The Brazilian government is taking a stand against all big tech firms campaigning against the&nbsp;new internet bill&nbsp;which might be one of the world’s strongest legislation on social media. Bill 2630, also known as the "Fake News Law," aims at cracking down on fake news, alleging undue interference in the debate in Congress.&nbsp;

Tech firms, including Apple and Google LLC, have strongly campaigned against the law. The search engine in Brazil had added a link connecting blogs against the bill and had been urging users to lobby their representatives, Reuters reported.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-choice-but-to-physically-eliminate-zelensky-russia-after-drone-assassination-attempt-on-putin-588681">Also read |&nbsp;No choice but to physically eliminate Zelensky: Russia after 'drone assassination attempt' on Putin</a>

However, Justice Minister Flavio Dino on Tuesday ordered Google to change the link, warning that the company had two hours after the notification or would have to face fines of one million reais ($198,000) per hour if not done so.

Following this, the US tech firm pulled down the link but defended its right to communicate its concerns through the "marketing campaigns" on its platforms and denied altering search results to favour the bill.&nbsp;

In a statement, the company said, "We support discussions on measures to combat the phenomenon of misinformation. All Brazilians have the right to be part of this conversation, and as such, we are committed to communicating our concerns about Bill 2630 publicly and transparently."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/data-lab-india-and-ai-are-we-ahead-of-the-curve-588533">Also read |&nbsp;Data Lab | India and AI: Are we ahead of the curve?</a>

The proposed law was to be voted on Tuesday in the lower house of Congress but was postponed by Speaker Arthur Lira, following&nbsp;opposition from Conservative and Evangelical lawmakers and allowed&nbsp;for more debate.&nbsp;

The critics say the bill needs "wider debate" because it was hastily drawn up, allows censorship and states that companies would have to pay content providers and copyrights for material&nbsp;posted on their sites.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday urged the executives of Google, Meta and Spotify to testify within five days explaining their respective concerns.&nbsp;

The Brazilian antitrust regulator Cade stated that it would investigate the tech companies' campaigns against the bill.&nbsp;

The bill was hastened even as several new provisions added to it have not been debated in the Congressional committees before going to the vote.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Brazilian government is taking a stand against all big tech firms campaigning against the new internet bill which might be one of the world’s strongest legislation on social media.

The Brazilian government is taking a stand against all big tech firms campaigning against the new internet bill which might be one of the world’s strongest legislation on social media. Bill 2630, also known as the "Fake News Law," aims at cracking down on fake news, alleging undue interference in the debate in Congress. Tech firms, including Apple and Google LLC, have strongly campaigned against the law. The search engine in Brazil had added a link connecting blogs against the bill and had been urging users to lobby their representatives, Reuters reported. Also read | No choice but to physically eliminate Zelensky: Russia after 'drone assassination attempt' on Putin However, Justice Minister Flavio Dino on Tuesday ordered Google to change the link, warning that the company had two hours after the notification or would have to face fines of one million reais ($198,000) per hour if not done so. Following this, the US tech firm pulled down the link but defended its right to communicate its concerns through the "marketing campaigns" on its platforms and denied altering search results to favour the bill. In a statement, the company said, "We support discussions on measures to combat the phenomenon of misinformation. All Brazilians have the right to be part of this conversation, and as such, we are committed to communicating our concerns about Bill 2630 publicly and transparently." Also read | Data Lab | India and AI: Are we ahead of the curve? The proposed law was to be voted on Tuesday in the lower house of Congress but was postponed by Speaker Arthur Lira, following opposition from Conservative and Evangelical lawmakers and allowed for more debate. The critics say the bill needs "wider debate" because it was hastily drawn up, allows censorship and states that companies would have to pay content providers and copyrights for material posted on their sites. The Supreme Court on Tuesday urged the executives of Google, Meta and Spotify to testify within five days explaining their respective concerns. The Brazilian antitrust regulator Cade stated that it would investigate the tech companies' campaigns against the bill. The bill was hastened even as several new provisions added to it have not been debated in the Congressional committees before going to the vote. (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.

Brazil’s ‘fake news bill’ sparks outcry from big tech firms; judge orders Google, Meta to testify

Brazil lifted the suspension of the encrypted messaging app Telegram on Saturday after Flávio Lucas, a judge from Brazil's Federal Regional Court of the Second Region, partially revised a ruling which suspended the social media application over its non-compliance in sharing information about extremist and neo-Nazi groups using the platform.&nbsp;

The judge in his decision stated that complete suspension of the app “is not reasonable, given the broad impact throughout the national territory on the freedom of communication of thousands of people who are absolutely strangers to the facts under investigation.”

However, Judge Lucas did impose a daily fine of one million reais ($200,553) on the company for failing to provide the requested data.

<h2>Telegram's CEO says complying with Brazil 'technologically impossible'</h2>

Earlier this week, Telegram's CEO, Pavel Durov had said that the company will appeal the Brazilian judge’s decision to suspend the encrypted messaging app for failing to provide data on neo-Nazi activity.

He said that the "requested data" the Brazil court has asked them to hand over is "technologically impossible" for them to obtain, as per AP reports.

The federal police had requested the countrywide suspension order after its parent organisation failed to provide data sought by authorities on neo-Nazi groups operating on the network, accused of instigating violence in schools.

<h2>App previously prohibited in country over failing to stop spread of fake news&nbsp;</h2>

Last year, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of messaging app Telegram over its hosting of misinformation and fabricated news content.

“Telegram’s disrespect for Brazilian law and repeated failure to comply with countless court decisions … is completely incompatible with the rule of law,” Moraes wrote in his decision.

The app had then been offline for less than 48 hours till the company chose to collaborate with Brazilian regulators.

The encrypted messaging application, Telegram has been suspended in the past by other governments, including Iran, China and Russia.

(With&nbsp;inputs from agencies)
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Brazil lifted the suspension of the encrypted messaging app Telegram on Saturday after Flávio Lucas, a judge from Brazil's Federal Regional Court of the Second Region, partially revised a ruling which suspended the social media application over its non-compliance in sharing information about extremist and neo-Nazi groups using the platform.

Brazil lifted the suspension of the encrypted messaging app Telegram on Saturday after Flávio Lucas, a judge from Brazil's Federal Regional Court of the Second Region, partially revised a ruling which suspended the social media application over its non-compliance in sharing information about extremist and neo-Nazi groups using the platform. The judge in his decision stated that complete suspension of the app “is not reasonable, given the broad impact throughout the national territory on the freedom of communication of thousands of people who are absolutely strangers to the facts under investigation.” However, Judge Lucas did impose a daily fine of one million reais ($200,553) on the company for failing to provide the requested data. Telegram's CEO says complying with Brazil 'technologically impossible' Earlier this week, Telegram's CEO, Pavel Durov had said that the company will appeal the Brazilian judge’s decision to suspend the encrypted messaging app for failing to provide data on neo-Nazi activity. He said that the "requested data" the Brazil court has asked them to hand over is "technologically impossible" for them to obtain, as per AP reports. The federal police had requested the countrywide suspension order after its parent organisation failed to provide data sought by authorities on neo-Nazi groups operating on the network, accused of instigating violence in schools. App previously prohibited in country over failing to stop spread of fake news Last year, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of messaging app Telegram over its hosting of misinformation and fabricated news content. “Telegram’s disrespect for Brazilian law and repeated failure to comply with countless court decisions … is completely incompatible with the rule of law,” Moraes wrote in his decision. The app had then been offline for less than 48 hours till the company chose to collaborate with Brazilian regulators. The encrypted messaging application, Telegram has been suspended in the past by other governments, including Iran, China and Russia. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Brazil lifts suspension of Telegram, imposes fine over noncompliance of order

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s 11-year-old granddaughter Aaradhya Bachchan has moved the Delhi High Court against a YouTube channel for reporting fake news about her health and life. The matter will be heard by a single-judge bench of Justice C Harishankar of the Delhi High Court on Thursday.

India: Aishwarya Rai's Daughter Aaradhya moves HC Against YT Channel over 'Fake News'

The Indian government has empowered the Press Information Bureau (PIB) — a nodal agency of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting — to flag any “fake news” about the government and have it taken down across social media platforms.

If social media firms fail to abide by the PIB factcheck, then they will lose their safe harbour immunity that protects them from any misleading or illegal content shared by users on their platforms.

The guidelines are part of the amended IT Rules 2021 that allowed the PIB to keep an eye on any “misleading” or “fake information” related to the working of the central government.

The decision has been criticised by the Editors Guild of India—a non-profit organisation of journalists—and The News Broadcasters &amp; Digital Association—which represents private news broadcasters—saying that giving PIB such sweeping powers will result in “censorship” of the press.

Minister of State for IT &amp; Electronics Rajeev Chandrasekhar, however, differed with this view saying that the idea is not to curb free speech.

“Let me also add that there is no obligation on the intermediaries to take down the content flagged by PIB if they conclude that the fact-check report is erroneous. In this case, they will lose seeing their safe harbour, and the matter will be taken to a court,” he said.

He said that if the news outlets have a disagreement over the factcheck, they have the liberty to stand by their reportage, however, doing so would cost social media firms their immunity against potential lawsuits.

"If you choose to have a disagreement with the fact checker, you can continue to have that on your platform but then the person who has been aggrieved by that disinformation and you will have a legitimate dispute in the court ... Section 79 was a safe harbour. That will get removed," he said.

He said that the IT ministry will notify an entity that will flag false information posted online pertaining to the government.

While releasing guidelines under the IT Rules 2021, the minister said that the work on fact check is still in progress.

“Government has decided to notify an entity through Meity and that organisation then would be the fact checker for all aspects of content online and only those content that are related to the government,” Chandrasekhar said.

He said that "Dos and Don'ts" around fact-checking will be shared before it is notified. 
 
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The Indian government has empowered the Press Information Bureau (PIB) — a nodal agency of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting — to flag any “fake news” about the government and have it taken down across social media platforms.

The Indian government has empowered the Press Information Bureau (PIB) — a nodal agency of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting — to flag any “fake news” about the government and have it taken down across social media platforms. If social media firms fail to abide by the PIB factcheck, then they will lose their safe harbour immunity that protects them from any misleading or illegal content shared by users on their platforms. The guidelines are part of the amended IT Rules 2021 that allowed the PIB to keep an eye on any “misleading” or “fake information” related to the working of the central government. The decision has been criticised by the Editors Guild of India—a non-profit organisation of journalists—and The News Broadcasters & Digital Association—which represents private news broadcasters—saying that giving PIB such sweeping powers will result in “censorship” of the press. Minister of State for IT & Electronics Rajeev Chandrasekhar, however, differed with this view saying that the idea is not to curb free speech. “Let me also add that there is no obligation on the intermediaries to take down the content flagged by PIB if they conclude that the fact-check report is erroneous. In this case, they will lose seeing their safe harbour, and the matter will be taken to a court,” he said. He said that if the news outlets have a disagreement over the factcheck, they have the liberty to stand by their reportage, however, doing so would cost social media firms their immunity against potential lawsuits. "If you choose to have a disagreement with the fact checker, you can continue to have that on your platform but then the person who has been aggrieved by that disinformation and you will have a legitimate dispute in the court ... Section 79 was a safe harbour. That will get removed," he said. He said that the IT ministry will notify an entity that will flag false information posted online pertaining to the government. While releasing guidelines under the IT Rules 2021, the minister said that the work on fact check is still in progress. “Government has decided to notify an entity through Meity and that organisation then would be the fact checker for all aspects of content online and only those content that are related to the government,” Chandrasekhar said. He said that "Dos and Don'ts" around fact-checking will be shared before it is notified. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

IT ministry empowers body to flag ‘fake news’ related to Indian govt on social media

A day after India's information and technology ministry notified rules under which it &nbsp;will set up a dedicated fact-checking unit to act against online misinformation related to the government, a report has emerged which revealed how Meta and Google intend to be the ultimate information arbiters on their platforms.&nbsp;

According to a report in The Indian Express, top social media platforms including Meta and Google in a proposal sent to New Delhi, have detailed their "plans to create a network of fact-checkers", who will verify the content they deem dubious.&nbsp;

This exact network of fact-checkers, is reportedly being billed as 'Misinformation Combat Alliance'.

