Reality star Khloé Kardashian, who celebrated her 40th birthday on June 27&nbsp;made an appearance at Michael Rubin's Fourth of July White Party wearing a form-fitting white dress with striking cutout details. Her long, waist-length hair was styled in soft waves, and her makeup was simple yet radiant.

Khloé’s sister, Kim Kardashian, was also in attendance, sporting a sleek white skirt paired with a matching halter-neck top, accessorised with a large silver cross necklace. Both sisters matched their manicures, opting for almond-shaped French designs.

Younger sister Kendall Jenner was present at the event as well.

Michael Rubin, the CEO of an online retail company, has been&nbsp;hosting&nbsp;this annual Fourth of July White Party at his Hamptons estate in Long Island, N.Y., since 2021. The event is known for attracting numerous A-list celebrities from various industries.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kris-jenner-reveals-doctors-suggest-removing-ovaries-after-detecting-a-tumor-738207">Kris Jenner reveals doctors suggest removing ovaries after detecting a tumor</a>

<h2>Khloé Kardashian's Birthday Celebration</h2>

To mark her 40th birthday on June 29, the Good American founder hosted a saloon-themed party with a "denim and diamonds" dress code. The celebration saw attendance from her sisters Kim, Kourtney, and Kylie, as well as celebrities like Kimora Lee Simmons and Sara Foster. Rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Kurupt provided entertainment, making the event a memorable one.

For her birthday, Khloé wore a diamond-encrusted bustier corset and matching denim jeans, accessorised with several diamond necklaces. She also debuted a new brunette hair color, shifting from her previous strawberry blonde, which she described as "too much maintenance" on Snapchat.

Sharing her experience on Snapchat, Khloé revealed her mid-tone brown hair with subtle honey highlights. She explained, "I colored my hair again. My hair was red for about a month or so... As much as I love red, every time you wash it, the color fades. Towards the end, my hair was a very light strawberry blonde." She added, "More power to all the redheads out there; you guys are dedicated. I've been platinum blonde, and that was much easier for me than the red. The red was just too much maintenance.".

Reality star Khloé Kardashian, who celebrated her 40th birthday on June 27 made an appearance at Michael Rubin's Fourth of July White Party wearing a form-fitting white dress with striking cutout details.

Reality star Khloé Kardashian, who celebrated her 40th birthday on June 27 made an appearance at Michael Rubin's Fourth of July White Party wearing a form-fitting white dress with striking cutout details. Her long, waist-length hair was styled in soft waves, and her makeup was simple yet radiant. Khloé’s sister, Kim Kardashian, was also in attendance, sporting a sleek white skirt paired with a matching halter-neck top, accessorised with a large silver cross necklace. Both sisters matched their manicures, opting for almond-shaped French designs. Younger sister Kendall Jenner was present at the event as well. Michael Rubin, the CEO of an online retail company, has been hosting this annual Fourth of July White Party at his Hamptons estate in Long Island, N.Y., since 2021. The event is known for attracting numerous A-list celebrities from various industries. Also Read: Kris Jenner reveals doctors suggest removing ovaries after detecting a tumor Khloé Kardashian's Birthday Celebration To mark her 40th birthday on June 29, the Good American founder hosted a saloon-themed party with a "denim and diamonds" dress code. The celebration saw attendance from her sisters Kim, Kourtney, and Kylie, as well as celebrities like Kimora Lee Simmons and Sara Foster. Rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Kurupt provided entertainment, making the event a memorable one. For her birthday, Khloé wore a diamond-encrusted bustier corset and matching denim jeans, accessorised with several diamond necklaces. She also debuted a new brunette hair color, shifting from her previous strawberry blonde, which she described as "too much maintenance" on Snapchat. Sharing her experience on Snapchat, Khloé revealed her mid-tone brown hair with subtle honey highlights. She explained, "I colored my hair again. My hair was red for about a month or so... As much as I love red, every time you wash it, the color fades. Towards the end, my hair was a very light strawberry blonde." She added, "More power to all the redheads out there; you guys are dedicated. I've been platinum blonde, and that was much easier for me than the red. The red was just too much maintenance.".

