After US President Donald Trump ordered to shut down websites that he feels stifle conservative voices, White House has said Donald Trump will sign an executive order on social media companies on Thursday.

No other details were provided by the White House officials. It is still unclear as to how will the President follow on the threat of shutting down private social media giants.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/comedian-kathy-griffin-picks-up-a-beef-with-donald-trump-yet-again-301393">Also read: Comedian Kathy Griffin picks up a beef with Donald Trump, yet again!</a>

Trump was upset as Twitter, for the first time, tagged his tweets about unsubstantiated claims of fraud in mail-in voting with a warning prompting readers to fact check the posts. This warning upset Trump to a limit that he threatened the private companies.

On a similar issue, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit by a conservative group and right-wing YouTube personality against Google, Facebook, Twitter and Apple accusing them of conspiring to suppress conservative political views.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, on the other hand, feels that censoring social media platforms is not the right reflex for a government which is constantly worried about censorship.&nbsp;

Following this threat by Trump, shares of Facebook and Twitter saw a steep decline on Wednesday.

General Counsel Sean Edgett on Wednesday said, "We have a group and committee of folks who take a look at these things and make decisions on what`s getting a lot of visibility and traction."

The issue of censorship has been a topic of debate in the White House for few years now, as the President feels "Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen."

Republican and Democratic lawmakers, along with the U.S. Justice Department, have been considering changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a federal law largely exempting online platforms from legal liability for the material their users post.

(With inputs from Reuters)

After US President Donald Trump ordered to shut down websites that he feels stifle conservative voices, White House has said Donald Trump will sign an executive order on social media companies on Thursday.

After US President Donald Trump ordered to shut down websites that he feels stifle conservative voices, White House has said Donald Trump will sign an executive order on social media companies on Thursday. No other details were provided by the White House officials. It is still unclear as to how will the President follow on the threat of shutting down private social media giants. Also read: Comedian Kathy Griffin picks up a beef with Donald Trump, yet again! Trump was upset as Twitter, for the first time, tagged his tweets about unsubstantiated claims of fraud in mail-in voting with a warning prompting readers to fact check the posts. This warning upset Trump to a limit that he threatened the private companies. On a similar issue, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit by a conservative group and right-wing YouTube personality against Google, Facebook, Twitter and Apple accusing them of conspiring to suppress conservative political views. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, on the other hand, feels that censoring social media platforms is not the right reflex for a government which is constantly worried about censorship. Following this threat by Trump, shares of Facebook and Twitter saw a steep decline on Wednesday. General Counsel Sean Edgett on Wednesday said, "We have a group and committee of folks who take a look at these things and make decisions on what`s getting a lot of visibility and traction." The issue of censorship has been a topic of debate in the White House for few years now, as the President feels "Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen." Republican and Democratic lawmakers, along with the U.S. Justice Department, have been considering changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a federal law largely exempting online platforms from legal liability for the material their users post. (With inputs from Reuters)

Donald Trump  to sign executive order on social media on Thursday

As majority companies shifted to work from home during the worldwide lockdown, Facebook is hoping to continue this new policy.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, recently announced that he is hoping that in the next 10 years, almost 50 per cent employees will be working from outside Facebook's offices.

While this 'work-from-home' policy can bring joy for the employees, like every good news, this too comes with a catch.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-launches-new-shopping-feature-for-small-businesses-299870">Also read:&nbsp;Facebook launches new shopping feature for small businesses</a>

"We pay very well, basically at the top of the market, but we pay a market rate. And that varies by location, so we're going to continue that principle here," the CEO said.

While the social media giant will be saving on food, electricity and on-campus facilities, providing the required equipment to the employees can cost the company a lot.

However, it has not been made clear as to what effect will this decision have on the company's finances, and on employee packages.&nbsp;

Zuckerberg, however, stated he is sure that 60 per cent of the employees would prefer a flexible work environment, and 50 per cent of these would like to shift to some other city, if given a chance.

This can also be because if the company shifts to work-from-home and initiates lesser salary packages for employees, then the employees residing in the expensive areas might want to shift to a more affordable place.

Facebook will also start remote-hiring, which is being speculated to be the largest remote hiring till now.

Earlier, Twitter and Microsoft too had announced that they will let the employees work from home till further notice.

As majority companies shifted to work from home during the worldwide lockdown, Facebook is hoping to continue this new policy. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, recently announced that he is hoping that in the next 10 years, almost 50 per cent employees will be working from outside Facebook's offices.

As majority companies shifted to work from home during the worldwide lockdown, Facebook is hoping to continue this new policy. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, recently announced that he is hoping that in the next 10 years, almost 50 per cent employees will be working from outside Facebook's offices. While this 'work-from-home' policy can bring joy for the employees, like every good news, this too comes with a catch. Also read: Facebook launches new shopping feature for small businesses "We pay very well, basically at the top of the market, but we pay a market rate. And that varies by location, so we're going to continue that principle here," the CEO said. While the social media giant will be saving on food, electricity and on-campus facilities, providing the required equipment to the employees can cost the company a lot. However, it has not been made clear as to what effect will this decision have on the company's finances, and on employee packages. Zuckerberg, however, stated he is sure that 60 per cent of the employees would prefer a flexible work environment, and 50 per cent of these would like to shift to some other city, if given a chance. This can also be because if the company shifts to work-from-home and initiates lesser salary packages for employees, then the employees residing in the expensive areas might want to shift to a more affordable place. Facebook will also start remote-hiring, which is being speculated to be the largest remote hiring till now. Earlier, Twitter and Microsoft too had announced that they will let the employees work from home till further notice.

Facebook plans to shift to work-from-home; lesser salary packages expected

In a bid to help struggling small businesses during coronavirus pandemic, Facebook has introduced with free tools for creating online "Shops"&nbsp;to help set up a single online store for customers to access on both Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook Inc is launching Facebook Shops, a service that will allow small businesses to display and sell their products on the social network's platforms, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-urges-eu-to-lead-on-tech-rules-and-overcome-chinese-competition-299569">Zuckerberg urges EU to lead on tech rules and overcome Chinese competition</a>

A checkout feature will enable in-app purchases, while a more deeply integrated messaging feature will allow customers to chat with businesses through WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram Direct.

"The primary focus is to ensure small and medium size businesses have presences online and survive the current situation," Facebook director of product management George Lee said during a press briefing on the new product.

Businesses have an option to buy Facebook ads to direct customers to their online shops. Sales can be consummated at websites off the social network.

The move to build up e-commerce offerings follows Facebook’s launch last year of limited shopping options on photo-sharing app Instagram and messaging app WhatsApp.

Company leaders wager making the platforms more business-friendly will generate fresh ad revenue, even as user growth slows.

Zuckerberg also said the world’s largest social network would be working more closely on product integrations with Shopify and seven other online commerce platforms going forward. He had Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke join him in a livestreamed video announcing the partnerships.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In a bid to help struggling small businesses during coronavirus pandemic, Facebook has introduced with free tools for creating online "Shops" to help set up a single online store for customers to access on both Facebook and Instagram.

In a bid to help struggling small businesses during coronavirus pandemic, Facebook has introduced with free tools for creating online "Shops" to help set up a single online store for customers to access on both Facebook and Instagram. Facebook Inc is launching Facebook Shops, a service that will allow small businesses to display and sell their products on the social network's platforms, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday. Also read: Zuckerberg urges EU to lead on tech rules and overcome Chinese competition A checkout feature will enable in-app purchases, while a more deeply integrated messaging feature will allow customers to chat with businesses through WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram Direct. "The primary focus is to ensure small and medium size businesses have presences online and survive the current situation," Facebook director of product management George Lee said during a press briefing on the new product. Businesses have an option to buy Facebook ads to direct customers to their online shops. Sales can be consummated at websites off the social network. The move to build up e-commerce offerings follows Facebook’s launch last year of limited shopping options on photo-sharing app Instagram and messaging app WhatsApp. Company leaders wager making the platforms more business-friendly will generate fresh ad revenue, even as user growth slows. Zuckerberg also said the world’s largest social network would be working more closely on product integrations with Shopify and seven other online commerce platforms going forward. He had Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke join him in a livestreamed video announcing the partnerships.

Facebook launches new shopping feature for small businesses

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Monday urged the European Union to take the lead in setting global standards for tech regulation or risk seeing countries follow China as a model.

"A&nbsp;lot of other countries are looking at China's&nbsp;model and thinking it gives their government more control," Zuckerberg said, during a video debate with EU commissioner Thierry Breton.

Under the Beijing model, "you don't have to respect human rights quite as much in how the society gets run," he added.

"I just think that that's really dangerous and I worry about that kind of model spreading to other countries," Zuckerberg said in&nbsp;in the talk, organised by the Centre on Regulation in Europe.

"I think that the best antidote to that is having a clear regulatory framework that comes out of Western democratic countries, and that can become a standard around the world," he argued.

"When Europe sets policies, they often become the standards around the world," he said, citing the EU's GDPR data protection legislation, which has been widely replicated. 
 
Breton, one of the EU's top officials on tech policy, said that Facebook and other big tech companies must also live up to certain values.

If you want to have the right regulation "you have to have a clear set of values and in Europe we have these values," he said, hinting Facebook sometimes fell short, especially on controlling illegal content or paying fair taxes.

"At the end of the day, if we cannot find a way, we will regulate, of course," he warned "It is extremely important that when you are CEO, at the end of the day, you are the only one to be responsible," Breton said.

"It is extremely important that when you are CEO, at the end of the day, you are the only one to be responsible," Breton said. "The mission of a CEO is to listen to everyone and then to take the decision.

"The mission of a CEO is to listen to everyone and then to take the decision. At the end of the day, it will be Mark who will be responsible, nobody else." 
 
The European Commission is ramping up towards a Digital Service Act, a major piece of EU lawmaking intended to curb the powers of US big tech. 
 
The law would include all aspects of the digital world, including cracking down on hate speech, protecting user data and preventing big companies from abusing their dominant market positions. 
 
&nbsp;

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Monday urged the European Union to take the lead in setting global standards for tech regulation or risk seeing countries follow China as a model.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Monday urged the European Union to take the lead in setting global standards for tech regulation or risk seeing countries follow China as a model. "A lot of other countries are looking at China's model and thinking it gives their government more control," Zuckerberg said, during a video debate with EU commissioner Thierry Breton. Under the Beijing model, "you don't have to respect human rights quite as much in how the society gets run," he added. "I just think that that's really dangerous and I worry about that kind of model spreading to other countries," Zuckerberg said in in the talk, organised by the Centre on Regulation in Europe. "I think that the best antidote to that is having a clear regulatory framework that comes out of Western democratic countries, and that can become a standard around the world," he argued. "When Europe sets policies, they often become the standards around the world," he said, citing the EU's GDPR data protection legislation, which has been widely replicated. Breton, one of the EU's top officials on tech policy, said that Facebook and other big tech companies must also live up to certain values. If you want to have the right regulation "you have to have a clear set of values and in Europe we have these values," he said, hinting Facebook sometimes fell short, especially on controlling illegal content or paying fair taxes. "At the end of the day, if we cannot find a way, we will regulate, of course," he warned "It is extremely important that when you are CEO, at the end of the day, you are the only one to be responsible," Breton said. "It is extremely important that when you are CEO, at the end of the day, you are the only one to be responsible," Breton said. "The mission of a CEO is to listen to everyone and then to take the decision. "The mission of a CEO is to listen to everyone and then to take the decision. At the end of the day, it will be Mark who will be responsible, nobody else." The European Commission is ramping up towards a Digital Service Act, a major piece of EU lawmaking intended to curb the powers of US big tech. The law would include all aspects of the digital world, including cracking down on hate speech, protecting user data and preventing big companies from abusing their dominant market positions.

Zuckerberg urges EU to lead on tech rules and overcome Chinese competition

Facebook has apologised for its role in the&nbsp;deadly anti-Muslim riots that&nbsp;took place in Sri Lanka two years ago

Evidence in an investigation had found that hate speech and rumours spread on the social media platform may have led to violence against Muslims,&nbsp;according to Article One,&nbsp;the human rights consultancy hired to conduct the investigation.