The alliance of social media platforms will act as a "certification body". They will be the one to verify a "trusted" fact-checker, The Indian Express report added.&nbsp;

The paper further reported that the Misinformation Combat Alliance, if and when established, will fact-check information&nbsp;which is not related to the Union Government. "The platforms are proposing that under the Misinformation Combat Alliance, they will create a network of Indian and foreign fact-checkers," a senior government official was quoted as saying.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-government-mulls-identifying-and-banning-fake-news-on-social-media-platform-554208">Indian government mulls identifying and banning ‘fake’ news on social media platforms</a>

It has been reported earlier that representatives of a number of social media companies met with India's information and technology ministry officials in February 2023, in which the government insisted on the creation of a network of Indian fact-checkers to combat misinformation online. &nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Indian authorities ask Twitter to 'comply with India's I-T rules'

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On Thursday, India’s information and technology ministry notified a new rule that will give powers to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to fact-check any “fake, or false, or misleading” information about the central government and ask social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google to take it down.

The social media companies will run the risk of losing their safe harbour immunity if they refuse to abide by the order of the PIB fact-check. This immunity guarantees them protection against any illegal or false content posted by users on their platforms, and has been criticised massively for dodging accountability for misleading content posted on them.

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A day after India's information and technology ministry notified rules under which it will set up a dedicated fact-checking unit to act against online misinformation related to the government, a report has emerged which revealed how Meta and Google intend to be the ultimate information arbiters on their platforms.

A day after India's information and technology ministry notified rules under which it will set up a dedicated fact-checking unit to act against online misinformation related to the government, a report has emerged which revealed how Meta and Google intend to be the ultimate information arbiters on their platforms. According to a report in The Indian Express, top social media platforms including Meta and Google in a proposal sent to New Delhi, have detailed their "plans to create a network of fact-checkers", who will verify the content they deem dubious. This exact network of fact-checkers, is reportedly being billed as 'Misinformation Combat Alliance'. The alliance of social media platforms will act as a "certification body". They will be the one to verify a "trusted" fact-checker, The Indian Express report added. The paper further reported that the Misinformation Combat Alliance, if and when established, will fact-check information which is not related to the Union Government. "The platforms are proposing that under the Misinformation Combat Alliance, they will create a network of Indian and foreign fact-checkers," a senior government official was quoted as saying. ALSO READ | Indian government mulls identifying and banning ‘fake’ news on social media platforms It has been reported earlier that representatives of a number of social media companies met with India's information and technology ministry officials in February 2023, in which the government insisted on the creation of a network of Indian fact-checkers to combat misinformation online. ALSO WATCH | Indian authorities ask Twitter to 'comply with India's I-T rules' × On Thursday, India’s information and technology ministry notified a new rule that will give powers to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to fact-check any “fake, or false, or misleading” information about the central government and ask social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google to take it down. The social media companies will run the risk of losing their safe harbour immunity if they refuse to abide by the order of the PIB fact-check. This immunity guarantees them protection against any illegal or false content posted by users on their platforms, and has been criticised massively for dodging accountability for misleading content posted on them. 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.

US Big Tech proposes network of 'Indian, foreign fact-checkers' to combat online misinformation

Women, especially in the public eye, have become targets of gendered disinformation, a mix of misogyny and fallacy that spoils their reputations, damages their credibility, and hurts their professions.

Women, especially in the public eye, have become targets of gendered disinformation, a mix of misogyny and fallacy that spoils their reputations, damages their credibility, and hurts their professions. AFP's global fact-checkers have discredited fake news attacking women in politics. They have revealed multiple online campaigns featuring fake news or manipulated photos, often sexually charged. In 2022, a fake picture of Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska, lying topless on an Israeli beach took Facebook by storm. The manipulated image triggered criticism that she enjoyed her vacation while the war-struck Ukraine suffered. However, AFP revealed that the woman in the photo was a Russian television presenter. Many prominent political figures have been targets of false online posts and transphobic remarks, including the USA's former first lady Michelle Obama, France's first lady Brigitte Macron, and New Zealand's former prime minister Jacinda Ardern. ALSO READ | Explained: Who is Stormy Daniels, the porn star who could send Trump to jail Global battle against falsehood & misogyny A study titled 'Monetizing Misogyny' by Lucina Di Meco, a gender equality expert, said, "Building on sexist stereotypes and disseminated with malign intent, gendered disinformation campaigns have a chilling effect on the women they target." She added that gendered disinformation leads to "political violence, hate and the deterring of young women from considering a political career." UNESCO held a dialogue to 'advance effective response' to online gendered disinformation on January 25, 2023, on the affair of the International Day of Women. WATCH | Judicial reform bills: Protesters PARALYZE Israel with roadblocks, rallies Gendered disinformation: A national security threat Many researchers said gendered disinformation is a national security threat as autocratic states can exploit it to exercise foreign influence. Moreover, gendered disinformation is a tool to subdue the opposition. "When autocratic leaders are in power, gendered disinformation is often used by state-aligned actors to undermine women opposition leaders, as well as women's rights," Di Meco's report warned. Facebook stated to the US media, recognising the online abuse of women as a 'serious issue' and vowed to work with policymakers on their concerns. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Women battle misogyny as cases of gendered disinformation and fake news increase globally

The Union government of India will not allow social media platforms to circulate any information that is identified as false, as per the new draft proposal of the IT rules of India released this week.&nbsp;This is the latest step in the many measures introduced by the Narendra Modi government being perceived as efforts to control the big technological firms.&nbsp;

Any kind of information which has been marked as "fake or false" by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) or other agencies, which have been authorised for the purpose of fact-checking by the government or "by its department in which such business is transacted", will not be allowed on social media under the draft.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/propaganda-piece-and-colonial-mindset-india-slams-bbc-documentary-on-2002-gujarat-riots-554189">'Propaganda piece and colonial mindset': India slams BBC documentary on 2002 Gujarat riots</a>

After the information was identified as fake, "reasonable efforts" would have to be made by social media platforms or other "online intermediaries" to ensure the people do not "host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share" any such information, it stated.&nbsp;

The government had in October announced that it would set up a panel to hear users' complaints regarding social media firms' decisions related to content moderation. The social media firms already need to appoint executives and in-house grievance redressal officers to co-ordinate with officials of law enforcement.&nbsp;

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Repeatedly, the government has faced tussles with different platforms which failed to fulfil their demands regarding the removal of certain accounts or content which were allegedly spreading misinformation.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Union government of India will not allow social media platforms to circulate any information that is identified as false, as per the new draft proposal of the IT rules of India released this week.

The Union government of India will not allow social media platforms to circulate any information that is identified as false, as per the new draft proposal of the IT rules of India released this week. This is the latest step in the many measures introduced by the Narendra Modi government being perceived as efforts to control the big technological firms. Any kind of information which has been marked as "fake or false" by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) or other agencies, which have been authorised for the purpose of fact-checking by the government or "by its department in which such business is transacted", will not be allowed on social media under the draft. ALSO READ | 'Propaganda piece and colonial mindset': India slams BBC documentary on 2002 Gujarat riots After the information was identified as fake, "reasonable efforts" would have to be made by social media platforms or other "online intermediaries" to ensure the people do not "host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share" any such information, it stated. The government had in October announced that it would set up a panel to hear users' complaints regarding social media firms' decisions related to content moderation. The social media firms already need to appoint executives and in-house grievance redressal officers to co-ordinate with officials of law enforcement. WATCH | WION Fineprint | India the world's most populous country? Repeatedly, the government has faced tussles with different platforms which failed to fulfil their demands regarding the removal of certain accounts or content which were allegedly spreading misinformation. (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

Indian government mulls identifying and banning ‘fake’ news on social media platforms

The IT rules released in India this week have said that the country will ban any news that it identifies as "fake" on the social media. Watch to know further.

India: News flagged as fake by government to be banned on social media

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is once again embroiled in controversy and this time it's over an alleged "sex call".

As per reports an alleged recording of the leader with an unknown woman has come to light in&nbsp;which he can be heard engaging in a sexually explicit, lewd conversation.&nbsp;

Watch | Former Pak PM Imran Khan's sleazy audio latest in series of leaks

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With elections set to be held in the country next year this alleged recording of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder has invited widespread criticism.

FirstPost reports that the call recording was apparently leaked by a local Pakistani Journalist named Syed Ali Haider. First shared on Youtube the audio is now also making the rounds on Twitter.

Reportedly a few Pakistani news portals have also claimed that it is an old recording and that the call was made from Pakistan Prime Minister's Office.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-disappointed-by-ban-on-university-education-for-afghan-women-urges-kabul-to-revisit-decision-545093">Pakistan 'disappointed' by ban on university education for Afghan women, urges Kabul to revisit decision</a>

However, Imran Khan's party PTI has said the audio is fake.

Dr Arslan Khalid, a PTI leader who served as Focal Person (Digital Media) to Imran Khan during his regime said that "Political opponents of the PTI chairman can’t think beyond creating fake audios and videos."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khans-copter-rides-cost-rs-430-million-to-exchequer-says-pakistan-govt-543897">Imran Khan’s copter rides cost Rs 430 million to exchequer, says Pakistan govt reeling under debt</a>

Another PTI leader Azhar Mashwani also condemned the character assassination of Khan.

This is not the first time that controversial audio supposedly involving the former PM has been "leaked". Earlier too damning audios allegedly involving Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi Khan were leaked.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is once again embroiled in controversy and this time it's over an alleged "sex call". As per reports an alleged recording of the leader with an unknown woman has come to light in which he can be heard engaging in a sexually explicit, lewd conversation.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is once again embroiled in controversy and this time it's over an alleged "sex call". As per reports an alleged recording of the leader with an unknown woman has come to light in which he can be heard engaging in a sexually explicit, lewd conversation. Watch | Former Pak PM Imran Khan's sleazy audio latest in series of leaks With elections set to be held in the country next year this alleged recording of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder has invited widespread criticism. FirstPost reports that the call recording was apparently leaked by a local Pakistani Journalist named Syed Ali Haider. First shared on Youtube the audio is now also making the rounds on Twitter. Reportedly a few Pakistani news portals have also claimed that it is an old recording and that the call was made from Pakistan Prime Minister's Office. Also read | Pakistan 'disappointed' by ban on university education for Afghan women, urges Kabul to revisit decision However, Imran Khan's party PTI has said the audio is fake. Dr Arslan Khalid, a PTI leader who served as Focal Person (Digital Media) to Imran Khan during his regime said that "Political opponents of the PTI chairman can’t think beyond creating fake audios and videos." Also read | Imran Khan’s copter rides cost Rs 430 million to exchequer, says Pakistan govt reeling under debt Another PTI leader Azhar Mashwani also condemned the character assassination of Khan. This is not the first time that controversial audio supposedly involving the former PM has been "leaked". Earlier too damning audios allegedly involving Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi Khan were leaked. (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.

Imran Khan lands in hot soup once again, leaked audio of a vulgar call invites hate; PTI claims it's fake

Even as Covid cases rise in China and some other parts of the world, Twitter Inc. has reversed a policy that was intended to address misinformation on the social media site, raising the possibility of an increase in false claims.&nbsp;

The decision was made amid worries about Twitter's capacity to combat false information after it let go of roughly half of its workers, including those in charge of content moderation, under the leadership of new boss Elon Musk.&nbsp;

According to a blog post update, "Twitter is no longer enforcing the COVID-19 misleading information policy" as of November 23, 2022.

