President Donald Trump said Thursday American firms should "step up their efforts" on 5G -- superfast fifth-generation wireless networks -- while suggesting he was not prepared to block foreign firms from the US market for the key technology.

The comments made on Twitter left unclear whether Trump intended to bar Chinese firms from 5G networks in the United States, which has been reported by several media outlets.

But he said the US should "win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies."

The Trump administration in recent months has ramped up efforts to block Huawei, the leader in 5G, by urging allies to avoid the Chinese powerhouse, claiming that national security interests were at stake.

Trump's latest comments made no mention of China or Huawei but appeared to step back from the threat of a full ban.

"I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible," he said. "American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on something that is so obviously the future."

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I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard. American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on.........
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1098581869233344512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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He added, "I want the United States to win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies. We must always be the leader in everything we do, especially when it comes to the very exciting world of technology."

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— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1098583029713420288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

President Donald Trump said Thursday American firms should "step up their efforts" on 5G -- superfast fifth-generation wireless networks -- while suggesting he was not prepared to block foreign firms from the US market for the key technology.

President Donald Trump said Thursday American firms should "step up their efforts" on 5G -- superfast fifth-generation wireless networks -- while suggesting he was not prepared to block foreign firms from the US market for the key technology. The comments made on Twitter left unclear whether Trump intended to bar Chinese firms from 5G networks in the United States, which has been reported by several media outlets. But he said the US should "win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies." The Trump administration in recent months has ramped up efforts to block Huawei, the leader in 5G, by urging allies to avoid the Chinese powerhouse, claiming that national security interests were at stake. Trump's latest comments made no mention of China or Huawei but appeared to step back from the threat of a full ban. "I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible," he said. "American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on something that is so obviously the future." I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard. American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on......... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2019 × He added, "I want the United States to win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies. We must always be the leader in everything we do, especially when it comes to the very exciting world of technology." ....something that is so obviously the future. I want the United States to win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies. We must always be the leader in everything we do, especially when it comes to the very exciting world of technology! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2019 ×

Trump urges US firms to 'step up their efforts' on 5G on Twitter

Bangladesh authorities have blocked almost 20,000 websites as part of an anti-pornography "war", a minister said Tuesday.

Internet providers in the conservative Muslim-majority nation took down pornography and gambling websites in the past week under orders from the telecommunications regulator. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"I want to create a safe and secure internet for all Bangladeshis, including children. And this is my war against pornography. And this will be a continuous war," Mustafa Jabbar, the posts and telecommunications minister, told AFP.

Popular social media apps such as TikTok and Bigo -- which authorities believe are misused -- have also been blocked in the South Asian nation, Jabbar said.&nbsp;

Most of the blocked sites are foreign, but a few local websites and social media platforms have also faced action under the crackdown, he added.

The crackdown was launched after Bangladesh's High Court in November asked the government to block pornography websites and publication of obscene materials in electronic forms for six months.

The court acted after a civil society organisation filed a petition stating that a large number of adult websites contain uncensored and obscene content.&nbsp;

On Sunday, police reprimanded a rising actress and told her to remove provocative images from her Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages.

"We are monitoring the local Facebook profiles, YouTube channels and websites also," Jabbar said.

"A few of them were taken down for having obscene content. We advised a few others not to post anything that goes against our social norms."

Bangladesh -- a country of 165 million people -- has more than 90 million internet users. Porn stars regularly top the list of the most searched names. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Emdadul Hoque, general secretary of the internet service providers association, said they have complied with the order, but many users can still access online porn by using virtual private networks or mirror websites.

"This is a continuous process and it needs regular monitoring. These websites are very well aware of the regulations and they come up with thousands of mirror sites every week," Hoque told AFP.

Bangladesh authorities have blocked almost 20,000 websites as part of an anti-pornography "war", a minister said Tuesday. Internet providers in the conservative Muslim-majority nation took down pornography and gambling websites in the past week under orders from the telecommunications regulator.

Bangladesh authorities have blocked almost 20,000 websites as part of an anti-pornography "war", a minister said Tuesday. Internet providers in the conservative Muslim-majority nation took down pornography and gambling websites in the past week under orders from the telecommunications regulator. "I want to create a safe and secure internet for all Bangladeshis, including children. And this is my war against pornography. And this will be a continuous war," Mustafa Jabbar, the posts and telecommunications minister, told AFP. Popular social media apps such as TikTok and Bigo -- which authorities believe are misused -- have also been blocked in the South Asian nation, Jabbar said. Most of the blocked sites are foreign, but a few local websites and social media platforms have also faced action under the crackdown, he added. The crackdown was launched after Bangladesh's High Court in November asked the government to block pornography websites and publication of obscene materials in electronic forms for six months. The court acted after a civil society organisation filed a petition stating that a large number of adult websites contain uncensored and obscene content. On Sunday, police reprimanded a rising actress and told her to remove provocative images from her Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages. "We are monitoring the local Facebook profiles, YouTube channels and websites also," Jabbar said. "A few of them were taken down for having obscene content. We advised a few others not to post anything that goes against our social norms." Bangladesh -- a country of 165 million people -- has more than 90 million internet users. Porn stars regularly top the list of the most searched names. Emdadul Hoque, general secretary of the internet service providers association, said they have complied with the order, but many users can still access online porn by using virtual private networks or mirror websites. "This is a continuous process and it needs regular monitoring. These websites are very well aware of the regulations and they come up with thousands of mirror sites every week," Hoque told AFP.

Bangladesh shuts 20,000 websites in anti-porn 'war'

Russian lawmakers backed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-cracking-down-on-internet-to-muzzle-critics-say-experts-129128">tighter internet controls</a> on Tuesday to defend against foreign meddling in draft legislation that critics warn could disrupt Russia's internet and be used to stifle dissent.

The legislation, which some Russian media have likened to an online "iron curtain," passed its first of three readings in the 450-seat lower chamber of parliament.

The bill seeks to route Russian web traffic and data through points controlled by state authorities and proposes building a national Domain Name System to allow the internet to continue functioning even if the country is cut off from foreign infrastructure.

The legislation was drafted in response to what its authors describe as an aggressive new US&nbsp;national cyber-security strategy passed last year.

The Agora human rights group said earlier this month that the legislation was one of several new bills drafted in December that "seriously threaten internet freedom".

The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs has said the bill poses more of a risk to the functioning of the Russian internet segment than the alleged threats from foreign countries that the bill seeks to counter.

The bill also proposes installing network equipment that would be able to identify the source of web traffic and also block banned content.

The legislation, which can still be amended, but which is expected to pass, is part of a drive by officials to increase Russian "sovereignty" over its internet segment.

Russia has introduced tougher internet laws in the last five years, requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country.

The bill faces two more votes in the lower chamber before it is voted on in the upper house of parliament and then signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.

Russian lawmakers backed tighter internet controls on Tuesday to defend against foreign meddling in draft legislation that critics warn could disrupt Russia's internet and be used to stifle dissent.

Russian lawmakers backed tighter internet controls on Tuesday to defend against foreign meddling in draft legislation that critics warn could disrupt Russia's internet and be used to stifle dissent. The legislation, which some Russian media have likened to an online "iron curtain," passed its first of three readings in the 450-seat lower chamber of parliament. The bill seeks to route Russian web traffic and data through points controlled by state authorities and proposes building a national Domain Name System to allow the internet to continue functioning even if the country is cut off from foreign infrastructure. The legislation was drafted in response to what its authors describe as an aggressive new US national cyber-security strategy passed last year. The Agora human rights group said earlier this month that the legislation was one of several new bills drafted in December that "seriously threaten internet freedom". The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs has said the bill poses more of a risk to the functioning of the Russian internet segment than the alleged threats from foreign countries that the bill seeks to counter. The bill also proposes installing network equipment that would be able to identify the source of web traffic and also block banned content. The legislation, which can still be amended, but which is expected to pass, is part of a drive by officials to increase Russian "sovereignty" over its internet segment. Russia has introduced tougher internet laws in the last five years, requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country. The bill faces two more votes in the lower chamber before it is voted on in the upper house of parliament and then signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.

Russian lawmakers back bill on 'sovereign' Internet

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday backed a bill that would ban soldiers from using smartphones while on duty to post online or give information to media.

The move comes after journalists have used photos and videos posted on social media by troops to gain information on Russia's military involvement in Syria and in Ukraine -- where Kiev and its Western allies say Moscow gives military backing to pro-Russian separatists.&nbsp;

The Russian military has long sought to limit troops' use of social media to avoid information leaks.

The Meduza independent news site wrote that with the bill "we will know less about hazing and the military in Ukraine."

The defence committee of the State Duma lower house of parliament, which wrote the legislation, said it aimed to ensure "national security" in the "sphere of information" and to cover information that is not classed as a military secret.

The bill bans troops from carrying "electronic devices" that can post video and photos online or reveal their geo-locations.

It bans troops, conscripts and reservists from informing media or putting information online that reveals they or others are in the military, describes their duties or gives their location.&nbsp;

It also bans giving out information about the actions of military commanders or the locations of military headquarters.

MPs in the State Duma voted on the key second reading of the bill, which will be followed by a final reading, a Senate vote and then a signing by President Vladimir Putin.&nbsp;

The bill warns that foreign secret services and "terrorist" organisations are interested in the activities of Russian troops, particularly those serving in Syria, where Russia has been carrying out a military intervention since 2015 to back President Bashar al-Assad.

It says that information posted online or given to media could be used to form a "prejudiced view of Russia's government policies."

Soldiers who broke the law could be given early discharge.

Basic mobile phones without cameras will not be banned, and troops will still be able to use smartphones while off-duty, the first deputy chief of the defence committee, Andrei Krasov told TASS state news agency.

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday backed a bill that would ban soldiers from using smartphones while on duty to post online or give information to media. The move comes after journalists have used photos and videos posted on social media by troops to gain information on Russia's military involvement in Syria and in Ukraine -- where Kiev and its Western allies say Moscow gives military backing to pro-Russian separatists.

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday backed a bill that would ban soldiers from using smartphones while on duty to post online or give information to media. The move comes after journalists have used photos and videos posted on social media by troops to gain information on Russia's military involvement in Syria and in Ukraine -- where Kiev and its Western allies say Moscow gives military backing to pro-Russian separatists. The Russian military has long sought to limit troops' use of social media to avoid information leaks. The Meduza independent news site wrote that with the bill "we will know less about hazing and the military in Ukraine." The defence committee of the State Duma lower house of parliament, which wrote the legislation, said it aimed to ensure "national security" in the "sphere of information" and to cover information that is not classed as a military secret. The bill bans troops from carrying "electronic devices" that can post video and photos online or reveal their geo-locations. It bans troops, conscripts and reservists from informing media or putting information online that reveals they or others are in the military, describes their duties or gives their location. It also bans giving out information about the actions of military commanders or the locations of military headquarters. MPs in the State Duma voted on the key second reading of the bill, which will be followed by a final reading, a Senate vote and then a signing by President Vladimir Putin. The bill warns that foreign secret services and "terrorist" organisations are interested in the activities of Russian troops, particularly those serving in Syria, where Russia has been carrying out a military intervention since 2015 to back President Bashar al-Assad. It says that information posted online or given to media could be used to form a "prejudiced view of Russia's government policies." Soldiers who broke the law could be given early discharge. Basic mobile phones without cameras will not be banned, and troops will still be able to use smartphones while off-duty, the first deputy chief of the defence committee, Andrei Krasov told TASS state news agency.

Russia moves to ban troops from using smartphones

Your Story: Russia to log off internet soon?

Children are putting themselves in increased danger with their online activities trying to imitate high-profile Youtubers and social media influencers all in the name of likes, the author of a new book on the topic told EFE Monday. 
 
David Ruiperez, author of the book "Mi vida por un like" ("My life for a like"), spoke to EFE about how children were facing grave dangers as a result of their desire to imitate influencers, high-profile internet personalities who are often approached by brands for promotions and warned parents to keep a track on who their offspring follow in the online world.&nbsp; 
 
He said it was of vital importance that parents got to grips with how their children were interacting online as, according to him, it bore little resemblance to how the average adult may use social media.&nbsp; 
 
"Kids see that young people are recording videos and posting them online and that they get a huge amount of money for doing so and become famous. They want to be like them," Ruipérez said. 
 
The thirst for online attention sees many young people picturing themselves in extreme and dangerous situations; others, usually the girls, pose in sensual and suggestive ways and then post these pictures online.&nbsp; 
 
All of this whilst running the very real risk of never being able to take them down if, in the future, they were to regret posting them in the first place. 
 