Khloé Kardashian wears cutout dress for the glitzy White Party on Fourth of July

Reality star Khloé Kardashian celebrated her 40th birthday on June 27. She made an appearance at Michael Rubin's Fourth of July White Party, wearing a form-fitting white dress with striking cutout details. Her long, waist-length hair was styled in soft waves, and her makeup was simple yet radiant.

Khloé’s sister, Kim Kardashian, was also in attendance, sporting a sleek white skirt paired with a matching halter-neck top, accessorized with a large silver cross necklace. Both sisters matched their manicures, opting for almond-shaped French designs.

Younger sister Kendall Jenner was present at the event as well.

&nbsp;

Michael Rubin, the CEO of an online retail company, has hosted this annual Fourth of July White Party at his Hamptons estate in Long Island, N.Y., since 2021. The event is known for attracting numerous A-list celebrities from various industries.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kris-jenner-reveals-doctors-suggest-removing-ovaries-after-detecting-a-tumor-738207">Kris Jenner reveals doctors suggest removing ovaries after detecting a tumor</a>

To mark her 40th birthday on June 29, the Good American founder hosted a saloon-themed party with a "denim and diamonds" dress code. The celebration saw attendance from her sisters Kim, Kourtney, and Kylie, as well as celebrities like Kimora Lee Simmons and Sara Foster. Rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Kurupt provided entertainment, making the event a memorable one.

For her birthday, Khloé wore a diamond-encrusted bustier corset and matching denim jeans, accessorized with several diamond necklaces. She also debuted a new brunette hair color, shifting from her previous strawberry blonde, which she described as "too much maintenance" on Snapchat.

Sharing her experience on Snapchat, Khloé revealed her mid-tone brown hair with subtle honey highlights. She explained, "I colored my hair again. My hair was red for about a month or so... As much as I love red, every time you wash it, the color fades. Towards the end, my hair was a very light strawberry blonde." She added, "More power to all the redheads out there; you guys are dedicated. I've been platinum blonde, and that was much easier for me than the red. The red was just too much maintenance."

Reality star Khloé Kardashian celebrated her 40th birthday on June 27. She made an appearance at Michael Rubin's Fourth of July White Party, wearing a form-fitting white dress with striking cutout details.

Reality star Khloé Kardashian celebrated her 40th birthday on June 27. She made an appearance at Michael Rubin's Fourth of July White Party, wearing a form-fitting white dress with striking cutout details. Her long, waist-length hair was styled in soft waves, and her makeup was simple yet radiant. Khloé’s sister, Kim Kardashian, was also in attendance, sporting a sleek white skirt paired with a matching halter-neck top, accessorized with a large silver cross necklace. Both sisters matched their manicures, opting for almond-shaped French designs. Younger sister Kendall Jenner was present at the event as well. Michael Rubin, the CEO of an online retail company, has hosted this annual Fourth of July White Party at his Hamptons estate in Long Island, N.Y., since 2021. The event is known for attracting numerous A-list celebrities from various industries. Also Read: Kris Jenner reveals doctors suggest removing ovaries after detecting a tumor To mark her 40th birthday on June 29, the Good American founder hosted a saloon-themed party with a "denim and diamonds" dress code. The celebration saw attendance from her sisters Kim, Kourtney, and Kylie, as well as celebrities like Kimora Lee Simmons and Sara Foster. Rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Kurupt provided entertainment, making the event a memorable one. For her birthday, Khloé wore a diamond-encrusted bustier corset and matching denim jeans, accessorized with several diamond necklaces. She also debuted a new brunette hair color, shifting from her previous strawberry blonde, which she described as "too much maintenance" on Snapchat. Sharing her experience on Snapchat, Khloé revealed her mid-tone brown hair with subtle honey highlights. She explained, "I colored my hair again. My hair was red for about a month or so... As much as I love red, every time you wash it, the color fades. Towards the end, my hair was a very light strawberry blonde." She added, "More power to all the redheads out there; you guys are dedicated. I've been platinum blonde, and that was much easier for me than the red. The red was just too much maintenance."

