Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday slammed Facebook's move to block news in the country and called it&nbsp;''arrogant''.

Morrison, on his Facebook page, said&nbsp;"Facebook's actions to unfriend Australia today, cutting off essential information services on health and emergency services, were as arrogant as they were disappointing.

<img alt="Fb" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="35f1d020-f40d-4cb0-99ec-d6f9ad10af65" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Capture%207489584.JPG" />

"These actions will only confirm the concerns that an increasing number of countries are expressing about the behaviour of Big Tech companies who think they are bigger than governments and that the rules should not apply to them."

Facebook's dramatic move represents a split from Alphabet Inc-owned Google after they joined together for years to campaign against the laws. Both had threatened to cancel services in Australia, but Google has instead sealed preemptive deals with several outlets in recent days.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/heavy-handed-several-key-sectors-hit-as-facebook-blocks-news-sharing-in-australia-364398">Several key sectors hit as Facebook blocks news sharing in Australia</a>

The move was swiftly criticised by news producers, politicians and human rights advocates, particularly as it became clear that official health pages, emergency safety warnings and welfare networks had all been scrubbed from the site along with news.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp was the latest to announce a deal in which it will receive "significant payments" from Google in return for providing content for the search engine's News Showcase account.

The Australian law would require Facebook and Google to reach commercial deals with news outlets whose links drive traffic to their platforms or be subjected to forced arbitration to agree a price.

Facebook said in its statement that the law, which is expected to be passed by parliament within days, "fundamentally misunderstands" the relationship between itself and publishers and it faced a stark choice of complying or banning news content.

The tech giant has said news makes up just 4 per cent&nbsp;of what people view on its website, but for Australians Facebook's role in news&nbsp;delivery is growing.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday slammed Facebook's move to block news in the country and called it ''arrogant''. Morrison, on his Facebook page, said "Facebook's actions to unfriend Australia today, cutting off essential information services on health and emergency services, were as arrogant as they were disappointing.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday slammed Facebook's move to block news in the country and called it ''arrogant''. Morrison, on his Facebook page, said "Facebook's actions to unfriend Australia today, cutting off essential information services on health and emergency services, were as arrogant as they were disappointing. "These actions will only confirm the concerns that an increasing number of countries are expressing about the behaviour of Big Tech companies who think they are bigger than governments and that the rules should not apply to them." Facebook's dramatic move represents a split from Alphabet Inc-owned Google after they joined together for years to campaign against the laws. Both had threatened to cancel services in Australia, but Google has instead sealed preemptive deals with several outlets in recent days. Also read: Several key sectors hit as Facebook blocks news sharing in Australia The move was swiftly criticised by news producers, politicians and human rights advocates, particularly as it became clear that official health pages, emergency safety warnings and welfare networks had all been scrubbed from the site along with news. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp was the latest to announce a deal in which it will receive "significant payments" from Google in return for providing content for the search engine's News Showcase account. The Australian law would require Facebook and Google to reach commercial deals with news outlets whose links drive traffic to their platforms or be subjected to forced arbitration to agree a price. Facebook said in its statement that the law, which is expected to be passed by parliament within days, "fundamentally misunderstands" the relationship between itself and publishers and it faced a stark choice of complying or banning news content. The tech giant has said news makes up just 4 per cent of what people view on its website, but for Australians Facebook's role in news delivery is growing.

'Arrogant': Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison slams Facebook's move to block news

Google is teaming up with the European Investment Fund (EIF) and two other organisations in Latin America and Asia to provide $75 million in funding to small- and medium-sized companies suffering from the impact of COVID-19.

The funds are part of an $800 million initiative announced in March last year in response to the pandemic.

Google, a unit of Alphabet, said on Wednesday that it would invest in two EIF funds, giving $15 million in loan capital to 1,000 European small businesses and $10 million in EIF’s venture capital fund backing 200 life sciences companies.

The EIF is part of the European Investment Bank group, the lending arm of the European Union.

In Latin America, Google will work with the Inter-American Development Bank to allocate $8 million to small companies.

It has also set up a $26 million loan fund with Kiva, an organisation that crowdfunds loans, to help businesses in Africa, the Middle East and Indonesia. Indian companies will get $15 million.

Google is teaming up with the European Investment Fund (EIF) and two other organisations in Latin America and Asia to provide $75 million in funding to small- and medium-sized companies suffering from the impact of COVID-19.

Google is teaming up with the European Investment Fund (EIF) and two other organisations in Latin America and Asia to provide $75 million in funding to small- and medium-sized companies suffering from the impact of COVID-19. The funds are part of an $800 million initiative announced in March last year in response to the pandemic. Google, a unit of Alphabet, said on Wednesday that it would invest in two EIF funds, giving $15 million in loan capital to 1,000 European small businesses and $10 million in EIF’s venture capital fund backing 200 life sciences companies. The EIF is part of the European Investment Bank group, the lending arm of the European Union. In Latin America, Google will work with the Inter-American Development Bank to allocate $8 million to small companies. It has also set up a $26 million loan fund with Kiva, an organisation that crowdfunds loans, to help businesses in Africa, the Middle East and Indonesia. Indian companies will get $15 million.

Google to invest $75 million in coronavirus-hit small businesses

Google and Facebook are "very close" to deals with major <a href="https://www.wionews.com/australia-and-new-zealand">Australian</a> media to pay for news, a top government official said Monday, as the tech giants scramble to avoid landmark regulation.

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said talks with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai had made "great progress" in resolving a standoff being closely watched around the world.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/microsoft-says-it-supports-australias-plans-to-make-google-pay-for-news-361044">Microsoft says it supports Australia's plans to make Google pay for news</a>

Australia is poised to adopt legislation that would force digital companies to pay for news content, something that would create a global precedent and, according to Facebook and Google, wreck the way the internet works.

The companies have threatened to partially withdraw services from the country if the rules become law, sparking a war of words with Canberra.

But that disagreement appeared to ease Monday, with Frydenberg telling public broadcaster ABC talks with the companies "made great progress over the course of the weekend".

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-to-launch-smartwatch-with-messaging-fitness-features-363611">Facebook to launch smartwatch with messaging, fitness features</a>

"I think we're very close to some very significant commercial deals," he said, "and in doing so that will transform the domestic media landscape."

The agreements could be enough to see Facebook and Google avoid the most severe parts of the legislation -- including binding arbitration to ensure they are not using their online advertising duopoly to dictate terms in deals with media companies.

Following Frydenberg's remarks, SevenWest Media, owner of broadcaster 7NEWS and The West Australian newspaper, announced Monday a new agreement for its content to be hosted on Google's News Showcase product.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the first major deal with a large Australian news organisation was worth more than Aus$30 million (US$23 million) a year.

SevenWest chairman Kerry Stokes said it was a "great outcome" and hailed the government's work on its news media bargaining code as "instrumental in the outcome of this ground-breaking agreement".

The firm will join several smaller local publishers on News Showcase, which Google said had received more than one million views since launching in Australia eight days ago.

Frydenberg's comments suggest major Australian media organisations, such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and Nine Entertainment, could be close to reaching similar deals.

A Google spokesman said the company was in discussions with publishers both "large and small" while a Facebook spokesperson said the firm had been negotiating to "land commercial deals that reflect the commercial value of news content on our platform".

News groups worldwide have seen their businesses ravaged by the loss of advertising dollars that once flowed to their newspapers but are now overwhelmingly captured by the big digital platforms.

Thousands of journalists' jobs have been lost and numerous outlets forced to close in Australia alone over the past decade.

Google and Facebook are "very close" to deals with major Australian media to pay for news, a top government official said Monday, as the tech giants scramble to avoid landmark regulation.

Google and Facebook are "very close" to deals with major Australian media to pay for news, a top government official said Monday, as the tech giants scramble to avoid landmark regulation. Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said talks with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai had made "great progress" in resolving a standoff being closely watched around the world. Also read| Microsoft says it supports Australia's plans to make Google pay for news Australia is poised to adopt legislation that would force digital companies to pay for news content, something that would create a global precedent and, according to Facebook and Google, wreck the way the internet works. The companies have threatened to partially withdraw services from the country if the rules become law, sparking a war of words with Canberra. But that disagreement appeared to ease Monday, with Frydenberg telling public broadcaster ABC talks with the companies "made great progress over the course of the weekend". Also read| Facebook to launch smartwatch with messaging, fitness features "I think we're very close to some very significant commercial deals," he said, "and in doing so that will transform the domestic media landscape." The agreements could be enough to see Facebook and Google avoid the most severe parts of the legislation -- including binding arbitration to ensure they are not using their online advertising duopoly to dictate terms in deals with media companies. Following Frydenberg's remarks, SevenWest Media, owner of broadcaster 7NEWS and The West Australian newspaper, announced Monday a new agreement for its content to be hosted on Google's News Showcase product. The Sydney Morning Herald reported the first major deal with a large Australian news organisation was worth more than Aus$30 million (US$23 million) a year. SevenWest chairman Kerry Stokes said it was a "great outcome" and hailed the government's work on its news media bargaining code as "instrumental in the outcome of this ground-breaking agreement". The firm will join several smaller local publishers on News Showcase, which Google said had received more than one million views since launching in Australia eight days ago. Frydenberg's comments suggest major Australian media organisations, such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and Nine Entertainment, could be close to reaching similar deals. A Google spokesman said the company was in discussions with publishers both "large and small" while a Facebook spokesperson said the firm had been negotiating to "land commercial deals that reflect the commercial value of news content on our platform". News groups worldwide have seen their businesses ravaged by the loss of advertising dollars that once flowed to their newspapers but are now overwhelmingly captured by the big digital platforms. Thousands of journalists' jobs have been lost and numerous outlets forced to close in Australia alone over the past decade.

Google and Facebook 'close' to deals with Australian media

Google has been hit with an of 1.1 million euros ($1.3 million) fine after a probe found that Google's hotel rankings could be misleading for consumers, France's finance ministry and fraud watchdog said on Monday.&nbsp;

Google used the official source Atout France as well as input from other hotel-industry websites in its algorithm to rank hotels from one to five stars.&nbsp;

After receiving complaints from hoteliers about Google's rankings, the French government’s fraud and competition agency launched an investigation in 2019 and 2020. &nbsp;

It said it was to monitor “the nature and fairness of the information provided by the platform” across 7,500 establishments.&nbsp;

Google said that it has now made the “necessary changes to only reflect the official French star rating for hotels on Google Maps and Search.”&nbsp;

In other Google-related news, the search giant has struck a deal with Australia's Seven West Media that became the country's first major news outlet to strike a licensing deal with Google, as the government pushes ahead with a law that would force the Internet giant to pay media companies for content.&nbsp;

At an earnings announcement on Tuesday, Seven, which owns a free-to-air television network and the main metro newspaper in the city of Perth, said it would supply content for Google's News Showcase platform. It did not disclose terms.&nbsp;

The deal shows Seven splittings from rivals News Corp and Nine Entertainment which have failed to reach agreements with Google and instead backed laws, set to be passed this week, where the government sets the online giant's content fees in the absence of a private deal.&nbsp;

So far in Australia, only specialist online publishers and one regional newspaper have struck deals to receive payment for their content appearing on the new Google platform which went live in the country this month. Outside Australia, Reuters is among news outlets with similar Google deals.&nbsp;

"The negotiations with Google recognise the value of quality and original journalism throughout the country and, in particular, in regional areas," said Seven West Chairman Kerry Stokes in a statement.&nbsp;

Google's Australia CEO Mel Silva said the US company was "proud to support original, trusted, and quality journalism" by featuring Seven on its platform. Last month, Silva told a parliamentary hearing Google would pull its search engine from Australia if the so-called News Media Bargaining Code became law. A Google representative declined to comment on the effect of the Seven deal.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Google has been hit with an of 1.1 million euros ($1.3 million) fine after a probe found that Google's hotel rankings could be misleading for consumers, France's finance ministry and fraud watchdog said on Monday.

Google has been hit with an of 1.1 million euros ($1.3 million) fine after a probe found that Google's hotel rankings could be misleading for consumers, France's finance ministry and fraud watchdog said on Monday. Google used the official source Atout France as well as input from other hotel-industry websites in its algorithm to rank hotels from one to five stars. After receiving complaints from hoteliers about Google's rankings, the French government’s fraud and competition agency launched an investigation in 2019 and 2020. It said it was to monitor “the nature and fairness of the information provided by the platform” across 7,500 establishments. Google said that it has now made the “necessary changes to only reflect the official French star rating for hotels on Google Maps and Search.” In other Google-related news, the search giant has struck a deal with Australia's Seven West Media that became the country's first major news outlet to strike a licensing deal with Google, as the government pushes ahead with a law that would force the Internet giant to pay media companies for content. At an earnings announcement on Tuesday, Seven, which owns a free-to-air television network and the main metro newspaper in the city of Perth, said it would supply content for Google's News Showcase platform. It did not disclose terms. The deal shows Seven splittings from rivals News Corp and Nine Entertainment which have failed to reach agreements with Google and instead backed laws, set to be passed this week, where the government sets the online giant's content fees in the absence of a private deal. So far in Australia, only specialist online publishers and one regional newspaper have struck deals to receive payment for their content appearing on the new Google platform which went live in the country this month. Outside Australia, Reuters is among news outlets with similar Google deals. "The negotiations with Google recognise the value of quality and original journalism throughout the country and, in particular, in regional areas," said Seven West Chairman Kerry Stokes in a statement. Google's Australia CEO Mel Silva said the US company was "proud to support original, trusted, and quality journalism" by featuring Seven on its platform. Last month, Silva told a parliamentary hearing Google would pull its search engine from Australia if the so-called News Media Bargaining Code became law. A Google representative declined to comment on the effect of the Seven deal. (With inputs from agencies)

Google to pay over $1 million for misleading French hotel rankings 

Social media giant Facebook is secretly working on a smartwatch and is planning to begin its sale from next year, as per a report.

The&nbsp;Android-based smartwatch being prepared by Facebook will include&nbsp;messaging, health, and fitness features.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/apple-ceo-zuckerberg-fires-shots-at-each-other-360198/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to The Verge, it is unclear whether Facebook intends for the smartwatch to run Google's Wear Os.

Apart from the upcoming smartwatch, Facebook is also working on building its own operating system for hardware devices and future iterations of the wearable may run that software instead.

The smartwatch would join Facebook's Oculus virtual reality headsets and Portal video chat devices as part of the social network`s growing hardware ecosystem.

The company is also working on branded Ray-Ban smart glasses expected to come out later this year and a separate augmented reality research initiative known as Project Aria, which is part of the company`s broader AR explorations, which it has been working on for some time now.

The social networking company has more than 6,000 employees working on various augmented and virtual reality projects and as part of existing hardware divisions like Oculus and Portal, as well as experimental initiatives under its Facebook Reality Labs division.

The Verge also reported that Facebook took over the neural interface startup CTRL-Labs in 2019. It has expertise in building wireless input mechanisms, including devices that could transmit electrical signals from the brain to computing devices without the need for traditional touchscreen or physical button inputs.

Social media giant Facebook is secretly working on a smartwatch and is planning to begin its sale from next year, as per a report. The Android-based smartwatch being prepared by Facebook will include messaging, health, and fitness features.

