Blue ticks have become synonymous with a status symbol in society. Thus, by following the footsteps of Twitter, meta has now come up with its very own verification system called "Meta Verified", which shall enable users to get verified on both Instagram and Facebook.

The model will allow users to get verified by Meta; if done, they will get a blue tick against their names, allowing users to get the hype they crave.

The subscription priced at $11.99 per month on the web against the $14.99 for iPhones and Android phones will ensure additional layers of security, protecting creators from impersonation, thereby safeguarding their privacy rights.

Meta has priced this model, considering the larger user base in India. It has tried to keep the balance between the premium fee of Netflix and the newly launched Twitter blue, which costs around $11 per month.

Meta has kept the verification process fairly simple; any user can get verified with government identification.

They will get a 'Meta Verified Badge', availing their exclusive access to customer service, enhanced visibility and reach on the platform, and many other exclusive features. However, there will be no limitation on ads in any case.

The CEO of meta, Mark Zuckerburg, has followed in the footsteps of Twitter; it was only after a reverse engineer spotted familiar code embedding this new feature that the company confirmed the news of it coming out.

Previously, Twitter launched a similar service back in November 2022, but it failed following the abuse of impersonating brands and celebrities.

Meta, however, has ensured this safety level by keeping an age limit of 18 years as a prerequisite for verification; a government ID, profile photo, and name are also required. That is not alone. This service will implement a proactive monitoring system to ensure the solid security of the platform.

Mark Zuckerburg was set to launch several other new products as he looked to "empower creators to be more productive and creative".

The service will first be introduced in Australia and New Zealand, post the subscription model will be rolled out to more countries.

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Blue ticks have become synonymous with a status symbol in society. Thus, by following the footsteps of Twitter, meta has now come up with its very own verification system called "Meta Verified", which shall enable users to get verified on both Instagram and Facebook.

Blue ticks have become synonymous with a status symbol in society. Thus, by following the footsteps of Twitter, meta has now come up with its very own verification system called "Meta Verified", which shall enable users to get verified on both Instagram and Facebook. The model will allow users to get verified by Meta; if done, they will get a blue tick against their names, allowing users to get the hype they crave. The subscription priced at $11.99 per month on the web against the $14.99 for iPhones and Android phones will ensure additional layers of security, protecting creators from impersonation, thereby safeguarding their privacy rights. Meta has priced this model, considering the larger user base in India. It has tried to keep the balance between the premium fee of Netflix and the newly launched Twitter blue, which costs around $11 per month. Meta has kept the verification process fairly simple; any user can get verified with government identification. They will get a 'Meta Verified Badge', availing their exclusive access to customer service, enhanced visibility and reach on the platform, and many other exclusive features. However, there will be no limitation on ads in any case. The CEO of meta, Mark Zuckerburg, has followed in the footsteps of Twitter; it was only after a reverse engineer spotted familiar code embedding this new feature that the company confirmed the news of it coming out. Previously, Twitter launched a similar service back in November 2022, but it failed following the abuse of impersonating brands and celebrities. Meta, however, has ensured this safety level by keeping an age limit of 18 years as a prerequisite for verification; a government ID, profile photo, and name are also required. That is not alone. This service will implement a proactive monitoring system to ensure the solid security of the platform. Mark Zuckerburg was set to launch several other new products as he looked to "empower creators to be more productive and creative". The service will first be introduced in Australia and New Zealand, post the subscription model will be rolled out to more countries. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta to launch its blue verified subscription service for Insta and Facebook

A report by the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, on Friday (February 17) claimed that Facebook parent company Meta gave thousands of employees below-average ratings in a recently concluded round of performance review. This comes months after the tech giant announced that it would fire 11,000 employees and after the recent poor reviews the company leadership believes that it would prompt more workers to quit in the upcoming weeks, reported the WSJ.&nbsp;

The people speaking to the publication also said that the company has also cut a bonus metric which is one of the several steps senior executives are taking after CEO Mark Zuckerberg dubbed 2023 as the “year of efficiency”. Additionally, the sources also told WSJ that the company leadership is hoping that the subpar reviews would lead to employees quitting in the upcoming week. However, if enough people do not quit, Meta may consider another round of layoffs, said the report.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/laid-off-meta-employees-at-loss-of-words-ask-for-work-opportunities-on-social-media-532946">Laid off Meta employees 'at loss of words', ask for work opportunities on social media</a>

“Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here,” said Zuckerberg, in a town hall last year. The sources also said that at least 10 per cent of employees in the company have been given a “meets most” rating and that this is the second lowest of the five possible ratings at Meta. Therefore, some employees have taken this as a sign to look for new job opportunities, reported WSJ citing anonymous sources.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-why-did-meta-fire-13-per-cent-of-its-employees-whats-in-store-for-the-facebook-parent-company-533887">Meta layoffs EXPLAINED: Why did Meta fire 13% of its employees? What next for the Facebook parent company?</a>

This also comes months after a report by Insider citing two people familiar with the matter had made a similar claim and said that Meta wanted their managers to rank double the number of employees as low performing in their annual performance review. Additionally, the publication also reported that Meta will roughly double the number of employees receiving the downgraded “needs support” (the lowest rating) from “met most” expectations when compared to last year’s review cycle.&nbsp; 
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A report by the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, on Friday (February 17) claimed that Facebook parent company Meta gave thousands of employees below-average ratings in a recently concluded round of performance review.

A report by the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, on Friday (February 17) claimed that Facebook parent company Meta gave thousands of employees below-average ratings in a recently concluded round of performance review. This comes months after the tech giant announced that it would fire 11,000 employees and after the recent poor reviews the company leadership believes that it would prompt more workers to quit in the upcoming weeks, reported the WSJ. The people speaking to the publication also said that the company has also cut a bonus metric which is one of the several steps senior executives are taking after CEO Mark Zuckerberg dubbed 2023 as the “year of efficiency”. Additionally, the sources also told WSJ that the company leadership is hoping that the subpar reviews would lead to employees quitting in the upcoming week. However, if enough people do not quit, Meta may consider another round of layoffs, said the report. ALSO READ | Laid off Meta employees 'at loss of words', ask for work opportunities on social media “Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here,” said Zuckerberg, in a town hall last year. The sources also said that at least 10 per cent of employees in the company have been given a “meets most” rating and that this is the second lowest of the five possible ratings at Meta. Therefore, some employees have taken this as a sign to look for new job opportunities, reported WSJ citing anonymous sources. ALSO READ | Meta layoffs EXPLAINED: Why did Meta fire 13% of its employees? What next for the Facebook parent company? This also comes months after a report by Insider citing two people familiar with the matter had made a similar claim and said that Meta wanted their managers to rank double the number of employees as low performing in their annual performance review. Additionally, the publication also reported that Meta will roughly double the number of employees receiving the downgraded “needs support” (the lowest rating) from “met most” expectations when compared to last year’s review cycle. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Thousands of employees at Facebook parent company Meta receive subpar reviews, signals more job cuts: Reports

Facebook's parent company Meta has reportedly delayed finalising the team budgets at multiple levels as it reportedly sets the backdrop for yet another round of job cuts. A report in Financial Times, citing two Meta employees, said that there has been a lack of clarity on crucial matters such as team budgets as well as "future headcounts" in recent weeks. People at Meta have complained that since their managers have been unable to plan their upcoming workloads, their work efficiency is being hampered up to the point of "zero work".

"Honestly, it’s still a mess," Financial Times quoted one of the Meta employees as saying. "The year of efficiency is kicking off with a bunch of people getting paid to do nothing."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-why-did-meta-fire-13-per-cent-of-its-employees-whats-in-store-for-the-facebook-parent-company-533887">Meta layoffs EXPLAINED: Why did Meta fire 13% of its employees? What next for the Facebook parent company?</a>

Meta executed the layoff of about 11,000 staffers or close to 13 per cent of its total workforce in November. The report added that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is planning a fresh round of job cuts.

<h2>Zuckerberg's 'year of efficiency' call and layoffs</h2>

Earlier this month, Meta-owner Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media company would continue to bring its costs under control as 2023 should be&nbsp;"the year of efficiency" for the company.&nbsp;Meta had also announced that it expects its 2023 expenses at between $89 billion and $95 billion

<h2>Meta layoffs: Potential timeline for next round</h2>

The Financial Times report claimed that the further job cuts at Meta are expected around March, as the company is currently going through performance reviews of staff, the paper said while citing&nbsp;three current and former employees.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-business-news-meta-preparing-large-scale-layoffs-reports-531772">WION Business News | Meta preparing large-scale layoffs</a>

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After Meta's November 2022 layoffs, other tech companies such as Amazon and Microsoft too announced thousands of layoffs citing the economic downturn and the need to cut the costs of operations. 
 
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Facebook's parent company Meta has reportedly delayed finalising the team budgets at multiple levels as it reportedly sets the backdrop for yet another round of job cuts.

Facebook's parent company Meta has reportedly delayed finalising the team budgets at multiple levels as it reportedly sets the backdrop for yet another round of job cuts. A report in Financial Times, citing two Meta employees, said that there has been a lack of clarity on crucial matters such as team budgets as well as "future headcounts" in recent weeks. People at Meta have complained that since their managers have been unable to plan their upcoming workloads, their work efficiency is being hampered up to the point of "zero work". "Honestly, it’s still a mess," Financial Times quoted one of the Meta employees as saying. "The year of efficiency is kicking off with a bunch of people getting paid to do nothing." ALSO READ | Meta layoffs EXPLAINED: Why did Meta fire 13% of its employees? What next for the Facebook parent company? Meta executed the layoff of about 11,000 staffers or close to 13 per cent of its total workforce in November. The report added that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is planning a fresh round of job cuts. Zuckerberg's 'year of efficiency' call and layoffs Earlier this month, Meta-owner Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media company would continue to bring its costs under control as 2023 should be "the year of efficiency" for the company. Meta had also announced that it expects its 2023 expenses at between $89 billion and $95 billion Meta layoffs: Potential timeline for next round The Financial Times report claimed that the further job cuts at Meta are expected around March, as the company is currently going through performance reviews of staff, the paper said while citing three current and former employees. ALSO WATCH | WION Business News | Meta preparing large-scale layoffs × After Meta's November 2022 layoffs, other tech companies such as Amazon and Microsoft too announced thousands of layoffs citing the economic downturn and the need to cut the costs of operations. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta delays setting team budgets, triggers speculation of more layoffs

The Facebook and Instagram accounts of former US president Donald Trump have been restored by Meta after remaining suspended for more than two years.

After the Capitol riots which shook the United States in 2021, Trump was banned from various social media platforms.

The parent company of the social media platforms, Meta, said that the decision to ban Trump was taken after the latter had praised people who were "engaged in violence at the Capitol".

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-urges-facebook-to-reinstate-his-account-as-he-gears-up-for-2024-run-553984">Trump urges Facebook to reinstate his account as he gears up for 2024 run</a>

If the rules are broken by Trump again, he may be banned again for a period ranging between one month and two years, Meta has stated.

Trump's posts in which the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election was baselessly challenged remain published on both websites.

The last post of Trump is receiving comments from his supporters who are welcoming him back.

Initially, Trump was indefinitely suspended from the two platforms, but Meta had later revised a two-year suspension after the open-ended penalty was criticised by the platforms' Oversight Board.&nbsp;

When the accounts were suspended, Trump had called the move "an insult" to the millions of people who had cast votes in the 2020 presidential election.

Meta had announced the restoration of Trump's account two weeks ago.&nbsp;

WATCH | Former US President Donald Trump eyeing a social media comeback?

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Meta's president of global affairs Nick Clegg argued the public "should be able to hear what their politicians are saying".

He further stated that in a review the accounts of Trump were no longer seen as a serious risk to public safety.

The former president had announced that he will be fighting the presidential elections again in 2024. Trumps has over 23 million on Instagram and 34 million followers on Facebook.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Facebook and Instagram accounts of former US president Donald Trump have been restored by Meta after remaining suspended for more than two years. After the Capitol riots which shook the United States in 2021, Trump was banned from various social media platforms.

The Facebook and Instagram accounts of former US president Donald Trump have been restored by Meta after remaining suspended for more than two years. After the Capitol riots which shook the United States in 2021, Trump was banned from various social media platforms. The parent company of the social media platforms, Meta, said that the decision to ban Trump was taken after the latter had praised people who were "engaged in violence at the Capitol". ALSO READ | Trump urges Facebook to reinstate his account as he gears up for 2024 run If the rules are broken by Trump again, he may be banned again for a period ranging between one month and two years, Meta has stated. Trump's posts in which the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election was baselessly challenged remain published on both websites. The last post of Trump is receiving comments from his supporters who are welcoming him back. Initially, Trump was indefinitely suspended from the two platforms, but Meta had later revised a two-year suspension after the open-ended penalty was criticised by the platforms' Oversight Board. When the accounts were suspended, Trump had called the move "an insult" to the millions of people who had cast votes in the 2020 presidential election. Meta had announced the restoration of Trump's account two weeks ago. WATCH | Former US President Donald Trump eyeing a social media comeback? Meta's president of global affairs Nick Clegg argued the public "should be able to hear what their politicians are saying". He further stated that in a review the accounts of Trump were no longer seen as a serious risk to public safety. The former president had announced that he will be fighting the presidential elections again in 2024. Trumps has over 23 million on Instagram and 34 million followers on Facebook. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Meta restores Trump's account on Facebook and Instagram

A Filipino consumer fumes as she rips open a portable charger to discover she has been conned — the batteries are choked with sand, making her yet another victim of scammers on Facebook.&nbsp;AFP's fact checkers have uncovered a slew of energy-related scams proliferating on Facebook — from fake solar panel incentives in the United States to hoax electric bike giveaways in Indonesia and the sale of dud devices in the Philippines.

And the trend underscores how fraudsters worldwide profit off disinformation, casting a wide net across social media users, many of whom take the bait amid a cost of living crisis and high utility and energy costs.

"What they did was awful," the 24-year-old Filipino, Brenilyn Ayachock, vented in an online video that showed sand pouring out of the power bank as she opened it with her&nbsp;knife.

"We were expecting a good product, but this is what they sent us."

Ayachock made the purchase on what appeared to be the Facebook page of a legitimate energy device retailer, with "special offers" and "flash sales" alongside environment-friendly messages such as "turn off unnecessary lights".

The page stopped responding to her, Ayachock said, after she bought the device for 1,500 pesos ($28), a small fortune at a time of galloping inflation.

She immediately reported the page to Facebook, but it was still active as of this week.

- 'Scammers follow headlines' -

Ayachock is not the only victim as social media becomes a breeding ground for everything from bogus cryptocurrency ads, to "romance" scams and hoaxes aimed at extracting people's personal data.

Last year, the Philippines government warned against "unscrupulous" money-saving offers as consumers grappled with backbreaking utility prices.

AFP debunked Facebook posts that used doctored news reports to promote a bogus "power saving" device they claimed could slash electricity bills.

The warnings fell on deaf ears, with commercial data showing thousands of such gadgets are sold monthly. Activists say complaints in online reviews are drowned out by comments from people desperate to try anything to lower their expenses.

"Scammers follow the headlines and there isn't a day that goes by that we don't hear about how to conserve energy, rising gas and utility prices and the need for renewable energy," Amy Nofziger, director of fraud victim support at the US-based nonprofit AARP, told AFP.

"It's a wide net for scammers. Most social media sites do not thoroughly vet the ads placed on their sites, however, many users do not know this and they put their full trust in these advertisements."

The ease with which fraudsters pelt users with disinformation raises questions about the capacity of platforms like Facebook to police paid-for scam advertising that is a lucrative revenue source.

Critics, including Patricia Schouker, a fellow at the Colorado-based Payne Institute, say algorithms that prioritize content based on preferences have let scam ads prey on users most likely to engage.

- 'Scams evolving' -

A spokesperson for Meta, Facebook's owner, said it views the "threat of scams seriously" and had taken action including disabling many of the ad accounts responsible for fraud reported by AFP's fact checkers.

"The people who push these kinds of ads are persistent, well-funded, and are constantly evolving," the spokesperson said.

AFP has a global team of journalists who debunk misinformation as part of Meta's third-party fact-checking programme.

Last October, AFP debunked Facebook posts claiming free electric bikes were on offer in Indonesia after the government raised fuel prices. Meta said it had disabled pages and profiles linked to the scam.

