It's a sensational story containing allegations of sleaze, psychological manipulation and data misuse that has provoked an internationally furious response.

Tech giant Facebook and data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica are at the centre of a dispute over the harvesting and use of personal data - and whether it was used to influence the outcome of the US 2016 presidential election or the UK Brexit referendum.

Both firms deny any wrongdoing.

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Nine-country study finds widespread use of social media for promoting lies, misinformation and propaganda by governments and individuals. Propaganda on social media is being used to manipulate public opinion around the world, a new set of studies from the University of Oxford has revealed.

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Facebook is breaking data privacy laws in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands and faces investigations in Spain and the German city of Hamburg, privacy regulators from those respective areas announced today. French authorities also announced they were slapping Facebook with the maximum fine allowed under French privacy law, of €150,000 ($164,000). To put that in perspective, Facebook generated $27.6 billion in revenues last year.

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If you’re new to teaching, or just new to Facebook, one thing you should definitely do before you step foot in the classroom is check your Facebook privacy settings. Students love to have the inside scoop on their teachers. You can be sure they’ll be checking out your online profiles, as soon as they’ve figured out your first name.

To keep your recent holiday photos private and make sure that the world doesn’t know you listen to Cheryl Cole as you work out, here is some advice for teachers on Facebook:

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A Facebook group set up to record incidents of racial abuse in the UK has been flooded with a disturbing number of posts.

People of European origin and BAME British people have been increasingly targeted by racists that have come out of the woodwork, seemingly mobilised by the Brexit mandate.

The situation has become so serious that Amnesty International is launching an investigation into hate crimes in post-referendum UK.

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'No, you can’t win tickets for Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival by liking a Facebook page. It’s not true that there are free business-class flights being given away by Qantas Air. And no, TV show Total Wipeout isn’t bringing a tour to your local city. But all three are recent examples of convincing scams on Facebook where fraudsters pretending to be trusted brands have mocked up pages in search of likes, comments, shares and more from unwitting users.'

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