The author said parents were often blind to the situation, given that children often spend time surfing the social mediascape from the comforts of their own house. Parents may be unaware as to exactly what information their children could be sharing with people online.&nbsp; 
 
The author, who is also a coordinator of content for the department of communications for the Spanish General Council of Nursing, did recognize that social media had a lot of potential as a communications tool but it is important to control it and show children and young people how to use it adequately. 
 
"Understanding this phenomenon as soon as possible is the key to guiding our children in their online activities," the expert concluded.

Children are putting themselves in increased danger with their online activities trying to imitate high-profile Youtubers and social media influencers all in the name of likes, the author of a new book on the topic told EFE Monday.

Children are putting themselves in increased danger with their online activities trying to imitate high-profile Youtubers and social media influencers all in the name of likes, the author of a new book on the topic told EFE Monday. David Ruiperez, author of the book "Mi vida por un like" ("My life for a like"), spoke to EFE about how children were facing grave dangers as a result of their desire to imitate influencers, high-profile internet personalities who are often approached by brands for promotions and warned parents to keep a track on who their offspring follow in the online world. He said it was of vital importance that parents got to grips with how their children were interacting online as, according to him, it bore little resemblance to how the average adult may use social media. "Kids see that young people are recording videos and posting them online and that they get a huge amount of money for doing so and become famous. They want to be like them," Ruipérez said. The thirst for online attention sees many young people picturing themselves in extreme and dangerous situations; others, usually the girls, pose in sensual and suggestive ways and then post these pictures online. All of this whilst running the very real risk of never being able to take them down if, in the future, they were to regret posting them in the first place. The author said parents were often blind to the situation, given that children often spend time surfing the social mediascape from the comforts of their own house. Parents may be unaware as to exactly what information their children could be sharing with people online. The author, who is also a coordinator of content for the department of communications for the Spanish General Council of Nursing, did recognize that social media had a lot of potential as a communications tool but it is important to control it and show children and young people how to use it adequately. "Understanding this phenomenon as soon as possible is the key to guiding our children in their online activities," the expert concluded.

Spanish book warns of dangers children face online in their thirst for fame

Internet services on mobile devices were snapped here on Sunday as a precautionary measure even as tight security arrangements have been put in place for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Internet services were snapped in the early hours of Sunday by authorities as part of efforts to ensure that the Prime Minister's visit passes off smoothly, officials said.

They said security personnel have been deployed across the valley in large numbers for maintaining law and order.

Separatists groups have called for a complete shutdown in the valley to protest against Modi's visit.

Several separatist leaders including Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and former MLA Langate Sheikh Abdul Rasheed have been placed under house arrest since Saturday.

Normal life in the valley remained affected due to the strike called by separatists. All shops and business establishments remained closed while public transport was off the roads.

The officials said there were no reports of any untoward incident reported from anywhere in the valley so far.

Internet services on mobile devices were snapped here on Sunday as a precautionary measure even as tight security arrangements have been put in place for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Internet services on mobile devices were snapped here on Sunday as a precautionary measure even as tight security arrangements have been put in place for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Internet services were snapped in the early hours of Sunday by authorities as part of efforts to ensure that the Prime Minister's visit passes off smoothly, officials said. They said security personnel have been deployed across the valley in large numbers for maintaining law and order. Separatists groups have called for a complete shutdown in the valley to protest against Modi's visit. Several separatist leaders including Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and former MLA Langate Sheikh Abdul Rasheed have been placed under house arrest since Saturday. Normal life in the valley remained affected due to the strike called by separatists. All shops and business establishments remained closed while public transport was off the roads. The officials said there were no reports of any untoward incident reported from anywhere in the valley so far.

Internet services snapped in Srinagar ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit

Russia's communication watchdog said on Monday it was opening administrative proceedings against <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/when-pm-modi-indulged-in-some-twitter-conversations-with-bollywood-stars-191728&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjjo9b_4f7fAhUJLo8KHS75Aq4QFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw20c9deQJ6kS9ZuF2KJy51K">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-backs-election-integrity-ai-initiatives-in-germany-191671&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiz8vHs4f7fAhWLQo8KHaCTAfwQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0z8aw3lk2sxdq9BlsmfZpJ">Facebook</a> for failing to explain how they plan to comply with local data laws, the Interfax news agency reported.

Roskomnadzor, the watchdog, was quoted as saying that Twitter and Facebook had not explained how and when they would comply with legislation that requires all servers used to store Russians' personal data to be located in Russia.

The agency's head, Alexander Zharov, was quoted as saying the companies have a month to provide information or else action would be taken against them.

Russia has introduced tougher internet laws in the last five years, requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country.

At the moment, the only tools Russia has to enforce its data rules are fines that typically only come to a few thousand dollars or blocking the offending online services, which is an option fraught with technical difficulties.

However, sources in November told Reuters that Moscow plans to impose stiffer fines on technology firms that fail to comply with Russian laws.

Russia's communication watchdog said on Monday it was opening administrative proceedings against Twitter and Facebook for failing to explain how they plan to comply with local data laws, the Interfax news agency reported.

Russia's communication watchdog said on Monday it was opening administrative proceedings against Twitter and Facebook for failing to explain how they plan to comply with local data laws, the Interfax news agency reported. Roskomnadzor, the watchdog, was quoted as saying that Twitter and Facebook had not explained how and when they would comply with legislation that requires all servers used to store Russians' personal data to be located in Russia. The agency's head, Alexander Zharov, was quoted as saying the companies have a month to provide information or else action would be taken against them. Russia has introduced tougher internet laws in the last five years, requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country. At the moment, the only tools Russia has to enforce its data rules are fines that typically only come to a few thousand dollars or blocking the offending online services, which is an option fraught with technical difficulties. However, sources in November told Reuters that Moscow plans to impose stiffer fines on technology firms that fail to comply with Russian laws.

Russia opens civil cases against Facebook, Twitter: Report

The DR Congo government said Tuesday it had cut the country's internet services to avert a "popular uprising" as tensions rise pending the results of fractious presidential elections.

The opposition accused authorities of cutting the internet on Monday to thwart activism, while leading Western powers called on the troubled central African nation's government to quickly restore web access.

The long-delayed vote was barely completed on Sunday when the three main candidates -- President Joseph Kabila's hand-picked successor and two opposition leaders -- each claimed that early counts showed them winning.&nbsp;

Kabila's diplomatic advisor, Barnabe Kikaya Bin Karubi, told AFP the national security council had decided it was "imperative" to shut down the internet to allow the electoral commission to finish counting and compiling votes.

"There are people who have indoctrinated the public with false numbers about this election. This has laid the groundwork for a popular uprising," he said Tuesday.

Karubi did not say how long internet access would be down in the country which rivals continental western Europe in size.

No SMSes, radio

The country's electoral commission said Tuesday that provisional results will be announced on Sunday.

Final results are expected on January 15 and the next head of state will be sworn in on January 18.

A marathon vote count is underway in a climate of deep suspicion about fraud in a country scarred by political turmoil and haunted by memories of violence.&nbsp;

The Democratic Republic of Congo has never had a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960, and bloodshed marred elections in 2006 and 2011.

Worries of a new descent into violence deepened two years ago after Kabila, in power since 2001, refused to quit when his two-term limit expired.

Internet operator Global told AFP on Monday that web access had been cut for an indefinite period on government orders.

Several residents in the capital Kinshasa tried their luck at large hotels, where some internet could still be accessed.

Others headed to street markets to buy credit for services in the neighbouring Republic of Congo.

The authorities also cut mobile phone texting, according to service provider Vodacom.

Radio France Internationale said its broadcasts had been jammed since Monday evening. The station has carried extensive coverage of the election in the francophone country.

'Vandalism'

The European Union, United States, Canadian, and Swiss heads of mission in Kinshasa issued a joint statement Tuesday urging the government to restore internet access.

"We request that the government refrains from blocking means of communication, in particular access to the internet and the media," said the statement.

They also backed a request by the country's two main election monitors -- the National Episcopal Electoral Conference of Congo (CENCO) and SYMOCEL, an alliance of citizens' observer missions -- to get access to vote counting centres.

A CENCO representative told AFP that observers had been refused access to voting centres in two provinces -- Lomami and Sankuru.

However the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) said Tuesday that counting at all 179 local centres were "continuing normally".

The CENI also said it would file complaints about "vandalism" at several spots overnight, without giving further details.

There are three front-runners among the 21 presidential candidates.

Kabila's choice Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary; Felix Tshisekedi, who now leads his late father Etienne's UDPS party; and another opposition candidate Martin Fayulu.&nbsp;

Pre-vote opinion polls indicated that Fayulu, a little-known legislator and former oil executive until a coalition of opposition parties chose him as its candidate, was the favourite.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The DR Congo government said Tuesday it had cut the country's internet services to avert a "popular uprising" as tensions rise pending the results of fractious presidential elections.

The DR Congo government said Tuesday it had cut the country's internet services to avert a "popular uprising" as tensions rise pending the results of fractious presidential elections. The opposition accused authorities of cutting the internet on Monday to thwart activism, while leading Western powers called on the troubled central African nation's government to quickly restore web access. The long-delayed vote was barely completed on Sunday when the three main candidates -- President Joseph Kabila's hand-picked successor and two opposition leaders -- each claimed that early counts showed them winning. Kabila's diplomatic advisor, Barnabe Kikaya Bin Karubi, told AFP the national security council had decided it was "imperative" to shut down the internet to allow the electoral commission to finish counting and compiling votes. "There are people who have indoctrinated the public with false numbers about this election. This has laid the groundwork for a popular uprising," he said Tuesday. Karubi did not say how long internet access would be down in the country which rivals continental western Europe in size. No SMSes, radio The country's electoral commission said Tuesday that provisional results will be announced on Sunday. Final results are expected on January 15 and the next head of state will be sworn in on January 18. A marathon vote count is underway in a climate of deep suspicion about fraud in a country scarred by political turmoil and haunted by memories of violence. The Democratic Republic of Congo has never had a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960, and bloodshed marred elections in 2006 and 2011. Worries of a new descent into violence deepened two years ago after Kabila, in power since 2001, refused to quit when his two-term limit expired. Internet operator Global told AFP on Monday that web access had been cut for an indefinite period on government orders. Several residents in the capital Kinshasa tried their luck at large hotels, where some internet could still be accessed. Others headed to street markets to buy credit for services in the neighbouring Republic of Congo. The authorities also cut mobile phone texting, according to service provider Vodacom. Radio France Internationale said its broadcasts had been jammed since Monday evening. The station has carried extensive coverage of the election in the francophone country. 'Vandalism' The European Union, United States, Canadian, and Swiss heads of mission in Kinshasa issued a joint statement Tuesday urging the government to restore internet access. "We request that the government refrains from blocking means of communication, in particular access to the internet and the media," said the statement. They also backed a request by the country's two main election monitors -- the National Episcopal Electoral Conference of Congo (CENCO) and SYMOCEL, an alliance of citizens' observer missions -- to get access to vote counting centres. A CENCO representative told AFP that observers had been refused access to voting centres in two provinces -- Lomami and Sankuru. However the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) said Tuesday that counting at all 179 local centres were "continuing normally". The CENI also said it would file complaints about "vandalism" at several spots overnight, without giving further details. There are three front-runners among the 21 presidential candidates. Kabila's choice Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary; Felix Tshisekedi, who now leads his late father Etienne's UDPS party; and another opposition candidate Martin Fayulu. Pre-vote opinion polls indicated that Fayulu, a little-known legislator and former oil executive until a coalition of opposition parties chose him as its candidate, was the favourite.

DR Congo: State says it cut internet to avoid 'uprising' after vote

Data Blackout Before Bangladesh Polls

Cubans will be able to access the internet on their mobile phones from Thursday, state-run telecoms monopoly ETECSA said, marking a milestone for what has long been one of the Western Hemisphere`s least connected countries.

Nearly half of the Communist-run country's 11.2 million residents have cellphones although not all will be able to afford mobile internet.

In a news show broadcast late on Tuesday, ETECSA executives announced a range of packages valid for 30 days from 600 MB for the equivalent of $7 dollars to 4 GB for $30. Without a package, 100 MB will cost users $10.

The cost will be out of reach for many Cubans as the average state wage is around $30 per month, and many people rely on remittances from relatives abroad or side gigs to get by.

"It was about time this became a possibility for Cubans too," said Havana resident Joaquin Montiel, 58. "But for some, like me, it`s still a remote one."

Montiel said he would not be able to afford a cellphone with 3G technology on his wage of less than $20 per month as a salesman in a state company.

Cuba has lagged far behind most countries in Web access, whether because of a lack of cash, a long-running U.S. trade embargo or concerns about the flow of information.