It's unclear exactly which policies the business would discontinue.&nbsp;

Twitter implemented a variety of safeguards at the start of Covid in 2020, including labels and warning messages on tweets with disputed material about the health problem and a framework to require users to remove tweets that promoted harmfully inaccurate claims about vaccines.&nbsp;

Similar safeguards were used by the Facebook and YouTube services, both of which are owned by Meta Platforms Inc.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vanuatu-officials-using-pen-and-paper-to-run-government-one-month-after-cyber-attack-538549">Vanuatu officials using pen and paper to run government, one month after cyber attack</a>

Twitter claimed at the beginning of this year that as of March 2021, it has stopped implementing a "civic integrity policy" pertaining to false information on the 2020 US&nbsp;presidential election.&nbsp;

The billionaire Musk promptly started a number of adjustments to the product and employees after purchasing Twitter on October 27 for $44 billion. On October 29, Musk announced that a content moderation council with "widely diverse viewpoints" will be established.

(with inputs from agencies)

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Even as Covid cases rise in China and some other parts of the world, Twitter Inc. has reversed a policy that was intended to address misinformation on the social media site, raising the possibility of an increase in false claims.

Even as Covid cases rise in China and some other parts of the world, Twitter Inc. has reversed a policy that was intended to address misinformation on the social media site, raising the possibility of an increase in false claims. The decision was made amid worries about Twitter's capacity to combat false information after it let go of roughly half of its workers, including those in charge of content moderation, under the leadership of new boss Elon Musk. According to a blog post update, "Twitter is no longer enforcing the COVID-19 misleading information policy" as of November 23, 2022. It's unclear exactly which policies the business would discontinue. Twitter implemented a variety of safeguards at the start of Covid in 2020, including labels and warning messages on tweets with disputed material about the health problem and a framework to require users to remove tweets that promoted harmfully inaccurate claims about vaccines. Similar safeguards were used by the Facebook and YouTube services, both of which are owned by Meta Platforms Inc. Also Read: Vanuatu officials using pen and paper to run government, one month after cyber attack Twitter claimed at the beginning of this year that as of March 2021, it has stopped implementing a "civic integrity policy" pertaining to false information on the 2020 US presidential election. The billionaire Musk promptly started a number of adjustments to the product and employees after purchasing Twitter on October 27 for $44 billion. On October 29, Musk announced that a content moderation council with "widely diverse viewpoints" will be established. (with inputs from agencies)

Twitter rolls back policy aimed at tackling Covid-related misinformation

Twitter has spoken and Elon Musk has announced that he will give people what they want. After a landslide of Twitter users voted yes to Musk's question regarding the reinstatement of suspended accounts, the billionaire has announced&nbsp;"amnesty" for the users in question.&nbsp;

Of the 3.16 million respondents to an informal Twitter poll by the new chief twit, about 72.4 per cent said that the social media platform should let back in users whose accounts were suspended as long as no laws were broken or "egregious spam" wasn't committed.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Twitter to unblock all accounts?

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Taking to Twitter, Musk wrote "Vox Populi, Vox Dei," a Latin phrase that means&nbsp;"The voice of the people is the voice of God". He has announced that the amnesty for the suspended accounts begins next week.&nbsp;

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The people have spoken. 
 
Amnesty begins next week. 
 
Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1595869526469533701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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As per the AFP report, Twitter has a monthly active user base of 450 million, many of which "might never have seen the poll question". Additionally, the poll was open to all and could've potentially been a target of fake accounts and bots.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-us-senator-asks-musk-to-do-risk-assessment-of-twitter-over-privacy-threats-536912">Senior US senator asks Musk to do risk assessment of Twitter over privacy threats</a>

The "yes/no" poll comes on the heels of the reinstatement of the Twitter account of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">former US President Donald Trump</a>. This decision too was based on a similar poll in which the users voted for letting Trump back on the platform. If he will actually join Twitter once again remains to be seen.&nbsp;

On Thursday, Twitter's new owner Musk posted the poll asking his 118 million followers and the public "Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?".

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Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1595473875847942146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musks-latest-poll-comes-with-an-offer-of-general-amnesty-for-suspended-accounts-536935">Elon Musk's latest poll comes with an offer of 'general amnesty' for suspended accounts</a>

This comes as Musk as per AFP faces pushback for his content moderation criteria, with&nbsp;people accusing him of basing such decisions on his personal "whims".

Musk's blanket "amnesty" poll can go a long way to alarm authorities and advertisers, who have been wary of the Tesla CEO's handling of hateful speech since his $44 million takeover a few weeks back.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Twitter has spoken and Elon Musk has announced that he will give people what they want. After a landslide of Twitter users voted yes to Musk's question regarding the reinstatement of suspended accounts, the billionaire has announced "amnesty" for the users in question.

Twitter has spoken and Elon Musk has announced that he will give people what they want. After a landslide of Twitter users voted yes to Musk's question regarding the reinstatement of suspended accounts, the billionaire has announced "amnesty" for the users in question. Of the 3.16 million respondents to an informal Twitter poll by the new chief twit, about 72.4 per cent said that the social media platform should let back in users whose accounts were suspended as long as no laws were broken or "egregious spam" wasn't committed. Watch | Gravitas: Twitter to unblock all accounts? Taking to Twitter, Musk wrote "Vox Populi, Vox Dei," a Latin phrase that means "The voice of the people is the voice of God". He has announced that the amnesty for the suspended accounts begins next week. The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2022 × As per the AFP report, Twitter has a monthly active user base of 450 million, many of which "might never have seen the poll question". Additionally, the poll was open to all and could've potentially been a target of fake accounts and bots. Also read | Senior US senator asks Musk to do risk assessment of Twitter over privacy threats The "yes/no" poll comes on the heels of the reinstatement of the Twitter account of former US President Donald Trump. This decision too was based on a similar poll in which the users voted for letting Trump back on the platform. If he will actually join Twitter once again remains to be seen. On Thursday, Twitter's new owner Musk posted the poll asking his 118 million followers and the public "Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?". Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam? — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2022 × Also read | Elon Musk's latest poll comes with an offer of 'general amnesty' for suspended accounts This comes as Musk as per AFP faces pushback for his content moderation criteria, with people accusing him of basing such decisions on his personal "whims". Musk's blanket "amnesty" poll can go a long way to alarm authorities and advertisers, who have been wary of the Tesla CEO's handling of hateful speech since his $44 million takeover a few weeks back. (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.

'Vox Populi, Vox Dei': Elon Musk announces reinstatement of suspended Twitter accounts

A top US Republican senator has asked Twitter's new owner&nbsp;Elon Musk to conduct a threat assessment at the social media platform in order to better protect US user data.

Grassley, the top Republican on the US Judiciary Committee, has urged Twitter to do a risk assessments "of Twitter's current security posture and systems to better protect user data and privacy".

US: Elon Musk trolled outside Twitter headquarters in San Francisco

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In the letter to Musk dated Tuesday and made public on Wednesday, he further requested that the committee staff be informed of the results.

"Twitter collects vast amounts of data on American citizens. Americans have a vested interest in ensuring that their private data is secure, and that the companies which they have entrusted with their private data have not been infiltrated by foreign agents," he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/elon-musk-suspends-paid-verification-badge-for-twitter-until-impersonation-stops-536260">Elon Musk suspends paid verification 'blue tick' badge for Twitter because of this reason</a>

As per Reuters Republican Chuck Grassley, the senator for Iowa has made the request due to the concerns that were raised a few months back by whistleblower Peiter Zatko.

Concerns expressed in Grassley's previous letter to Parag Agarwal, the former CEO of Twitter, are reiterated in the senator's most recent letter. But according to reports, Agarwal chose not to address the issues at the time because of a $44 billion takeover lawsuit involving Elon Musk and Twitter.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/musk-tells-judgy-hall-monitors-to-stay-away-from-twitter-with-a-namaste-536330">Musk, who has lost $100bn this year, tells 'judgy hall monitors' to stay away from Twitter with a Namaste</a>

In September, hacker Peiter "Mudge" Zatko who formerly served as the head of security for Twitter shared information about a Chinese threat. Zatko who was fired in January of this year disclosed that Twitter employess were concerned that the Chinese government would be able to collect data on the platform's users.

The former Twitter employee testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and warned that, among other risks, "foreign agents" may use malware to seal user private information off of the network and use that to access sensitive data on the person's phone.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A top US Republican senator has asked Twitter's new owner Elon Musk to conduct a threat assessment at the social media platform in order to better protect US user data.

A top US Republican senator has asked Twitter's new owner Elon Musk to conduct a threat assessment at the social media platform in order to better protect US user data. Grassley, the top Republican on the US Judiciary Committee, has urged Twitter to do a risk assessments "of Twitter's current security posture and systems to better protect user data and privacy". US: Elon Musk trolled outside Twitter headquarters in San Francisco In the letter to Musk dated Tuesday and made public on Wednesday, he further requested that the committee staff be informed of the results. "Twitter collects vast amounts of data on American citizens. Americans have a vested interest in ensuring that their private data is secure, and that the companies which they have entrusted with their private data have not been infiltrated by foreign agents," he said. Also read | Elon Musk suspends paid verification 'blue tick' badge for Twitter because of this reason As per Reuters Republican Chuck Grassley, the senator for Iowa has made the request due to the concerns that were raised a few months back by whistleblower Peiter Zatko. Concerns expressed in Grassley's previous letter to Parag Agarwal, the former CEO of Twitter, are reiterated in the senator's most recent letter. But according to reports, Agarwal chose not to address the issues at the time because of a $44 billion takeover lawsuit involving Elon Musk and Twitter. Also read | Musk, who has lost $100bn this year, tells 'judgy hall monitors' to stay away from Twitter with a Namaste In September, hacker Peiter "Mudge" Zatko who formerly served as the head of security for Twitter shared information about a Chinese threat. Zatko who was fired in January of this year disclosed that Twitter employess were concerned that the Chinese government would be able to collect data on the platform's users. The former Twitter employee testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and warned that, among other risks, "foreign agents" may use malware to seal user private information off of the network and use that to access sensitive data on the person's phone. (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.

Senior US senator asks Musk to do risk assessment of Twitter over privacy threats

In a much-debated move, Twitter's new owner recently reinstated the account of controversial figure former US president Donald Trump, now Elon Musk is asking his followers if the social media platform should offer a "general amnesty" to other suspended accounts.

The new poll as per AFP "follows the strategy" of a similar poll in which a narrow majority of respondents voted for the reinstatement of Trump's account.

US: Elon Musk trolled outside Twitter headquarters in San Francisco

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Following his decision to reinstate the former president's account, Musk is now facing criticism. Users and industry insiders claim that the Tesla CEO's personal whims determine which accounts are reinstated and which are not.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-us-senator-asks-musk-to-do-risk-assessment-of-twitter-over-privacy-threats-536912">Senior US senator asks Musk to do risk assessment of Twitter over privacy threats</a>

The latest poll has already received more than two million votes, of which more than 70 per cent have voted yes to "Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?".

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Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1595473875847942146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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As per AFP, Musk's handling of hate speech is being closely watched by government officials, so a "blanket decision" on suspended accounts could alarm them.

Whether the bans included by the poll were temporary suspensions or permanent ones remains unclear.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/musk-tells-judgy-hall-monitors-to-stay-away-from-twitter-with-a-namaste-536330">Musk, who has lost $100bn this year, tells 'judgy hall monitors' to stay away from Twitter with a Namaste</a>

A botched relaunch of the platform following a successful acquisition in October resulted in an explosion of fake, parody accounts, which caused much embarrassment for Musk and Twitter. Now,&nbsp;the future of content moderation on the popular platform has become a pressing worry for advertisers,&nbsp;many of which&nbsp;have recently even abandoned the platform.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In a much-debated move, Twitter's new owner recently reinstated the account of controversial figure former US president Donald Trump, now Elon Musk is asking his followers if the social media platform should offer a "general amnesty" to other suspended accounts.