But Hendro Sutono, a member of the citizen's group Indonesia Electric Motorcycle Community, voiced concern that fake stores offering electric bikes have cropped up on the platform — and are hard to detect.

"The schemers take pictures from the real stores and repost them on their cloned accounts, so they look really legitimate," Sutono told AFP.

Sutono said he feared fraud could tarnish the image of the electric vehicles to the extent people will give up using them.

In many cases in the United States, scammers pose as utility company representatives. One Oregon-based firm warned its consumers last year that "scams are constantly evolving" and fraudsters tried to target some of them using "Facebook messenger".

"We see a growing number of utility front groups which are organisations that appear independent but are targeting their audience via Facebook, Instagram and TikTok," Schouker told AFP.

"They amplify misinformation... while masking their true identity."

(With inputs from agencies)

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A Filipino consumer fumes as she rips open a portable charger to discover she has been conned — the batteries are choked with sand, making her yet another victim of scammers on Facebook.

A Filipino consumer fumes as she rips open a portable charger to discover she has been conned — the batteries are choked with sand, making her yet another victim of scammers on Facebook. AFP's fact checkers have uncovered a slew of energy-related scams proliferating on Facebook — from fake solar panel incentives in the United States to hoax electric bike giveaways in Indonesia and the sale of dud devices in the Philippines. And the trend underscores how fraudsters worldwide profit off disinformation, casting a wide net across social media users, many of whom take the bait amid a cost of living crisis and high utility and energy costs. "What they did was awful," the 24-year-old Filipino, Brenilyn Ayachock, vented in an online video that showed sand pouring out of the power bank as she opened it with her knife. "We were expecting a good product, but this is what they sent us." Ayachock made the purchase on what appeared to be the Facebook page of a legitimate energy device retailer, with "special offers" and "flash sales" alongside environment-friendly messages such as "turn off unnecessary lights". The page stopped responding to her, Ayachock said, after she bought the device for 1,500 pesos ($28), a small fortune at a time of galloping inflation. She immediately reported the page to Facebook, but it was still active as of this week. - 'Scammers follow headlines' - Ayachock is not the only victim as social media becomes a breeding ground for everything from bogus cryptocurrency ads, to "romance" scams and hoaxes aimed at extracting people's personal data. Last year, the Philippines government warned against "unscrupulous" money-saving offers as consumers grappled with backbreaking utility prices. AFP debunked Facebook posts that used doctored news reports to promote a bogus "power saving" device they claimed could slash electricity bills. The warnings fell on deaf ears, with commercial data showing thousands of such gadgets are sold monthly. Activists say complaints in online reviews are drowned out by comments from people desperate to try anything to lower their expenses. "Scammers follow the headlines and there isn't a day that goes by that we don't hear about how to conserve energy, rising gas and utility prices and the need for renewable energy," Amy Nofziger, director of fraud victim support at the US-based nonprofit AARP, told AFP. "It's a wide net for scammers. Most social media sites do not thoroughly vet the ads placed on their sites, however, many users do not know this and they put their full trust in these advertisements." The ease with which fraudsters pelt users with disinformation raises questions about the capacity of platforms like Facebook to police paid-for scam advertising that is a lucrative revenue source. Critics, including Patricia Schouker, a fellow at the Colorado-based Payne Institute, say algorithms that prioritize content based on preferences have let scam ads prey on users most likely to engage. - 'Scams evolving' - A spokesperson for Meta, Facebook's owner, said it views the "threat of scams seriously" and had taken action including disabling many of the ad accounts responsible for fraud reported by AFP's fact checkers. "The people who push these kinds of ads are persistent, well-funded, and are constantly evolving," the spokesperson said. AFP has a global team of journalists who debunk misinformation as part of Meta's third-party fact-checking programme. Last October, AFP debunked Facebook posts claiming free electric bikes were on offer in Indonesia after the government raised fuel prices. Meta said it had disabled pages and profiles linked to the scam. But Hendro Sutono, a member of the citizen's group Indonesia Electric Motorcycle Community, voiced concern that fake stores offering electric bikes have cropped up on the platform — and are hard to detect. "The schemers take pictures from the real stores and repost them on their cloned accounts, so they look really legitimate," Sutono told AFP. Sutono said he feared fraud could tarnish the image of the electric vehicles to the extent people will give up using them. In many cases in the United States, scammers pose as utility company representatives. One Oregon-based firm warned its consumers last year that "scams are constantly evolving" and fraudsters tried to target some of them using "Facebook messenger". "We see a growing number of utility front groups which are organisations that appear independent but are targeting their audience via Facebook, Instagram and TikTok," Schouker told AFP. "They amplify misinformation... while masking their true identity." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Fakery and fraud: Scammers use energy crisis to cast ‘wide net’ on Facebook

The United States-based tech giant and Facebook parent company Meta appoints former Tata Cliq CEO Vikas Purohit as the Director of Global Business Group in India. In the new role, Purohit will lead Meta’s strategic relationship with various brands and agencies in bolstering the company's digital tools for revenue growth in India's business.

Vikas Purohit comes with over 20 years of experience in business, sales and marketing and astute knowledge of the market, given his Indian Institute of Management (IIM) education. He has worked previously with big league brands such as Tata Cliq, Amazon, Reliance brands, Aditya Birla group and Tommy Hilfiger.

Last month, he paid homage to his mentors on the popular social network Linkedin. Purohit will be succeeding Ajit Mohan who last year joined Snap Inc, which is the social media platform Snapchat’s parent company as the president of APAC to lead its business in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/metas-india-head-ajit-mohan-resigns-after-four-years-in-the-role-might-join-snap-530989">Meta's India head Ajit Mohan resigns after four years in the role, may join Snap</a>

As he steps into the new role, his responsibilities lie in engaging with brands and agencies, leading partnership initiatives with media and creating ecosystems to increase the adoption of Meta’s tools.

He would handle the company's key business verticals, including the agency teams and business solutions teams. Purohit will report to Arun Srinivas, the director and head of ads business for Meta in India.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ex-tata-cliq-ceo-vikas-purohit-takes-charge-as-metas-new-global-head-in-india-551133">Ex-Tata Cliq CEO Vikas Purohit takes charge as Meta's new global head in India</a>

“I am thrilled to welcome Vikas as he joins our team to shape the role that Meta platforms can play in enabling businesses, supporting India's economic growth, and building the digital advertising ecosystem of the country,” said Srinivas in a statement.&nbsp;

India remains an indispensable market for tech giants such as Meta, with targeted ads and the adoption of new digital advertisement models, they aim to create a campaign to garner consumer interest.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sandhya-devanathan-appointed-as-metas-new-india-head-everything-about-her-535121">Sandhya Devanathan appointed as Meta's new India head: What does her new role entail?</a>

In FY22, Meta's gross ad revenue rose by 74% YoY to 1.9 billion, based on the increase in the adoption of its digital ad tools. 
 
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The United States-based tech giant and Facebook parent company Meta appoints former Tata Cliq CEO Vikas Purohit as the Director of Global Business Group in India.

The United States-based tech giant and Facebook parent company Meta appoints former Tata Cliq CEO Vikas Purohit as the Director of Global Business Group in India. In the new role, Purohit will lead Meta’s strategic relationship with various brands and agencies in bolstering the company's digital tools for revenue growth in India's business. Vikas Purohit comes with over 20 years of experience in business, sales and marketing and astute knowledge of the market, given his Indian Institute of Management (IIM) education. He has worked previously with big league brands such as Tata Cliq, Amazon, Reliance brands, Aditya Birla group and Tommy Hilfiger. Last month, he paid homage to his mentors on the popular social network Linkedin. Purohit will be succeeding Ajit Mohan who last year joined Snap Inc, which is the social media platform Snapchat’s parent company as the president of APAC to lead its business in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. ALSO READ | Meta's India head Ajit Mohan resigns after four years in the role, may join Snap As he steps into the new role, his responsibilities lie in engaging with brands and agencies, leading partnership initiatives with media and creating ecosystems to increase the adoption of Meta’s tools. He would handle the company's key business verticals, including the agency teams and business solutions teams. Purohit will report to Arun Srinivas, the director and head of ads business for Meta in India. ALSO WATCH | Ex-Tata Cliq CEO Vikas Purohit takes charge as Meta's new global head in India “I am thrilled to welcome Vikas as he joins our team to shape the role that Meta platforms can play in enabling businesses, supporting India's economic growth, and building the digital advertising ecosystem of the country,” said Srinivas in a statement. India remains an indispensable market for tech giants such as Meta, with targeted ads and the adoption of new digital advertisement models, they aim to create a campaign to garner consumer interest. ALSO READ | Sandhya Devanathan appointed as Meta's new India head: What does her new role entail? In FY22, Meta's gross ad revenue rose by 74% YoY to 1.9 billion, based on the increase in the adoption of its digital ad tools. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta hires former Tata Cliq CEO Vikas Purohit as Director of Global Business Group in India

Elon Musk-owned social media giant Twitter said on Sunday (December 18) that it was banning users from including links to other social media platforms in their posts. The latest move is sure to bring Twitter in popular discussion yet again after its takover by Elon Musk.

"At both the Tweet level and the account level, we will remove any free promotion of prohibited 3rd-party social media platforms, such as linking out (i.e. using URLs) to any of the below platforms on Twitter, or providing your handle without a URL," Twitter said in a statement on its website.

The outside platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Post and Truth Social, as well as third-party social media link aggregators such as linktr.ee and ink.bio.

Twitter, previously run by Jack Dorsey, was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk in recent months. The platform has been a fixture in news headlines ever since. First it was summary sacking of its old board including former CEO Parag Agrawal. Then it was firing of nearly half the workforce. These sudden decisions did rock the Twitter boat as questions were raised about the platform's stability in light of mass layoffs.

Over last few days, Musk has been on the receiving end of global criticism for suspending accounts of journalists writing on an account which used information in public domain to track Elon Musk's jet.

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Elon Musk-owned social media giant Twitter said on Sunday (December 18) that it was banning users from including links to other social media platforms in their posts.

Elon Musk-owned social media giant Twitter said on Sunday (December 18) that it was banning users from including links to other social media platforms in their posts. The latest move is sure to bring Twitter in popular discussion yet again after its takover by Elon Musk. "At both the Tweet level and the account level, we will remove any free promotion of prohibited 3rd-party social media platforms, such as linking out (i.e. using URLs) to any of the below platforms on Twitter, or providing your handle without a URL," Twitter said in a statement on its website. The outside platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Post and Truth Social, as well as third-party social media link aggregators such as linktr.ee and ink.bio. Twitter, previously run by Jack Dorsey, was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk in recent months. The platform has been a fixture in news headlines ever since. First it was summary sacking of its old board including former CEO Parag Agrawal. Then it was firing of nearly half the workforce. These sudden decisions did rock the Twitter boat as questions were raised about the platform's stability in light of mass layoffs. Over last few days, Musk has been on the receiving end of global criticism for suspending accounts of journalists writing on an account which used information in public domain to track Elon Musk's jet. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Twitter to now ban users from posting links to rival platforms

The New Zealand government said that it plans to introduce a law which would require big tech companies like Alphabet Inc’s Google and several platforms under the parent company Meta including Facebook to pay media outlets if they want local news content to show on their feeds. This comes after countries like Australia and Canada have implemented and proposed similar laws.&nbsp;

“New Zealand news media, particularly small regional and community newspapers, are struggling to remain financially viable as more advertising moves online,” said New Zealand’s Minister of Broadcasting Willie Jackson, in a statement, on Sunday.&nbsp;

The statement also referred to legislations in Australia and Canada and how the one to be proposed by New Zealand will be modelled along those lines. Jackson also said that he hoped this would incentivise digital platforms to negotiate with local media outlets and reach deals without government intervention.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-fails-to-detect-christchurch-attack-video-as-harmful-after-new-zealands-govt-reaches-out-538073">Twitter fails to detect Christchurch attack video as 'harmful', New Zealand's govt reaches out</a>

“It is critical that those benefiting from their news content actually pay for it,” said the minister. However, if no agreement is reached the law would mandate a negotiating process.&nbsp;

The new legislation will likely be passed after a vote in the New Zealand parliament, however, might receive some pushback from the big tech platforms who have campaigned against these laws in other countries as well.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-new-zealand-to-tax-farmers-for-burpy-cattle-486724">Gravitas: New Zealand to tax farmers for burpy cattle</a>

Notably, when Australia introduced and proposed these laws Facebook threatened to block their news from its platforms and moved to do so at one point in Canberra while the legislation was being debated. However, no such steps have been taken in Canada yet since it&nbsp;has also proposed a similar legislation.&nbsp;

On Monday, Meta’s regional policy, Mia Garlick, said that New Zealand does not understand the relationship between Facebook and news. She also noted that publishers control how and which content shows up on their platform and also that New Zealand fails to recognise the commercial current deals Meta has in the country, reported the Wall Street Journal.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-australia-hold-talks-following-news-ban-364938">Facebook, Australia hold talks following news ban</a>

On the other hand, Australia’s recent report about its law introduced in 2021, which gave the government the power to make the big tech companies negotiate with media outlets said that it largely worked.&nbsp;

 
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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The New Zealand government said that it plans to introduce a law which would require big tech companies like Alphabet Inc’s Google and several platforms under the parent company Meta including Facebook to pay media outlets if they want local news content to show on their feeds.

The New Zealand government said that it plans to introduce a law which would require big tech companies like Alphabet Inc’s Google and several platforms under the parent company Meta including Facebook to pay media outlets if they want local news content to show on their feeds. This comes after countries like Australia and Canada have implemented and proposed similar laws. “New Zealand news media, particularly small regional and community newspapers, are struggling to remain financially viable as more advertising moves online,” said New Zealand’s Minister of Broadcasting Willie Jackson, in a statement, on Sunday. The statement also referred to legislations in Australia and Canada and how the one to be proposed by New Zealand will be modelled along those lines. Jackson also said that he hoped this would incentivise digital platforms to negotiate with local media outlets and reach deals without government intervention. ALSO READ | Twitter fails to detect Christchurch attack video as 'harmful', New Zealand's govt reaches out “It is critical that those benefiting from their news content actually pay for it,” said the minister. However, if no agreement is reached the law would mandate a negotiating process. The new legislation will likely be passed after a vote in the New Zealand parliament, however, might receive some pushback from the big tech platforms who have campaigned against these laws in other countries as well. ALSO WATCH | Gravitas: New Zealand to tax farmers for burpy cattle Notably, when Australia introduced and proposed these laws Facebook threatened to block their news from its platforms and moved to do so at one point in Canberra while the legislation was being debated. However, no such steps have been taken in Canada yet since it has also proposed a similar legislation. On Monday, Meta’s regional policy, Mia Garlick, said that New Zealand does not understand the relationship between Facebook and news. She also noted that publishers control how and which content shows up on their platform and also that New Zealand fails to recognise the commercial current deals Meta has in the country, reported the Wall Street Journal. ALSO READ | Facebook, Australia hold talks following news ban On the other hand, Australia’s recent report about its law introduced in 2021, which gave the government the power to make the big tech companies negotiate with media outlets said that it largely worked. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

New Zealand government plans to introduce a law to make Google, Facebook pay for news

In the span of weeks, the United States’ Silicon Valley which has been a reliable source of high-paying jobs and booming stocks is now witnessing a tough time with major big tech companies including Meta, Twitter, Snap, and Microsoft announcing mass layoffs, which have tens of thousands of people unemployed.&nbsp;

On Monday, joining what many have called the “lay off season”, New York Times first reported that Amazon is planning to lay off as many as 10,000 people in “corporate and technology” departments across the world. This was preceded by Meta, Facebook’s parent company, which also operates Instagram and WhatsApp, announcing job cuts affecting at least 13 per cent of the company.&nbsp;

Why is this happening?

