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Facebook Introduces New Security Features, Experts Shrug

by Michael Ide, 24 Apr, 2011 News

Facebook’s new safety and security tools have failed to impress security experts, who are claiming that the social network has a long way to go before it becomes secure.

The social networking giant rolled out some new security and safety features that offer greater protection when signing in and additional tools to report misconduct and bullying on the platform.

Facebook has revamped the Family Safety Center on the platform by including more articles for parents and teenagers about how to safely use the platform. The tool also comes with new videos that highlight the platform’s safety and privacy functions.

Facebook also rolled out two-factor authentication for logging in. Users subscribing to the new service will be required to enter an additional code whenever they log in from a new device.

The company also introduced partial support for HTTPS security protocol which protects users’ personal and private information while accessing the platform from a public network.

The security enhancements, however, failed to impress Sophos security expert Graham Cluley, who had previously highlighted the platform’s privacy and security flaws in an open letter.

“HTTPS is still not on by default, and isn’t present at all for users who visit the mobile version of Facebook’s website. Users continue to contact us in droves concerned about rogue applications, survey scams and Facebook’s attitude that privacy isn’t something that users should be entitled to by default,” he said.

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