In a much-debated move, Twitter's new owner recently reinstated the account of controversial figure former US president Donald Trump, now Elon Musk is asking his followers if the social media platform should offer a "general amnesty" to other suspended accounts. The new poll as per AFP "follows the strategy" of a similar poll in which a narrow majority of respondents voted for the reinstatement of Trump's account. US: Elon Musk trolled outside Twitter headquarters in San Francisco Following his decision to reinstate the former president's account, Musk is now facing criticism. Users and industry insiders claim that the Tesla CEO's personal whims determine which accounts are reinstated and which are not. Also read | Senior US senator asks Musk to do risk assessment of Twitter over privacy threats The latest poll has already received more than two million votes, of which more than 70 per cent have voted yes to "Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?". Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam? — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2022 × As per AFP, Musk's handling of hate speech is being closely watched by government officials, so a "blanket decision" on suspended accounts could alarm them. Whether the bans included by the poll were temporary suspensions or permanent ones remains unclear. Also read | Musk, who has lost $100bn this year, tells 'judgy hall monitors' to stay away from Twitter with a Namaste A botched relaunch of the platform following a successful acquisition in October resulted in an explosion of fake, parody accounts, which caused much embarrassment for Musk and Twitter. Now, the future of content moderation on the popular platform has become a pressing worry for advertisers, many of which have recently even abandoned the platform. (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.

Elon Musk's latest poll comes with an offer of 'general amnesty' for suspended accounts

As the new Chief Twit Elon Musk welcomed back to Twitter the formerly banned Donald Trump and Ye a.k.a., Kanye West, a coalition of civil rights activists on Monday urged advertisers to issue statements about pulling their ads off the social media platform.&nbsp;

The Stop Toxic Twitter coalition said Musk had promised advertisers Twitter would review its approach to reinstating banned accounts and had promised that the organisation would establish a new content management council.&nbsp;

However, as of Monday, no such council has been established.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Will Trump return to Twitter? Twitter CEO Elon Musk goes on a meme-posting spree

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Jessica Gonzalez, the co-chief executive of media and democracy organisation Free Press, said in a press release that "Musk has gone back on every promise he made to civil-rights activists and advertisers in less than three weeks."

Angelo Carusone head of Media Matters, a left-leaning media watchdog that is also a part of the coalition said Monday that "it was a real breach."&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kanye-west-returns-to-twitter-elon-musk-writes-save-what-ye-loves-536198">Kanye West returns to Twitter, Elon Musk writes, 'Save what Ye loves'</a>

Musk, he asserted, "was lying from the beginning."

According to Carusone, 51 of Twitter's 100 most expensive advertisers this year have paused ads.

He added that the coalition is asking companies that have not made their Twitter pause public to do so in order to put pressure on the other 49 advertisers who are yet to take action.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-should-twitter-do-next-musk-emails-engineers-to-fly-in-for-in-person-meetings-amid-resignations-535474">Twitter's fate in doubt as Musk&nbsp;emails engineers to&nbsp;fly in for in-person meetings amid resignations&nbsp;</a>

"You need to take a stand and draw the line," said Carusone adding "It's important for big spenders to say they have stopped."

As per Reuters, digital ad sales account for about 90 of per cent Twitter's revenue. Data from the ad measuring company Pathmatics revealed that the top 100 advertisers spent an estimated $23.6 million on Twitter between November 10 and November 16. In comparison, before Musk's acquisition of Twitter $24.2 million was spent on Twitter ads between October 16 and October 22.

(With inputs from agencies)

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As the new Chief Twit Elon Musk welcomed back to Twitter the formerly banned Donald Trump and Ye a.k.a., Kanye West, a coalition of civil rights activists on Monday urged advertisers to issue statements about pulling their ads off the social media platform.

As the new Chief Twit Elon Musk welcomed back to Twitter the formerly banned Donald Trump and Ye a.k.a., Kanye West, a coalition of civil rights activists on Monday urged advertisers to issue statements about pulling their ads off the social media platform. The Stop Toxic Twitter coalition said Musk had promised advertisers Twitter would review its approach to reinstating banned accounts and had promised that the organisation would establish a new content management council. However, as of Monday, no such council has been established. Watch | Will Trump return to Twitter? Twitter CEO Elon Musk goes on a meme-posting spree Jessica Gonzalez, the co-chief executive of media and democracy organisation Free Press, said in a press release that "Musk has gone back on every promise he made to civil-rights activists and advertisers in less than three weeks." Angelo Carusone head of Media Matters, a left-leaning media watchdog that is also a part of the coalition said Monday that "it was a real breach." Also read | Kanye West returns to Twitter, Elon Musk writes, 'Save what Ye loves' Musk, he asserted, "was lying from the beginning." According to Carusone, 51 of Twitter's 100 most expensive advertisers this year have paused ads. He added that the coalition is asking companies that have not made their Twitter pause public to do so in order to put pressure on the other 49 advertisers who are yet to take action. Also read | Twitter's fate in doubt as Musk emails engineers to fly in for in-person meetings amid resignations "You need to take a stand and draw the line," said Carusone adding "It's important for big spenders to say they have stopped." As per Reuters, digital ad sales account for about 90 of per cent Twitter's revenue. Data from the ad measuring company Pathmatics revealed that the top 100 advertisers spent an estimated $23.6 million on Twitter between November 10 and November 16. In comparison, before Musk's acquisition of Twitter $24.2 million was spent on Twitter ads between October 16 and October 22. (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.

Activists ramp up pressure on Twitter advertisers, say Musk 'was lying from the beginning'

The rollercoaster ride that is Elon Musk's Twitter is on another low with the much-awaited, paid subscription of the so-called "Twitter blue" subscription stopped, however, the billionaire has now revealed that the service will probably come back by the "end of next week."

On Friday, a number of customers said that the brand-new subscription option for the blue verification check mark was no longer available, and a Reuters report citing an anonymous source reported&nbsp;that the service has been discontinued.

Watch |&nbsp;Twitter brings back the' official' account tag as the $8 blue-tick option disappears

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However,&nbsp;Musk,&nbsp;the&nbsp;company's&nbsp;billionaire&nbsp;owner,&nbsp;said&nbsp;that&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;Blue&nbsp;would&nbsp;likely&nbsp;"come&nbsp;back&nbsp;end&nbsp;of&nbsp;next&nbsp;week"&nbsp;in&nbsp;a&nbsp;tweet&nbsp;on&nbsp;Saturday.

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Probably end of next week
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1591591206408318977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In the absence of&nbsp;the blue mark, the 'Official' label was reintroduced.&nbsp;Twitter's support account, which has the "official" tag, tweeted on Friday, "To combat impersonation, we've added an 'Official' label to some accounts."&nbsp;The label was initially unveiled on Wednesday, but Musk "killed" it a few hours later.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/investors-dump-tesla-shares-as-musk-becomes-more-and-more-focused-on-twitter-his-net-worth-below-200bn-532381">Elon Musk's net worth falls below $200bn; Investors dump Tesla shares as he becomes ‘more focused on Twitter'</a>

This was done&nbsp;following an uptick of accounts on the social media platform indulging in impersonation. The self-proclaimed "Chief Twit" on Friday had even issued a warning that any account that "accounts engaged in parody must include “parody” in their name, not just in bio".

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Going forward, accounts engaged in parody must include “parody” in their name, not just in bio
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1590884973535711232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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He further clarified&nbsp;"To be more precise, accounts&nbsp;doing parody impersonations. Basically, tricking people is not ok," and finally even announced that Twitter will introduce a "Parody"&nbsp;subscript "to clarify".

Soon after, reports emerged that&nbsp;the service of blue tick verification has been halted.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-his-takeover-musk-warns-of-twitter-bankruptcy-as-more-officials-resign-533082">FTC watching Twitter with 'deep concern' as Musk warns bankruptcy fears 'are very real'</a>

Even though several accounts, some with millions of followers and the coveted verification mark have been&nbsp;banned,&nbsp;still, concerns over an alleged uptick in fake news and hate news are&nbsp;there.&nbsp;

Before, only verified accounts of public figures, including journalists, legislators, and well-known people could carry the coveted blue check mark. But earlier this week, Twitter launched a membership option that anyone willing to pay for may use to increase revenue as Twitter battles to keep advertisers and avoid bankruptcy.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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The rollercoaster ride that is Elon Musk's Twitter is on another low with the much-awaited, paid subscription of the so-called "Twitter blue" subscription stopped, however, the billionaire has now revealed that the service will probably come back by the "end of next week.

The rollercoaster ride that is Elon Musk's Twitter is on another low with the much-awaited, paid subscription of the so-called "Twitter blue" subscription stopped, however, the billionaire has now revealed that the service will probably come back by the "end of next week." On Friday, a number of customers said that the brand-new subscription option for the blue verification check mark was no longer available, and a Reuters report citing an anonymous source reported that the service has been discontinued. Watch | Twitter brings back the' official' account tag as the $8 blue-tick option disappears However, Musk, the company's billionaire owner, said that Twitter Blue would likely "come back end of next week" in a tweet on Saturday. Probably end of next week — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2022 × In the absence of the blue mark, the 'Official' label was reintroduced. Twitter's support account, which has the "official" tag, tweeted on Friday, "To combat impersonation, we've added an 'Official' label to some accounts." The label was initially unveiled on Wednesday, but Musk "killed" it a few hours later. Also read | Elon Musk's net worth falls below $200bn; Investors dump Tesla shares as he becomes ‘more focused on Twitter' This was done following an uptick of accounts on the social media platform indulging in impersonation. The self-proclaimed "Chief Twit" on Friday had even issued a warning that any account that "accounts engaged in parody must include “parody” in their name, not just in bio". Going forward, accounts engaged in parody must include “parody” in their name, not just in bio — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 11, 2022 × He further clarified "To be more precise, accounts doing parody impersonations. Basically, tricking people is not ok," and finally even announced that Twitter will introduce a "Parody" subscript "to clarify". Soon after, reports emerged that the service of blue tick verification has been halted. Also read | FTC watching Twitter with 'deep concern' as Musk warns bankruptcy fears 'are very real' Even though several accounts, some with millions of followers and the coveted verification mark have been banned, still, concerns over an alleged uptick in fake news and hate news are there. Before, only verified accounts of public figures, including journalists, legislators, and well-known people could carry the coveted blue check mark. But earlier this week, Twitter launched a membership option that anyone willing to pay for may use to increase revenue as Twitter battles to keep advertisers and avoid bankruptcy. (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.

Elon Musk reveals Twitter blue-tick will probably come back by the 'end of next week'

An Australian court has ordered three telecom companies to pay A$33.5 million ($22.08 million) in fines for making false news regarding the speed of NBN internet plans.

According to the Australian Competition &amp; Consumer Commission (ACCC), the country's federal court fined Optus, Singapore's Telecommunications A$13.5 million and ordered Telstra to pay A$15 million. Further, a unit of TPG Telecom has also been ordered to pay A$5 million.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cyberattacks-rise-four-fold-in-australia-says-government-report-531148">Also read |&nbsp;Cyberattacks rise four-fold in Australia, 76,000 complaints registered last year: Govt report</a>

The ACCC claimed that the false and deceptive statements regarding their 50 or 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) fibre to the node plane were made at least 12 months in the year 2019 and some believe that it might have continued till 2020.&nbsp;

The three telecom companies have admitted in the court of providing false or misleading claims which might have affected nearly 120,000 subscribers.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-to-bring-legislation-for-tougher-penalties-on-data-breaches-527711">Also read |&nbsp;Australia to bring legislation for tougher penalties on hackers for data breaches</a>

In a statement, Telstra admitted that from April 2019 to April 2020, it was unable to fully check the highest achievable speed of the NBN services of nearly 48,000 individuals. The company said, "We've gone through an extensive remediation and refund process. We've also taken a number of steps to ensure we better meet our regulatory obligations."&nbsp;

However, in response to the issues raised, representatives of TPG and Optus told Reuters that they have sent separate emails mentioning that they have modified their systems and procedures. Optus said that it will personally get in touch with its customers who qualify for remediation.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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An Australian court has ordered three telecom companies to pay A$33.5 million ($22.08 million) in fines for making false news regarding the speed of NBN internet plans.

