Tech Roundup: Facebook Antitrust Probe, Twitter Nigeria Ban & More

[A recurring feature on the latest in Science & Technology.]

• The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the E.U.'s Competition Commission announce formal investigations into Facebook's operations; to look into whether Facebook has unfairly used the data gained from its digital advertising and single sign-on offerings to benefit its own services, in particular Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Dating, and examine if the "data on the activities of users of its social network and beyond" gives the social media giant undue competitive advantage in particular on the online classified ads sector. ("In today's digital economy, data should not be used in ways that distort competition," the Commission alleges, even as the latest development comes amid a new wave of antitrust enforcement, with big tech firms continuing to face increasing amounts of scrutiny around the world.)
• Nigeria indefinitely suspended access to Twitter in the country, "citing the presistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence" and that "misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences"; to prosecute corporations and individuals who are found violating the country's ban on the microblogging and social networking service.
• Dating platform Tinder adds new Block Contacts feature that allows users to prevent contacts, including former flames, cousins, or colleagues, on their address books from appearing as potential matches.

• Facebook expands new "Prayer Posts" feature in its namesake social network platform that will enables members of religious Facebook groups "ask for and respond to prayers in a post"; says "During the COVID-19 pandemic we've seen many faith and spirituality communities using our services to connect, so we're starting to explore new tools to support them," but fails to clarify if data from these posts would be used to deliver targeted ads at users based on their group-praying habits.
• Major browser makers — Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla — band together "to advance a common browser extension platform" as part part of a newly formed WebExtensions Community Group (WECG) and "make extension creation easier for developers by specifying a consistent model and common core of functionality, APIs, and permissions."
• Facebook to reportedly launch Bulletin, its Substack clone, at the end of June; to exist outside of Facebook's platform in part to distiguish the brand from its parent as well as evade Apple and Google's 30% fees levied on in-app subscription sign-ups and other transactions.
• Payments firm Square confirms plans that it's looking into building a hardware bitcoin wallet that would give consumers greater control over the cryptocurrency they own; CEO Jack Dorsey says "If we do it, we would build it entirely in the open, from software to hardware design, and in collaboration with the community."