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Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg revealed a series of changes in the company's social platform portfolio, including Instagram and Whatsapp.
The new designs and features of its applications are a direct response to widespread criticism of how the company protects user data.
Zuckerberg said the company plans to prioritize privacy.
He acknowledged that there was a lot to do to restore confidence.
In a speech to the developers, Zuckerberg described the company's new focus on privacy as a "major change" in the management of the company.
Among the most visible changes for the users of the products of the company include:
- Messages sent via Messenger will be encrypted end-to-end by default, which means that Facebook itself will not see the content and the platform will be fully integrated with WhatsApp.
- Instagram is testing a "private as accounts" feature that would hide the "likes" that a message attracts viewers, but not the owner of the account.
- There will be more "ephemeral" ways to share content in messages – which means there will not be a permanent record of them.
- A WhatsApp secure payment service tested in India is to be rolled out in other countries later this year.
- The Facebook app is being redesigned so that community groups occupy a central place in the news feed – and the distinct blue mark disappears. The redesign is being rolled out in the US and more widely right now.
- Instagram posts will no longer have to start with a photo or video, it will be possible to share content using only text, stickers or drawings through a new "Create" camera mode.
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WhatsApp payment service
"The future is private," said Zuckerberg, before adding to the privacy scandals series of the technology giant: "I know we do not have the most great reputation for privacy at the moment, to speak lightly ".
He added that Facebook was looking for ways to code privacy throughout the company's infrastructure.
"It will not happen overnight and, to be clear, we do not have all the answers," he said.
He previously stated that he thought people would want to speak privately in small groups and communities in the future.
However, he will have to convince the public that Facebook is the ideal place to do it, noted some commentators.
"The big question is how it will work in a regulated social media world in 2019 and beyond," said Matt Navarra, a social media consultant.
"My verdict: it will go to the end and bounce back, but its reputation will remain in tatters for years to come."
Private Private As Mark Zuckerberg says, it's the future of Facebook, but it has given more details today.
The design changes represent the most important update for about five years. It puts more emphasis on groups and private interactions, the encrypted messages that Facebook will not be able to access.
And here is the big news … it will not be blue anymore. Desktop apps show that Zuckerberg has things like Apple's iMessage in its sights.
But Facebook has to prove that it's not just a painting job, if it's to get out of its current troubles.
Mark Zuckerberg made a brief mention about the fact that the company did not have a good reputation for privacy right now – almost with a smirk. The company is working to regain trust, he insists.
At the same time, he must show that he continues to innovate, even with all his greatest distractions. This is perhaps the biggest risk for Facebook here: as this solves its problems, competitors are working hard to gain ground.
Secret love
Other announcements include a new feature called Secret Crush, which is part of Facebook Dating, which will allow Facebook members in some countries to add nine friends to whom they are attracted.
If the recipient of the crush also uses the feature and names it, both parties will receive a message telling them that they match.
Facebook Dating will be deployed in 14 new countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore. It is not currently available in Europe or the United States.
Virtual reality
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The company also announced the launch date of its new standalone wireless VR headset, Oculus Quest, which does not require a connection to a computer, smartphone or game console.
Mark Zuckerberg announced that each conference participant would receive one as a gift.
It will go on sale May 21.
"Facebook remains deeply committed to its vision of virtual reality as the next computing platform despite a slow start," said CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber.
"The new Oculus products will refine the virtual reality experience, but there is still a gap between Facebook's vision and the reality dominated by the game rather than by social interactions."
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