<p>E-commerce giant Amazon is donating $1 million to United States President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund. The company will also air the event on Prime Video, an Amazon spokesperson said on Thursday (Dec 12). The Wall Street Journal reported that Prime Video will be an in-kind donation worth another $1 million.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos is expected to meet the Republican leader next week, Trump said in his interview with CNBC on Thursday (Dec 12).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump has criticised the Washington Post (Owned by Bezos) for its coverage during his first term in the White House.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Allu Arjun Arrested By Hyderabad Police In Sandhya Theatre Woman Death Case</strong></p>

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<p>In the November 2024 US presidential election, the Post blocked the endorsement of the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, which led to the resignation of several editors from the media outlet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Bezos defended the move, saying, "Most people believe the media is biased," and the WaPo&nbsp;and other newspapers needed to boost their credibility.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Meta's donation</h2>

<p>Amazon's reported donation comes just after Mark Zuckerberg's Meta announced a $1 million donation to Trump's inaugural fund for the inauguration on&nbsp;January 20.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Zuckerberg's donation was made after Trump openly threatened repercussions for any perceived meddling by technology leaders in his election campaigns. The Republican had threatened Zuckerberg that he would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he tried to interfere in the 2024 US presidential election.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/nvidia-expands-workforce-in-china-amid-growth-plans-783669">Nvidia expands workforce in China amid growth plans</a></strong></p>

<p>Zuckerberg or Meta did not contribute to Trump's or incumbent President Joe Biden's inaugural fund in 2017 and 2021 respectively.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
But in recent years, the Meta CEO has worked to bridge the gaps between him and Republicans as he hosted dinners and meetings with important personalities. This also includes a meeting with the incoming president at his Mar-a-Lago residence. At one such event, Zuckerberg gifted Trump a pair of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses.&nbsp;<br />
​​​​​​​<br />
The donation worth $1 million is reportedly an effort by Zuckerberg to report Meta as neutral in political matters.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


E-commerce giant Amazon is donating $1 million to United States President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund. The company will also air the event on Prime Video, an Amazon spokesperson said on Thursday (Dec 12).

E-commerce giant Amazon is donating $1 million to United States President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund. The company will also air the event on Prime Video, an Amazon spokesperson said on Thursday (Dec 12). The Wall Street Journal reported that Prime Video will be an in-kind donation worth another $1 million. Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos is expected to meet the Republican leader next week, Trump said in his interview with CNBC on Thursday (Dec 12). Trump has criticised the Washington Post (Owned by Bezos) for its coverage during his first term in the White House. Watch | Allu Arjun Arrested By Hyderabad Police In Sandhya Theatre Woman Death Case In the November 2024 US presidential election, the Post blocked the endorsement of the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, which led to the resignation of several editors from the media outlet. But Bezos defended the move, saying, "Most people believe the media is biased," and the WaPo and other newspapers needed to boost their credibility. Meta's donation Amazon's reported donation comes just after Mark Zuckerberg's Meta announced a $1 million donation to Trump's inaugural fund for the inauguration on January 20. Zuckerberg's donation was made after Trump openly threatened repercussions for any perceived meddling by technology leaders in his election campaigns. The Republican had threatened Zuckerberg that he would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he tried to interfere in the 2024 US presidential election. Also read | Nvidia expands workforce in China amid growth plans Zuckerberg or Meta did not contribute to Trump's or incumbent President Joe Biden's inaugural fund in 2017 and 2021 respectively. But in recent years, the Meta CEO has worked to bridge the gaps between him and Republicans as he hosted dinners and meetings with important personalities. This also includes a meeting with the incoming president at his Mar-a-Lago residence. At one such event, Zuckerberg gifted Trump a pair of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. The donation worth $1 million is reportedly an effort by Zuckerberg to report Meta as neutral in political matters. (With inputs from agencies)

After Meta, Amazon to donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund

<p>Meta announced that they are “99 per cent of the way there” in solving a blackout they were facing because of which people were not able to access&nbsp;Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.</p>

<p>Monitoring website Downdetector at around 10 pm GMT on Wednesday (Dec 11) said that 23,445 reports emerged regarding Facebook outages, 11,466 for Instagram outages and 18,646 complaints for&nbsp;WhatsApp&nbsp;came from Britain. However, all three social media platforms remained largely unaffected in the United States.</p>

<p>Meta issued an update on the situation on microblogging site&nbsp;X and said that the problem has been almost resolved.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Thanks for bearing with us! We’re 99% of the way there – just doing some last checks. We apologise to those who’ve been affected by the outage," said a spokesperson.</p>

<p>The global outages were not as severe as the 2021 outage on Facebook when the company had deleted its own address by making a configuration error in a protocol. Even though the error was noticed immediately, it took them several hours to fix the problem.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/meta-reduces-eu-facebook-and-instagram-subscription-fees-by-40-775814">Meta reduces EU Facebook and Instagram subscription fees by 40%</a></p>

<p>In a statement issued on Threads during the outage, Meta said, “Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have difficulty accessing some of our services. We resolved the issue as quickly as possible and we apologise for any inconvenience.”</p>

<p>After the services were restored, WhatsApp wrote on X, "And we're back, happy chatting!" Meanwhile, Instagram said, "Andddd we're back - sorry for the wait, and thanks for bearing with us."&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>ChatGPT goes down for several users</strong></h2>

<p>Popular AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT also went offline because of a technical issue and left users across the world struggling to access the service.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The outage started shortly before 7 PM ET, also impacting&nbsp;API and&nbsp;Sora&nbsp;services of OpenAI.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Watch:&nbsp;Meta Fined $840 Million For Tying Facebook Marketplace To Platform</strong></p>

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<p>OpenAI, the company which supported ChatGPT, spoke about the outage and said that they have identified the issue and are working to fix it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We're experiencing an outage right now. We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix. Sorry and we'll keep you updated" said the company in a post on X (formerly Twitter).</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We're experiencing an outage right now. We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix.<br />
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Sorry and we'll keep you updated!</p>
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) <a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAI/status/1867000372826607627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>As per the DownDetector, the complaints about ChatGPT being offline saw a significant spike after the outage was reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We have reports of API calls returning errors, and difficulties logging in to platform dot openai dot com and ChatGPT. We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix. We have identified the issue and are rolling out a remediation. We are working as fast as we can to return service to normal and apologize for the downtime," said an OpenAI on social media.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Meta announced that they are “99 per cent of the way there” in solving a blackout they were facing because of which people were not able to access Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Meta announced that they are “99 per cent of the way there” in solving a blackout they were facing because of which people were not able to access Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Monitoring website Downdetector at around 10 pm GMT on Wednesday (Dec 11) said that 23,445 reports emerged regarding Facebook outages, 11,466 for Instagram outages and 18,646 complaints for WhatsApp came from Britain. However, all three social media platforms remained largely unaffected in the United States. Meta issued an update on the situation on microblogging site X and said that the problem has been almost resolved. “Thanks for bearing with us! We’re 99% of the way there – just doing some last checks. We apologise to those who’ve been affected by the outage," said a spokesperson. The global outages were not as severe as the 2021 outage on Facebook when the company had deleted its own address by making a configuration error in a protocol. Even though the error was noticed immediately, it took them several hours to fix the problem. Also Read: Meta reduces EU Facebook and Instagram subscription fees by 40% In a statement issued on Threads during the outage, Meta said, “Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have difficulty accessing some of our services. We resolved the issue as quickly as possible and we apologise for any inconvenience.” After the services were restored, WhatsApp wrote on X, "And we're back, happy chatting!" Meanwhile, Instagram said, "Andddd we're back - sorry for the wait, and thanks for bearing with us." ChatGPT goes down for several users Popular AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT also went offline because of a technical issue and left users across the world struggling to access the service. The outage started shortly before 7 PM ET, also impacting API and Sora services of OpenAI. Also Watch: Meta Fined $840 Million For Tying Facebook Marketplace To Platform OpenAI, the company which supported ChatGPT, spoke about the outage and said that they have identified the issue and are working to fix it. "We're experiencing an outage right now. We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix. Sorry and we'll keep you updated" said the company in a post on X (formerly Twitter). We're experiencing an outage right now. We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix. Sorry and we'll keep you updated! — OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 12, 2024 × As per the DownDetector, the complaints about ChatGPT being offline saw a significant spike after the outage was reported. "We have reports of API calls returning errors, and difficulties logging in to platform dot openai dot com and ChatGPT. We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix. We have identified the issue and are rolling out a remediation. We are working as fast as we can to return service to normal and apologize for the downtime," said an OpenAI on social media. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta restores global outages after WhatsApp, Instagram go down, ChatGPT goes offline

<p>Mark Zuckerberg's Meta has donated $1 million to United States President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The donation was made after Trump openly threatened repercussions for any perceived meddling by technology leaders in his election campaigns. The Republican had threatened Zuckerberg that he would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he tried to interfere in the 2024 US presidential election.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump and Zuckerberg's relations have soured over the years. Be it the criticisms of Trump's immigration policies in 2017 or Facebook suspending former US president's account after the January 6 Capitol riot.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Elon Musk's Net Worth Soars Past $400 Billion After SpaceX Boost</strong></p>

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<p>In 2021, Trump even accused Zuckerberg of trying to rig the election against the Republicans.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg or Meta did not contribute to Trump's or incumbent President Joe Biden's inaugural fund in 2017 and 2021 respectively.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But in recent years, the Meta CEO has worked to bridge the gaps between him and Republicans as he hosted dinners and meetings with important personalities. This also includes a meeting with the incoming president at his Mar-a-Lago residence. At one such event, Zuckerberg gifted Trump a pair of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The donation worth $1 million is reportedly an effort by Zuckerberg to report Meta as neutral in political matters.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Zuckerberg 'apologised'&nbsp;</h2>

<p>In March, Trump said that Zuckerberg called him to apologise for censoring him and assured him that he would "not support a Democrat."</p>

<p>"Mark Zuckerberg called me recently. First of all, he called me a few times. He called me after the event and he said, 'That was amazing, it was very brave,'" Trump told Fox News in an interview.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/musk-launches-scathing-attack-at-trudeau-calls-him-insufferable-tool-783499">Musk launches scathing attack at Trudeau, calls him 'insufferable tool'</a></strong></p>

<p>"He announced he's not gonna support a Democrat because he can't because he respected me for what I did that day," Trump said.</p>

<p>"They are working on it, and I think they’ve fixed it. I don’t believe he’s doing what he did five years ago with the $500 million," he added.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Mark Zuckerberg's Meta has donated $1 million to United States President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The donation was made after Trump openly threatened repercussions for any perceived meddling by technology leaders in his election campaigns.