The tech giant commissioned a probe into the part it may have played, and investigators said incendiary content on Facebook may have led to violence against Muslims.

"We deplore the misuse of our platform," Facebook said in a statement after the findings were released Tuesday.

"We recognize, and apologize for, the very real human rights impacts that resulted."

The riots in early 2018 had erupted as anti-communal&nbsp;anger was whipped up on social media, forcing the Sri Lankan government to impose a state of emergency and block access to Facebook.

At least three people were killed and 20 injured in the unrest, during which mosques and Muslim businesses were burned, mainly in the central part of the Sinhalese Buddhist-majority nation.

Facebook has apologised for its role in the deadly anti-Muslim riots that took place in Sri Lanka two years ago Evidence in an investigation had found that hate speech and rumours spread on the social media platform may have led to violence against Muslims, according to Article One, the human rights consultancy hired to conduct the investigation.

Facebook has apologised for its role in the deadly anti-Muslim riots that took place in Sri Lanka two years ago Evidence in an investigation had found that hate speech and rumours spread on the social media platform may have led to violence against Muslims, according to Article One, the human rights consultancy hired to conduct the investigation. The tech giant commissioned a probe into the part it may have played, and investigators said incendiary content on Facebook may have led to violence against Muslims. "We deplore the misuse of our platform," Facebook said in a statement after the findings were released Tuesday. "We recognize, and apologize for, the very real human rights impacts that resulted." The riots in early 2018 had erupted as anti-communal anger was whipped up on social media, forcing the Sri Lankan government to impose a state of emergency and block access to Facebook. At least three people were killed and 20 injured in the unrest, during which mosques and Muslim businesses were burned, mainly in the central part of the Sinhalese Buddhist-majority nation.

Facebook apologises for its role in unrest in Sri Lanka

Silicon Valley billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg offered duelling views on lockdown measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus on Wednesday, with Facebook’s Zuckerberg endorsing the measures while tesla’s musk condemned them as anti-democratic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-tweets-against-coronavirus-lockdown-295686" hreflang="en">Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweets against coronavirus lockdown</a>

Musk, who has often made outspoken and even inflammatory comments on conference calls and Twitter, said in comments to analysts on Tesla inc.’s earnings call that it was “fascist” to say people cannot leave their homes.

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FREE AMERICA NOW
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1255380013488189440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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“This is not democratic, this is not freedom. Give people back their goddamn freedom,” Musk said.

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Give people their freedom back! <a href="https://t.co/iG8OYGaVZ0">https://t.co/iG8OYGaVZ0</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1255377239853719552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Zuckerberg, on the other hand, in comments on Facebook’s earnings calls, expressed concerns about easing lockdown measure and said the economic fallout from the pandemic would last longer than people are currently anticipating.

“I worry that reopening certain places too quickly before infection rates have been reduced to very minimal levels will almost guarantee future outbreaks and worse longer-term health and economic outcomes,” he said.

Both companies are based in the San Francisco bay area, which was out front in trying to slow the virus’ spread, with the region’s seven counties issuing a joint shelter-in-place order before California issued a statewide order.

Electric carmaker tesla and social media network Facebook have had different experiences under the lockdown. Tesla had initially resisted efforts by California authorities to shut its plant in the bay area under the lockdown, until agreeing on march 19 to suspend production. Even so, tesla on Wednesday reported its third profitable quarter in a row.

Facebook, the world’s largest social network, on Wednesday said usage rose during the first quarter amid the widespread lockdowns, although ad revenue plunged in March.

Musk did not mince words in criticizing the lockdowns.

“So the extension of the shelter-in-place or, frankly, I would call it, forcibly imprisoning people in their homes against all their constitutional rights, in my opinion, breaking people’s freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong and not why people came to America or built this country,” Musk said, swearing to underscore his point.

“It will cause great harm, not just to Tesla, but to any companies. And while Tesla will weather the storm, there are many small companies that will not,” he said.

Zuckerberg and Musk, who is also chief executive of rocket company SpaceX, have had differences in the past. In 2017, a war of words broke out between the duo over whether robots will become smart enough to kill their human creators.

“I’ve talked to Mark about this. His understanding of the subject is limited.” Musk tweeted at the time about Zuckerberg, who downplayed Musk’s warnings about the danger of artificial intelligence.

In May 2018, Musk made waves on another earnings call when he refused to analysts’ questions, saying that “boring, bonehead questions are not cool.” he later apologized for his remarks.

Silicon Valley billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg offered duelling views on lockdown measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus on Wednesday, with Facebook’s Zuckerberg endorsing the measures while tesla’s musk condemned them as anti-democratic.

Silicon Valley billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg offered duelling views on lockdown measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus on Wednesday, with Facebook’s Zuckerberg endorsing the measures while tesla’s musk condemned them as anti-democratic. Also read: Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweets against coronavirus lockdown Musk, who has often made outspoken and even inflammatory comments on conference calls and Twitter, said in comments to analysts on Tesla inc.’s earnings call that it was “fascist” to say people cannot leave their homes. FREE AMERICA NOW — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020 × “This is not democratic, this is not freedom. Give people back their goddamn freedom,” Musk said. Give people their freedom back! https://t.co/iG8OYGaVZ0 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020 × Zuckerberg, on the other hand, in comments on Facebook’s earnings calls, expressed concerns about easing lockdown measure and said the economic fallout from the pandemic would last longer than people are currently anticipating. “I worry that reopening certain places too quickly before infection rates have been reduced to very minimal levels will almost guarantee future outbreaks and worse longer-term health and economic outcomes,” he said. Both companies are based in the San Francisco bay area, which was out front in trying to slow the virus’ spread, with the region’s seven counties issuing a joint shelter-in-place order before California issued a statewide order. Electric carmaker tesla and social media network Facebook have had different experiences under the lockdown. Tesla had initially resisted efforts by California authorities to shut its plant in the bay area under the lockdown, until agreeing on march 19 to suspend production. Even so, tesla on Wednesday reported its third profitable quarter in a row. Facebook, the world’s largest social network, on Wednesday said usage rose during the first quarter amid the widespread lockdowns, although ad revenue plunged in March. Musk did not mince words in criticizing the lockdowns. “So the extension of the shelter-in-place or, frankly, I would call it, forcibly imprisoning people in their homes against all their constitutional rights, in my opinion, breaking people’s freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong and not why people came to America or built this country,” Musk said, swearing to underscore his point. “It will cause great harm, not just to Tesla, but to any companies. And while Tesla will weather the storm, there are many small companies that will not,” he said. Zuckerberg and Musk, who is also chief executive of rocket company SpaceX, have had differences in the past. In 2017, a war of words broke out between the duo over whether robots will become smart enough to kill their human creators. “I’ve talked to Mark about this. His understanding of the subject is limited.” Musk tweeted at the time about Zuckerberg, who downplayed Musk’s warnings about the danger of artificial intelligence. In May 2018, Musk made waves on another earnings call when he refused to analysts’ questions, saying that “boring, bonehead questions are not cool.” he later apologized for his remarks.

It is Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg! Billionaires clash with different opinions on lockdown

Tech billionaires' different views on COVID-19 lockdown. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg praises the lockdown, meanwhile Tesla CEO Elon Musk sees 'facism' in lockdown.

Tech billionaires' different views on COVID-19 lockdown

Facebook will spend $5.7 billion for 10 per cent of Reliance Industries' digital business, as the social media firm looks to leverage its popular WhatsApp messenger to offer digital payment services to small grocers in India.

The deal will help Reliance cut debt that has piled up in its push to secure top spot for its Jio Infocomm telco, and help boost its new online grocery marketplace JioMart.

Announcing the investment, Facebook Inc. said it would focus on collaborations between its messaging platform WhatsApp and Reliance Industries Limited's e-commerce venture JioMart.

"There's a lot going on in the world right now, but I wanted to share an update on our work in India. Facebook is teaming up with Jio Platforms -- we're making a financial investment, and more than that, we're committing to work together on some major projects that will open up commerce opportunities for people across India," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, in a statement.

India's online grocery market is lucrative but competitive, with Amazon.com's Pantry jostling for market share with Walmart's Flipkart and BigBasket, backed by China's Alibaba.

But a lot of untapped value lies in India's kirana stores, or small grocers, lifeblood of the country's $375 billion grocery industry, according to data from the Retailers Association of India.

Zuckerberg continued, "India is home to the largest communities on Facebook and WhatsApp, and a lot of talented entrepreneurs. The country is in the middle of a major digital transformation and organisations like Jio have played a big part in getting hundreds of millions of Indian people and small businesses online.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/facebook-buys-999-equity-stake-in-indias-reliance-jio-293896">Also read | Facebook buys 9.99% equity stake in India's Reliance Jio</a>

"This is especially important right now, because small businesses are the core of every economy and they need our support. India has more than 60 million small businesses and millions of people rely on them for jobs. With communities around the world in lockdown, many of these entrepreneurs need digital tools they can rely on to find and communicate with customers and grow their businesses. This is something we can help with -- and that's why we're partnering with Jio to help people and businesses in India create new opportunities."

WhatsApp has 400 million users in India, its biggest market. It has been trying to secure approval to roll out its digital payment service in India, to compete with the likes of Google Pay.

Facebook's investment will make it the largest minority shareholder in Jio Platforms.

"In the near future JioMart ... and WhatsApp will empower nearly 30 million small Indian kirana shops to digitally transact with every customer in their neighborhood," Mukesh Ambani, Reliance's billionaire CEO said in a video statement.

Zuckerberg, in his post, also thanked Mukesh Ambani and his team and said he was "looking forward to getting started".

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(with inputs from Reuters)

Facebook will spend $5.7 billion for 10 per cent of Reliance Industries' digital business, as the social media firm looks to leverage its popular WhatsApp messenger to offer digital payment services to small grocers in India.

Facebook will spend $5.7 billion for 10 per cent of Reliance Industries' digital business, as the social media firm looks to leverage its popular WhatsApp messenger to offer digital payment services to small grocers in India. The deal will help Reliance cut debt that has piled up in its push to secure top spot for its Jio Infocomm telco, and help boost its new online grocery marketplace JioMart. Announcing the investment, Facebook Inc. said it would focus on collaborations between its messaging platform WhatsApp and Reliance Industries Limited's e-commerce venture JioMart. "There's a lot going on in the world right now, but I wanted to share an update on our work in India. Facebook is teaming up with Jio Platforms -- we're making a financial investment, and more than that, we're committing to work together on some major projects that will open up commerce opportunities for people across India," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, in a statement. India's online grocery market is lucrative but competitive, with Amazon.com's Pantry jostling for market share with Walmart's Flipkart and BigBasket, backed by China's Alibaba. But a lot of untapped value lies in India's kirana stores, or small grocers, lifeblood of the country's $375 billion grocery industry, according to data from the Retailers Association of India. Zuckerberg continued, "India is home to the largest communities on Facebook and WhatsApp, and a lot of talented entrepreneurs. The country is in the middle of a major digital transformation and organisations like Jio have played a big part in getting hundreds of millions of Indian people and small businesses online. Also read | Facebook buys 9.99% equity stake in India's Reliance Jio "This is especially important right now, because small businesses are the core of every economy and they need our support. India has more than 60 million small businesses and millions of people rely on them for jobs. With communities around the world in lockdown, many of these entrepreneurs need digital tools they can rely on to find and communicate with customers and grow their businesses. This is something we can help with -- and that's why we're partnering with Jio to help people and businesses in India create new opportunities." WhatsApp has 400 million users in India, its biggest market. It has been trying to secure approval to roll out its digital payment service in India, to compete with the likes of Google Pay. Facebook's investment will make it the largest minority shareholder in Jio Platforms. "In the near future JioMart ... and WhatsApp will empower nearly 30 million small Indian kirana shops to digitally transact with every customer in their neighborhood," Mukesh Ambani, Reliance's billionaire CEO said in a video statement. Zuckerberg, in his post, also thanked Mukesh Ambani and his team and said he was "looking forward to getting started". × (with inputs from Reuters)

Here's what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said after teaming up with Mukesh Ambani's Jio

Twitter's co-founder and chief executive officer&nbsp;Jack Dorsey&nbsp;has announced that he is donating $1 billion of his personal fortune to coronavirus relief fund.