The two prominent reasons that most companies who have given a public statement following the announcement of mass layoffs are that they hired many employees during the pandemic when people spent most of their time online, as opposed to now when the boom is starting to fade as they get back to their daily lives. Secondly, soaring inflation in the US has made brands reluctant to spend money on advertising.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-fires-twitter-engineers-who-questioned-him-publicly-534252">Elon Musk fires Twitter engineer who questioned him publicly</a>

According to Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks tech layoffs, 217,404 employees across more than 1,300 tech companies have been fired since the Covid-19 pandemic. &nbsp;The companies that were once thriving are now facing a major downturn and one of the main reasons that are seen across most of them is the reduction in demand.&nbsp;

Several reports have attributed the “boom” that the big tech witnessed during the pandemic to the lockdowns which had forced people indoors, essentially bringing their daily lives to a grinding halt. Amid the pandemic-induced lockdowns, people spent more time on online shopping, social media, and streaming content, which led to an overall increase in demand.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-business-news-meta-preparing-large-scale-layoffs-reports-531772">WION Business News | Meta preparing large-scale layoffs: Reports</a> 
 
However, as the lockdowns were lifted across the world and people went back outside, the demand was reportedly slower in comparison. This was in addition to the soaring inflation that the United States is currently witnessing that has led digital advertisers to cut back on spending on ads which nearly all tech companies rely on for revenue.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve in a bid to control the four-decade-high inflation has been increasing interest rates. Earlier this month, the central bank announced its fourth straight increase of 0.75 percent. “We’ve seen a surge in layoffs in recent weeks because it’s becoming obvious that the (Federal Reserve) will need to keep increasing interest rates for longer than originally expected,” Roger Lee, founder of Layoffs.fyi, told TIME.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-federal-reserve-raises-interest-rate-by-075-again-in-a-bid-to-combat-inflation-530687">In a historic move, US Federal Reserve raises interest rate by 0.75% again</a> 
 
He added, “Unfortunately, the pain won’t end until the Fed is able to get a handle on inflation.” Citing media reports, the website has also estimated that more than 24,000 tech workers across 72 companies have been laid off in November. This also comes amid reports of a possible global recession.&nbsp;

What has happened so far?

This year more than 121,000 employees from nearly 800 tech companies have been fired. Notably, the highest number of layoffs was seen in the month of November. Additionally, accounting for the biggest tech layoffs since the pandemic, the report by layoffs.fyi, said that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-why-did-meta-fire-13-per-cent-of-its-employees-whats-in-store-for-the-facebook-parent-company-533887">Meta</a> is currently at the top of the list after it announced that it would lay off at least 11,000 employees.&nbsp;

As mentioned earlier, reports suggest that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amazon-plans-to-lay-off-at-least-10000-people-job-cuts-may-begin-this-week-report-534150">Amazon</a> plans to lay off at least 10,000 employees as early as this week and will focus on the company’s devices unit and several products including Alexa and other appliances, as well as the retail division and the e-commerce giants’ human resources department. Amazon laying off employees is significant as it has previously been the most stable employer in tech and if confirmed this would be the biggest layoffs in company history.&nbsp;

This was preceded by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-layoffs-impact-at-least-50-of-employees-reassures-content-moderation-amid-speculations-531333">Twitter</a> which reports later confirmed fired at least 50 percent of their workforce after the billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk took over the microblogging platform in a $44 billion deal. Amid the mass layoffs, co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey had taken to the platform and accepted the responsibility and apologized for growing the “company size too quickly”.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-dream11-co-founder-offers-jobs-to-people-fired-from-twitter-meta-and-others-533728">Fantasy platform Dream11 co-founder offers jobs to people fired from Twitter, Meta and others</a> 
 
Furthermore, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/microsoft-lays-off-nearly-1000-workers-across-multiple-divisions-report-526636">Microsoft</a> had also laid off nearly 1,000 employees across different units worldwide, first reported by Axios which was later confirmed by the company citing the impending slowdown in revenue.&nbsp;

Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-a-dismal-q2-snap-to-sack-nearly-1300-employees-511755">Snap Inc.</a> the company behind Snapchat said that by the end of August it will cut its workforce down by at least 20 percent which affected nearly 1,200 people. This was followed by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/report-intel-plans-to-layoff-thousands-in-workforce-amid-pc-market-slowdown-524809">Intel</a> which according to a report by Bloomberg was set to lay off at least 20 percent of its staff, however, the company is yet to officially confirm the number.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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In the span of weeks, the United States’ Silicon Valley which has been a reliable source of high-paying jobs and booming stocks is now witnessing a tough time with major big tech companies including Meta, Twitter, Snap, and Microsoft announcing mass layoffs, which have tens of thousands of people unemployed.

In the span of weeks, the United States’ Silicon Valley which has been a reliable source of high-paying jobs and booming stocks is now witnessing a tough time with major big tech companies including Meta, Twitter, Snap, and Microsoft announcing mass layoffs, which have tens of thousands of people unemployed. On Monday, joining what many have called the “lay off season”, New York Times first reported that Amazon is planning to lay off as many as 10,000 people in “corporate and technology” departments across the world. This was preceded by Meta, Facebook’s parent company, which also operates Instagram and WhatsApp, announcing job cuts affecting at least 13 per cent of the company. Why is this happening? The two prominent reasons that most companies who have given a public statement following the announcement of mass layoffs are that they hired many employees during the pandemic when people spent most of their time online, as opposed to now when the boom is starting to fade as they get back to their daily lives. Secondly, soaring inflation in the US has made brands reluctant to spend money on advertising. ALSO READ: Elon Musk fires Twitter engineer who questioned him publicly According to Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks tech layoffs, 217,404 employees across more than 1,300 tech companies have been fired since the Covid-19 pandemic. The companies that were once thriving are now facing a major downturn and one of the main reasons that are seen across most of them is the reduction in demand. Several reports have attributed the “boom” that the big tech witnessed during the pandemic to the lockdowns which had forced people indoors, essentially bringing their daily lives to a grinding halt. Amid the pandemic-induced lockdowns, people spent more time on online shopping, social media, and streaming content, which led to an overall increase in demand. ALSO WATCH: WION Business News | Meta preparing large-scale layoffs: Reports However, as the lockdowns were lifted across the world and people went back outside, the demand was reportedly slower in comparison. This was in addition to the soaring inflation that the United States is currently witnessing that has led digital advertisers to cut back on spending on ads which nearly all tech companies rely on for revenue. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve in a bid to control the four-decade-high inflation has been increasing interest rates. Earlier this month, the central bank announced its fourth straight increase of 0.75 percent. “We’ve seen a surge in layoffs in recent weeks because it’s becoming obvious that the (Federal Reserve) will need to keep increasing interest rates for longer than originally expected,” Roger Lee, founder of Layoffs.fyi, told TIME. ALSO READ: In a historic move, US Federal Reserve raises interest rate by 0.75% again He added, “Unfortunately, the pain won’t end until the Fed is able to get a handle on inflation.” Citing media reports, the website has also estimated that more than 24,000 tech workers across 72 companies have been laid off in November. This also comes amid reports of a possible global recession. What has happened so far? This year more than 121,000 employees from nearly 800 tech companies have been fired. Notably, the highest number of layoffs was seen in the month of November. Additionally, accounting for the biggest tech layoffs since the pandemic, the report by layoffs.fyi, said that Meta is currently at the top of the list after it announced that it would lay off at least 11,000 employees. As mentioned earlier, reports suggest that Amazon plans to lay off at least 10,000 employees as early as this week and will focus on the company’s devices unit and several products including Alexa and other appliances, as well as the retail division and the e-commerce giants’ human resources department. Amazon laying off employees is significant as it has previously been the most stable employer in tech and if confirmed this would be the biggest layoffs in company history. This was preceded by Twitter which reports later confirmed fired at least 50 percent of their workforce after the billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk took over the microblogging platform in a $44 billion deal. Amid the mass layoffs, co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey had taken to the platform and accepted the responsibility and apologized for growing the “company size too quickly”. ALSO READ: Fantasy platform Dream11 co-founder offers jobs to people fired from Twitter, Meta and others Furthermore, Microsoft had also laid off nearly 1,000 employees across different units worldwide, first reported by Axios which was later confirmed by the company citing the impending slowdown in revenue. Earlier this year, Snap Inc. the company behind Snapchat said that by the end of August it will cut its workforce down by at least 20 percent which affected nearly 1,200 people. This was followed by Intel which according to a report by Bloomberg was set to lay off at least 20 percent of its staff, however, the company is yet to officially confirm the number. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

From pandemic boom to layoff season: Why big tech firms are firing thousands of employees

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta’s investors wiped at least $80 billion off the market value, while the stocks for the company have plunged at least 23% as of Thursday. This comes after the company released its third-quarter report which showed that the profits have halved by 52% to $4.4 billion while the reported quarterly revenue was $27.7 billion.&nbsp;

Meta’s report on Wednesday also reflected its second straight quarterly decline. Since the report was released there was a 25% plunge in Meta’s share price and as the markets opened the next day the situation worsened when the price briefly dipped below $100 which was reportedly the lowest since 2016.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, advertisers have also reined in spending amid a downturn in the global economy, which is a crucial revenue point for the company. Furthermore, Instagram and Facebook's parent company for the first time is also reportedly losing daily active users to competition from TikTok.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-warns-one-million-users-about-potential-data-leak-through-malicious-apps-523435">Meta warns one million users about potential data leak through malicious apps</a>

The third quarter report by Meta also showed an increase in spending by 19% when compared to last year which media reports have attributed to its spending on metaverse and short-form video-content product Reels. While Reality Labs, the company’s metaverse division, has reported a $3.7 billion loss in the past three months.&nbsp;

“Over time, these are going to end up being very important investments for the future of our business,” said Zuckerberg when investors expressed concern over the losses faced. He added that while the company is facing “near-term challenges on revenue” it has the fundamentals for a return to “stronger revenue growth.”&nbsp;

However, while the company has heavily invested in new products they have shown no results so far. In February, Meta also saw the biggest one-day loss in history for any US-based company after the share price dipped by 26%.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/meta-shares-sink-22-as-facebook-loses-one-million-daily-users-450000">Meta shares sink 22% as Facebook loses one million daily users</a>

This has also affected Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s personal fortune after he lost more than $100 billion in 13 months bringing his net worth to $38.1 billion, said a report by Bloomberg. He reportedly holds more than 350 million shares in Meta and a 13% stake in the company. Once among the top three on Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index the Meta CEO’s rank is now 23rd as of Wednesday.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
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Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta’s investors wiped at least $80 billion off the market value, while the stocks for the company have plunged at least 23% as of Thursday.

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta’s investors wiped at least $80 billion off the market value, while the stocks for the company have plunged at least 23% as of Thursday. This comes after the company released its third-quarter report which showed that the profits have halved by 52% to $4.4 billion while the reported quarterly revenue was $27.7 billion. Meta’s report on Wednesday also reflected its second straight quarterly decline. Since the report was released there was a 25% plunge in Meta’s share price and as the markets opened the next day the situation worsened when the price briefly dipped below $100 which was reportedly the lowest since 2016. Meanwhile, advertisers have also reined in spending amid a downturn in the global economy, which is a crucial revenue point for the company. Furthermore, Instagram and Facebook's parent company for the first time is also reportedly losing daily active users to competition from TikTok. ALSO READ: Meta warns one million users about potential data leak through malicious apps The third quarter report by Meta also showed an increase in spending by 19% when compared to last year which media reports have attributed to its spending on metaverse and short-form video-content product Reels. While Reality Labs, the company’s metaverse division, has reported a $3.7 billion loss in the past three months. “Over time, these are going to end up being very important investments for the future of our business,” said Zuckerberg when investors expressed concern over the losses faced. He added that while the company is facing “near-term challenges on revenue” it has the fundamentals for a return to “stronger revenue growth.” However, while the company has heavily invested in new products they have shown no results so far. In February, Meta also saw the biggest one-day loss in history for any US-based company after the share price dipped by 26%. ALSO READ: Meta shares sink 22% as Facebook loses one million daily users This has also affected Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s personal fortune after he lost more than $100 billion in 13 months bringing his net worth to $38.1 billion, said a report by Bloomberg. He reportedly holds more than 350 million shares in Meta and a 13% stake in the company. Once among the top three on Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index the Meta CEO’s rank is now 23rd as of Wednesday. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta shares plunge to the lowest since 2016 after company reports less profits

Facebook parent company Meta has been slapped with a fine of USD 18 million by Turkey's competition authority for breaking competition laws. The authority said in a statement that Meta held a dominant position in personal social networking services and online video advertising and had obstructed competitors by merging data collected through its core services Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Reuters quoted a Meta Platforms spokesperson as saying that the company disagrees with the findings and will consider all options. The competition authority has said that Meta must act to reinstate competition in these markets. It has also asked Meta to prepare annual reports about steps it will take for the next five years.

The authority said that the amount of the fine was based on company's 2021 income. Meta can object to the decision in 60 days.&nbsp;

In 2021, the competition authority launched an investigation into WhatsApp, and then Facebook Inc., after the messaging app asked users to agree to let Facebook collect user data such as phone numbers and locations, a change that was rolled out globally.

Analysts have said social media companies are unlikely to abide in full by the law, that requires them to remove such material and to share user data with authorities.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Facebook parent company Meta has been slapped with a fine of USD 18 million by Turkey's competition authority for breaking competition laws. The authority said in a statement that Meta held a dominant position in personal social networking services and online video advertising and had obstructed competitors by merging data collected through its core services Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Facebook parent company Meta has been slapped with a fine of USD 18 million by Turkey's competition authority for breaking competition laws. The authority said in a statement that Meta held a dominant position in personal social networking services and online video advertising and had obstructed competitors by merging data collected through its core services Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Reuters quoted a Meta Platforms spokesperson as saying that the company disagrees with the findings and will consider all options. The competition authority has said that Meta must act to reinstate competition in these markets. It has also asked Meta to prepare annual reports about steps it will take for the next five years. The authority said that the amount of the fine was based on company's 2021 income. Meta can object to the decision in 60 days. In 2021, the competition authority launched an investigation into WhatsApp, and then Facebook Inc., after the messaging app asked users to agree to let Facebook collect user data such as phone numbers and locations, a change that was rolled out globally. Analysts have said social media companies are unlikely to abide in full by the law, that requires them to remove such material and to share user data with authorities. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Meta fined by Turkish competition board for violating laws, fined USD 18.6 million

The Verge reported that Facebook and Instagram will get more paid features as Meta is setting up a new group that will focus on creating products.

A company spokesperson told News agency Reuters that "Any new product will be complementary to our existing ads business."

Snap Inc and Twitter Inc, which are Meta's competitors, have already launched paid tiers to unlock additional features.

John Hegeman, Meta's head of ads and business products, said in an interview with the Verge, that the company is committed to growing the ads business and has no plans to let users pay to turn off ads.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/meta-and-tiktok-can-track-everything-on-in-app-browsers-new-research-claims-509013">Also read |&nbsp;Meta and TikTok can track everything on in-app browsers, new research claims</a>

Highlighting that features becoming a more meaningful part of its business, Hegeman said Meta's vision aligns with its long-term goals.

Verge reported that the groups will be called New Monetization Experiences and led by Meta's former head of research Pratiti Raychoudhury.

Just a few weeks before a September 20 deadline for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to submit to depositions, Facebook’s corporate parent has reached a tentative settlement in a lawsuit alleging the world’s largest social network service of allowing access to the personal information of about 87 million users to be fed to Cambridge Analytica.

In 2018, the firm was accused of supporting Donald Trump’s victorious presidential campaign to its ties with political strategist Stephen Bannon.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Verge reported that Facebook and Instagram will get more paid features as Meta is setting up a new group that will focus on creating products. A company spokesperson told News agency Reuters that "Any new product will be complementary to our existing ads business.

The Verge reported that Facebook and Instagram will get more paid features as Meta is setting up a new group that will focus on creating products. A company spokesperson told News agency Reuters that "Any new product will be complementary to our existing ads business." Snap Inc and Twitter Inc, which are Meta's competitors, have already launched paid tiers to unlock additional features. John Hegeman, Meta's head of ads and business products, said in an interview with the Verge, that the company is committed to growing the ads business and has no plans to let users pay to turn off ads. Also read | Meta and TikTok can track everything on in-app browsers, new research claims Highlighting that features becoming a more meaningful part of its business, Hegeman said Meta's vision aligns with its long-term goals. Verge reported that the groups will be called New Monetization Experiences and led by Meta's former head of research Pratiti Raychoudhury. Just a few weeks before a September 20 deadline for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to submit to depositions, Facebook’s corporate parent has reached a tentative settlement in a lawsuit alleging the world’s largest social network service of allowing access to the personal information of about 87 million users to be fed to Cambridge Analytica. In 2018, the firm was accused of supporting Donald Trump’s victorious presidential campaign to its ties with political strategist Stephen Bannon. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

More paid features on Facebook and Instagram? Meta to set up new group for creating products

Facebook has agreed "in principle", to settle the Cambridge Analytica lawsuit that claims damages from the social media company for allegedly giving third parties access to personal data of millions of users. As per a document filed by Facebook in a San Francisco court, the company said that it was submitting a draft "agreement in principle" and has requested a stay of proceedings for 60 days to finalize it. Facebook hasn't disclosed any amount or terms of the agreement.

