Meta: Difference between revisions - Consumer_Action

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On January 19th 2025, Meta updated their internal policies to recognize the [[free and open source software]] and operating system Linux as a "cybersecurity threat".<ref name=":1">https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20250127#sitenews</ref><ref>https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/facebook-flags-linux-topics-as-cybersecurity-threats-posts-and-users-being-blocked</ref> As part of this, many Facebook users had their accounts either locked or muted for merely mentioning Linux, most notably the Linux distribution tracking site, DistroWatch. DistroWatch claims they appealed the decision the next day and had it affirmed to them that "Linux-related material is staying on the cybersecurity filter" alongside the personal account the appeal was sent from being locked. <ref name=":1" /> This quickly gained media attention with many calling this out as irony given Meta's infrastructure mostly runs on Linux.<ref>https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/28/facebook_blocks_distrowatch/</ref>

9 days later on January 28th, PCMAG posted A comment to them by Meta directly confirming this was an error following Distrowatch's account being reinstated and the blocking of any Linux related content being lifted.<ref>https://www.pcmag.com/news/facebook-accidentally-blocks-users-from-posting-about-linux</ref>

==== Tracking pixel ====

The [[Meta]]’s tracking pixel can be added to websites to track user behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meta Pixel |url=https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/meta-pixel/ |website=Meta}}</ref> The tracking tool has faced several lawsuits for violations of privacy laws. The lawsuits range from websites failing to disclose the use of the tracking tool Meta pixel to outright declaring the tool illegal. In 2023, the Austrian DSB decided the technology is illegal, as it cannot guarantee data is not shared back to data centers located in US from the EU.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Mar 2023 |title=Austrian DSB: Meta Tracking Tools Illegal |url=https://noyb.eu/en/austrian-dsb-meta-tracking-tools-illegal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316064216/https://noyb.eu/en/austrian-dsb-meta-tracking-tools-illegal |archive-date=16 Mar 2023 |access-date=8 Mar 2025 |website=NOYB – European Center for Digital Rights}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brunoli |first=Joseph |date=17 Mar 2023 |title=Austrian regulators declare Meta tracking tools are illegal |url=https://www.techzine.eu/news/privacy-compliance/103329/austrian-regulators-declare-meta-tracking-tools-are-illegal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320095247/https://www.techzine.eu/news/privacy-compliance/103329/austrian-regulators-declare-meta-tracking-tools-are-illegal/ |archive-date=20 Mar 2023 |access-date=8 Mar 2025 |website=Techzine Europe}}</ref> At that time there was legal uncertainty regarding these data transfers, as the privacy framework for EU-US data transfers was annulled in 2020. This legal grey area was entered again in 2025, as [[The US undermines the Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework with the EU by firing PCLOB staff|the current privacy framework with the US faces uncertainty]].

===Meta Oculus VR===

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Despite Ready At Dawn's claims, there have been no other project released following the shutdown. The studio proceeded to suffer major layoffs and, in August 2024, Meta shut down Ready At Dawn Studios itself, blaming Oculus Studios' budgetary constraints.<ref>[https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/ready-at-dawn-studios-closing "Exclusive: Meta is closing a beloved first-party Quest studio"] - androidcentral.com - 8 Aug 2024 </ref>

===== '''Attempts to block other OpenXR runtimes (third party or other brands) from working with games'''<ref name=":2">"[https://mbucchia.github.io/OpenXR-Toolkit/ovrplugin.html Meta’s OVRPlugin]" - mbucchia.github.io</ref> =====

====='''Attempts to block other OpenXR runtimes (third party or other brands) from working with games'''<ref name=":2">"[https://mbucchia.github.io/OpenXR-Toolkit/ovrplugin.html Meta’s OVRPlugin]" - mbucchia.github.io</ref>=====

Both Unity and Unreal Engine allow various OpenXR vendor plugins to be used, one of which is Meta's Oculus XR Plugin internally called the OVRPlugin. The OVRPlugin is a unified plugin that allows developers a single unified implementation for their Quest devices and OpenXR compatible devices for the PC. This sounds like an easy solution to target all current popular high-end VR headsets in one implementation.