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta has donated $1 million to United States President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The donation was made after Trump openly threatened repercussions for any perceived meddling by technology leaders in his election campaigns. The Republican had threatened Zuckerberg that he would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he tried to interfere in the 2024 US presidential election. Trump and Zuckerberg's relations have soured over the years. Be it the criticisms of Trump's immigration policies in 2017 or Facebook suspending former US president's account after the January 6 Capitol riot. Watch | Elon Musk's Net Worth Soars Past $400 Billion After SpaceX Boost In 2021, Trump even accused Zuckerberg of trying to rig the election against the Republicans. Zuckerberg or Meta did not contribute to Trump's or incumbent President Joe Biden's inaugural fund in 2017 and 2021 respectively. But in recent years, the Meta CEO has worked to bridge the gaps between him and Republicans as he hosted dinners and meetings with important personalities. This also includes a meeting with the incoming president at his Mar-a-Lago residence. At one such event, Zuckerberg gifted Trump a pair of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. The donation worth $1 million is reportedly an effort by Zuckerberg to report Meta as neutral in political matters. Zuckerberg 'apologised' In March, Trump said that Zuckerberg called him to apologise for censoring him and assured him that he would "not support a Democrat." "Mark Zuckerberg called me recently. First of all, he called me a few times. He called me after the event and he said, 'That was amazing, it was very brave,'" Trump told Fox News in an interview. Also read | Musk launches scathing attack at Trudeau, calls him 'insufferable tool' "He announced he's not gonna support a Democrat because he can't because he respected me for what I did that day," Trump said. "They are working on it, and I think they’ve fixed it. I don’t believe he’s doing what he did five years ago with the $500 million," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta donates $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund

<p>Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, reacted with fury after Australia passed a law banning children under 16 from social media, while a minister warned tech firms the government will 'get after them' if they don't 'play ball'.</p>

<p>In the first such move in the world, Australia passed a law on Thursday (Nov 28) to ban under-16s from social media, citing mental health issues among other things.</p>

<p>The law stipulates that failure to comply would incur penalties worth up to $50 million on social media companies.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: UNESCO: Influencers Don't Verify Information | 62% Digital Content Creators Don't Check Facts: Study</strong></p>

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<p>Despite their initial resistance, most major tech companies with social media platforms have grudgingly agreed to comply with the ban.</p>

<p>But after the law was passed, a Meta spokesperson accused the government of failing to consider young people’s voices and rushing the legislation.</p>

<p>“We are concerned about the process which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people,” a Meta spokesperson said as quoted by The Guardian newspaper.<br />
<br />
<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-passes-social-media-ban-on-children-under-16-becomes-first-country-to-take-such-measure-779993">Australia passes social media ban on children under 16, becomes first country to take such measure</a></strong></p>

<p>The spokesperson of the Mark Zuckerberg-owned tech giant urged 'productive consultation on all rules' of the bill 'to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens'.</p>

<p>Meta also sought a commitment that the rules will apply to all social media apps used by teens.</p>

<p>X owner Elon Musk had opposed the law as a 'backdoor way to control access to the Internet' for all Australians.</p>

<p>But the government is digging its heels on the matter.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-pushes-ahead-bill-banning-children-from-social-media-linkedin-says-its-too-dull-for-kids-779519">Australia clears bill banning children from social media, LinkedIn says its platform is 'too dull for kids'</a></strong><br />
<br />
Cabinet minister Murray Watt warned that social media firms "should take the ban seriously."</p>

<p>“Between those fines and social pressure, we will see social media companies play ball – and if they don’t, then we have the ability to go after them,” Watt said.</p>

<p>While the opposition supported the ban saying the benefits outweigh the risks, one independent MP criticised it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Opposition's shadow communications minister David Coleman speaking to Sky News, asked: "What other generation in history has grown up being exposed to as much damaging content as this generation?”</p>

<p>Independent MP Kylea Tink called the bill a ‘1970 solution for a 2024 problem’, adding the ban was 'headline-grabbing', without saying what it would do.</p>

<p>It's a "piece of legislation that’s grabbing headlines, not only here but right around the world," she said, while speaking to ABC RN channel.</p>

<p>"But will it make any child under 16 safer on social media today? No. And in fact, it will create a high degree of anxiety amongst young Australians who are using their social media platforms to feel like they’re part of a community that may not be in their immediate circle," she added.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, reacted with fury after Australia passed a law banning children under 16 from social media, while a minister warned tech firms the government will 'get after them' if they don't 'play ball'.

Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, reacted with fury after Australia passed a law banning children under 16 from social media, while a minister warned tech firms the government will 'get after them' if they don't 'play ball'. In the first such move in the world, Australia passed a law on Thursday (Nov 28) to ban under-16s from social media, citing mental health issues among other things. The law stipulates that failure to comply would incur penalties worth up to $50 million on social media companies. Watch: UNESCO: Influencers Don't Verify Information | 62% Digital Content Creators Don't Check Facts: Study × Despite their initial resistance, most major tech companies with social media platforms have grudgingly agreed to comply with the ban. But after the law was passed, a Meta spokesperson accused the government of failing to consider young people’s voices and rushing the legislation. “We are concerned about the process which rushed the legislation through while failing to properly consider the evidence, what industry already does to ensure age-appropriate experiences, and the voices of young people,” a Meta spokesperson said as quoted by The Guardian newspaper. Australia passes social media ban on children under 16, becomes first country to take such measure The spokesperson of the Mark Zuckerberg-owned tech giant urged 'productive consultation on all rules' of the bill 'to ensure a technically feasible outcome that does not place an onerous burden on parents and teens'. Meta also sought a commitment that the rules will apply to all social media apps used by teens. X owner Elon Musk had opposed the law as a 'backdoor way to control access to the Internet' for all Australians. But the government is digging its heels on the matter. Australia clears bill banning children from social media, LinkedIn says its platform is 'too dull for kids' Cabinet minister Murray Watt warned that social media firms "should take the ban seriously." “Between those fines and social pressure, we will see social media companies play ball – and if they don’t, then we have the ability to go after them,” Watt said. While the opposition supported the ban saying the benefits outweigh the risks, one independent MP criticised it. Opposition's shadow communications minister David Coleman speaking to Sky News, asked: "What other generation in history has grown up being exposed to as much damaging content as this generation?” Independent MP Kylea Tink called the bill a ‘1970 solution for a 2024 problem’, adding the ban was 'headline-grabbing', without saying what it would do. It's a "piece of legislation that’s grabbing headlines, not only here but right around the world," she said, while speaking to ABC RN channel. "But will it make any child under 16 safer on social media today? No. And in fact, it will create a high degree of anxiety amongst young Australians who are using their social media platforms to feel like they’re part of a community that may not be in their immediate circle," she added. (With inputs from agencies)

Australia social media ban for under-16s: Meta slams law, minister says 'play ball' or will 'get after them'

<p>United Kingdom MPs will summon SpaceX founder Elon Musk before a parliamentary inquiry for involvement in the UK riots and the rise of false and harmful AI content, the Guardian reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Along with Musk, senior executives from Meta, which&nbsp;runs social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok are also expected to be summoned as part of a Commons Science and Technology Select Committee social media inquiry.</p>

<p>This comes after Italian President Sergio Mattarella rebuked Musk after he took to X and posted about Italian court rulings that had hindered Italy's right-wing government plans to process some asylum-seekers in Albania.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first hearings are scheduled to take place in the new year, amid increasing concerns that UK online safety law risk has surged by rapidly advancing technology and the politicisation of platforms such as X.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-strikes-back-after-not-being-invited-to-uk-international-investment-summit-762249"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Elon Musk strikes back after not being invited to UK International Investment Summit</strong></a></p>

<p>The MPs are expected to probe the consequences of generative AI, which was used in widely shared images posted on Facebook and X, provoking people to join Islamophobic protests after the killing of three schoolgirls in Southport in August.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover, they will also investigate Silicon Valley business models that “encourage the spread of content that can mislead and harm”.</p>

<p>“[Musk] has very strong views on multiple aspects of this,” Chi Onwurah, the Labour chair of the select committee said. “I would certainly like the opportunity to cross-examine him to see … how he reconciles his promotion of freedom of expression with his promotion of pure disinformation.”</p>

<p>Musk was disappointed and furious when he was not invited to a UK government international investment summit in September.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I’d like to make up for that by inviting him to attend," Onwurah told the Guardian.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;UK: Elon Musk hits back at UK PM after 'civil war' comments dismissed</strong></p>

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<p>This week, former Labour minister Peter Mandelson called for an end to the "feud" between Musk and the UK government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“He is a sort of technological, industrial, commercial phenomenon,” Mandelson told the How to Win an Election podcast. “And it would be unwise, in my view, for Britain to ignore him. You cannot pursue these feuds.”</p>

<p>Meanwhile, X did not respond when they were asked if Musk would testify in the UK, although it appears unlikely, the Guardian reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


United Kingdom MPs will summon SpaceX founder Elon Musk before a parliamentary inquiry for involvement in the UK riots and the rise of false and harmful AI content, the Guardian reported.