AFP quoted Facebook as saying that the company had "no comment to share at this time."

The development has come up as date of court testimony of Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg approaches. He and Facebook's former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg are due to testify in court in September.

Watch | Lawsuit: Facebook violated consumer privacy laws, agrees to settle

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In a lawsuit initiated in 2018, Facebook users accused the social network of violating privacy rules by sharing their data with third parties including the firm Cambridge Analytica, which was linked to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.&nbsp;

Cambridge Analytica -- which has since shut down -- had collected and exploited, without their consent, the personal data of 87 million Facebook users, to which the platform had given it access.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ranking-and-newsfeed-were-a-little-bit-less-zuckerberg-admits-facebook-censored-hunter-biden-laptop-story-510280">'Ranking, newsfeed were a bit less': Zuckerberg admits Facebook curbed 'Hunter Biden laptop' story</a>

There are allegations that the information was used to develop software steering US voters in favor of Trump.

In 2019, federal authorities fined Facebook $5 billion for misleading its users and imposed independent oversight of its personal data management.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Facebook has agreed "in principle", to settle the Cambridge Analytica lawsuit that claims damages from the social media company for allegedly giving third parties access to personal data of millions of users.

Facebook has agreed "in principle", to settle the Cambridge Analytica lawsuit that claims damages from the social media company for allegedly giving third parties access to personal data of millions of users. As per a document filed by Facebook in a San Francisco court, the company said that it was submitting a draft "agreement in principle" and has requested a stay of proceedings for 60 days to finalize it. Facebook hasn't disclosed any amount or terms of the agreement. AFP quoted Facebook as saying that the company had "no comment to share at this time." The development has come up as date of court testimony of Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg approaches. He and Facebook's former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg are due to testify in court in September. Watch | Lawsuit: Facebook violated consumer privacy laws, agrees to settle × In a lawsuit initiated in 2018, Facebook users accused the social network of violating privacy rules by sharing their data with third parties including the firm Cambridge Analytica, which was linked to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Cambridge Analytica -- which has since shut down -- had collected and exploited, without their consent, the personal data of 87 million Facebook users, to which the platform had given it access. Also Read | 'Ranking, newsfeed were a bit less': Zuckerberg admits Facebook curbed 'Hunter Biden laptop' story There are allegations that the information was used to develop software steering US voters in favor of Trump. In 2019, federal authorities fined Facebook $5 billion for misleading its users and imposed independent oversight of its personal data management. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Facebook hints at settlement in Cambridge Analytica lawsuit

Facebook parent company Meta on Thursday (August 18) announced that it has banned one of the United States' most influential anti-vaccination groups, the Children's Health Defense (CHD) from its social media platform for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

Talking to AFP Meta spokesperson Aaron Simpson said that CHD's Facebook and Instagram accounts have been closed on Wednesday and that the ban was placed after repeated violations of Meta's misinformation rules.

CHD which was founded by the nephew of the late president John F. Kennedy has accused Meta of acting as a proxy for the government and attempting to stifle its free speech rights and muzzle criticism of the administration.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Kenya gives hate speech ultimatum to Facebook, misinformation common on TikTok

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The group said that its 'de-platformed' social media accounts had hundreds of thousands of followers and that the ban caught them off guard.

Robert Kennedy Jr., the founder of CHD, said in a news release that "Facebook is acting here as a surrogate for the federal government's crusade to silence all criticism of draconian government policies."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-fluffs-its-lines-yet-again-fails-to-catch-misinformation-in-ads-ahead-of-brazil-elections-507202">Facebook fluffs its lines yet again; fails to catch misinformation in ads ahead of Brazil elections</a>

The organisation published a screenshot of the ban notification that says that the accounts had been suspended for breaking Meta's rules on "misinformation that could lead to real world harm."

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Screenshot of the notification informing CHD of the account ban. (Image courtesy: CHD Website)

CHD also contended that the ban "dovetails" a lawsuit it filed against Meta, charging the tech giant with violating free speech rights by relying on the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to determine the scientific validity of Covid-19 information.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coward-jair-bolsonaro-lands-in-controversy-tries-to-snatch-phone-off-a-heckler-watch-video-here-508247">'Coward' Jair Bolsonaro gets into a spat, tries to snatch phone off demonstrator. Watch video here!</a>

As per the information published on the group's website regarding the lawsuit "CHD alleges Facebook entered into an agreement with the White House to censor an entire category of speech, de-platformed CHD Chairman Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and removed CHD’s “donate” button on Facebook, directing traffic instead to a third-party fact-checking organization that solicits donations."

The district court in the Northern District of California dismissed the case in June 2021, and according to court documents the anti-vaccine group has appealed against the decision.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Facebook parent company Meta on Thursday (August 18) announced that it has banned one of the United States' most influential anti-vaccination groups, the Children's Health Defense (CHD) from its social media platform for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic.

Facebook parent company Meta on Thursday (August 18) announced that it has banned one of the United States' most influential anti-vaccination groups, the Children's Health Defense (CHD) from its social media platform for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic. Talking to AFP Meta spokesperson Aaron Simpson said that CHD's Facebook and Instagram accounts have been closed on Wednesday and that the ban was placed after repeated violations of Meta's misinformation rules. CHD which was founded by the nephew of the late president John F. Kennedy has accused Meta of acting as a proxy for the government and attempting to stifle its free speech rights and muzzle criticism of the administration. Watch | Kenya gives hate speech ultimatum to Facebook, misinformation common on TikTok The group said that its 'de-platformed' social media accounts had hundreds of thousands of followers and that the ban caught them off guard. Robert Kennedy Jr., the founder of CHD, said in a news release that "Facebook is acting here as a surrogate for the federal government's crusade to silence all criticism of draconian government policies." Also read | Facebook fluffs its lines yet again; fails to catch misinformation in ads ahead of Brazil elections The organisation published a screenshot of the ban notification that says that the accounts had been suspended for breaking Meta's rules on "misinformation that could lead to real world harm." Screenshot of the notification informing CHD of the account ban. (Image courtesy: CHD Website) CHD also contended that the ban "dovetails" a lawsuit it filed against Meta, charging the tech giant with violating free speech rights by relying on the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to determine the scientific validity of Covid-19 information. Also read | 'Coward' Jair Bolsonaro gets into a spat, tries to snatch phone off demonstrator. Watch video here! As per the information published on the group's website regarding the lawsuit "CHD alleges Facebook entered into an agreement with the White House to censor an entire category of speech, de-platformed CHD Chairman Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and removed CHD’s “donate” button on Facebook, directing traffic instead to a third-party fact-checking organization that solicits donations." The district court in the Northern District of California dismissed the case in June 2021, and according to court documents the anti-vaccine group has appealed against the decision. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta bans US' biggest anti-vaccine group for spreading misinformation, gets accused of 'stifling free speech'

Meta, more colloquially known as Facebook has found itself in stormy waters yet again. According to an investigation report by Global Witness, a London-based non-profit, Facebook has been allowing blatant misinformation-laden advertisements to be published on its platform, ahead of the crucial Brazilian elections, scheduled to take place later this year.

Meta, more colloquially known as Facebook has found itself in stormy waters yet again. According to an investigation report by Global Witness, a London-based non-profit, Facebook has been allowing blatant misinformation-laden advertisements to be published on its platform, ahead of the crucial Brazilian elections, scheduled to take place later this year. Reportedly, Global Witness conducted its investigation by submitting ten election-related ads in Brazilian-Portuguese to Facebook. Out of the 10 ads, five contained misinformation while the rest attempted to delegitimise the electoral process. It is pertinent to note that all of the ads were submitted from outside of Brazil viz. Nairobi and London. Meta's 'strict' ad policy should have raised the alarm over the location of the ad content not being the same as the election country. Russia compromised the US elections in the same manner in 2016 by submitting and publishing electoral ads from afar. Since then, Facebook has been pressured to shore up its ad- acceptance mechanism. However, none of that sort happened in this particular case. After submitting the ads, unsurprisingly enough, all 10 were given the nod and without any "paid for by" disclaimer. Global Witness stated that not only the ads were accepted, but a rather bizarre process of rejection and acceptance also transpired, which raised several eyebrows. "Initially, one of the ads we submitted was rejected under Facebook’s “Ads about social issues, elections, or politics” policy. But just six days later, without any intervention from Global Witness, the ad was approved without explanation." said the NGO. The NGO did not even follow Meta's 'ad authorisation process and yet it was not only allowed to submit ads but they were submitted by the platform itself. Global Witness did not publish the ads but the point was already made. The elections in Brazil will take place in October and Facebook has identified it as one of the 'priority countries'. However, observing the Mark Zuckerberg owned platform fluffing its lines in such a timid manner certainly casts a doubt over the legitimacy of its claims. WATCH: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro officially launches his re-election campaign × Facebook came short in Kenya as well Global Witness has been conducting a thorough investigation into Meta's claims of trying to uphold the integrity of critical elections. However, so far, Facebook has been falling short in every other test. As reported by WION, last month, a report by the NGO showed that Facebook approved hate speech advertisements that promoted ethnic violence ahead of the Kenyan Presidential elections. Read More: Meta served a seven-day ultimatum by Kenya. Could be suspended if it fails to act As a result, Kenya's National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), a watchdog, served a seven-day ultimatum to the social media platform to tackle hate speech and incitement. "Facebook is in violation of the laws of our country. They have allowed themselves to be a vector of hate speech and incitement, misinformation and disinformation," Danvas Makori, NCIC commissioner was quoted as saying. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Facebook fluffs its lines yet again; fails to catch misinformation in ads ahead of Brazil elections

In a new report, Twitter has accused global governments of asking the San-Francisco-based social media company to snoop on private details of user accounts at an alarming rate.

The tech titan revealed that it fielded nearly 60,000 legal demands during a six-month period last year asking the company to remove content.

Yoel Roth, the head of safety and integrity at Twitter, said in a conversation broadcast on the site, ''We're seeing governments become more aggressive in how they try to use legal tactics to unmask the people using our service, collect information about account owners and also using legal demands as a way to try and silence people.''

Accounting for 20 per cent of the requests, the United States makes up the majority of demands for account information as per the company.

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Making the most requests of Twitter to take down content from accounts, Japan is also a frequent requestor for account information.

During the last half of 2021, Twitter reported a huge spike in requests from governments that targeted verified journalists and news outlets.

Indicating a 103 per cent increase, governments also made a record number of legal demands on 349 accounts of verified journalists or news outlets around the globe between July and December of last year.

Complying fully with roughly 40 per cent of all asks for information on user accounts, Twitter did not provide a breakdown of which countries made those requests on journalists' accounts.

Twitter is not the only social media platform that faced this issue. Previously, Facebook's parent company Meta Platforms had also reported an increase in government asks for private user data during the same timeframe.

(With inputs from agencies)

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&nbsp;

In a new report, Twitter has accused global governments of asking the San-Francisco-based social media company to snoop on private details of user accounts at an alarming rate.

In a new report, Twitter has accused global governments of asking the San-Francisco-based social media company to snoop on private details of user accounts at an alarming rate. The tech titan revealed that it fielded nearly 60,000 legal demands during a six-month period last year asking the company to remove content. Yoel Roth, the head of safety and integrity at Twitter, said in a conversation broadcast on the site, ''We're seeing governments become more aggressive in how they try to use legal tactics to unmask the people using our service, collect information about account owners and also using legal demands as a way to try and silence people.'' Accounting for 20 per cent of the requests, the United States makes up the majority of demands for account information as per the company. × Making the most requests of Twitter to take down content from accounts, Japan is also a frequent requestor for account information. During the last half of 2021, Twitter reported a huge spike in requests from governments that targeted verified journalists and news outlets. Indicating a 103 per cent increase, governments also made a record number of legal demands on 349 accounts of verified journalists or news outlets around the globe between July and December of last year. Complying fully with roughly 40 per cent of all asks for information on user accounts, Twitter did not provide a breakdown of which countries made those requests on journalists' accounts. Twitter is not the only social media platform that faced this issue. Previously, Facebook's parent company Meta Platforms had also reported an increase in government asks for private user data during the same timeframe. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Twitter says governments asking it to snoop on private details of user accounts at alarming rate

Amid a general weakness in the digital ad market, Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms has reported that its quarterly revenue dropped year-over-year for the first time ever.

As its profit plunged by more than a third, Meta said that its revenue missed market expectations and recently ended quarter ebbed a percent to $28.8 billion when compared to the same period a year ago.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told French news agency AFP that it was the first such slip at Meta in Facebook’s history.

According to IBES data from Refinitiv, experts were expecting third-quarter revenue of approximately $30.52 billion.

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As companies tap the power of the internet to reach consumers, Meta’s earnings further underscored an inflation-induced slowdown in the digital ad industry.

In terms of competition, Meta has been trying to fend off a string of challenges to its business from TikTok and Amazon.com Inc for ads.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-need-to-evolve-instagram-ceo-doubles-down-criticism-over-tiktok-like-features-501104" hreflang="en">‘We need to evolve’: Instagram CEO doubles down criticism over TikTok like features</a>

Not only this, but Apple’s privacy changes to the mobile operating system iOS have also adversely affected Meta’s revenue.

Meta, which received a majority of its total revenue from ads, reported that it fell to $28.82 billion from $29.08 billion a year earlier for the second quarter ended June 30.

Federal regulators on Wednesday took legal action to block Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg from acquiring virtual reality company Within Unlimited and its fitness app Supernatural asserting that the deal would hurt competition and violate antitrust laws.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Amid a general weakness in the digital ad market, Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms has reported that its quarterly revenue dropped year-over-year for the first time ever.

Amid a general weakness in the digital ad market, Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms has reported that its quarterly revenue dropped year-over-year for the first time ever. As its profit plunged by more than a third, Meta said that its revenue missed market expectations and recently ended quarter ebbed a percent to $28.8 billion when compared to the same period a year ago. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told French news agency AFP that it was the first such slip at Meta in Facebook’s history. According to IBES data from Refinitiv, experts were expecting third-quarter revenue of approximately $30.52 billion. × As companies tap the power of the internet to reach consumers, Meta’s earnings further underscored an inflation-induced slowdown in the digital ad industry. In terms of competition, Meta has been trying to fend off a string of challenges to its business from TikTok and Amazon.com Inc for ads. Also read | ‘We need to evolve’: Instagram CEO doubles down criticism over TikTok like features Not only this, but Apple’s privacy changes to the mobile operating system iOS have also adversely affected Meta’s revenue. Meta, which received a majority of its total revenue from ads, reported that it fell to $28.82 billion from $29.08 billion a year earlier for the second quarter ended June 30. Federal regulators on Wednesday took legal action to block Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg from acquiring virtual reality company Within Unlimited and its fitness app Supernatural asserting that the deal would hurt competition and violate antitrust laws. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms reports revenue drop for the first time ever

On Feb. 2, when Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, its finance chief identified higher mobile data costs as a unique obstacle slowing growth in India, its biggest market.

On the same day, the US&nbsp;tech group posted the findings of its own research into Facebook's business in India on an internal employee forum. The study, conducted over the two years to the end of 2021, identified different problems.

Many women have shunned the male-dominated social network because they're worried about their safety and privacy, according to the Meta research, which hasn't been previously reported.

"Concerns about content safety and unwanted contact impede women's FB use," said the study, reviewed by Reuters, as it detailed the platform's main challenges.

"Meta cannot succeed in India while leaving women behind."

Other obstacles included nudity content, the perceived complexity of its app design, local language and literacy barriers and a lack of appeal among internet users seeking video content, according to the research, which was based on surveys of tens of thousands of people as well as internal user data.

Facebook's growth began plateauing last year, when it added a few million users in the space of six months in the country of about 1.4 billion people, significantly lagging sister apps WhatsApp and Instagram, according to the report, which noted: "FB has grown more slowly than the internet and other apps."

A Meta spokesperson, contacted about the study, said the company regularly invested in internal research to better understand the value its products provide and help identify ways to improve.

"But it's misleading to characterize 7-month-old research as an accurate or comprehensive representation of the state of our business in India," they added.