Until 2013, internet was largely only available to the public at tourist hotels on the island.

But the government has since made boosting connectivity a priority, introducing cybercafes and outdoor Wi-Fi hotspots and slowly starting to hook up homes to the Web.

"It will be good to be able to connect to the web with greater comfort," said Guillermo Diaz, 38, who frequently heads to his a Wi-Fi hotspot in a park near his home in order to videochat with family who emigrated to the United States.

Many Cubans complain about having to brave insects and the elements at the hotspots, which also lack of privacy.

Tania Velázquez, ETECSA Vice President, said the company would be rolling out the service over several days in order to avoid the network congestion that occurred during mobile internet testing earlier this year.

Many Cubans complained they could not use their cellphones for making calls or sending text messages during the tests.

"The quality of service will be a key factor during the rollout of mobile internet," said Norges Rodriguez, one of the editors of YucaByte, a Cuban media outlet on telecoms and their impact on society.

Velázquez announced that access to state-run applications and websites like Ecured, a Cuban Wikipedia, would be significantly cheaper than access to the World Wide Web.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who succeeded Raul Castro in April, has championed greater connectivity, underscoring the potential for the internet to boost the economy and enable Cuba to better defend its revolution online.

He opened a Twitter account in October to much fanfare, and many government officials have followed his lead.

Cubans will be able to access the internet on their mobile phones from Thursday, state-run telecoms monopoly ETECSA said, marking a milestone for what has long been one of the Western Hemisphere`s least connected countries.

Cubans will be able to access the internet on their mobile phones from Thursday, state-run telecoms monopoly ETECSA said, marking a milestone for what has long been one of the Western Hemisphere`s least connected countries. Nearly half of the Communist-run country's 11.2 million residents have cellphones although not all will be able to afford mobile internet. In a news show broadcast late on Tuesday, ETECSA executives announced a range of packages valid for 30 days from 600 MB for the equivalent of $7 dollars to 4 GB for $30. Without a package, 100 MB will cost users $10. The cost will be out of reach for many Cubans as the average state wage is around $30 per month, and many people rely on remittances from relatives abroad or side gigs to get by. "It was about time this became a possibility for Cubans too," said Havana resident Joaquin Montiel, 58. "But for some, like me, it`s still a remote one." Montiel said he would not be able to afford a cellphone with 3G technology on his wage of less than $20 per month as a salesman in a state company. Cuba has lagged far behind most countries in Web access, whether because of a lack of cash, a long-running U.S. trade embargo or concerns about the flow of information. Until 2013, internet was largely only available to the public at tourist hotels on the island. But the government has since made boosting connectivity a priority, introducing cybercafes and outdoor Wi-Fi hotspots and slowly starting to hook up homes to the Web. "It will be good to be able to connect to the web with greater comfort," said Guillermo Diaz, 38, who frequently heads to his a Wi-Fi hotspot in a park near his home in order to videochat with family who emigrated to the United States. Many Cubans complain about having to brave insects and the elements at the hotspots, which also lack of privacy. Tania Velázquez, ETECSA Vice President, said the company would be rolling out the service over several days in order to avoid the network congestion that occurred during mobile internet testing earlier this year. Many Cubans complained they could not use their cellphones for making calls or sending text messages during the tests. "The quality of service will be a key factor during the rollout of mobile internet," said Norges Rodriguez, one of the editors of YucaByte, a Cuban media outlet on telecoms and their impact on society. Velázquez announced that access to state-run applications and websites like Ecured, a Cuban Wikipedia, would be significantly cheaper than access to the World Wide Web. President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who succeeded Raul Castro in April, has championed greater connectivity, underscoring the potential for the internet to boost the economy and enable Cuba to better defend its revolution online. He opened a Twitter account in October to much fanfare, and many government officials have followed his lead.

Cuba launching internet on cellphones

Investigators believe that the design and instructions for<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/package-bombs-sent-to-trump-critics-lead-investigators-to-florida-report-173486"> building the bombs</a> sent to several critics of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump this week were taken from the internet, a federal law enforcement official told Reuters on Thursday.

The instructions for such devices are widely available on websites and in propaganda distributed by Islamic militant groups including Al Qaeda and ISIS, said the official and a former federal government bomb expert.

The federal official also said the designs could have been lifted from "The Anarchist Cookbook," a notorious bomb and hacker manual dating to the early 1970s.

There was no claim of responsibility for the spate bombs, none of which exploded.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Washington, DC, news radio station WMAL said on Thursday it had received a suspicious package and its building has been evacuated.

Authorities are investigating 10 pipe bombs sent to high-profile Democrats and critics of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump with the focus on leads in Florida, a federal law enforcement source said.

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday (October 25) said he hopes that the recent spate of mailed pipe bombs, is a wake up call that "We have to begin to put this country back together again."

He said, "This division, this hatred, is ugliness. It has to end. Words matter."

Investigators believe that the design and instructions for building the bombs sent to several critics of US President Donald Trump this week were taken from the internet, a federal law enforcement official told Reuters on Thursday.

Investigators believe that the design and instructions for building the bombs sent to several critics of US President Donald Trump this week were taken from the internet, a federal law enforcement official told Reuters on Thursday. The instructions for such devices are widely available on websites and in propaganda distributed by Islamic militant groups including Al Qaeda and ISIS, said the official and a former federal government bomb expert. The federal official also said the designs could have been lifted from "The Anarchist Cookbook," a notorious bomb and hacker manual dating to the early 1970s. There was no claim of responsibility for the spate bombs, none of which exploded. Meanwhile, Washington, DC, news radio station WMAL said on Thursday it had received a suspicious package and its building has been evacuated. Authorities are investigating 10 pipe bombs sent to high-profile Democrats and critics of US President Donald Trump with the focus on leads in Florida, a federal law enforcement source said. Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday (October 25) said he hopes that the recent spate of mailed pipe bombs, is a wake up call that "We have to begin to put this country back together again." He said, "This division, this hatred, is ugliness. It has to end. Words matter."

Design of bombs targeting Trump critics came from Internet: Source

The former head of China's censorship apparatus, Lu Wei, pleaded guilty to accepting 32 million yuan ($4.6 million) in bribes at a trial Friday.

Lu, who oversaw a tightening of online censorship during his post at the Cyberspace Administration of China, was a fierce defendent of China's censorship policies.&nbsp;

In 2016, he stepped down from his post, and officials announced he was being investigated for suspected disciplinary violations the following year.

According to a post from Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court's official Weibo account Friday, Lu was charged with accepting bribes from 2002 to the latter half of 2017.&nbsp;

Prosecutors said that Lu used his influence and position at various government organisations, including the Cyberspace Administration of China and Xinhua News Agency, to help others in exchange for benefits.

At the end of the trial in Zhejiang province, Lu pleaded guilty and "repented in court", it said.

The former China internet tsar was once named among the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine. He also met with several Silicon Valley executives, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who personally welcomed him to the company's Silicon Valley headquarters in 2014.

The former head of China's censorship apparatus, Lu Wei, pleaded guilty to accepting 32 million yuan ($4.6 million) in bribes at a trial Friday. Lu, who oversaw a tightening of online censorship during his post at the Cyberspace Administration of China, was a fierce defendent of China's censorship policies.

The former head of China's censorship apparatus, Lu Wei, pleaded guilty to accepting 32 million yuan ($4.6 million) in bribes at a trial Friday. Lu, who oversaw a tightening of online censorship during his post at the Cyberspace Administration of China, was a fierce defendent of China's censorship policies. In 2016, he stepped down from his post, and officials announced he was being investigated for suspected disciplinary violations the following year. According to a post from Ningbo Intermediate People’s Court's official Weibo account Friday, Lu was charged with accepting bribes from 2002 to the latter half of 2017. Prosecutors said that Lu used his influence and position at various government organisations, including the Cyberspace Administration of China and Xinhua News Agency, to help others in exchange for benefits. At the end of the trial in Zhejiang province, Lu pleaded guilty and "repented in court", it said. The former China internet tsar was once named among the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine. He also met with several Silicon Valley executives, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who personally welcomed him to the company's Silicon Valley headquarters in 2014.

Former Chinese internet chief pleads guilty in bribery trial

How children fall prey to cyber-bullying 

United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated the rollback of the net neutrality rules on Monday. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai described the rules as "heavy-handed" and "a mistake" which was implemented in the year 2015, during Barak Obama's tenure.

With the repeal finally solidifying, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai becomes the man to bring about massive changes in the world of the internet, a move that is likely to ripple all across the world.

American internet service providers like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon Communications will now be able to regulate and perhaps even "manipulate" content accessed and consumed by internet users. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In May this year, the FCC said the new regulations approved in December, will give providers broad new power over how consumers can access the internet.

Those who support net neutrality dub the repeal as a move that empowers carriers and internet service providers and equips them with the power to deliberately bolster established online platforms and entities like YouTube over emerging ones like Vimeo.

Some countries may even use the power to throttle access to some of the most popular online platforms to promote their local social networking platforms instead.

While speculations are rife about the possible outcomes of the FCC ruling, here's taking a quick look at Ajit Pai, the man who set out to scrap the Obama-era internet rules and called for the nemesis of the concept of net neutrality.&nbsp;

45-years-old Ajit Varadaraj Pai hails from Buffalo, New York and was born to Indian immigrants who moved to the US in the year 1971. He is the first person of the Indian-American origin to hold the office of the Chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Pai assumed office in January 2017 and previously held various positions at the FCC after being appointed to the commission by President Barack Obama in May 2012.

Before his journey at the FCC, Pai held positions with the Department of Justice, the United States Senate, the FCC's Office of General Counsel, and Verizon Communications.&nbsp;

Pai has always been a proponent of repealing net neutrality in the United States. On December 14, 2017, he called for the repealing of internet regulation in America under Title II of the Communications Act, 1934.

Time and again, Pai has expressed his views in support of less internet regulation&nbsp;which exhibits him as the one to share an affinity with internet broadcasters.

With initiating the rollback of net neutrality rules, Pai currently becomes a reviled personality for net neutrality supporters all across the globe. Experts contend that in the absence of such rules, internet service providers will enjoy nefarious powers, throttling and manipulating internet access to users and subscribers, and directing them to their own online properties.&nbsp;

With initiating the rollback of net neutrality rules, Pai currently becomes a reviled personality for net neutrality supporters all across the globe

United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated the rollback of the net neutrality rules on Monday. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai described the rules as "heavy-handed" and "a mistake" which was implemented in the year 2015, during Barak Obama's tenure. With the repeal finally solidifying, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai becomes the man to bring about massive changes in the world of the internet, a move that is likely to ripple all across the world. American internet service providers like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon Communications will now be able to regulate and perhaps even "manipulate" content accessed and consumed by internet users. In May this year, the FCC said the new regulations approved in December, will give providers broad new power over how consumers can access the internet. Those who support net neutrality dub the repeal as a move that empowers carriers and internet service providers and equips them with the power to deliberately bolster established online platforms and entities like YouTube over emerging ones like Vimeo. Some countries may even use the power to throttle access to some of the most popular online platforms to promote their local social networking platforms instead. While speculations are rife about the possible outcomes of the FCC ruling, here's taking a quick look at Ajit Pai, the man who set out to scrap the Obama-era internet rules and called for the nemesis of the concept of net neutrality. 45-years-old Ajit Varadaraj Pai hails from Buffalo, New York and was born to Indian immigrants who moved to the US in the year 1971. He is the first person of the Indian-American origin to hold the office of the Chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Pai assumed office in January 2017 and previously held various positions at the FCC after being appointed to the commission by President Barack Obama in May 2012. Before his journey at the FCC, Pai held positions with the Department of Justice, the United States Senate, the FCC's Office of General Counsel, and Verizon Communications. Pai has always been a proponent of repealing net neutrality in the United States. On December 14, 2017, he called for the repealing of internet regulation in America under Title II of the Communications Act, 1934. Time and again, Pai has expressed his views in support of less internet regulation which exhibits him as the one to share an affinity with internet broadcasters. With initiating the rollback of net neutrality rules, Pai currently becomes a reviled personality for net neutrality supporters all across the globe. Experts contend that in the absence of such rules, internet service providers will enjoy nefarious powers, throttling and manipulating internet access to users and subscribers, and directing them to their own online properties.

Meet FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, man behind net neutrality repeal

In a bid to make its internet practices safer, Britain has decided to introduce new laws that would outlaw "wild west" elements of the internet.&nbsp;

According to Culture Secretary Matt Hancock, the British government is committed to tackling online hazards as a result of which an Internet Safety Strategy was published on Sunday.