United Kingdom MPs will summon SpaceX founder Elon Musk before a parliamentary inquiry for involvement in the UK riots and the rise of false and harmful AI content, the Guardian reported. Along with Musk, senior executives from Meta, which runs social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok are also expected to be summoned as part of a Commons Science and Technology Select Committee social media inquiry. This comes after Italian President Sergio Mattarella rebuked Musk after he took to X and posted about Italian court rulings that had hindered Italy's right-wing government plans to process some asylum-seekers in Albania. The first hearings are scheduled to take place in the new year, amid increasing concerns that UK online safety law risk has surged by rapidly advancing technology and the politicisation of platforms such as X. Also read: Elon Musk strikes back after not being invited to UK International Investment Summit The MPs are expected to probe the consequences of generative AI, which was used in widely shared images posted on Facebook and X, provoking people to join Islamophobic protests after the killing of three schoolgirls in Southport in August. Moreover, they will also investigate Silicon Valley business models that “encourage the spread of content that can mislead and harm”. “[Musk] has very strong views on multiple aspects of this,” Chi Onwurah, the Labour chair of the select committee said. “I would certainly like the opportunity to cross-examine him to see … how he reconciles his promotion of freedom of expression with his promotion of pure disinformation.” Musk was disappointed and furious when he was not invited to a UK government international investment summit in September. “I’d like to make up for that by inviting him to attend," Onwurah told the Guardian. Watch | UK: Elon Musk hits back at UK PM after 'civil war' comments dismissed × This week, former Labour minister Peter Mandelson called for an end to the "feud" between Musk and the UK government. “He is a sort of technological, industrial, commercial phenomenon,” Mandelson told the How to Win an Election podcast. “And it would be unwise, in my view, for Britain to ignore him. You cannot pursue these feuds.” Meanwhile, X did not respond when they were asked if Musk would testify in the UK, although it appears unlikely, the Guardian reported. (With inputs from agencies)

Elon Musk to be summoned by UK MPs over X's role in UK riots

<p>The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a fine of ₹213.14 crore ($25.4 million) on Meta over the 2021 privacy policy update of WhatsApp.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the CCI, users in India should not be forced to agree to share their WhatsApp data with other Meta companies or products for purposes unrelated to WhatsApp services. The commission said, "WhatsApp will not share user data collected on its platform with other Meta Companies or Meta Company Products for advertising purposes, for a period of 5 (five) years from the date of receipt of this order."</p>

<p>The CCI said that Meta, through WhatsApp, holds a dominant position in the market for over-the-top (OTT) messaging apps on smartphones in India. "Furthermore, it was also found that Meta holds a leading position compared to its competitors in online display advertising in India," CCI said in a press release.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-aqi-hits-severe-plus-as-breathing-equals-smoking-49-cigarettes-daily-pm25-levels-60x-who-limit-777109">Delhi AQI hits 'severe plus' as breathing equals smoking 49 cigarettes daily</a></strong></p>

<p>The issue began in January 2021, when WhatsApp introduced updated terms of service and privacy policies. The in-app notification informed users that starting February 8, 2021, they would need to accept the updated terms, requiring them to consent to expanded data collection and mandatory data sharing with Meta companies, to continue using the app.</p>

<p>The CCI noted that under WhatsApp's earlier privacy policy from 2016, users could choose whether or not to share their data with Facebook. However, the 2021 update removed this choice, making data sharing with Meta mandatory for all users. This left users with no option but to accept the terms if they wanted to continue using the platform.</p>

<p>The watchdog concluded that this "take-it-or-leave-it" approach amounted to imposing unfair conditions under the Competition Act. "Given the network effects and lack of effective alternatives, the 2021 update forces users to comply, undermining their autonomy, and constitutes an abuse of Meta's dominant position," the CCI said.</p>

<p>The commission further added that allowing WhatsApp to share user data with Meta companies for non-WhatsApp-related purposes created barriers for competitors. "Sharing of WhatsApp users’ data between Meta companies for purposes other than providing WhatsApp Service creates an entry barrier for the rivals of Meta and thus, results in denial of market access in the display advertisement market," the CCI added.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a fine of ₹213.14 crore ($25.4 million) on Meta over the 2021 privacy policy update of WhatsApp. According to the CCI, users in India should not be forced to agree to share their WhatsApp data with other Meta companies or products for purposes unrelated to WhatsApp services.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a fine of ₹213.14 crore ($25.4 million) on Meta over the 2021 privacy policy update of WhatsApp. According to the CCI, users in India should not be forced to agree to share their WhatsApp data with other Meta companies or products for purposes unrelated to WhatsApp services. The commission said, "WhatsApp will not share user data collected on its platform with other Meta Companies or Meta Company Products for advertising purposes, for a period of 5 (five) years from the date of receipt of this order." The CCI said that Meta, through WhatsApp, holds a dominant position in the market for over-the-top (OTT) messaging apps on smartphones in India. "Furthermore, it was also found that Meta holds a leading position compared to its competitors in online display advertising in India," CCI said in a press release. Also read: Delhi AQI hits 'severe plus' as breathing equals smoking 49 cigarettes daily The issue began in January 2021, when WhatsApp introduced updated terms of service and privacy policies. The in-app notification informed users that starting February 8, 2021, they would need to accept the updated terms, requiring them to consent to expanded data collection and mandatory data sharing with Meta companies, to continue using the app. The CCI noted that under WhatsApp's earlier privacy policy from 2016, users could choose whether or not to share their data with Facebook. However, the 2021 update removed this choice, making data sharing with Meta mandatory for all users. This left users with no option but to accept the terms if they wanted to continue using the platform. The watchdog concluded that this "take-it-or-leave-it" approach amounted to imposing unfair conditions under the Competition Act. "Given the network effects and lack of effective alternatives, the 2021 update forces users to comply, undermining their autonomy, and constitutes an abuse of Meta's dominant position," the CCI said. The commission further added that allowing WhatsApp to share user data with Meta companies for non-WhatsApp-related purposes created barriers for competitors. "Sharing of WhatsApp users’ data between Meta companies for purposes other than providing WhatsApp Service creates an entry barrier for the rivals of Meta and thus, results in denial of market access in the display advertisement market," the CCI added. (With inputs from agencies)

India's competition watchdog imposes $25.4 million fine on Meta over 2021 WhatsApp privacy policy

The European Commission has fined Meta Platforms over $840 million for antitrust violations linked to its Facebook Marketplace. The Commission has accused Meta of breaching EU competition laws by unfairly linking its classified ad service, Facebook Marketplace, with its social network. Watch in for more details!

Meta Fined $840 Million For Tying Facebook Marketplace To Platform

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Meta has reduced the price of its ad-free subscription versions of Facebook and Instagram by 40 per cent for European Union (EU) users. This has been done to comply with regulatory demands in the region, according to a detailed report by CNBC.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The leading social media company will also offer EU users access to Facebook and Instagram for free if they agree to be shown advertisements based on a limited set of user data, the company stated in a blog on November 12, the CNBC report detailed further.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Meta originally debuted an ad-free subscription service for the European Union in October 2023 due to an EU regulation intended to clamp down on anti-competitive practices by tech companies. The subscription service also came into effect after regional regulators fined the company over $400 million for violating EU data privacy laws.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">“The changes we’re announcing today meet EU regulator demands and go beyond what’s required by EU law,” Meta President Nick Clegg said Tuesday on Threads, explained the CNBC report further.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Price drop for its EU subscriptions<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The company said it will drop the price of its EU monthly subscription service from 9.99 euros to 5.99 euros for desktop users and from 12.99 euros to 7.99 euros for iOS and Android users. <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">If EU users choose the “less personalized option” to access Facebook and Instagram for free, they will see ads that “may be less relevant to a person’s interests,” the company said. For this version, Meta said it will show ads based on “a minimal set of data points,” including users’ age, gender, location and how they engage with ads.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Additionally, EU users who choose the free option will also see unavoidable advertisements that are intended to “provide value to advertisers,” Meta stated.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The EU’s tough regulations have impacted Meta’s ability to quickly debut new services in the region compared to less-regulated areas like the US In 2023, for instance, it took nearly half a year before Meta was able to offer its Twitter-like threads service to European users after it launched in the US that summer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Pedro Pavón, a Meta global policy director, stated that while European Union regulators make it difficult for online-advertising based companies to operate in the region, he believes that the business practice of offering personalized ads represents “the foundation of a modern, free internet” and lets people “connect with the brands and products most relevant to them in seamless and non-disruptive ways.”</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p>Market participants and investors will carefully follow these developments. These developments will help them in making informed investment choices.&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>


Meta has reduced the price of its ad-free subscription versions of Facebook and Instagram by 40 per cent for European Union (EU) users. This has been done to comply with regulatory demands in the region, according to a detailed report by CNBC.

Meta has reduced the price of its ad-free subscription versions of Facebook and Instagram by 40 per cent for European Union (EU) users. This has been done to comply with regulatory demands in the region, according to a detailed report by CNBC. The leading social media company will also offer EU users access to Facebook and Instagram for free if they agree to be shown advertisements based on a limited set of user data, the company stated in a blog on November 12, the CNBC report detailed further. Meta originally debuted an ad-free subscription service for the European Union in October 2023 due to an EU regulation intended to clamp down on anti-competitive practices by tech companies. The subscription service also came into effect after regional regulators fined the company over $400 million for violating EU data privacy laws. “The changes we’re announcing today meet EU regulator demands and go beyond what’s required by EU law,” Meta President Nick Clegg said Tuesday on Threads, explained the CNBC report further. Price drop for its EU subscriptions The company said it will drop the price of its EU monthly subscription service from 9.99 euros to 5.99 euros for desktop users and from 12.99 euros to 7.99 euros for iOS and Android users. If EU users choose the “less personalized option” to access Facebook and Instagram for free, they will see ads that “may be less relevant to a person’s interests,” the company said. For this version, Meta said it will show ads based on “a minimal set of data points,” including users’ age, gender, location and how they engage with ads. Additionally, EU users who choose the free option will also see unavoidable advertisements that are intended to “provide value to advertisers,” Meta stated. The EU’s tough regulations have impacted Meta’s ability to quickly debut new services in the region compared to less-regulated areas like the US In 2023, for instance, it took nearly half a year before Meta was able to offer its Twitter-like threads service to European users after it launched in the US that summer. Pedro Pavón, a Meta global policy director, stated that while European Union regulators make it difficult for online-advertising based companies to operate in the region, he believes that the business practice of offering personalized ads represents “the foundation of a modern, free internet” and lets people “connect with the brands and products most relevant to them in seamless and non-disruptive ways.” Market participants and investors will carefully follow these developments. These developments will help them in making informed investment choices.