Nonetheless, the main Indian issues detailed in the research were not cited by Meta's chief financial officer, Dave Wehner, on a Feb. 2 call&nbsp;with analysts to discuss results for the final quarter of 2021.

Wehner said Facebook's user growth in Asia-Pacific and some other areas was hit by competition, plus comparison with prior quarters when COVID resurgences aided user engagement. He identified higher mobile data costs as a "unique" headwind for India.

Asked why the obstacles to growth identified by Wehner were different from those identified in the research, the spokesperson pointed to a Meta filing in April, during its first-quarter earnings, where it said Facebook users in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam represented the top three sources of growth in daily active users in March versus a year before.

Facebook's fortunes in India have broad implications for Meta, which has lost about half of its value this year amid a broader tech sell-off and faces scrutiny from investors and analysts who fear its growth in potentially high-growth developing markets is starting to wane.

"India contains more FB users than any other country," said the research, which pegged the number at almost 450 million as of November, after rapid growth over much of the past decade.

"Teams across the company should explicitly consider their strategic position and growth opportunities in India. Outcomes in India could drive global results."

FAMILY DOESN'T ALLOW FB

The internal study, a "high-level overview of the growth trends" in India, was detailed in a presentation meant to help Facebook's researchers and product teams. It said that a key problem Facebook had tried to fix for years in India, with limited success, was related to "gender imbalance".

Men accounted for 75% of Facebook's monthly active users in India last year. That compared with 62% of internet users more broadly in early 2020, the researchers found.

"While there is a gender imbalance in internet use across India, the imbalance among Facebook users is even more pronounced," said the study, adding that online safety concerns and societal pressures were among reasons deterring women from the platform.

The researchers found that 79% of female Facebook users had "expressed concern about content/photo misuse", while 20-30% of overall users were estimated to have seen nudity on the platform within the last seven days in the largely conservative country.

India ranked highest globally on the latter metric; around 10% of users surveyed in the United States and Brazil said they had seen nudity in the past week, for example, and under 20% in Indonesia, according to a survey conducted in August 2021.

"Negative content is more prevalent in India than other countries," said the internal report.

Family disapproval – "Family doesn't allow FB" - was a major reason cited by women for not using Facebook, the study found.

The Meta spokesperson said the online gender imbalance was an industry-wide problem and not specific to its platforms.

They said that since 2016, Meta had quadrupled the size of the global team working on safety and security to over 40,000, and that between January and April this year, more than 97% of adult nudity and sexual activity content was removed before someone reported it.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

Depicting struggles of women users, one research slide showed a picture of an Indian woman walking on a street wearing a saree with which she covered her head and face, a tradition common in many parts of India.

Next to this image was the account of a woman who said she had received 367 friend requests from strangers, with a string of comments on photos like "very beautiful", "where do you live", "you look good".

The comments stopped after she used the "locked profile" feature, according to the woman cited, referring to an option Facebook introduced in 2020 in India allowing users to restrict viewing of pictures and posts to non-friends.

By June 2021, the feature had been adopted by 34% of women users in India, said the internal report, but more work was needed, with "bold product changes", to address the problem of low uptake of Facebook among women.

Facebook has faced criticism globally from online safety campaigners for not doing enough to safeguard women from bullying or harassment. In 2019, the platform said it had a team of people focusing "just on making sure we are keeping women safe", using technology tools to remove content deemed unsafe.

The Meta spokesperson said it had launched a Women's Safety Hub and other privacy features such as a profanity filter to help female users in India stay safe online. Since 2021, more than 45% of Facebook Groups in India related to entrepreneurship have been created by women, Meta added.

WHATSAPP GRABS CROWN

Facebook's growth in India began to level off last year, according to the internal research. The platform's main appeal has been to connect with friends and family, but non-Facebook users were primarily now using the internet to see pictures and videos, the research noted.

Its annualised growth rate based on May-October 2021 showed it was adding just 6.6 million users per year, versus WhatsApp's 71 million and Instagram's 128 million, according to one internal slide that illustrated the slowdown graphically.

By November, Facebook's user base in India was 447 million strong, lagging its Meta sister apps. WhatsApp - which Facebook acquired in 2014 - had 563 million Indian users. Instagram, bought in 2012, had 309 million.

The slowdown stands in contrast to Facebook's strong expansion in past years. In 2014, the platform had fewer than 100 million users in India, a number that doubled by 2017, the research said.

The Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the user numbers, saying it didn't disclose country-specific data. They said the company was "definitely increasing the prominence of video" on Facebook.

Lower-educated users are another group that is underrepresented on Facebook, according to the research. The platform faced challenges in meeting demand for content in India's many local languages, while many people cited the app's complexity and lack of tutorials as deterrents.

Between 2017 and 2020, India's monthly online users as a share of the population doubled, boosted by cheaper data plans, but the share of internet users who reported they used Facebook declined during that period, the study found.

"India is now the country with more Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram accounts than any other country in the world," said an internal post accompanying the report. "But continued growth in India faces many challenges."

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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On Feb. 2, when Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, its finance chief identified higher mobile data costs as a unique obstacle slowing growth in India, its biggest market.

On Feb. 2, when Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, its finance chief identified higher mobile data costs as a unique obstacle slowing growth in India, its biggest market. On the same day, the US tech group posted the findings of its own research into Facebook's business in India on an internal employee forum. The study, conducted over the two years to the end of 2021, identified different problems. Many women have shunned the male-dominated social network because they're worried about their safety and privacy, according to the Meta research, which hasn't been previously reported. "Concerns about content safety and unwanted contact impede women's FB use," said the study, reviewed by Reuters, as it detailed the platform's main challenges. "Meta cannot succeed in India while leaving women behind." Other obstacles included nudity content, the perceived complexity of its app design, local language and literacy barriers and a lack of appeal among internet users seeking video content, according to the research, which was based on surveys of tens of thousands of people as well as internal user data. Facebook's growth began plateauing last year, when it added a few million users in the space of six months in the country of about 1.4 billion people, significantly lagging sister apps WhatsApp and Instagram, according to the report, which noted: "FB has grown more slowly than the internet and other apps." A Meta spokesperson, contacted about the study, said the company regularly invested in internal research to better understand the value its products provide and help identify ways to improve. "But it's misleading to characterize 7-month-old research as an accurate or comprehensive representation of the state of our business in India," they added. Nonetheless, the main Indian issues detailed in the research were not cited by Meta's chief financial officer, Dave Wehner, on a Feb. 2 call with analysts to discuss results for the final quarter of 2021. Wehner said Facebook's user growth in Asia-Pacific and some other areas was hit by competition, plus comparison with prior quarters when COVID resurgences aided user engagement. He identified higher mobile data costs as a "unique" headwind for India. Asked why the obstacles to growth identified by Wehner were different from those identified in the research, the spokesperson pointed to a Meta filing in April, during its first-quarter earnings, where it said Facebook users in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam represented the top three sources of growth in daily active users in March versus a year before. Facebook's fortunes in India have broad implications for Meta, which has lost about half of its value this year amid a broader tech sell-off and faces scrutiny from investors and analysts who fear its growth in potentially high-growth developing markets is starting to wane. "India contains more FB users than any other country," said the research, which pegged the number at almost 450 million as of November, after rapid growth over much of the past decade. "Teams across the company should explicitly consider their strategic position and growth opportunities in India. Outcomes in India could drive global results." FAMILY DOESN'T ALLOW FB The internal study, a "high-level overview of the growth trends" in India, was detailed in a presentation meant to help Facebook's researchers and product teams. It said that a key problem Facebook had tried to fix for years in India, with limited success, was related to "gender imbalance". Men accounted for 75% of Facebook's monthly active users in India last year. That compared with 62% of internet users more broadly in early 2020, the researchers found. "While there is a gender imbalance in internet use across India, the imbalance among Facebook users is even more pronounced," said the study, adding that online safety concerns and societal pressures were among reasons deterring women from the platform. The researchers found that 79% of female Facebook users had "expressed concern about content/photo misuse", while 20-30% of overall users were estimated to have seen nudity on the platform within the last seven days in the largely conservative country. India ranked highest globally on the latter metric; around 10% of users surveyed in the United States and Brazil said they had seen nudity in the past week, for example, and under 20% in Indonesia, according to a survey conducted in August 2021. "Negative content is more prevalent in India than other countries," said the internal report. Family disapproval – "Family doesn't allow FB" - was a major reason cited by women for not using Facebook, the study found. The Meta spokesperson said the online gender imbalance was an industry-wide problem and not specific to its platforms. They said that since 2016, Meta had quadrupled the size of the global team working on safety and security to over 40,000, and that between January and April this year, more than 97% of adult nudity and sexual activity content was removed before someone reported it. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Depicting struggles of women users, one research slide showed a picture of an Indian woman walking on a street wearing a saree with which she covered her head and face, a tradition common in many parts of India. Next to this image was the account of a woman who said she had received 367 friend requests from strangers, with a string of comments on photos like "very beautiful", "where do you live", "you look good". The comments stopped after she used the "locked profile" feature, according to the woman cited, referring to an option Facebook introduced in 2020 in India allowing users to restrict viewing of pictures and posts to non-friends. By June 2021, the feature had been adopted by 34% of women users in India, said the internal report, but more work was needed, with "bold product changes", to address the problem of low uptake of Facebook among women. Facebook has faced criticism globally from online safety campaigners for not doing enough to safeguard women from bullying or harassment. In 2019, the platform said it had a team of people focusing "just on making sure we are keeping women safe", using technology tools to remove content deemed unsafe. The Meta spokesperson said it had launched a Women's Safety Hub and other privacy features such as a profanity filter to help female users in India stay safe online. Since 2021, more than 45% of Facebook Groups in India related to entrepreneurship have been created by women, Meta added. WHATSAPP GRABS CROWN Facebook's growth in India began to level off last year, according to the internal research. The platform's main appeal has been to connect with friends and family, but non-Facebook users were primarily now using the internet to see pictures and videos, the research noted. Its annualised growth rate based on May-October 2021 showed it was adding just 6.6 million users per year, versus WhatsApp's 71 million and Instagram's 128 million, according to one internal slide that illustrated the slowdown graphically. By November, Facebook's user base in India was 447 million strong, lagging its Meta sister apps. WhatsApp - which Facebook acquired in 2014 - had 563 million Indian users. Instagram, bought in 2012, had 309 million. The slowdown stands in contrast to Facebook's strong expansion in past years. In 2014, the platform had fewer than 100 million users in India, a number that doubled by 2017, the research said. The Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the user numbers, saying it didn't disclose country-specific data. They said the company was "definitely increasing the prominence of video" on Facebook. Lower-educated users are another group that is underrepresented on Facebook, according to the research. The platform faced challenges in meeting demand for content in India's many local languages, while many people cited the app's complexity and lack of tutorials as deterrents. Between 2017 and 2020, India's monthly online users as a share of the population doubled, boosted by cheaper data plans, but the share of internet users who reported they used Facebook declined during that period, the study found. "India is now the country with more Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram accounts than any other country in the world," said an internal post accompanying the report. "But continued growth in India faces many challenges." You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Facebook's growth woes in India: too much nudity, not enough women

A new report by Recode and The Verge has revealed that Facebook's 'move fast and break things' era is still haunting the social media network.

The report sheds light on how chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg wanted to make Facebook akin to Windows.

Mobile phones and the app economy were just taking off during Facebook's formative years when the company introduced the 'move fast and break things' motto.

Responsible for leading the company into one of its biggest scandals, 'Cambridge Analytica', Zuckerberg’s original vision for social media brought us FarmVille and “Log in with Facebook”.

In the 'Cambridge Analytica' scandal, Facebook was found guilty of exposing the data of 87 million users to the political consulting firm which worked on former US President Donald Trump's campaign.

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To fund a political consulting firm, Steve Bannon approached conservative megadonors Rebekah and Robert Mercer which led to the creation of Cambridge Analytica.

During the 2016 election, Bannon reached out to Trump when he became vice president of Cambridge Analytica.

Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported that Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix actually reached out to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange about the emails that were hacked from the Democratic National Committee’s servers.

Cambridge Analytica got its data from Facebook through researcher Aleksandr Kogan as per a former employee of the company.

Facebook was unaware that the third-party developer was able to exploit a loophole to gather information on not only people who used the app but all their friends.

Aiming to reshape the future of the internet, Meta Platforms Inc is trying to transition away from its complicated legacy as a social media company to a futuristic metaverse vision.

From how global democracy functions to the mental health of teenagers, both users and regulators are worried that the company's products are harming society.

Forcing Meta to rethink its approach to social media entirely, both Facebook and Instagram are quickly losing ground to TikTok. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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A new report by Recode and The Verge has revealed that Facebook's 'move fast and break things' era is still haunting the social media network. The report sheds light on how chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg wanted to make Facebook akin to Windows.

A new report by Recode and The Verge has revealed that Facebook's 'move fast and break things' era is still haunting the social media network. The report sheds light on how chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg wanted to make Facebook akin to Windows. Mobile phones and the app economy were just taking off during Facebook's formative years when the company introduced the 'move fast and break things' motto. Responsible for leading the company into one of its biggest scandals, 'Cambridge Analytica', Zuckerberg’s original vision for social media brought us FarmVille and “Log in with Facebook”. In the 'Cambridge Analytica' scandal, Facebook was found guilty of exposing the data of 87 million users to the political consulting firm which worked on former US President Donald Trump's campaign. × To fund a political consulting firm, Steve Bannon approached conservative megadonors Rebekah and Robert Mercer which led to the creation of Cambridge Analytica. During the 2016 election, Bannon reached out to Trump when he became vice president of Cambridge Analytica. Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported that Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix actually reached out to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange about the emails that were hacked from the Democratic National Committee’s servers. Cambridge Analytica got its data from Facebook through researcher Aleksandr Kogan as per a former employee of the company. Facebook was unaware that the third-party developer was able to exploit a loophole to gather information on not only people who used the app but all their friends. Aiming to reshape the future of the internet, Meta Platforms Inc is trying to transition away from its complicated legacy as a social media company to a futuristic metaverse vision. From how global democracy functions to the mental health of teenagers, both users and regulators are worried that the company's products are harming society. Forcing Meta to rethink its approach to social media entirely, both Facebook and Instagram are quickly losing ground to TikTok. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Why Facebook's 'move fast and break things' era still haunts it?

Our existence on this planet is inextricably linked to the millions of species that also call it home. Of them, there are many that made their way into our hearts as pets. Our bonding with pets doesn't need an introduction. From celebrities flaunting their pets to people buying pet-specific accessories, from visiting pet cafes to having pet crematoriums, from crying when a dog dies in a movie to watching cat videos on loop, we undeniably are in love. Animal lovers understand that having a pet is not only a responsibility but a privilege. In a world like this, it is a privilege to have a heart that cares for a voiceless creature. If you have one such, you mustn't wait to read these books about humans' glorious bond with their companion animals. While the ones that are made into movies are already celebrated, I tried to mention those which I felt are underrated.

Felix the Railway Cat by Kate Moore: 
Felix is Huddersfield Station's Senior Pest Controller and Chief Happiness Officer. As the station was yearning for a cat, an employee rescued a pregnant cat which eventually birthed Felix. First mistaken to be a male, Felix won the hearts of all the employees of the station, including those who didn't have an affinity to cats. Workplaces of Tata, Amazon, and Google have made headlines for bringing dogs to the office because, why not?

The book describes Felix's growth, her skills, naughtiness, tricks, achievements, and most importantly, her relationship with the staff and commuters of the station. It is when a regular commuter creates a Facebook page that Felix rose to fame.

The author writes about Felix with immense empathy and vivid descriptions, as though she is writing about one of us. The second reason I love this book is the way it is narrated, with the right amount of wit, emotion, and seriousness. The first reason is apparently the cover.

Wild and Wilful by Neha Sinha 
This is undoubtedly my favourite Indian book about animals so far. Neha Sinha, a wildlife conservationist talks about select rare Indian species of animals in detail, her work with them, and the bias she faced as a woman close to wildlife. Neha and her fellow women are met with judging looks when they work with wild animals, more so in villages.

While giving the scientific information, Neha also adds a humane angle to the whole human-animal conflict. She talks about animals with empathy and kindness. The book covers various aspects ranging from laws and policies on paper to the ground reality that tribal and rural people have to face. It constantly reiterates that wild animals are living things that have feelings. Neha also talks to fellow conservationists and researchers to bring out the facts and curb the myths about so-called cruel animals. 
We need more people to read, write and be like her to save animals because it is already too late.