Social media giant Facebook is secretly working on a smartwatch and is planning to begin its sale from next year, as per a report. The Android-based smartwatch being prepared by Facebook will include messaging, health, and fitness features. According to The Verge, it is unclear whether Facebook intends for the smartwatch to run Google's Wear Os. Apart from the upcoming smartwatch, Facebook is also working on building its own operating system for hardware devices and future iterations of the wearable may run that software instead. The smartwatch would join Facebook's Oculus virtual reality headsets and Portal video chat devices as part of the social network`s growing hardware ecosystem. The company is also working on branded Ray-Ban smart glasses expected to come out later this year and a separate augmented reality research initiative known as Project Aria, which is part of the company`s broader AR explorations, which it has been working on for some time now. The social networking company has more than 6,000 employees working on various augmented and virtual reality projects and as part of existing hardware divisions like Oculus and Portal, as well as experimental initiatives under its Facebook Reality Labs division. The Verge also reported that Facebook took over the neural interface startup CTRL-Labs in 2019. It has expertise in building wireless input mechanisms, including devices that could transmit electrical signals from the brain to computing devices without the need for traditional touchscreen or physical button inputs.

Facebook to launch smartwatch with messaging, fitness features

Microsoft&nbsp;Corp said on Wednesday it fully supported proposed new laws in Australia that would force internet giants Google and Facebook Inc to pay domestic media outlets for their content.

Microsoft has been positioning itself to increase market share for its search engine, Bing after a Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with a draft law that would make tech giants pay for news content.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/google-to-spend-38-million-to-settle-accusations-of-hiring-360785/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a statement that he and Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella had told Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher in an online meeting&nbsp; that&nbsp;"While&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;is not subject to the legislation currently pending, we'd be willing to live by these rules if the government designates us."

"The code reasonably attempts to address the bargaining power imbalance between digital platforms and Australian news businesses."

Both Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook have called the laws unworkable and said last month they would withdraw some key services from Australia if the regulations went ahead.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;was ready to step in and expand its search product Bing in Australia if Google pulls its search engine after he spoke with&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;Chief Executive Satya Nadella last week.

Although Bing is Australia's second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6 per cent&nbsp;market share, according to web analytics service Statcounter.

Google's search engine has 94 per cent of&nbsp;the country's search market, according to industry data.

Microsoft&nbsp;in its statement said it will offer small firms a chance to transfer advertising business to Bing with no costs and that it would invest further in the product to ensure it is competitive.

The mandatory code proposed by the government aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants siphon from news sites.

There are no plans to make smaller search engines such as Bing pay for linking users to Australian news, but the government has not ruled that option out. 
Google has faced pressure from authorities elsewhere to pay for news.

Last month, it signed a deal with a group of French publishers paving the way for the company to make digital copyright payments. Under the agreement, Google will negotiate individual licensing deals with newspapers, with payments based on factors such as the amount published daily and monthly internet site traffic.

But Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay. Under the Australian system, if an online platform and a news business can't agree on a price for news, an arbitration panel will make a binding decision on payment.

Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it fully supported proposed new laws in Australia that would force internet giants Google and Facebook Inc to pay domestic media outlets for their content.

Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it fully supported proposed new laws in Australia that would force internet giants Google and Facebook Inc to pay domestic media outlets for their content. Microsoft has been positioning itself to increase market share for its search engine, Bing after a Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with a draft law that would make tech giants pay for news content. Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a statement that he and Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella had told Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher in an online meeting that "While Microsoft is not subject to the legislation currently pending, we'd be willing to live by these rules if the government designates us." "The code reasonably attempts to address the bargaining power imbalance between digital platforms and Australian news businesses." Both Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook have called the laws unworkable and said last month they would withdraw some key services from Australia if the regulations went ahead. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday Microsoft was ready to step in and expand its search product Bing in Australia if Google pulls its search engine after he spoke with Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella last week. Although Bing is Australia's second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6 per cent market share, according to web analytics service Statcounter. Google's search engine has 94 per cent of the country's search market, according to industry data. Microsoft in its statement said it will offer small firms a chance to transfer advertising business to Bing with no costs and that it would invest further in the product to ensure it is competitive. The mandatory code proposed by the government aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants siphon from news sites. There are no plans to make smaller search engines such as Bing pay for linking users to Australian news, but the government has not ruled that option out. Google has faced pressure from authorities elsewhere to pay for news. Last month, it signed a deal with a group of French publishers paving the way for the company to make digital copyright payments. Under the agreement, Google will negotiate individual licensing deals with newspapers, with payments based on factors such as the amount published daily and monthly internet site traffic. But Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay. Under the Australian system, if an online platform and a news business can't agree on a price for news, an arbitration panel will make a binding decision on payment.

Microsoft says it supports Australia's plans to make Google pay for news

Alphabet Inc's Google will spend $3.8 million, including $2.6 million in back pay, to settle allegations that it underpaid women and unfairly passed over women and Asians for job openings, the US&nbsp;Department of Labour said on Monday.

The allegations stemmed from a routine compliance audit several years ago required by Google's status as a supplier of technology to the federal government.

Google said it was pleased to have resolved the matter.

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs had found "preliminary indicators" that Google from 2014 to 2017 at times underpaid 2,783 women in its software engineering group in Mountain View, California, and the Seattle area.

Investigators also found hiring rate differences that disadvantaged women and Asian candidates during the year ended Aug. 31, 2017, for software engineering roles in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, California, and Kirkland, Washington.

The settlement includes $2.6 million in back pay to 5,500 employees and job candidates and calls on Google to review hiring and salary practices.

Google also will set aside $1.25 million for pay adjustments for engineers in Mountain View, Kirkland, Seattle and New York over the next five years, according to the settlement. Any unused funds will be spent on diversity efforts at Google.

The company already conducts annual pay audits, but like other big tech companies, it remains under public scrutiny for a workforce that does not reflect the country's makeup in terms of race and gender.

The company said in a statement, "We believe everyone should be paid based upon the work they do, not who they are, and invest heavily to make our hiring and compensation processes fair and unbiased."

Alphabet Inc's Google will spend $3.8 million, including $2.6 million in back pay, to settle allegations that it underpaid women and unfairly passed over women and Asians for job openings, the US Department of Labour said on Monday.

Alphabet Inc's Google will spend $3.8 million, including $2.6 million in back pay, to settle allegations that it underpaid women and unfairly passed over women and Asians for job openings, the US Department of Labour said on Monday. The allegations stemmed from a routine compliance audit several years ago required by Google's status as a supplier of technology to the federal government. Google said it was pleased to have resolved the matter. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs had found "preliminary indicators" that Google from 2014 to 2017 at times underpaid 2,783 women in its software engineering group in Mountain View, California, and the Seattle area. Investigators also found hiring rate differences that disadvantaged women and Asian candidates during the year ended Aug. 31, 2017, for software engineering roles in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, California, and Kirkland, Washington. The settlement includes $2.6 million in back pay to 5,500 employees and job candidates and calls on Google to review hiring and salary practices. Google also will set aside $1.25 million for pay adjustments for engineers in Mountain View, Kirkland, Seattle and New York over the next five years, according to the settlement. Any unused funds will be spent on diversity efforts at Google. The company already conducts annual pay audits, but like other big tech companies, it remains under public scrutiny for a workforce that does not reflect the country's makeup in terms of race and gender. The company said in a statement, "We believe everyone should be paid based upon the work they do, not who they are, and invest heavily to make our hiring and compensation processes fair and unbiased."

Google to spend $3.8 million to settle accusations of hiring, pay biases

The European Commission has told Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft to continue monthly reports on their efforts to tackle fake news, especially on COVID-19, for another six months.

Social media and online platforms have come under fire globally over the spread of fake news, leading to calls for regulators to force them to do more or face cumbersome rules.

The companies, together with TikTok and advertisers, have signed the European Union`s code of practice to tackle the spread of disinformation on their platforms, and had to submit reports on their efforts during an initial six-month period.

The reports will continue for another six months because of their relevance during the virus pandemic, the EU executive said.

The companies have been told to provide more data on how disinformation spreads during the coronavirus crisis and on the granular impact of their actions in EU countries.

"The pandemic has become a breeding ground for false claims and conspiracy theories and platforms are important amplifiers of this type of messages," Commission Vice-

President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova said in a statement.

"We must continue working together to improve our fight with disinformation, but we need more transparency and better effort from the online platforms," she said.

The European Commission has told Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft to continue monthly reports on their efforts to tackle fake news, especially on COVID-19, for another six months.

The European Commission has told Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft to continue monthly reports on their efforts to tackle fake news, especially on COVID-19, for another six months. Social media and online platforms have come under fire globally over the spread of fake news, leading to calls for regulators to force them to do more or face cumbersome rules. The companies, together with TikTok and advertisers, have signed the European Union`s code of practice to tackle the spread of disinformation on their platforms, and had to submit reports on their efforts during an initial six-month period. The reports will continue for another six months because of their relevance during the virus pandemic, the EU executive said. The companies have been told to provide more data on how disinformation spreads during the coronavirus crisis and on the granular impact of their actions in EU countries. "The pandemic has become a breeding ground for false claims and conspiracy theories and platforms are important amplifiers of this type of messages," Commission Vice- President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova said in a statement. "We must continue working together to improve our fight with disinformation, but we need more transparency and better effort from the online platforms," she said.

EU tells Google, Facebook and Twitter to extend fake news watch, COVID-19 in focus

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/google">Google</a> has offered its facilities as coronavirus vaccination sites to help in the mass inoculation drive taking place in the United States.

The tech giant's chief executive Sundar Pichai announced on Monday that the company will be converting its facilities as a part of the $150 million initiative being run to educate people about the effects of the vaccine, and rid away the rumours around it.

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/colour-coded-google-to-redesign-search-for-better-user-experience-359236">&nbsp;Google to redesign 'search' for better user experience</a>

"To help with vaccination efforts, starting in the United States, we'll make select Google facilities — such as buildings, parking lots and open spaces — available as needed," Pichai said.

"These sites will be open to anyone eligible for the vaccine based on state and local guidelines," he added.

His team will be working along with public health authorities and provider One Medical to pan out the plan of converting the facilities into vaccination centres.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-threatens-to-halt-search-feature-in-australia-over-new-media-payment-law-pm-reacts-358422" hreflang="en">Google threatens to halt 'search' feature in Australia over new media payment law; PM reacts</a>

As of now, the areas which will have these vaccination sites will be in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area as well as in the northwest state of Washington and New York City, with plans to expand.

"Searches for 'vaccines near me" have increased 5x since the beginning of the year and we want to make sure we''re providing timely and locally relevant answers," said Pichai.

Google will also use $100 million funding for advertising grants for the US Centres for Disease Foundation, WHO and various nonprofits and health agencies. The company also plans to use funds to provide assistance to underserved centres and facilities that are helpng people during these tough times.

Google has offered its facilities as coronavirus vaccination sites to help in the mass inoculation drive taking place in the United States. The tech giant's chief executive Sundar Pichai announced on Monday that the company will be converting its facilities as a part of the $150 million initiative being run to educate people about the effects of the vaccine, and rid away the rumours around it.

Google has offered its facilities as coronavirus vaccination sites to help in the mass inoculation drive taking place in the United States. The tech giant's chief executive Sundar Pichai announced on Monday that the company will be converting its facilities as a part of the $150 million initiative being run to educate people about the effects of the vaccine, and rid away the rumours around it. Also read| Google to redesign 'search' for better user experience "To help with vaccination efforts, starting in the United States, we'll make select Google facilities — such as buildings, parking lots and open spaces — available as needed," Pichai said. "These sites will be open to anyone eligible for the vaccine based on state and local guidelines," he added. His team will be working along with public health authorities and provider One Medical to pan out the plan of converting the facilities into vaccination centres. Also read| Google threatens to halt 'search' feature in Australia over new media payment law; PM reacts As of now, the areas which will have these vaccination sites will be in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area as well as in the northwest state of Washington and New York City, with plans to expand. "Searches for 'vaccines near me" have increased 5x since the beginning of the year and we want to make sure we''re providing timely and locally relevant answers," said Pichai. Google will also use $100 million funding for advertising grants for the US Centres for Disease Foundation, WHO and various nonprofits and health agencies. The company also plans to use funds to provide assistance to underserved centres and facilities that are helpng people during these tough times.

Google to turn company spaces into vaccination centres: Sundar Pichai

The popular 'search' tool of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/google">Google</a> will soon be redesigned for mobile users with changes in colours specifically to help the users.

This decision has been taken to make sure the users can have a better and easier reading experience.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-threatens-to-halt-search-feature-in-australia-over-new-media-payment-law-pm-reacts-358422" hreflang="en">Google threatens to halt 'search' feature in Australia over new media payment law; PM reacts</a>

Google search's new update will have larger and bolder text font and size which will help the human eyes survey the text faster and more easily.

The fonts, which are now being planned to use, are the ones which are already in use in other Google products in Android and Gmail.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-threatens-to-halt-search-feature-in-australia-over-new-media-payment-law-pm-reacts-358422" hreflang="en">Google threatens to halt 'search' feature in Australia over new media payment law; PM reacts</a>

It is also planning to use colours in a way that will help highlight important information without the user getting distracted or lost.&nbsp;

The colours will be used in a 'more intentional' manner which will help enhance the user experience.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-maps-removes-road-of-bones-route-after-russian-driver-freezes-to-death-349526" hreflang="en">Google Maps removes 'Road of Bones' route after Russian driver freezes to death</a>

"We wanted to take a step back to simplify a bit so people could find what they’re looking for faster and more easily. I find it really refreshing. We want to let the search results shine, allowing people to focus on the information instead of the design elements around it," Aileen Cheng, a designer at Google said.

In the new update, Google will place content on a clean background to make sure the users do not get overwhelmed by the heavy backgrounds. The new design will also be bouncier and more lively.

The popular 'search' tool of Google will soon be redesigned for mobile users with changes in colours specifically to help the users. This decision has been taken to make sure the users can have a better and easier reading experience.

The popular 'search' tool of Google will soon be redesigned for mobile users with changes in colours specifically to help the users. This decision has been taken to make sure the users can have a better and easier reading experience. Also read| Google threatens to halt 'search' feature in Australia over new media payment law; PM reacts Google search's new update will have larger and bolder text font and size which will help the human eyes survey the text faster and more easily. The fonts, which are now being planned to use, are the ones which are already in use in other Google products in Android and Gmail. Also read| Google threatens to halt 'search' feature in Australia over new media payment law; PM reacts It is also planning to use colours in a way that will help highlight important information without the user getting distracted or lost. The colours will be used in a 'more intentional' manner which will help enhance the user experience. Also read| Google Maps removes 'Road of Bones' route after Russian driver freezes to death "We wanted to take a step back to simplify a bit so people could find what they’re looking for faster and more easily. I find it really refreshing. We want to let the search results shine, allowing people to focus on the information instead of the design elements around it," Aileen Cheng, a designer at Google said. In the new update, Google will place content on a clean background to make sure the users do not get overwhelmed by the heavy backgrounds. The new design will also be bouncier and more lively.

Colour coded: Google to redesign 'search' for better user experience

India is the world's second-biggest online market. 743 million Indians use the internet. That's twice the size of US market. The number is unmatched by any country except the neighbour provoking in Ladakh.

India's market potential is no secret. When internet exploded in the country in the first half of the century Silicon Valley CEOs rushed to India to profit from the market.

Today, at least 241 million Indians use Facebook. The company's revenue grew 43% in FY 20'. Google's profit increased 24% in FY 20'

India is home to the world's largest digital literacy programme. But in India,&nbsp;tech companies have a free run. There is no awareness or concern about the threat posed by big tech.

