Identity Matters
Welcome
The company behind Facebook just announced a new premium subscription model, where you pay for your Facebook account and the payment includes some add-on services that you don't currently receive.
Dear Reader,
The company behind Facebook just announced a new premium subscription model, where you pay for your Facebook account and the payment includes some add-on services that you don't currently receive. I always wondered if a subscription service might be a better model for media giants like Facebook. After all, they do provide a service to their subscribers – maybe asking people to pay directly is better than selling user data and acting as a conduit for targeted advertising.
After the encouraging headline, however, I was disappointed to see that this new subscription-based service does not make your data more private or your online presence less ad-choked. The principal purpose of your for-pay Facebook page is to make sure you are you and not somebody else. The service will provide a "verification badge," showing that you have presented a government ID to ensure that you are who you say you are. The goal is to offer some protection from rogue users pretending to be you.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Nitrux 6.0 Now Ready to Rock Your World
The latest iteration of the Debian-based distribution includes all kinds of newness.
-
Linux Foundation Reports that Open Source Delivers Better ROI
In a report that may surprise no one in the Linux community, the Linux Foundation found that businesses are finding a 5X return on investment with open source software.
-
Keep Android Open
Google has announced that, soon, anyone looking to develop Android apps will have to first register centrally with Google.
-
Kernel 7.0 Now in Testing
Linus Torvalds has announced the first Release Candidate (RC) for the 7.x kernel is available for those who want to test it.
-
Introducing matrixOS, an Immutable Gentoo-Based Linux Distro
It was only a matter of time before a developer decided one of the most challenging Linux distributions needed to be immutable.
-
Chaos Comes to KDE in KaOS
KaOS devs are making a major change to the distribution, and it all comes down to one system.
-
New Linux Botnet Discovered
The SSHStalker botnet uses IRC C2 to control systems via legacy Linux kernel exploits.
-
The Next Linux Kernel Turns 7.0
Linus Torvalds has announced that after Linux kernel 6.19, we'll finally reach the 7.0 iteration stage.
-
Linux From Scratch Drops SysVinit Support
LFS will no longer support SysVinit.
-
LibreOffice 26.2 Now Available
With new features, improvements, and bug fixes, LibreOffice 26.2 delivers a modern, polished office suite without compromise.