According to the study, 6 in 10 people have witnessed inappropriate or harmful content online while 4 in 10 have experienced online abuse. The report also suggested that four out of 10 people shared that social media companies do not take their concerns seriously.

Hancock noted that the measures taken on Sunday will ensure children's security online and help in making the online space safer despite the great freedoms that it comes with.

According to reports, the British government will collaborate and work with tech companies, children's charities, social media companies and other stakeholders to develop details of the new legislation.

The new legislation will bring areas like social media code of practice, transparency reporting and online advertising into purview.

According to Culture Secretary Matt Hancock, the British government is committed to tackle online hazards as a result of which an Internet Safety Strategy was published on Sunday

In a bid to make its internet practices safer, Britain has decided to introduce new laws that would outlaw "wild west" elements of the internet. According to Culture Secretary Matt Hancock, the British government is committed to tackling online hazards as a result of which an Internet Safety Strategy was published on Sunday. According to the study, 6 in 10 people have witnessed inappropriate or harmful content online while 4 in 10 have experienced online abuse. The report also suggested that four out of 10 people shared that social media companies do not take their concerns seriously. Hancock noted that the measures taken on Sunday will ensure children's security online and help in making the online space safer despite the great freedoms that it comes with. According to reports, the British government will collaborate and work with tech companies, children's charities, social media companies and other stakeholders to develop details of the new legislation. The new legislation will bring areas like social media code of practice, transparency reporting and online advertising into purview.

Britain to outlaw 'wild west' online practices to make internet safer 

Two of the world's biggest video streaming giants, Netflix and Google's YouTube, seem to have varying opinions when it comes to sleep.&nbsp;

While Google recently announced rolling out a feature that lets YouTube users set a "Take a break" reminder to limit prolonged viewing, Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings last month noted sleep as the company's biggest competition.&nbsp;

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Sleep is my greatest enemy.
— Netflix US (@netflix) <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix/status/854100194098520064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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“We’re competing with sleep, on the margin. And so, it’s a very large pool of time,” Hastings noted.&nbsp;

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And only then can you learn how to defeat it.
— Netflix US (@netflix) <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix/status/854105985903771649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Netflix enjoys close to 125 million users worldwide, but Hastings had previously admitted having got "YouTube envy”.

Google recently announced rolling out a feature that lets YouTube users set a "Take a break" reminder to limit prolonged viewing

Two of the world's biggest video streaming giants, Netflix and Google's YouTube, seem to have varying opinions when it comes to sleep. While Google recently announced rolling out a feature that lets YouTube users set a "Take a break" reminder to limit prolonged viewing, Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings last month noted sleep as the company's biggest competition. Sleep is my greatest enemy. — Netflix US (@netflix) April 17, 2017 × “We’re competing with sleep, on the margin. And so, it’s a very large pool of time,” Hastings noted. And only then can you learn how to defeat it. — Netflix US (@netflix) April 17, 2017 × Netflix enjoys close to 125 million users worldwide, but Hastings had previously admitted having got "YouTube envy”.

While Netflix competes with sleep, YouTube wants users to 'take break'

Newly-elected Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb's statements are getting stranger by the minute.&nbsp;

He has before this said the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/internet-and-satellite-existed-since-mahabharata-era-claims-tripura-cm-131112">internet and satellite communication existed in the times of the&nbsp;Mahabharata.&nbsp;</a>

Before that he had said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aishwarya-rai-represents-indian-women-not-diana-hayden-tripura-cm-biplab-deb-133113">Diana Hayden, </a>who was crowned Miss World in 1997, did not represent Indian&nbsp;women. But that Aishwarya Rai did.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-a-string-of-bizarre-remarks-pm-modi-calls-tripura-cm-to-new-delhi-133665?first_load=no">Deb has been summoned to Delhi tomorrow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> because of his many strange utterings. BJP President Amit Shah will also be present.&nbsp;

Deb is expected to get an earful.&nbsp;

But that has not stopped him for a second.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Deb offered up yet another gem.

This time, he used the analogy of a farmer bringing a vegetable to the market.

At 8 am, said Deb, the vegetable is okay. But so many people poke their nails into it, he then added, that by 9 am it is not fit to eat.&nbsp;

Then, hittting a much more strident note, he added that nothing of the sort will be allowed to happen with his government.&nbsp;

And that anyone "fingering" his government should have their nails chopped off.&nbsp;

"Mere sarkaar mein aisa nahin hona chahiye ki koi bhi usme ungli maar de, nakhoon laga de. Jinhone nakhoon lagaya, uska nakhoon kaat lena chahiye," said Deb.&nbsp;

Watch video below:&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb says, "Mere sarkaar mein aisa nahin hona chahiye ki koi bhi usme ungli maar de, nakhoon laga de. Jinhone nakhoon lagaya, uska nakhoon kaat lena chahiye" <a href="https://t.co/bht51upsmX">pic.twitter.com/bht51upsmX</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/991266646873518080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Deb's last blooper had come as recently as Sunday when he said Tripura's youth should <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/biplab-deb-advocates--every-house-should-have-cow-133585">rear cows or open paan shops</a> instead of running after government jobs and wasting their time.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Biplab Deb's comments have been getting stranger by the minute. He has been summoned to Delhi on Wednesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from whom he is expected to get an earful

Newly-elected Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb's statements are getting stranger by the minute. He has before this said the internet and satellite communication existed in the times of the Mahabharata. Before that he had said Diana Hayden, who was crowned Miss World in 1997, did not represent Indian women. But that Aishwarya Rai did. Deb has been summoned to Delhi tomorrow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi because of his many strange utterings. BJP President Amit Shah will also be present. Deb is expected to get an earful. But that has not stopped him for a second. On Tuesday, Deb offered up yet another gem. This time, he used the analogy of a farmer bringing a vegetable to the market. At 8 am, said Deb, the vegetable is okay. But so many people poke their nails into it, he then added, that by 9 am it is not fit to eat. Then, hittting a much more strident note, he added that nothing of the sort will be allowed to happen with his government. And that anyone "fingering" his government should have their nails chopped off. "Mere sarkaar mein aisa nahin hona chahiye ki koi bhi usme ungli maar de, nakhoon laga de. Jinhone nakhoon lagaya, uska nakhoon kaat lena chahiye," said Deb. Watch video below: #WATCH Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb says, "Mere sarkaar mein aisa nahin hona chahiye ki koi bhi usme ungli maar de, nakhoon laga de. Jinhone nakhoon lagaya, uska nakhoon kaat lena chahiye" pic.twitter.com/bht51upsmX — ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2018 × Deb's last blooper had come as recently as Sunday when he said Tripura's youth should rear cows or open paan shops instead of running after government jobs and wasting their time.

Watch: Tripura CM now says, 'Anyone fingering my govt, his nails should be chopped off'

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb claimed that internet and satellite are not something new but existed since the Mahabharata era.

Speaking at a Regional Workshop on Computerisation and Reforms at Pragna Bhawan in Agartala, Deb said that the internet was invented by India lakhs of years ago.

"Internet and satellite communication had existed in the days of Mahabharata. How could Sanjaya (the charioteer of King Dhritarashtra) give a detailed account and description to the blind king about the battle of Kurukshetra? It means internet was there, the satellites and that technology was there in this country at that time," he said.

The BJP leader said that the European nations and the United States may claim that it is their invention, but it is actually India's technology.

"Internet and satellite system had existed in India during lakhs of years ago. The richest culture belongs to our nation and I feel proud of it. Even today in internet and software technology, we are ahead. See Microsoft, it may be a U.S. company but most of its engineers are all from our country," he added.

The Tripura Chief Minister viewed that since the era of the Mahabharata, India was top in technology but somehow in the middle, it got lost.

"But, again today India has regained its position in technology in the world and it can be proved from the fact that a large number of software engineers play a vital role in the US companies," the Chief Minister said.

Deb further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a big push to digitisation by making it accessible to citizens across the country.

"Our Prime Minister himself is active on social networking sites and he asks the MPs and even the Chief Ministers about their presence on social media. We are lucky enough to have a guardian-like Prime Minister," he added.&nbsp;

'Internet and satellite communication had existed in the days of Mahabharata. How could Sanjaya (the charioteer of King Dhritarashtra) give a detailed account and description to the blind king about the battle of Kurukshetra? It means internet was there, the satellites and that technology was there in this country at that time,' Deb said

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb claimed that internet and satellite are not something new but existed since the Mahabharata era. Speaking at a Regional Workshop on Computerisation and Reforms at Pragna Bhawan in Agartala, Deb said that the internet was invented by India lakhs of years ago. "Internet and satellite communication had existed in the days of Mahabharata. How could Sanjaya (the charioteer of King Dhritarashtra) give a detailed account and description to the blind king about the battle of Kurukshetra? It means internet was there, the satellites and that technology was there in this country at that time," he said. The BJP leader said that the European nations and the United States may claim that it is their invention, but it is actually India's technology. "Internet and satellite system had existed in India during lakhs of years ago. The richest culture belongs to our nation and I feel proud of it. Even today in internet and software technology, we are ahead. See Microsoft, it may be a U.S. company but most of its engineers are all from our country," he added. The Tripura Chief Minister viewed that since the era of the Mahabharata, India was top in technology but somehow in the middle, it got lost. "But, again today India has regained its position in technology in the world and it can be proved from the fact that a large number of software engineers play a vital role in the US companies," the Chief Minister said. Deb further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a big push to digitisation by making it accessible to citizens across the country. "Our Prime Minister himself is active on social networking sites and he asks the MPs and even the Chief Ministers about their presence on social media. We are lucky enough to have a guardian-like Prime Minister," he added.

Internet, satellite communication existed in days of Mahabharata: Tripura CM Biplab Deb

President Xi Jinping has called for tightened internet laws to ensure social and economic stability in the country. In a recent statement, the Chinese President noted that there can be no national security without web security.&nbsp;

The Jinping-led government is known for monitoring and censoring online content in the country. Worried about the growing influence of the internet on the younger generation China has increasingly tightened its grip on the internet.

"Without web security, there's no national security, there's no economic and social stability, and it's difficult to ensure the interests of the broader masses," Xinhua cited Xi as saying.

"We cannot let the internet become a platform for disseminating harmful information and stirring up trouble with rumours," he added in comments made at a cybersecurity conference in Beijing.

Earlier this month, reports emerged stating that a Chinese microblogging website, Sina Weibo, was removing "homosexual" content from its platform. The move, which enraged the online gay community in China, prompted a storm of online protests. The hashtag "I am gay" took over the Chinese social media.

The ruling Communist Party has been aiming to purge the internet of content that deviates from its "core values of socialism".&nbsp;

The Chinese kingpins, who sought to get rid of the presidential term limit for General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, made headlines a few months back for reportedly banning the English alphabet 'N' and recently the world-famous cartoon character, the honey-loving bear Winnie the Pooh from its online territories.&nbsp;

Letter 'N' was temporarily banned. Many suggested Chinese censors targetted the mathematical expression of disapproval -- as the expression “N > 2” in mathematics has 'N' as an unknown signifier for an unknown quantity, here referring to Xi’s possible presidential tenure.&nbsp;

China is also looking to take a leading role globally in internet regulation and technology more broadly, which has come into sharp focus amid a trade standoff with the United States and an arms race over technology.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

The ruling Communist Party has been aiming to purge the internet of content that deviates from its 'core values of socialism'

President Xi Jinping has called for tightened internet laws to ensure social and economic stability in the country. In a recent statement, the Chinese President noted that there can be no national security without web security. The Jinping-led government is known for monitoring and censoring online content in the country. Worried about the growing influence of the internet on the younger generation China has increasingly tightened its grip on the internet. "Without web security, there's no national security, there's no economic and social stability, and it's difficult to ensure the interests of the broader masses," Xinhua cited Xi as saying. "We cannot let the internet become a platform for disseminating harmful information and stirring up trouble with rumours," he added in comments made at a cybersecurity conference in Beijing. Earlier this month, reports emerged stating that a Chinese microblogging website, Sina Weibo, was removing "homosexual" content from its platform. The move, which enraged the online gay community in China, prompted a storm of online protests. The hashtag "I am gay" took over the Chinese social media. The ruling Communist Party has been aiming to purge the internet of content that deviates from its "core values of socialism". The Chinese kingpins, who sought to get rid of the presidential term limit for General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, made headlines a few months back for reportedly banning the English alphabet 'N' and recently the world-famous cartoon character, the honey-loving bear Winnie the Pooh from its online territories. Letter 'N' was temporarily banned. Many suggested Chinese censors targetted the mathematical expression of disapproval -- as the expression “N > 2” in mathematics has 'N' as an unknown signifier for an unknown quantity, here referring to Xi’s possible presidential tenure. China is also looking to take a leading role globally in internet regulation and technology more broadly, which has come into sharp focus amid a trade standoff with the United States and an arms race over technology. (With inputs from Reuters)

There's no national security without web security: China's Xi calls for stricter internet control 

As Vladimir Putin starts his fourth Kremlin term, authorities are turning up the heat on popular websites and apps ostensibly to fight terrorism but analysts say the real motive is to muzzle critics.