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 On January 19th 2025, Meta updated their internal policies to recognize the [[free and open source software]] and operating system Linux as a "cybersecurity threat".<ref name=":1">https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20250127#sitenews</ref><ref>https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/facebook-flags-linux-topics-as-cybersecurity-threats-posts-and-users-being-blocked</ref> As part of this, many Facebook users had their accounts either locked or muted for merely mentioning Linux, most notably the Linux distribution tracking site, DistroWatch. DistroWatch claims they appealed the decision the next day and had it affirmed to them that "Linux-related material is staying on the cybersecurity filter" alongside the personal account the appeal was sent from being locked. <ref name=":1" /> This quickly gained media attention with many calling this out as irony given Meta's infrastructure mostly runs on Linux.<ref>https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/28/facebook_blocks_distrowatch/</ref>
 days later on January 28th, PCMAG posted A comment to them by Meta directly confirming this was an error following Distrowatch's account being reinstated and the blocking of any Linux related content being lifted.<ref>https://www.pcmag.com/news/facebook-accidentally-blocks-users-from-posting-about-linux</ref>
+==== Tracking pixel ====
+The [[Meta]]’s tracking pixel can be added to websites to track user behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meta Pixel |url=https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/meta-pixel/ |website=Meta}}</ref> The tracking tool has faced several lawsuits for violations of privacy laws. The lawsuits range from websites failing to disclose the use of the tracking tool Meta pixel to outright declaring the tool illegal. In 2023, the Austrian DSB decided the technology is illegal, as it cannot guarantee data is not shared back to data centers located in US from the EU.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Mar 2023 |title=Austrian DSB: Meta Tracking Tools Illegal |url=https://noyb.eu/en/austrian-dsb-meta-tracking-tools-illegal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316064216/https://noyb.eu/en/austrian-dsb-meta-tracking-tools-illegal |archive-date=16 Mar 2023 |access-date=8 Mar 2025 |website=NOYB – European Center for Digital Rights}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brunoli |first=Joseph |date=17 Mar 2023 |title=Austrian regulators declare Meta tracking tools are illegal |url=https://www.techzine.eu/news/privacy-compliance/103329/austrian-regulators-declare-meta-tracking-tools-are-illegal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320095247/https://www.techzine.eu/news/privacy-compliance/103329/austrian-regulators-declare-meta-tracking-tools-are-illegal/ |archive-date=20 Mar 2023 |access-date=8 Mar 2025 |website=Techzine Europe}}</ref> At that time there was legal uncertainty regarding these data transfers, as the privacy framework for EU-US data transfers was annulled in 2020. This legal grey area was entered again in 2025, as [[The US undermines the Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework with the EU by firing PCLOB staff|the current privacy framework with the US faces uncertainty]].
 ===Meta Oculus VR===
@@ Line 45: / Line 48: @@
 Despite Ready At Dawn's claims, there have been no other project released following the shutdown. The studio proceeded to suffer major layoffs and, in August 2024, Meta shut down Ready At Dawn Studios itself, blaming Oculus Studios' budgetary constraints.<ref>[https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/ready-at-dawn-studios-closing "Exclusive: Meta is closing a beloved first-party Quest studio"] - androidcentral.com - 8 Aug 2024 </ref>
-===== '''Attempts to block other OpenXR runtimes (third party or other brands) from working with games'''<ref name=":2">"[https://mbucchia.github.io/OpenXR-Toolkit/ovrplugin.html Meta’s OVRPlugin]" - mbucchia.github.io</ref> =====
+====='''Attempts to block other OpenXR runtimes (third party or other brands) from working with games'''<ref name=":2">"[https://mbucchia.github.io/OpenXR-Toolkit/ovrplugin.html Meta’s OVRPlugin]" - mbucchia.github.io</ref>=====
 Both Unity and Unreal Engine allow various OpenXR vendor plugins to be used, one of which is Meta's Oculus XR Plugin internally called the OVRPlugin. The OVRPlugin is a unified plugin that allows developers a single unified implementation for their Quest devices and OpenXR compatible devices for the PC. This sounds like an easy solution to target all current popular high-end VR headsets in one implementation.