According to&nbsp;Dorsey, the donation represented approximately 28 per cent&nbsp;of his&nbsp;fortune of approximately $3.9 billion.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nearly-2000-coronavirus-deaths-in-us-in-the-last-24-hours-report-291241" hreflang="en">Nearly 2,000 coronavirus deaths in US in the last 24 hours: Report</a>

The 43-year-old&nbsp;took to Twitter to make the announcement and said that he was donating square shares equivalent to the sum to a charitable fund, called Start Small, to ''fund global Covid-19 relief''.&nbsp;

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I’m moving $1B of my Square equity (~28% of my wealth) to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/startsmall?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#startsmall</a> LLC to fund global COVID-19 relief. After we disarm this pandemic, the focus will shift to girl’s health and education, and UBI. It will operate transparently, all flows tracked here: <a href="https://t.co/hVkUczDQmz">https://t.co/hVkUczDQmz</a>
— jack (@jack) <a href="https://twitter.com/jack/status/1247616214769086465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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It is by far the biggest single donation to the global fight to tackle the coronavirus outbreak and comes with the pandemic spanning the globe and inflicting a heavy toll in lives and economic devastation on the United States.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-accuses-who-of-bias-toward-china-threatened-to-put-hold-on-us-funding-291237" hreflang="en">Donald Trump accuses WHO of bias toward China, threatened to ‘put hold on’ US funding</a>

Dorsey said that after the pandemic ends, the fund would focus on health and education for girls and "universal basic income" efforts.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has committed $30 million, the bulk of which is focused on efforts to create a treatment.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos has donated $100 million&nbsp;to food banks in the US to help those struggling with hunger during this period.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-fN773HvBu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Even in ordinary times, food insecurity in American households is an important problem, and unfortunately COVID-19 is amplifying that stress significantly. Non-profit food banks and food pantries rely in large part on surplus food from a range of food businesses. For example, many restaurants donate excess food. But during this time of social distancing, restaurants are closed, and many other normal channels of excess food have also shut down. To make matters worse, as supply is dwindling, demand for food bank services is going up.⁣ ⁣ Today, I want to support those on the front lines at our nation’s food banks and those who are relying on them for food with a $100 million gift to @FeedingAmerica. Feeding America will quickly distribute the funds to their national network of food banks and food pantries, getting food to those countless families who need it.⁣ ⁣ Feeding America is the largest non-profit focused on food security. Millions of Americans are turning to food banks during this time. If you want to help, the link to Feeding America is in my bio. They’d be excited and grateful for donations of any size.</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jeffbezos/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Jeff Bezos</a> (@jeffbezos) on <time datetime="2020-04-02T18:00:55+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Apr 2, 2020 at 11:00am PDT</time>
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Apple's chief executive Tim Cook announced in March the company would donate medical supplies to Italy which has been hit hard by the virus.

Twitter's co-founder and chief executive officer Jack Dorsey has announced that he is donating $1 billion of his personal fortune to coronavirus relief fund. According to Dorsey, the donation represented approximately 28 per cent of his fortune of approximately $3.

Twitter's co-founder and chief executive officer Jack Dorsey has announced that he is donating $1 billion of his personal fortune to coronavirus relief fund. According to Dorsey, the donation represented approximately 28 per cent of his fortune of approximately $3.9 billion. Also read: Nearly 2,000 coronavirus deaths in US in the last 24 hours: Report The 43-year-old took to Twitter to make the announcement and said that he was donating square shares equivalent to the sum to a charitable fund, called Start Small, to ''fund global Covid-19 relief''. I’m moving $1B of my Square equity (~28% of my wealth) to #startsmall LLC to fund global COVID-19 relief. After we disarm this pandemic, the focus will shift to girl’s health and education, and UBI. It will operate transparently, all flows tracked here: https://t.co/hVkUczDQmz — jack (@jack) April 7, 2020 × It is by far the biggest single donation to the global fight to tackle the coronavirus outbreak and comes with the pandemic spanning the globe and inflicting a heavy toll in lives and economic devastation on the United States. Also read: Donald Trump accuses WHO of bias toward China, threatened to ‘put hold on’ US funding Dorsey said that after the pandemic ends, the fund would focus on health and education for girls and "universal basic income" efforts. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has committed $30 million, the bulk of which is focused on efforts to create a treatment. Amazon's Jeff Bezos has donated $100 million to food banks in the US to help those struggling with hunger during this period. View this post on Instagram Even in ordinary times, food insecurity in American households is an important problem, and unfortunately COVID-19 is amplifying that stress significantly. Non-profit food banks and food pantries rely in large part on surplus food from a range of food businesses. For example, many restaurants donate excess food. But during this time of social distancing, restaurants are closed, and many other normal channels of excess food have also shut down. To make matters worse, as supply is dwindling, demand for food bank services is going up.⁣ ⁣ Today, I want to support those on the front lines at our nation’s food banks and those who are relying on them for food with a $100 million gift to @FeedingAmerica. Feeding America will quickly distribute the funds to their national network of food banks and food pantries, getting food to those countless families who need it.⁣ ⁣ Feeding America is the largest non-profit focused on food security. Millions of Americans are turning to food banks during this time. If you want to help, the link to Feeding America is in my bio. They’d be excited and grateful for donations of any size. A post shared by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos) on Apr 2, 2020 at 11:00am PDT × Apple's chief executive Tim Cook announced in March the company would donate medical supplies to Italy which has been hit hard by the virus.

Twitter chief Dorsey vows quarter of his fortune for coronavirus relief fund

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Sunday that the social media company has donated its emergency reserve of 720,000 masks to provide health workers with more protective gear.\

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-pandemic-how-whatsapp-has-become-problematic-for-facebook-287505">Coronavirus pandemic: How WhatsApp has become problematic for Facebook</a>

"To help, Facebook donated our emergency reserve of 720,000 masks that we had bought in case the wildfires continued," Zuckerberg said in a post, adding that the company is also working on "sourcing a lot more to donate."

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-offers-100-million-to-virus-hit-small-businesses-in-30-countries-287069">Facebook offers $100 million to virus-hit small businesses in 30 countries</a>

The United States has seen a surge in demand for respirator masks caused by the coronavirus outbreak as the US&nbsp;Department of Health and Human Services, over the next 18 months, aims to buy 500 million masks for the Strategic National Stockpile, the nation's supply of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. 
&nbsp;

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Sunday that the social media company has donated its emergency reserve of 720,000 masks to provide health workers with more protective gear.

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Sunday that the social media company has donated its emergency reserve of 720,000 masks to provide health workers with more protective gear.\ Also read | Coronavirus pandemic: How WhatsApp has become problematic for Facebook "To help, Facebook donated our emergency reserve of 720,000 masks that we had bought in case the wildfires continued," Zuckerberg said in a post, adding that the company is also working on "sourcing a lot more to donate." Also read | Facebook offers $100 million to virus-hit small businesses in 30 countries The United States has seen a surge in demand for respirator masks caused by the coronavirus outbreak as the US Department of Health and Human Services, over the next 18 months, aims to buy 500 million masks for the Strategic National Stockpile, the nation's supply of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.

Coronavirus: Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg donates 720,000 masks to health workers

How the super rich around the world lost billions due to coronavirus

Facebook CEO <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-takes-a-dig-at-mark-zuckerberg-calls-making-of-facebook-childs-play-274396">Mark Zuckerberg</a> allegedly hires employees to blow-dry his armpits to stop him stress-sweating before big events and speeches, according to a new book.

Technology journalist&nbsp;Steven Levy&nbsp;has claimed&nbsp;in his new book called&nbsp;'Facebook: The Inside Story' that Zuckerberg is so&nbsp;"consumed by his public image"&nbsp;that his communications executives&nbsp;have to blow-dry his armpits ahead of speeches in order to combat perspiration due to anxiety.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-takes-a-dig-at-mark-zuckerberg-calls-making-of-facebook-childs-play-274396">Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos takes a dig at Mark Zuckerberg, calls making of Facebook child's play</a>

Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, meanwhile, is portrayed as a micromanager and someone who is "fanatical about her public image" and&nbsp;reportedly known to ''scream at underlings''.&nbsp;

However, Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said that "I doubt this is true and if so it would have been at our communications team's request, but surely anyone who has ever worn a grey t-shirt can relate".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-calls-facebook-lame-and-urges-people-to-delete-it-279969">Elon Musk calls Facebook 'lame' and urges people to 'delete' it</a>

Levy's book is set to release later this month.

The bizarre idea that the Facebook CEO&nbsp;gets someone to blow-dry his armpits has created a huge buzz on social media, sparking several jokes.

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I'm pretty sure this is why Jobs wore the black turtleneck, no pit stains visible on that!
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The 35-year-old had become famous for his perspiration during a 2010 televised interview when he became visibly nervous and had started perspiring profusely.

The book also highlighted Zuckerberg's ambition of transforming Facebook into a ''futuristic government-style interface to access a database full of information linked to every person''.&nbsp;

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg allegedly hires employees to blow-dry his armpits to stop him stress-sweating before big events and speeches, according to a new book.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg allegedly hires employees to blow-dry his armpits to stop him stress-sweating before big events and speeches, according to a new book. Technology journalist Steven Levy has claimed in his new book called 'Facebook: The Inside Story' that Zuckerberg is so "consumed by his public image" that his communications executives have to blow-dry his armpits ahead of speeches in order to combat perspiration due to anxiety. Also read: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos takes a dig at Mark Zuckerberg, calls making of Facebook child's play Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, meanwhile, is portrayed as a micromanager and someone who is "fanatical about her public image" and reportedly known to ''scream at underlings''. However, Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said that "I doubt this is true and if so it would have been at our communications team's request, but surely anyone who has ever worn a grey t-shirt can relate". Also read: Elon Musk calls Facebook 'lame' and urges people to 'delete' it Levy's book is set to release later this month. The bizarre idea that the Facebook CEO gets someone to blow-dry his armpits has created a huge buzz on social media, sparking several jokes. I'm pretty sure this is why Jobs wore the black turtleneck, no pit stains visible on that! — Joel Burke (@atlasunshrugged) February 18, 2020 × You know you have too much money when.... — Nope (@NopenopeNOPE59) February 20, 2020 × The 35-year-old had become famous for his perspiration during a 2010 televised interview when he became visibly nervous and had started perspiring profusely. The book also highlighted Zuckerberg's ambition of transforming Facebook into a ''futuristic government-style interface to access a database full of information linked to every person''.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hires employees to blow-dry his armpits, reveals book

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said said it is a great honour that Facebook has ranked him number one and Narendra Modi number two on their popularity on the social networking site, ahead of his maiden visit to India.

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will pay a state visit to India on February 24 and 25 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi, it was announced this week.

Taking to Twitter, he claimed to be the number one on Facebook, citing a remark of Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the social media company.

"Great honor, I think? Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that "Donald J. Trump is Number 1 on Facebook. Number 2 is Prime Minister Modi of India." Actually, I am going to India in two weeks. Looking forward to it!," Trump tweeted.

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Great honor, I think? Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that “Donald J. Trump is Number 1 on Facebook. Number 2 is Prime Minister Modi of India.” Actually, I am going to India in two weeks. Looking forward to it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1228463577335554049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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This is not the first time that the US President has claimed to be the number one and Prime Minister Modi number two on their popularity on Facebook, reported news agency PTI.

Last month in an interview to CNBC TV on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said: "I'm No.1 on Facebook, you know who's no.2? Modi from India".