An Australian court has ordered three telecom companies to pay A$33.5 million ($22.08 million) in fines for making false news regarding the speed of NBN internet plans. According to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), the country's federal court fined Optus, Singapore's Telecommunications A$13.5 million and ordered Telstra to pay A$15 million. Further, a unit of TPG Telecom has also been ordered to pay A$5 million. Also read | Cyberattacks rise four-fold in Australia, 76,000 complaints registered last year: Govt report The ACCC claimed that the false and deceptive statements regarding their 50 or 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) fibre to the node plane were made at least 12 months in the year 2019 and some believe that it might have continued till 2020. The three telecom companies have admitted in the court of providing false or misleading claims which might have affected nearly 120,000 subscribers. Also read | Australia to bring legislation for tougher penalties on hackers for data breaches In a statement, Telstra admitted that from April 2019 to April 2020, it was unable to fully check the highest achievable speed of the NBN services of nearly 48,000 individuals. The company said, "We've gone through an extensive remediation and refund process. We've also taken a number of steps to ensure we better meet our regulatory obligations." However, in response to the issues raised, representatives of TPG and Optus told Reuters that they have sent separate emails mentioning that they have modified their systems and procedures. Optus said that it will personally get in touch with its customers who qualify for remediation. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Australian court orders three telecom companies to pay $22.08 million for making false internet speed claims

As fake and fraudulent accounts increased, Twitter paused its recent $8 verification or blue tick subscription programme.

Before, only verified accounts of public figures including politicians, actors and famous journalists only had the coveted blue tick mark.&nbsp;

A source told Reuters that the service of blue tick verification has been halted.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tumblr-trolls-twitter-by-offering-double-checkmarks-533164">Also read |&nbsp;Tumblr trolls Twitter by offering two checkmarks for the price of one, for just one-time payment</a>

Earlier this week, Twitter introduced its membership option that can be available to anyone willing to pay in order to increase the revenue of the microblogging site as the new owner Elon Musk battles to hold back advertisers.&nbsp;

Concerns for hate and fake news have been increasing on the platform. Recently, a fake account tweeted that insulin would be free, and the pharma company Eli Lilly &amp; Co apologised amid political outrage and inquiries into the high cost of the drug. Another such instance was when a verified user with the same profile image as the company's official account was spreading a lot of false tweets about Tesla.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-his-takeover-musk-warns-of-twitter-bankruptcy-as-more-officials-resign-533082">Also read |&nbsp;FTC watching Twitter with 'deep concern' as Musk warns bankruptcy fears 'are very real'</a>

Addressing this, Musk stated that accounts that employ impersonation on Twitter without explicitly designating it as "parody" accounts will be immediately and permanently removed. Several accounts have been suspended including those of BP and Nintendo.

Sources told Reuters that the new owner on Thursday warned the employees that if it didn't increase subscription revenue to balance the declining advertising revenues, the company will not be able to survive the coming fiscal year.&nbsp;

Ever since the world's richest man Elon Musk took over Twitter, a lot of businesses including General Motors and United Airlines have halted their advertising.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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As fake and fraudulent accounts increased, Twitter paused its recent $8 verification or blue tick subscription programme. Before, only verified accounts of public figures including politicians, actors and famous journalists only had the coveted blue tick mark.

As fake and fraudulent accounts increased, Twitter paused its recent $8 verification or blue tick subscription programme. Before, only verified accounts of public figures including politicians, actors and famous journalists only had the coveted blue tick mark. A source told Reuters that the service of blue tick verification has been halted. Also read | Tumblr trolls Twitter by offering two checkmarks for the price of one, for just one-time payment Earlier this week, Twitter introduced its membership option that can be available to anyone willing to pay in order to increase the revenue of the microblogging site as the new owner Elon Musk battles to hold back advertisers. Concerns for hate and fake news have been increasing on the platform. Recently, a fake account tweeted that insulin would be free, and the pharma company Eli Lilly & Co apologised amid political outrage and inquiries into the high cost of the drug. Another such instance was when a verified user with the same profile image as the company's official account was spreading a lot of false tweets about Tesla. Also read | FTC watching Twitter with 'deep concern' as Musk warns bankruptcy fears 'are very real' Addressing this, Musk stated that accounts that employ impersonation on Twitter without explicitly designating it as "parody" accounts will be immediately and permanently removed. Several accounts have been suspended including those of BP and Nintendo. Sources told Reuters that the new owner on Thursday warned the employees that if it didn't increase subscription revenue to balance the declining advertising revenues, the company will not be able to survive the coming fiscal year. Ever since the world's richest man Elon Musk took over Twitter, a lot of businesses including General Motors and United Airlines have halted their advertising. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Twitter halts its $8 verification subscription amid rise in fake accounts and news, says source 

On Thursday (October 14), Türkiye's parliament passed a tough law for reporters and social media entailing imprisonment of up to three years for spreading "false news".

The law imposes a criminal penalty for those who are held on charges. The law allows the court to sentence journalists and social media users to up to three years in jail.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/using-fake-profiles-of-women-ukrainian-hackers-duped-russian-soldiers-to-help-military-report-513399">Also read |&nbsp;Using fake profiles of women, Ukrainian hackers duped Russian soldiers to help military: Report</a>

The ruling party aims to strengthen its grip on the media ahead of the elections. The Council of Europe said that the definition of "disinformation" in the law can lead to increased self-censorship and some severe effects.

The legislation had 40 amendments. The ruling party, AKP, suggested voting separately.

However, it was highly criticised by the opposition. In order to show how freedom of expression is being crushed, especially for youngsters, an opposition lawmaker in parliament smashed his phone with a hammer.&nbsp;

After smashing his phone, Burak Erbay, the CHP lawmaker, said ahead of the vote, "I would like to address my brothers who are 15, 16,&nbsp;17 years old and who will be deciding the fate of Türkiye in 2023. You have only one freedom left -- the phone in your pocket. There's Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. You communicate there." He added that if this law passes, they all can smash their phones like this, reported AFP.&nbsp;

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Burak Erbay, a Turkish opposition lawmaker, destroyed a smartphone during his speech in parliament to protest a proposed disinformation and social media bill <a href="https://t.co/robiV2iDP5">pic.twitter.com/robiV2iDP5</a>
— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1580582885760720902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fake-news-china-denies-that-president-jinping-invited-european-leaders-for-meeting-in-beijing-498807">Also read |&nbsp;'Fake news': China denies that President Xi Jinping invited European leaders for meeting in Beijing</a>

In Türkiye, most of the newspapers and media channels fall under the control of the government. However, most social media networks don't. To change this, the Recep Tayyip Erdogan administration started imposing heavy penalties on big media platforms to comply with local representatives, who can later take down contentious posts.

According to Tayyip, social media is one of the main threats to the country's democracy. He stated that social media is a highly polarised society in Türkiye, making it vulnerable to the spread of false and misleading information.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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On Thursday (October 14), Türkiye's parliament passed a tough law for reporters and social media entailing imprisonment of up to three years for spreading "false news".

On Thursday (October 14), Türkiye's parliament passed a tough law for reporters and social media entailing imprisonment of up to three years for spreading "false news". The law imposes a criminal penalty for those who are held on charges. The law allows the court to sentence journalists and social media users to up to three years in jail. Also read | Using fake profiles of women, Ukrainian hackers duped Russian soldiers to help military: Report The ruling party aims to strengthen its grip on the media ahead of the elections. The Council of Europe said that the definition of "disinformation" in the law can lead to increased self-censorship and some severe effects. The legislation had 40 amendments. The ruling party, AKP, suggested voting separately. However, it was highly criticised by the opposition. In order to show how freedom of expression is being crushed, especially for youngsters, an opposition lawmaker in parliament smashed his phone with a hammer. After smashing his phone, Burak Erbay, the CHP lawmaker, said ahead of the vote, "I would like to address my brothers who are 15, 16, 17 years old and who will be deciding the fate of Türkiye in 2023. You have only one freedom left -- the phone in your pocket. There's Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. You communicate there." He added that if this law passes, they all can smash their phones like this, reported AFP. Burak Erbay, a Turkish opposition lawmaker, destroyed a smartphone during his speech in parliament to protest a proposed disinformation and social media bill pic.twitter.com/robiV2iDP5 — Reuters (@Reuters) October 13, 2022 × Also read | 'Fake news': China denies that President Xi Jinping invited European leaders for meeting in Beijing In Türkiye, most of the newspapers and media channels fall under the control of the government. However, most social media networks don't. To change this, the Recep Tayyip Erdogan administration started imposing heavy penalties on big media platforms to comply with local representatives, who can later take down contentious posts. According to Tayyip, social media is one of the main threats to the country's democracy. He stated that social media is a highly polarised society in Türkiye, making it vulnerable to the spread of false and misleading information. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Türkiye: Govt introduces new law for journalists and social media to curb spread of 'fake news'

Turkish parliament on Thursday approved a new media law that could see individuals sentenced to up to three years in prison for spreading "fake news" or "misinformation".

Turkiye passes new law imposing jail terms for 'misinformation' and 'fake news'

Utilizing the emergency powers granted by the IT Rules, 2021, the Ministry of Information &amp; Broadcasting issued orders on August 16, 2022, to prohibit eight YouTube-based news channels, one Facebook account, and two <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</a> postings. The blocked YouTube channels have more than 114 crore total visitors and more than 85 lakh subscribers.

As per the I&amp;B ministry, some of these YouTube channels produced content with the intention of inciting hate among the Indian religious communities. In a number of videos from the restricted YouTube channels, false statements were made. Examples of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/russias-fake-robot-gun-dog-507806"> fake</a> news include reports that the Indian government has ordered the destruction of religious institutions, forbade the observance of religious holidays, declared a religious war in India, etc. Such material was discovered to have the ability to destabilise national order and sow discord among communities.

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Source: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India

It was determined that the information was entirely incorrect and sensitive in terms of national security and India's positive relations with other countries.

The content that the Ministry restricted was determined to be harmful to India's sovereignty and integrity, security, good ties with other countries, and domestic public order. As a result, the information was covered by section 69A of the Information Technology Act of 2000.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-chinese-spy-ship-controversy-and-indias-espionage-concerns-507931">Explained: Chinese 'spy ship' controversy and India's 'espionage' concerns</a>

Utilizing the emergency powers granted by the IT Rules, 2021, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting issued orders on August 16, 2022, to prohibit eight YouTube-based news channels, one Facebook account, and two Facebook postings.

