Technologies
Facebook reportedly shelved report over fears it could make the company look bad
The report shows the most-viewed US content on Facebook in the first quarter.
Facebook decided not to publicize a report about its most-viewed content in the first three months of the year because of concerns the data could make the company look bad, The New York Times reported on Friday.
Citing internal emails, the Times said Alex Schultz, Facebook’s chief marketing officer and vice president of analytics, and other executives debated whether the results of the report would harm Facebook’s image. The report showed that the most-viewed link in the first quarter was a news article from The South Florida Sun Sentinel republished by The Chicago Tribune with the headline «A ‘healthy’ doctor died two weeks after getting a COVID-19 vaccine; CDC is investigating why.» The Epoch Times, a far-right media outlet, was also the 19th-most-popular page on the platform.
The revelation raises questions about whether Facebook is selectively publishing data that helps the company fight back against concerns that polarizing content spreads widely on the platform. The Biden administration and other politicians have also urged the social network to do more to combat COVID-19 misinformation that could make people hesitant to get vaccinated.
Facebook didn’t respond to a request for comment. Andy Stone, a spokesman for the company, tweeted that «we ultimately held it because there were fixes we needed to make.» He also pointed out that the most-viewed headline came from an authoritative news source. On Saturday, following the publication of the Times article, Facebook released the report.
Facebook executives have reportedly raised concerns before about information from a data analytics tool that Facebook owns called CrowdTangle that shows high engagement with right-wing sites. On Wednesday, Facebook published for the first time a report that included what domains, links, pages and posts were the most widely viewed in the US on Facebook during the second quarter, which is between April and June.
The most viewed domain in the second quarter was YouTube. The most viewed link was for Player Alumni Resources, and the top page was from Unicef. The most viewed post was an image from a motivational speaker that asked people about the first words they see in a block of letters.
Company executives said during a press call that Facebook released the data as part of its broader commitment around transparency. But some people, including former vice president of product marketing at Facebook Brian Boland, said the report «fails to deliver on the transparency it promises» because there are limitations to the data and he finds it «useless.»
«After reading through the press release and the report itself I came away believing that this entire effort is a PR stunt,» he said in a Medium post.
Technologies
Repair Your Electronics at Home With This Rare Black Friday Discount on the iFixit Pro Tech Go Toolkit
This toolkit rarely goes on sale, so take advantage of this opportunity to snag it for only $40.
While Black Friday is an excellent time to replace old smartphones or broken laptops at a discount, not everyone is looking to splurge on new tech right now. If you’re shopping on a budget, or simply like the devices that you have and aren’t ready for an upgrade, investing in an electronics repair kit may be a wise option. We’ve spotted a discount on the iFixit Pro Tech Go tech toolkit, bringing its price down to just $40. But don’t delay, Black Friday is in its final hours and this kit rarely goes on sale.
The iFixit Pro Tech Go kit can be used to open up and repair a wide range of electronics, including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and smart home devices for DIY repairs like battery or screen replacements. The kit has a 32-bit Moray driver kit, an opening tool, a suction handle, a jimmy, a spudger and angled tweezer to carefully open your devices.
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Repairing your own tech can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It also reduces e-waste by helping your devices last longer rather than throwing them away over minor issue. As of this year, all 50 states have introduced right-to-repair legislation designed to give people a legal right to fix their own tech, and several states have already signed it into law.
You can check out more deals from iFixIt now on Amazon. Plus, for other budget buys, check out our roundup of the best Black Friday deals under $100.
MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK
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Why this deal matters
This is a record low price on a repair kit that rarely goes on sale. While we did see a modest discount on the iFixit Pro Tech Go toolkit during Amazon Prime Day in July, it was not marked down for October Prime Day or other sales such as Memorial Day or Labor Day. As such, it’s fairly unlikely that we’ll see it go on sale again this season, so this might be your last chance to get the toolkit for only $40.
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Technologies
Don’t Say Goodbye to Black Friday Yet. These Rare Apple Discounts Are Still Going Strong
Technologies
What a Ban Would Actually Mean for DJI Drone Owners and Holiday Shoppers
What’s the secret to a very un-merry shopping season? A brand new, unusable drone.
With Thanksgiving wrapped up and the Black Friday shopping sales here, if a DJI drone is on your holiday wish list, you might want to hit «buy» immediately. The company has issued a stark warning: Its drones could be banned from sale in the US, and the deadline is looming.
The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-0 at the end of October to «close loopholes» that allow tech deemed a «national security risk» to be sold in the US. In plain English, the US government is clearing the path to give DJI the same treatment it gave Chinese phone-maker Huawei, effectively banning its products from the American market.
The US government has deemed DJI, which is based in China, a security risk. It’s also considering a separate ban on TP-Link routers.
DJI is already sounding the alarm, posting on Instagram that a «deadline that could decide DJI’s fate in the US is just 43 days away» (now 19 days away). The company is warning that without an audit, its products could face an «automatic ban.» The US government has long labeled the Chinese drone maker a security risk, and it looks like the hammer might finally be coming down right before the holidays.
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The vote isn’t the end of the road, however. Future bans would need to target specific products and would require a period of public consultation. But it appears the groundwork is being set for the FCC to block sales of future and some existing DJI drones from US shores, as well as products that use DJI technology.
The government has called for a DJI audit by the end of the year, but if that doesn’t happen, DJI drone products could be banned for sale by default under a national security law.
DJI asks for a security audit before any ban
A representative for DJI told CNET that while the FCC vote references a rule change that doesn’t currently apply to DJI specifically, the National Defense Authorization Act deadline in December would put Chinese companies like it on the FCC’s ban list, «without any evidence of wrongdoing or the right to appeal.»
Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, said the company has repeatedly said it would be open to audit, but that «more than 10 months have now passed with no sign that the process has begun.»
«The US government has every right to strengthen national security measures, but this must go hand in hand with due process, fairness, and transparency,» Welsh said.
Welsh said DJI is urging the government to start the audit process or grant an extension.
Will DJI drone owners need to give them up?
Because the ban would apply to new sales, not drones that have already been sold, a DJI drone you already own would still be legal to use — at least under current rules.
Government agencies, however, are prohibited from purchasing or using drones from Chinese companies, including DJI.
DJI’s drones consistently rank high in their product category. In January, they dominated CNET’s list of best drones for 2025. But some of the company’s newest products, such as the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, haven’t been available for sale in the United States.
Even DJI products that are not yet banned may be hard to find. The website UAV Coach has posted a guide to the bans and reports that, due to inventory issues, most DJI drone models are sold out at retailers regardless of future FCC action.
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