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said said it is a great honour that Facebook has ranked him number one and Narendra Modi number two on their popularity on the social networking site, ahead of his maiden visit to India.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said said it is a great honour that Facebook has ranked him number one and Narendra Modi number two on their popularity on the social networking site, ahead of his maiden visit to India. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will pay a state visit to India on February 24 and 25 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi, it was announced this week. Taking to Twitter, he claimed to be the number one on Facebook, citing a remark of Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the social media company. "Great honor, I think? Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that "Donald J. Trump is Number 1 on Facebook. Number 2 is Prime Minister Modi of India." Actually, I am going to India in two weeks. Looking forward to it!," Trump tweeted. Great honor, I think? Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that “Donald J. Trump is Number 1 on Facebook. Number 2 is Prime Minister Modi of India.” Actually, I am going to India in two weeks. Looking forward to it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2020 × This is not the first time that the US President has claimed to be the number one and Prime Minister Modi number two on their popularity on Facebook, reported news agency PTI. Last month in an interview to CNBC TV on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said: "I'm No.1 on Facebook, you know who's no.2? Modi from India". (With inputs from PTI)

Trump says it's honour that FB ranked him number 1 and PM Modi number 2

The European Union (EU) has rejected Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's white paper on online content regulation, saying the social networking platform must take responsibility for harmful, fake and illegal content. Zuckerberg on February 17 pushed forward a white paper titled "Charting a Way Forward: Online Content Regulation" that builds on recent developments, including legislative efforts and scholarship.

EU rejects Facebook CEO's offer on regulating online content

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">European Union</a> (EU) has rejected <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Facebook </a>CEO <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Mark Zuckerberg</a>'s offer&nbsp;on online content regulation, saying the social networking platform must take responsibility for harmful, fake and illegal content. 
 
On Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Zuckerberg&nbsp;</a>had proposed&nbsp;reforms regarding the regulation of Facebook's online content with the slogan "charting a way forward: online content regulation".

After meeting the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Facebook </a>CEO in Brussels, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">EU </a>industry commissioner Thierry Breton said the proposed Internet rules are insufficient and it was for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Facebook </a>to adapt and adherer to Europe's standards, not the other way round.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Facebook CEO Zuckerberg meets top EU officials ahead of proposals regulating AI&nbsp;</a>

Breton who is tasked with overseeing the bloc's data strategy, said Facebook "was being slow in coming forward with ideas on how to remove illegal content and warning that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">EU </a>was preparing to act." 
 
Last year, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Zuckerberg </a>called for governments to work with online platforms to create and adopt new regulation for online content, noting, "It's impossible to remove all harmful content from the Internet, but when people use dozens of different sharing services all with their own policies and processes we need a more standardised approach." 
 
According to Monika Bickert, Vice President, Content Policy at Facebook, the white paper poses some key questions which go to the heart of the debate about regulating content online. 
 
"How can content regulation best achieve the goal of reducing harmful speech while preserving free expression? By requiring systems such as user-friendly channels for reporting content or external oversight of policies or enforcement decisions, and by requiring procedures such as periodic public reporting of enforcement data," said Bickert.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-zuckerberg-asks-facebook-to-be-treated-like-something-between-a-telco-and-a-newspaper-280887">Zuckerberg asks Facebook&nbsp;to be treated "'like something between a telco and a newspaper"</a>

"Regulators could consider certain requirements for companies, such as publishing their content standards, consulting with stakeholders when making significant changes to standards, or creating a channel for users to appeal a company's content removal or non-removal decision". 
 
Facebook said regulators should develop an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of technology in content moderation and allow internet companies the flexibility to innovate. 
 
However, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">EU </a>justice chief Vera Jourova who met <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Zuckerberg </a>also rejected the white paper. 
 
"Facebook cannot push away all the responsibility. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Facebook </a>and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-facebook-ceo-zuckerberg-meets-top-eu-officials-ahead-of-proposals-regulating-ai-281238">Zuckerberg </a>have to answer themselves a question 'who do they want to be'&nbsp;as a company and what values they want to promote," she said in a statement.

The European Union (EU) has rejected Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's offer on online content regulation, saying the social networking platform must take responsibility for harmful, fake and illegal content.

The European Union (EU) has rejected Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's offer on online content regulation, saying the social networking platform must take responsibility for harmful, fake and illegal content. On Monday, Zuckerberg had proposed reforms regarding the regulation of Facebook's online content with the slogan "charting a way forward: online content regulation". After meeting the Facebook CEO in Brussels, EU industry commissioner Thierry Breton said the proposed Internet rules are insufficient and it was for Facebook to adapt and adherer to Europe's standards, not the other way round. Also read: Facebook CEO Zuckerberg meets top EU officials ahead of proposals regulating AI Breton who is tasked with overseeing the bloc's data strategy, said Facebook "was being slow in coming forward with ideas on how to remove illegal content and warning that the EU was preparing to act." Last year, Zuckerberg called for governments to work with online platforms to create and adopt new regulation for online content, noting, "It's impossible to remove all harmful content from the Internet, but when people use dozens of different sharing services all with their own policies and processes we need a more standardised approach." According to Monika Bickert, Vice President, Content Policy at Facebook, the white paper poses some key questions which go to the heart of the debate about regulating content online. "How can content regulation best achieve the goal of reducing harmful speech while preserving free expression? By requiring systems such as user-friendly channels for reporting content or external oversight of policies or enforcement decisions, and by requiring procedures such as periodic public reporting of enforcement data," said Bickert. Also read: Zuckerberg asks Facebook to be treated "'like something between a telco and a newspaper" "Regulators could consider certain requirements for companies, such as publishing their content standards, consulting with stakeholders when making significant changes to standards, or creating a channel for users to appeal a company's content removal or non-removal decision". Facebook said regulators should develop an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of technology in content moderation and allow internet companies the flexibility to innovate. However, EU justice chief Vera Jourova who met Zuckerberg also rejected the white paper. "Facebook cannot push away all the responsibility. Facebook and Zuckerberg have to answer themselves a question 'who do they want to be' as a company and what values they want to promote," she said in a statement.

European Union rejects Mark Zuckerberg's offer on regulating online content

Facebook CEO <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../facebook-allows-us-political-candidates-to-run- sponsored-content-280769">Mark Zuckerberg</a> met top European Union officials on a visit to Brussels, days before the bloc is expected to release new proposals on regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-zuckerberg-asks-facebook-to-be-treated-like-something-between-a-telco-and-a-newspaper-280887">Zuckerberg asks Facebook&nbsp;to be treated "'like something between a telco and a newspaper"</a>

The billionaire social network founder is the latest US tech executive to make the trip to EU headquarters, which is becoming an increasingly important player in technology regulation.

Facebook warned of threats to innovation and freedom of expression on Monday.

Referring to the possibility that the EU may hold internet companies responsible for hate speech and other illegal speech published on their platforms, Facebook said this ignores the nature of the internet.

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"Such liability would stifle innovation as well as individuals' freedom of expression," it said in its discussion document.

"Retrofitting the rules that regulate offline speech for the online world may be insufficient. Instead, new frameworks are needed."

It suggested instead that authorities could require companies to set up a system for reporting content, publish enforcement data periodically and also define what is illegal content.

The EU has already pioneered strict data privacy rules and issued multibillion-dollar antitrust fines against the likes of Google.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met top European Union officials on a visit to Brussels, days before the bloc is expected to release new proposals on regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met top European Union officials on a visit to Brussels, days before the bloc is expected to release new proposals on regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI). Also read: Zuckerberg asks Facebook to be treated "'like something between a telco and a newspaper" The billionaire social network founder is the latest US tech executive to make the trip to EU headquarters, which is becoming an increasingly important player in technology regulation. Facebook warned of threats to innovation and freedom of expression on Monday. Referring to the possibility that the EU may hold internet companies responsible for hate speech and other illegal speech published on their platforms, Facebook said this ignores the nature of the internet. × "Such liability would stifle innovation as well as individuals' freedom of expression," it said in its discussion document. "Retrofitting the rules that regulate offline speech for the online world may be insufficient. Instead, new frameworks are needed." It suggested instead that authorities could require companies to set up a system for reporting content, publish enforcement data periodically and also define what is illegal content. The EU has already pioneered strict data privacy rules and issued multibillion-dollar antitrust fines against the likes of Google. (With inputs from Reuters)

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg meets top EU officials ahead of proposals regulating AI 

Tesla's CEO <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/mark-zuckebergs-knowledge-of-artificial-intelligence-limited-elon-musk-18280">Elon Musk</a> has taken another jibe at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/mark-zuckebergs-knowledge-of-artificial-intelligence-limited-elon-musk-18280">Facebook </a>CEO <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/mark-zuckebergs-knowledge-of-artificial-intelligence-limited-elon-musk-18280">Mark Zuckerberg</a>.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/mark-zuckebergs-knowledge-of-artificial-intelligence-limited-elon-musk-18280">Mark Zuckeberg's knowledge of artificial intelligence 'limited': Elon Musk</a>

Musk tweeted ''#DeleteFacebook it's lame'' in response to a tweet from actor and comedian <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-sacha-baron-cohen-to-make-tv-comeback-with-a-comedy-interview-series--149422">Sacha Baron Cohen</a> calling out the social media platform for its increased regulation of content.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeleteFacebook?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DeleteFacebook</a> It’s lame
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1226132778967687170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Baron Cohen asked in his post why was Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg permitted to "control the information seen by 2.5 billion people," when regulators wouldn't permit one person to wield the same power over water or electricity supplies.

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We don’t let 1 person control the water for 2.5 billion people. 
 
We don’t let 1 person control electricity for 2.5 billion people. 
 
Why do we let 1 man control the information seen by 2.5 billion people? 
 
Facebook needs to be regulated by governments, not ruled by an emperor! <a href="https://t.co/o4hNRFNpgt">pic.twitter.com/o4hNRFNpgt</a>
— Sacha Baron Cohen (@SachaBaronCohen) <a href="https://twitter.com/SachaBaronCohen/status/1225165480782110721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The company did not respond to a request for comment on Baron Cohen and Musk's tweets.

Baron Cohen is a vocal critic of social media platforms, including Twitter and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-sacha-baron-cohen-to-make-tv-comeback-with-a-comedy-interview-series--149422">YouTube</a>, describing them as "the greatest propaganda machine in history."&nbsp;

In 2018, Musk had deleted the Facebook pages of Tesla and SpaceX after the tech giant was challenged on Twitter to do so.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/musk-deletes-facebook-pages-of-tesla-spacex-after-challenged-on-twitter-36893">Elon Musk deletes Facebook pages of Tesla, SpaceX</a>

The #DeleteFacebook gained prominence after the world's largest social network upset users by mishandling data, which ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica a political consultancy that worked on US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign.

"What's Facebook?"&nbsp;Musk had tweeted then.

He had also said that he doesn't like Facebook because it unsettles him.

The criticism of Facebook by Baron Cohen and Musk follows author Stephen King's announcement earlier this month that he has quit Facebook over false information and inadequate protection of privacy.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-stephen-king-leaves-facebook-after-citing-misleading-information-and-of-lack-of-privacy-for-reasons-of-departure-278282">Stephen King leaves Facebook citing misleading information and lack of privacy</a>

Facebook has defended its policy on political ads and says hate speech is banned from its platform, as is anyone who advocates for violence.

Musk&nbsp;has had run-ins with Facebook Inc&nbsp;founder Mark Zuckerberg in the past.

Last year, a war of words broke out between&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;and Zuckerberg over whether robots will become smart enough to kill their human creators.

When Zuckerberg was asked about&nbsp;Musk's views on the dangers of robots, he chided "naysayers" whose "doomsday scenarios" were "irresponsible."&nbsp;

In response,&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;tweeted: "His understanding of the subject is limited.

Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has taken another jibe at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Also read: Mark Zuckeberg's knowledge of artificial intelligence 'limited': Elon Musk Musk tweeted ''#DeleteFacebook it's lame'' in response to a tweet from actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen calling out the social media platform for its increased regulation of content.

Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has taken another jibe at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Also read: Mark Zuckeberg's knowledge of artificial intelligence 'limited': Elon Musk Musk tweeted ''#DeleteFacebook it's lame'' in response to a tweet from actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen calling out the social media platform for its increased regulation of content. #DeleteFacebook It’s lame — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 8, 2020 × Baron Cohen asked in his post why was Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg permitted to "control the information seen by 2.5 billion people," when regulators wouldn't permit one person to wield the same power over water or electricity supplies. We don’t let 1 person control the water for 2.5 billion people. We don’t let 1 person control electricity for 2.5 billion people. Why do we let 1 man control the information seen by 2.5 billion people? Facebook needs to be regulated by governments, not ruled by an emperor! pic.twitter.com/o4hNRFNpgt — Sacha Baron Cohen (@SachaBaronCohen) February 5, 2020 × The company did not respond to a request for comment on Baron Cohen and Musk's tweets. Baron Cohen is a vocal critic of social media platforms, including Twitter and YouTube, describing them as "the greatest propaganda machine in history." In 2018, Musk had deleted the Facebook pages of Tesla and SpaceX after the tech giant was challenged on Twitter to do so. Also read: Elon Musk deletes Facebook pages of Tesla, SpaceX The #DeleteFacebook gained prominence after the world's largest social network upset users by mishandling data, which ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica a political consultancy that worked on US President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. "What's Facebook?" Musk had tweeted then. He had also said that he doesn't like Facebook because it unsettles him. The criticism of Facebook by Baron Cohen and Musk follows author Stephen King's announcement earlier this month that he has quit Facebook over false information and inadequate protection of privacy. Also read: Stephen King leaves Facebook citing misleading information and lack of privacy Facebook has defended its policy on political ads and says hate speech is banned from its platform, as is anyone who advocates for violence. Musk has had run-ins with Facebook Inc founder Mark Zuckerberg in the past. Last year, a war of words broke out between Musk and Zuckerberg over whether robots will become smart enough to kill their human creators. When Zuckerberg was asked about Musk's views on the dangers of robots, he chided "naysayers" whose "doomsday scenarios" were "irresponsible." In response, Musk tweeted: "His understanding of the subject is limited.

Elon Musk calls Facebook 'lame' and urges people to 'delete' it

February 4 in history: Yasser Arafat, Facebook and lots more!

Author <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood-news-stephen-king-issues-a-detailed-statement-on-oscars-diversity-issue-post-backlash-277262">Stephen King</a> has quit Facebook after citing misleading information in political advertisements and questioning the privacy rights of social media platform.

The novelist, 72, took to Twitter to express his concern regarding the media giant's privacy policies and its refusal to prohibit political advertisements.&nbsp;Stephen King has 5.6 million followers on Twitter.

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I'm quitting Facebook. Not comfortable with the flood of false information that's allowed in its political advertising, nor am I confident in its ability to protect its users' privacy. Follow me (and Molly, aka The Thing of Evil) on Twitter, if you like.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1223425267831574534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Facebook is yet to respond to the accusation.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood-news-stephen-king-issues-a-detailed-statement-on-oscars-diversity-issue-post-backlash-277262">Stephen King issues a detailed statement on Oscars diversity issue post backlash</a>

It is noteworthy that Facebook has been increasingly scrutinised for allowing politicians to run false advertisements. It was also recently condemned by Congresswoman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-sworn-in-as-youngest-us-congresswoman-188202">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a> in Capitol Hill.&nbsp;

Interestingly, on January 9, Facebook CEO <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trending-latest-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-net-worth-falls-4-million-dollars-in-one-day-277781">Mark Zuckerberg</a> had reaffirmed that the social media platform would prohibit or fact-check political advertisements and it will limit how specific groups were targetted by the application.

Twitter had announced in October that it would ban political advertisements.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-tightens-bans-on-political-ads-and-causes-ahead-of-2020-us-election-262497">Twitter tightens bans on political ads and causes ahead of 2020 US election</a>

Highly- targeted political advertisements can influence the political opinions of the users and undermine political discourse by decreasing the chances of opponents and press to view certain ads.

King is politically active and is an outspoken critic of US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-news-michael-bloomberg-attacks-trumps-fake-hair-obesity-and-spray-on-tan-after-mini-mike-jibe-278254">Donald Trump</a>.

He has written more than 50 books and is famous for his works in the horror and the fantasy genres. His books have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide

Author Stephen King has quit Facebook after citing misleading information in political advertisements and questioning the privacy rights of social media platform.

Author Stephen King has quit Facebook after citing misleading information in political advertisements and questioning the privacy rights of social media platform. The novelist, 72, took to Twitter to express his concern regarding the media giant's privacy policies and its refusal to prohibit political advertisements. Stephen King has 5.6 million followers on Twitter. I'm quitting Facebook. Not comfortable with the flood of false information that's allowed in its political advertising, nor am I confident in its ability to protect its users' privacy. Follow me (and Molly, aka The Thing of Evil) on Twitter, if you like. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) February 1, 2020 × Facebook is yet to respond to the accusation. Also read: Stephen King issues a detailed statement on Oscars diversity issue post backlash It is noteworthy that Facebook has been increasingly scrutinised for allowing politicians to run false advertisements. It was also recently condemned by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Capitol Hill. Interestingly, on January 9, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had reaffirmed that the social media platform would prohibit or fact-check political advertisements and it will limit how specific groups were targetted by the application. Twitter had announced in October that it would ban political advertisements. Also read: Twitter tightens bans on political ads and causes ahead of 2020 US election Highly- targeted political advertisements can influence the political opinions of the users and undermine political discourse by decreasing the chances of opponents and press to view certain ads. King is politically active and is an outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump. He has written more than 50 books and is famous for his works in the horror and the fantasy genres. His books have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide

Stephen King leaves Facebook citing misleading information and lack of privacy

Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth witnessed a huge decline to 4 billion dollars on Thursday after shares of his Facebook Inc. slid.

The sharp fall in social media giant CEO's wealth came after Facebook witnessed its slowest-ever quarterly sales growth.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/facebook-shares-plunge-over-surge-in-quarterly-expenses-277592">Facebook shares plunge over surge in quarterly expenses</a>

Zuckerberg’s fortune stood at $81 billion at 10:07 am in New York. However, he remained world's fifth-richest person, as per Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The net worth of Facebook CEO is also intact.&nbsp;

On Thursday, Facebook's shares fell 7.5 per cent to $206.56 after the social media giant recorded its slowest quarterly growth since its market debut as expenses climbed and stagnant growth continued.&nbsp;

Facebook also said on Thursday that it has reached a $550 million (418 million pounds) settlement of claims it collected and saved milions of users data without their consent.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth witnessed a huge decline to 4 billion dollars on Thursday after shares of his Facebook Inc. slid. The sharp fall in social media giant CEO's wealth came after Facebook witnessed its slowest-ever quarterly sales growth.

Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth witnessed a huge decline to 4 billion dollars on Thursday after shares of his Facebook Inc. slid. The sharp fall in social media giant CEO's wealth came after Facebook witnessed its slowest-ever quarterly sales growth. Also read: Facebook shares plunge over surge in quarterly expenses Zuckerberg’s fortune stood at $81 billion at 10:07 am in New York. However, he remained world's fifth-richest person, as per Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The net worth of Facebook CEO is also intact. On Thursday, Facebook's shares fell 7.5 per cent to $206.56 after the social media giant recorded its slowest quarterly growth since its market debut as expenses climbed and stagnant growth continued. Facebook also said on Thursday that it has reached a $550 million (418 million pounds) settlement of claims it collected and saved milions of users data without their consent.

Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth falls 4 million dollars in one day

Facebook shares came under heavy selling pressure Thursday as the latest earnings report for the leading social network highlighted mushrooming costs in dealing with privacy, abuse and misinformation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-sued-in-us-federal-court-for-alleged-anti-competitive-conduct-274773">Also Read:&nbsp;Facebook sued in US federal court for alleged anti competitive conduct</a>

Shares plunged seven per cent in opening trade to $207.57 as investors soured on Facebook even after a fourth quarter update largely in line with analyst estimates.

Profit rose seven per cent from a year ago to $7.3 billion, while revenue increased 25 per cent to $21 billion in the final three months of last year, the update showed.

The number of people using Facebook monthly climbed eight per cent to 2.5 billion. For all its apps including Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, the figure was 2.89 billion.

Some analysts said the results pointed to weaker growth ahead for Facebook.

"The spectre of slowing growth took the edge off what has been an excellent run for the shares during 2019," said independent analyst Richard Windsor on his Radio Free Mobile blog.

"Despite the seemingly endless series of leaks and scandals, growth had remained strong, but some cracks are finally beginning to show."

Highlighting those concerns, Facebook acknowledged it agreed to pay a $550 million settlement in a class action suit based on allegations that users' biometric data was illegally gathered using photo-scanning technology and then stored.&nbsp;

The lawsuit stemmed from an Illinois law on biometric privacy, underscoring concerns on the costs of dealing with a range of data protection measures in Europe, California and elsewhere.

Analyst Michael Levine of Pivotal Research Group downgraded Facebook after the earnings reporting, citing weaker-than-expected ad revenues and "headwinds" that could limit its ability to collect data for targeted ads, the largest source of revenue.

"More of the headwinds are ahead of us rather than behind us," Levine said in a research note.

Investors appear concerned about the continuing increases in the amount of money Facebook spends as it pours resources into protecting privacy and preventing the network from being used as a platform for hate speech, abuse, and disinformation.

Costs in the recently ended fourth quarter rose 34 percent to $12.2 billion. Facebook ended the year with its employee ranks up 26 per cent to nearly 45,000.

Facebook is likely to see pressure from privacy rules hobbling the company's ability to effectively target its money-making ads.

Chief financial officer David Wehner told analysts the company expects revenue growth to slow, in part due to regulations and "other ad-targeting related headwinds."

Recent data privacy regulations in Europe and California as well as enhancements to browser or operating system software from Google and Apple, along with tools added by Facebook itself, are expected to limit the ability of the social network to use "signals" from third-party websites to more finely target ads, Wehner said.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg welcomed what he called "a good quarter and a strong end to the year" while noting that the company had much work to do.

He said Facebook was ramping up efforts to comply with a record $5 billion settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission on privacy controls while also fighting manipulation efforts during the US election campaign.

"As part of our FTC settlement, we committed to building privacy controls and auditing that will set a new standard for our industry -- going beyond anything that's required by law today," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page.

"We're very focused on election integrity -- and this is an area where I'm proud of the progress we've made preventing foreign interference.&nbsp;

"We were behind in 2016, but after working to protect elections in countries across the world from the EU to India to Mexico to the US midterms for the past few years, we think our systems are now more advanced than any other company."

- Some still upbeat - 
Some analysts remained upbeat on Facebook, noting that advertising revenues, &nbsp;the vast majority of cash it generates, rose 25 percent at $20.7 billion in the quarter.&nbsp;

Morningstar analyst Ali Mogharabi said Facebook still has a "moat" as the largest social network, which will attract advertisers.

"The growth in users and user engagement, along with the valuable data that they generate, makes Facebook attractive to advertisers in the short and long term," Mogharabi said in a note to clients.

Debra Aho Williamson said Facebook has been able to maintain momentum despite a barrage of criticism and regulatory issues.

"Despite all of the concerns that have been swirling around the company in the past two years, it beat expectations on revenue, and it demonstrated continued growth in its user base," she said.

Facebook shares came under heavy selling pressure Thursday as the latest earnings report for the leading social network highlighted mushrooming costs in dealing with privacy, abuse and misinformation.