A move this week to block the strongly encrypted messenger Telegram, less than a month after Putins crushing poll win, marks a new stage in the crackdown launched after his previous victory in 2012.

Telegram, which has 200 million users and is ironically the go-to messaging app for top Kremlin officials, was specifically designed by Russian developers to circumvent the Kremlins security forces.

Putin has gradually brought media, primarily television, under state control since the early 2000s.

Experts say the Kremlin recognises the internet as the principal threat to its domination and one of the last refuges of free speech -- especially after it helped fuel unprecedented mass demonstrations when Putin returned to the presidency six years ago after four years as prime minister.

"The Kremlin got scared and responded with an attack on internet freedoms," said Andrei Soldatov, editor-in-chief of Agentura.Ru, a site monitoring the security services.

In the summer of 2012, Russia created a blacklist of sites showing child pornography or drug use and also those deemed to be "extremist" -- a term vague enough to include opposition activism. The professed intention of the move was to protect children from harmful content online.

Two years later, the parliament unleashed a barrage of new anti-terrorist laws, including a ruling that blogs with more than 3,000 viewers per day must face the same strict regulations as news media.

Since then, Russian and foreign internet providers have been legally obliged to store the data of their Russian users in Russia.

This led to the blocking of professional networking site LinkedIn, which did not comply.

Subsequently, new legislation citing terror threats has forced all "distributors of information" -- including boggers and even social media platform VK (formerly VKontakte), its owner Mail.Ru, and internet giant Yandex -- to retain all user data for six months and provide it to the authorities on request.

Under the latest measure imposed late last year, the authorities are able ban VPN services that allow users to bypass Russian site blocks by simulating a connection from another country.

This legislative onslaught has been widely used against the opposition, who are ignored by mainstream news media but are active online.

Rights groups have also been hit hard.

The blog and website of the main opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, have been blocked partially or completely several times over his calls for street protests or exposes of official corruption.

Sites used by the opposition organisation of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who now lives in London, were also blocked after they were designated "undesirable" -- a new term for foreign entities that has also been used against the foundation of the US financier George Soros.

"The purpose is to spread fear, (to) make people think that the state controls everything and that you cant hide anywhere, that all data can be collected," said Sarkis Darbinyan, a lawyer and director of a digital rights centre in Moscow.

But Russia cannot simply impose a local version of Chinas "Great Firewall" cutting off all access to sites, he said.

"Unlike China, where the internet was constrained since the beginning, Russian internet started off as very free," he said.

Ultimately global players like Facebook, Twitter, Google, WhatsApp and Telegram who want to operate in Russia will have to comply with state restrictions or get blocked, he said, adding its only "a matter of time."

Navalnys anti-corruption investigations have got millions of views on YouTube and social media, and last year helped mobilise tens of thousands to take to the streets in anti-Kremlin protests. Most of the demonstrators were young people who communicate online.

Opposition figures "find new ways of working: they go over to cloud services, widely use social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and inform people how to get round blocks," said Artyom Kozlyuk, director of internet rights NGO Roskomsvoboda.

But he said he had already observed a "slow process of enslavement" among internet users with many realising "that its better not to publish anything risky so as to avoid the attention of special services and prosecutors."

Russian and foreign internet providers have been legally obliged to store the data of their Russian users in Russia

As Vladimir Putin starts his fourth Kremlin term, authorities are turning up the heat on popular websites and apps ostensibly to fight terrorism but analysts say the real motive is to muzzle critics. A move this week to block the strongly encrypted messenger Telegram, less than a month after Putins crushing poll win, marks a new stage in the crackdown launched after his previous victory in 2012. Telegram, which has 200 million users and is ironically the go-to messaging app for top Kremlin officials, was specifically designed by Russian developers to circumvent the Kremlins security forces. Putin has gradually brought media, primarily television, under state control since the early 2000s. Experts say the Kremlin recognises the internet as the principal threat to its domination and one of the last refuges of free speech -- especially after it helped fuel unprecedented mass demonstrations when Putin returned to the presidency six years ago after four years as prime minister. "The Kremlin got scared and responded with an attack on internet freedoms," said Andrei Soldatov, editor-in-chief of Agentura.Ru, a site monitoring the security services. In the summer of 2012, Russia created a blacklist of sites showing child pornography or drug use and also those deemed to be "extremist" -- a term vague enough to include opposition activism. The professed intention of the move was to protect children from harmful content online. Two years later, the parliament unleashed a barrage of new anti-terrorist laws, including a ruling that blogs with more than 3,000 viewers per day must face the same strict regulations as news media. Since then, Russian and foreign internet providers have been legally obliged to store the data of their Russian users in Russia. This led to the blocking of professional networking site LinkedIn, which did not comply. Subsequently, new legislation citing terror threats has forced all "distributors of information" -- including boggers and even social media platform VK (formerly VKontakte), its owner Mail.Ru, and internet giant Yandex -- to retain all user data for six months and provide it to the authorities on request. Under the latest measure imposed late last year, the authorities are able ban VPN services that allow users to bypass Russian site blocks by simulating a connection from another country. This legislative onslaught has been widely used against the opposition, who are ignored by mainstream news media but are active online. Rights groups have also been hit hard. The blog and website of the main opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, have been blocked partially or completely several times over his calls for street protests or exposes of official corruption. Sites used by the opposition organisation of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who now lives in London, were also blocked after they were designated "undesirable" -- a new term for foreign entities that has also been used against the foundation of the US financier George Soros. "The purpose is to spread fear, (to) make people think that the state controls everything and that you cant hide anywhere, that all data can be collected," said Sarkis Darbinyan, a lawyer and director of a digital rights centre in Moscow. But Russia cannot simply impose a local version of Chinas "Great Firewall" cutting off all access to sites, he said. "Unlike China, where the internet was constrained since the beginning, Russian internet started off as very free," he said. Ultimately global players like Facebook, Twitter, Google, WhatsApp and Telegram who want to operate in Russia will have to comply with state restrictions or get blocked, he said, adding its only "a matter of time." Navalnys anti-corruption investigations have got millions of views on YouTube and social media, and last year helped mobilise tens of thousands to take to the streets in anti-Kremlin protests. Most of the demonstrators were young people who communicate online. Opposition figures "find new ways of working: they go over to cloud services, widely use social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and inform people how to get round blocks," said Artyom Kozlyuk, director of internet rights NGO Roskomsvoboda. But he said he had already observed a "slow process of enslavement" among internet users with many realising "that its better not to publish anything risky so as to avoid the attention of special services and prosecutors."

Kremlin cracking down on internet to muzzle critics, say experts

Fake news is already a challenge and now a sudden increase in fake videos online have made the battle all the more difficult. Used as another malicious tool on the Internet, users are now increasingly creating and sharing false videos to report misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and promote false propaganda.&nbsp;

It has been found that the Internet is now flooded with a lot of artificial intelligence-powered video tools that have made face -swapping in videos easier than ever before. And these video tools are doing the job with such a precision that it could be difficult for anyone to spot if the video is morphed.&nbsp;

While there are many such online software, FakeApp has gained a lot of momentum over the last few weeks.&nbsp;

There is no information available as to who created this app, but it has been discovered that the app was designed using a Google software. And ever since it appeared on Reddit early this year, it&rsquo;s been downloaded more than 120,000 times.

Some of the fake videos created by Youtuber derpfakes using the much-discussed FakeApp includes the Russian president Vladimir Putin; another one features American comedian Kate McKinnon&#39;s face swapped with that of Hillary Clinton. In another, American actor Alec Baldwin turned into Donald Trump.

A quick search on the Internet will give you thousands of such results and you could find it difficult to spot the real from the fake.&nbsp;&nbsp;

These fake videos are now on the rise and it&rsquo;s becoming a matter of grave concern as these can be used to malign politicians, to create fake porn videos of celebrities, to promote false propaganda, for political sabotage, and to frame people

What is more worrying is that these tools are now within easy reach of basic Internet users.&nbsp;

Apps like Snapchat are already allowing users basic face swapping, and now these artificial intelligence-driven video tools have made advanced-level face-swapping techniques pretty simple for users like you and me. It&rsquo;s now just a few taps away. True that the technique still isn&rsquo;t that simple, but it definitely doesn&rsquo;t remain rocket science anymore.

While technology has made things easier for us, it has also opened doors for misuse. Companies like Pornhub, Twitter and Reddit have already started to ban false videos on their platforms, but the battle doesn&rsquo;t end here.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

The Internet is now flooded with a lot of artificial intelligence-powered video tools that have made face -swapping in videos easier than ever before.

Fake news is already a challenge and now a sudden increase in fake videos online have made the battle all the more difficult. Used as another malicious tool on the Internet, users are now increasingly creating and sharing false videos to report misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and promote false propaganda. It has been found that the Internet is now flooded with a lot of artificial intelligence-powered video tools that have made face -swapping in videos easier than ever before. And these video tools are doing the job with such a precision that it could be difficult for anyone to spot if the video is morphed. While there are many such online software, FakeApp has gained a lot of momentum over the last few weeks. There is no information available as to who created this app, but it has been discovered that the app was designed using a Google software. And ever since it appeared on Reddit early this year, it’s been downloaded more than 120,000 times. Some of the fake videos created by Youtuber derpfakes using the much-discussed FakeApp includes the Russian president Vladimir Putin; another one features American comedian Kate McKinnon's face swapped with that of Hillary Clinton. In another, American actor Alec Baldwin turned into Donald Trump. A quick search on the Internet will give you thousands of such results and you could find it difficult to spot the real from the fake. These fake videos are now on the rise and it’s becoming a matter of grave concern as these can be used to malign politicians, to create fake porn videos of celebrities, to promote false propaganda, for political sabotage, and to frame people What is more worrying is that these tools are now within easy reach of basic Internet users. Apps like Snapchat are already allowing users basic face swapping, and now these artificial intelligence-driven video tools have made advanced-level face-swapping techniques pretty simple for users like you and me. It’s now just a few taps away. True that the technique still isn’t that simple, but it definitely doesn’t remain rocket science anymore. While technology has made things easier for us, it has also opened doors for misuse. Companies like Pornhub, Twitter and Reddit have already started to ban false videos on their platforms, but the battle doesn’t end here. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why AI-driven video tools have become dangerous

Slow internet speed is something we all dread. Don&rsquo;t we always look for reasonable speeds so that we can watch videos without any buffer and we can browse better and get a fast digital life? But sadly, when it comes to 4G speed, we in India are far away from what the world is experiencing. The 4G speed in India is not just poor, it&rsquo;s the slowest in the world. In fact, Pakistan offers better 4G speed than India.&nbsp;

A new report from the mobile analytics company Opensignal, &nbsp;reveals surprising results about the 4G trend in India and across the globe.

According to the Opensignal&#39;s report, 4G download speed in India happens to be the slowest across 88 countries.&nbsp;

The average 4G speed in India has been calculated at 6 Mbps. The actual experience, however, could be even lower.

In fact, people in Pakistan enjoy faster internet with an average 4G speed of 14 Mbps.

In fact, India scored a little better in November last year. But the rank has now gone down. In November, India was found to be offering an average 4G download speed of 6.13 Mbps, which has now declined to 6.07 Mbps.

&nbsp;It&rsquo;s just not India, other countries like Algeria, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand rank among the top 5 countries with slowest 4G speeds.

On the other hand, Singapore, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea and Hungary have been listed as top 5 countries that offer the fastest downloads on 4G.

Opensignal has found that in the fastest countries, the average LTE download speeds have got stalled at 45 Mbps. In other words, no country has yet been able to crack the 50 Mbps mark.

Top 5 countries with slowest 4g speeds

India: 6.07 Mbps 
Algeria: 8.65 Mbps 
Indonesia: 8.92 Mbps 
Philippines: 9.49 Mbps 
Thailand: 9.60 Mbps

Top 5 countries with fastest 4g speeds

Singapore: 44.31 Mbps 
Netherlands: 42.12 Mbps 
Norway: 41.20 Mbps 
South Korea: 40.44 Mbps 
Hungary: 39.18 Mbps

While India may be offering poor 4G speeds, but it is interesting to note that the country has a wide reach. 4G is available in India for around 86 per cent of the time people access the internet. But it&rsquo;s time to pull up the socks. It&rsquo;s time that India maintained a good balance between the reach and the speed. After all, 4G plays an instrumental role in making India a digital India.&nbsp;

Now that we know India has the slowest 4G speed in the world, it becomes important to understand the reasons behind such a poor performance. But before you hold telecom operators alone responsible for it, let&rsquo;s understand that there is more to than what meets the eye. There are a lot of factors that cause patchy connections and lead to substandard internet speeds in India.