India is doing nothing to regulate them. To check their anti-trust approaches, their anti-competitive behaviour, or to break their monopoly. In December 2019, India finally introduced the data protection bill. One year on, it is gathering dust. Even if it is passed, it may not be able to address real problems.

For example, the bill says- the person to whom a data relates should be given the right to control it. In other words, the data can only be processed with the consent of its owner. This is a fair point. But in India, we give away consent for our data in return of discounts and free apps.

India needs laws that can identify loopholes and plug them. India needs laws that can be applied and enforced. Laws- that have provisions for exemplary punishment.

In 2018, India's Competition Commission probed Google, for abusing its dominance online. The complaint was filed by Consim Info,&nbsp;the parent company of a matrimonial site.

Google was found guilty. It was fined 136 crore rupees.

Google appealed. And by all accounts that WION have been able to access, Google hasn't paid the fine, nor has it fixed its ways. It is still playing unfair.

India's competition commission has also not been able to do much to check the monopoly of Big Tech.

Silicon valley companies have abused India's regulatory gaps. They have built a wall of opacity and untouchability around them. There is no clarity on any of their policies.

In another example, Twitter India had temporarily blocked the account of India's Home Minister Amit Shah in November 2020.

India's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology recently quizzed Twitter about it. The tech giant reportedly said the minister's account had to be blocked because of a copyright issue with a picture.

Earlier it had said that there was 'inadvertent error' under its copyright policies. By the end of the grilling session, India's lawmakers agreed- that the country's existing laws need to be updated. India needs laws that are proactive, not reactive.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation has booked Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research Limited. For illegally harvesting data of Indian users. The data theft was authorised by Facebook.

Nearly 6 lakh Indian Facebook users are expected to have been hit.

All this could have been avoided if India had the necessary frameworks in place.

WhatsApp spoke of privacy policy for Indian users some days ago. Why didn't Whatsapp's parent company Facebook did not dare think of such a policy for Europe? The answer is Europe's tough law-- the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) India doesn't have anything like it

Another reason why India needs tougher laws is illiteracy. The fake news and hate speeches that cannot be spread in letters, are being circulated through videos. Mediums like WhatsApp have penetrated every layer of Indian society. They have become a threat.

India should come up with tough laws to prevent corporate abuse of power. To prevent bundling of products. To ensure 'Made in India' companies are not booted out of the market or acquired by the big 4

The pandemic has forced more companies and consumers to go online. The worldwide web is not the future anymore. It is the present. India needs to keep up with this digital reality.

India is the world's second-biggest online market. 743 million Indians use the internet. That's twice the size of US market. The number is unmatched by any country except the neighbour provoking in Ladakh.

India is the world's second-biggest online market. 743 million Indians use the internet. That's twice the size of US market. The number is unmatched by any country except the neighbour provoking in Ladakh. India's market potential is no secret. When internet exploded in the country in the first half of the century Silicon Valley CEOs rushed to India to profit from the market. Today, at least 241 million Indians use Facebook. The company's revenue grew 43% in FY 20'. Google's profit increased 24% in FY 20' India is home to the world's largest digital literacy programme. But in India, tech companies have a free run. There is no awareness or concern about the threat posed by big tech. India is doing nothing to regulate them. To check their anti-trust approaches, their anti-competitive behaviour, or to break their monopoly. In December 2019, India finally introduced the data protection bill. One year on, it is gathering dust. Even if it is passed, it may not be able to address real problems. For example, the bill says- the person to whom a data relates should be given the right to control it. In other words, the data can only be processed with the consent of its owner. This is a fair point. But in India, we give away consent for our data in return of discounts and free apps. India needs laws that can identify loopholes and plug them. India needs laws that can be applied and enforced. Laws- that have provisions for exemplary punishment. In 2018, India's Competition Commission probed Google, for abusing its dominance online. The complaint was filed by Consim Info, the parent company of a matrimonial site. Google was found guilty. It was fined 136 crore rupees. Google appealed. And by all accounts that WION have been able to access, Google hasn't paid the fine, nor has it fixed its ways. It is still playing unfair. India's competition commission has also not been able to do much to check the monopoly of Big Tech. Silicon valley companies have abused India's regulatory gaps. They have built a wall of opacity and untouchability around them. There is no clarity on any of their policies. In another example, Twitter India had temporarily blocked the account of India's Home Minister Amit Shah in November 2020. India's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology recently quizzed Twitter about it. The tech giant reportedly said the minister's account had to be blocked because of a copyright issue with a picture. Earlier it had said that there was 'inadvertent error' under its copyright policies. By the end of the grilling session, India's lawmakers agreed- that the country's existing laws need to be updated. India needs laws that are proactive, not reactive. India's Central Bureau of Investigation has booked Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research Limited. For illegally harvesting data of Indian users. The data theft was authorised by Facebook. Nearly 6 lakh Indian Facebook users are expected to have been hit. All this could have been avoided if India had the necessary frameworks in place. WhatsApp spoke of privacy policy for Indian users some days ago. Why didn't Whatsapp's parent company Facebook did not dare think of such a policy for Europe? The answer is Europe's tough law-- the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) India doesn't have anything like it Another reason why India needs tougher laws is illiteracy. The fake news and hate speeches that cannot be spread in letters, are being circulated through videos. Mediums like WhatsApp have penetrated every layer of Indian society. They have become a threat. India should come up with tough laws to prevent corporate abuse of power. To prevent bundling of products. To ensure 'Made in India' companies are not booted out of the market or acquired by the big 4 The pandemic has forced more companies and consumers to go online. The worldwide web is not the future anymore. It is the present. India needs to keep up with this digital reality.

India needs tougher laws to rein in Big Tech

Former US President Donald Trump pardoned an engineer who has stolen Google's trade secrets on his final day as the president. Adam Lewandowski the engineer had pled guilty to stealing secrets from Google's self-driving car program. Trump granted Lewandowski a full pardon.

Lewandowski was a founding member of "Chauffeur" an autonomous vehicle project of Google.

Several years later Levandowski began thinking of leaving Google for another self-driving endeavor that was eventually named "Otto," the plea deal said.

He began negotiations with Uber to invest in or buy Otto while he was at Google. Lewandowski admitted to have downloaded whole series of documents few years before resigning in January 2016.

"Prior to my departure, I downloaded thousands of files related to Project Chauffeur," Levandowski said in court documents when the plea deal was reached last year.

Levandowski was sentenced to prison for theft of trade secrets. Prosecutors dropped other charges filed against him in the deal that avoided a trial, the court filing showed.

"Mr. Levandowski has paid a significant price for his actions and plans to devote his talents to advance the public good," read a statement from the outgoing president's press secretary that summarized 73 last-minute pardons granted by Trump.

(With agency inputs)

Former US President Donald Trump pardoned an engineer who has stolen Google's trade secrets on his final day as the president. Adam Lewandowski the engineer had pled guilty to stealing secrets from Google's self-driving car program.

Former US President Donald Trump pardoned an engineer who has stolen Google's trade secrets on his final day as the president. Adam Lewandowski the engineer had pled guilty to stealing secrets from Google's self-driving car program. Trump granted Lewandowski a full pardon. Lewandowski was a founding member of "Chauffeur" an autonomous vehicle project of Google. Several years later Levandowski began thinking of leaving Google for another self-driving endeavor that was eventually named "Otto," the plea deal said. He began negotiations with Uber to invest in or buy Otto while he was at Google. Lewandowski admitted to have downloaded whole series of documents few years before resigning in January 2016. "Prior to my departure, I downloaded thousands of files related to Project Chauffeur," Levandowski said in court documents when the plea deal was reached last year. Levandowski was sentenced to prison for theft of trade secrets. Prosecutors dropped other charges filed against him in the deal that avoided a trial, the court filing showed. "Mr. Levandowski has paid a significant price for his actions and plans to devote his talents to advance the public good," read a statement from the outgoing president's press secretary that summarized 73 last-minute pardons granted by Trump. (With agency inputs)

On last day as US President, Trump pardons engineer who stole Google secrets

Parler, a social media website and app popular with the American far right, has partially returned online with the help of a Russian-owned technology company.

John Matze, the chief executive of social media&nbsp;app Parler, which is popular&nbsp;among conservatives&nbsp;posted a brief message on the company's website vowing its returns after finding a new host.

"Hello world, is this thing on?," Matze asked in a message dated Saturday, posted above a note from the company saying the platform would be restored after challenges were resolved.

The internet protocol address it used is owned by DDos-Guard, which is controlled by two Russian men and provides services including protection from distributed denial of service attacks.

A little over a week ago, Apple Inc suspended the&nbsp;Parler&nbsp;from its App Store, shortly after Alphabet-owned Google banned it from Google Play. The app is still unavailable for download on both platforms.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-ceo-tim-cook-says-parler-could-return-to-app-store-after-moderation-in-terms-of-service-357390">Apple CEO Tim Cook says Parler could return to App Store after 'moderation' in terms of service</a>

Amazon.com Inc then suspended&nbsp;Parler&nbsp;from its web hosting service, effectively taking the site offline unless it can find a new company to host its services.

US&nbsp;right-wing social media users have flocked to&nbsp;Parler, along with other apps such as Telegram and social site Gab, citing the more aggressive policing of political comments on mainstream platforms such as Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc, which intensified after the January&nbsp;6 Capitol riot.

Before Apple Inc banned&nbsp;Parler&nbsp;from its App Store store on Saturday, the social media site topped the charts as the most popular free app on its App Store in the United States.

Interest in the fast-growing app had surged again after Twitter banned President Donald Trump on Friday.

After Amazon.com Inc stopped hosting its business, effectively taking the upstart social media service offline,&nbsp;Parler&nbsp;is now fighting for survival.

What is&nbsp;Parler?

Parler, which was founded in 2018, is a social media network that styles itself as a "free speech-driven" space. The app has largely attracted US&nbsp;conservatives who disagree with rules around content on social media sites like Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc.

Parler&nbsp;has had about 10.8 million installs globally from across the App Store and Google Play, 8.7 million of those from the United States, according to Sensor Tower data. In January, it said it has over 12 million registered users.

Trump, who was last week permanently suspended from Twitter as social media platforms cracked down on his accounts, does not have a verified&nbsp;Parler&nbsp;account, but his 'Team Trump' campaign does. Trump allies such as attorney Rudy Guiliani and the president's son Eric Trump also joined the platform, as did conservative media such as Epoch Times and Breitbart News and prominent Republicans including Senator Ted Cruz.

In November, conservative activist Rebekah Mercer confirmed that she and her family, including her father and hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer, have provided funding to the company. Conservative commentator Dan Bongino also said in June he was taking an ownership stake in the company, which is based near Las Vegas in Nevada.

Why has&nbsp;Parler&nbsp;been taken offline?

The site effectively "went dark" after Amazon.com Inc suspended its web hosting service and will remain so unless it can find a replacement.

Suspensions by Apple Inc's App Store and Alphabet Inc's Google had already meant potential new users were unable to download the app.

The platforms said&nbsp;Parler&nbsp;was not doing enough to prevent the spread of posts inciting violence, following unrest at the US&nbsp;Capitol by Trump supporters last Wednesday after weeks of violent rhetoric on online sites.

Parler&nbsp;is now suing Amazon, accusing the company of an illegal, politically motivated decision to shut it down.

Amazon said the lawsuit has no merit. In an email correspondence included in&nbsp;Parler's lawsuit, Amazon cited 98 examples of&nbsp;Parler&nbsp;posts that "clearly encourage and incite violence."

Parler&nbsp;Chief Executive John Matze has said the company "does not condone or accept violence" on its platform.

Parler's policies ban certain types of content, including 'fighting words' or 'threats to harm' that include threats of violence against an individual or group, obscenity, and pornography. The guidelines advise users to "not purposefully share rumors about other users/people you know are false," but do not mention other policies against misinformation.

Disinformation researchers said far-right groups that appeared at the riot maintained a vigorous online presence on alternative platforms including&nbsp;Parler&nbsp;where they spread violent rhetoric and organized ahead of the unrest.

Parler, a social media website and app popular with the American far right, has partially returned online with the help of a Russian-owned technology company. John Matze, the chief executive of social media app Parler, which is popular among conservatives posted a brief message on the company's website vowing its returns after finding a new host.

Parler, a social media website and app popular with the American far right, has partially returned online with the help of a Russian-owned technology company. John Matze, the chief executive of social media app Parler, which is popular among conservatives posted a brief message on the company's website vowing its returns after finding a new host. "Hello world, is this thing on?," Matze asked in a message dated Saturday, posted above a note from the company saying the platform would be restored after challenges were resolved. The internet protocol address it used is owned by DDos-Guard, which is controlled by two Russian men and provides services including protection from distributed denial of service attacks. A little over a week ago, Apple Inc suspended the Parler from its App Store, shortly after Alphabet-owned Google banned it from Google Play. The app is still unavailable for download on both platforms. Also read: Apple CEO Tim Cook says Parler could return to App Store after 'moderation' in terms of service Amazon.com Inc then suspended Parler from its web hosting service, effectively taking the site offline unless it can find a new company to host its services. US right-wing social media users have flocked to Parler, along with other apps such as Telegram and social site Gab, citing the more aggressive policing of political comments on mainstream platforms such as Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc, which intensified after the January 6 Capitol riot. Before Apple Inc banned Parler from its App Store store on Saturday, the social media site topped the charts as the most popular free app on its App Store in the United States. Interest in the fast-growing app had surged again after Twitter banned President Donald Trump on Friday. After Amazon.com Inc stopped hosting its business, effectively taking the upstart social media service offline, Parler is now fighting for survival. What is Parler? Parler, which was founded in 2018, is a social media network that styles itself as a "free speech-driven" space. The app has largely attracted US conservatives who disagree with rules around content on social media sites like Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc. Parler has had about 10.8 million installs globally from across the App Store and Google Play, 8.7 million of those from the United States, according to Sensor Tower data. In January, it said it has over 12 million registered users. Trump, who was last week permanently suspended from Twitter as social media platforms cracked down on his accounts, does not have a verified Parler account, but his 'Team Trump' campaign does. Trump allies such as attorney Rudy Guiliani and the president's son Eric Trump also joined the platform, as did conservative media such as Epoch Times and Breitbart News and prominent Republicans including Senator Ted Cruz. In November, conservative activist Rebekah Mercer confirmed that she and her family, including her father and hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer, have provided funding to the company. Conservative commentator Dan Bongino also said in June he was taking an ownership stake in the company, which is based near Las Vegas in Nevada. Why has Parler been taken offline? The site effectively "went dark" after Amazon.com Inc suspended its web hosting service and will remain so unless it can find a replacement. Suspensions by Apple Inc's App Store and Alphabet Inc's Google had already meant potential new users were unable to download the app. The platforms said Parler was not doing enough to prevent the spread of posts inciting violence, following unrest at the US Capitol by Trump supporters last Wednesday after weeks of violent rhetoric on online sites. Parler is now suing Amazon, accusing the company of an illegal, politically motivated decision to shut it down. Amazon said the lawsuit has no merit. In an email correspondence included in Parler's lawsuit, Amazon cited 98 examples of Parler posts that "clearly encourage and incite violence." Parler Chief Executive John Matze has said the company "does not condone or accept violence" on its platform. Parler's policies ban certain types of content, including 'fighting words' or 'threats to harm' that include threats of violence against an individual or group, obscenity, and pornography. The guidelines advise users to "not purposefully share rumors about other users/people you know are false," but do not mention other policies against misinformation. Disinformation researchers said far-right groups that appeared at the riot maintained a vigorous online presence on alternative platforms including Parler where they spread violent rhetoric and organized ahead of the unrest.