Facebook shares came under heavy selling pressure Thursday as the latest earnings report for the leading social network highlighted mushrooming costs in dealing with privacy, abuse and misinformation. Also Read: Facebook sued in US federal court for alleged anti competitive conduct Shares plunged seven per cent in opening trade to $207.57 as investors soured on Facebook even after a fourth quarter update largely in line with analyst estimates. Profit rose seven per cent from a year ago to $7.3 billion, while revenue increased 25 per cent to $21 billion in the final three months of last year, the update showed. The number of people using Facebook monthly climbed eight per cent to 2.5 billion. For all its apps including Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, the figure was 2.89 billion. Some analysts said the results pointed to weaker growth ahead for Facebook. "The spectre of slowing growth took the edge off what has been an excellent run for the shares during 2019," said independent analyst Richard Windsor on his Radio Free Mobile blog. "Despite the seemingly endless series of leaks and scandals, growth had remained strong, but some cracks are finally beginning to show." Highlighting those concerns, Facebook acknowledged it agreed to pay a $550 million settlement in a class action suit based on allegations that users' biometric data was illegally gathered using photo-scanning technology and then stored. The lawsuit stemmed from an Illinois law on biometric privacy, underscoring concerns on the costs of dealing with a range of data protection measures in Europe, California and elsewhere. Analyst Michael Levine of Pivotal Research Group downgraded Facebook after the earnings reporting, citing weaker-than-expected ad revenues and "headwinds" that could limit its ability to collect data for targeted ads, the largest source of revenue. "More of the headwinds are ahead of us rather than behind us," Levine said in a research note. Investors appear concerned about the continuing increases in the amount of money Facebook spends as it pours resources into protecting privacy and preventing the network from being used as a platform for hate speech, abuse, and disinformation. Costs in the recently ended fourth quarter rose 34 percent to $12.2 billion. Facebook ended the year with its employee ranks up 26 per cent to nearly 45,000. Facebook is likely to see pressure from privacy rules hobbling the company's ability to effectively target its money-making ads. Chief financial officer David Wehner told analysts the company expects revenue growth to slow, in part due to regulations and "other ad-targeting related headwinds." Recent data privacy regulations in Europe and California as well as enhancements to browser or operating system software from Google and Apple, along with tools added by Facebook itself, are expected to limit the ability of the social network to use "signals" from third-party websites to more finely target ads, Wehner said. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg welcomed what he called "a good quarter and a strong end to the year" while noting that the company had much work to do. He said Facebook was ramping up efforts to comply with a record $5 billion settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission on privacy controls while also fighting manipulation efforts during the US election campaign. "As part of our FTC settlement, we committed to building privacy controls and auditing that will set a new standard for our industry -- going beyond anything that's required by law today," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. "We're very focused on election integrity -- and this is an area where I'm proud of the progress we've made preventing foreign interference. "We were behind in 2016, but after working to protect elections in countries across the world from the EU to India to Mexico to the US midterms for the past few years, we think our systems are now more advanced than any other company." - Some still upbeat - Some analysts remained upbeat on Facebook, noting that advertising revenues, the vast majority of cash it generates, rose 25 percent at $20.7 billion in the quarter. Morningstar analyst Ali Mogharabi said Facebook still has a "moat" as the largest social network, which will attract advertisers. "The growth in users and user engagement, along with the valuable data that they generate, makes Facebook attractive to advertisers in the short and long term," Mogharabi said in a note to clients. Debra Aho Williamson said Facebook has been able to maintain momentum despite a barrage of criticism and regulatory issues. "Despite all of the concerns that have been swirling around the company in the past two years, it beat expectations on revenue, and it demonstrated continued growth in its user base," she said.

Facebook shares plunge over surge in quarterly expenses

Kylie Jenner on Tuesday was named the youngest self-made billionaire of all time by Forbes magazine, thanks to the booming cosmetics company she founded three years ago. 
 
Jenner, 21, the half-sister of reality television stars Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, made it onto the annual Forbes list of billionaires after debuting her Kylie Cosmetics online in 2015 with $29 lip kits containing matching lipstick and lip liner. 
 
Forbes said she was both the world`s youngest billionaire and also the youngest self-made billionaire ever. 
 
On their billionaires list, Forbes distinguishes between those who inherited much of their wealth and those who made their fortunes on their own. Kylie would be in 2,057th place whether she was self-made or inherited. 
 
Last year, Kylie Cosmetics did an estimated $360 million in sales, according to Forbes. Jenner, who has a one year-old daughter, owns 100 percent of the company. 
 
She also makes money from endorsements and appearances on cable TV`s 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians,'&nbsp;and was ranked at number 2,057 on the Forbes 2019 list.&nbsp; 
 
Kylie Cosmetics last year signed a deal with Ulta Beauty Inc to put her products in all of the retailer`s 1,163 U.S. stores. 
Forbes put 2,153 billionaires on its 2019 list, down from 2,208 in 2018, and said their total combined net worth was $8.7 trillion, down from $9.1 trillion in 2018.&nbsp; 
 
The richest person in the world remained Amazon.com Inc Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos, whose net worth increased to $131 billion from $112 billion in 2018, according to Forbes. 
 
Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates remained in the No. 2 position with an estimated fortune of $96.5 billion, up from $90 billion last year. 
 
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg dropped three places to No. 8, as his fortune fell by $8.7 billion to $62.3 billion.

Kylie Jenner on Tuesday was named the youngest self-made billionaire of all time by Forbes magazine, thanks to the booming cosmetics company she founded three years ago.

Kylie Jenner on Tuesday was named the youngest self-made billionaire of all time by Forbes magazine, thanks to the booming cosmetics company she founded three years ago. Jenner, 21, the half-sister of reality television stars Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, made it onto the annual Forbes list of billionaires after debuting her Kylie Cosmetics online in 2015 with $29 lip kits containing matching lipstick and lip liner. Forbes said she was both the world`s youngest billionaire and also the youngest self-made billionaire ever. On their billionaires list, Forbes distinguishes between those who inherited much of their wealth and those who made their fortunes on their own. Kylie would be in 2,057th place whether she was self-made or inherited. Last year, Kylie Cosmetics did an estimated $360 million in sales, according to Forbes. Jenner, who has a one year-old daughter, owns 100 percent of the company. She also makes money from endorsements and appearances on cable TV`s 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians,' and was ranked at number 2,057 on the Forbes 2019 list. Kylie Cosmetics last year signed a deal with Ulta Beauty Inc to put her products in all of the retailer`s 1,163 U.S. stores. Forbes put 2,153 billionaires on its 2019 list, down from 2,208 in 2018, and said their total combined net worth was $8.7 trillion, down from $9.1 trillion in 2018. The richest person in the world remained Amazon.com Inc Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos, whose net worth increased to $131 billion from $112 billion in 2018, according to Forbes. Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates remained in the No. 2 position with an estimated fortune of $96.5 billion, up from $90 billion last year. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg dropped three places to No. 8, as his fortune fell by $8.7 billion to $62.3 billion.

Kylie Jenner dethrones Mark Zuckerberg as she becomes world's youngest billionaire at 21

From Bill Gates to Jeff Bezos: Generous billionaires who donate for charity

Amazon.com Inc founder and CEO Jeff Bezos on Wednesday took a dig at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg while elaborating upon the huge cost of space expansions. Also read: Will export $10 billion 'Make in India' products by 2025, says Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos He said, “Earth is finite.

Amazon.com Inc founder and CEO Jeff Bezos on Wednesday took a dig at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg while elaborating upon the huge cost of space expansions. Also read: Will export $10 billion 'Make in India' products by 2025, says Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos He said, “Earth is finite. If we continue to grow and consume energy and expand, in the long run, we are going to move the polluting industries to space and earth can be this place to live. Two kids in a dorm room could build a Facebook, but that cannot happen in space. It’s a huge cost.” Also read: Jeff Bezos' India visit — Amazon CEO pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, to address 'Smbhav' His space firm Blue Origin was founded in 2000 with a mission of reducing the costs of space travel and making it more accessible. Also read: 'E-commerce firms shouldn't offer heavy discounts' — Antitrust chief says ahead Amazon CEO Bezos' visit Facebook was launched in 2004 by Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow Harvard University students is now approximately worth 41 billion dollars with 2.45 billion users globally. The social networking site is the most downloaded app of the decade from 2010 to 2019. Meanwhile, Bezos who is in India for an annual Amazon event said his company will export $10 billion worth of Make in India goods by 2025. The announcement is important as the online retailer is facing protests by small and medium businesses that have accused Amazon of unfair trade practices. "Unless India becomes better, you can’t become better. Therefore in every decision, make this a better place for all of us. Once you think this, I believe India will become a stronger nation," he said.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos takes a dig at Mark Zuckerberg, calls making of Facebook child's play

According to a report published in British media, social networking giant Facebook has been dragged to the court by its employees for allegedly timing their breaks, even the time they take to go the toilet.&nbsp;

The news comes from Facebook's European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland wherein scores of former employees, working as content moderators, have alleged working in a strict environment with senior managers timing their toilet breaks and requiring them to log in and out every time they step away from their desks.

The employees in question worked as content moderators and looked for sensitive, illegal, pornographic or child abuse content.&nbsp;

In defence, a company spokesperson rubbished the news and said that no employee has any quota of work or any restriction on the breaks that they take. The official added that the system which is in place is to help plan "staffing schedules" and ensure that the employees get time for their training and "well-being breaks".&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-says-investigating-data-exposure-of-267-million-users-269245">Profiles of 267 million users exposed, Facebook says investigating personal data leak</a>

Mark Zuckerberg-led social media platform has been trying very hard to curb the growing menace of inappropriate content online, especially on his platform.&nbsp;

Just last month, Facebook said that it is trying to investigate a report that a database containing names and phone numbers of over two hundred million users was exposed online.

The database was made available for download in December 2019, on an online hacker forum that belonged to a criminal group, according to a blog post on the website Comparitech.

According to a report published in British media, social networking giant Facebook has been dragged to the court by its employees for allegedly timing their breaks, even the time they take to go the toilet.

According to a report published in British media, social networking giant Facebook has been dragged to the court by its employees for allegedly timing their breaks, even the time they take to go the toilet. The news comes from Facebook's European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland wherein scores of former employees, working as content moderators, have alleged working in a strict environment with senior managers timing their toilet breaks and requiring them to log in and out every time they step away from their desks. The employees in question worked as content moderators and looked for sensitive, illegal, pornographic or child abuse content. In defence, a company spokesperson rubbished the news and said that no employee has any quota of work or any restriction on the breaks that they take. The official added that the system which is in place is to help plan "staffing schedules" and ensure that the employees get time for their training and "well-being breaks". Also read: Profiles of 267 million users exposed, Facebook says investigating personal data leak Mark Zuckerberg-led social media platform has been trying very hard to curb the growing menace of inappropriate content online, especially on his platform. Just last month, Facebook said that it is trying to investigate a report that a database containing names and phone numbers of over two hundred million users was exposed online. The database was made available for download in December 2019, on an online hacker forum that belonged to a criminal group, according to a blog post on the website Comparitech.

Facebook allegedly monitors moderators' time off, even toilet breaks

As the year comes to an end, here's some news that would bring more cheer to the richest across the globe and also raise an alarm about the burgeoning wealth gap and income inequality.

According to a Bloomberg report, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/billionaires-wealth-falls-for-the-first-time-in-a-decade-260714">the wealthiest of the planet</a> gained as much as $1.2 trillion in 2019.&nbsp;

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index - &nbsp;which closely tracks the top 500 wealthiest people in the world - states that the wealthy of the world this year boosted their collective net worth by as much as 25 per cent to jump to $5.9 trillion.

Over 170 American billionaires found a spot on Bloomberg's ranking who, collectively, added $500 billion. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and &nbsp;Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates were among the ones who added a fortune to their net worth this year.&nbsp;

As per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos sits at the top of the list of the world's wealthiest with a net worth of $116 billion.&nbsp;

Bezos is followed by Bill Gates, Bernard Arnault, Warren Buffett and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg.&nbsp;

Indian billionaire and chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd Mukesh Ambani stands at the 12th spot with $59.5 billion as net worth.&nbsp;

This comes after a report suggested that billionaires' wealth fell by $388 billion globally to $8.539 trillion in the year 2018, news agency AFP quoted UBS/PwC Billionaires Report.

