2018 was a controversial year for Facebook due to security issues but the California-based social media platform's fourth quarter 2018 results provided investors with reasons to stay optimistic.
One of the reasons why Facebook was put on the hot seat in 2018 was the data privacy and security concerns that some users complained about. Online bullying was another factor that affected user satisfaction.
According to Motley Fool, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that the aforementioned aspects were the central point of the company's funds over the past months. He added that users will have a more satisfying experience with the platform in the coming years.
Aside from battling online bullies and strengthening security for users, Zuckerberg said Facebook is building new social features that will encourage non-users to try using the famous platform. WhatsApp payments will soon be available for more countries and new private sharing functions will be installed in Stories and Groups.
Facebook Watch will also be improved in 2019. Not too many details were given but the company said it will expand the video-on-demand feature's services as a way of further overtaking its competitor, YouTube.
Financial experts believe that Facebook will continue to spend on its fast-growing empire in a bid to address issues presented by users and investors alike. The company's Q4 2018 results are believed to be hinting on the social media giant's path towards redemption.
Meanwhile, Facebook's battle against fake accounts and misinformation has been a dilemma that many users complained of over the past years. To help restore faith in the prominent social media platform, company technicians took down hundreds of fake profiles in Iran.
According to WIRED, Facebook hired famous privacy advocates to help resolve the problem. The deleted accounts reportedly focused on spreading Iranian state media news that was proven to be false. Some of the pages dated back to 2010, with millions of followers receiving information under a false guise.
Facebook has pledged to be more transparent about its activities to ensure investors and users that the platform is keen on halting misinformation. Questionable groups, pages, and accounts are also expected to be filtered and deleted as the company aims to improve its stance against fake news.
As for the war between Apple and Facebook, the latter recently confirmed that the Cupertino-based tech giant has restored certificates it revoked earlier. The issue started after a major tech outlet said Facebook took advantage of an Apple app-designing program for corporate use.
On Wednesday, Apple revoked enterprise certificates for Google and Facebook. Both companies have yet to issue details on what transpired between their discussion with the iPhone maker.