The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa 
It is only a coincidence that I read this book during a long travel.

Found under Satoru's car, Nana didn't take much time to get into his house. Having lost his fond cat Hachi as a kid Satoru dotes over Nana. However, circumstances compel Satoru to give Nana up for adoption. Thus begins their long journey from one city to another, from van to train, requesting quite a few of his friends to adopt Nana. At each stage, we meet Satoru's friends and the various instances that shaped his life. None of the adoptions worked. During the journey, Nana experiences new places, new friends and of course, some troubles. He is smart enough to know what is going on and stubborn enough to not leave Satoru's side ever. What persuades Satoru to give up the apple of his eye and how their journey culminates is for you to read.

As we see shelters overflowing with recklessly abandoned pets, it is heartwarming to read about someone take this commitment. This story depicts how our pets are going to be with us and they should be, no matter what. Reading Nana's point of view felt like communicating with animals, which we normally can't do. That is what makes the story extremely personal. Through Nana, the author presents the thoughts of our pets - about us, about other animals, about life and the world in general. They think much more than they show. They understand what we don't tell.

Nana talks to us, questions us, makes us laugh, cry, wonder and think. If it had such profound impact on me, a dog person who never had a cat, I can only imagine how touching it will leave cat owners.

A dog's life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann. M Martin 
For someone who fosters the dogs of her street, this book is a gift. In my opinion, it is the best description of the life of a stray. 
The story, as the name suggests, is the autobiography of a puppy born as a nobody. The author takes us through the stormy life that leads her way home. However, there are bleak chances of strays finding loving homes, in real life.

Our protagonist is named Squirrel. Squirrel and Bone are born in an abandoned toolshed. Before they could learn the essential survival skills, they lost their mother. Squirrel is later seperated from Bone too. Thereon, she fights everyday for her survival.

Considering how the author breathes life into Squirrel, it isn't a surprise that she owns a dog and cats. It is vital to remember that the dog may be fictional but the story is not. Every dog we see on the road is as helpless and disadvantaged as Squirrel. In multiple incidents, the author shows how humans let down the man's best friend. It is a must-read for people working with dog shelters or in an individual capacity.

Laika's Window by Kurt Caswell 
Once an anonymous mongrel on the streets of Moscow, Laika is now immortalised. To say that she sacrificed her life would be an understatement. It is a joy that sending animals to space is banned now. What happened to Laika is unfair, to say the least.

The author, through poetic and empathetic descriptions, writes what Laika might have gone through during the grueling process. Did she know that she was being sent on a one-way mission? Did she understand why she was being subjected to unbearable torture? When she looked out of the window of her spacecraft, what did she see?

This book depicts how an innocent little girl lost in the space war between two countries and suffered in the name of science. It was a tough read for me, contemplating how we claim to love dogs yet are willing to let them die so that we explore the cosmos. I appreciate that the author concerned enough about Laika to present the whole event from her point of view. Reading this is sure to leave one in thought, for we have known Laika merely as a dog that died in space; never as a living thing that suffered till the very end.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Our existence on this planet is inextricably linked to the millions of species that also call it home. Of them, there are many that made their way into our hearts as pets.

Our existence on this planet is inextricably linked to the millions of species that also call it home. Of them, there are many that made their way into our hearts as pets. Our bonding with pets doesn't need an introduction. From celebrities flaunting their pets to people buying pet-specific accessories, from visiting pet cafes to having pet crematoriums, from crying when a dog dies in a movie to watching cat videos on loop, we undeniably are in love. Animal lovers understand that having a pet is not only a responsibility but a privilege. In a world like this, it is a privilege to have a heart that cares for a voiceless creature. If you have one such, you mustn't wait to read these books about humans' glorious bond with their companion animals. While the ones that are made into movies are already celebrated, I tried to mention those which I felt are underrated. Felix the Railway Cat by Kate Moore: Felix is Huddersfield Station's Senior Pest Controller and Chief Happiness Officer. As the station was yearning for a cat, an employee rescued a pregnant cat which eventually birthed Felix. First mistaken to be a male, Felix won the hearts of all the employees of the station, including those who didn't have an affinity to cats. Workplaces of Tata, Amazon, and Google have made headlines for bringing dogs to the office because, why not? The book describes Felix's growth, her skills, naughtiness, tricks, achievements, and most importantly, her relationship with the staff and commuters of the station. It is when a regular commuter creates a Facebook page that Felix rose to fame. The author writes about Felix with immense empathy and vivid descriptions, as though she is writing about one of us. The second reason I love this book is the way it is narrated, with the right amount of wit, emotion, and seriousness. The first reason is apparently the cover. Wild and Wilful by Neha Sinha This is undoubtedly my favourite Indian book about animals so far. Neha Sinha, a wildlife conservationist talks about select rare Indian species of animals in detail, her work with them, and the bias she faced as a woman close to wildlife. Neha and her fellow women are met with judging looks when they work with wild animals, more so in villages. While giving the scientific information, Neha also adds a humane angle to the whole human-animal conflict. She talks about animals with empathy and kindness. The book covers various aspects ranging from laws and policies on paper to the ground reality that tribal and rural people have to face. It constantly reiterates that wild animals are living things that have feelings. Neha also talks to fellow conservationists and researchers to bring out the facts and curb the myths about so-called cruel animals. We need more people to read, write and be like her to save animals because it is already too late. The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa It is only a coincidence that I read this book during a long travel. Found under Satoru's car, Nana didn't take much time to get into his house. Having lost his fond cat Hachi as a kid Satoru dotes over Nana. However, circumstances compel Satoru to give Nana up for adoption. Thus begins their long journey from one city to another, from van to train, requesting quite a few of his friends to adopt Nana. At each stage, we meet Satoru's friends and the various instances that shaped his life. None of the adoptions worked. During the journey, Nana experiences new places, new friends and of course, some troubles. He is smart enough to know what is going on and stubborn enough to not leave Satoru's side ever. What persuades Satoru to give up the apple of his eye and how their journey culminates is for you to read. As we see shelters overflowing with recklessly abandoned pets, it is heartwarming to read about someone take this commitment. This story depicts how our pets are going to be with us and they should be, no matter what. Reading Nana's point of view felt like communicating with animals, which we normally can't do. That is what makes the story extremely personal. Through Nana, the author presents the thoughts of our pets - about us, about other animals, about life and the world in general. They think much more than they show. They understand what we don't tell. Nana talks to us, questions us, makes us laugh, cry, wonder and think. If it had such profound impact on me, a dog person who never had a cat, I can only imagine how touching it will leave cat owners. A dog's life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann. M Martin For someone who fosters the dogs of her street, this book is a gift. In my opinion, it is the best description of the life of a stray. The story, as the name suggests, is the autobiography of a puppy born as a nobody. The author takes us through the stormy life that leads her way home. However, there are bleak chances of strays finding loving homes, in real life. Our protagonist is named Squirrel. Squirrel and Bone are born in an abandoned toolshed. Before they could learn the essential survival skills, they lost their mother. Squirrel is later seperated from Bone too. Thereon, she fights everyday for her survival. Considering how the author breathes life into Squirrel, it isn't a surprise that she owns a dog and cats. It is vital to remember that the dog may be fictional but the story is not. Every dog we see on the road is as helpless and disadvantaged as Squirrel. In multiple incidents, the author shows how humans let down the man's best friend. It is a must-read for people working with dog shelters or in an individual capacity. Laika's Window by Kurt Caswell Once an anonymous mongrel on the streets of Moscow, Laika is now immortalised. To say that she sacrificed her life would be an understatement. It is a joy that sending animals to space is banned now. What happened to Laika is unfair, to say the least. The author, through poetic and empathetic descriptions, writes what Laika might have gone through during the grueling process. Did she know that she was being sent on a one-way mission? Did she understand why she was being subjected to unbearable torture? When she looked out of the window of her spacecraft, what did she see? This book depicts how an innocent little girl lost in the space war between two countries and suffered in the name of science. It was a tough read for me, contemplating how we claim to love dogs yet are willing to let them die so that we explore the cosmos. I appreciate that the author concerned enough about Laika to present the whole event from her point of view. Reading this is sure to leave one in thought, for we have known Laika merely as a dog that died in space; never as a living thing that suffered till the very end. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

5 books animal lovers should absolutely not miss

Months before June, companies’ marketing calendars remind them to start working on their pride campaigns: the graphic design department decorates logos and slogans with colourful rainbows; the copywriting department writes jingles and puns with queer lingo, and the finance department estimates how much profit the campaign is forecasted to generate. By the time pride month comes around, the corporate world explodes in a colourful carnival of pro-LGBTQ+ advertisements, campaigns and rebrandings. What was once a civil rights protest and riot to demand equal rights has become part of the corporate pipeline. Nevertheless, pride provides companies with the opportunity to make their values clear, show support for their LGBTQ+ employees and, in the best cases, use their platforms to demand social change.

Various companies across the globe are seeking to build a better experience for their people to promote loyalty, minimize turnover and drive better engagement. As part of these efforts, companies are empowering individuals to be their true selves. With the celebration of pride month, most employers have been considering how to better support members of the LGBTQ+ community in their workforce during a time of growing adversity for this group. When June 1 arrived, companies like Facebook and Walmart rolled out shelves of colourful merchandise, flooded their social media pages with rainbows and aired compassionate commercials.&nbsp;

As June arrives, corporations try really hard to make sure their consumers knew how much they supported the LGBTQ+ community. But the catch is, that now that the Pride month is over, corporations will put their shelves of merchandise on clearance, cleanse their social media pages of rainbows and no longer air compassionate commercials. Historically, corporate support seems to mostly vanish on July 1, leaving LGBTQ+ individuals and allies wondering if a company really cares about the community after Pride Month ends, or if it is just participating in rainbow washing.

Now, question is, what is Rainbow Washing? Rainbow washing is aesthetic support, and it’s about marketability and profit. The key part is that some corporations are actively giving support to anti-queer politicians, legislators, lobbyists and laws while at the same time claiming to be allies. At the surface level, a company’s rainbow logo indicates that it is an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. Rainbow washing isn’t the kind of thing that you can Google in five seconds. It takes a bit of energy and time. There are several behind-the-scenes ways a corporation could be harming the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ community has made tremendous progress in the fight to secure the same workplace rights as other colleagues. Employers and co-workers can prevent future erosion of the basic human rights everyone deserves by being more resolute in their support and actions.

Rainbow washing strips pride month of its political power. Pride has always been political because the month is not only a celebration but a time to defend the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. When Pride is stripped of its political power, then queer people are just there for celebration or as a culture to appropriate because it’s fun and looks pretty. The voices of queer people that are actually suffering violence or being discriminated against aren’t actually heard because Pride isn’t supposed to only be fun and pretty. Let's keep in mind and not forget that the first-ever Pride was a riot, and rainbow washing weakens the power of the origin. It gives corporations the opportunity to dilute the message of Pride and remove its revolutionary teeth. Rainbow washing harms the legitimacy of pride month in the eyes of those who are unsupportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Most conservatives aren’t going to have their minds changed by whether or not corporations support queer people and it is likely to draw more reactionary anger because they see it as proof that queer people are influencing the public. But at the same time, I believe that&nbsp;rainbow washing isn't all that bad, though. Earlier, companies would not do business with LGBTQ+ individuals and would turn them away. Today, they adorn rainbows. It is a sign that the acceptance of queer existence is fundamentally different than it was 10, 15 or 20 years ago. Even though slapping a rainbow on one's company logo is not nearly enough, we must not completely throw out the idea that changing a logo to a rainbow isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

While the exploitation of the LGBTQ+ community is a cause for anger within parts of the community, corporate support is better than what it used to be. Corporations finding it more profitable to voice public support for the queer community is not necessarily a bad thing. While it makes sense for companies to gain monetary profit, the problem is when it takes away from LGBTQ+ voices. Imagine if a friend said: We celebrated your birthday, so now I’m going to ignore you for the rest of the year. Pride month or moreover the notion of being an ally for the LGBTQ+ community and fighting for civil rights must go all year round and not for just a month or a day.&nbsp;

So, if the primary outcome of Pride Month is that in June we go to a parade, buy a rainbow-labelled product or pick up a cute T-shirt, these events have been stripped of much of their power. What companies and society need to spark is a year-round fight for LGBTQ+ people’s well-being, from healthcare to housing security to nondiscrimination—both within corporations and on an individual level.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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Months before June, companies’ marketing calendars remind them to start working on their pride campaigns: the graphic design department decorates logos and slogans with colourful rainbows; the copywriting department writes jingles and puns with queer lingo, and the finance department estimates how much profit the campaign is forecasted to generate.

Months before June, companies’ marketing calendars remind them to start working on their pride campaigns: the graphic design department decorates logos and slogans with colourful rainbows; the copywriting department writes jingles and puns with queer lingo, and the finance department estimates how much profit the campaign is forecasted to generate. By the time pride month comes around, the corporate world explodes in a colourful carnival of pro-LGBTQ+ advertisements, campaigns and rebrandings. What was once a civil rights protest and riot to demand equal rights has become part of the corporate pipeline. Nevertheless, pride provides companies with the opportunity to make their values clear, show support for their LGBTQ+ employees and, in the best cases, use their platforms to demand social change. Various companies across the globe are seeking to build a better experience for their people to promote loyalty, minimize turnover and drive better engagement. As part of these efforts, companies are empowering individuals to be their true selves. With the celebration of pride month, most employers have been considering how to better support members of the LGBTQ+ community in their workforce during a time of growing adversity for this group. When June 1 arrived, companies like Facebook and Walmart rolled out shelves of colourful merchandise, flooded their social media pages with rainbows and aired compassionate commercials. As June arrives, corporations try really hard to make sure their consumers knew how much they supported the LGBTQ+ community. But the catch is, that now that the Pride month is over, corporations will put their shelves of merchandise on clearance, cleanse their social media pages of rainbows and no longer air compassionate commercials. Historically, corporate support seems to mostly vanish on July 1, leaving LGBTQ+ individuals and allies wondering if a company really cares about the community after Pride Month ends, or if it is just participating in rainbow washing. Now, question is, what is Rainbow Washing? Rainbow washing is aesthetic support, and it’s about marketability and profit. The key part is that some corporations are actively giving support to anti-queer politicians, legislators, lobbyists and laws while at the same time claiming to be allies. At the surface level, a company’s rainbow logo indicates that it is an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. Rainbow washing isn’t the kind of thing that you can Google in five seconds. It takes a bit of energy and time. There are several behind-the-scenes ways a corporation could be harming the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ community has made tremendous progress in the fight to secure the same workplace rights as other colleagues. Employers and co-workers can prevent future erosion of the basic human rights everyone deserves by being more resolute in their support and actions. Rainbow washing strips pride month of its political power. Pride has always been political because the month is not only a celebration but a time to defend the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. When Pride is stripped of its political power, then queer people are just there for celebration or as a culture to appropriate because it’s fun and looks pretty. The voices of queer people that are actually suffering violence or being discriminated against aren’t actually heard because Pride isn’t supposed to only be fun and pretty. Let's keep in mind and not forget that the first-ever Pride was a riot, and rainbow washing weakens the power of the origin. It gives corporations the opportunity to dilute the message of Pride and remove its revolutionary teeth. Rainbow washing harms the legitimacy of pride month in the eyes of those who are unsupportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Most conservatives aren’t going to have their minds changed by whether or not corporations support queer people and it is likely to draw more reactionary anger because they see it as proof that queer people are influencing the public. But at the same time, I believe that rainbow washing isn't all that bad, though. Earlier, companies would not do business with LGBTQ+ individuals and would turn them away. Today, they adorn rainbows. It is a sign that the acceptance of queer existence is fundamentally different than it was 10, 15 or 20 years ago. Even though slapping a rainbow on one's company logo is not nearly enough, we must not completely throw out the idea that changing a logo to a rainbow isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While the exploitation of the LGBTQ+ community is a cause for anger within parts of the community, corporate support is better than what it used to be. Corporations finding it more profitable to voice public support for the queer community is not necessarily a bad thing. While it makes sense for companies to gain monetary profit, the problem is when it takes away from LGBTQ+ voices. Imagine if a friend said: We celebrated your birthday, so now I’m going to ignore you for the rest of the year. Pride month or moreover the notion of being an ally for the LGBTQ+ community and fighting for civil rights must go all year round and not for just a month or a day. So, if the primary outcome of Pride Month is that in June we go to a parade, buy a rainbow-labelled product or pick up a cute T-shirt, these events have been stripped of much of their power. What companies and society need to spark is a year-round fight for LGBTQ+ people’s well-being, from healthcare to housing security to nondiscrimination—both within corporations and on an individual level. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Enough with the rainbow washing

Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram are reportedly blocking posts offering abortion pills for women following the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade judgemenet, which declared access to abortion a constitutional right.