'Hello world, is this thing on?': Parler's website is back online after finding new host

Billionaire techie and Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said half-jokingly that he or his employees did not have to go behind bars for being a competitor of Google. He was drawing a parallel with former Thuglak Editor Cho Ramaswamy who had taken on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency years.&nbsp;

Speaking at the 51st anniversary of the Thuglak magazine in Chennai, Mr Vembu said that he had been a long time reader of the tamil magazine, adding that he had enjoyed and read it more than his textbooks. 'I was barely eight years old when the Emergency was imposed and I remember some of the censoreed cartoons of those times".

Making a mention of Cho Ramaswamy and his Journalism, Vembu said that he admired the former editor's courage, multi-faceted nature. "Cho and Thuglak created a great impression on me" said the billionaire entrepreneur.&nbsp;

He added that he would often urge his employees to not fear japan or china, joking that the maximum challenge that they would have to face is to lose their jobs, unlike the emergency period that India faced between 1975 to 1977.&nbsp;

Sridhar Vembu is known as the tech magnate who brought technology functions such as software &amp; product development to villages. Recently, he has shared a few pictures where he was seen rising a bicycle for his commute, wearing a simple dhoti, while in his native, Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu. &nbsp;

His company has also unveiled an instant messaging app called 'Arattai', that is made in india. The app is expected to be formally launched in a few weeks.

Billionaire techie and Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said half-jokingly that he or his employees did not have to go behind bars for being a competitor of Google. He was drawing a parallel with former Thuglak Editor Cho Ramaswamy who had taken on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency years.

Billionaire techie and Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said half-jokingly that he or his employees did not have to go behind bars for being a competitor of Google. He was drawing a parallel with former Thuglak Editor Cho Ramaswamy who had taken on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency years. Speaking at the 51st anniversary of the Thuglak magazine in Chennai, Mr Vembu said that he had been a long time reader of the tamil magazine, adding that he had enjoyed and read it more than his textbooks. 'I was barely eight years old when the Emergency was imposed and I remember some of the censoreed cartoons of those times". Making a mention of Cho Ramaswamy and his Journalism, Vembu said that he admired the former editor's courage, multi-faceted nature. "Cho and Thuglak created a great impression on me" said the billionaire entrepreneur. He added that he would often urge his employees to not fear japan or china, joking that the maximum challenge that they would have to face is to lose their jobs, unlike the emergency period that India faced between 1975 to 1977. Sridhar Vembu is known as the tech magnate who brought technology functions such as software & product development to villages. Recently, he has shared a few pictures where he was seen rising a bicycle for his commute, wearing a simple dhoti, while in his native, Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu. His company has also unveiled an instant messaging app called 'Arattai', that is made in india. The app is expected to be formally launched in a few weeks.

I don't fear Microsoft or Google says billionaire techie Sridhar Vembu of Zoho

Google on Wednesday backed the efforts of US President-elect Joe Biden&nbsp;to pass a new&nbsp;immigration law and would help cover application fees for immigrants seeking lawful work under a threatened government program.

In a bid to show its support for the administration, Google said on Wednesday it would pay for the application fees of about 500 young immigrants seeking employment under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

It comes as Google and other big US&nbsp;employers transition from four years of criticicing outgoing President Donald Trump for restricting immigration policy and undermining the companies' ability to hire foreign-born workers.

Biden said last week that he would propose unspecified immigration legislation to Congress "immediately" upon taking office on January&nbsp;20. Biden's Democratic Party will control Congress, boosting the chance his ideas become law.

"We will support efforts by the new Congress and incoming Administration to pass comprehensive immigration reform that improves employment-based visa programs that enhance American competitiveness, gives greater assurance to immigrant workers and employers, and promotes better and more humane immigration processing and border security practices," said Google senior vice president Kent Walker in a blog post.

Walker added Google's philanthropic arm would donate $250,000 to the organization United We Dream, which helps immigrants unlawfully living in the United States after arriving as children secure work permits and avoid deportation using the deferred action program, or DACA.

A court ruling expected soon threatens to pause renewals and applications for those permits, Walker said. Recipients are often called "Dreamers."

Google has in the past teamed with fellow large technology companies when making statements on immigration policy. But only one other tech company spoke out on the issue this week.

Uber Technologies Inc told Reuters it continued to support "Dreamers" and welcomed "the new Administration's effort to reform our nation's immigration system."

Google on Wednesday backed the efforts of US President-elect Joe Biden to pass a new immigration law and would help cover application fees for immigrants seeking lawful work under a threatened government program.

Google on Wednesday backed the efforts of US President-elect Joe Biden to pass a new immigration law and would help cover application fees for immigrants seeking lawful work under a threatened government program. In a bid to show its support for the administration, Google said on Wednesday it would pay for the application fees of about 500 young immigrants seeking employment under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It comes as Google and other big US employers transition from four years of criticicing outgoing President Donald Trump for restricting immigration policy and undermining the companies' ability to hire foreign-born workers. Biden said last week that he would propose unspecified immigration legislation to Congress "immediately" upon taking office on January 20. Biden's Democratic Party will control Congress, boosting the chance his ideas become law. "We will support efforts by the new Congress and incoming Administration to pass comprehensive immigration reform that improves employment-based visa programs that enhance American competitiveness, gives greater assurance to immigrant workers and employers, and promotes better and more humane immigration processing and border security practices," said Google senior vice president Kent Walker in a blog post. Walker added Google's philanthropic arm would donate $250,000 to the organization United We Dream, which helps immigrants unlawfully living in the United States after arriving as children secure work permits and avoid deportation using the deferred action program, or DACA. A court ruling expected soon threatens to pause renewals and applications for those permits, Walker said. Recipients are often called "Dreamers." Google has in the past teamed with fellow large technology companies when making statements on immigration policy. But only one other tech company spoke out on the issue this week. Uber Technologies Inc told Reuters it continued to support "Dreamers" and welcomed "the new Administration's effort to reform our nation's immigration system."

Google backs Joe Biden's efforts to pass new immigration law

Apple Inc and&nbsp;Amazon.com Inc have suspended Parler from their respective App Store and web hosting service&nbsp;for allowing "threats of violence," after the deadly attack on the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

"Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people's safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues," the iPhone maker said in a statement Saturday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-suspends-american-social-networking-app-apple-gives-24-hour-warning-355520" hreflang="en">Google suspends American social networking app; Apple gives 24-hour warning</a>

Apple&nbsp;had given the service 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan, pointing to participants' using the service to coordinate Wednesday's siege of the US&nbsp;Capitol.

Parler Chief Executive John Matze said&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;was banning the service until it gives up free speech and institutes "broad and invasive policies like Twitter and Facebook."

"They claim it is due to violence on the platform. The community disagrees as we hit number 1 on their store today," Matze said in a post on Parler.

Amazon&nbsp;has suspended Parler from its&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;Web Services (AWS) unit, for violating AWS's terms of services by failing to effectively deal with a steady increase in violent content on the social networking service&nbsp;late on Saturday.

The Parler social network has become a haven for conservatives who say they have been censored by other social media platforms.

It had soared in popularity in recent months, becoming the No. 1 free app on&nbsp;Apple's App Store on Saturday after Twitter's decision hours earlier to permanently ban Trump from its platform.

Right-leaning social media users in the United States have flocked to Parler, messaging app Telegram and hands-off social site Gab, citing the more aggressive policing of political comments on mainstream platforms such as Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc.&nbsp;

"More details about our next plans coming soon as we have many options," Matze said.

Apple's action follows a similar move by Alphabet Inc's Google, which on Friday suspended Parler, saying that it must demonstrate "robust" content moderation if it wants to get back in the store.

Angry Trump supporters swarmed the building as lawmakers met to certify Joe Biden's November 3 election win, leaving five people -- including a policeman -- dead.

Other mainstream social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitch have also suspended Trump following the attack on the Capitol.

Parler started in 2018 and was initially a home for the extreme right, but now it attracts more traditional conservative voices including Republican lawmakers.

Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc have suspended Parler from their respective App Store and web hosting service for allowing "threats of violence," after the deadly attack on the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc have suspended Parler from their respective App Store and web hosting service for allowing "threats of violence," after the deadly attack on the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. "Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people's safety. We have suspended Parler from the App Store until they resolve these issues," the iPhone maker said in a statement Saturday. Also read: Google suspends American social networking app; Apple gives 24-hour warning Apple had given the service 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan, pointing to participants' using the service to coordinate Wednesday's siege of the US Capitol. Parler Chief Executive John Matze said Apple was banning the service until it gives up free speech and institutes "broad and invasive policies like Twitter and Facebook." "They claim it is due to violence on the platform. The community disagrees as we hit number 1 on their store today," Matze said in a post on Parler. Amazon has suspended Parler from its Amazon Web Services (AWS) unit, for violating AWS's terms of services by failing to effectively deal with a steady increase in violent content on the social networking service late on Saturday. The Parler social network has become a haven for conservatives who say they have been censored by other social media platforms. It had soared in popularity in recent months, becoming the No. 1 free app on Apple's App Store on Saturday after Twitter's decision hours earlier to permanently ban Trump from its platform. Right-leaning social media users in the United States have flocked to Parler, messaging app Telegram and hands-off social site Gab, citing the more aggressive policing of political comments on mainstream platforms such as Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc. "More details about our next plans coming soon as we have many options," Matze said. Apple's action follows a similar move by Alphabet Inc's Google, which on Friday suspended Parler, saying that it must demonstrate "robust" content moderation if it wants to get back in the store. Angry Trump supporters swarmed the building as lawmakers met to certify Joe Biden's November 3 election win, leaving five people -- including a policeman -- dead. Other mainstream social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitch have also suspended Trump following the attack on the Capitol. Parler started in 2018 and was initially a home for the extreme right, but now it attracts more traditional conservative voices including Republican lawmakers.

After Google, Apple and Amazon suspend Parler social networking app for 'threats of violence'

Josh, an Indian short video-sharing app like TikTok&nbsp;has raised more than $100 million from investors including Alphabet Inc's Google and Microsoft, months after the Chinese app&nbsp;was banned in the country.

Josh is one of a few local short-video stages that have jumped up since India hindered the uncontrollably mainstream TikTok in June in the midst of an outskirt emergency with China, pulling in worldwide financial specialist interest in applications filling the gap.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-bans-59-chinese-apps-including-tiktok-shareit-uc-browser-citing-national-security-309464">India bans 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser citing national security</a>

Bengaluru-based VerSe Innovation, which owns&nbsp;Josh, is valued at more than $1 billion following the investment, it said in a statement.&nbsp;Josh has crossed 50 million downloads on the Google Play store.&nbsp;

AlphaWave, a part of global asset manager Falcon Edge Capital, also invested in VerSe, as did existing investors Sofina Group and Lupa Systems, VerSe said, adding that it would use the funds to scale up&nbsp;Josh.

Google said the speculation is essential for its $10 billion (generally Rs. 73,900 crores) Google for India Digitisation Fund made to quicken India's computerised economy.&nbsp;

"At the point when we shared subtleties of the India Digitization Fund in July this year, we distinguished empowering reasonable access and data for each Indian in their own language, regardless of whether it's Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, and more as a critical column to drive forward India's digitisation," Google said in a blog entry.&nbsp;

VerSe also owns the news and content platform Dailyhunt, which offers content in multiple Indian languages.

In September, Indian content-sharing platform ShareChat raised $40 million from investors including Twitter Inc and Lightspeed Ventures, in an effort to drive growth for its new short-video app Moj.

Both&nbsp;Josh&nbsp;and Moj have been installed on more than 50 million devices each, according to data from Google's Play Store.

Separately on Tuesday, Indian ad technology firm InMobi's Glance - which runs an eponymous lock-screen content app and short-video platform Roposo - said it had raised $145 million from Google and existing investor Mithril Capital.

Google set aside $10 billion earlier this year for digital investments in India.

&nbsp;

Josh, an Indian short video-sharing app like TikTok has raised more than $100 million from investors including Alphabet Inc's Google and Microsoft, months after the Chinese app was banned in the country.

Josh, an Indian short video-sharing app like TikTok has raised more than $100 million from investors including Alphabet Inc's Google and Microsoft, months after the Chinese app was banned in the country. Josh is one of a few local short-video stages that have jumped up since India hindered the uncontrollably mainstream TikTok in June in the midst of an outskirt emergency with China, pulling in worldwide financial specialist interest in applications filling the gap. Also read: India bans 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser citing national security Bengaluru-based VerSe Innovation, which owns Josh, is valued at more than $1 billion following the investment, it said in a statement. Josh has crossed 50 million downloads on the Google Play store. AlphaWave, a part of global asset manager Falcon Edge Capital, also invested in VerSe, as did existing investors Sofina Group and Lupa Systems, VerSe said, adding that it would use the funds to scale up Josh. Google said the speculation is essential for its $10 billion (generally Rs. 73,900 crores) Google for India Digitisation Fund made to quicken India's computerised economy. "At the point when we shared subtleties of the India Digitization Fund in July this year, we distinguished empowering reasonable access and data for each Indian in their own language, regardless of whether it's Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, and more as a critical column to drive forward India's digitisation," Google said in a blog entry. VerSe also owns the news and content platform Dailyhunt, which offers content in multiple Indian languages. In September, Indian content-sharing platform ShareChat raised $40 million from investors including Twitter Inc and Lightspeed Ventures, in an effort to drive growth for its new short-video app Moj. Both Josh and Moj have been installed on more than 50 million devices each, according to data from Google's Play Store. Separately on Tuesday, Indian ad technology firm InMobi's Glance - which runs an eponymous lock-screen content app and short-video platform Roposo - said it had raised $145 million from Google and existing investor Mithril Capital. Google set aside $10 billion earlier this year for digital investments in India.

Indian version of TikTok, Josh, gets Google, Microsoft backing in $100 million fund raise

A coalition of 38 states filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google Thursday focusing on the design of the tech giant’s search engine. It’s the third major antitrust lawsuit filed against the search giant this year.

According to a statement from the New York attorney general's office, the states are asking the court to stop Google's illegal conduct and "restore a competitive marketplace."

"Google sits at the crossroads of so many areas of our digital economy and has used its dominance to illegally squash competitors, monitor nearly every aspect of our digital lives, and profit to the tune of billions," said New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James.

Google responded to the new lawsuit, saying while scrutiny of big companies is important, it seeks to redesign Search in ways that would deprive Americans of helpful information and hurt businesses` ability to connect directly with customers.

"We look forward to making that case in court, while remaining focused on delivering a high-quality search experience for our users," said Adam Cohen, Director, Economic Policy at Google.

This is the third major antitrust lawsuit filed against the search giant this year.

Texas and nine other US states on Wednesday filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing it of monopolising or attempting to monopolise products and services used by advertisers and publishers in online-display advertising.

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleges that Google entered into an anti-competitive agreement with Facebook to boost its online advertising business.

The US Justice Department also filed its own lawsuit against Google in October, along with 11 Republican state attorneys general, focusing on Google`s exclusive contracts with Android smartphone manufacturers and Apple to set its own search engine as the default option on these devices.

Google vehemently defended its position. Claiming that the lawsuit relies on dubious antitrust arguments, the company said that like countless other businesses, it pays to promote its services.

For digital services, when you first buy a device, it has a kind of home screen "eye-level shelf.