There is a huge spike in data demand. Smartphones have redefined the way we use the internet. As a result, 4G networks are lacking the capacity to deliver faster connection speeds. In other words, companies have been failing to match the growing consumer demand.&nbsp;

It has been discovered that the telecom sector is in a deep financial mess. Mobile operators, therefore, seem to be slow in making investments and upgrading infrastructure. Telecom companies have been found to be facing problems in laying optical fibre that ensures high-speed connections. Also deploying new towers remains a challenge for operators.&nbsp;

Also, when it comes to the internet speed, the standard in India has been kept pretty low by the country&#39;s regulatory body. While TRAI is in the process of revising the speed by 4 times, the low benchmark is observed to be as another reason that is causing poor internet speeds in India.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The 4G speed in India is not just poor, it’s the slowest in the world.

Slow internet speed is something we all dread. Don’t we always look for reasonable speeds so that we can watch videos without any buffer and we can browse better and get a fast digital life? But sadly, when it comes to 4G speed, we in India are far away from what the world is experiencing. The 4G speed in India is not just poor, it’s the slowest in the world. In fact, Pakistan offers better 4G speed than India. A new report from the mobile analytics company Opensignal, reveals surprising results about the 4G trend in India and across the globe. According to the Opensignal's report, 4G download speed in India happens to be the slowest across 88 countries. The average 4G speed in India has been calculated at 6 Mbps. The actual experience, however, could be even lower. In fact, people in Pakistan enjoy faster internet with an average 4G speed of 14 Mbps. In fact, India scored a little better in November last year. But the rank has now gone down. In November, India was found to be offering an average 4G download speed of 6.13 Mbps, which has now declined to 6.07 Mbps. It’s just not India, other countries like Algeria, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand rank among the top 5 countries with slowest 4G speeds. On the other hand, Singapore, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea and Hungary have been listed as top 5 countries that offer the fastest downloads on 4G. Opensignal has found that in the fastest countries, the average LTE download speeds have got stalled at 45 Mbps. In other words, no country has yet been able to crack the 50 Mbps mark. Top 5 countries with slowest 4g speeds India: 6.07 Mbps Algeria: 8.65 Mbps Indonesia: 8.92 Mbps Philippines: 9.49 Mbps Thailand: 9.60 Mbps Top 5 countries with fastest 4g speeds Singapore: 44.31 Mbps Netherlands: 42.12 Mbps Norway: 41.20 Mbps South Korea: 40.44 Mbps Hungary: 39.18 Mbps While India may be offering poor 4G speeds, but it is interesting to note that the country has a wide reach. 4G is available in India for around 86 per cent of the time people access the internet. But it’s time to pull up the socks. It’s time that India maintained a good balance between the reach and the speed. After all, 4G plays an instrumental role in making India a digital India. Now that we know India has the slowest 4G speed in the world, it becomes important to understand the reasons behind such a poor performance. But before you hold telecom operators alone responsible for it, let’s understand that there is more to than what meets the eye. There are a lot of factors that cause patchy connections and lead to substandard internet speeds in India. There is a huge spike in data demand. Smartphones have redefined the way we use the internet. As a result, 4G networks are lacking the capacity to deliver faster connection speeds. In other words, companies have been failing to match the growing consumer demand. It has been discovered that the telecom sector is in a deep financial mess. Mobile operators, therefore, seem to be slow in making investments and upgrading infrastructure. Telecom companies have been found to be facing problems in laying optical fibre that ensures high-speed connections. Also deploying new towers remains a challenge for operators. Also, when it comes to the internet speed, the standard in India has been kept pretty low by the country's regulatory body. While TRAI is in the process of revising the speed by 4 times, the low benchmark is observed to be as another reason that is causing poor internet speeds in India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why India has slower Internet speed than Pakistan

A joint survey carried out by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and Kantar IMRB estimates the total number of internet users in India to reach 500 million by June 2018.&nbsp;

The country reported 481 million internet users in December 2017 -- a jump of 11.34 per cent as compared to December 2016.

&quot;The number of internet users is expected to reach 500 million by June 2018,&quot; the report &#39;Internet in India 2017&#39; stated.

As per the official data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the country had close to 362.87 million broadband subscribers by the end of December 2017.&nbsp;

The survey, which was conducted between June to August 2017, covered 60,000 individuals from urban India across 170 cities and 15,000 individuals across 750 villages in the rural area.&nbsp;

Some of the key highlights from the report are stated below:

1. Urban India witnessed a growth of 9.66 per cent from December 2016.

2. Urban India had around 295 million internet users as on December 2017.

3. Rural India witnessed a growth of 14.11 per cent from December 2016.

4. Around 186 million internet users were reported in rural India as on December 2017.

5. 86 per cent internet users in urban India access it for online communication, 85 per cent for entertainment, 70 per cent for social networking, 44 per cent online finance and transactions and 35 per cent for online services.

6. For rural India, entertainment is top content for 58 per cent internet users followed by online communication for 56 per cent, social networking 49 per cent, online services 35 per cent and online finance and transaction 16 per cent.

7. Students and youngsters account for around 60 per cent of the total internet use in India.

8. An estimated 182.9 million or 62 per cent access internet daily in urban India.

9. 98 million users, 53 per cent, in rural India access internet daily.&nbsp;

10.&nbsp;The overall internet penetration, as of December 2017, was recorded at 35 per cent of total population.

&quot;Among the Rural Internet users, the ratio between male to female Internet users is 64:36. The proportion of Internet users by gender in Rural India has seen much change over last year with Internet users among rural females growing steadily. The increasing gender parity in Internet usage is a welcome development,&quot; the report said.

The survey was conducted in 170 cities and 750 villages by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and Kantar IMRB

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

The country reported 481 million internet users in December 2017

A joint survey carried out by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and Kantar IMRB estimates the total number of internet users in India to reach 500 million by June 2018. The country reported 481 million internet users in December 2017 -- a jump of 11.34 per cent as compared to December 2016. "The number of internet users is expected to reach 500 million by June 2018," the report 'Internet in India 2017' stated. As per the official data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the country had close to 362.87 million broadband subscribers by the end of December 2017. The survey, which was conducted between June to August 2017, covered 60,000 individuals from urban India across 170 cities and 15,000 individuals across 750 villages in the rural area. Some of the key highlights from the report are stated below: 1. Urban India witnessed a growth of 9.66 per cent from December 2016. 2. Urban India had around 295 million internet users as on December 2017. 3. Rural India witnessed a growth of 14.11 per cent from December 2016. 4. Around 186 million internet users were reported in rural India as on December 2017. 5. 86 per cent internet users in urban India access it for online communication, 85 per cent for entertainment, 70 per cent for social networking, 44 per cent online finance and transactions and 35 per cent for online services. 6. For rural India, entertainment is top content for 58 per cent internet users followed by online communication for 56 per cent, social networking 49 per cent, online services 35 per cent and online finance and transaction 16 per cent. 7. Students and youngsters account for around 60 per cent of the total internet use in India. 8. An estimated 182.9 million or 62 per cent access internet daily in urban India. 9. 98 million users, 53 per cent, in rural India access internet daily. 10. The overall internet penetration, as of December 2017, was recorded at 35 per cent of total population. "Among the Rural Internet users, the ratio between male to female Internet users is 64:36. The proportion of Internet users by gender in Rural India has seen much change over last year with Internet users among rural females growing steadily. The increasing gender parity in Internet usage is a welcome development," the report said. The survey was conducted in 170 cities and 750 villages by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and Kantar IMRB (With inputs from PTI)

Internet users in India likely to cross 500 million by June 2018: Study

A Belgian court has asked Facebook to stop tracking internet users in the country without their consent. According to a report, the social media giant may face a fine up to 100 million euros if it fails to adhere to the directive.

The US firm must &quot;stop following and recording internet use by people surfing in Belgium until it complies with Belgian privacy laws,&quot; the Brussels court said in a statement.&nbsp;

The Mark Zuckerberg-led company may also face a daily penalty of 250,000 euros. According to the court, the social media site was found guilty of breaching Belgium`s privacy laws.&nbsp;

Social media platforms track their users and their activities with the help of &#39;social-plugins&#39;, &#39;cookies&#39; and &#39;pixels&#39;.

Facebook is likely to appeal against the verdict.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Facebook is likely to appeal against the verdict

A Belgian court has asked Facebook to stop tracking internet users in the country without their consent. According to a report, the social media giant may face a fine up to 100 million euros if it fails to adhere to the directive. The US firm must "stop following and recording internet use by people surfing in Belgium until it complies with Belgian privacy laws," the Brussels court said in a statement. The Mark Zuckerberg-led company may also face a daily penalty of 250,000 euros. According to the court, the social media site was found guilty of breaching Belgium`s privacy laws. Social media platforms track their users and their activities with the help of 'social-plugins', 'cookies' and 'pixels'. Facebook is likely to appeal against the verdict. (With inputs from agencies)

Belgium: Facebook has been asked to stop tracking internet users

Randall Margraves had asked the Michigan judge for five minutes in a locked room with Larry Nassar, the ex-USA Gymnastics doctor now convicted of having sexually assaulted scores of young girls and women under his care.&nbsp;

The judge had turned down Margraves, whose three daughters were among Nassar&#39;s victims. &quot;That&#39;s not how our legal system works,&quot; the judge said.&nbsp;

Margraves then took matters into his own hands, charging at Nassar in court before he was brought down by three bailiffs.&nbsp;

The incident went viral on the internet.&nbsp;

Watch: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-father-of-sexually-abused-daughters-lunges-at-ex-us-gymnastics-doctor-in-court-31625" target="_blank">Father of sexually abused daughters lunges at ex-US gymnastics doctor in court</a>

And the internet, by and large, came out in support of Margraves:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I&#39;d have lifted my hand to high five Randall Margraves as he ran past to get to Larry Nassar.
&mdash; Insomnibrat (@insomnibrat) <a href="https://twitter.com/insomnibrat/status/959612144143818753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</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">&times;</a></div>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
If I was Randall Margraves, I would have charged that mother F-er too! Father of the year!
&mdash; L.P.J. (@DURCO) <a href="https://twitter.com/DURCO/status/959610974482427904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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I don&#39;t give two goddamns what anybody else thinks. I stand with Randall Margraves. Yeah yeah &quot;nation of laws&quot;. Tell me that when all Larry Nassar&#39;s enablers are all doing hard time. HARD TIME. Yeah, on the fifth of never. God bless you, Mr. Margraves. God bless you.
&mdash; chetmurthy (@chetmurthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/chetmurthy/status/959610141245980672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Some people called him a hero. And money was very quickly raised to help fund any legal bills that Margraves might incur:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I pledge to donate $500 towards any legal defense fund for Randall Margraves should charges be brought against him for this morning&rsquo;s events. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeRandallMargraves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeRandallMargraves</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RandallMargraves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RandallMargraves</a>
&mdash; Dominick Purnomo (@dominickpurnomo) <a href="https://twitter.com/dominickpurnomo/status/959442409447968768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Others however took a different tack:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
To all you hand-wringers saying what <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RandallMargraves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RandallMargraves</a> did was wrong, you&#39;re right. I think he should be arrested &amp; placed in a holding cell...with Larry Nassar. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/5hoursnot5minutes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#5hoursnot5minutes</a>
&mdash; Joseph M Monks (@josephmonks) <a href="https://twitter.com/josephmonks/status/959452349185044481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Apparently lashing out in rage against someone in a courtroom makes you a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hero?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hero</a> . However, having the courage &amp; strength to come forward and confront a sexual predator is not. People need to learn what words mean. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/margraves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#margraves</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nassar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nassar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Randall?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Randall</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StupidPeople?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StupidPeople</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/idiots?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#idiots</a>
&mdash; Jared (@phillyguy001) <a href="https://twitter.com/phillyguy001/status/959612121628725249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Margraves apologised to the court later.&nbsp;

And he found that he did not need the money raised to help with his legal fees. The judge let him go without any charges being filed, citing the &quot;circumstances of the case&quot;.&nbsp;

Randall Margraves had asked the Michigan judge for five minutes in a locked room with Larry Nassar

