Facebook will now tell you if a state government is hacking your account

Facebook will begin notifying users when it suspects a state-affiliated entity has attempted to hack into their account, chief security officer Alex Stamos said on Oct 17. The company implemented this system because attacks from state-affiliated organizations “tend to be more advanced and dangerous than others,” Stamos said. Facebook won’t reveal how it distinguishes between security breaches that originate from the government versus those that come from other hackers. Facebook has chosen a timely moment to announce this feature, from a user point of view. But given the company’s ambitions in China, it is also a somewhat unusual time.