Utilizing the emergency powers granted by the IT Rules, 2021, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting issued orders on August 16, 2022, to prohibit eight YouTube-based news channels, one Facebook account, and two Facebook postings. The blocked YouTube channels have more than 114 crore total visitors and more than 85 lakh subscribers. As per the I&B ministry, some of these YouTube channels produced content with the intention of inciting hate among the Indian religious communities. In a number of videos from the restricted YouTube channels, false statements were made. Examples of fake news include reports that the Indian government has ordered the destruction of religious institutions, forbade the observance of religious holidays, declared a religious war in India, etc. Such material was discovered to have the ability to destabilise national order and sow discord among communities. Source: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India It was determined that the information was entirely incorrect and sensitive in terms of national security and India's positive relations with other countries. The content that the Ministry restricted was determined to be harmful to India's sovereignty and integrity, security, good ties with other countries, and domestic public order. As a result, the information was covered by section 69A of the Information Technology Act of 2000. Also read | Explained: Chinese 'spy ship' controversy and India's 'espionage' concerns

India: Ministry of I&B blocks 8 YouTube channels for spreading disinformation related to India

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

Google, Meta, Twitter and Microsoft agreed on Thursday to take a firm stance against disinformation as part of an amended European Union of conduct, which could result in large fines if they don’t. The new Code of Practice on Disinformation has more than 30 signatories, including advertising groups. They agreed to do more combat deep fakes, fake accounts and political advertising with fines of up to 6 per cent of a company’s global revenue, as per the European Commission, confirmed by a Reuters report last week. The firms including, Amazon’s live streaming, TikTok, and Twitch, have six months to meet their commitments. They must submit a progress report at the start of 2023, the Reuters report added.&nbsp;

Vera Jourova, Vice-President of the Commission said, "The new code is a testimony that Europe has learned its lessons and that we are not naive any longer." She further added that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Brexit have expedited the Union’s fight against fake news.&nbsp;

According to Thierry Breton, industry chief of the European Union the sanctions could include barring companies from operating in Europe.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-says-fake-accounts-comprise-of-less-than-5-users-476032">Twitter says fake accounts comprise of less than 5% users</a>&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;EU signs gas deal with Israel, Egypt to reduce dependency on Russia&nbsp;

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Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-artist-accused-of-spreading-fake-news-after-replacing-grocery-price-tags-with-anti-war-slogans-471629">Russian artist accused of spreading 'fake news' after replacing grocery price tags with anti-war slogans</a>&nbsp;

The critics such as the Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT) pointed out some serious flaws in the updated code of the Union.&nbsp;

It stated, “The Review does not offer concrete commitments to limit 'impermissible manipulative behavior'. Commitments go no further than a blanket statement to follow the law which is obvious and does not require a Code.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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>.

&nbsp;

Google, Meta, Twitter and Microsoft agreed on Thursday to take a firm stance against disinformation as part of an amended European Union of conduct, which could result in large fines if they don’t.

Google, Meta, Twitter and Microsoft agreed on Thursday to take a firm stance against disinformation as part of an amended European Union of conduct, which could result in large fines if they don’t. The new Code of Practice on Disinformation has more than 30 signatories, including advertising groups. They agreed to do more combat deep fakes, fake accounts and political advertising with fines of up to 6 per cent of a company’s global revenue, as per the European Commission, confirmed by a Reuters report last week. The firms including, Amazon’s live streaming, TikTok, and Twitch, have six months to meet their commitments. They must submit a progress report at the start of 2023, the Reuters report added. Vera Jourova, Vice-President of the Commission said, "The new code is a testimony that Europe has learned its lessons and that we are not naive any longer." She further added that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Brexit have expedited the Union’s fight against fake news. According to Thierry Breton, industry chief of the European Union the sanctions could include barring companies from operating in Europe. Also read | Twitter says fake accounts comprise of less than 5% users Watch | EU signs gas deal with Israel, Egypt to reduce dependency on Russia Also read | Russian artist accused of spreading 'fake news' after replacing grocery price tags with anti-war slogans The critics such as the Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT) pointed out some serious flaws in the updated code of the Union. It stated, “The Review does not offer concrete commitments to limit 'impermissible manipulative behavior'. Commitments go no further than a blanket statement to follow the law which is obvious and does not require a Code.” (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.

Google, Twitter and Meta pledge to fight fake news

The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, utilising the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021, has issued orders for blocking 16 YouTube news channels.

These YouTube news channels have been shut down for propagating false information affecting India's national security, foreign policy, and public order.

Under the IT Rules, 2021, 10 Indian and 6 Pakistani YouTube channels were shut down using emergency powers.&nbsp;

These YouTube channels broadcast false, unconfirmed material in India in order to cause panic, foment communal strife, and disrupt public order.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-govt-bans-35-youtube-channels-2-websites-for-running-anti-india-propaganda-446517">Also read | Indian govt bans 35 YouTube channels, 2 websites for running ‘anti-India’ propaganda</a>

Blocked YouTube based news channels had a viewership of over 680 million.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/20-youtube-channels-two-websites-taken-down-under-it-act-for-anti-india-propaganda-report-438631">20 YouTube channels, two websites taken down under IT Act for ‘anti-India’ propaganda: Report</a> 
 
Some YouTube channels in India released content that referred to a group as terrorists and incited enmity among members of various religious communities.

This type of content was discovered to have the potential to cause community strife and disrupt public order.

Several YouTube channels based in India have been found to disseminate unsubstantiated news and videos that have the potential to cause fear among diverse segments of the population.

False assertions of a pan-India shutdown due to COVID-19, threatening migrant labour, and bogus claims about threats to certain religious communities, among others, are examples.

Such content was found to be harmful to the country's public order. 
 
Watch WION live TV here:&nbsp;

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The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, utilising the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021, has issued orders for blocking 16 YouTube news channels.

The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, utilising the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021, has issued orders for blocking 16 YouTube news channels. These YouTube news channels have been shut down for propagating false information affecting India's national security, foreign policy, and public order. Under the IT Rules, 2021, 10 Indian and 6 Pakistani YouTube channels were shut down using emergency powers. These YouTube channels broadcast false, unconfirmed material in India in order to cause panic, foment communal strife, and disrupt public order. Also read | Indian govt bans 35 YouTube channels, 2 websites for running ‘anti-India’ propaganda Blocked YouTube based news channels had a viewership of over 680 million. Also read | 20 YouTube channels, two websites taken down under IT Act for ‘anti-India’ propaganda: Report Some YouTube channels in India released content that referred to a group as terrorists and incited enmity among members of various religious communities. This type of content was discovered to have the potential to cause community strife and disrupt public order. Several YouTube channels based in India have been found to disseminate unsubstantiated news and videos that have the potential to cause fear among diverse segments of the population. False assertions of a pan-India shutdown due to COVID-19, threatening migrant labour, and bogus claims about threats to certain religious communities, among others, are examples. Such content was found to be harmful to the country's public order. Watch WION live TV here:

India orders blocking of 16 YouTube channels, including six based in Pakistan

For propagating fake news, the Indian government has shut down 22 YouTube news channels and other social media accounts.

18 Indian and four Pakistani YouTube channels have been disabled.

According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, four Pakistani YouTube news channels misled viewers by using TV news channel logos and bogus thumbnails. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-govt-bans-35-youtube-channels-2-websites-for-running-anti-india-propaganda-446517">Also read | Indian govt bans 35 YouTube channels, 2 websites for running ‘anti-India’ propaganda</a> 
 
In addition, three Twitter accounts, one Facebook account, and one news website have been blacklisted by the authorities.

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<h5>"The blocked YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 260 crore (2.6 billion), and were used to spread fake news, and coordinate disinformation over social media on subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security, India’s foreign relations, and public order," the I &amp; B Minister said in a statement.</h5>
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This is the first time action has been taken against Indian YouTube-based news providers since the notification of the IT Rules, 2021, in February of last year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/20-youtube-channels-two-websites-taken-down-under-it-act-for-anti-india-propaganda-report-438631">20 YouTube channels, two websites taken down under IT Act for ‘anti-India’ propaganda: Report</a>

During the content analysis, it was discovered that many YouTube channels were being used to spread fake news about the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir, and other topics.

Certain anti-India content posted from various social media accounts run in a coordinated manner from Pakistan was also ordered to be blocked.

(With inputs from agencies)

For propagating fake news, the Indian government has shut down 22 YouTube news channels and other social media accounts. 18 Indian and four Pakistani YouTube channels have been disabled.

For propagating fake news, the Indian government has shut down 22 YouTube news channels and other social media accounts. 18 Indian and four Pakistani YouTube channels have been disabled. According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, four Pakistani YouTube news channels misled viewers by using TV news channel logos and bogus thumbnails. Also read | Indian govt bans 35 YouTube channels, 2 websites for running ‘anti-India’ propaganda In addition, three Twitter accounts, one Facebook account, and one news website have been blacklisted by the authorities. "The blocked YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 260 crore (2.6 billion), and were used to spread fake news, and coordinate disinformation over social media on subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security, India’s foreign relations, and public order," the I & B Minister said in a statement. × This is the first time action has been taken against Indian YouTube-based news providers since the notification of the IT Rules, 2021, in February of last year. Also read | 20 YouTube channels, two websites taken down under IT Act for ‘anti-India’ propaganda: Report During the content analysis, it was discovered that many YouTube channels were being used to spread fake news about the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir, and other topics. Certain anti-India content posted from various social media accounts run in a coordinated manner from Pakistan was also ordered to be blocked. (With inputs from agencies)

Fake news: India orders blocking of 22 YouTube channels, including four based in Pakistan

Russia has intensified crackdown on fake news and has reportedly blocked Facebook and Twitter. The Russian government has also blocked several media houses in the country including the BBC.

Russia’s crackdown on fake news: Kremlin blocks Facebook, Twitter; several media houses blocked

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cleared a law that intends to punish journalists with a harsh jail term of up to 15 years for publishing “fake news” about the army.

The bill, which was adopted by lawmakers earlier on Friday, sets out jail terms of varying lengths and fines against people who publish "knowingly false information" about the military.

Journalists will also be penalised if they publish news contradicting officials' statements on Kremlin's war in Ukraine.

On Friday, Russia's media watchdog said it had restricted access to the BBC and other independent media websites and blocked social media giant Facebook.

The passage of law triggered pushback from western news outlets, with BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC), CNN and Bloomberg suspending their operations in the country.

BBC&nbsp;Director-General Tim Davie said the legislation "appears to criminalise the process of independent journalism".

&nbsp;"It leaves us no other option than to temporarily suspend the work of all BBC News journalists and their support staff within the Russian Federation while we assess the full implications of this unwelcome development," he said in a statement.

Bloomberg News said it was also temporarily suspending the work of its journalists inside Russia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cyber-armageddon-in-europe-thousands-go-offline-following-russia-ukraine-war-says-report-459113">‘Cyber Armageddon’ in Europe: Thousands go offline following Russia-Ukraine war, says report</a>

"The change to the criminal code, which seems designed to turn any independent reporter into a criminal purely by association, makes it impossible to continue any semblance of normal journalism inside the country," Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait said in a statement.

The CBC said it had temporarily suspended reporting from the ground in Russia so it could seek clarity on the new law.

In a statement, it said that it was ‘very concerned’ about the law, which ‘appears to criminalise independent reporting on the current situation in Ukraine and Russia’.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-foreign-minister-dmytro-kuleba-accuses-lavrov-of-spreading-misinformation-459024">Ukrainian invasion: Dmytro Kuleba accuses Lavrov of spreading misinformation</a>

"CNN will stop broadcasting in Russia while we continue to evaluate the situation and our next steps moving forward," a spokesperson said.

The adoption of penal law follows sanctions announced by the European Union which has banned&nbsp;Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik in the wake of Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cleared a law that intends to punish journalists with a harsh jail term of up to 15 years for publishing “fake news” about the army.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cleared a law that intends to punish journalists with a harsh jail term of up to 15 years for publishing “fake news” about the army. The bill, which was adopted by lawmakers earlier on Friday, sets out jail terms of varying lengths and fines against people who publish "knowingly false information" about the military. Journalists will also be penalised if they publish news contradicting officials' statements on Kremlin's war in Ukraine. On Friday, Russia's media watchdog said it had restricted access to the BBC and other independent media websites and blocked social media giant Facebook. The passage of law triggered pushback from western news outlets, with BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC), CNN and Bloomberg suspending their operations in the country. BBC Director-General Tim Davie said the legislation "appears to criminalise the process of independent journalism". "It leaves us no other option than to temporarily suspend the work of all BBC News journalists and their support staff within the Russian Federation while we assess the full implications of this unwelcome development," he said in a statement. Bloomberg News said it was also temporarily suspending the work of its journalists inside Russia. Also read | ‘Cyber Armageddon’ in Europe: Thousands go offline following Russia-Ukraine war, says report "The change to the criminal code, which seems designed to turn any independent reporter into a criminal purely by association, makes it impossible to continue any semblance of normal journalism inside the country," Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait said in a statement. The CBC said it had temporarily suspended reporting from the ground in Russia so it could seek clarity on the new law. In a statement, it said that it was ‘very concerned’ about the law, which ‘appears to criminalise independent reporting on the current situation in Ukraine and Russia’. Also read | Ukrainian invasion: Dmytro Kuleba accuses Lavrov of spreading misinformation "CNN will stop broadcasting in Russia while we continue to evaluate the situation and our next steps moving forward," a spokesperson said. The adoption of penal law follows sanctions announced by the European Union which has banned Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik in the wake of Russian invasion of Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies)

Putin clears law against ‘fake news’ on army; BBC, CNN, others suspend operations

Russian lawmakers moved Friday to impose harsh&nbsp;jail&nbsp;terms for publishing "fake&nbsp;news" about the&nbsp;army, which a senior lawmaker said will apply to foreigners too, as Moscow moves to muffle dissent over its&nbsp;invasion of Ukraine.