Randall Margraves had asked the Michigan judge for five minutes in a locked room with Larry Nassar, the ex-USA Gymnastics doctor now convicted of having sexually assaulted scores of young girls and women under his care. The judge had turned down Margraves, whose three daughters were among Nassar's victims. "That's not how our legal system works," the judge said. Margraves then took matters into his own hands, charging at Nassar in court before he was brought down by three bailiffs. The incident went viral on the internet. Watch: Father of sexually abused daughters lunges at ex-US gymnastics doctor in court And the internet, by and large, came out in support of Margraves: I'd have lifted my hand to high five Randall Margraves as he ran past to get to Larry Nassar. — Insomnibrat (@insomnibrat) February 3, 2018 × If I was Randall Margraves, I would have charged that mother F-er too! Father of the year! — L.P.J. (@DURCO) February 3, 2018 × I don't give two goddamns what anybody else thinks. I stand with Randall Margraves. Yeah yeah "nation of laws". Tell me that when all Larry Nassar's enablers are all doing hard time. HARD TIME. Yeah, on the fifth of never. God bless you, Mr. Margraves. God bless you. — chetmurthy (@chetmurthy) February 3, 2018 × Some people called him a hero. And money was very quickly raised to help fund any legal bills that Margraves might incur: I pledge to donate $500 towards any legal defense fund for Randall Margraves should charges be brought against him for this morning’s events. #FreeRandallMargraves #RandallMargraves — Dominick Purnomo (@dominickpurnomo) February 2, 2018 × Others however took a different tack: To all you hand-wringers saying what #RandallMargraves did was wrong, you're right. I think he should be arrested & placed in a holding cell...with Larry Nassar. #5hoursnot5minutes — Joseph M Monks (@josephmonks) February 2, 2018 × Apparently lashing out in rage against someone in a courtroom makes you a #hero . However, having the courage & strength to come forward and confront a sexual predator is not. People need to learn what words mean. #margraves #nassar #Randall #StupidPeople #idiots — Jared (@phillyguy001) February 3, 2018 × Margraves apologised to the court later. And he found that he did not need the money raised to help with his legal fees. The judge let him go without any charges being filed, citing the "circumstances of the case".

Internet calls father who charged USA Gymnastics doctor 'hero'

A recently published report studied the pattern of internet consumption in the country and revealed surprisingly interesting facts about internet penetration in India and other technology-led behavioural traits of an average Indian internet consumer.&nbsp;

The report, &#39;Currency of Trust, Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes Toward Digital Financial Services in India,&#39; published by a non-profit entity called the Omidyar Network noted that that number of Indians owning a smartphone versus a basic handset has grown from 28% in 2014 to 40% in 2017 which is estimated to touch 54% by 2020.

&quot;However, a sizeable population will continue to be content with a basic feature phone,&quot; noted the report.

The study also noted that people in India are highly frugal with respect to their data usage, always finding ways to save or economise their data consumption.&nbsp;

&quot;Even financially savvy consumers are wary of accessing financial services on their phone and believe that formal financial services are not for them,&quot; noted the study.

The report also listed some of the top applications and internet tools in India going by the quantity of data consumed.&nbsp;

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Data consumption in India, report and image via Omidyar Network. (Others)
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Close to 30% of total data usage by Indian consumers goes into accessing communication tool and applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Opera, UC Browser and PSIPHON, an internet censorship circumventing tool.&nbsp;

YouTube, Hotstar, Xender, SHAREit, Facebook, Instagram, Flipkart and Paytm featured among as top applications going by data usage; 13% of total data usage goes into accessing social media applications.&nbsp;

13% of total data usage goes into accessing social media applications

A recently published report studied the pattern of internet consumption in the country and revealed surprisingly interesting facts about internet penetration in India and other technology-led behavioural traits of an average Indian internet consumer. The report, 'Currency of Trust, Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes Toward Digital Financial Services in India,' published by a non-profit entity called the Omidyar Network noted that that number of Indians owning a smartphone versus a basic handset has grown from 28% in 2014 to 40% in 2017 which is estimated to touch 54% by 2020. "However, a sizeable population will continue to be content with a basic feature phone," noted the report. The study also noted that people in India are highly frugal with respect to their data usage, always finding ways to save or economise their data consumption. "Even financially savvy consumers are wary of accessing financial services on their phone and believe that formal financial services are not for them," noted the study. The report also listed some of the top applications and internet tools in India going by the quantity of data consumed. Data consumption in India, report and image via Omidyar Network. (Others) × Close to 30% of total data usage by Indian consumers goes into accessing communication tool and applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Opera, UC Browser and PSIPHON, an internet censorship circumventing tool. YouTube, Hotstar, Xender, SHAREit, Facebook, Instagram, Flipkart and Paytm featured among as top applications going by data usage; 13% of total data usage goes into accessing social media applications.

Indians spend most internet data on communication apps, social media: Study

With the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voting against the Obama-era net neutrality rules, internet service providers received a big boost&nbsp;over providing content to consumers.&nbsp;

Internet service providers like AT&amp;T, Comcast and Verizon Communications will now be able to regulate and perhaps even &quot;manipulate&quot;&nbsp;content accessed and consumed by users over the internet.

In the meanwhile, consumer advocates and content providers plan to challenge the move legally.

The net neutrality rules were passed by the Obama administration in the year 2015 to achieve and promote net neutrality. It was a move to prevent internet service providers from manipulating connection to certain websites -- especially the ones in paid-partnerships with the carriers.

Net neutrality rules pressed for equal access and speed to all web pages alike with an aim to fight against any influences from deep-pocketed companies.&nbsp;

Although internet service providers have long been speaking against manipulating or controlling the flow of content to their users, they have never spoken out against paid-content or partnerships.&nbsp;

The American ruling -- led by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai -- is likely to create ripples all across the world including in India where the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently spoke in favour of free and non-discriminating internet space.

A move against net neutrality creates a scenario that empowers carriers and internet service providers granting them the power to deliberately bolster&nbsp;established online platforms and entities like YouTube over emerging ones like Vimeo.

Some countries may even use the power to throttle access to some of the most popular online platforms to promote their local social networking platforms instead.

The American ruling -- led by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai -- is likely to create ripples all across the world

With the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voting against the Obama-era net neutrality rules, internet service providers received a big boost over providing content to consumers. Internet service providers like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon Communications will now be able to regulate and perhaps even "manipulate" content accessed and consumed by users over the internet. In the meanwhile, consumer advocates and content providers plan to challenge the move legally. The net neutrality rules were passed by the Obama administration in the year 2015 to achieve and promote net neutrality. It was a move to prevent internet service providers from manipulating connection to certain websites -- especially the ones in paid-partnerships with the carriers. Net neutrality rules pressed for equal access and speed to all web pages alike with an aim to fight against any influences from deep-pocketed companies. Although internet service providers have long been speaking against manipulating or controlling the flow of content to their users, they have never spoken out against paid-content or partnerships. The American ruling -- led by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai -- is likely to create ripples all across the world including in India where the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently spoke in favour of free and non-discriminating internet space. A move against net neutrality creates a scenario that empowers carriers and internet service providers granting them the power to deliberately bolster established online platforms and entities like YouTube over emerging ones like Vimeo. Some countries may even use the power to throttle access to some of the most popular online platforms to promote their local social networking platforms instead.

US FCC scraps net neutrality rules, will the big service providers rule?

Terrorist networks like the ISIS and Al Qaeda may soon begin instructing recruits on how to create killer viruses just like bomb-making lessons, a senior European Union (EU) security expert has warned.

Gilles de Kerchove, the EU&#39;s counter-terrorism co- ordinator, said that terror networks based in the Middle East like Al Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS), could begin using the internet to instruct on the use of biological agents.

&quot;If we don&#39;t address the grievances which led to the creation of Daesh (ISIS), Sunni grievances against sectarian Shia policies, and state violence from [Syrian President] Assad, we are likely to see the resurgence of something that could be Daesh 2.0,&quot; Kerchove told a conference organised by the UK-based think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London this week.

Tracing that the first edition of &#39;Inspire&#39;, Al Qaeda&#39;s online propaganda magazine, had an article on &quot;how to make a bomb in your mum&#39;s kitchen&quot;, he said: &quot;What if anyone will have a similar article on how to process a virus in your mum&#39;s kitchen?&quot;

&quot;Unfortunately, it&#39;s probably easier than before for a lone actor to perpetrate an attack with catastrophic consequences.&quot; Kerchove also warned that terrorists could tap into networks of cyber criminals to develop or buy the expertise to launch a devastating cyber-attack.

Patrick McGuinness, the UK&#39;s Deputy National Security Adviser and one of British Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s senior-most security advisers, agreed that all terrorists needed was the &quot;internet and a mindset&quot; to perpetrate global atrocities and it was important to defeat them online.

&quot;The frontline [against ISIS] is now online...Until there is not a presence online, until ISIS cannot occupy space online freely, we will not be safe,&quot; he said.

He said the speed at which people are &quot;brought to violence&quot; was now &quot;almost too fast to catch&#39;&#39; without the most extraordinary intrusive surveillance techniques which are not going to be sustainable or acceptable in a Western democracy.

The UK&#39;s security minister, Ben Wallace, told the conference a total of eight planned attacks had been thwarted since the ISIS-inspired attack on the UK Parliament building in Westminster in March this year, bringing the total to 21 since 2013.

&quot;Nearly 600 investigative leads are ongoing, covering about 3,000 people and approximately another 20,000 people who we have at some stage had concern about,&quot; he told RUSI&#39;s Westminster Counter-terrorism Conference.

&quot;It is not a spike in the threat, but a shift that we are now facing, and that is something we all have to deal with,&quot; he added. 
Wallace said a new counter-terrorism strategy is set to be unveiled by the UK government in the New Year, to keep &quot;one step ahead of the terrorists&quot;.&nbsp;

Gilles de Kerchove, the EU's counter-terrorism co- ordinator, said that terror networks like Al Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS), could begin using the internet to instruct on the use of biological agents

Terrorist networks like the ISIS and Al Qaeda may soon begin instructing recruits on how to create killer viruses just like bomb-making lessons, a senior European Union (EU) security expert has warned. Gilles de Kerchove, the EU's counter-terrorism co- ordinator, said that terror networks based in the Middle East like Al Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS), could begin using the internet to instruct on the use of biological agents. "If we don't address the grievances which led to the creation of Daesh (ISIS), Sunni grievances against sectarian Shia policies, and state violence from [Syrian President] Assad, we are likely to see the resurgence of something that could be Daesh 2.0," Kerchove told a conference organised by the UK-based think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London this week. Tracing that the first edition of 'Inspire', Al Qaeda's online propaganda magazine, had an article on "how to make a bomb in your mum's kitchen", he said: "What if anyone will have a similar article on how to process a virus in your mum's kitchen?" "Unfortunately, it's probably easier than before for a lone actor to perpetrate an attack with catastrophic consequences." Kerchove also warned that terrorists could tap into networks of cyber criminals to develop or buy the expertise to launch a devastating cyber-attack. Patrick McGuinness, the UK's Deputy National Security Adviser and one of British Prime Minister Theresa May's senior-most security advisers, agreed that all terrorists needed was the "internet and a mindset" to perpetrate global atrocities and it was important to defeat them online. "The frontline [against ISIS] is now online...Until there is not a presence online, until ISIS cannot occupy space online freely, we will not be safe," he said. He said the speed at which people are "brought to violence" was now "almost too fast to catch'' without the most extraordinary intrusive surveillance techniques which are not going to be sustainable or acceptable in a Western democracy. The UK's security minister, Ben Wallace, told the conference a total of eight planned attacks had been thwarted since the ISIS-inspired attack on the UK Parliament building in Westminster in March this year, bringing the total to 21 since 2013. "Nearly 600 investigative leads are ongoing, covering about 3,000 people and approximately another 20,000 people who we have at some stage had concern about," he told RUSI's Westminster Counter-terrorism Conference. "It is not a spike in the threat, but a shift that we are now facing, and that is something we all have to deal with," he added. Wallace said a new counter-terrorism strategy is set to be unveiled by the UK government in the New Year, to keep "one step ahead of the terrorists".

EU expert warns against terrorists using killer virus

In the past week, Silicon Valley has faced renewed calls for greater regulation of social media platforms amid the growing scandal of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Given rising awareness of the serious problems inherent within U.S. internet giants&rsquo; business models, it&rsquo;s an opportune time to discuss how best to regulate these companies.

I&rsquo;m a researcher who studies regulation on the internet. For my book, Chokepoints: Global Private Regulation on the Internet, I&rsquo;ve interviewed representatives from internet firms and their trade associations, along with policymakers in Canada and the U.S. in regards to what responsibility intermediaries should have for content on their platforms.