Meta reduces EU Facebook and Instagram subscription fees by 40%

<p>Do social media companies deliberately design their apps in a way that turns teens into addicts, warranting schools to invest resources on their mental health? And if yes, should schools be compensated for that?</p>

<p>A ruling by United States District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, has now opened Pandora’s box for tech giants like Meta, Google, TikTok and Snap. On Thursday (Oct 24), Rogers left the social media companies hanging in balance for damages in more than 150 cases brought by school districts.</p>

<p>While many of the claims against social media giants were shot down under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields the companies from lawsuits, Rogers allowed a toned-down version of the lawsuit to proceed.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwi79-fBx6mJAxXlr1YBHQFDEMwQxfQBKAB6BAgMEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/you-phone-is-listening-to-your-conversations-firm-working-for-fb-google-confirms-755911" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/trending/you-phone-is-listening-to-your-conversations-firm-working-for-fb-google-confirms-755911&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi79-fBx6mJAxXlr1YBHQFDEMwQxfQBKAB6BAgMEAE">Your phone is listening to your conversations, firm working for FB, Google confirms</a></strong></p>

<p>Notably, just over a week ago, she allowed a lawsuit by dozens of state attorneys general accusing Meta of deliberately hooking kids on its platforms like Facebook and Instagram.</p>

<p>Apart from cases by school districts, these companies also face hundreds of personal injury claims, backed by allegations that Instagram and Facebook addiction caused them mental suffering and emotional trauma.</p>

<h2><strong>Allegations</strong></h2>

<p>School districts claim Facebook and other social media companies have designed their algorithm to hook teens and students on screens for hours. Their features such as the ‘like button’, as per school authorities, are similar to products designed to be addictive by cigarette manufacturers.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwi79-fBx6mJAxXlr1YBHQFDEMwQxfQBKAB6BAgREAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/work-with-us-cia-launches-hiring-drive-in-iran-n-korea-and-china-after-success-in-russia-764179" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/work-with-us-cia-launches-hiring-drive-in-iran-n-korea-and-china-after-success-in-russia-764179&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi79-fBx6mJAxXlr1YBHQFDEMwQxfQBKAB6BAgREAE">‘Work with us,’ CIA launches hiring drives in Iran, North Korea and China after success in Russia</a></strong></p>

<p>While a similar case by shot down by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge in favour of the companies on June 7, Rogers saw merit in the schools’ core legal theory: The internet companies “deliberately fostered compulsive use of their platforms which foreseeably caused” the schools to spend their resources on tackling the mental health crisis among students.</p>

<p>On the other hand, the companies deny any role in causing mental trauma to youngsters. They claim they have taken several steps in order to boost privacy for teens and keep them safe.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Do social media companies deliberately design their apps in a way that turns teens into addicts, warranting schools to invest resources on their mental health? And if yes, should schools be compensated for that?

Do social media companies deliberately design their apps in a way that turns teens into addicts, warranting schools to invest resources on their mental health? And if yes, should schools be compensated for that? A ruling by United States District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, has now opened Pandora’s box for tech giants like Meta, Google, TikTok and Snap. On Thursday (Oct 24), Rogers left the social media companies hanging in balance for damages in more than 150 cases brought by school districts. While many of the claims against social media giants were shot down under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields the companies from lawsuits, Rogers allowed a toned-down version of the lawsuit to proceed. Also read: Your phone is listening to your conversations, firm working for FB, Google confirms Notably, just over a week ago, she allowed a lawsuit by dozens of state attorneys general accusing Meta of deliberately hooking kids on its platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Apart from cases by school districts, these companies also face hundreds of personal injury claims, backed by allegations that Instagram and Facebook addiction caused them mental suffering and emotional trauma. Allegations School districts claim Facebook and other social media companies have designed their algorithm to hook teens and students on screens for hours. Their features such as the ‘like button’, as per school authorities, are similar to products designed to be addictive by cigarette manufacturers. Also read: ‘Work with us,’ CIA launches hiring drives in Iran, North Korea and China after success in Russia While a similar case by shot down by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge in favour of the companies on June 7, Rogers saw merit in the schools’ core legal theory: The internet companies “deliberately fostered compulsive use of their platforms which foreseeably caused” the schools to spend their resources on tackling the mental health crisis among students. On the other hand, the companies deny any role in causing mental trauma to youngsters. They claim they have taken several steps in order to boost privacy for teens and keep them safe. (With inputs from agencies)

US court okays lawsuits accusing Meta, Google of deploying addiction tactics on teens

Meta suspended several Threads and Instagram accounts that track celebrities’ private jet movements, who have been running such accounts. Watch this report for more details!

Meta Bans Accounts Tracking Celeb Jets on Threads, Instagram

Meta, Instagram's parent company, has launched a campaign aimed at combating sextortion, focusing on raising awareness among teenagers. The initiative highlights the dangers of online exploitation, offering guidance on how to stay safe and report suspicious activity. With rising cases of sextortion targeting young users, Meta is working to protect teens by providing educational resources and safety tools on the platform.

Meta Launches Safety Features To Prevent Sextortion On Instagram

Meta: Instagram Launches Campaign To Combat Sextortion, Warns Teens

<p>Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, faces a lawsuit by US states that accuse it of having contributed to mental health problems in teens by making Facebook and Instagram addictive, a federal judge in California said on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Oakland-based US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Meta's bid to dismiss claims made against it in the two separate lawsuits that were filed last year, one involving more than 30 states, including California and New York and the other brought by Florida.</p>

<p>Rogers put some limits on the states' claims, siding with Meta that a federal law called Section 230, which controls online platforms, partly protected the company. But she ruled that the states had produced enough evidence about allegedly false statements Meta had made to let most of the case continue.</p>

<p>The judge refused to dismiss related personal injury lawsuits by individual plaintiffs against Meta, ByteDance's TikTok, Google parent Alphabet's YouTube, and Snap's Snapchat. The other companies are not defendants in the states' lawsuits.</p>

<p>The ruling allows states and other plaintiffs to seek additional evidence and possibly head to trial. It is not an ultimate ruling on the merits of their cases.</p>

<p>"Meta needs to be held accountable for the very real harm it has inflicted on children here in California and across the country," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.</p>

<p>Lawyers for the personal injury plaintiffs, in a joint statement, called the ruling "a significant victory for young people nationwide who have been negatively impacted by addictive and harmful social media platforms."</p>

<p>A Meta spokesperson says that the company disagreed with the ruling overall and that it had "developed numerous tools to support parents and teens," including new "Teen Accounts" on Instagram with added protections.</p>

<p>A Google representative called the charges "simply not true" and added, "providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.".</p>

<p>The other social media companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p>

<p>The states are also asking the court to stop Meta's allegedly unlawful business practices and seek unspecified monetary damages.</p>

<p>Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by various plaintiffs who accuse the social media companies of having designed addictive algorithms that cause teenagers to suffer anxiety, depression, and body-image issues and failing to warn of their risks.</p>

<p>This article includes reporting from Reuters.</p>


Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, faces a lawsuit by US states that accuse it of having contributed to mental health problems in teens by making Facebook and Instagram addictive, a federal judge in California said on Tuesday.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, faces a lawsuit by US states that accuse it of having contributed to mental health problems in teens by making Facebook and Instagram addictive, a federal judge in California said on Tuesday. Oakland-based US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Meta's bid to dismiss claims made against it in the two separate lawsuits that were filed last year, one involving more than 30 states, including California and New York and the other brought by Florida. Rogers put some limits on the states' claims, siding with Meta that a federal law called Section 230, which controls online platforms, partly protected the company. But she ruled that the states had produced enough evidence about allegedly false statements Meta had made to let most of the case continue. The judge refused to dismiss related personal injury lawsuits by individual plaintiffs against Meta, ByteDance's TikTok, Google parent Alphabet's YouTube, and Snap's Snapchat. The other companies are not defendants in the states' lawsuits. The ruling allows states and other plaintiffs to seek additional evidence and possibly head to trial. It is not an ultimate ruling on the merits of their cases. "Meta needs to be held accountable for the very real harm it has inflicted on children here in California and across the country," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. Lawyers for the personal injury plaintiffs, in a joint statement, called the ruling "a significant victory for young people nationwide who have been negatively impacted by addictive and harmful social media platforms." A Meta spokesperson says that the company disagreed with the ruling overall and that it had "developed numerous tools to support parents and teens," including new "Teen Accounts" on Instagram with added protections. A Google representative called the charges "simply not true" and added, "providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.". The other social media companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The states are also asking the court to stop Meta's allegedly unlawful business practices and seek unspecified monetary damages. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by various plaintiffs who accuse the social media companies of having designed addictive algorithms that cause teenagers to suffer anxiety, depression, and body-image issues and failing to warn of their risks. This article includes reporting from Reuters.

Meta faces US state lawsuits over teen social media addiction

With Meta launching a new one-stop shop for banks to share information on scams, Australians may see fewer deepfakes on Facebook featuring celebrities being hauled off in handcuffs or promoting a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment. In its first six months of operation, the shop has blocked 8,000 pages.

META Blocks 8,000 Facebook Pages After Australians Loses $43M to celebrity Deepfakes

<p>Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, will use the voices of celebrities like legendary British actress Dame Judi Dench and American wrestler-actor John Cena for its artificial intelligence chatbot.</p>

<p>Other AI voice options for users include American actress Kristen Bell as well as actor-comedians Awkwafina and Keegan-Michael Key.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/openai-cto-mira-murati-2-research-executives-announce-exit-joining-wave-of-high-profile-departures-762067">Also read: OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, 2 research executives announce exit, joining wave of high-profile departures</a></strong><br />
<br />
CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the celebrity chatbots at Meta's annual Connect conference on Wednesday (Sep 25).</p>

<p>Users can opt for one of these five celebrities for the digital assistant of Meta, which is similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT.</p>

<p>Earlier reports had said that Meta offered millions of dollars to several celebrities to be the voice of its AI chatbot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last week, Zuckerberg shared a video of Cena in the run-up to the chatbot announcement.</p>

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<p>Meta debuted its AI chatbots in September 2023. They had the personalities of model Kendall Jenner and rapper Snoop Dogg, but did not seem to work. Those bots were yanked by the social media giant.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Meta rolls out verified plans in India</strong><br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The new voiced chatbots will be launched first in the US and other English-speaking regions.</p>

<p>The celebrity-voiced chatbots will be featured across the Meta apps: WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/you-phone-is-listening-to-your-conversations-firm-working-for-fb-google-confirms-755911">Also read:&nbsp;Your phone is listening to your conversations, firm working for FB, Google confirms</a></p>

<p>Meta's move into the chatbots comes as compensation is intensifying with Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Google parent Alphabet in the field of generative AI.</p>

<p>OpenAI had introduced a similar voiced chatbot this May, but it became controversial after actress Scarlett Johansson complained about it being too similar to her voice, in spite of her having declined to take part in the project.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, will use the voices of celebrities like legendary British actress Dame Judi Dench and American wrestler-actor John Cena for its artificial intelligence chatbot.

Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, will use the voices of celebrities like legendary British actress Dame Judi Dench and American wrestler-actor John Cena for its artificial intelligence chatbot. Other AI voice options for users include American actress Kristen Bell as well as actor-comedians Awkwafina and Keegan-Michael Key. Also read: OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, 2 research executives announce exit, joining wave of high-profile departures CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the celebrity chatbots at Meta's annual Connect conference on Wednesday (Sep 25). Users can opt for one of these five celebrities for the digital assistant of Meta, which is similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Earlier reports had said that Meta offered millions of dollars to several celebrities to be the voice of its AI chatbot. Last week, Zuckerberg shared a video of Cena in the run-up to the chatbot announcement. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck) × Meta debuted its AI chatbots in September 2023. They had the personalities of model Kendall Jenner and rapper Snoop Dogg, but did not seem to work. Those bots were yanked by the social media giant. Watch: Meta rolls out verified plans in India × The new voiced chatbots will be launched first in the US and other English-speaking regions. The celebrity-voiced chatbots will be featured across the Meta apps: WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. Also read: Your phone is listening to your conversations, firm working for FB, Google confirms Meta's move into the chatbots comes as compensation is intensifying with Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Google parent Alphabet in the field of generative AI. OpenAI had introduced a similar voiced chatbot this May, but it became controversial after actress Scarlett Johansson complained about it being too similar to her voice, in spite of her having declined to take part in the project. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta launches AI chatbot in voices of Judi Dench, John Cena, other celebrities

CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiling the conglomerates first working prototype of augmented reality glasses. Plans are underway to make orion smaller, sleeker and cheaper. Watch to know more.

Mark Zuckerberg Unveils 'Orion': Meta Introduces First Prototype of Augmented Reality Glasses

Reports say that U.S. government officials urged allies, including India, to join its effort to ban Russian media for its alleged 'disinformation campaign.' New Delhi reportedly snubbed the pressure and reminded Washington that India has an independent foreign policy. Watch in for more details!

India Snubs U.S. Pressure on Banning Russian Media India, Cites 'independent Foreign Policy'

<p>The Indian government is unwilling to heed to USA's request to ban and block Russian state media network RT, formerly known as Russia Today, globally. While the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is yet to issue an official statement, a government official told <em>The Hindu </em>that&nbsp;the&nbsp;matter “does not pertain to India” altogether.</p>

<p>Notably, the issue was discussed at a meeting between US Embassy officials and the MEA in the past fortnight.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kanwal Sibal, former Indian ambassador to Russia said banning media organisations showed “double standards” by the Western countries.</p>

<p>“This will be viewed as double standards by the Global South that they are trying to target. India will obviously not be responsive to such American pressure," Sibal told the publication.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last week US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions against RT stating that the&nbsp;Russian state-backed media company was&nbsp;“functioning like a de facto arm" of Moscow's intelligence apparatus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Today, we’re exposing how Russia deploys similar tactics around the world,” Blinken said. “Russian weaponisation of disinformation to subvert and polarise free and open societies extends to every part of the world.”</p>

<p>“We urge every ally, every partner to start by treating RT’s activities as they do other intelligence activities by Russia within their borders,” Blinken added, with the UK and Canada launching the 'joint diplomatic campaign&nbsp;alongside.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-russia-summit-pm-modi-calls-russia-indias-all-weather-friend-739394"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;India-Russia Summit: PM Modi calls Russia 'India's all-weather friend'</strong></a></p>

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<p>While New Delhi has seemingly refused to comply, Facebook owner Meta on Monday (Sep 16) said it was banning&nbsp;RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks from its platforms. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company said these outlets had employed&nbsp;deceptive tactics to carry out covert influence operations online.</p>

<p>"After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity," the social media company said in a written statement.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indians-duped-into-joining-russian-army-return-home-says-were-treated-like-slaves-758677"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Indians 'duped' into joining Russian army return home, say were 'treated like slaves'</strong></a></p>

<p>Meta added that enforcement of the ban would roll out over the coming days. In addition to Facebook, Meta's apps include Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads. It remains interesting to see if RT is blacklisted on Indian Meta platforms.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile,&nbsp;RT criticised the US move and accused the White House of trying to prevent the broadcaster from operating as a journalistic organisation.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The Indian government is unwilling to heed to USA's request to ban and block Russian state media network RT, formerly known as Russia Today, globally. While the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is yet to issue an official statement, a government official told The Hindu that the matter “does not pertain to India” altogether.

The Indian government is unwilling to heed to USA's request to ban and block Russian state media network RT, formerly known as Russia Today, globally. While the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is yet to issue an official statement, a government official told The Hindu that the matter “does not pertain to India” altogether. Notably, the issue was discussed at a meeting between US Embassy officials and the MEA in the past fortnight. Kanwal Sibal, former Indian ambassador to Russia said banning media organisations showed “double standards” by the Western countries. “This will be viewed as double standards by the Global South that they are trying to target. India will obviously not be responsive to such American pressure," Sibal told the publication. Last week US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions against RT stating that the Russian state-backed media company was “functioning like a de facto arm" of Moscow's intelligence apparatus. “Today, we’re exposing how Russia deploys similar tactics around the world,” Blinken said. “Russian weaponisation of disinformation to subvert and polarise free and open societies extends to every part of the world.” “We urge every ally, every partner to start by treating RT’s activities as they do other intelligence activities by Russia within their borders,” Blinken added, with the UK and Canada launching the 'joint diplomatic campaign alongside. Watch | India-Russia Summit: PM Modi calls Russia 'India's all-weather friend' × While New Delhi has seemingly refused to comply, Facebook owner Meta on Monday (Sep 16) said it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks from its platforms. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company said these outlets had employed deceptive tactics to carry out covert influence operations online. "After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity," the social media company said in a written statement. Also read | Indians 'duped' into joining Russian army return home, say were 'treated like slaves' Meta added that enforcement of the ban would roll out over the coming days. In addition to Facebook, Meta's apps include Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads. It remains interesting to see if RT is blacklisted on Indian Meta platforms. Meanwhile, RT criticised the US move and accused the White House of trying to prevent the broadcaster from operating as a journalistic organisation. (With inputs from agencies)

India refuses to budge while US, Meta sanction and ban Russian state media network RT

Meta has banned RT and other Russian State media networks from its platforms. The tech company has claimed that the Russian networks were using deceptive tactics to carry out covert influence operations on its platforms including Instagram and Facebook. Watch in for more details!

Meta Bans Russian Outlets For Alleged Foreign Interference

<p>Meta Platforms is rolling out enhanced privacy and parental controls for Instagram accounts of users under 18 in a significant overhaul aimed at addressing growing concerns around the negative effects of social media.</p>

<p>Meta will port all designated Instagram accounts automatically to "Teen Accounts", which will be private accounts by default, the company said on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Users of such accounts can only be messaged and tagged by accounts they follow or are already connected to, while sensitive content settings will be dialled to the most restrictive available.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjLmL7uhMqIAxUsSWwGHfZFEo4QxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-arrests-woman-for-criticising-govts-ban-on-instagram-749758" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-arrests-woman-for-criticising-govts-ban-on-instagram-749758&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjLmL7uhMqIAxUsSWwGHfZFEo4QxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">Turkey arrests woman for criticising govt`s ban on Instagram</a></strong></p>

<p>Users under 16 can change the default settings only with a parent's permission. Parents will also get a suite of settings to monitor who their children are engaging with and limit their use of the app.</p>

<p>Several studies have linked social media use to higher levels of depression, anxiety and learning disabilities, particularly in young users.</p>

<p>Meta, ByteDance's TikTok and Google's YouTube already face hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of children and school districts about the addictive nature of social media. Last year, 33 US&nbsp;states, including California, and New York, sued the company for misleading the public about the dangers of its platforms.</p>

<p>Top platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, allow users who are 13 years of age and older to sign up.</p>

<p>Meta's move comes three years after it abandoned development on a version of the Instagram app meant for teenagers, after lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the company to drop it, citing safety concerns.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiQs_v4hMqIAxXdb2wGHYgaIGc4FBDF9AEoAHoECAkQAQ" href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/tiktoks-lesser-known-sibling-capcut-making-waves-in-video-editing-world-573795" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/trending/tiktoks-lesser-known-sibling-capcut-making-waves-in-video-editing-world-573795&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiQs_v4hMqIAxXdb2wGHYgaIGc4FBDF9AEoAHoECAkQAQ">TikTok’s lesser-known sibling, CapCut, making waves in US. But is it safe?</a></strong></p>

<p>In July, the US&nbsp;Senate advanced two online safety bills - The Kids Online Safety Act and The Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act - that would force social media companies to take responsibility for how their platforms affect children and teens.</p>

<p>As part of the update, the under-18 Instagram users will be notified to close the app after 60 minutes each day. The accounts will also come with a default sleep mode that will silence notifications overnight.</p>

<p>Meta said it will place the identified users into teen accounts within 60 days in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia, and in the European Union later this year. Teens around the world will start to get teen accounts&nbsp;in&nbsp;January.</p>

<p><em>Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.</em></p>


Meta Platforms is rolling out enhanced privacy and parental controls for Instagram accounts of users under 18 in a significant overhaul aimed at addressing growing concerns around the negative effects of social media.

Meta Platforms is rolling out enhanced privacy and parental controls for Instagram accounts of users under 18 in a significant overhaul aimed at addressing growing concerns around the negative effects of social media. Meta will port all designated Instagram accounts automatically to "Teen Accounts", which will be private accounts by default, the company said on Tuesday. Users of such accounts can only be messaged and tagged by accounts they follow or are already connected to, while sensitive content settings will be dialled to the most restrictive available. Also read: Turkey arrests woman for criticising govt`s ban on Instagram Users under 16 can change the default settings only with a parent's permission. Parents will also get a suite of settings to monitor who their children are engaging with and limit their use of the app. Several studies have linked social media use to higher levels of depression, anxiety and learning disabilities, particularly in young users. Meta, ByteDance's TikTok and Google's YouTube already face hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of children and school districts about the addictive nature of social media. Last year, 33 US states, including California, and New York, sued the company for misleading the public about the dangers of its platforms. Top platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, allow users who are 13 years of age and older to sign up. Meta's move comes three years after it abandoned development on a version of the Instagram app meant for teenagers, after lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the company to drop it, citing safety concerns. Also read: TikTok’s lesser-known sibling, CapCut, making waves in US. But is it safe? In July, the US Senate advanced two online safety bills - The Kids Online Safety Act and The Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act - that would force social media companies to take responsibility for how their platforms affect children and teens. As part of the update, the under-18 Instagram users will be notified to close the app after 60 minutes each day. The accounts will also come with a default sleep mode that will silence notifications overnight. Meta said it will place the identified users into teen accounts within 60 days in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia, and in the European Union later this year. Teens around the world will start to get teen accounts in January. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Teen accounts on Instagram: Meta’s bid to address depression, anxiety and privacy concerns

<p>In a recent revelation, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has alleged that the Biden administration exerted undue pressure on the company to censor Covid-19-related content. On August 27, 2024, Zuckerberg claimed that the White House and other senior officials from the Biden administration repeatedly urged Meta to remove certain content, including humour and satire, related to the pandemic, as detailed in a report by CNBC.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Zuckerberg's comments were made in a letter addressed to the House Judiciary Committee, led by Republican Jim Jordan. In the letter, Zuckerberg acknowledged that while Meta had the ultimate authority to decide which content to remove, he believed the government's influence was inappropriate. "In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content," Zuckerberg wrote. He added, "I regret that we were not more outspoken about it."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The White House has responded by stating that their actions were intended to ensure public health and safety during a critical time. "When confronted with a deadly pandemic, this Administration encouraged responsible actions to protect public health and safety," a White House spokesperson told Politico. The statement emphasized that the administration's goal was for technology companies to consider the impact of their actions on the American people, while still making independent decisions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This controversy highlights ongoing debates about the extent of government influence over social media platforms. In August 2021, Meta reported removing over 20 million COVID-19-related posts for violating its content policies across Facebook and Instagram. The Biden administration had previously criticized social media platforms for not doing enough to combat misinformation about the virus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Zuckerberg's letter adds to the broader discussion on the role of tech companies in content moderation and the pressures they face from various stakeholders. As the debate continues, Zuckerberg has pledged that Meta will be more cautious and assertive in maintaining its content standards in the future.&nbsp;</p>


In a recent revelation, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has alleged that the Biden administration exerted undue pressure on the company to censor Covid-19-related content.