"On mobile, that shelf is controlled by Apple, as well as companies like AT&amp;T, Verizon, Samsung and LG. On desktop computers that shelf space is overwhelmingly controlled by Microsoft," argued Kent Walker, SVP of Global Affairs at Google.

(With inputs from agencies)

A coalition of 38 states filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google Thursday focusing on the design of the tech giant’s search engine. It’s the third major antitrust lawsuit filed against the search giant this year.

A coalition of 38 states filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google Thursday focusing on the design of the tech giant’s search engine. It’s the third major antitrust lawsuit filed against the search giant this year. According to a statement from the New York attorney general's office, the states are asking the court to stop Google's illegal conduct and "restore a competitive marketplace." "Google sits at the crossroads of so many areas of our digital economy and has used its dominance to illegally squash competitors, monitor nearly every aspect of our digital lives, and profit to the tune of billions," said New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James. Google responded to the new lawsuit, saying while scrutiny of big companies is important, it seeks to redesign Search in ways that would deprive Americans of helpful information and hurt businesses` ability to connect directly with customers. "We look forward to making that case in court, while remaining focused on delivering a high-quality search experience for our users," said Adam Cohen, Director, Economic Policy at Google. This is the third major antitrust lawsuit filed against the search giant this year. Texas and nine other US states on Wednesday filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing it of monopolising or attempting to monopolise products and services used by advertisers and publishers in online-display advertising. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleges that Google entered into an anti-competitive agreement with Facebook to boost its online advertising business. The US Justice Department also filed its own lawsuit against Google in October, along with 11 Republican state attorneys general, focusing on Google`s exclusive contracts with Android smartphone manufacturers and Apple to set its own search engine as the default option on these devices. Google vehemently defended its position. Claiming that the lawsuit relies on dubious antitrust arguments, the company said that like countless other businesses, it pays to promote its services. For digital services, when you first buy a device, it has a kind of home screen "eye-level shelf. "On mobile, that shelf is controlled by Apple, as well as companies like AT&T, Verizon, Samsung and LG. On desktop computers that shelf space is overwhelmingly controlled by Microsoft," argued Kent Walker, SVP of Global Affairs at Google. (With inputs from agencies)

Google accused of search manipulation in third major antitrust lawsuit

After facing heavy criticism for not doing enough to stem misinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential election, YouTube announced last week it would remove videos that alleged fraud had changed the outcome of the contest.

But half a world away in Myanmar, which held a general election just five days after the U.S. vote and faced a tidal wave of online misinformation including unfounded claims of voter fraud, the new rules do not apply.

Social media researchers and civil society groups in Myanmar say the uneven standard is emblematic of YouTube`s comparatively hands-off approach to election misinformation globally at a time when rival Facebook is taking a more aggressive country-by-country measures.

"It looks like 2020 might be YouTube`s equivalent of Facebook`s 2016, holding on to hope that a universal approach might work, even when it`s clear that it`s not going to be the case," said Evelyn Douek, a Harvard Law School lecturer who researches online speech.

Experts, including Douek, warn that this issue will only escalate for Alphabet`s YouTube in other elections worldwide, until it creates policies that account for its role for potentially volatile situations.

"With other platforms, there`s at least starting to be a recognition that universal rules just aren`t going to cut it. For the U.S and Myanmar elections, Facebook tried to learn from the criticisms it received and roll out distinctive policies," she told Reuters.

YouTube did not respond to those criticisms but said it consistently enforced its guidelines and had deleted more than 1.8 million channels for policy violations in the third quarter of 2020, including more than 54,000 for hate speech.

Facebook, which faced accusations that it helped incite genocide in Myanmar in 2017, launched an unusual Myanmar-only civic misinformation policy ahead of the recent election, allowing it to remove false claims that could lead to voter suppression or otherwise damage the electoral process.

The temporary policy, a first for Facebook on election misinformation, followed previous Sri Lanka-specific measures on curbing misinformation that could lead to violence that was eventually expanded worldwide.

The company also built partnerships with civil society organisations in Myanmar, who say that the platform`s performance during the election, while imperfect, improved.

Alphabet`s YouTube, by contrast, chose a light-touch approach and only appeared to block false election claims that people complained about, or if the material otherwise violated its broader guidelines on hate speech and harassment, researchers said.

"When it comes to hate speech and disinformation in Myanmar, YouTube is the new frontier," said Victoire Rio, an adviser at the Myanmar Tech Accountability Network (MTAN), a consortium of civil society organisations that study risks on social media.

Rio told Reuters the video-sharing site was unprepared and didn`t make the investments needed to mitigate risk in Myanmar, calling for it to do a human rights impact assessment.

Rio and fact-checking organisations say purveyors of misinformation joined YouTube in large numbers in 2020, as video streaming usage skyrocketed thanks to cheaper data plans, with more than half of Myanmar`s population now online.

A review by Reuters found more than a dozen recently created YouTube channels that promoted Myanmar election-related misinformation while posing either as news outlets or political programmes. Myanmar fact-checking organisations say hundreds of such channels appeared in 2020.

The reach of those channels varied, with the popular ones accumulating millions of views, far more than most accredited media. A November video falsely stating the ruling party had already picked a new president had more than 350,000 views.

Half of the channels had their corresponding Facebook pages deleted by Facebook for content rules violations in the last two months. But YouTube links from the same banned creators were still widely shared on Facebook.

PROBLEMATIC CONTENT

YouTube states in its guidelines that it removes political misinformation only when it pertains specifically to false claims about a voting process, or if it violates other rules.

"Our Community Guidelines prohibit spam, scams, or other manipulated media, coordinated influence operations, and any content that seeks to incite violence," a YouTube spokeswoman told Reuters.

She said YouTube had "terminated" a number of channels for violating its hate speech and harassment policies, but did not comment on whether the platform had a Burmese-language team or a local “Trusted Flaggers” programme that allows recognised groups to flag problematic content.

YouTube has argued in blog posts that it also reduces the spread of misinformation by pushing people to authoritative sources.

But democracy advocates say that is not enough.

A recent YouTube search for the word "fraud" in the Burmese language revealed as the third result a channel full of videos that allege, without evidence, that the ruling party committed fraud in the Myanmar election.

Other searches for election related terms showed other channels containing political misinformation in top results.

Yatanar Htun, a director of the Myanmar ICT for Development Organization (MIDO), which monitors online hate speech, told Reuters that YouTube videos had been used in fake emails to voters that spoofed emails from Myanmar authorities to allege fraud and foreign interference.

Facebook deleted the original page sharing the videos, but YouTube was slow to act, Yatanar Htun said.

YouTube took down one of the videos linked in the emails after it was asked for comment by Reuters and removed a channel for harassment. But another channel used to allege fraud remains on the site.

After facing heavy criticism for not doing enough to stem misinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential election, YouTube announced last week it would remove videos that alleged fraud had changed the outcome of the contest.

After facing heavy criticism for not doing enough to stem misinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential election, YouTube announced last week it would remove videos that alleged fraud had changed the outcome of the contest. But half a world away in Myanmar, which held a general election just five days after the U.S. vote and faced a tidal wave of online misinformation including unfounded claims of voter fraud, the new rules do not apply. Social media researchers and civil society groups in Myanmar say the uneven standard is emblematic of YouTube`s comparatively hands-off approach to election misinformation globally at a time when rival Facebook is taking a more aggressive country-by-country measures. "It looks like 2020 might be YouTube`s equivalent of Facebook`s 2016, holding on to hope that a universal approach might work, even when it`s clear that it`s not going to be the case," said Evelyn Douek, a Harvard Law School lecturer who researches online speech. Experts, including Douek, warn that this issue will only escalate for Alphabet`s YouTube in other elections worldwide, until it creates policies that account for its role for potentially volatile situations. "With other platforms, there`s at least starting to be a recognition that universal rules just aren`t going to cut it. For the U.S and Myanmar elections, Facebook tried to learn from the criticisms it received and roll out distinctive policies," she told Reuters. YouTube did not respond to those criticisms but said it consistently enforced its guidelines and had deleted more than 1.8 million channels for policy violations in the third quarter of 2020, including more than 54,000 for hate speech. Facebook, which faced accusations that it helped incite genocide in Myanmar in 2017, launched an unusual Myanmar-only civic misinformation policy ahead of the recent election, allowing it to remove false claims that could lead to voter suppression or otherwise damage the electoral process. The temporary policy, a first for Facebook on election misinformation, followed previous Sri Lanka-specific measures on curbing misinformation that could lead to violence that was eventually expanded worldwide. The company also built partnerships with civil society organisations in Myanmar, who say that the platform`s performance during the election, while imperfect, improved. Alphabet`s YouTube, by contrast, chose a light-touch approach and only appeared to block false election claims that people complained about, or if the material otherwise violated its broader guidelines on hate speech and harassment, researchers said. "When it comes to hate speech and disinformation in Myanmar, YouTube is the new frontier," said Victoire Rio, an adviser at the Myanmar Tech Accountability Network (MTAN), a consortium of civil society organisations that study risks on social media. Rio told Reuters the video-sharing site was unprepared and didn`t make the investments needed to mitigate risk in Myanmar, calling for it to do a human rights impact assessment. Rio and fact-checking organisations say purveyors of misinformation joined YouTube in large numbers in 2020, as video streaming usage skyrocketed thanks to cheaper data plans, with more than half of Myanmar`s population now online. A review by Reuters found more than a dozen recently created YouTube channels that promoted Myanmar election-related misinformation while posing either as news outlets or political programmes. Myanmar fact-checking organisations say hundreds of such channels appeared in 2020. The reach of those channels varied, with the popular ones accumulating millions of views, far more than most accredited media. A November video falsely stating the ruling party had already picked a new president had more than 350,000 views. Half of the channels had their corresponding Facebook pages deleted by Facebook for content rules violations in the last two months. But YouTube links from the same banned creators were still widely shared on Facebook. PROBLEMATIC CONTENT YouTube states in its guidelines that it removes political misinformation only when it pertains specifically to false claims about a voting process, or if it violates other rules. "Our Community Guidelines prohibit spam, scams, or other manipulated media, coordinated influence operations, and any content that seeks to incite violence," a YouTube spokeswoman told Reuters. She said YouTube had "terminated" a number of channels for violating its hate speech and harassment policies, but did not comment on whether the platform had a Burmese-language team or a local “Trusted Flaggers” programme that allows recognised groups to flag problematic content. YouTube has argued in blog posts that it also reduces the spread of misinformation by pushing people to authoritative sources. But democracy advocates say that is not enough. A recent YouTube search for the word "fraud" in the Burmese language revealed as the third result a channel full of videos that allege, without evidence, that the ruling party committed fraud in the Myanmar election. Other searches for election related terms showed other channels containing political misinformation in top results. Yatanar Htun, a director of the Myanmar ICT for Development Organization (MIDO), which monitors online hate speech, told Reuters that YouTube videos had been used in fake emails to voters that spoofed emails from Myanmar authorities to allege fraud and foreign interference. Facebook deleted the original page sharing the videos, but YouTube was slow to act, Yatanar Htun said. YouTube took down one of the videos linked in the emails after it was asked for comment by Reuters and removed a channel for harassment. But another channel used to allege fraud remains on the site.

YouTube faces complaints of lax approach on overseas election misinformation

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced that he was leading a lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of taking "illegal" actions to hurt competition in the advertising technology market.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Paxton said his suit centres on the lucrative market for digital ads, where Google obtains most of its revenue.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Texas takes the lead once more! Today, we’re filing a lawsuit against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Google?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Google</a> for anticompetitive conduct. 
 
This internet Goliath used its power to manipulate the market, destroy competition, and harm YOU, the consumer. Stay tuned… <a href="https://t.co/fdEVEWQb0e">pic.twitter.com/fdEVEWQb0e</a>
— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) <a href="https://twitter.com/TXAG/status/1339283520099856384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The case marks the second antitrust action against Goggle after the US Justice Department filed a landmark monopolisation case against the company in October.

The lawsuit is yet another legal battle for Google, which is facing a Justice Department antitrust lawsuit on its search practices and imminent legal action from a separate group of state attorneys general who have also been investigating the company for anti-competitive behaviour.

Texas' lawsuit will go after Google's stranglehold on its corner of the ad tech market, which it and fellow tech giant Facebook dominate.

The suit accuses Google of abusing its market power to rig auctions for placing ads and drive up online advertising pricing.

The suit will be filed by multiple states, Paxton said in an announcement video, though he didn't identify what other states are involved.

Paxton has long been a foe of tech companies, and Texas is part of the recently filed multi-state lawsuit against Facebook for alleged anti-competitive acquisitions and behaviour.

"This Goliath of a company is using its power to manipulate the market, destroy competition and harm you, the consumer," Paxton said.

"Google effectively eliminated its competition and crowned itself the head of online advertising." The Justice Department is also investigating Google's role in the ad tech market and may still file a lawsuit in the matter. The suit it already filed focuses on Google's use of contracts to lock its search engine in as the default on web browsers and mobile devices.

Texas is one of a dozen states that have joined the DOJ on its suit, filed in October.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced that he was leading a lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of taking "illegal" actions to hurt competition in the advertising technology market.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced that he was leading a lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of taking "illegal" actions to hurt competition in the advertising technology market. In a tweet on Wednesday, Paxton said his suit centres on the lucrative market for digital ads, where Google obtains most of its revenue. #BREAKING: Texas takes the lead once more! Today, we’re filing a lawsuit against #Google for anticompetitive conduct. This internet Goliath used its power to manipulate the market, destroy competition, and harm YOU, the consumer. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/fdEVEWQb0e — Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) December 16, 2020 × Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The case marks the second antitrust action against Goggle after the US Justice Department filed a landmark monopolisation case against the company in October. The lawsuit is yet another legal battle for Google, which is facing a Justice Department antitrust lawsuit on its search practices and imminent legal action from a separate group of state attorneys general who have also been investigating the company for anti-competitive behaviour. Texas' lawsuit will go after Google's stranglehold on its corner of the ad tech market, which it and fellow tech giant Facebook dominate. The suit accuses Google of abusing its market power to rig auctions for placing ads and drive up online advertising pricing. The suit will be filed by multiple states, Paxton said in an announcement video, though he didn't identify what other states are involved. Paxton has long been a foe of tech companies, and Texas is part of the recently filed multi-state lawsuit against Facebook for alleged anti-competitive acquisitions and behaviour. "This Goliath of a company is using its power to manipulate the market, destroy competition and harm you, the consumer," Paxton said. "Google effectively eliminated its competition and crowned itself the head of online advertising." The Justice Department is also investigating Google's role in the ad tech market and may still file a lawsuit in the matter. The suit it already filed focuses on Google's use of contracts to lock its search engine in as the default on web browsers and mobile devices. Texas is one of a dozen states that have joined the DOJ on its suit, filed in October.

Texas suing Google over alleged anti-competitive ad tech practices

Several services of Google such as YouTube, Gmail and Google Drive have stopped working in several parts of the world, especially in India.

The news broke out a few minutes ago as several people took to Twitter to share the news. Several users complained about getting an error upon opening YouTube that read, "There was a problem with the server [503]".

Some users, however, revealed YouTube is still working in the incognito mode.&nbsp;

<img alt="YouTube down" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cda858c4-4b95-471f-8eac-1ee513585b5e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/YouTube.jpg" />

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
FYI: Google is facing downtime in India (confirmed). 
 
