Barclays buys into RainFin, call to block Facebook/App: Regional & Global round up

Barclays Africa buys into SA start-up RainFin (Techcentral)

Barclays Africa has bought a 49% into an SA web  startup called RainFin. RainFin allows credit worthy South Africans to conduct person-to-person lending, cutting out the banks. Its online platform links people who need to borrow money with people who have money to lend. People can access funds at lower interest rates and with better terms and conditions than they could through a bank.

Facebook Rolls Out Simplified News Feed (Techcrunch)

Facebook will be changing the its News Feed to a simplified version similar to how it appears on smartphones. The changes do not affect the algorithm so marketers need not to make any adjustments to their strategy for now. The main changes are around the fonts and a compact feed stream that puts the profile picture within the same block as the post, not sideways. Apparently, the changes have already rolled out in the west and will be coming worldwide. The changes are not as extensive as the last News Feed overhaul so we won’t expect a storm of disgruntlement over this.

Regulators asked to halt Facebook WhatsApp deal (Mybroadband)

Privacy groups have asked US regulators not to approve Facebook’s $19 billion acquisition of Whatsapp until Facebook explains how it plans to us personal information of the 450 million Whatsapp users. In response to the filling, Facebook reiterated it’s original position saying, “As we have said repeatedly, Whatsapp will operate as a separate company and will honor its commitments to privacy and security”.