In a recent revelation, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has alleged that the Biden administration exerted undue pressure on the company to censor Covid-19-related content. On August 27, 2024, Zuckerberg claimed that the White House and other senior officials from the Biden administration repeatedly urged Meta to remove certain content, including humour and satire, related to the pandemic, as detailed in a report by CNBC. Zuckerberg's comments were made in a letter addressed to the House Judiciary Committee, led by Republican Jim Jordan. In the letter, Zuckerberg acknowledged that while Meta had the ultimate authority to decide which content to remove, he believed the government's influence was inappropriate. "In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content," Zuckerberg wrote. He added, "I regret that we were not more outspoken about it." The White House has responded by stating that their actions were intended to ensure public health and safety during a critical time. "When confronted with a deadly pandemic, this Administration encouraged responsible actions to protect public health and safety," a White House spokesperson told Politico. The statement emphasized that the administration's goal was for technology companies to consider the impact of their actions on the American people, while still making independent decisions. This controversy highlights ongoing debates about the extent of government influence over social media platforms. In August 2021, Meta reported removing over 20 million COVID-19-related posts for violating its content policies across Facebook and Instagram. The Biden administration had previously criticized social media platforms for not doing enough to combat misinformation about the virus. Zuckerberg's letter adds to the broader discussion on the role of tech companies in content moderation and the pressures they face from various stakeholders. As the debate continues, Zuckerberg has pledged that Meta will be more cautious and assertive in maintaining its content standards in the future.

Zuckerberg accuses White House of pressuring Meta to censor Covid-19 content 

Mark Zuckerberg has said that he will not spend any money in the 2024 US election cycle. In a letter to the US House Judiciary Committee meta CEO said that he will not repeat the 2020 efforts to fund local elections. Meta CEO has also said that facebook was pressured by US government to censor covid content.

US 'pressurised'  Meta to censor COVID-19 content

<p>Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has alleged that the US government had pressured his company to censor content related to COVID-19 at the peak of the global pandemic. The billionaire said he regretted the company's decision to comply with the demands.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg revealed the demands put forth by the White House.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humour and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn't agree," said Zuckerberg in the letter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure," the letter further read.</p>

<p>During the pandemic, Facebook and other Meta platforms drew ire from critics worldwide for pushing lockdown, vaccine and mask mandates. Contrary viewpoints were actively censored as Meta claimed they contained misinformation related to the virus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to reports, Facebook took down more than 20 million pieces of content in just over a year, related to COVID-19.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it. I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today," said Zuckerberg.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Like I said to our teams at the time, I feel strongly that we should not compromise our content standards due to pressure from any Administration in either direction and we're ready to push back if something like this happens again," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mark-zuckerberg-loses-3-billion-after-meta-outage-697410"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg loses $3 billion after Meta outage</strong></a></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Hunter Biden story demoted</strong></h2>

<p>Apart from censoring COVID-19 posts, Meta also buried the Hunter Biden laptop story, as confirmed by Zuckerberg in the letter&nbsp;himself.</p>

<p>According to him, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had approached Meta about a potential Russian disinformation operation about the Biden family and Burism before the 2020 presidential election.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"That fall, when we saw a New York Post story reporting on corruption allegations involving then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's family, we sent that story to fact-checkers for review and temporarily demoted it while waiting for a reply,"&nbsp;Zuckerberg said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hunter-biden-sought-father-joe-bidens-influence-to-help-land-lucrative-energy-deal-report-749963"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Hunter Biden sought father Joe Biden's influence to help land 'lucrative' energy deal: Report</strong></a></p>

<p>"It's since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn't have demoted the story."</p>

<p>Meta demoting the story allowed Joe Biden to carry on his presidential campaign unperturbed which in hindsight, may have cost him dearly if the report was allowed to remain at the forefront of the social media platform.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has alleged that the US government had pressured his company to censor content related to COVID-19 at the peak of the global pandemic. The billionaire said he regretted the company's decision to comply with the demands.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has alleged that the US government had pressured his company to censor content related to COVID-19 at the peak of the global pandemic. The billionaire said he regretted the company's decision to comply with the demands. In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg revealed the demands put forth by the White House. "In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humour and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn't agree," said Zuckerberg in the letter. "Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure," the letter further read. During the pandemic, Facebook and other Meta platforms drew ire from critics worldwide for pushing lockdown, vaccine and mask mandates. Contrary viewpoints were actively censored as Meta claimed they contained misinformation related to the virus. According to reports, Facebook took down more than 20 million pieces of content in just over a year, related to COVID-19. "I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it. I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today," said Zuckerberg. "Like I said to our teams at the time, I feel strongly that we should not compromise our content standards due to pressure from any Administration in either direction and we're ready to push back if something like this happens again," he added. Watch | Mark Zuckerberg loses $3 billion after Meta outage × Hunter Biden story demoted Apart from censoring COVID-19 posts, Meta also buried the Hunter Biden laptop story, as confirmed by Zuckerberg in the letter himself. According to him, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had approached Meta about a potential Russian disinformation operation about the Biden family and Burism before the 2020 presidential election. "That fall, when we saw a New York Post story reporting on corruption allegations involving then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's family, we sent that story to fact-checkers for review and temporarily demoted it while waiting for a reply," Zuckerberg said. Also read | Hunter Biden sought father Joe Biden's influence to help land 'lucrative' energy deal: Report "It's since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn't have demoted the story." Meta demoting the story allowed Joe Biden to carry on his presidential campaign unperturbed which in hindsight, may have cost him dearly if the report was allowed to remain at the forefront of the social media platform. (With inputs from agencies)

Mark Zuckerberg reveals Biden administration 'pressured' Meta to censor Covid-related posts

<p>Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek have come out against European regulations surrounding open-source artificial intelligence, saying the continent risks falling behind because of its complex rules.</p>

<p>The CEOs indicated in a joint statement Friday that Europe—which hosts "more open source developers than America"—is well placed to ride the wave of openness in AI.</p>

<p>"Yet its fragmented regulatory structure, riddled with inconsistent implementation, is hampering innovation and holding back developers."</p>

<p>The CEOs indicated that the tech industry in Europe faces "overlapping regulations and inconsistent guidance on how to comply with them" instead of clear rules.</p>

<p>Streamlining the regulatory framework would help increase the pace of development of open-source AI; it would also support European developers and the wider creator ecosystem, they said.</p>

<p>The Irish privacy regulator asked Meta in June not to launch its AI models in Europe for the time being after the company was told to delay plans of harnessing data from Facebook and Instagram users.</p>

<p>Under the current regulations, Meta will not be in a position to release upcoming AI models such as Llama multimodal—capable of understanding images—in Europe.</p>

<p>This would mean Europeans will be "left with AI built for someone else," the CEOs said.</p>

<p>Spotify touts AI investment as key to success: According to Spotify, early investment in AI for creating personalised experiences for users has been instrumental to the streaming service's success.</p>

<p>What has resulted from laws designed to increase European sovereignty and competitiveness is precisely the reverse, they said, adding Europe should be "simplifying and harmonising regulations by leveraging the benefits of a single yet diverse market."</p>

<p>The CEOs concluded that Europe needs a different path with more explicit policies and greater consistency of implementation; otherwise, it will miss a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".</p>

<p>The EU Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.</p>


Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek have come out against European regulations surrounding open-source artificial intelligence, saying the continent risks falling behind because of its complex rules.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek have come out against European regulations surrounding open-source artificial intelligence, saying the continent risks falling behind because of its complex rules. The CEOs indicated in a joint statement Friday that Europe—which hosts "more open source developers than America"—is well placed to ride the wave of openness in AI. "Yet its fragmented regulatory structure, riddled with inconsistent implementation, is hampering innovation and holding back developers." The CEOs indicated that the tech industry in Europe faces "overlapping regulations and inconsistent guidance on how to comply with them" instead of clear rules. Streamlining the regulatory framework would help increase the pace of development of open-source AI; it would also support European developers and the wider creator ecosystem, they said. The Irish privacy regulator asked Meta in June not to launch its AI models in Europe for the time being after the company was told to delay plans of harnessing data from Facebook and Instagram users. Under the current regulations, Meta will not be in a position to release upcoming AI models such as Llama multimodal—capable of understanding images—in Europe. This would mean Europeans will be "left with AI built for someone else," the CEOs said. Spotify touts AI investment as key to success: According to Spotify, early investment in AI for creating personalised experiences for users has been instrumental to the streaming service's success. What has resulted from laws designed to increase European sovereignty and competitiveness is precisely the reverse, they said, adding Europe should be "simplifying and harmonising regulations by leveraging the benefits of a single yet diverse market." The CEOs concluded that Europe needs a different path with more explicit policies and greater consistency of implementation; otherwise, it will miss a "once-in-a-generation opportunity". The EU Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Tech giants warn of regulatory hurdles hindering Europe's AI progress

<p>Meta said it had discovered possible hacking attempts on the WhatsApp accounts of US officials—both from the current President Joe Biden and the former President Donald Trump administrations—and was attributing the acts to the very same Iranian hacker group revealed earlier this month to have compromised Trump's campaign.</p>

<p>The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp explained in a blog post that the attempt was only a "small cluster of likely social engineering activity on WhatsApp." These include a number of accounts masquerading as AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft technical support.</p>

<p>It blocked the accounts after users reported the activity as suspicious and had not seen any evidence suggesting the targeted WhatsApp accounts had been compromised, it said.</p>

<p>Meta said the activity was the handiwork of APT42, a hacking group that researchers widely believe is associated with an intelligence division inside Iran's military, which places surveillance software on the mobile phones of its victims. That software, according to researchers who follow the group, gives the team the ability to record calls and steal text messages, turning on cameras and microphones sneakily.</p>

<p>The activity of the group is connected to efforts to breach US presidential campaigns that Microsoft and Google reported earlier this month, ahead of the US presidential election in November.</p>

<p>The company blog did not mention the names of people targeted, saying only that the hackers "appeared to have focused on political and diplomatic officials, business and other public figures, some associated with administrations of President Biden and former President Trump."</p>

<p>It added that those figures were based in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iran, the United States, and the United Kingdom.</p>


Meta said it had discovered possible hacking attempts on the WhatsApp accounts of US officials—both from the current President Joe Biden and the former President Donald Trump administrations—and was attributing the acts to the very same Iranian hacker group revealed earlier this month to have compromised Trump's campaign.