Khloé Kardashian in a gorgeous cutout dress at the glitzy White Party on July 4th, headline

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Monday (June 17) called for warning labels to be placed on social media apps to alert users, especially youths, of the dangers associated with the use of such applications.&nbsp;

<h2>'Surgeon General's warning label'</h2>

In an opinion piece he penned for the New York Times, Murthy pointed out that while&nbsp;a warning label alone might not alleviate all the issues around&nbsp;social&nbsp;media, it could at least increase awareness&nbsp;and perhaps change behaviour — much like the impact warning labels have had on tobacco.&nbsp;

"It is time to require a surgeon general's warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents," wrote Murthy.&nbsp;

Such a step would not be carried out on Murthy's advice alone and would need the US Congress legislation.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-slams-republicans-over-deceptive-cheapfake-videos-of-bidens-mental-decline-732657">White House slams Republicans over deceptive 'cheapfake' videos of Biden's alleged mental decline</a>

<h2>Social media and the threats children face online</h2>

The recent call by Murthy for a warning label is part of broader concerns around growing mental health problems among youngsters stemming from the use of social media, reports Reuters.

Although social media companies such as TikTok, Snap, and Meta Platforms (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) have yet to comment on Murthy's proposal, they have already got into hot water with policymakers over online child safety.

Previously, in January, US Senators&nbsp;grilled the CEOs&nbsp;of the three companies about online child safety. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had even accused them of having "blood on your hands," for failing to protect young users from sexual predators.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/florida-bans-children-under-14-from-using-social-media-14-15-year-olds-will-need-parental-consent-704218" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/florida-bans-children-under-14-from-using-social-media-14-15-year-olds-will-need-parental-consent-704218&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwitrt6FteSGAxWZslYBHRJoDGMQFnoECAAQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw0hqGVmfU6caEQWS-EDVq0M&amp;arm=e&amp;fexp=72519171,72519168,72638199,72638200" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/florida-bans-children-under-14-from-using-social-media-14-15-year-olds-will-need-parental-consent-704218" target="_blank">Florida&nbsp;bans&nbsp;children&nbsp;under 14 from using social media</a>

The concerns have also led to some US states regulating social media use by minors. New York recently passed legislation restricting certain algorithmic content for those under 18 without parental consent. In Florida, a bill passed in March requires children aged 14 and 15 to receive parental consent for the use of social media; children under 14 are banned from using such apps.

Critics of social media include youth advocates and lawmakers, who say it is breeding shortened attention spans, a negative body image&nbsp;and heightened susceptibility to online bullying and predators. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Monday (June 17) called for warning labels to be placed on social media apps to alert users, especially youths, of the dangers associated with the use of such applications.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Monday (June 17) called for warning labels to be placed on social media apps to alert users, especially youths, of the dangers associated with the use of such applications. 'Surgeon General's warning label' In an opinion piece he penned for the New York Times, Murthy pointed out that while a warning label alone might not alleviate all the issues around social media, it could at least increase awareness and perhaps change behaviour — much like the impact warning labels have had on tobacco. "It is time to require a surgeon general's warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents," wrote Murthy. Such a step would not be carried out on Murthy's advice alone and would need the US Congress legislation. Also read | White House slams Republicans over deceptive 'cheapfake' videos of Biden's alleged mental decline Social media and the threats children face online The recent call by Murthy for a warning label is part of broader concerns around growing mental health problems among youngsters stemming from the use of social media, reports Reuters. Although social media companies such as TikTok, Snap, and Meta Platforms (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) have yet to comment on Murthy's proposal, they have already got into hot water with policymakers over online child safety. Previously, in January, US Senators grilled the CEOs of the three companies about online child safety. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had even accused them of having "blood on your hands," for failing to protect young users from sexual predators. Also read | Florida bans children under 14 from using social media The concerns have also led to some US states regulating social media use by minors. New York recently passed legislation restricting certain algorithmic content for those under 18 without parental consent. In Florida, a bill passed in March requires children aged 14 and 15 to receive parental consent for the use of social media; children under 14 are banned from using such apps. Critics of social media include youth advocates and lawmakers, who say it is breeding shortened attention spans, a negative body image and heightened susceptibility to online bullying and predators. (With inputs from agencies)