According to AP news agency, several Instagram accounts of abortion rights advocacy groups found their posts or stories hidden with a warning that described these posts as “sensitive content.”

Instagram said it was working to fix the problem Tuesday, describing it as a “bug.”

As soon as the Supreme Court ruling was made public, several memes and status updates exploded on social media platforms explaining to them how women could legally obtain abortion pills. Some even offered to mail the prescriptions to women living in states that now ban the procedure.

According to an analysis by the media intelligence firm Zignal Labs, general mentions of abortion pills, as well as posts mentioning specific versions such as mifepristone and misoprostol, suddenly spiked on Friday morning across Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and TV broadcasts.

To check if the posts were actually being removed, an AP reporter ran a test on Facebook, offering to mail abortion pills in the post. It was removed within a minute. Another test by a Verge reporter yielded similar results, with a post offering abortion pills being flagged within two minutes.

However, other posts that offered “a gun” or “weed” were not flagged or removed, the AP reported.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/it-aint-over-yet-women-look-to-go-for-sex-strike-to-get-abortion-rights-back-in-us-492671">It ain't over yet: Women look to go for 'sex strike' to get abortion rights back in US</a>

The sale, gifting, and transfer of firearms and marijuana are prohibited under Meta’s restricted goods policy. Yet the test posts by the AP that offered to mail guns and weed were not removed; a similar test by The Verge offering to mail cannabis wasn’t immediately removed by Facebook.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/roe-v-wade-overturned-comparative-analysis-of-indian-and-american-abortion-laws-491715">Roe v. Wade overturned: Comparative analysis of Indian and American abortion laws</a>

In response to reporting, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone&nbsp;tweeted on Monday that “content that attempts to buy, sell, trade, gift, request or donate pharmaceuticals is not allowed.” Stone says that posts containing information on the “affordability and accessibility of prescription medication” is allowed and that the company was correcting instances of “incorrect enforcement.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram are reportedly blocking posts offering abortion pills for women following the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade judgemenet, which declared access to abortion a constitutional right.

Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram are reportedly blocking posts offering abortion pills for women following the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade judgemenet, which declared access to abortion a constitutional right. According to AP news agency, several Instagram accounts of abortion rights advocacy groups found their posts or stories hidden with a warning that described these posts as “sensitive content.” Instagram said it was working to fix the problem Tuesday, describing it as a “bug.” As soon as the Supreme Court ruling was made public, several memes and status updates exploded on social media platforms explaining to them how women could legally obtain abortion pills. Some even offered to mail the prescriptions to women living in states that now ban the procedure. According to an analysis by the media intelligence firm Zignal Labs, general mentions of abortion pills, as well as posts mentioning specific versions such as mifepristone and misoprostol, suddenly spiked on Friday morning across Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and TV broadcasts. To check if the posts were actually being removed, an AP reporter ran a test on Facebook, offering to mail abortion pills in the post. It was removed within a minute. Another test by a Verge reporter yielded similar results, with a post offering abortion pills being flagged within two minutes. However, other posts that offered “a gun” or “weed” were not flagged or removed, the AP reported. Also read | It ain't over yet: Women look to go for 'sex strike' to get abortion rights back in US The sale, gifting, and transfer of firearms and marijuana are prohibited under Meta’s restricted goods policy. Yet the test posts by the AP that offered to mail guns and weed were not removed; a similar test by The Verge offering to mail cannabis wasn’t immediately removed by Facebook. Also read | Roe v. Wade overturned: Comparative analysis of Indian and American abortion laws In response to reporting, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone tweeted on Monday that “content that attempts to buy, sell, trade, gift, request or donate pharmaceuticals is not allowed.” Stone says that posts containing information on the “affordability and accessibility of prescription medication” is allowed and that the company was correcting instances of “incorrect enforcement.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Fallout of Roe v Wade: Facebook, Instagram removing posts offering abortion pills

Bisakh Mondal, a student from Jadavpur University in West Bengal state of India has bagged a lucrative offer from&nbsp;Facebook. Any job aspirant would be on cloud nine if he gets an offer from tech giant like Facebook. But in the case of Mondal, he had not one but three offers from top tech firms&nbsp;in the world. Aside from Facebook, Mondal also got offers from Amazon and Google. He chose Facebook considering&nbsp;better pay packet that they were offering.&nbsp;Mondal is due to join Facebook in September.

"I will join Facebook in September. Before accepting this job, I got offers from Google and Amazon. I thought choosing Facebook would be the best as the pay package offered by them was high," Mondal told India Today. He is fourth year student of Computer Science and Engineering at Jadavpur University.

"I got the job offer on Tuesday night. In the past two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, I got the opportunity to do internships at several organisations and gather knowledge outside my curriculum studies. This has helped me crack the interviews," he said as quoted by Indian Express..

Calling every success story a 'rags to riches' tale is perhaps cliched but in case of Mondal, this holds true. He comes from a family with modest means. His mother is an Aanganwadi worker. She has been quoted in media reports as saying that she was proud of her son. She added that he had always been a 'meritorious' student.

Jadavpur University said that this was first time since the pandemic that students have got a large number of international offers.

Mondal has been offered Rs 1.8 crore (more than 200,000 USD) per annum.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Bisakh Mondal, a student from Jadavpur University in West Bengal state of India has bagged a lucrative offer from Facebook. Any job aspirant would be on cloud nine if he gets an offer from tech giant like Facebook.

Bisakh Mondal, a student from Jadavpur University in West Bengal state of India has bagged a lucrative offer from Facebook. Any job aspirant would be on cloud nine if he gets an offer from tech giant like Facebook. But in the case of Mondal, he had not one but three offers from top tech firms in the world. Aside from Facebook, Mondal also got offers from Amazon and Google. He chose Facebook considering better pay packet that they were offering. Mondal is due to join Facebook in September. "I will join Facebook in September. Before accepting this job, I got offers from Google and Amazon. I thought choosing Facebook would be the best as the pay package offered by them was high," Mondal told India Today. He is fourth year student of Computer Science and Engineering at Jadavpur University. "I got the job offer on Tuesday night. In the past two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, I got the opportunity to do internships at several organisations and gather knowledge outside my curriculum studies. This has helped me crack the interviews," he said as quoted by Indian Express.. Calling every success story a 'rags to riches' tale is perhaps cliched but in case of Mondal, this holds true. He comes from a family with modest means. His mother is an Aanganwadi worker. She has been quoted in media reports as saying that she was proud of her son. She added that he had always been a 'meritorious' student. Jadavpur University said that this was first time since the pandemic that students have got a large number of international offers. Mondal has been offered Rs 1.8 crore (more than 200,000 USD) per annum. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

This guy rejected Amazon, Google for mega pay package at Facebook

Meta-owned Facebook has agreed to settle with the US government for $115,000 and has assured to change its ad technology following allegations that the tech firm engaged in discriminatory advertising policy that violated a federal housing law.

According to terms of the settlement, Facebook will stop using an advertising tool for housing ads that the government said employed a discriminatory algorithm to locate users who “look like” other users based on characteristics protected by the Fair Housing Act, like race, national origin and sex, the Justice Department said.

Under the settlement, which still needs to be approved by the court, Facebook has agreed that by December 31 it would stop using the tool once called “Lookalike Audience”, which relies on an algorithm on the basis of race, sex and other characteristics, and create a new system for housing ads.

That new system has to be approved by the government. If the system is accepted, Meta will have to submit to regular third-party reviews to ensure it remains in compliance. The settlement will be dissolved and the case will return to federal court if the new ad system doesn’t sufficiently address the issues.

Apart from that, Meta has been asked to pay the maximum penalty under the Fair Housing Act of $115,054 under the settlement.

“As technology rapidly evolves, companies like Meta have a responsibility to ensure their algorithmic tools are not used in a discriminatory manner,” said Kristen Clarke, DOJ assistant attorney general of the civil rights division, in a statement.

The case came to the light during an investigation in 2019 discrimination charge by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD referred the case to the DOJ after the company elected to have the charge heard in federal court, according to the release.

In a&nbsp;blog post&nbsp;following the announcement, Meta described the agreement as the result of “more than a year of collaboration with HUD to develop a novel use of machine learning technology that will work to ensure the age, gender and estimated race or ethnicity of a housing ad’s overall audience matches the age, gender and estimated race or ethnicity mix of the population eligible to see that ad.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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Meta-owned Facebook has agreed to settle with the US government for $115,000 and has assured to change its ad technology following allegations that the tech firm engaged in discriminatory advertising policy that violated a federal housing law.

Meta-owned Facebook has agreed to settle with the US government for $115,000 and has assured to change its ad technology following allegations that the tech firm engaged in discriminatory advertising policy that violated a federal housing law. According to terms of the settlement, Facebook will stop using an advertising tool for housing ads that the government said employed a discriminatory algorithm to locate users who “look like” other users based on characteristics protected by the Fair Housing Act, like race, national origin and sex, the Justice Department said. Under the settlement, which still needs to be approved by the court, Facebook has agreed that by December 31 it would stop using the tool once called “Lookalike Audience”, which relies on an algorithm on the basis of race, sex and other characteristics, and create a new system for housing ads. That new system has to be approved by the government. If the system is accepted, Meta will have to submit to regular third-party reviews to ensure it remains in compliance. The settlement will be dissolved and the case will return to federal court if the new ad system doesn’t sufficiently address the issues. Apart from that, Meta has been asked to pay the maximum penalty under the Fair Housing Act of $115,054 under the settlement. “As technology rapidly evolves, companies like Meta have a responsibility to ensure their algorithmic tools are not used in a discriminatory manner,” said Kristen Clarke, DOJ assistant attorney general of the civil rights division, in a statement. The case came to the light during an investigation in 2019 discrimination charge by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD referred the case to the DOJ after the company elected to have the charge heard in federal court, according to the release. In a blog post following the announcement, Meta described the agreement as the result of “more than a year of collaboration with HUD to develop a novel use of machine learning technology that will work to ensure the age, gender and estimated race or ethnicity of a housing ad’s overall audience matches the age, gender and estimated race or ethnicity mix of the population eligible to see that ad.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Facebook, US govt agree to settle in discriminatory housing ad algorithm case

Republican Missouri US Senate candidate Eric Greitens' campaign video, which shows him brandishing a shotgun and declaring that he’s hunting 'Republicans In Name Only' (RINOs), has been removed by Facebook.

In the ad, an armed tactical team breaks through the front door and throws what appear to be flash-bang grenades inside, following which Greitens enters an empty living room through the smoke.

Using a term popularised by former President Donald Trump and his allies to deride moderate or establishment Republicans, Greitens says “The RINO feeds on corruption and is marked by the stripes of cowardice.”

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“Join the MAGA crew. Get a RINO hunting permit. There’s no bagging limit, no tagging limit and it doesn’t expire until we save our country,” he added.

“For violating our policies prohibiting violence and incitement” Facebook removed the video after which Twitter mirrored its statement and said Greitens’ post violated its rules about abusive behavior.

Following fatal mass shootings and threats to government officials, the video comes at a time of renewed focus on violence in politics.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-us-gun-violence-kills-more-children-than-vehicular-accidents-causes-109-deaths-everyday-473362">Also read |&nbsp;In US, gun violence kills more children than vehicular accidents, causes 109 deaths everyday</a>

After threatening to kill the justice, a man carrying a gun was arrested near Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house two weeks ago.

Confessing that he recently received a letter at his home threatening “to execute me, as well as my wife and 5-month-old child” Republican Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, said this has got to stop.

To fill the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Senator Roy Blunt, Greitens, a former Missouri governor who resigned in disgrace in 2018, is among the Republican candidates in a highly competitive August 2 primary.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Republican Missouri US Senate candidate Eric Greitens' campaign video, which shows him brandishing a shotgun and declaring that he’s hunting 'Republicans In Name Only' (RINOs), has been removed by Facebook.

Republican Missouri US Senate candidate Eric Greitens' campaign video, which shows him brandishing a shotgun and declaring that he’s hunting 'Republicans In Name Only' (RINOs), has been removed by Facebook. In the ad, an armed tactical team breaks through the front door and throws what appear to be flash-bang grenades inside, following which Greitens enters an empty living room through the smoke. Using a term popularised by former President Donald Trump and his allies to deride moderate or establishment Republicans, Greitens says “The RINO feeds on corruption and is marked by the stripes of cowardice.” × “Join the MAGA crew. Get a RINO hunting permit. There’s no bagging limit, no tagging limit and it doesn’t expire until we save our country,” he added. “For violating our policies prohibiting violence and incitement” Facebook removed the video after which Twitter mirrored its statement and said Greitens’ post violated its rules about abusive behavior. Following fatal mass shootings and threats to government officials, the video comes at a time of renewed focus on violence in politics. Also read | In US, gun violence kills more children than vehicular accidents, causes 109 deaths everyday After threatening to kill the justice, a man carrying a gun was arrested near Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house two weeks ago. Confessing that he recently received a letter at his home threatening “to execute me, as well as my wife and 5-month-old child” Republican Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, said this has got to stop. To fill the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Senator Roy Blunt, Greitens, a former Missouri governor who resigned in disgrace in 2018, is among the Republican candidates in a highly competitive August 2 primary. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

GOP Senate candidate’s ‘RINO hunting’ video removed by Facebook

Meta Platforms, which is Facebook's parent company, is launching an avatar fashion store where users can purchase virtual designer clothes for real money.

According to Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, the outfits will be designed by fashion brands Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne.

Speaking in a live video stream with Instagram's head of fashion, he said “Digital goods will be an important way to express yourself in the metaverse and a big driver of the creative economy.”

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The outfits, which can be bought in a price range between $2.99 and $8.99, cost much less than the real outfits by those designers.

Joking about his own avatar, which was previewed wearing a cropped T-shirt, low-rise jeans, and a white belt, Zuckerberg said “I don’t know that I ever could have pulled that off.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/parents-of-teenager-sue-meta-after-alleging-that-she-suffered-eating-disorder-because-of-instagram-addiction-486881">Also read |&nbsp;Parents of teenager sue Meta after alleging that she suffered eating disorder because of Instagram addiction</a>

In a statement, Meta said that the digital outfits will be available only on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.

It comes after Fortnite introduced Balenciaga skins so players could purchase garments like a branded hoodie while players can visit Gucci Town in Roblox.

Last year, Meta redesigned its virtual reality avatars to be more expressive and three-dimensional following which they were made available on all platforms under Meta in January. 
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(With inputs from agencies)

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Meta Platforms, which is Facebook's parent company, is launching an avatar fashion store where users can purchase virtual designer clothes for real money. According to Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, the outfits will be designed by fashion brands Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne.

Meta Platforms, which is Facebook's parent company, is launching an avatar fashion store where users can purchase virtual designer clothes for real money. According to Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, the outfits will be designed by fashion brands Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne. Speaking in a live video stream with Instagram's head of fashion, he said “Digital goods will be an important way to express yourself in the metaverse and a big driver of the creative economy.” × The outfits, which can be bought in a price range between $2.99 and $8.99, cost much less than the real outfits by those designers. Joking about his own avatar, which was previewed wearing a cropped T-shirt, low-rise jeans, and a white belt, Zuckerberg said “I don’t know that I ever could have pulled that off.” Also read | Parents of teenager sue Meta after alleging that she suffered eating disorder because of Instagram addiction In a statement, Meta said that the digital outfits will be available only on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. It comes after Fortnite introduced Balenciaga skins so players could purchase garments like a branded hoodie while players can visit Gucci Town in Roblox. Last year, Meta redesigned its virtual reality avatars to be more expressive and three-dimensional following which they were made available on all platforms under Meta in January. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

Designer virtual clothes for real money? Meta is launching avatar fashion store

News agency Reuters has reported that the European Union has warned tech giants Google, Facebook, and Twitter to tackle deepfakes or be ready to face adverse consequences.

As a part of its crackdown against fake news, the European Commission is expected to publish the updated code of practice on disinformation on Thursday.