Internet intermediaries typically frame their opposition to legislation as protecting freedom of expression, but no right of speech is absolute. This debate is a battle over the control over information: What data should be collected and sold, what content should be permitted online, and who should decide?

Last week the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee grilled senior legal counsel for Facebook, Google and Twitter about their roles in Russian efforts to influence the U.S. election.

In a startling development, after months of denying and downplaying their responsibility, executives from each of the three companies grudgingly admitted that they had not yet determined the full extent of Russian activities on their platforms.

The executives&rsquo; testimony starkly reveals that the companies have few controls on the advertisements and so-called &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; that they accept on their platforms.

These candid admissions from the social media giants focus much-needed attention on the serious problems inherent in big intermediaries&rsquo; data-intensive business models.

Few safeguards, financial interest in status quo

As the U.S. election scandal shows, big social media platforms not only have few safeguards to prevent the deliberate manipulation of information, but they also have financial interests in maintaining the status quo. Unfettered flows of information and unconstrained advertising revenue are key to their business models. And this model is tremendously profitable.

Facebook&rsquo;s third-quarter profit was an astounding US$4.7 billion, the vast majority coming from advertisements relating to its 1.3 billion average daily users. Viral stories, whether factual or false, attract clicks and advertising revenue.

Given the seemingly intractable challenges of regulating social media platforms, what can be done? In the United States, three members of Congress have proposed a bipartisan response, the Honest Ads Act, that would require platforms to publish information about their advertisers and maintain a public archive of political advertisements.

This is a step in the right direction, and the Canadian government should consider similar measures in advance of the 2019 federal election. Facebook has already announced a program, the Canadian Election Integrity Initiative, to counter the spread of misinformation that focuses on media literacy and training.

Deliberate misinformation

While these projects appear useful, they likely will do little to address the underlying problem: The bad-faith spread of online misinformation. That&rsquo;s because the fundamental problem lies with Facebook&rsquo;s business model. Efforts to constrain the flow of information, especially information that generates advertising revenue, are contrary to their business model.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who initially dismissed claims of Russian interference as &ldquo;crazy&rdquo; just after the 2016 U.S. election, said on Nov. 1 that Facebook&rsquo;s new security features to counter so-called fake news will have a &ldquo;significant impact our profitability.&rdquo;

While the big platforms can afford to take a financial hit to restore their reputations and work to get rid of the worst offenders, they can&rsquo;t fully solve the problem without fundamentally changing how &mdash; and with whom &mdash; they do business.

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Facebook ads linked to a Russian effort to stir tensions on divisive social issues during the U.S. election campaign. (AP)
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In response to what has become a fundamental challenge to the survival of liberal democracy, Facebook, Twitter and Google have all committed to voluntarily implementing measures to address the spread of misinformation and targeting accounts that troll other users with often bigoted, racist content.

Google, for example, is creating a public database of election advertising content that appears on its services. These companies prefer self-regulation to legislation and they&rsquo;ve lobbied the U.S Federal Election Commission in the past to have online political advertising exempt from disclosure. It&rsquo;s only the political pressure from the Senate inquiry that is forcing these platforms into action.

Internet companies, algorithms are black boxes

While these developments may seem like attempts by these major companies to be responsible, they amount to Google et al saying: &ldquo;Trust us to fix the problem we created.&rdquo;

However, while Google, Facebook and Twitter are all creating algorithms to, in the words of Zuckerberg, &ldquo;detect bad content and bad actors,&rdquo; these algorithms operate as so-called &ldquo;black boxes.&rdquo; This means that the criteria the algorithms use to make decisions are off-limits to public scrutiny.

Is &ldquo;trust us&rdquo; a good enough response, given the problem? With so much at stake, it may be time for a fundamental rethink of how these indispensable 21st-century companies are regulated and what they&rsquo;re allowed to do.

At the very minimum, governments and citizens should reconsider whether the lack of oversight into how these companies shape our speech rights is really in the public interest.

Social media platforms &ldquo;are an enabler of democracy,&rdquo; says Margrethe Vestager, the European Union&rsquo;s Commissioner for Competition, but we&rsquo;re seeing that &ldquo;they can also be used against our very basic beliefs in democracy.&rdquo;

It&rsquo;s time to start taking that threat to democracy seriously.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/regulate-social-media-platforms-before-its-too-late-86984" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

In a fight for the global flow of information, social media firms must be regulated. Their billions of dollars in revenue put their financial interests in conflict with truth and democracy

In the past week, Silicon Valley has faced renewed calls for greater regulation of social media platforms amid the growing scandal of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Given rising awareness of the serious problems inherent within U.S. internet giants’ business models, it’s an opportune time to discuss how best to regulate these companies. I’m a researcher who studies regulation on the internet. For my book, Chokepoints: Global Private Regulation on the Internet, I’ve interviewed representatives from internet firms and their trade associations, along with policymakers in Canada and the U.S. in regards to what responsibility intermediaries should have for content on their platforms. Internet intermediaries typically frame their opposition to legislation as protecting freedom of expression, but no right of speech is absolute. This debate is a battle over the control over information: What data should be collected and sold, what content should be permitted online, and who should decide? Last week the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee grilled senior legal counsel for Facebook, Google and Twitter about their roles in Russian efforts to influence the U.S. election. In a startling development, after months of denying and downplaying their responsibility, executives from each of the three companies grudgingly admitted that they had not yet determined the full extent of Russian activities on their platforms. The executives’ testimony starkly reveals that the companies have few controls on the advertisements and so-called “fake news” that they accept on their platforms. These candid admissions from the social media giants focus much-needed attention on the serious problems inherent in big intermediaries’ data-intensive business models. Few safeguards, financial interest in status quo As the U.S. election scandal shows, big social media platforms not only have few safeguards to prevent the deliberate manipulation of information, but they also have financial interests in maintaining the status quo. Unfettered flows of information and unconstrained advertising revenue are key to their business models. And this model is tremendously profitable. Facebook’s third-quarter profit was an astounding US$4.7 billion, the vast majority coming from advertisements relating to its 1.3 billion average daily users. Viral stories, whether factual or false, attract clicks and advertising revenue. Given the seemingly intractable challenges of regulating social media platforms, what can be done? In the United States, three members of Congress have proposed a bipartisan response, the Honest Ads Act, that would require platforms to publish information about their advertisers and maintain a public archive of political advertisements. This is a step in the right direction, and the Canadian government should consider similar measures in advance of the 2019 federal election. Facebook has already announced a program, the Canadian Election Integrity Initiative, to counter the spread of misinformation that focuses on media literacy and training. Deliberate misinformation While these projects appear useful, they likely will do little to address the underlying problem: The bad-faith spread of online misinformation. That’s because the fundamental problem lies with Facebook’s business model. Efforts to constrain the flow of information, especially information that generates advertising revenue, are contrary to their business model. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who initially dismissed claims of Russian interference as “crazy” just after the 2016 U.S. election, said on Nov. 1 that Facebook’s new security features to counter so-called fake news will have a “significant impact our profitability.” While the big platforms can afford to take a financial hit to restore their reputations and work to get rid of the worst offenders, they can’t fully solve the problem without fundamentally changing how — and with whom — they do business. Facebook ads linked to a Russian effort to stir tensions on divisive social issues during the U.S. election campaign. (AP) × In response to what has become a fundamental challenge to the survival of liberal democracy, Facebook, Twitter and Google have all committed to voluntarily implementing measures to address the spread of misinformation and targeting accounts that troll other users with often bigoted, racist content. Google, for example, is creating a public database of election advertising content that appears on its services. These companies prefer self-regulation to legislation and they’ve lobbied the U.S Federal Election Commission in the past to have online political advertising exempt from disclosure. It’s only the political pressure from the Senate inquiry that is forcing these platforms into action. Internet companies, algorithms are black boxes While these developments may seem like attempts by these major companies to be responsible, they amount to Google et al saying: “Trust us to fix the problem we created.” However, while Google, Facebook and Twitter are all creating algorithms to, in the words of Zuckerberg, “detect bad content and bad actors,” these algorithms operate as so-called “black boxes.” This means that the criteria the algorithms use to make decisions are off-limits to public scrutiny. Is “trust us” a good enough response, given the problem? With so much at stake, it may be time for a fundamental rethink of how these indispensable 21st-century companies are regulated and what they’re allowed to do. At the very minimum, governments and citizens should reconsider whether the lack of oversight into how these companies shape our speech rights is really in the public interest. Social media platforms “are an enabler of democracy,” says Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s Commissioner for Competition, but we’re seeing that “they can also be used against our very basic beliefs in democracy.” It’s time to start taking that threat to democracy seriously. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Why social media needs to be regulated urgently

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-set-to-lift-ban-on-internet-calls-20440">&nbsp;The&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;government is&nbsp;lifting&nbsp;a&nbsp;ban&nbsp;on&nbsp;calls&nbsp;</a>made through online apps on Thursday but will monitor and&nbsp;censor&nbsp;them, a government spokesman said.

All online voice and video call services - such as Microsoft&#39;s&nbsp;Skype, Facebook&#39;s&nbsp;WhatsApp&nbsp;and Messenger, and Rakuten&#39;s Viber - that satisfy regulatory requirements were set to become accessible overnight.

However, on Thursday morning, Viber appeared to remain blocked inside the kingdom, and WhatsApp&nbsp;worked only when connected to a wireless network.

Adel Abu Hameed, spokesman for telecoms regulator CITC, said on Arabiya TV on Wednesday that new regulations were aimed mainly at protecting users&#39; personal information and blocking content that violated the kingdom&#39;s laws.

Asked if the apps could be monitored by the authorities or companies, he said: &quot;Under no circumstances can the user use an application for video or voice calling without monitoring and censorship by the Communications and Information Technology Commission, whether the application is global or local.&quot;

It was unclear how the authorities can monitor apps such as&nbsp;WhatsApp, which says its messages are supported by end-to-end encryption, meaning the company cannot read customers&#39; messages even if approached by law enforcement agencies.

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia, which introduced blocks to internet communications from 2013, has along with its Gulf Arab neighbours been wary that such services could be used by activists and militants.

Gulf Arab states, except the island kingdom of Bahrain, were mostly spared the &quot;Arab Spring&quot; mass protests often organised over the Internet that roiled much of the region in 2011.

Lifting&nbsp;the&nbsp;ban&nbsp;represents part of the&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;government&#39;s broad reforms to diversify the economy partly in response to low oil prices, which have hit the country&rsquo;s finances.

Yet the policy reversal could squeeze&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&#39;s three main telecoms operators -&nbsp;SaudiTelecom Co (STC), Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) and Zain&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;- which earn revenue from international phone&nbsp;calls&nbsp;made by the millions of expatriates living in the kingdom.

All online voice and video call services - such as Microsoft's?Skype, Facebook's?WhatsApp?and Messenger, and Rakuten's Viber - that satisfy regulatory requirements were set to become accessible overnight.

The Saudi government is lifting a ban on calls made through online apps on Thursday but will monitor and censor them, a government spokesman said. All online voice and video call services - such as Microsoft's Skype, Facebook's WhatsApp and Messenger, and Rakuten's Viber - that satisfy regulatory requirements were set to become accessible overnight. However, on Thursday morning, Viber appeared to remain blocked inside the kingdom, and WhatsApp worked only when connected to a wireless network. Adel Abu Hameed, spokesman for telecoms regulator CITC, said on Arabiya TV on Wednesday that new regulations were aimed mainly at protecting users' personal information and blocking content that violated the kingdom's laws. Asked if the apps could be monitored by the authorities or companies, he said: "Under no circumstances can the user use an application for video or voice calling without monitoring and censorship by the Communications and Information Technology Commission, whether the application is global or local." It was unclear how the authorities can monitor apps such as WhatsApp, which says its messages are supported by end-to-end encryption, meaning the company cannot read customers' messages even if approached by law enforcement agencies. Saudi Arabia, which introduced blocks to internet communications from 2013, has along with its Gulf Arab neighbours been wary that such services could be used by activists and militants. Gulf Arab states, except the island kingdom of Bahrain, were mostly spared the "Arab Spring" mass protests often organised over the Internet that roiled much of the region in 2011. Lifting the ban represents part of the Saudi government's broad reforms to diversify the economy partly in response to low oil prices, which have hit the country’s finances. Yet the policy reversal could squeeze Saudi Arabia's three main telecoms operators - SaudiTelecom Co (STC), Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) and Zain Saudi - which earn revenue from international phone calls made by the millions of expatriates living in the kingdom.

Saudi lifting ban on Skype, WhatsApp calls, but will censor them

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