The new legislation sets out&nbsp;jail&nbsp;terms of varying lengths and fines against people who publish "knowingly false information" about the military.

"If the fakes led to serious consequences, (the legislation) threatens imprisonment of up to 15 years," the lower house of parliament said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-to-stage-public-executions-in-ukraine-crackdowns-and-detaining-opponents-also-a-part-of-plan-458907">Russia to stage public executions in Ukraine; crackdowns and detaining opponents also a part of plan</a>

Speaking at the session, the head of the head of the parliament's information committee Alexander Khinshtein said the law "concerns all citizens, not only Russian ones, because we are talking about actions against&nbsp;Russia."

Amendments were also passed to fine or&nbsp;jail&nbsp;&nbsp;people calling for sanctions against&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;with&nbsp;jail&nbsp;terms.

The past year has seen an unprecedented crackdown on independent and critical voices in&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;that has intensified since the invasion.

The chairman of parliament Vyacheslav Volodin railed against foreign social&nbsp;media&nbsp;after Facebook was briefly inaccessible in&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;on Friday.

"All these IT companies beginning with Instagram, and ending with the others, are based in the United States of America. It is clear they are used as weapons. They carry hatred and lies. We need to oppose this," he said.&nbsp;

Russia's&nbsp;media&nbsp;watchdog said Friday it had&nbsp;restricted access to the BBC and other independent&nbsp;media&nbsp;websites, further tightening controls over the internet.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-to-sell-nfts-to-fund-attack-against-russia-says-deputy-pm-mykhailo-fedorov-458903">Ukraine to sell NFTs to fund attack against Russia, says Deputy PM Mykhailo Fedorov</a>

Foreign&nbsp;media&nbsp;restricted

The independent&nbsp;news&nbsp;website Meduza, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, and the Russian-language website of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Svoboda, were "limited," said Roskomnadzor, following a request from prosecutors.

Roskomnadzor said in each case, the request was filed on February 24, the day Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his attack on Ukraine.

Valery Fadeyev, the head of the Kremlin's human rights council accused Western&nbsp;media&nbsp;of being behind "a huge flow of false information that comes from Ukraine" and said&nbsp;the council had set up a project to stop it.

In another attack on critical voices, Russian police on Friday were carrying out searches at the office of the country's most prominent rights group, Memorial, which was ordered to close late last year, sparking international outcry.

Russia's invasion has already claimed hundreds of lives, displaced more than a million people and spurred allegations of war crimes.

Western-led sanctions levelled against&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;in retaliation have sent the ruble into free-fall forcing the central bank to impose a 30-percent tax on sales of hard currency after a run on lenders.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisishungary-pm-orban-calls-sanctions-double-edged-weapon-458898">Russia-Ukraine Crisis:Hungary PM Orban calls sanctions 'double-edged weapon'</a>

State-media&nbsp;narratives

Moscow has few economic tools with which to respond but the Duma, or lower house, on Friday adopted a bill that would freeze any assets inside&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;of foreigners "violating rights of Russians".

Russian&nbsp;media&nbsp;have been instructed to publish only information provided by official sources, which describe the invasion as a military operation.&nbsp;

State-controlled broadcasters have meanwhile reinforced government narratives about nationalism in Ukraine and Moscow's claim that Ukrainian soldiers are using civilians as human shields.

For the moment, it appears the invasion has marked the beginning of the end for what remains of&nbsp;Russia's independent&nbsp;media.

Ekho Mosvky -- a liberal-leaning radio station majority-owned by&nbsp;Russia's energy giant Gazprom -- said Thursday it would shut down after being taken off air over its Ukraine war coverage.

Authorities had on Monday blocked the Ekho website and took the station off air as punishment for spreading "deliberately false information" about the conflict.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Why Asia is not interested in Russia-Ukraine war

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Another independent outlet, Znak, said Friday it was ceasing work "due to the large number of restrictions that have recently appeared for the work of the&nbsp;media&nbsp;in&nbsp;Russia".

The BBC said this week that the audience of its Russian language&nbsp;news&nbsp;website had "more than tripled...with a record reach of 10.7 million people in the last week".

In a Friday response to the blocking, a BBC spokesperson said the company will "continue our efforts to make BBC&nbsp;News&nbsp;available in&nbsp;Russia, and across the rest of the world" despite the restrictions.&nbsp;

Russian lawmakers moved Friday to impose harsh jail terms for publishing "fake news" about the army, which a senior lawmaker said will apply to foreigners too, as Moscow moves to muffle dissent over its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian lawmakers moved Friday to impose harsh jail terms for publishing "fake news" about the army, which a senior lawmaker said will apply to foreigners too, as Moscow moves to muffle dissent over its invasion of Ukraine. The new legislation sets out jail terms of varying lengths and fines against people who publish "knowingly false information" about the military. "If the fakes led to serious consequences, (the legislation) threatens imprisonment of up to 15 years," the lower house of parliament said in a statement. Also read | Russia to stage public executions in Ukraine; crackdowns and detaining opponents also a part of plan Speaking at the session, the head of the head of the parliament's information committee Alexander Khinshtein said the law "concerns all citizens, not only Russian ones, because we are talking about actions against Russia." Amendments were also passed to fine or jail people calling for sanctions against Russia with jail terms. The past year has seen an unprecedented crackdown on independent and critical voices in Russia that has intensified since the invasion. The chairman of parliament Vyacheslav Volodin railed against foreign social media after Facebook was briefly inaccessible in Russia on Friday. "All these IT companies beginning with Instagram, and ending with the others, are based in the United States of America. It is clear they are used as weapons. They carry hatred and lies. We need to oppose this," he said. Russia's media watchdog said Friday it had restricted access to the BBC and other independent media websites, further tightening controls over the internet. Also read | Ukraine to sell NFTs to fund attack against Russia, says Deputy PM Mykhailo Fedorov Foreign media restricted The independent news website Meduza, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, and the Russian-language website of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Svoboda, were "limited," said Roskomnadzor, following a request from prosecutors. Roskomnadzor said in each case, the request was filed on February 24, the day Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his attack on Ukraine. Valery Fadeyev, the head of the Kremlin's human rights council accused Western media of being behind "a huge flow of false information that comes from Ukraine" and said the council had set up a project to stop it. In another attack on critical voices, Russian police on Friday were carrying out searches at the office of the country's most prominent rights group, Memorial, which was ordered to close late last year, sparking international outcry. Russia's invasion has already claimed hundreds of lives, displaced more than a million people and spurred allegations of war crimes. Western-led sanctions levelled against Russia in retaliation have sent the ruble into free-fall forcing the central bank to impose a 30-percent tax on sales of hard currency after a run on lenders. Also read | Russia-Ukraine Crisis:Hungary PM Orban calls sanctions 'double-edged weapon' State-media narratives Moscow has few economic tools with which to respond but the Duma, or lower house, on Friday adopted a bill that would freeze any assets inside Russia of foreigners "violating rights of Russians". Russian media have been instructed to publish only information provided by official sources, which describe the invasion as a military operation. State-controlled broadcasters have meanwhile reinforced government narratives about nationalism in Ukraine and Moscow's claim that Ukrainian soldiers are using civilians as human shields. For the moment, it appears the invasion has marked the beginning of the end for what remains of Russia's independent media. Ekho Mosvky -- a liberal-leaning radio station majority-owned by Russia's energy giant Gazprom -- said Thursday it would shut down after being taken off air over its Ukraine war coverage. Authorities had on Monday blocked the Ekho website and took the station off air as punishment for spreading "deliberately false information" about the conflict. Watch | Gravitas: Why Asia is not interested in Russia-Ukraine war Another independent outlet, Znak, said Friday it was ceasing work "due to the large number of restrictions that have recently appeared for the work of the media in Russia". The BBC said this week that the audience of its Russian language news website had "more than tripled...with a record reach of 10.7 million people in the last week". In a Friday response to the blocking, a BBC spokesperson said the company will "continue our efforts to make BBC News available in Russia, and across the rest of the world" despite the restrictions.

Russia Ukraine Crisis: Russia backs jail time for 'fake' army news, restricts media

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday said that Pakistan's Prime Minister is the biggest propagator of fake news and he is taking away the freedom of expression of people under the guise of false news.&nbsp;

He made these comments while addressing a party worker's convention in Peshawar. "PM Imran Khan himself is the biggest propagator of fake news in Pakistan," he said, reported Geo TV.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-looks-to-exit-the-grey-list-faces-new-test-at-fatf-meet-455146">Pakistan looks to exit the 'grey list', faces new test at FATF meet</a>

Furthermore, he shared that those who were previously against tabling a no-confidence motion against the PTI-led government have now agreed to it.

Bilawal also said that the party's planned march will represent the issues of all provinces and the party needs support from people to help move the motion.&nbsp;

At the convention, he lashed at Imran Khan saying, "We have always termed the prime minister "selected" as he promised a change but failed to deliver it," reported the news channel.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-pm-imran-khan-faces-flak-over-new-laws-to-silence-media-opposition-454977">Pakistan PM Imran Khan faces flak over new laws 'to silence media, Opposition'</a>

He further chided the government for the economic devastation saying, "This government had promised a change but it only pushed masses into economic crisis.

The PTI after coming to power had vowed to provide 10 million jobs, but it rendered several people jobless in its three and a half years of power."

Bilawal on Tuesday approved the route plan for the party's planned long march. Party's planned long march would initiate from Karachi on February 27, he said.

The march will begin from Karachi and will reach Islamabad in 10 days after passing through 34 different cities of Sindh and Punjab.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday said that Pakistan's Prime Minister is the biggest propagator of fake news and he is taking away the freedom of expression of people under the guise of false news.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday said that Pakistan's Prime Minister is the biggest propagator of fake news and he is taking away the freedom of expression of people under the guise of false news. He made these comments while addressing a party worker's convention in Peshawar. "PM Imran Khan himself is the biggest propagator of fake news in Pakistan," he said, reported Geo TV. Also read | Pakistan looks to exit the 'grey list', faces new test at FATF meet Furthermore, he shared that those who were previously against tabling a no-confidence motion against the PTI-led government have now agreed to it. Bilawal also said that the party's planned march will represent the issues of all provinces and the party needs support from people to help move the motion. At the convention, he lashed at Imran Khan saying, "We have always termed the prime minister "selected" as he promised a change but failed to deliver it," reported the news channel. Also read | Pakistan PM Imran Khan faces flak over new laws 'to silence media, Opposition' He further chided the government for the economic devastation saying, "This government had promised a change but it only pushed masses into economic crisis. The PTI after coming to power had vowed to provide 10 million jobs, but it rendered several people jobless in its three and a half years of power." Bilawal on Tuesday approved the route plan for the party's planned long march. Party's planned long march would initiate from Karachi on February 27, he said. The march will begin from Karachi and will reach Islamabad in 10 days after passing through 34 different cities of Sindh and Punjab.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan biggest propagator of fake news, says opposition leader

&nbsp;A group of&nbsp;Brazilian President Jair&nbsp;Bolsonaro's&nbsp;allies&nbsp;allegedly&nbsp;is coordinating a disinformation campaign and targeting of his political rivals ahead of the Oct. 2 presidential election, according to a public extract from a federal&nbsp;police&nbsp;probe.