Google Drive, Gmail, YouTube is down.
— NextBigWhat (@nextbigwhat) <a href="https://twitter.com/nextbigwhat/status/1338452428002217986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Several users complained about the entire GSuite crashing down, with people sharing their experiences about their work calls getting disconnected mid-way.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
So the entire G suite has...crashed?
— Kritika Narula (@KritikaTweeting) <a href="https://twitter.com/KritikaTweeting/status/1338453567598862336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

While many were tensed about having their workflow being interrupted, several Twitter users found this to be a perfect moment to come up with creative memes.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/tqxb1X5CuO">https://t.co/tqxb1X5CuO</a> <a href="https://t.co/sOYi7qihYc">pic.twitter.com/sOYi7qihYc</a>
— Alok Sharma (@_aloksharma) <a href="https://twitter.com/_aloksharma/status/1338455033273176064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
uhhhhhh what the hell <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTube?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouTube</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YouTubeDOWN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YouTubeDOWN</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ps7XihnMmL">pic.twitter.com/Ps7XihnMmL</a>
— Steven Aldecua (@stevenaldecua4) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevenaldecua4/status/1338458314364002304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
when you google why google is not working😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/google?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#google</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/googledown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#googledown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/youtube?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#youtube</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/youtubedown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#youtubedown</a> <a href="https://t.co/VyP7xzmki7">pic.twitter.com/VyP7xzmki7</a>
— Matias (@Matias_cose) <a href="https://twitter.com/Matias_cose/status/1338458075817185280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a>

<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Me while you tube is down <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YouTubeDOWN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YouTubeDOWN</a> <a href="https://t.co/iOQ1fD4I0s">pic.twitter.com/iOQ1fD4I0s</a>
— EKTA GAUR (@EKTAGAUR12) <a href="https://twitter.com/EKTAGAUR12/status/1338458192951406592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a>

&nbsp;
</div>

Google has not issued a statement on the global crash yet.

Several services of Google such as YouTube, Gmail and Google Drive have stopped working in several parts of the world, especially in India. The news broke out a few minutes ago as several people took to Twitter to share the news.

Several services of Google such as YouTube, Gmail and Google Drive have stopped working in several parts of the world, especially in India. The news broke out a few minutes ago as several people took to Twitter to share the news. Several users complained about getting an error upon opening YouTube that read, "There was a problem with the server [503]". Some users, however, revealed YouTube is still working in the incognito mode. FYI: Google is facing downtime in India (confirmed). Google Drive, Gmail, YouTube is down. — NextBigWhat (@nextbigwhat) December 14, 2020 × Several users complained about the entire GSuite crashing down, with people sharing their experiences about their work calls getting disconnected mid-way. So the entire G suite has...crashed? — Kritika Narula (@KritikaTweeting) December 14, 2020 × While many were tensed about having their workflow being interrupted, several Twitter users found this to be a perfect moment to come up with creative memes. https://t.co/tqxb1X5CuO pic.twitter.com/sOYi7qihYc — Alok Sharma (@_aloksharma) December 14, 2020 × uhhhhhh what the hell @YouTube #YouTubeDOWN pic.twitter.com/Ps7XihnMmL — Steven Aldecua (@stevenaldecua4) December 14, 2020 × when you google why google is not working😂#google #googledown #youtube #youtubedown pic.twitter.com/VyP7xzmki7 — Matias (@Matias_cose) December 14, 2020 × Me while you tube is down #YouTubeDOWN pic.twitter.com/iOQ1fD4I0s — EKTA GAUR (@EKTAGAUR12) December 14, 2020 × Google has not issued a statement on the global crash yet.

Monday blues: Google Drive, Gmail, YouTube face downtime; Twitter reacts

Australia locked in plans on Tuesday to make <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook">Facebook Inc</a> and Google pay its media outlets for news content, a world-first move aimed at protecting independent journalism that has drawn strong opposition from the internet giants.

Under laws to be introduced to parliament on Wednesday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Big Tech firms will have to negotiate how much they pay local publishers and broadcasters for content that appears on their platforms.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/canada-plans-digital-tax-in-2022-on-global-tech-giants-such-as-facebook-google-346651">Canada plans digital tax in 2022 on global tech giants such as Facebook, Google</a>

If they can't strike a deal, a government-appointed arbitrator will decide how much they will need to pay.

"This is a huge reform, this is a world first, and the world is watching what happens here in Australia," Frydenberg told reporters in the capital Canberra.

"Our legislation will help ensure that the rules of the digital world mirror the rules of the physical world ... and ultimately sustain our media landscape here in Australia."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-sues-facebook-for-allegedly-favouring-immigrants-over-us-workers-347344">US sues Facebook for allegedly favouring immigrants over US workers</a>

The law amounts to the strongest check of the tech giants' market power globally, and follows three years of inquiry and consultation, ultimately spilling into a public dispute in August when the U.S. companies warned it may it may stop them offering their services in Australia.

Asked about earlier Facebook threats to block news content from its Australian website and Google's threat to block its main search engine in Australia, Frydenberg said "it's a mandatory code" and the companies would be "required by law ... to abide by it".

In changes to draft legislation announced earlier this year that might benefit the tech companies, the final version of the law would not affect news content distributed on Facebook's Instagram subsidiary or Google's Youtube.

But Frydenberg added to the list of media companies with whom the tech giants must negotiate, saying public broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corp and specialist public broadcaster SBS would be included, along with dominant private sector outlets like News Corp and Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd.

Representatives of Google and Facebook were not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

Australia locked in plans on Tuesday to make Facebook Inc and Google pay its media outlets for news content, a world-first move aimed at protecting independent journalism that has drawn strong opposition from the internet giants.

Australia locked in plans on Tuesday to make Facebook Inc and Google pay its media outlets for news content, a world-first move aimed at protecting independent journalism that has drawn strong opposition from the internet giants. Under laws to be introduced to parliament on Wednesday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Big Tech firms will have to negotiate how much they pay local publishers and broadcasters for content that appears on their platforms. Also read| Canada plans digital tax in 2022 on global tech giants such as Facebook, Google If they can't strike a deal, a government-appointed arbitrator will decide how much they will need to pay. "This is a huge reform, this is a world first, and the world is watching what happens here in Australia," Frydenberg told reporters in the capital Canberra. "Our legislation will help ensure that the rules of the digital world mirror the rules of the physical world ... and ultimately sustain our media landscape here in Australia." Also read| US sues Facebook for allegedly favouring immigrants over US workers The law amounts to the strongest check of the tech giants' market power globally, and follows three years of inquiry and consultation, ultimately spilling into a public dispute in August when the U.S. companies warned it may it may stop them offering their services in Australia. Asked about earlier Facebook threats to block news content from its Australian website and Google's threat to block its main search engine in Australia, Frydenberg said "it's a mandatory code" and the companies would be "required by law ... to abide by it". In changes to draft legislation announced earlier this year that might benefit the tech companies, the final version of the law would not affect news content distributed on Facebook's Instagram subsidiary or Google's Youtube. But Frydenberg added to the list of media companies with whom the tech giants must negotiate, saying public broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corp and specialist public broadcaster SBS would be included, along with dominant private sector outlets like News Corp and Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd. Representatives of Google and Facebook were not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

Australia to make Facebook, Google pay news outlets for content

Best apps and games on the Play Store in India for 2020

Canada plans to impose a tax on corporations providing digital services from 2022 that will stay in place until major nations come up with a coordinated approach on taxation, the Finance Department said on Monday.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is working on a common approach to ensure digital behemoths, such as Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc, pay their share of taxes as the coronavirus hammers budgets.

Canada said it was concerned about a delay in reaching an agreement. The threat of digital services taxes has prompted threats of trade retaliation from outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

The new tax would come into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and remain in place until a common approach is agreed upon. The measure would raise federal revenues by C$3.4 billion ($2.6 billion) over five years, starting in the 2021-22 fiscal year.

“Canadians want a tax system that is fair, where everyone pays their fair share,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told legislators in the fall economic update.

“Canada will act unilaterally, if necessary, to apply a tax on large multinational digital corporations, so they pay their fair share just like any other company operating in Canada.”

More details are due in next year’s budget.

Foreign-based vendors with no physical presence in Canada will also have to start collecting sales taxes on products such as mobile apps, online video gaming and streaming. The measure should raise C$1.2 billion over five years.

Ottawa also plans to oblige people renting out short-term accommodation to charge sales taxes, saying popular digital rental platforms do not currently have to impose the taxes.&nbsp;

That puts hotels at a disadvantage, it added.

The government is also clamping down on the award of stock options to prevent “high-income individuals employed at large, long-established, mature firms” from taking unfair advantage.

From now on, a C$200,000 annual limit will apply to stock option grants for those people. Ottawa did not provide a definition of high-income individuals or mature firms.

The rules will not apply to startups or emerging companies, which often cannot afford to pay competitive salaries and instead offer stock options. The new rules will generate about C$200 million in federal revenues, the Finance Department said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Canada plans to impose a tax on corporations providing digital services from 2022 that will stay in place until major nations come up with a coordinated approach on taxation, the Finance Department said on Monday.

Canada plans to impose a tax on corporations providing digital services from 2022 that will stay in place until major nations come up with a coordinated approach on taxation, the Finance Department said on Monday. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is working on a common approach to ensure digital behemoths, such as Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc, pay their share of taxes as the coronavirus hammers budgets. Canada said it was concerned about a delay in reaching an agreement. The threat of digital services taxes has prompted threats of trade retaliation from outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. The new tax would come into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and remain in place until a common approach is agreed upon. The measure would raise federal revenues by C$3.4 billion ($2.6 billion) over five years, starting in the 2021-22 fiscal year. “Canadians want a tax system that is fair, where everyone pays their fair share,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told legislators in the fall economic update. “Canada will act unilaterally, if necessary, to apply a tax on large multinational digital corporations, so they pay their fair share just like any other company operating in Canada.” More details are due in next year’s budget. Foreign-based vendors with no physical presence in Canada will also have to start collecting sales taxes on products such as mobile apps, online video gaming and streaming. The measure should raise C$1.2 billion over five years. Ottawa also plans to oblige people renting out short-term accommodation to charge sales taxes, saying popular digital rental platforms do not currently have to impose the taxes. That puts hotels at a disadvantage, it added. The government is also clamping down on the award of stock options to prevent “high-income individuals employed at large, long-established, mature firms” from taking unfair advantage. From now on, a C$200,000 annual limit will apply to stock option grants for those people. Ottawa did not provide a definition of high-income individuals or mature firms. The rules will not apply to startups or emerging companies, which often cannot afford to pay competitive salaries and instead offer stock options. The new rules will generate about C$200 million in federal revenues, the Finance Department said. (With inputs from agencies)

Canada plans digital tax in 2022 on global tech giants such as Facebook, Google

Some 75 major tech players are backing a French initiative committing them to make a "fair tax contribution" in countries where they operate.

French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the "Tech For Good" initiative at the Elysee Palace on Monday in a move designed to draw up the ground rules for ensuring the internet is a borderless "free, open and safe space".

Tech big-hitters such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Snapchat, and Huawei have also signed the initiative.&nbsp;Assorted tech 'unicorns', start-ups and NGOs have also joined.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/britain-bans-installation-of-new-huawei-5g-equipment-from-september-2021-346456" hreflang="en">Britain bans installation of new Huawei 5G equipment from September 2021</a>

Two big names yet to sign on are Amazon and Apple, but French presidential sources said both have expressed a "desire" to join.

The initiative comes with France having last week pledged to enforce a new digital levy for online technology giants, breaking a truce with Washington over a long-running tax fight that could prompt a round of punitive US tariffs on French goods.

France suspended collection of the tax, which will hit companies like Facebook and Amazon, early this year while negotiations were underway at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on an overhaul of international tax rules.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/france-notices-sent-out-to-big-tech-companies-345491/amp/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The finance ministry has long said it would collect the tax in December as planned if the talks proved unfruitful by then, which is what happened when the nearly 140 countries involved agreed last month to keep negotiating until mid-2021.

"Companies subject to the tax have received their notice to pay the 2020 installment," a ministry official said.

France last year applied a 3 per cent&nbsp;levy on revenue from digital services earned in France by companies with revenues of more than 25 million euros there and 750 million euros worldwide.

Facebook's stance "is to ensure compliance with all tax laws in the jurisdictions where we operate", it said, adding it had received its tax bill from the French authorities.

Amazon has received a reminder from the French authorities to pay the tax and will comply, according to a person familiar with the matter at the online retailer.

Paris has said it will withdraw the tax as soon as an OECD deal is reached to update the rules on cross-border taxation for the age of online commerce, where big internet companies can book profits in low-tax countries regardless of where their customers are.

The talks stalled as the Trump administration became reluctant to sign on to a multilateral agreement, officials have said.

"We will levy this digital taxation mid-December as we always explained to the US&nbsp;administration," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told a Bloomberg event on Monday.

"Our goal remains to have an OECD agreement by the first months of 2021," he said.

Dan Neidle, a partner at law firm Clifford Chance, was skeptical US&nbsp;President-elect Joe Biden would agree to such a deal.

"I'm not sure why Biden would agree to something which enables US&nbsp;corporations to pay more tax in Europe and has not many benefits to the US," said Neidle.

Some 75 major tech players are backing a French initiative committing them to make a "fair tax contribution" in countries where they operate. French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the "Tech For Good" initiative at the Elysee Palace on Monday in a move designed to draw up the ground rules for ensuring the internet is a borderless "free, open and safe space".

Some 75 major tech players are backing a French initiative committing them to make a "fair tax contribution" in countries where they operate. French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the "Tech For Good" initiative at the Elysee Palace on Monday in a move designed to draw up the ground rules for ensuring the internet is a borderless "free, open and safe space". Tech big-hitters such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Snapchat, and Huawei have also signed the initiative. Assorted tech 'unicorns', start-ups and NGOs have also joined. Also read: Britain bans installation of new Huawei 5G equipment from September 2021 Two big names yet to sign on are Amazon and Apple, but French presidential sources said both have expressed a "desire" to join. The initiative comes with France having last week pledged to enforce a new digital levy for online technology giants, breaking a truce with Washington over a long-running tax fight that could prompt a round of punitive US tariffs on French goods. France suspended collection of the tax, which will hit companies like Facebook and Amazon, early this year while negotiations were underway at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on an overhaul of international tax rules. The finance ministry has long said it would collect the tax in December as planned if the talks proved unfruitful by then, which is what happened when the nearly 140 countries involved agreed last month to keep negotiating until mid-2021. "Companies subject to the tax have received their notice to pay the 2020 installment," a ministry official said. France last year applied a 3 per cent levy on revenue from digital services earned in France by companies with revenues of more than 25 million euros there and 750 million euros worldwide. Facebook's stance "is to ensure compliance with all tax laws in the jurisdictions where we operate", it said, adding it had received its tax bill from the French authorities. Amazon has received a reminder from the French authorities to pay the tax and will comply, according to a person familiar with the matter at the online retailer. Paris has said it will withdraw the tax as soon as an OECD deal is reached to update the rules on cross-border taxation for the age of online commerce, where big internet companies can book profits in low-tax countries regardless of where their customers are. The talks stalled as the Trump administration became reluctant to sign on to a multilateral agreement, officials have said. "We will levy this digital taxation mid-December as we always explained to the US administration," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told a Bloomberg event on Monday. "Our goal remains to have an OECD agreement by the first months of 2021," he said. Dan Neidle, a partner at law firm Clifford Chance, was skeptical US President-elect Joe Biden would agree to such a deal. "I'm not sure why Biden would agree to something which enables US corporations to pay more tax in Europe and has not many benefits to the US," said Neidle.

