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Facebook is reportedly using News Feed to improve its image

The social network’s reputation has been battered by numerous scandals.

Facebook is reportedly trying to repair its battered image by showing users positive stories about the company within its News Feed.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that the social network was taking a more aggressive approach as part of Project Amplify, an effort brought up internally in January. The effort comes as the the world’s largest social network responds to a series of scandals that have plagued the company.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg signed off on the project last month, The Times reported.

Facebook spokesman Joe Osborne told The Times that the social network hadn’t changed its strategy and denied a January meeting happened. Osborne also tweeted he told the news outlet that there was «zero change» to Facebook’s News Feed ranking.

«This is a test for an informational unit clearly marked as coming from Facebook,» Osborne tweeted. «It’s not the first of its kind, and is similar to corporate responsibility initiatives people see in other technology and consumer products.» In an image shared on Twitter, Osborne showed blog posts from the company that Facebook showcased as part of the experiment.

Facebook has faced heightened scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators since the 2018 Cambridge Analytica data scandal, which raised concerns about whether the company was doing enough to protect the personal data of its users. The social network has also been under fire for not doing enough to curb the spread of misinformation about elections, the coronavirus and other issues.

Facebook’s image took another beating last week when The Wall Street Journal published a series of stories about the social network’s internal research, including findings that Instagram was toxic for teen girls. The social network pushed back against the reports in a lengthy blog post, stating that the stories «contained deliberate mischaracterizations» of the company’s motives.

Technologies

Resident Evil Requiem Revealed, but Where’s Leon Kennedy?

The Resident Evil 9 trailer showed off a new character, but not the much-rumored return of Leon.

After a fake-out earlier in Summer Game Fest on Friday, Resident Evil Requiem, or Resident Evil 9, was shown for the first time. 

The new title is the first mainline entry since Capcom released Resident Evil Village in 2021, and is rumored to feature series stalwart Leon Kennedy. In the trailer, the only person we saw was a character named Grace Ashcroft, who works for the FBI and appears to have ties to Raccoon City.

For the most hardcore Resident Evil fans, the name Ashcroft will ring a bell. Alyssa Ashcroft was one of the survivors of the online-only title, Resident Evil Outbreak for the PS2. Alyssa was a journalist who was trapped in Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2, and she, along with other survivors, had to escape the city before it was destroyed.

Grace is Alyssa’s daughter, and in the trailer, she is going to visit the Remwood Hotel, where Alyssa was murdered. Later in the trailer, images from what appears to be the remnants of a destroyed Raccoon City are shown — including the police department from RE2 — so it appears Resident Evil 9 will return to where the series started. 

Leon’s (rumored) return is a big deal for the series, which has made some of its best games with him in the starring role. He first showed up as a rookie cop in Resident Evil 2, which built on the original game’s success with more story and improved monsters and level design.

He showed up again in Resident Evil 4, which took the series in a new direction by introducing an over-the-shoulder perspective, instead of the usual static camera angles and tank controls. Leon was also one of several playable protagonists in Resident Evil 6, a game that seemed to forget about its survival horror roots. We mostly don’t talk about that one.

But the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 was an excellent return to form, bringing RE4’s gameplay and much better graphics to a fan-favorite entry. The RE4 remake was a similar success.

Resident Evil Requiem is set to drop Feb. 27, 2026, for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, but we’re hoping to get our hands on it this weekend. If you want to catch up on older Resident Evil games, Capcom is having a sale that includes basically all the games, including Village and the three remakes.

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Technologies

The Switch 2 Is Here, and I’ve Scoured the Internet for Every Accessory Available Right Now

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Technologies

T-Mobile’s Free Premium iPhone 16 Pro Deal Explained. Learn Exactly How It Works

Along with a free iPhone, you can get an extra $800 to pay off your old device.

If you’re starting a new cell phone plan, most major mobile carriers require a multiyear commitment so it’s a big decision you need to consider carefully. First, think about the plan and provider itself: What’s the best coverage in your area and how many lines do you want to add? Next, compare the best mobile phone plan deals to save yourself the most money

T-Mobile has some fantastic deals right now you can take advantage of that make it a pretty competitive pick — especially for Apple fans looking to upgrade.

T-Mobile’s incentives include free lines and streaming services but one huge highlight is the chance to snag the top-rated iPhone 16 Pro free. The language on some of these offers can be a little confusing so we’ve broken down how T-Mobile’s current deals work below. Note that there aren’t any set expirations for these offers so they could vanish at any moment. We wouldn’t wait too long if you’re hoping to take advantage of these savings.

Why these deals matter

You more or less need a phone with reliable coverage these days but costs can add up quickly. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your mobile device or shopping for the best family plans, these T-Mobile deals can help save you some serious cash each month.

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