Meta said it had discovered possible hacking attempts on the WhatsApp accounts of US officials—both from the current President Joe Biden and the former President Donald Trump administrations—and was attributing the acts to the very same Iranian hacker group revealed earlier this month to have compromised Trump's campaign. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp explained in a blog post that the attempt was only a "small cluster of likely social engineering activity on WhatsApp." These include a number of accounts masquerading as AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft technical support. It blocked the accounts after users reported the activity as suspicious and had not seen any evidence suggesting the targeted WhatsApp accounts had been compromised, it said. Meta said the activity was the handiwork of APT42, a hacking group that researchers widely believe is associated with an intelligence division inside Iran's military, which places surveillance software on the mobile phones of its victims. That software, according to researchers who follow the group, gives the team the ability to record calls and steal text messages, turning on cameras and microphones sneakily. The activity of the group is connected to efforts to breach US presidential campaigns that Microsoft and Google reported earlier this month, ahead of the US presidential election in November. The company blog did not mention the names of people targeted, saying only that the hackers "appeared to have focused on political and diplomatic officials, business and other public figures, some associated with administrations of President Biden and former President Trump." It added that those figures were based in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iran, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Meta reports an Iranian group attempted to compromise WhatsApp accounts of officials linked to Trump and Biden

<p>Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has shut down CrowdTangle—a tool used by a huge cross-section of users, ranging from researchers to watchdog organisations and journalists, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company's platforms.</p>

<p>Wednesday's shutdown, which Meta announced earlier this year, has been protested by researchers and nonprofits. Back in May, dozens of groups — including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch, and NYU's Center for Social Media &amp; Politics — sent a letter to the company asking that it keep the tool running through at least January, so it would be available during the US presidential elections.</p>

<p>'This decision jeopardises essential pre- and post-election oversight mechanisms and undermines Meta's transparency efforts during this critical period, and at a time when social trust and digital democracy are alarmingly fragile,' the letter said.</p>

<p>'CrowdTangle has been an essential tool in helping researchers parse through the vast amount of information on the platform and identify harmful content and threats,' it added.</p>

<p>In March, a nonprofit called the Mozilla Foundation sent Meta a similar letter urging it to commit to keeping the tool, available for free, up and running until at least January. Several dozen groups and individual academic researchers also signed onto that letter.</p>

<p>'For years, CrowdTangle has represented an industry best practice for real-time platform transparency. It has become a lifeline for understanding how disinformation, hate speech, and voter suppression spread on Facebook, undermining civic discourse and democracy,' the Mozilla letter said.</p>

<p>Meta has published an alternative, the Meta Content Library, but access is limited to academic researchers and nonprofits, which means it's unavailable to most news organisations. Other critics have complained that it isn't as useful as CrowdTangle — not yet, at least.</p>

<p>According to a blog post last week by Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, the company has been collecting feedback about Meta Content Library from "hundreds of researchers in order to make it more user-friendly and help them find the data they need for their work."</p>

<p>Meta said Wednesday that CrowdTangle doesn't provide a complete picture of what is happening on its platforms and said its new tools are more comprehensive.</p>


Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has shut down CrowdTangle—a tool used by a huge cross-section of users, ranging from researchers to watchdog organisations and journalists, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company's platforms.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has shut down CrowdTangle—a tool used by a huge cross-section of users, ranging from researchers to watchdog organisations and journalists, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company's platforms. Wednesday's shutdown, which Meta announced earlier this year, has been protested by researchers and nonprofits. Back in May, dozens of groups — including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch, and NYU's Center for Social Media & Politics — sent a letter to the company asking that it keep the tool running through at least January, so it would be available during the US presidential elections. 'This decision jeopardises essential pre- and post-election oversight mechanisms and undermines Meta's transparency efforts during this critical period, and at a time when social trust and digital democracy are alarmingly fragile,' the letter said. 'CrowdTangle has been an essential tool in helping researchers parse through the vast amount of information on the platform and identify harmful content and threats,' it added. In March, a nonprofit called the Mozilla Foundation sent Meta a similar letter urging it to commit to keeping the tool, available for free, up and running until at least January. Several dozen groups and individual academic researchers also signed onto that letter. 'For years, CrowdTangle has represented an industry best practice for real-time platform transparency. It has become a lifeline for understanding how disinformation, hate speech, and voter suppression spread on Facebook, undermining civic discourse and democracy,' the Mozilla letter said. Meta has published an alternative, the Meta Content Library, but access is limited to academic researchers and nonprofits, which means it's unavailable to most news organisations. Other critics have complained that it isn't as useful as CrowdTangle — not yet, at least. According to a blog post last week by Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, the company has been collecting feedback about Meta Content Library from "hundreds of researchers in order to make it more user-friendly and help them find the data they need for their work." Meta said Wednesday that CrowdTangle doesn't provide a complete picture of what is happening on its platforms and said its new tools are more comprehensive.

Meta's controversial CrowdTangle shutdown sparks outcry amid misinformation battle

<p>A man from Montreal, Canada, is filing a lawsuit against social networking platforms YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok claiming that they cause addiction and have a negative impact on mental health, as per CTV News.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 24-year-old man said that he began utilising social media in 2015 and since then, started experiencing numerous problems with body image and productivity. As per the lawsuit, his utilisation time of social networking sites was up to four hours, but he has now cut that down to two hours a day. Philippe Brault from Lambert Avocats, the law firm representing the man said, "He still finds that it has an effect on his productivity and his sleep.”</p>

<p><strong>Also Read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladeshs-st-martin-island-what-a-potential-us-airbase-could-mean-for-region-749179">What a US airbase at Bangladesh's St. Martin Island could mean for region</a>|</strong></p>

<p>Brault added, "In 2024, it's estimated that humanity as a whole will be using social media for a total of 500 million years." He mentioned that the firm took this case because it is an ever-growing problem for everyone. He highlighted that 52 per cent of children in Canada between the ages of seven and eleven use social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The aim of the case is to recover these punitive damages for the purportedly careless platform designs of social media companies. Brault also highlighted that platform owners should prioritise the safety and health of their users.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-presidential-campaign-hacked-iranian-actors-blamed-by-his-team-749057">Trump's prez campaign hacked, Iranian actors blamed by his team</a>|</strong></p>

<p>The design of these social media platforms exploits the psychological weaknesses of their users, leading to extended engagements that negatively impact the user's daily lives.</p>

<p>"We're also looking to get this message out there by talking to the media. People have to understand the risks of the use of social media," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


A man from Montreal, Canada, is filing a lawsuit against social networking platforms YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok claiming that they cause addiction and have a negative impact on mental health, as per CTV News.

A man from Montreal, Canada, is filing a lawsuit against social networking platforms YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok claiming that they cause addiction and have a negative impact on mental health, as per CTV News. The 24-year-old man said that he began utilising social media in 2015 and since then, started experiencing numerous problems with body image and productivity. As per the lawsuit, his utilisation time of social networking sites was up to four hours, but he has now cut that down to two hours a day. Philippe Brault from Lambert Avocats, the law firm representing the man said, "He still finds that it has an effect on his productivity and his sleep.” Also Read|What a US airbase at Bangladesh's St. Martin Island could mean for region| Brault added, "In 2024, it's estimated that humanity as a whole will be using social media for a total of 500 million years." He mentioned that the firm took this case because it is an ever-growing problem for everyone. He highlighted that 52 per cent of children in Canada between the ages of seven and eleven use social media. The aim of the case is to recover these punitive damages for the purportedly careless platform designs of social media companies. Brault also highlighted that platform owners should prioritise the safety and health of their users. Also Read |Trump's prez campaign hacked, Iranian actors blamed by his team| The design of these social media platforms exploits the psychological weaknesses of their users, leading to extended engagements that negatively impact the user's daily lives. "We're also looking to get this message out there by talking to the media. People have to understand the risks of the use of social media," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Canada man sues social networking sites Meta, TikTok, and Reddit for being addictive

<p>Meta and Google are being&nbsp;accused of conducting a covert advertising campaign that targeted teenagers on YouTube with Instagram ads, in violation of Google's own policies. The ad campaign, reported by the Financial Times, has raised serious concerns about the companies' practices and their adherence to advertising regulations.</p>

<p>The Financial Times reported that Meta and Google collaborated to show Instagram ads to users aged 13 to 17 on YouTube, despite Google's strict policies against advertising to individuals under 18. The ads were aimed at a demographic categorised as "unknown" in Google's advertising system—a label typically used for users whose age, gender, or other demographics are not identified.</p>

<p>The report added that it appears that Google could leverage data from app downloads and online behaviour to accurately infer that many of these "unknown" users were, in fact, teenagers. This manoeuvre effectively dodges the restrictions Google implemented in 2021 which were designed to block ads targeting minors based on their age, gender, or interests.</p>

<p>The campaign was reportedly executed with the assistance of Spark Foundry, a US-based advertising agency. It initially ran in Canada and was tested in the United States in May, with plans for a global rollout. According to the report, the&nbsp;campaign's timing coincided with a decline in Google's ad revenue and a shift of Meta's younger user base to rival platforms like TikTok.</p>

<p>Once the story was out, Google said they launched an internal investigation and promptly cancelled the program.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, Google said it is committed to protecting minors.</p>

<p>"We prohibit ads being personalised to people under 18, period."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The company also said that it will strengthen its policies and ensure that its sales teams fully comply with these standards to prevent future violations.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;EU accuses Meta of breaking digital rules with ad-free option</strong></p>

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<p>In 2023, Meta introduced changes to its ad system, removing the option to target users under 18 by gender on Facebook and Instagram. These updates were intended to ensure that teens only see age-appropriate ads relevant to the products and services available in their region.</p>

<p>The development has sparked a broader debate about the extent to which tech companies may go to preserve their influence and advertising revenue, even if it means bending their own rules.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Meta and Google are being accused of conducting a covert advertising campaign that targeted teenagers on YouTube with Instagram ads, in violation of Google's own policies.

