows and loves…
He made the announcement during a Facebook Livestream event…
That the rebranding of the company will also include a name change.
“Starting today, our company is now Meta,” Zuckerberg announced…
Apparently linking in with the company’s plans to build a virtual reality “metaverse” which is currently in development.
Zuckerberg added that their old name “just doesn’t encompass everything we do” anymore.
“Our mission remains the same—it’s still about bringing people together,” he explained. “But now we have a new North Star, to help bring the metaverse to life, and we have a new name that reflects the full breadth of what we do and the future that we want to help build.”
However, the social media platform will still keep the old name Facebook, it’s just the company as a whole that’s rebranding…
“Today we’re seen as a social-media company, but our DNA is building technology to connect people,” said Zuckerberg, “and the metaverse is the next frontier.”
And as Facebook continues to grow, so do the added security measures.
Facebook has recently announced that they’re implementing a new feature called Security Checkup, on the site.
Facebook explains: “You can use Security Checkup to review and add more security to your account.
“Security Checkup is currently available to people logged in to Facebook on a computer, or the latest version of the Facebook for Android or Facebook for iOS app.”
The check will help prevent your account from being hacked, by alerting you if someone is trying to access your account.
It will give you advice on how to keep your password secure, and also give you the option of setting up two-factor authentication when you sign in.
To enable the check, head to your Facebook page and click on the three lines in the corner of the screen (if you’re on a computer, click your photo instead).
In the Settings section, click on ‘Security and login’ or ‘Password and Security.’
From here, you’ll want to click the ‘Check Your Important Security Settings’ button.
If the update has already been done, you’ll get a message that says: “You’re all set. No security actions are recommended at this time.”
If not, you’ll need to complete 3 simple steps for maximum security, the first being a password check, to make sure it fits with the required security measures.
You’ll then be given the option of switching on ‘two-factor authentication’. And lastly, clicking ‘Login Alerts’ will keep you updated if anyone attempts to access your account.
“We’ll tell you if someone logs in to your account from a device or browser you don’t normally use,” Facebook says.
As soon as Facebook notifies you, you will be given the option to change your password to keep your account safe.
What a great update!