Fair tax contribution: 75 major tech players sign the French initiative

A global study conducted by Google has found that the use of filters to enhance selfies is widespread in India and the United States.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-proposal-on-coronavirus-triggers-twitter-spat-with-nikki-haley-344327" hreflang="en">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's proposal on coronavirus triggers Twitter spat with Nikki Haley</a>

According to the study, Indian respondents, unlike Germany, expressed low levels of concern about the impact of filters on their children’s wellbeing. The study also noted that the filter used for beautification purposes is highly normalised and socially accepted in South Korea.&nbsp;

"More than 70 per cent of the photos taken on an Android device use the front-facing camera, Indians are active selfie takers and sharers, and they consider filters a useful tool in enhancing their appearance and presenting their best self," it said.

"Indian women, in particular, are enthusiastic about their ability to beautify their images, and they make use of a variety of filtering apps and editing tools to achieve a desired look." The most popular filter apps are PicsArt and Makeup Plus; Snapchat is used by younger users (age 29 and under), it said. &nbsp;

"The selfie-taking and sharing is such a big part of Indian women’s lives that it affects their behaviour and even household economics: several women reported that they never wear the same dress again if they had taken a selfie in it," it said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-putin-coughs-repeatedly-during-televised-covid-19-conference-344334" hreflang="en">Now, Putin coughs repeatedly during televised COVID-19 conference</a>

"As a young women reported, ‘I told my mom, I’ll never wear this dress again because I posted a selfie in it. She said, ‘do you think money comes from the trees?’" the study said.

The study also said that the quality of the phone camera is very important to Indian users, Men and women in India reacted positively to having automatic beautification function on their phone's cameras.

A global study conducted by Google has found that the use of filters to enhance selfies is widespread in India and the United States. Also read: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's proposal on coronavirus triggers Twitter spat with Nikki Haley According to the study, Indian respondents, unlike Germany, expressed low levels of concern about the impact of filters on their children’s wellbeing.

A global study conducted by Google has found that the use of filters to enhance selfies is widespread in India and the United States. Also read: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's proposal on coronavirus triggers Twitter spat with Nikki Haley According to the study, Indian respondents, unlike Germany, expressed low levels of concern about the impact of filters on their children’s wellbeing. The study also noted that the filter used for beautification purposes is highly normalised and socially accepted in South Korea. "More than 70 per cent of the photos taken on an Android device use the front-facing camera, Indians are active selfie takers and sharers, and they consider filters a useful tool in enhancing their appearance and presenting their best self," it said. "Indian women, in particular, are enthusiastic about their ability to beautify their images, and they make use of a variety of filtering apps and editing tools to achieve a desired look." The most popular filter apps are PicsArt and Makeup Plus; Snapchat is used by younger users (age 29 and under), it said. "The selfie-taking and sharing is such a big part of Indian women’s lives that it affects their behaviour and even household economics: several women reported that they never wear the same dress again if they had taken a selfie in it," it said. Also read: Now, Putin coughs repeatedly during televised COVID-19 conference "As a young women reported, ‘I told my mom, I’ll never wear this dress again because I posted a selfie in it. She said, ‘do you think money comes from the trees?’" the study said. The study also said that the quality of the phone camera is very important to Indian users, Men and women in India reacted positively to having automatic beautification function on their phone's cameras.

Use of filters to enhance selfies is widespread in India: Google Report

Social media giant&nbsp;Facebook on Friday offered the&nbsp;first-ever estimate of hate speech prevalence on its platform.

Facebook's rivals Twitter and YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc's Google, do not disclose comparable prevalence metrics.

The world's largest social media company&nbsp;said&nbsp;out of every 10,000 content views in the third quarter, 10-11 were hate speech.

Facebook, under scrutiny over its policing of abuses, particularly around November's US&nbsp;presidential election, released the estimate in its quarterly content moderation report.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-social-media-companies-will-handle-post-us-election-scenarios-337122" hreflang="en">How social media companies will handle post-US election scenarios</a>

The tech giant, which has 1.82 billion daily users globally, has drawn flak in the past for its handling of hate speech on the platform in India, which is among its biggest markets.

In its Community Standards Enforcement Report for September 2020 quarter, Facebook said it is including the prevalence of hate speech on its platform globally "for the first time".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-takes-down-group-stop-the-steal-alleging-voter-fraud-by-democrats-342138" hreflang="en">Facebook takes down group 'Stop The Steal' alleging voter fraud by Democrats</a>

Facebook&nbsp;said it took action on 22.1 million pieces of hate speech content in the third quarter, about 95&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of which was proactively identified, compared to 22.5 million in the previous quarter.

The company defines 'taking action' as removing content, covering it with a warning, disabling accounts, or escalating it to external agencies.

On Instagram, the company took action on 6.5 million pieces of hate speech content (up from 3.2 million in June quarter), about 95 per cent of which was proactively identified (up from about 85 per cent in the previous quarter), it added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/instagram-to-let-users-live-stream-for-up-to-four-hours-338583" hreflang="en">Instagram to let users live stream for up to four hours</a>

The latest Community Standards Enforcement Report provides metrics on how Facebook enforced its policies from July to September, and includes metrics across 12 policies on Facebook and 10 policies on Instagram.

Facebook Vice President (Integrity) Guy Rosen said the company is also updating its Community Standards website to include additional policies that require more context and can't always be applied at scale.

These policies often require specialised teams to gather more information on a given issue in order to make decisions, he added. 
The Community Standards Enforcement Report is published in conjunction with Facebook's biannual Transparency Report.

The Transparency Report shares numbers on government requests for user data, content restrictions based on local law, intellectual property takedowns and internet disruptions.

During the first six months of 2020, government requests for user data increased by 23 per cent from 140,875 to 173,592, it said.

This summer, civil rights groups organized a widespread advertising boycott to try to pressure&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;to act against hate speech.

The company agreed to disclose the hate speech metric, calculated by examining a representative sample of content seen on&nbsp;Facebook, and submit itself to an independent audit of its enforcement record.

On a call with reporters,&nbsp;Facebook's head of safety and integrity Guy Rosen said the audit would be completed "over the course of 2021."

The Anti-Defamation League, one of the groups behind the boycott, said&nbsp;Facebook's new metric still lacked sufficient context for a full assessment of its performance.

"We still don't know from this report exactly how many pieces of content users are flagging to&nbsp;Facebook, whether or not the action was taken," said ADL spokesman Todd Gutnick. That data matters, he said, as "there are many forms of hate speech that are not being removed, even after they're flagged."

Social media giant Facebook on Friday offered the first-ever estimate of hate speech prevalence on its platform. Facebook's rivals Twitter and YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc's Google, do not disclose comparable prevalence metrics.

Social media giant Facebook on Friday offered the first-ever estimate of hate speech prevalence on its platform. Facebook's rivals Twitter and YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc's Google, do not disclose comparable prevalence metrics. The world's largest social media company said out of every 10,000 content views in the third quarter, 10-11 were hate speech. Facebook, under scrutiny over its policing of abuses, particularly around November's US presidential election, released the estimate in its quarterly content moderation report. Also see: How social media companies will handle post-US election scenarios The tech giant, which has 1.82 billion daily users globally, has drawn flak in the past for its handling of hate speech on the platform in India, which is among its biggest markets. In its Community Standards Enforcement Report for September 2020 quarter, Facebook said it is including the prevalence of hate speech on its platform globally "for the first time". Also read: Facebook takes down group 'Stop The Steal' alleging voter fraud by Democrats Facebook said it took action on 22.1 million pieces of hate speech content in the third quarter, about 95 per cent of which was proactively identified, compared to 22.5 million in the previous quarter. The company defines 'taking action' as removing content, covering it with a warning, disabling accounts, or escalating it to external agencies. On Instagram, the company took action on 6.5 million pieces of hate speech content (up from 3.2 million in June quarter), about 95 per cent of which was proactively identified (up from about 85 per cent in the previous quarter), it added. Also read: Instagram to let users live stream for up to four hours The latest Community Standards Enforcement Report provides metrics on how Facebook enforced its policies from July to September, and includes metrics across 12 policies on Facebook and 10 policies on Instagram. Facebook Vice President (Integrity) Guy Rosen said the company is also updating its Community Standards website to include additional policies that require more context and can't always be applied at scale. These policies often require specialised teams to gather more information on a given issue in order to make decisions, he added. The Community Standards Enforcement Report is published in conjunction with Facebook's biannual Transparency Report. The Transparency Report shares numbers on government requests for user data, content restrictions based on local law, intellectual property takedowns and internet disruptions. During the first six months of 2020, government requests for user data increased by 23 per cent from 140,875 to 173,592, it said. This summer, civil rights groups organized a widespread advertising boycott to try to pressure Facebook to act against hate speech. The company agreed to disclose the hate speech metric, calculated by examining a representative sample of content seen on Facebook, and submit itself to an independent audit of its enforcement record. On a call with reporters, Facebook's head of safety and integrity Guy Rosen said the audit would be completed "over the course of 2021." The Anti-Defamation League, one of the groups behind the boycott, said Facebook's new metric still lacked sufficient context for a full assessment of its performance. "We still don't know from this report exactly how many pieces of content users are flagging to Facebook, whether or not the action was taken," said ADL spokesman Todd Gutnick. That data matters, he said, as "there are many forms of hate speech that are not being removed, even after they're flagged."

In a first, Facebook offers estimate of hate speech prevalence on its platform

The re-emergence of a popular expression used in&nbsp;discourse by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has online media clients scrambling to look into the World Economic Forum's "Great Reset," recently excused by some as a mere conspiracy theory.

An extract of an ongoing Trudeau discourse posted on Sunday has constrained some to reevaluate their suspicion over the 'Great Reset,' long pooh-poohed as a fear inspired notion regardless of being the title of a real proclamation for overall social change composed by Klaus Schwab, the head of the World Economic Forum.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Justin Trudeau calling the coronavirus pandemic an opportunity for a reset as per the WEF, and parroting the ‘build back better’ line which Biden just so happened to use as a campaign slogan. 
 
Must all be a coincidence and not at all coordinated.<a href="https://t.co/O406Cy5I8N">pic.twitter.com/O406Cy5I8N</a>
— Jonathan Witt (@Jonathan_Witt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Witt/status/1327992732657258497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Promising a 'reset' is underway, Trudeau developed the puzzling 'Form Back Better' trademark that has surfaced on the lips of legislators and NGOs around the world. At first transmission in late September, the discourse saw him promise $400 million to worldwide helpful guide ventures.&nbsp;

"Working back better methods offering to back to the most defenseless while keeping up our energy on arriving at the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the [Sustainable Development Goals]," the PM stated, referring to the UN's Agenda 2030, another bête noire of intrigue specialists who trust it speaks to the plan for worldwide authoritarian government.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"The Great Reset" is now reaching peak-level at Google Trends. <a href="https://t.co/PU9KQ67arm">pic.twitter.com/PU9KQ67arm</a>
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1328347733804113921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Clearly startled by the Great Reset being a ''real thing,''&nbsp;watchers hurried to find it, sending looks for the term taking off on Google.&nbsp;

While some so-called Great Reset 'specialists' accepted the open door to impart their decisions to the inquisitive, others simply selected to criticise the program.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum (part of the United Nations network) says the Fourth Industrial Revolution (part of the Great Reset agenda) will "lead to a fusion of our physical, digital and biological identity" 
 
simply put, this means globally enforced transhumanism <a href="https://t.co/Tn1gClNOVe">pic.twitter.com/Tn1gClNOVe</a>
— SP fan account (@thuletide) <a href="https://twitter.com/thuletide/status/1328092319170646017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Schwab knows: 
1. Neoliberalism is 'done' because the parasitic Ponzi scheme is collapsing 
2. Unless the 'parasites' crack down they'll lose control 
3. 'The Great Reset' is the plan for the final overthrow of democracy 
But he talks about 'trust', because that's what deceivers do <a href="https://t.co/574XY13SWx">pic.twitter.com/574XY13SWx</a>
— MarkGB (@MarkGBblog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkGBblog/status/1328075238379294722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We will stop the great reset
— George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1328075355589144580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Raise your hand if you are against the great reset/Agenda 2030.
— ALG 'you people" (@ALGhammer) <a href="https://twitter.com/ALGhammer/status/1327951936205643776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

While some trust Covid-19 was purposely released to introduce the Great Reset, others think the WEF and the decision classes have only seized on the pandemic as the ideal occasion to force their arrangement on populaces improbable to grasp it in the event that they had a decision.

Many were wary about plunging down the Reset hare opening while at the same time recognizing that a curiously enormous number of world pioneers and NGO chiefs were talking in comparable terms. US president-elect Joe Biden's mission trademark was "Work Back Better," while UK PM Boris Johnson declared months prior that his nation would utilize the Covid as an occasion to "work back better."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Macron and Merkel also said something along the same lines
— Johann van Heerden (@stephanus_56405) <a href="https://twitter.com/stephanus_56405/status/1328174423984250881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Once you recognise the language of The Great Reset, it is shocking to see how much of the plan is already out in the open. 
 
It's in books, TIME magazine, websites, social media, advertising, news and repeated by govt's worldwide. 
 
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheGreatReset?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheGreatReset</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BuildBackBetter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BuildBackBetter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClimateChange?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClimateChange</a> <a href="https://t.co/317AIYtZKM">pic.twitter.com/317AIYtZKM</a>
— Torbay Tweets (@TorbayTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/TorbayTweets/status/1328050267724656643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Indeed, even confronted with the words coming from Trudeau's mouth, be that as it may, not every person was persuaded Trudeau's discourse spoke to something evil.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Oooh! A conspiracy.
— Richard Spoor (@Richard_Spoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/Richard_Spoor/status/1328032902546919424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I see "The Great Reset" conspiracy about Covid-19 is trending again. 
 
Always love it when the same crowd who tell us politicians are incredibly incompetent and useless simultaneously believe they all came togther to brilliantly execute a global masterplan. 
 
Happy Monday everyone! <a href="https://t.co/edMKMW6jPm">pic.twitter.com/edMKMW6jPm</a>
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shayan86/status/1328315642886418437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

In the content of his "Great Reset" book, Schwab calls for worldwide pioneers to take advantage of the lucky break introduced by the Covid-19 pandemic to revamp society in their picture and pronounces the world will "never" get back to business as usual – despite the fact that the sickness itself doesn't "represent another existential danger" to humankind.&nbsp;

Trudeau, Biden, Johnson, and other incredible figures like the UK's Prince Charles have loaned their help to the program lately, announcing the Covid-19 pandemic speaks to a once in a blue moon occasion to rethink society.

The re-emergence of a popular expression used in discourse by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has online media clients scrambling to look into the World Economic Forum's "Great Reset," recently excused by some as a mere conspiracy theory.