"Billionaire wealth dipped in 2018 for the first time since 2008 because of geopolitics," UBS's head of ultra-high net worth clients, Josef Stadler, adding that the billionaire's wealth was likely to go up this year.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

As the year comes to an end, here's some news that would bring more cheer to the richest across the globe and also raise an alarm about the burgeoning wealth gap and income inequality.

As the year comes to an end, here's some news that would bring more cheer to the richest across the globe and also raise an alarm about the burgeoning wealth gap and income inequality. According to a Bloomberg report, the wealthiest of the planet gained as much as $1.2 trillion in 2019. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index - which closely tracks the top 500 wealthiest people in the world - states that the wealthy of the world this year boosted their collective net worth by as much as 25 per cent to jump to $5.9 trillion. Over 170 American billionaires found a spot on Bloomberg's ranking who, collectively, added $500 billion. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates were among the ones who added a fortune to their net worth this year. As per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos sits at the top of the list of the world's wealthiest with a net worth of $116 billion. Bezos is followed by Bill Gates, Bernard Arnault, Warren Buffett and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg. Indian billionaire and chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd Mukesh Ambani stands at the 12th spot with $59.5 billion as net worth. This comes after a report suggested that billionaires' wealth fell by $388 billion globally to $8.539 trillion in the year 2018, news agency AFP quoted UBS/PwC Billionaires Report. "Billionaire wealth dipped in 2018 for the first time since 2008 because of geopolitics," UBS's head of ultra-high net worth clients, Josef Stadler, adding that the billionaire's wealth was likely to go up this year. (With inputs from AFP)

Gaining over $1 trillion this year, the richest got richer in 2019

Adolf Hitler would have been able to put anti-Semitic advertisements on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-announces-steps-to-clamp-down-on-misinformation-ahead-of-2020-election-257494">Facebook </a>had the social network existed in the 1930s, according to British comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen.&nbsp;

The 48-year-old "Ali G" star singled out the US tech giant during a searing broadside Thursday against social media companies amplifying hatred and violence as part of "the greatest propaganda machine in history."

Speaking at Never Is Now, the Anti-Defamation League's New York conference on anti-Semitism and hate, he targeted Facebook for running political advertisements without fact-checking.

"Under this twisted logic, if Facebook were around in the 1930s, it would have allowed Hitler to post 30-second ads on his 'solution' to the 'Jewish problem,'" Baron Cohen said as he accepted the ADL's International Leadership Award.

Facebook told AFP, however, the actor had misrepresented its policies.&nbsp;

"Hate speech is actually banned on our platform. We ban people who advocate for violence and we remove anyone who praises or supports it," a spokesperson said.&nbsp;

"Nobody -- including politicians -- can advocate or advertise hate, violence or mass murder on Facebook."&nbsp;

Baron Cohen's remarks came a day after Google said it would not allow political advertisers to use "microtargeting" based on user browsing data, political affiliation or other factors, including on YouTube.

Google also sought to clarify its policy by indicating it does not allow "false claims" in advertising, political or otherwise.

The move followed a ban by Twitter on most kinds of political ads and comes amid growing pressure on internet platforms to curb the spread of misinformation around political campaigns.

Facebook, which has rejected efforts to fact-check political speech or ads, is being urged to follow suit.

"So here's a good standard and practice: Facebook, start fact-checking political ads before you run them," said Baron Cohen.

"Stop micro-targeted lies immediately, and when the ads are false, give back the money and don't publish them."

The controversial satirist's anarchic, gonzo-style comedy has spawned celebrated TV and movie characters such as Ali G and &nbsp;Borat Sagdiyev -- not to mention acclaim, the occasional lawsuit and a hatful of awards.

He went on to attack Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg's characterization of the company as a bastion of "free expression."&nbsp;

"I think we could all agree that we should not be giving bigots and pedophiles a free platform to amplify their views and target their victims," he said.

Adolf Hitler would have been able to put anti-Semitic advertisements on Facebook had the social network existed in the 1930s, according to British comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen.

Adolf Hitler would have been able to put anti-Semitic advertisements on Facebook had the social network existed in the 1930s, according to British comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen. The 48-year-old "Ali G" star singled out the US tech giant during a searing broadside Thursday against social media companies amplifying hatred and violence as part of "the greatest propaganda machine in history." Speaking at Never Is Now, the Anti-Defamation League's New York conference on anti-Semitism and hate, he targeted Facebook for running political advertisements without fact-checking. "Under this twisted logic, if Facebook were around in the 1930s, it would have allowed Hitler to post 30-second ads on his 'solution' to the 'Jewish problem,'" Baron Cohen said as he accepted the ADL's International Leadership Award. Facebook told AFP, however, the actor had misrepresented its policies. "Hate speech is actually banned on our platform. We ban people who advocate for violence and we remove anyone who praises or supports it," a spokesperson said. "Nobody -- including politicians -- can advocate or advertise hate, violence or mass murder on Facebook." Baron Cohen's remarks came a day after Google said it would not allow political advertisers to use "microtargeting" based on user browsing data, political affiliation or other factors, including on YouTube. Google also sought to clarify its policy by indicating it does not allow "false claims" in advertising, political or otherwise. The move followed a ban by Twitter on most kinds of political ads and comes amid growing pressure on internet platforms to curb the spread of misinformation around political campaigns. Facebook, which has rejected efforts to fact-check political speech or ads, is being urged to follow suit. "So here's a good standard and practice: Facebook, start fact-checking political ads before you run them," said Baron Cohen. "Stop micro-targeted lies immediately, and when the ads are false, give back the money and don't publish them." The controversial satirist's anarchic, gonzo-style comedy has spawned celebrated TV and movie characters such as Ali G and Borat Sagdiyev -- not to mention acclaim, the occasional lawsuit and a hatful of awards. He went on to attack Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg's characterization of the company as a bastion of "free expression." "I think we could all agree that we should not be giving bigots and pedophiles a free platform to amplify their views and target their victims," he said.

Facebook would have let Hitler post 'anti-semitic' ads: British comedian Cohen

The data-collection business model fueling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/facebook-to-welcome-its-first-ever-facebook-tv-18323">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-pay-to-offer-checking-accounts-through-citi-stanford-federal-261964">Google</a> represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.

The organization argued that offering people free online services and then using information about them to target money-making ads imperils a gamut of rights including freedom of opinion and expression.

"Despite the real value of the services they provide, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-translates-sad-to-happy-angering-hong-kong-protesters-against-china-extradition-law-228536">Google</a> and Facebook's platforms come at a systemic cost," Amnesty said in its report, "Surveillance Giants."

"The companies' surveillance-based business model forces people to make a Faustian bargain, whereby they are only able to enjoy their human rights online by submitting to a system predicated on human rights abuse."

With ubiquitous surveillance, the two online giants are able to collect massive amounts of data which may be used against their customers, according to the London-based human rights group.

The business model is "inherently incompatible with the right to privacy," Amnesty contended.

The report maintained that the two Silicon Valley firms have established "near-total dominance over the primary channels through which people connect and engage with the online world," giving them unprecedented power over people's lives.

"Google and Facebook dominate our modern lives -- amassing unparalleled power over the digital world by harvesting and monetizing the personal data of billions of people," said Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International's secretary-general.

"Their insidious control of our digital lives undermines the very essence of privacy and is one of the defining human rights challenges of our era."

The report called for governments to implement policies that ensure access to online services while protecting user privacy.

"Governments have an obligation to protect people from human rights abuses by corporations," Amnesty maintained.

"But for the past two decades, technology companies have been largely left to self-regulate."

Facebook pushed back against what it contended were inaccuracies in the report, saying it strongly disagreed with its business model being characterized as surveillance-based.

"Our business model is what allows us to offer an important service where people can exercise foundational human rights -- to have a voice (freedom of expression) and be able to connect (freedom of association and assembly)," said a letter from Facebook privacy and public policy director Steve Satterfield in an annex to the Amnesty report.

"Facebook's business model is not, as your summary suggests, driven by the collection of data about people."

Facebook spotlighted its measures implemented which limit data information used for ad targeting; controls provided to users regarding their data; and steps taken to restrict abuses by apps on the social network.

"As you correctly note, we do not sell data; we sell ads," Facebook said.

Facebook chief and co-founder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/snapchat-checks-for-misleading-political-advertisements-to-enforce-ban-263042">Mark Zuckerberg</a> has called for governments to implement uniform rules regarding data-handling instead of leaving private companies to make crucial social decisions such as the limits of free speech.

Google did not offer a specific written response.

But the Amnesty report noted that Google announced this month it would limit data that it shares with advertisers through its ad auction platform, following the launch of an inquiry by the Irish data protection authority and had launched a new feature allowing users to delete location data.

The data-collection business model fueling Facebook and Google represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.

The data-collection business model fueling Facebook and Google represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday. The organization argued that offering people free online services and then using information about them to target money-making ads imperils a gamut of rights including freedom of opinion and expression. "Despite the real value of the services they provide, Google and Facebook's platforms come at a systemic cost," Amnesty said in its report, "Surveillance Giants." "The companies' surveillance-based business model forces people to make a Faustian bargain, whereby they are only able to enjoy their human rights online by submitting to a system predicated on human rights abuse." With ubiquitous surveillance, the two online giants are able to collect massive amounts of data which may be used against their customers, according to the London-based human rights group. The business model is "inherently incompatible with the right to privacy," Amnesty contended. The report maintained that the two Silicon Valley firms have established "near-total dominance over the primary channels through which people connect and engage with the online world," giving them unprecedented power over people's lives. "Google and Facebook dominate our modern lives -- amassing unparalleled power over the digital world by harvesting and monetizing the personal data of billions of people," said Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International's secretary-general. "Their insidious control of our digital lives undermines the very essence of privacy and is one of the defining human rights challenges of our era." The report called for governments to implement policies that ensure access to online services while protecting user privacy. "Governments have an obligation to protect people from human rights abuses by corporations," Amnesty maintained. "But for the past two decades, technology companies have been largely left to self-regulate." Facebook pushed back against what it contended were inaccuracies in the report, saying it strongly disagreed with its business model being characterized as surveillance-based. "Our business model is what allows us to offer an important service where people can exercise foundational human rights -- to have a voice (freedom of expression) and be able to connect (freedom of association and assembly)," said a letter from Facebook privacy and public policy director Steve Satterfield in an annex to the Amnesty report. "Facebook's business model is not, as your summary suggests, driven by the collection of data about people." Facebook spotlighted its measures implemented which limit data information used for ad targeting; controls provided to users regarding their data; and steps taken to restrict abuses by apps on the social network. "As you correctly note, we do not sell data; we sell ads," Facebook said. Facebook chief and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has called for governments to implement uniform rules regarding data-handling instead of leaving private companies to make crucial social decisions such as the limits of free speech. Google did not offer a specific written response. But the Amnesty report noted that Google announced this month it would limit data that it shares with advertisers through its ad auction platform, following the launch of an inquiry by the Irish data protection authority and had launched a new feature allowing users to delete location data.

Google, Facebook business models threat to rights: Amnesty report

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-launches-new-company-logo-260130">Facebook Inc</a>&nbsp;removed 3.2 billion fake accounts between April and September this year, along with millions of posts depicting child abuse and suicide, according to its latest content moderation report released on Wednesday.

That more than doubles the number of fake accounts taken down during the same period last year, when 1.55 billion accounts were removed, according to the report.&nbsp;

The world's biggest social network also disclosed for the first time how many posts it removed from popular photo-sharing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/instagram-test-of-hiding-likes-on-app-to-start-rolling-out-in-united-states-261011">app Instagram</a>, which has been identified as a growing area of concern about fake news by disinformation researchers.

Proactive detection of violating content was lower across all categories on Instagram than on Facebook's flagship app, where the company initially implemented many of its detection tools, the company said in its fourth content moderation report.

For example, the company said it proactively detected content affiliated with terrorist organizations 98.5 per cent&nbsp;of the time on Facebook and 92.2 per cent&nbsp;of the time on Instagram.

