Oculus won't require a Facebook account (finally)

Source: Meta

It took a long time, but Meta has finally decided that you can decouple your Oculus VR headset from your Facebook account. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced it'll offer a new Meta account instead for new and existing users starting August. If you are still signing into your VR headset with an Oculus account, you'll have to ditch that before January 1, 2023.

Meta emphasizes that the Meta account isn't a social media profile per se. Instead, it "lets you log into your VR devices and view and manage your purchased apps in one place." There is still a social aspect integrated into this, though. Your Oculus profile will be replaced by a Meta Horizon profile that you'll set up. It comes with a username, photo and avatar. 

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Meta shutters Novi cryptocurrency digital wallet

Source: Meta

Meta is abandoning Novi, its digital wallet that supports cryptocurrencies. The wallet will no longer be available starting September 1, 2022, with all user accounts being deactivated then. After July 21, 2022, you won't be able to add money to your account. This announcement is also your signal to take out any money there. 

But that might not be an issue with you. Novi was never launched beyond the US and Guatemala, even if it was part of Meta's ambitious plans to invest in cryptocurrencies. Novi hasn't been around for long. It was launched in October 2021 as a standalone app, and then it was integrated into WhatsApp a few months later. So, if you've used Novi to transfer money on the app, you won't have a substitute for now.

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Instagram tests turning all video posts into Reels

Meta really wants you to use Reels. Social media consultant Matt Navarra shared a screenshot on Twitter that shows Instagram experimenting with turning all video posts into Reels. So, if your account is public, any user can discover your video and use your original audio to create their Reel. Only your friends will see your video if your profile is private. If you have a public account and don't want your Reel to be remixed, you will need to turn the option off in the Settings or disable it for specific videos.

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Facebook locks out users who didn't activate Facebook Protect before deadline

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If you don't know what Facebook Protect is, the product might not be geared towards you. But then, it might have been built for you, but you missed the email announcing what it was. Early this month, some Facebook users received a mysterious spam-like email with the header: "Your account requires advanced security from Facebook Protect." The said email was sent from the email address security@facebookmail.com, which kind of looks like a common form of spam. 

That email said these users needed to turn on the Facebook Protect feature (which they could do by clicking on the link in the suspicious-looking email) by a specific date, or they'll be locked out. This feature was launched by Facebook as a "security program for groups of people that are more likely to be targeted by malicious hackers, such as human rights defenders, journalists, and government officials."

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