The re-emergence of a popular expression used in discourse by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has online media clients scrambling to look into the World Economic Forum's "Great Reset," recently excused by some as a mere conspiracy theory. An extract of an ongoing Trudeau discourse posted on Sunday has constrained some to reevaluate their suspicion over the 'Great Reset,' long pooh-poohed as a fear inspired notion regardless of being the title of a real proclamation for overall social change composed by Klaus Schwab, the head of the World Economic Forum. Justin Trudeau calling the coronavirus pandemic an opportunity for a reset as per the WEF, and parroting the ‘build back better’ line which Biden just so happened to use as a campaign slogan. Must all be a coincidence and not at all coordinated.pic.twitter.com/O406Cy5I8N — Jonathan Witt (@Jonathan_Witt) November 15, 2020 × Promising a 'reset' is underway, Trudeau developed the puzzling 'Form Back Better' trademark that has surfaced on the lips of legislators and NGOs around the world. At first transmission in late September, the discourse saw him promise $400 million to worldwide helpful guide ventures. "Working back better methods offering to back to the most defenseless while keeping up our energy on arriving at the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the [Sustainable Development Goals]," the PM stated, referring to the UN's Agenda 2030, another bête noire of intrigue specialists who trust it speaks to the plan for worldwide authoritarian government. "The Great Reset" is now reaching peak-level at Google Trends. pic.twitter.com/PU9KQ67arm — Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) November 16, 2020 × Clearly startled by the Great Reset being a ''real thing,'' watchers hurried to find it, sending looks for the term taking off on Google. While some so-called Great Reset 'specialists' accepted the open door to impart their decisions to the inquisitive, others simply selected to criticise the program. Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum (part of the United Nations network) says the Fourth Industrial Revolution (part of the Great Reset agenda) will "lead to a fusion of our physical, digital and biological identity" simply put, this means globally enforced transhumanism pic.twitter.com/Tn1gClNOVe — SP fan account (@thuletide) November 15, 2020 × Schwab knows: 1. Neoliberalism is 'done' because the parasitic Ponzi scheme is collapsing 2. Unless the 'parasites' crack down they'll lose control 3. 'The Great Reset' is the plan for the final overthrow of democracy But he talks about 'trust', because that's what deceivers do pic.twitter.com/574XY13SWx — MarkGB (@MarkGBblog) November 15, 2020 × We will stop the great reset — George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) November 15, 2020 × Raise your hand if you are against the great reset/Agenda 2030. — ALG 'you people" (@ALGhammer) November 15, 2020 × While some trust Covid-19 was purposely released to introduce the Great Reset, others think the WEF and the decision classes have only seized on the pandemic as the ideal occasion to force their arrangement on populaces improbable to grasp it in the event that they had a decision. Many were wary about plunging down the Reset hare opening while at the same time recognizing that a curiously enormous number of world pioneers and NGO chiefs were talking in comparable terms. US president-elect Joe Biden's mission trademark was "Work Back Better," while UK PM Boris Johnson declared months prior that his nation would utilize the Covid as an occasion to "work back better." Macron and Merkel also said something along the same lines — Johann van Heerden (@stephanus_56405) November 16, 2020 × Once you recognise the language of The Great Reset, it is shocking to see how much of the plan is already out in the open. It's in books, TIME magazine, websites, social media, advertising, news and repeated by govt's worldwide. #TheGreatReset #BuildBackBetter #ClimateChange pic.twitter.com/317AIYtZKM — Torbay Tweets (@TorbayTweets) November 15, 2020 × Indeed, even confronted with the words coming from Trudeau's mouth, be that as it may, not every person was persuaded Trudeau's discourse spoke to something evil. Oooh! A conspiracy. — Richard Spoor (@Richard_Spoor) November 15, 2020 × I see "The Great Reset" conspiracy about Covid-19 is trending again. Always love it when the same crowd who tell us politicians are incredibly incompetent and useless simultaneously believe they all came togther to brilliantly execute a global masterplan. Happy Monday everyone! pic.twitter.com/edMKMW6jPm — Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) November 16, 2020 × In the content of his "Great Reset" book, Schwab calls for worldwide pioneers to take advantage of the lucky break introduced by the Covid-19 pandemic to revamp society in their picture and pronounces the world will "never" get back to business as usual – despite the fact that the sickness itself doesn't "represent another existential danger" to humankind. Trudeau, Biden, Johnson, and other incredible figures like the UK's Prince Charles have loaned their help to the program lately, announcing the Covid-19 pandemic speaks to a once in a blue moon occasion to rethink society.

'Great Reset' conspiracy theory takes Twitter by storm after Trudeau's speech on COVID-19

We have all enjoyed the free&nbsp;and almost&nbsp;unlimited storage space in Google Photos till now. However, the tech giant has decided to put a stop to it.

Earlier, Google Photos allowed users to store pictures and only counted the 'original' quality, instead of the 'compressed; high quality, for measuring the leftover storage. This allowed users to enjoy the massive free storage space.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/invest-in-tech-this-festive-season-heres-a-comprehensive-list-of-what-to-buy-342410" hreflang="en">Invest in tech this festive season. Here's a comprehensive list of what to buy!</a>

The Google Photos provided 15GB of space to the users. However, from June 01, 2021, the facility will be suspended and all the images uploaded before this date will not be counted for space calculation.

After June 01, all pictures uploaded, in either quality, will be counted in space calculation and if the users run out of the 15GB free space, they will be asked to buy extra storage space.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-launches-macbook-laptops-with-first-microprocessor-designed-in-house-342287" hreflang="en">Apple launches MacBook laptops with first microprocessor designed in-house</a>

In addition to this, the users who stay inactive on the platform and do not contribute to the service for two years maximum, their accounts will be suspended and Google will delete users' content across multiple platforms.

The service will also a tool from June 2021 that will help you manage users' backed up photos and videos, and then select what to keep, restore and delete. This tool will also help users identify the dark and blurry pictures and excessively large videos that the users can delete.

However, Pixel phone users will enjoy free and unlimited space over longer periods of time.

We have all enjoyed the free and almost unlimited storage space in Google Photos till now. However, the tech giant has decided to put a stop to it. Earlier, Google Photos allowed users to store pictures and only counted the 'original' quality, instead of the 'compressed; high quality, for measuring the leftover storage.

We have all enjoyed the free and almost unlimited storage space in Google Photos till now. However, the tech giant has decided to put a stop to it. Earlier, Google Photos allowed users to store pictures and only counted the 'original' quality, instead of the 'compressed; high quality, for measuring the leftover storage. This allowed users to enjoy the massive free storage space. Also read| Invest in tech this festive season. Here's a comprehensive list of what to buy! The Google Photos provided 15GB of space to the users. However, from June 01, 2021, the facility will be suspended and all the images uploaded before this date will not be counted for space calculation. After June 01, all pictures uploaded, in either quality, will be counted in space calculation and if the users run out of the 15GB free space, they will be asked to buy extra storage space. Also read| Apple launches MacBook laptops with first microprocessor designed in-house In addition to this, the users who stay inactive on the platform and do not contribute to the service for two years maximum, their accounts will be suspended and Google will delete users' content across multiple platforms. The service will also a tool from June 2021 that will help you manage users' backed up photos and videos, and then select what to keep, restore and delete. This tool will also help users identify the dark and blurry pictures and excessively large videos that the users can delete. However, Pixel phone users will enjoy free and unlimited space over longer periods of time.

Google Photos stops free uploads; limits storage space

While the rest of the US&nbsp;economy languished earlier this year, the tech industry’s biggest companies seemed immune to the downturn, surging as the country worked, learned and shopped from home.

On Thursday, as the economy is showing signs of improvement, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Facebook reported profits that highlighted how a recovery may provide another catalyst to help them generate a level of wealth that hasn’t been seen in a single industry in generations.

With an entrenched audience of users and the financial resources to press their leads in areas like cloud computing, e-commerce and digital advertising, the companies demonstrated again that economic malaise, upstart competitors and feisty antitrust regulators have had little effect on their bottom line.

Combined, the four companies reported a quarterly net profit of $38 billion.

Amazon reported record sales, and an almost 200% rise in profits, as the pandemic accelerated the transition to online shopping. Despite a boycott of its advertising over the summer, Facebook had another blockbuster quarter. Alphabet’s record quarterly net profit was up 59%, as marketers plowed money into advertisements for Google search and YouTube. And Apple’s sales rose even though the pandemic forced it to push back the iPhone 12’s release to October, in the current quarter.

On Tuesday, Microsoft, Amazon’s closest competitor in cloud computing, also reported its most profitable quarter, growing 30% from a year earlier.

“The scene that’s playing out fundamentally is that these tech stalwarts are gaining more market share by the day,” said Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities. “It’s ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ for this group of tech companies and everyone else.”

The results were strong despite increasing antitrust scrutiny from regulators. Last week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit accusing Google of cementing the dominance of its search engine through anti-competitive agreements with device makers and mobile carriers. Facebook faces a possible antitrust case from the Federal Trade Commission.

The companies’ advantages are becoming more pronounced in an economy starting to dig out from the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, the Commerce Department said US&nbsp;economic output grew 7.4% last quarter, the fastest pace on record, but remained below where it was in the last pre-pandemic quarter.

While the rest of the US economy languished earlier this year, the tech industry’s biggest companies seemed immune to the downturn, surging as the country worked, learned and shopped from home.

While the rest of the US economy languished earlier this year, the tech industry’s biggest companies seemed immune to the downturn, surging as the country worked, learned and shopped from home. On Thursday, as the economy is showing signs of improvement, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Facebook reported profits that highlighted how a recovery may provide another catalyst to help them generate a level of wealth that hasn’t been seen in a single industry in generations. With an entrenched audience of users and the financial resources to press their leads in areas like cloud computing, e-commerce and digital advertising, the companies demonstrated again that economic malaise, upstart competitors and feisty antitrust regulators have had little effect on their bottom line. Combined, the four companies reported a quarterly net profit of $38 billion. Amazon reported record sales, and an almost 200% rise in profits, as the pandemic accelerated the transition to online shopping. Despite a boycott of its advertising over the summer, Facebook had another blockbuster quarter. Alphabet’s record quarterly net profit was up 59%, as marketers plowed money into advertisements for Google search and YouTube. And Apple’s sales rose even though the pandemic forced it to push back the iPhone 12’s release to October, in the current quarter. On Tuesday, Microsoft, Amazon’s closest competitor in cloud computing, also reported its most profitable quarter, growing 30% from a year earlier. “The scene that’s playing out fundamentally is that these tech stalwarts are gaining more market share by the day,” said Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities. “It’s ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ for this group of tech companies and everyone else.” The results were strong despite increasing antitrust scrutiny from regulators. Last week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit accusing Google of cementing the dominance of its search engine through anti-competitive agreements with device makers and mobile carriers. Facebook faces a possible antitrust case from the Federal Trade Commission. The companies’ advantages are becoming more pronounced in an economy starting to dig out from the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, the Commerce Department said US economic output grew 7.4% last quarter, the fastest pace on record, but remained below where it was in the last pre-pandemic quarter.

Big Tech continues its surge ahead of the rest of the economy

As tech giants faced an intense hearing on Senate on Wednesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was in the centre to face the ire of conservative lawmakers.&nbsp;

"My concern is that these platforms have become powerful arbiters of what is true and what content users can access," said Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Commerce Committee, as quoted by the news agency AFP.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pick-eye-pish-eye-senators-struggle-to-pronounce-google-ceo-sundar-pichais-name-338710">'Pick Eye', 'Pish Eye': Senators struggle to pronounce Google CEO Sundar Pichai's name</a>

He said the panel had "dozens of examples of conservative content being censored," asking Dorsey on how Twitter decides to label or remove any post.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-hit-by-bad-connection-causes-delay-in-us-senate-hearing-338615">Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hit by 'bad connection', causes delay in US Senate hearing</a>

"Your platform allows foreign dictators to post propaganda without restriction yet your routinely restrict the president of the United States," the Republican senator said, referring to one post from China accusing the US military of bringing the coronavirus.

Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, came down heavily on Dorsey, even shouting at him at times and accusing Twitter of "silencing people" on speeches which it disagreed with.&nbsp;

He also rebuked Dorsey on Twitter's decision to restrict access to a New York Post story of questionable provenance that made corruption allegations against Joe Biden's son.

"Mr Dorsey who the hell elected you and put you in charge of what the media are allowed to report and what the American people are allowed to hear?" Cruz said.&nbsp;

Trump also endorsed in a tweet Republicans criticism during Senate as he faces a tough battle in the upcoming presidential election and accused social media giants to cover up "corruption" of Biden.&nbsp;

He also demanded "Repeal Section 230!", a section that protects social media organisations from content posted by the users.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

As tech giants faced an intense hearing on Senate on Wednesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was in the centre to face the ire of conservative lawmakers. "My concern is that these platforms have become powerful arbiters of what is true and what content users can access," said Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Commerce Committee, as quoted by the news agency AFP.

As tech giants faced an intense hearing on Senate on Wednesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was in the centre to face the ire of conservative lawmakers. "My concern is that these platforms have become powerful arbiters of what is true and what content users can access," said Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Commerce Committee, as quoted by the news agency AFP. Also read | 'Pick Eye', 'Pish Eye': Senators struggle to pronounce Google CEO Sundar Pichai's name He said the panel had "dozens of examples of conservative content being censored," asking Dorsey on how Twitter decides to label or remove any post. Also read | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hit by 'bad connection', causes delay in US Senate hearing "Your platform allows foreign dictators to post propaganda without restriction yet your routinely restrict the president of the United States," the Republican senator said, referring to one post from China accusing the US military of bringing the coronavirus. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, came down heavily on Dorsey, even shouting at him at times and accusing Twitter of "silencing people" on speeches which it disagreed with. He also rebuked Dorsey on Twitter's decision to restrict access to a New York Post story of questionable provenance that made corruption allegations against Joe Biden's son. "Mr Dorsey who the hell elected you and put you in charge of what the media are allowed to report and what the American people are allowed to hear?" Cruz said. Trump also endorsed in a tweet Republicans criticism during Senate as he faces a tough battle in the upcoming presidential election and accused social media giants to cover up "corruption" of Biden. He also demanded "Repeal Section 230!", a section that protects social media organisations from content posted by the users.

'Who the hell put you in charge?' Republicans lash out at tech giants during Senate debate

google-0

Google, News on Google, stories on Google, articles on Google, Google stories at Wion, Google news, Google latest news

google 0

'Arrogant': Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison slams Facebook's move to block news

Google to invest $75 million in coronavirus-hit small businesses

Google and Facebook 'close' to deals with Australian media

Google to pay over $1 million for misleading French hotel rankings

Facebook to launch smartwatch with messaging, fitness features

Microsoft says it supports Australia's plans to make Google pay for news

Google to spend $3.8 million to settle accusations of hiring, pay biases

EU tells Google, Facebook and Twitter to extend fake news watch, COVID-19 in focus

Google to turn company spaces into vaccination centres: Sundar Pichai

Colour coded: Google to redesign 'search' for better user experience

India needs tougher laws to rein in Big Tech

On last day as US President, Trump pardons engineer who stole Google secrets

'Hello world, is this thing on?': Parler's website is back online after finding new host

'Hello world, is this thing on?': Parler's website is back online after finding new host

I don't fear Microsoft or Google says billionaire techie Sridhar Vembu of Zoho

Google backs Joe Biden's efforts to pass new immigration law

After Google, Apple and Amazon suspend Parler social networking app for 'threats of violence'

Indian version of TikTok, Josh, gets Google, Microsoft backing in $100 million fund raise

Google accused of search manipulation in third major antitrust lawsuit

YouTube faces complaints of lax approach on overseas election misinformation

Texas suing Google over alleged anti-competitive ad tech practices

Monday blues: Google Drive, Gmail, YouTube face downtime; Twitter reacts

Australia to make Facebook, Google pay news outlets for content

Best apps and games on the Play Store in India for 2020