Warning labels on social media? Vivek Murthy calls for 'surgeon general's warning label' for child safety

Recent financial reports from tech giants Alphabet, Meta, and Snap are painting an optimistic picture for the advertising industry, suggesting that the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence is luring marketers to digital platforms, even in uncertain economic times. All three companies exceeded quarterly revenue expectations, showcasing robust performance in their advertising businesses.&nbsp;

"AI is helping advertisers find as many people as possible and their ideal audience for the lowest possible price," Reuters quoted Philipp Schindler, Chief Business Officer at Google as saying. Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has been actively investing in AI, notably with tools like Performance Max, which employs artificial intelligence to determine how marketing budgets should be distributed across Google's advertising network. &nbsp;

Schindler also highlighted the strength of the retail sector during the July-September period, emphasising the company's preparations for a prolonged holiday season to offer consumers attractive deals cantered on price and convenience. Alphabet reported a remarkable 9.5 per cent increase in ad revenue for the third quarter, surpassing Wall Street estimates, with a 12 per cent growth in its YouTube ads business.&nbsp;

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reported a substantial 31 per cent increase in ad views compared to the previous year. To capitalise on this momentum, Meta has announced plans to make substantial investments in AI in the coming year. Despite a 6 per cent decrease in the average price per ad, this decline's pace was the slowest in seven quarters.&nbsp;

Meta's efforts in AI-powered marketing planning and ad measurement features have been vital in fuelling its growth, particularly in response to privacy changes led by Apple, which constrained the use of personal data for ad targeting. The company is now introducing AI tools to generate various ad campaign variations swiftly, setting it apart from smaller competitors like Snap.&nbsp;

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, has seen significant returns on its investment in ad-targeting tools with technology. Their average revenue per user increased during the third quarter, indicating the success of their ad strategies.&nbsp;

These results reaffirm the ongoing rebound of the advertising market, particularly driven by retail companies' ad spending. Industry analysts believe that Google and Meta stand as the primary beneficiaries of this resurgence.&nbsp;

"We expect the larger platforms like Meta and Google to lead the wallet share growth at least initially in this ad spend recovery," Reuters quoted analysts at Evercore ISI. The widespread reach of these tech giants attracts a steady stream of advertisers, making them more resilient to geopolitical uncertainty and economic volatility.&nbsp;

However, Meta's Chief Financial Officer, Susan Li, noted that the company had detected some "softness" in ad spending at the beginning of the fourth quarter, possibly linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict.&nbsp;

Despite this, recent forecasts from media research and investment firm Magna remain optimistic. Magna raised its forecast for ad spending growth in the&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;to 5.2 per cent for 2023, up from the previous estimate of 4.2 per cent, with expectations of a 9.6 per cent rise in digital ad sales during the same period.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

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Recent financial reports from tech giants Alphabet, Meta, and Snap are painting an optimistic picture for the advertising industry, suggesting that the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence is luring marketers to digital platforms, even in uncertain economic times.