Meta and Google are being accused of conducting a covert advertising campaign that targeted teenagers on YouTube with Instagram ads, in violation of Google's own policies. The ad campaign, reported by the Financial Times, has raised serious concerns about the companies' practices and their adherence to advertising regulations. The Financial Times reported that Meta and Google collaborated to show Instagram ads to users aged 13 to 17 on YouTube, despite Google's strict policies against advertising to individuals under 18. The ads were aimed at a demographic categorised as "unknown" in Google's advertising system—a label typically used for users whose age, gender, or other demographics are not identified. The report added that it appears that Google could leverage data from app downloads and online behaviour to accurately infer that many of these "unknown" users were, in fact, teenagers. This manoeuvre effectively dodges the restrictions Google implemented in 2021 which were designed to block ads targeting minors based on their age, gender, or interests. The campaign was reportedly executed with the assistance of Spark Foundry, a US-based advertising agency. It initially ran in Canada and was tested in the United States in May, with plans for a global rollout. According to the report, the campaign's timing coincided with a decline in Google's ad revenue and a shift of Meta's younger user base to rival platforms like TikTok. Once the story was out, Google said they launched an internal investigation and promptly cancelled the program. In a statement, Google said it is committed to protecting minors. "We prohibit ads being personalised to people under 18, period." The company also said that it will strengthen its policies and ensure that its sales teams fully comply with these standards to prevent future violations. Also watch | EU accuses Meta of breaking digital rules with ad-free option × In 2023, Meta introduced changes to its ad system, removing the option to target users under 18 by gender on Facebook and Instagram. These updates were intended to ensure that teens only see age-appropriate ads relevant to the products and services available in their region. The development has sparked a broader debate about the extent to which tech companies may go to preserve their influence and advertising revenue, even if it means bending their own rules. (With inputs from agencies)

Google, Meta bend their own rules to target teenagers with ad campaigns: Report

<p>Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is eyeing celebrities in Hollywood for voices to be used in its artificial intelligence pursuits. According to sources familiar with the talks, Meta is offering millions of dollars to stars like Judi Dench, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key. These negotiations come while Meta representatives decline to comment, as the firm races to finalise all deals ahead of its Connect 2024 event this September, where it plans to roll out a suite of AI tools.</p>

<p>Though exactly what uses Meta is planning to have for the celebrity voices remain somewhat nebulous, it did say it could be a chatbot meant to be more of a digital assistant—like Apple's Siri—or even a digital companion. For example, users could speak with a chatbot that has the voice of Awkwafina. However, the negotiations have become bumpier than expected, with repeated stops as Meta and the representatives struggle over terms. Meta wants to secure rights to the voices for just one project and a fixed term, while representatives for actors are pushing for more restrictive terms.</p>

<p>There are huge fears in the creative community over the use of artificial intelligence—several people have feared losing their jobs. Labour stoppages last year saw screenwriters and actors demanding protection against the use of AI. Yet SAG-AFTRA, the primary union for actors, has reached an agreement with Meta on terms, according to the people.</p>

<p>Meta has a history of testing celebrity-inspired text-based chatbots; it has worked with celebrities like Dwyane Wade and Paris Hilton. Though that program is now defunct, the innovations never really stopped, as Meta recently opened an AI studio that gives content creators the chance to develop chatbots in their likeness.</p>

<p>By trying to bring celebrity voices into its AI projects, Meta company is stressing continuous betterment in user interaction via AI technology. As the company navigates these complex negotiations, the potential to transform digital assistance by recognisable voices could create a new baseline for the AI industry.</p>


Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is eyeing celebrities in Hollywood for voices to be used in its artificial intelligence pursuits.

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is eyeing celebrities in Hollywood for voices to be used in its artificial intelligence pursuits. According to sources familiar with the talks, Meta is offering millions of dollars to stars like Judi Dench, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key. These negotiations come while Meta representatives decline to comment, as the firm races to finalise all deals ahead of its Connect 2024 event this September, where it plans to roll out a suite of AI tools. Though exactly what uses Meta is planning to have for the celebrity voices remain somewhat nebulous, it did say it could be a chatbot meant to be more of a digital assistant—like Apple's Siri—or even a digital companion. For example, users could speak with a chatbot that has the voice of Awkwafina. However, the negotiations have become bumpier than expected, with repeated stops as Meta and the representatives struggle over terms. Meta wants to secure rights to the voices for just one project and a fixed term, while representatives for actors are pushing for more restrictive terms. There are huge fears in the creative community over the use of artificial intelligence—several people have feared losing their jobs. Labour stoppages last year saw screenwriters and actors demanding protection against the use of AI. Yet SAG-AFTRA, the primary union for actors, has reached an agreement with Meta on terms, according to the people. Meta has a history of testing celebrity-inspired text-based chatbots; it has worked with celebrities like Dwyane Wade and Paris Hilton. Though that program is now defunct, the innovations never really stopped, as Meta recently opened an AI studio that gives content creators the chance to develop chatbots in their likeness. By trying to bring celebrity voices into its AI projects, Meta company is stressing continuous betterment in user interaction via AI technology. As the company navigates these complex negotiations, the potential to transform digital assistance by recognisable voices could create a new baseline for the AI industry.

Meta eyes celebrity voices for AI, offer multi-million dollar deals

Turkey has blocked access to social media platform Instagram, the infotech regulator said on Friday, without stating a reason or duration for the ban, which also left the platform's mobile app inaccessible. The move follows comments on Wednesday by Turkish communications official Fahrettin Altun, criticizing the platform for what he called its decision to block condolence posts on the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a key official of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Turkey response to META'S Censorship: Instagram blocked without stating reason or duration | WION

<p>American tech giant Meta on Tuesday (Jul 30) agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle&nbsp;a lawsuit filed by the state of&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;over the illegal collection of biometric data of millions of Texans using facial-recognition technology.</p>

<p>Meta will have to pay the amount over the next five years.</p>

<p>A spokesperson of the California-based company said it was happy to resolve the matter. The statement added the company was looking forward to&nbsp;"exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas, including potentially developing data centers."</p>

<p>However, the company still denies any wrongdoing.</p>

<p>The lawsuit was filed under the 2009 biometric privacy law of Texas in 2022 and was the first major case to be filed under this legislation.</p>

<p>The law provides for fines and damages worth $25,000 per violation.</p>

<p>The amount marks the largest accord ever by any single state, according to the lawyers for the state of&nbsp;Texas.</p>

<h2><strong>Allegations against Facebook</strong></h2>

<p>As per allegations, Meta captured biometric data of its users&nbsp;&nbsp;"billions of times" using photos and videos uploaded on its platforms using a free, now-discontinued feature called&nbsp;"Tag Suggestions."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjP57v3gs-HAxUYRmwGHYhrABgQxfQBKAB6BAgLEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/facebook-targeting-trump-meta-calls-july-13-assassination-attempt-fictional-event-and-misinformation-745472" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/trending/facebook-targeting-trump-meta-calls-july-13-assassination-attempt-fictional-event-and-misinformation-745472&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjP57v3gs-HAxUYRmwGHYhrABgQxfQBKAB6BAgLEAE">Facebook targeting Trump? Meta calls July 13 assassination attempt 'fictional event' and 'misinformation'</a></strong></p>

<p>The lawsuit was filed by&nbsp;Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claiming Meta did so without obtaining consent from the users.</p>

<h2><strong>Reaction from Texas attorney</strong></h2>

<p>The Texas attorney said any abuse of Texans' sensitive data will be met with "the full force of the law.”</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjP57v3gs-HAxUYRmwGHYhrABgQxfQBKAB6BAgOEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/meta-braces-for-first-eu-antitrust-fine-744219" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/meta-braces-for-first-eu-antitrust-fine-744219&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjP57v3gs-HAxUYRmwGHYhrABgQxfQBKAB6BAgOEAE">Meta braces for first EU antitrust fine</a></strong></p>

<p>“This historic settlement demonstrates our commitment to standing up to the world’s biggest technology companies and holding them accountable for breaking the law and violating Texans’ privacy rights,” Paxton added.</p>

<h2><strong>Similar lawsuit against Alphabet</strong></h2>

<p>The attorney said he was pursuing a similar case against&nbsp;Alphabet, accusing&nbsp;the Google owner of illegally collecting biometric data from millions of Texans.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


American tech giant Meta on Tuesday (Jul 30) agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas over the illegal collection of biometric data of millions of Texans using facial-recognition technology.

American tech giant Meta on Tuesday (Jul 30) agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas over the illegal collection of biometric data of millions of Texans using facial-recognition technology. Meta will have to pay the amount over the next five years. A spokesperson of the California-based company said it was happy to resolve the matter. The statement added the company was looking forward to "exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas, including potentially developing data centers." However, the company still denies any wrongdoing. The lawsuit was filed under the 2009 biometric privacy law of Texas in 2022 and was the first major case to be filed under this legislation. The law provides for fines and damages worth $25,000 per violation. The amount marks the largest accord ever by any single state, according to the lawyers for the state of Texas. Allegations against Facebook As per allegations, Meta captured biometric data of its users "billions of times" using photos and videos uploaded on its platforms using a free, now-discontinued feature called "Tag Suggestions." Also read: Facebook targeting Trump? Meta calls July 13 assassination attempt 'fictional event' and 'misinformation' The lawsuit was filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claiming Meta did so without obtaining consent from the users. Reaction from Texas attorney The Texas attorney said any abuse of Texans' sensitive data will be met with "the full force of the law.” Also read: Meta braces for first EU antitrust fine “This historic settlement demonstrates our commitment to standing up to the world’s biggest technology companies and holding them accountable for breaking the law and violating Texans’ privacy rights,” Paxton added. Similar lawsuit against Alphabet The attorney said he was pursuing a similar case against Alphabet, accusing the Google owner of illegally collecting biometric data from millions of Texans. (With inputs from agencies)