It removed more than 11.6 million pieces of content depicting child nudity and sexual exploitation of children on Facebook and 754,000 pieces on Instagram during the third quarter.

Facebook also added data on actions it took around content involving self-harm for the first time in the report. It said it had removed about 2.5 million posts in the third quarter that depicted or encouraged suicide or self-injury.

The company also removed about 4.4 million pieces involving drug sales during the quarter, it said in a blog post.&nbsp;

Facebook Inc removed 3.2 billion fake accounts between April and September this year, along with millions of posts depicting child abuse and suicide, according to its latest content moderation report released on Wednesday.

Facebook Inc removed 3.2 billion fake accounts between April and September this year, along with millions of posts depicting child abuse and suicide, according to its latest content moderation report released on Wednesday. That more than doubles the number of fake accounts taken down during the same period last year, when 1.55 billion accounts were removed, according to the report. The world's biggest social network also disclosed for the first time how many posts it removed from popular photo-sharing app Instagram, which has been identified as a growing area of concern about fake news by disinformation researchers. Proactive detection of violating content was lower across all categories on Instagram than on Facebook's flagship app, where the company initially implemented many of its detection tools, the company said in its fourth content moderation report. For example, the company said it proactively detected content affiliated with terrorist organizations 98.5 per cent of the time on Facebook and 92.2 per cent of the time on Instagram. It removed more than 11.6 million pieces of content depicting child nudity and sexual exploitation of children on Facebook and 754,000 pieces on Instagram during the third quarter. Facebook also added data on actions it took around content involving self-harm for the first time in the report. It said it had removed about 2.5 million posts in the third quarter that depicted or encouraged suicide or self-injury. The company also removed about 4.4 million pieces involving drug sales during the quarter, it said in a blog post.

Facebook removes 3.2 billion fake accounts, millions of child abuse posts

A lawsuit filed on Thursday accuses <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-defends-facebooks-approach-to-free-speech-draws-line-on-china-257158">Facebook</a> of letting ad targeting tools be used to exclude women and older people from offers regarding loans, investments and other financial services.

Two law firms have filed a discrimination suit in San Francisco federal court on behalf of a 54-year-old woman living in Washington and will ask a judge to grant the case class-action status.

"Women and older persons are entitled to full and equal services of businesses such as Facebook, and the financial services companies that advertise on Facebook's platform," attorney Matthew Handley said in a statement.

"Purposeful targeting of advertisements away from these members of our community unlawfully denies them these guarantees."

The suit contends that women and older people were denied the benefits of ads for financial services because Facebook tools allow messages to be targeted at specific age ranges or genders.

Facebook said it is reviewing the complaint.

"We've made significant changes to how housing, employment and credit opportunities are run on Facebook and continue to work on ways to prevent potential misuse," a spokeswoman for the leading social network told AFP.

"Our policies have long prohibited discrimination and we're proud of the strides we're making in this area."

Facebook announced earlier this year that it was revamping how it uses targeted advertising in a settlement with activist groups alleging it discriminated in messages on jobs, housing, credit and other services.

Under those changes, housing, employment or credit ads would no longer be allowed to target by age, gender or zip code, a practice critics argued had led to discrimination.

In the settlement, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-announces-steps-to-clamp-down-on-misinformation-ahead-of-2020-election-257494">Facebook</a> agreed to take "far-reaching measures to stop advertisers from using age, gender, and other protected traits to target job, housing, and credit ads," according to the law firms involved in the new suit.

"Today's lawsuit alleges that Facebook has not taken any action to stop advertisers from excluding older persons and women from getting financial services ads on Facebook, other than in the limited area of credit ads," the law firms said.

A lawsuit filed on Thursday accuses Facebook of letting ad targeting tools be used to exclude women and older people from offers regarding loans, investments and other financial services.

A lawsuit filed on Thursday accuses Facebook of letting ad targeting tools be used to exclude women and older people from offers regarding loans, investments and other financial services. Two law firms have filed a discrimination suit in San Francisco federal court on behalf of a 54-year-old woman living in Washington and will ask a judge to grant the case class-action status. "Women and older persons are entitled to full and equal services of businesses such as Facebook, and the financial services companies that advertise on Facebook's platform," attorney Matthew Handley said in a statement. "Purposeful targeting of advertisements away from these members of our community unlawfully denies them these guarantees." The suit contends that women and older people were denied the benefits of ads for financial services because Facebook tools allow messages to be targeted at specific age ranges or genders. Facebook said it is reviewing the complaint. "We've made significant changes to how housing, employment and credit opportunities are run on Facebook and continue to work on ways to prevent potential misuse," a spokeswoman for the leading social network told AFP. "Our policies have long prohibited discrimination and we're proud of the strides we're making in this area." Facebook announced earlier this year that it was revamping how it uses targeted advertising in a settlement with activist groups alleging it discriminated in messages on jobs, housing, credit and other services. Under those changes, housing, employment or credit ads would no longer be allowed to target by age, gender or zip code, a practice critics argued had led to discrimination. In the settlement, Facebook agreed to take "far-reaching measures to stop advertisers from using age, gender, and other protected traits to target job, housing, and credit ads," according to the law firms involved in the new suit. "Today's lawsuit alleges that Facebook has not taken any action to stop advertisers from excluding older persons and women from getting financial services ads on Facebook, other than in the limited area of credit ads," the law firms said.

Lawsuit accuses Facebook ad targeting of abetting bias

Twitter said Wednesday it would stop accepting political advertising globally on its platform, responding to growing concerns over misinformation from politicians on social media.

Chief executive Jack Dorsey tweeted that while internet advertising "is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics, where it can be used to influence votes to affect the lives of millions."

The move comes with Facebook under pressure to apply fact-checking to politicians running ads with debunked claims.

Dorsey said the new policy, details of which will be unveiled next month and enforced from November 22, would ban ads on political issues as well as from candidates.

"We considered stopping only candidate ads, but issue ads present a way to circumvent," he said.

"Additionally, it isn't fair for everyone but candidates to buy ads for issues they want to push. So we're stopping these too."

WION Edit: Date theft &amp; hacking: What are the solutions?

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Dorsey said the company took the action to head off potential problems from "machine learning-based optimization of messaging and micro-targeting, unchecked misleading information, and deep fakes."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tesla-surges-twitter-slumps-amid-united-states-earnings-deluge-258002">Twitter</a>'s move comes in contrast to the Facebook policy that allows political speech and ads to run without fact-checking on the leading social network.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents.

Dorsey said he disagreed with Zuckerberg's assessment.

"We have witnessed many social movements reach a massive scale without any political advertising. I trust this will only grow," he added.

Twitter's chief financial officer Ned Segal said the move would have a little financial impact.

"Since we are getting questions: This decision was based on principle, not money," he said. "As context, we've disclosed that political ad spend for the 2018 US midterms was (less than) $3M."

The Trump conundrum

Social media platforms have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers.

"Twitter just walked away from hundreds of millions of dollars of potential revenue, a very dumb decision for their stockholders," Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said.

"Will Twitter also be stopping ads from biased liberal media outlets who will now run unchecked as they buy obvious political content meant to attack Republicans?"

Democrats have stepped up pressure on Facebook to remove political ads, and a group of employees has also called for stronger efforts by the social network to clamp down on "civic misinformation" from politicians.

Outside of the Trump campaign, the initial reaction to the Twitter announcement was positive.

"Until privately-owned social media platforms can develop and consistently enforce standards to prevent demonstrably inaccurate information in political advertising, this is the right move," said Michelle Amazeen, a Boston University professor specializing in political communication.

Nina Jankowicz, a Wilson Center fellow specializing in disinformation, also welcomed the decision.

"It's great that this move has been made globally and not just within the United States," she said.

"Too often these companies operate in a cloud of willful ignorance about the effects their products have outside our borders."

Jankowicz said the decision could level the playing field by preventing wealthier candidates and groups dominating the social conversation.

"Paid speech essentially quashes some groups' ability to speak out and be heard because they can't compete with the reach that their richer counterparts pay for," she said.

More cautiously, eMarketer senior analyst Jasmine Enberg said it remained unclear how much impact the change would have, given that political advertising is not a major part of Twitter's core business.

"And given the nature of the platform, people, publishers and politicians will still use Twitter to discuss politics organically, meaning that it won't fully solve the problem of misinformation," Enberg said.

Syracuse University professor Jennifer Grygiel also was skeptical, noting in a tweet: "Twitter has promised lots of things in the past that they haven't delivered on.&nbsp;

"We have to wait and see how effective the new political policy will be."

Twitter said Wednesday it would stop accepting political advertising globally on its platform, responding to growing concerns over misinformation from politicians on social media.

Twitter said Wednesday it would stop accepting political advertising globally on its platform, responding to growing concerns over misinformation from politicians on social media. Chief executive Jack Dorsey tweeted that while internet advertising "is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics, where it can be used to influence votes to affect the lives of millions." The move comes with Facebook under pressure to apply fact-checking to politicians running ads with debunked claims. Dorsey said the new policy, details of which will be unveiled next month and enforced from November 22, would ban ads on political issues as well as from candidates. "We considered stopping only candidate ads, but issue ads present a way to circumvent," he said. "Additionally, it isn't fair for everyone but candidates to buy ads for issues they want to push. So we're stopping these too." WION Edit: Date theft & hacking: What are the solutions? × Dorsey said the company took the action to head off potential problems from "machine learning-based optimization of messaging and micro-targeting, unchecked misleading information, and deep fakes." Twitter's move comes in contrast to the Facebook policy that allows political speech and ads to run without fact-checking on the leading social network. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said political advertising is not a major source of revenue but adds that he believes it is important to allow everyone a "voice," and that banning political ads would favour incumbents. Dorsey said he disagreed with Zuckerberg's assessment. "We have witnessed many social movements reach a massive scale without any political advertising. I trust this will only grow," he added. Twitter's chief financial officer Ned Segal said the move would have a little financial impact. "Since we are getting questions: This decision was based on principle, not money," he said. "As context, we've disclosed that political ad spend for the 2018 US midterms was (less than) $3M." The Trump conundrum Social media platforms have been challenged by President Donald Trump's campaign and its use of ads that contain claims critics say have been debunked by independent fact-checkers. "Twitter just walked away from hundreds of millions of dollars of potential revenue, a very dumb decision for their stockholders," Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said. "Will Twitter also be stopping ads from biased liberal media outlets who will now run unchecked as they buy obvious political content meant to attack Republicans?" Democrats have stepped up pressure on Facebook to remove political ads, and a group of employees has also called for stronger efforts by the social network to clamp down on "civic misinformation" from politicians. Outside of the Trump campaign, the initial reaction to the Twitter announcement was positive. "Until privately-owned social media platforms can develop and consistently enforce standards to prevent demonstrably inaccurate information in political advertising, this is the right move," said Michelle Amazeen, a Boston University professor specializing in political communication. Nina Jankowicz, a Wilson Center fellow specializing in disinformation, also welcomed the decision. "It's great that this move has been made globally and not just within the United States," she said. "Too often these companies operate in a cloud of willful ignorance about the effects their products have outside our borders." Jankowicz said the decision could level the playing field by preventing wealthier candidates and groups dominating the social conversation. "Paid speech essentially quashes some groups' ability to speak out and be heard because they can't compete with the reach that their richer counterparts pay for," she said. More cautiously, eMarketer senior analyst Jasmine Enberg said it remained unclear how much impact the change would have, given that political advertising is not a major part of Twitter's core business. "And given the nature of the platform, people, publishers and politicians will still use Twitter to discuss politics organically, meaning that it won't fully solve the problem of misinformation," Enberg said. Syracuse University professor Jennifer Grygiel also was skeptical, noting in a tweet: "Twitter has promised lots of things in the past that they haven't delivered on. "We have to wait and see how effective the new political policy will be."

Twitter to ban political ads worldwide on its platform

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Donald Trump to sign executive order on social media on Thursday