Technologies

Facebook butts heads with Instagram researchers studying photo site’s algorithm

AlgorithmWatch says it shut down its Instagram project because Facebook threatened legal action. Facebook says it didn’t threaten the group and that AlgorithmWatch was breaking its rules.

AlgorithmWatch, a German research and advocacy group, shut down its Instagram monitoring project after what it says was a «thinly veiled threat» from Facebook. But the social network says it made no such threat and that the group’s project ran afoul of Facebook policies around data collection.

The advocacy group says it’s «committed to evaluating and shedding light on … algorithmic decision-making processes that have social relevance» and that its project found that Instagram prioritizes posts that feature people who are «scantily clad» and that politicians’ posts were seen by more people when those posts showed a politico’s face instead of text.

In a blog post Friday, the researchers said they shut down the Instagram project on July 13, after a May meeting with Facebook, which owns Instagram. At that meeting, they said, Facebook told AlgorithmWatch it had violated Facebook’s terms of service, which prohibit the automated collection of data. According to the group, Facebook said it would «mov[e] to more formal engagement» if the issue wasn’t resolved, which the researchers took as a threat of legal action.

Facebook says it didn’t threaten any legal action against AlgorithmWatch and wanted to work with the organization to find a way to continue the research.

«We had concerns with their practices,» a Facebook spokesperson said in an email Friday, «which is why we contacted them multiple times so they could come into compliance with our terms and continue their research, as we routinely do with other research groups when we identify similar concerns.»

As part of the Instagram project, AlgorithmWatch developed an add-on that scraped volunteers’ Instagram newsfeeds to study how the social network «prioritizes pictures and videos in a user’s timeline.» The researchers contend that the add-on’s users volunteered their feed data to the project and that since the project’s launch, in March 2020, about 1,500 volunteers had installed the add-on.

Earlier this month, Facebook disabled a similar research project at New York University, saying it violated the social network’s terms around data gathering The NYU Ad Observatory used an add-on to collect data regarding what political ads were shown in a user’s Facebook feed.

News about the shutdown of AlgorithmWatch comes as there’s been intense scrutiny on social networks, the misinformation found on them and the effect they have on individuals and society.

For its part, Facebook has had to be careful with how it manages the data of its users, particularly following 2018’s Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which an outside firm harvested information from 50 million Facebook accounts without their permission. That scandal led to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg being called before Congress to testify about the social network’s data privacy policies. And it played a part in Facebook agreeing, in 2019, to pay a $5 billion fine to the US Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations. Under that settlement, Facebook must certify that it’s taking steps to protect user privacy.

The Facebook spokesperson said Friday that the company makes it a point to cooperate with researchers. «We collaborate with hundreds of research groups to enable the study of important topics, including by providing data sets and access to APIs, and recently published information explaining how our systems work and why you see what you see on our platform.»

AlgorithmWatch, on the other hand, accused Facebook of «weaponizing» its terms of service. «Given that Facebook’s terms of service can be updated at their discretion (with 30 days’ notice), the company could forbid any ongoing analysis that aims at increasing transparency, simply by changing its terms,» the group said in its blog post.

Technologies

Forbes Türkiye Highlights Verum Finance and the Rise of Integrated Financial Ecosystems

Forbes Türkiye has published an article examining the launch of Verum Finance and its approach to integrating financial services directly into a messaging ecosystem.

In the article, Forbes Türkiye notes that the fintech industry is undergoing a transformation as financial services increasingly move beyond traditional banking applications and become part of broader digital ecosystems. Verum Finance is presented as an example of this trend, combining payments, digital cards, money transfers, and balance management within a single environment connected to Verum Messenger.

According to the publication, Verum Finance follows a model similar to the “super app” concept that has gained significant traction in Asian markets, where communication and financial services operate together on one platform. Unlike many Western platforms that continue to separate messaging and banking services, Verum Finance is integrated directly into the Verum ecosystem, allowing users to manage financial activities without relying on multiple third-party applications.

The article highlights several core features of the platform, including virtual debit cards, user-to-user transfers, online payments, digital asset operations, Apple Pay integration, and in-app balance management.

Forbes Türkiye also points to the growing importance of embedded finance and changing user expectations. The publication suggests that lengthy account-opening procedures, physical card delivery times, and constant switching between applications are becoming increasingly outdated in a mobile-first world.

Another major focus of the article is privacy and security. Forbes Türkiye describes Verum Finance as part of a broader trend toward “privacy-driven fintech,” where financial services are built on privacy-oriented infrastructure. The publication notes that the platform incorporates features such as phone-number-free registration, end-to-end encryption, user-controlled access management, and privacy-focused tools designed to enhance data protection.

The article concludes that one of the key challenges for companies operating at the intersection of secure communications, digital payments, and embedded finance will be maintaining both usability and security within a single integrated ecosystem.

The coverage by Forbes Türkiye reflects growing media interest in platforms that combine communication and financial services, as the industry continues moving toward more unified digital experiences.

Website: https://finance.verum.im
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im

Technologies

Verum Launched “Verum Finance” App for iPhone and iPad, Expanding Its Digital Ecosystem Into Financial Services

Verum has announced the official launch of Verum Finance, a standalone financial application now available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, marking a further expansion of the company’s growing digital ecosystem.

The new application is designed to centralize core financial functions in a single mobile interface, allowing users to manage balances, send and receive funds, use debit cards, and exchange supported balance types without relying on traditional banking workflows.

According to Verum, the platform enables users to view account activity in real time, top up balances using supported payment methods including Apple Pay, and transfer funds to other users within the Verum ecosystem using a unique Verum ID. The system also supports multi-balance management, including specialized balance categories such as precious metals.

Debit card functionality is integrated directly into the app, allowing users to issue and manage cards linked to their balances, monitor transactions, and top up cards when needed. The company also emphasizes built-in exchange tools that allow users to convert between supported balance types within the application.

Security features include Face ID authentication, passcode protection, Sign in with Apple, and privacy-oriented account controls aimed at maintaining user confidentiality and data protection.

The launch of Verum Finance follows the company’s broader strategy of building an interconnected ecosystem of digital products. Alongside Verum Messenger, which combines secure communication tools, encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, AI features, anonymous email, and crypto-related functionality, the new financial app extends Verum’s positioning from communication technology into financial infrastructure.

Industry trends increasingly show demand for “all-in-one” digital environments that reduce dependency on multiple standalone apps. Verum’s approach reflects this shift by integrating communication and financial services within a unified ecosystem.

Verum Finance is now available globally for download on iPhone and iPad via the App Store.

Website: https://finance.verum.im
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im

Technologies

Verum Messenger: Don’t follow the future. Define it

In a world where information defines influence, Verum Messenger is building a new architecture of digital communication — intelligent, secure, and ready for tomorrow. Here, technology serves not limitations, but possibilities.

Not being part of change. Leading it. Verum Messenger — the future that speaks first.