Recent financial reports from tech giants Alphabet, Meta, and Snap are painting an optimistic picture for the advertising industry, suggesting that the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence is luring marketers to digital platforms, even in uncertain economic times. All three companies exceeded quarterly revenue expectations, showcasing robust performance in their advertising businesses. "AI is helping advertisers find as many people as possible and their ideal audience for the lowest possible price," Reuters quoted Philipp Schindler, Chief Business Officer at Google as saying. Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has been actively investing in AI, notably with tools like Performance Max, which employs artificial intelligence to determine how marketing budgets should be distributed across Google's advertising network. Schindler also highlighted the strength of the retail sector during the July-September period, emphasising the company's preparations for a prolonged holiday season to offer consumers attractive deals cantered on price and convenience. Alphabet reported a remarkable 9.5 per cent increase in ad revenue for the third quarter, surpassing Wall Street estimates, with a 12 per cent growth in its YouTube ads business. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reported a substantial 31 per cent increase in ad views compared to the previous year. To capitalise on this momentum, Meta has announced plans to make substantial investments in AI in the coming year. Despite a 6 per cent decrease in the average price per ad, this decline's pace was the slowest in seven quarters. Meta's efforts in AI-powered marketing planning and ad measurement features have been vital in fuelling its growth, particularly in response to privacy changes led by Apple, which constrained the use of personal data for ad targeting. The company is now introducing AI tools to generate various ad campaign variations swiftly, setting it apart from smaller competitors like Snap. Snap, the company behind Snapchat, has seen significant returns on its investment in ad-targeting tools with technology. Their average revenue per user increased during the third quarter, indicating the success of their ad strategies. These results reaffirm the ongoing rebound of the advertising market, particularly driven by retail companies' ad spending. Industry analysts believe that Google and Meta stand as the primary beneficiaries of this resurgence. "We expect the larger platforms like Meta and Google to lead the wallet share growth at least initially in this ad spend recovery," Reuters quoted analysts at Evercore ISI. The widespread reach of these tech giants attracts a steady stream of advertisers, making them more resilient to geopolitical uncertainty and economic volatility. However, Meta's Chief Financial Officer, Susan Li, noted that the company had detected some "softness" in ad spending at the beginning of the fourth quarter, possibly linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Despite this, recent forecasts from media research and investment firm Magna remain optimistic. Magna raised its forecast for ad spending growth in the U.S. to 5.2 per cent for 2023, up from the previous estimate of 4.2 per cent, with expectations of a 9.6 per cent rise in digital ad sales during the same period. (With inputs from Reuters) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Alphabet, Meta, and Snap lead ad market rebound with AI-powered strategies 

Meta's new verification business could generate a whopping 12 million subscribers for Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media empire, a Bank of America research note said. This makes for a $1.7 billion in "high-margin revenue in 2024", the research note claimed. The Menlo Park, California-headquartered social media conglomerate is testing its new subscription service in Australia and New Zealand months after Twitter and Snapchat announced their head start in paid verification social media business.&nbsp;

<h2>What is Meta's paid verification service?</h2>

The service, announced by Meta Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week, has been pitched as a way to increase "authenticity and security" across the Meta platforms; Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Meta Quest. At present, the service starts at $11.99 per month. This entails a verification badge and identity verification features and related tools. The service is under testing in Australia and New Zealand.

<h2>Meta's paid blue tick service: How is the market reacting?</h2>

The analysts have described it as a service that will cater to the influencers and creators and not exactly the consumers. Meta's paid verification business, however, is expected to take off well.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/will-metas-new-paid-subscription-divide-users-into-haves-and-have-nots-experts-think-so-564073">Will Meta's new paid subscription divide users into 'haves and have-nots'? Experts think so</a>

"Given a broader audience reach and bigger revenue opportunity for creators, we believe Meta could outperform the subscriber ramp (as a per cent of users) of peer subscription offerings (the service will likely be refined and improved over time)," the Bank of America research note said.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Meta introduces a monthly subscription model

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Meanwhile, Snapchat's paid subscription service, Snapchat+, has amassed over 2 million users. The service was launched in June last year with a price of $3.99 per month. The data for the subscribers amassed by Twitter for its paid verification feature is not published yet.&nbsp;

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Meta's new verification business could generate a whopping 12 million subscribers for Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media empire, a Bank of America research note said.