The partial report, which became publicly accessible after it was sent to the Supreme Court on Thursday, is from the so-called "Digital Militias" investigation led by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a crusading justice who has headed previous high-profile probes into&nbsp;Bolsonaro&nbsp;and his supporters.

Moraes, accused by&nbsp;Bolsonaro&nbsp;of favoring leftist front-runner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in this year's presidential election, is probing what lead&nbsp;police&nbsp;investigator Denisse Ribeiro has described as a "cabinet of hate" comprised of supporters of the far-right populist who are&nbsp;allegedly&nbsp;flooding social media with&nbsp;fake&nbsp;news&nbsp;and trashing&nbsp;Bolsonaro's enemies.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazils-bolsonaro-downplays-omicron-says-its-a-welcome-variant-444537">Brazil's Bolsonaro downplays Omicron, says its a 'welcome' variant</a>

Ribeiro said in the partial report that there is evidence to suggest an "orchestrated action" to identify targets, and create and spread disinformation for "ideological, party-political and financial gains."

The partial report has not yet named any of the people&nbsp;allegedly&nbsp;engaged in the&nbsp;fake&nbsp;news&nbsp;effort.&nbsp;Bolsonaro's office did not respond to a request for comment.

The report is likely to worsen relations between&nbsp;Bolsonaro&nbsp;and the Supreme Court, and stoke growing institutional tensions ahead of a vote in which the incumbent faces an uphill re-election battle.

Watch | Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro admitted to hospital with abdominal discomfort

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Moraes has become a key&nbsp;Bolsonaro&nbsp;antagonist and a lightning rod for the president's supporters.

In December, the justice ordered that a probe be opened after&nbsp;Bolsonaro&nbsp;said during a live broadcast on multiple social media platforms that COVID-19 vaccines might raise the chance of contracting AIDS.

Bolsonaro, however, faces little jeopardy from the probes while in office, experts say. Earlier this month, the federal&nbsp;police&nbsp;said the president committed a crime by revealing details about a sealed criminal probe, but chose not to recommend he be charged due to his immunity while in office.&nbsp;Bolsonaro's office did not respond to a request for comment when contacted earlier this month about the matter.

&nbsp;

A group of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's allies allegedly is coordinating a disinformation campaign and targeting of his political rivals ahead of the Oct.

A group of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's allies allegedly is coordinating a disinformation campaign and targeting of his political rivals ahead of the Oct. 2 presidential election, according to a public extract from a federal police probe. The partial report, which became publicly accessible after it was sent to the Supreme Court on Thursday, is from the so-called "Digital Militias" investigation led by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a crusading justice who has headed previous high-profile probes into Bolsonaro and his supporters. Moraes, accused by Bolsonaro of favoring leftist front-runner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in this year's presidential election, is probing what lead police investigator Denisse Ribeiro has described as a "cabinet of hate" comprised of supporters of the far-right populist who are allegedly flooding social media with fake news and trashing Bolsonaro's enemies. Also read | Brazil's Bolsonaro downplays Omicron, says its a 'welcome' variant Ribeiro said in the partial report that there is evidence to suggest an "orchestrated action" to identify targets, and create and spread disinformation for "ideological, party-political and financial gains." The partial report has not yet named any of the people allegedly engaged in the fake news effort. Bolsonaro's office did not respond to a request for comment. The report is likely to worsen relations between Bolsonaro and the Supreme Court, and stoke growing institutional tensions ahead of a vote in which the incumbent faces an uphill re-election battle. Watch | Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro admitted to hospital with abdominal discomfort Moraes has become a key Bolsonaro antagonist and a lightning rod for the president's supporters. In December, the justice ordered that a probe be opened after Bolsonaro said during a live broadcast on multiple social media platforms that COVID-19 vaccines might raise the chance of contracting AIDS. Bolsonaro, however, faces little jeopardy from the probes while in office, experts say. Earlier this month, the federal police said the president committed a crime by revealing details about a sealed criminal probe, but chose not to recommend he be charged due to his immunity while in office. Bolsonaro's office did not respond to a request for comment when contacted earlier this month about the matter.

Bolsonaro allies allegedly pushing fake news effort, Brazil police document says

Indian&nbsp;officials&nbsp;have&nbsp;held&nbsp;heated&nbsp;discussions&nbsp;with&nbsp;Google,&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;and&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;for not proactively removing what they described as fake news on their platforms, sources told Reuters, the government's latest altercation with Big Tech.

The&nbsp;officials, from the Ministry of Information&nbsp;and&nbsp;Broadcasting (I&amp;B), strongly criticised the companies&nbsp;and&nbsp;said their inaction on fake news was forcing the&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;government to order content takedowns, which in turn drew international criticism that authorities were suppressing free expression, two sources said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/20-youtube-channels-two-websites-taken-down-under-it-act-for-anti-india-propaganda-report-438631">20 YouTube channels, two websites taken down under IT Act for ‘anti-India’ propaganda: Report</a>

The sources, who were familiar with the proceedings at the virtual meeting on Monday, described the conversation as tense&nbsp;and&nbsp;heated, signalling a new low in ties between American tech giants&nbsp;and&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration.

The&nbsp;officials&nbsp;did not issue an ultimatum to the companies at the meeting, the sources said. The government has been tightening tech sector regulations, but wants companies to do more on content moderation.

The meeting was a follow-up to the I&amp;B ministry's use of "emergency powers" in December&nbsp;and&nbsp;January to order the blocking of 55 channels on&nbsp;Google's YouTube platform,&nbsp;and&nbsp;some&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;and&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;account.

The government had said the channels were promoting "fake news" or "anti-India" content&nbsp;and&nbsp;that the disinformation was being spread by accounts based in neighbouring Pakistan.

The I&amp;B ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting, which was also attended by&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;content-sharing platforms ShareChat&nbsp;and&nbsp;Koo, which&nbsp;have&nbsp;millions of users in the country.

Facebook, now known as Meta,&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;and&nbsp;ShareChat declined to comment.

Without commenting on the meeting, Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google&nbsp;said in a statement it reviews government’s requests&nbsp;and&nbsp;“where appropriate, we restrict or remove content in keeping with local laws.” Koo said it complies with local laws&nbsp;and&nbsp;has strong content moderation practices in place.

In its transparency reports,&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;has said the&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;government makes among the highest number of requests to remove content from its platform. Technology website Comparitech in October said India made 97,631 content removal requests in 2020, the second-highest in the world after Russia, mostly to&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;and&nbsp;Google.

Strained ties

During the meeting, senior tech executives told the&nbsp;officials&nbsp;that they take adequate measures to remove or curb the spread of misinformation on their platforms and&nbsp;act on legally-valid content removal requests, said the sources.

The&nbsp;officials&nbsp;told&nbsp;Google&nbsp;to review its internal guidelines to remove fake content automatically, said the sources.

The&nbsp;officials&nbsp;also said the government was disappointed that big social media platforms, including&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;and&nbsp;Twitter, weren't detecting&nbsp;and&nbsp;removing such content on their own.

Instead, the government was forced to order takedowns, opening it to criticism&nbsp;and&nbsp;damaging its public image, the&nbsp;officials&nbsp;said during the meeting, according to the sources.

Executives from&nbsp;Google&nbsp;told the I&amp;B&nbsp;officials&nbsp;that one way to resolve that was for the ministry to avoid making takedown decisions public. The firms could work with the government&nbsp;and&nbsp;act on the alleged fake content, which could be a win-win for both sides,&nbsp;Google&nbsp;said, according to one of the sources.

The idea was summarily rejected by the government&nbsp;officials, who said the takedowns also publicise how the companies weren't doing enough to tackle fake news on their own, the person said.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Spotify reportedly loses USD 4 billion in market value

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While ordering takedowns of certain online accounts in January, the government said it was doing so to "secure the overall information environment in India", adding that such fake content was on "sensitive subjects" such as the&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;Army, India's foreign relations&nbsp;and&nbsp;local state elections.

Digital rights advocates say such government orders curb free speech&nbsp;and&nbsp;set a worrying precedent.

"Detailed takedown orders are not made public by the government," said Apar Gupta, the executive director at Internet Freedom Foundation, adding that the basis for the action was not explained.

This allowed authorities to censor content even if it does not violate public order or the security of the state, he said.

Indian officials have held heated discussions with Google, Twitter and Facebook for not proactively removing what they described as fake news on their platforms, sources told Reuters, the government's latest altercation with Big Tech.

Indian officials have held heated discussions with Google, Twitter and Facebook for not proactively removing what they described as fake news on their platforms, sources told Reuters, the government's latest altercation with Big Tech. The officials, from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), strongly criticised the companies and said their inaction on fake news was forcing the Indian government to order content takedowns, which in turn drew international criticism that authorities were suppressing free expression, two sources said. Also read | 20 YouTube channels, two websites taken down under IT Act for ‘anti-India’ propaganda: Report The sources, who were familiar with the proceedings at the virtual meeting on Monday, described the conversation as tense and heated, signalling a new low in ties between American tech giants and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration. The officials did not issue an ultimatum to the companies at the meeting, the sources said. The government has been tightening tech sector regulations, but wants companies to do more on content moderation. The meeting was a follow-up to the I&B ministry's use of "emergency powers" in December and January to order the blocking of 55 channels on Google's YouTube platform, and some Twitter and Facebook account. The government had said the channels were promoting "fake news" or "anti-India" content and that the disinformation was being spread by accounts based in neighbouring Pakistan. The I&B ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the meeting, which was also attended by Indian content-sharing platforms ShareChat and Koo, which have millions of users in the country. Facebook, now known as Meta, Twitter and ShareChat declined to comment. Without commenting on the meeting, Alphabet Inc's Google said in a statement it reviews government’s requests and “where appropriate, we restrict or remove content in keeping with local laws.” Koo said it complies with local laws and has strong content moderation practices in place. In its transparency reports, Twitter has said the Indian government makes among the highest number of requests to remove content from its platform. Technology website Comparitech in October said India made 97,631 content removal requests in 2020, the second-highest in the world after Russia, mostly to Facebook and Google. Strained ties During the meeting, senior tech executives told the officials that they take adequate measures to remove or curb the spread of misinformation on their platforms and act on legally-valid content removal requests, said the sources. The officials told Google to review its internal guidelines to remove fake content automatically, said the sources. The officials also said the government was disappointed that big social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, weren't detecting and removing such content on their own. Instead, the government was forced to order takedowns, opening it to criticism and damaging its public image, the officials said during the meeting, according to the sources. Executives from Google told the I&B officials that one way to resolve that was for the ministry to avoid making takedown decisions public. The firms could work with the government and act on the alleged fake content, which could be a win-win for both sides, Google said, according to one of the sources. The idea was summarily rejected by the government officials, who said the takedowns also publicise how the companies weren't doing enough to tackle fake news on their own, the person said. Watch | Gravitas: Spotify reportedly loses USD 4 billion in market value While ordering takedowns of certain online accounts in January, the government said it was doing so to "secure the overall information environment in India", adding that such fake content was on "sensitive subjects" such as the Indian Army, India's foreign relations and local state elections. Digital rights advocates say such government orders curb free speech and set a worrying precedent. "Detailed takedown orders are not made public by the government," said Apar Gupta, the executive director at Internet Freedom Foundation, adding that the basis for the action was not explained. This allowed authorities to censor content even if it does not violate public order or the security of the state, he said.

India seeks tougher action from US tech giants on fake news

India has decided to crack down on some YouTube channels and websites that according to the Indian government. are involved in propagating fake news.

India cracks down on Pakistan-based YouTube channels propagating fake news against the government

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