With responsibility shared between the regulators and signatories to the code, the voluntary code, which was introduced in 2018, will now become a co-regulation scheme.

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The signatories will have to tackle the updated code spells out examples of manipulative behaviour such as deepfakes and fake accounts.

According to an EU document, "Relevant signatories will adopt, reinforce and implement clear policies regarding impermissible manipulative behaviours and practices on their services, based on the latest evidence on the conducts and tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) employed by malicious actors."

When they are used in a political context, deepfakes, which are hyperrealistic forgeries created by computer techniques, have triggered alarm worldwide.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/digital-weaponry-russia-using-deepfakes-to-spread-misinformation-against-ukraine-claims-report-458746">Also read |&nbsp;Digital weaponry: Russia using deepfakes to spread misinformation against Ukraine, claims report</a>

The Digital Services Act (DSA), signed by the 27-country European Union earlier this year, will be linked to this code.

On the basis of DSA rules, companies which fail to live up to their obligations under the code can face fines of as much as 6 per cent of their global turnover.

To provide more transparency on political advertising, signatories will also have to take measures to tackle advertising containing disinformation.

(With inputs from agencies)

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News agency Reuters has reported that the European Union has warned tech giants Google, Facebook, and Twitter to tackle deepfakes or be ready to face adverse consequences.

News agency Reuters has reported that the European Union has warned tech giants Google, Facebook, and Twitter to tackle deepfakes or be ready to face adverse consequences. As a part of its crackdown against fake news, the European Commission is expected to publish the updated code of practice on disinformation on Thursday. With responsibility shared between the regulators and signatories to the code, the voluntary code, which was introduced in 2018, will now become a co-regulation scheme. × The signatories will have to tackle the updated code spells out examples of manipulative behaviour such as deepfakes and fake accounts. According to an EU document, "Relevant signatories will adopt, reinforce and implement clear policies regarding impermissible manipulative behaviours and practices on their services, based on the latest evidence on the conducts and tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) employed by malicious actors." When they are used in a political context, deepfakes, which are hyperrealistic forgeries created by computer techniques, have triggered alarm worldwide. Also read | Digital weaponry: Russia using deepfakes to spread misinformation against Ukraine, claims report The Digital Services Act (DSA), signed by the 27-country European Union earlier this year, will be linked to this code. On the basis of DSA rules, companies which fail to live up to their obligations under the code can face fines of as much as 6 per cent of their global turnover. To provide more transparency on political advertising, signatories will also have to take measures to tackle advertising containing disinformation. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

European Union warns Google, Facebook, Twitter to tackle deepfakes or risk adverse consequences: Report

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook owner of Meta Platforms Inc's Chief Operating Officer is leaving the company after 14 years. Announcing the move on Facebook, Sandberg wrote "When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years. Fourteen years later, it is time for me to write the next chapter of my life."

Taking over for her is the current Chief Growth Officer Javier Olivan.

Who is Olivan?

Javier Olivan has worked at Meta for over 14 years and has led teams handling the company's many projects, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

As per a Reuters report, he has played a crucial, albeit behind the scenes role in Meta's growth over the last 15 years.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meta-coo-sheryl-sandberg-to-step-down-after-14-year-stint-484276" hreflang="en">Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg to step down after 14-year stint</a>

Background:

Before joining Facebook in late 2007, Olivan worked at Japan's NTT and Siemens.

He grew up in the Pyrenees region of Spain and holds a degree in Electrical and Industrial engineering from the University of Navarra. He also has a Stanford master's degree in business administration.

Journey at Facebook:

Back when Olivan joined Facebook, the then young company had only about 40 million users. Today this number has reached nearly 3.6 billion (including Facebook, Instagram and other apps).

As per a 2010 interview with VentureBeat, Javier was instrumental in Facebook's expansion into countries like India, Japan, Russia, Indonesia and Brazil.

Watch |&nbsp;Sheryl Sandberg steps down as Meta COO after 14 years

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Current position:

Currently, he's the Chief Growth Officer of Meta, and as part of this job, he managed features and functions that span Facebook and its other applications like Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

New role:

As per a post by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in his new role as the COO (Chief Operating Officer), Olivan will continue to lead infrastructure and development. Additionally, he would also look after advertising and business products.

However, he will continue to stay out of the limelight.

"This role will be different from what Sheryl has done. It will be a more traditional COO role where Javi will be focused internally and operationally, building on his strong track record of making our execution more efficient and rigorous," Zuckerberg said.

Olivan may have less autonomy now that Meta is a mature firm with $118 billion in revenue than Sandberg did when she arrived in the company's early years, says&nbsp;to Brian Wieser, global head of business intelligence at ad agency GroupM.

(With inputs from agencies)

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook owner of Meta Platforms Inc's Chief Operating Officer is leaving the company after 14 years. Announcing the move on Facebook, Sandberg wrote "When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook owner of Meta Platforms Inc's Chief Operating Officer is leaving the company after 14 years. Announcing the move on Facebook, Sandberg wrote "When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years. Fourteen years later, it is time for me to write the next chapter of my life." Taking over for her is the current Chief Growth Officer Javier Olivan. Who is Olivan? Javier Olivan has worked at Meta for over 14 years and has led teams handling the company's many projects, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. As per a Reuters report, he has played a crucial, albeit behind the scenes role in Meta's growth over the last 15 years. Also read | Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg to step down after 14-year stint Background: Before joining Facebook in late 2007, Olivan worked at Japan's NTT and Siemens. He grew up in the Pyrenees region of Spain and holds a degree in Electrical and Industrial engineering from the University of Navarra. He also has a Stanford master's degree in business administration. Journey at Facebook: Back when Olivan joined Facebook, the then young company had only about 40 million users. Today this number has reached nearly 3.6 billion (including Facebook, Instagram and other apps). As per a 2010 interview with VentureBeat, Javier was instrumental in Facebook's expansion into countries like India, Japan, Russia, Indonesia and Brazil. Watch | Sheryl Sandberg steps down as Meta COO after 14 years Current position: Currently, he's the Chief Growth Officer of Meta, and as part of this job, he managed features and functions that span Facebook and its other applications like Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. New role: As per a post by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in his new role as the COO (Chief Operating Officer), Olivan will continue to lead infrastructure and development. Additionally, he would also look after advertising and business products. However, he will continue to stay out of the limelight. "This role will be different from what Sheryl has done. It will be a more traditional COO role where Javi will be focused internally and operationally, building on his strong track record of making our execution more efficient and rigorous," Zuckerberg said. Olivan may have less autonomy now that Meta is a mature firm with $118 billion in revenue than Sandberg did when she arrived in the company's early years, says to Brian Wieser, global head of business intelligence at ad agency GroupM. (With inputs from agencies)

Who is Javier Olivan, Meta's new Chief Operating Officer?

Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg held a virtual meeting for over 70,000 employees of Meta Platforms Inc after Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced she is leaving the company after 14 years.

''I think it’s hard for us to have, sitting where we are today, where we have this really successful company, to put ourselves in what things were like from when Sheryl joined in order to understand just how big of an impact she’s had on this place,'' he said during the meeting. as per a leaked transcript.

Reminiscing about the time he met Sandberg, Zuckerberg recalled he was a 23-years-old man who had no idea about what he was doing.

According to Zuckerberg, ''A lot of what Sheryl did is she architected our ads business, she hired a lot of great people, she built our management culture, and taught me and so many other people here how to run a company.''

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sheryl-sandberg-steps-down-as-meta-coo-after-14-years-484297/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

''I think a lot of her legacy is that she just created opportunities for millions of people around the world and I think she deserves a lot of the credit for what Meta is today,'' Zuckerberg said glossing over any questions about his relationship with Sandberg.

''I think it’s been really unusual for a partnership like this to last so long, Sheryl will say that she thought it would last for five years but it lasted for 14. I was a little more optimistic that it would have lasted a little more than five years,'' he added.

Explaining why his partnership with Sandberg lasted so long, Zuckerberg said ''Sheryl is just such an amazing person and leader and partner and friend and like so much of what she did, she really focused on making the partnership work and she focuses on nurturing the relationships and helping the people around her grow.''

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-javier-olivan-metas-new-chief-operating-officer-484547">Also read |&nbsp;Who is Javier Olivan, Meta's new Chief Operating Officer?</a>

Expressing his gratitude towards Sandberg, Zuckerberg said ''I’m just super grateful for having had this opportunity to build this company and work so closely with Sheryl, and I feel like she’s leaving us in a great place having trained so many other awesome and talented people here.''

''She’s not going that far because she’s gonna be on our board going forward. So anyway, it’s difficult to overstate how big of an impact Sheryl’s had on this place, he added.

Sandberg’s departure comes at a time when Meta is shifting focus toward hardware products and the "metaverse".

Mired in controversies, the world's biggest social network is facing unparalleled uncertainty about its future amid the ongoing threat of regulatory scrutiny.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg held a virtual meeting for over 70,000 employees of Meta Platforms Inc after Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced she is leaving the company after 14 years.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg held a virtual meeting for over 70,000 employees of Meta Platforms Inc after Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced she is leaving the company after 14 years. ''I think it’s hard for us to have, sitting where we are today, where we have this really successful company, to put ourselves in what things were like from when Sheryl joined in order to understand just how big of an impact she’s had on this place,'' he said during the meeting. as per a leaked transcript. Reminiscing about the time he met Sandberg, Zuckerberg recalled he was a 23-years-old man who had no idea about what he was doing. According to Zuckerberg, ''A lot of what Sheryl did is she architected our ads business, she hired a lot of great people, she built our management culture, and taught me and so many other people here how to run a company.'' ''I think a lot of her legacy is that she just created opportunities for millions of people around the world and I think she deserves a lot of the credit for what Meta is today,'' Zuckerberg said glossing over any questions about his relationship with Sandberg. ''I think it’s been really unusual for a partnership like this to last so long, Sheryl will say that she thought it would last for five years but it lasted for 14. I was a little more optimistic that it would have lasted a little more than five years,'' he added. Explaining why his partnership with Sandberg lasted so long, Zuckerberg said ''Sheryl is just such an amazing person and leader and partner and friend and like so much of what she did, she really focused on making the partnership work and she focuses on nurturing the relationships and helping the people around her grow.'' Also read | Who is Javier Olivan, Meta's new Chief Operating Officer? Expressing his gratitude towards Sandberg, Zuckerberg said ''I’m just super grateful for having had this opportunity to build this company and work so closely with Sheryl, and I feel like she’s leaving us in a great place having trained so many other awesome and talented people here.'' ''She’s not going that far because she’s gonna be on our board going forward. So anyway, it’s difficult to overstate how big of an impact Sheryl’s had on this place, he added. Sandberg’s departure comes at a time when Meta is shifting focus toward hardware products and the "metaverse". Mired in controversies, the world's biggest social network is facing unparalleled uncertainty about its future amid the ongoing threat of regulatory scrutiny. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

'End of an era': Leaked transcript reveals what Zuckerberg told Meta employees about Sandberg’s exit

Social media platform Meta, formerly Facebook, has started sending out notification to users about privacy policy update which it will roll out from July 26, the company said on Thursday.

Meta in its post said that it has rewritten and re-designed its privacy Policy to make it easier to understand and clearer about how it uses users' information.

"Notifications that people will start to receive today on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger will direct them to information about what to expect from the relevant privacy policy and terms of service in their region. They'll also see a summary of what's different. These updates go into effect on July 26, and people don't need to act on this notification by this date to continue using our products," Meta said.

Meta is also updating "Terms of Service" to explain expectation from it and those who use its platforms.

"The updated Meta Privacy Policy covers Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and other Meta products. It doesn't cover WhatsApp, Workplace, Free Basics, Messenger Kids or the use of Quest devices without a Facebook account, which have their own privacy policies," Meta said.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Social media platform Meta, formerly Facebook, has started sending out notification to users about privacy policy update which it will roll out from July 26, the company said on Thursday.

Social media platform Meta, formerly Facebook, has started sending out notification to users about privacy policy update which it will roll out from July 26, the company said on Thursday. Meta in its post said that it has rewritten and re-designed its privacy Policy to make it easier to understand and clearer about how it uses users' information. "Notifications that people will start to receive today on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger will direct them to information about what to expect from the relevant privacy policy and terms of service in their region. They'll also see a summary of what's different. These updates go into effect on July 26, and people don't need to act on this notification by this date to continue using our products," Meta said. Meta is also updating "Terms of Service" to explain expectation from it and those who use its platforms. "The updated Meta Privacy Policy covers Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and other Meta products. It doesn't cover WhatsApp, Workplace, Free Basics, Messenger Kids or the use of Quest devices without a Facebook account, which have their own privacy policies," Meta said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Facebook informs users rollout of updated privacy policy from July 26

Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Alphabet - Google's parent company, revealed numbers for the first quarter of this year and their numbers indicate that the big tech is not immune to market instability.

While the US tech behemoths raked in billions of dollars and posted results in line with lower expectations, their stocks fell as investors speculated that the problems would not be resolved anytime soon, reports AFP.

According to eMarketer analyst Paul Verna, the companies may be suffering from a "post-pandemic hangover."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/digital-services-act-what-it-means-and-how-eu-will-regulate-tech-giants-473157">Digital Services Act: What it means &amp; and how EU will regulate tech giants</a>

"While the epidemic wasn't a party for these enterprises, it did significantly enhance their sales," Verna was quoted as saying by AFP.

Amazon reported its first quarterly loss since 2015, weighed down by its investment in electric truck startup Rivian, and warned of further troubles in the coming months. The e-commerce company reported a $3.8 billion loss in the first three months of the year.

Watch |&nbsp;Meta reports quarterly profit of $7.5 bn, shares surge after increase in Facebook users

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"This was a tough quarter for Amazon with trends across every key area of the business heading in the wrong direction and a weak outlook" for the second quarter, said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Andrew Lipsman.

iPhone maker Apple announced higher-than-expected profits amid strong customer demand but warned that the China Covid-19 blockade and other supply chain issues will cost the company $4 to $8 billion in the June quarter.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tesla-ceo-elon-musks-purchase-of-initial-9-stake-in-twitter-under-scrutiny-says-report-474755" hreflang="en">Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s purchase of initial 9% stake in Twitter under scrutiny, says report</a>

Acknowledging supply chain disruptions driven by Covid and silicon shortages, the war in Ukraine, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said "we are not immune to these challenges."

Digital marketing is very important for Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta, and their financial reports reveal that marketers are being more cautious with their spending.

Paul Verna noted that the pandemic's rapid expansion was not sustainable and that the tech giants should have foreseen this.

Watch WION LIVE HERE:

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(With inputs from agencies)

Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Alphabet - Google's parent company, revealed numbers for the first quarter of this year and their numbers indicate that the big tech is not immune to market instability.

Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Alphabet - Google's parent company, revealed numbers for the first quarter of this year and their numbers indicate that the big tech is not immune to market instability. While the US tech behemoths raked in billions of dollars and posted results in line with lower expectations, their stocks fell as investors speculated that the problems would not be resolved anytime soon, reports AFP. According to eMarketer analyst Paul Verna, the companies may be suffering from a "post-pandemic hangover." Also read | Digital Services Act: What it means & and how EU will regulate tech giants "While the epidemic wasn't a party for these enterprises, it did significantly enhance their sales," Verna was quoted as saying by AFP. Amazon reported its first quarterly loss since 2015, weighed down by its investment in electric truck startup Rivian, and warned of further troubles in the coming months. The e-commerce company reported a $3.8 billion loss in the first three months of the year. Watch | Meta reports quarterly profit of $7.5 bn, shares surge after increase in Facebook users "This was a tough quarter for Amazon with trends across every key area of the business heading in the wrong direction and a weak outlook" for the second quarter, said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Andrew Lipsman. iPhone maker Apple announced higher-than-expected profits amid strong customer demand but warned that the China Covid-19 blockade and other supply chain issues will cost the company $4 to $8 billion in the June quarter. Also read | Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s purchase of initial 9% stake in Twitter under scrutiny, says report Acknowledging supply chain disruptions driven by Covid and silicon shortages, the war in Ukraine, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said "we are not immune to these challenges." Digital marketing is very important for Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta, and their financial reports reveal that marketers are being more cautious with their spending. Paul Verna noted that the pandemic's rapid expansion was not sustainable and that the tech giants should have foreseen this. Watch WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

Tech giants that got drunk on profits earlier now suffer a 'post-pandemic hangover'

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