• May 13, 2010

Facebook announced two new security features on Thursday that appear to be aimed at preventing hackers from gaining control of users' profiles.

One feature allows people to identify and name the devices they use to access the site, and then receive notifications whenever someone attempts to log in under their names from other devices.

The other feature will automatically block suspicious log-ins. "When we see that someone is trying to access your account from an unusual device, we'll ask the person to answer an additional verification question to prove his or her identity as the real account owner," the company said in a blog post. "For example, we might ask the person to enter a birth date, identify a friend in a photo or answer a security question if you've previously provided one."

While the new features address security, they are not related to the privacy problems now plaguing the company, which is now under fire for its decision to share users' names, pictures and other data with outside companies. --Wendy Davis