Meta's new verification business could generate a whopping 12 million subscribers for Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media empire, a Bank of America research note said. This makes for a $1.7 billion in "high-margin revenue in 2024", the research note claimed. The Menlo Park, California-headquartered social media conglomerate is testing its new subscription service in Australia and New Zealand months after Twitter and Snapchat announced their head start in paid verification social media business. What is Meta's paid verification service? The service, announced by Meta Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week, has been pitched as a way to increase "authenticity and security" across the Meta platforms; Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Meta Quest. At present, the service starts at $11.99 per month. This entails a verification badge and identity verification features and related tools. The service is under testing in Australia and New Zealand. Meta's paid blue tick service: How is the market reacting? The analysts have described it as a service that will cater to the influencers and creators and not exactly the consumers. Meta's paid verification business, however, is expected to take off well. ALSO READ | Will Meta's new paid subscription divide users into 'haves and have-nots'? Experts think so "Given a broader audience reach and bigger revenue opportunity for creators, we believe Meta could outperform the subscriber ramp (as a per cent of users) of peer subscription offerings (the service will likely be refined and improved over time)," the Bank of America research note said. ALSO WATCH | Meta introduces a monthly subscription model × Meanwhile, Snapchat's paid subscription service, Snapchat+, has amassed over 2 million users. The service was launched in June last year with a price of $3.99 per month. The data for the subscribers amassed by Twitter for its paid verification feature is not published yet. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta's fortune expected to soar by $1.7 billion with paid verification service

Meta&nbsp;Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messenger and Snapchat owner Snap Inc have been sued by a Russian court for alleged failure to store local users’ data within the Russian territory.

On Thursday, Moscow's Tagansky District Court fined WhatsApp million rubles ($300,000), and Snapchat 1 million rubles ($16,600), according to TASS news agency.

This is the second time WhatsApp has been punished for failing to comply with the data localisation norms. Last August, the Meta-owned messaging platform was fined 4 mln rubles ($54,040) for refusal to localise Russian users’ data.

Under the Russian law on personal data, Russian and foreign companies are obliged to store personal information of Russian citizens on the country’s territory only, even if they are not physically present in Russia as their operations are aimed at the country’s territory.

The latest punitive action comes at a time when Russia has restricted access to Meta's Facebook and Instagram, as well as Twitter, after Moscow’s invasion on Ukraine began.

Critics said the move was part of Russia’s plan to exert greater control over information flows and counter the narrative thrown by the western media.

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has also been blocked in Russia for years after a court found it violated the local data storage rule, which was passed in 2015.

Other tech giants like Apple was also fined 2 million rubles (about $34,000) earlier this month over the data storage issue. Airbnb,&nbsp;Pinterest&nbsp;and the video streaming service Twitch were fined the same amount last month.

In March, Instagram and Facebook were banned in Russia after their parent company — Meta — was labelled “extremist” by the authorities.&nbsp;

These actions have bolstered Russia to develop and promote homegrown applications as an alternative to the US-based social media platforms.

The government has been providing income tax breaks and preferential loans for homegrown IT companies, and employees can get their military service deferred. Politicians are also encouraging users to switch to domestic providers.

According to Reuters, RuTube was downloaded about 1.4 million times on Russia’s App Store and&nbsp;Google&nbsp;Play in the 40 days after Russia invaded Ukraine, up more than 2,000 per cent on the previous period, according to data analytics firm Sensor Tower.

A Facebook-like site, VKontakte, which already had a massive presence in the Russian market, saw a 14 per cent jump in active users in March, with social networks Telegram and OK also experiencing 23 per cent and 6 per cent growth respectively, according&nbsp;to monitor Brand Analytics.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Meta Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messenger and Snapchat owner Snap Inc have been sued by a Russian court for alleged failure to store local users’ data within the Russian territory.

Meta Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messenger and Snapchat owner Snap Inc have been sued by a Russian court for alleged failure to store local users’ data within the Russian territory. On Thursday, Moscow's Tagansky District Court fined WhatsApp million rubles ($300,000), and Snapchat 1 million rubles ($16,600), according to TASS news agency. This is the second time WhatsApp has been punished for failing to comply with the data localisation norms. Last August, the Meta-owned messaging platform was fined 4 mln rubles ($54,040) for refusal to localise Russian users’ data. Under the Russian law on personal data, Russian and foreign companies are obliged to store personal information of Russian citizens on the country’s territory only, even if they are not physically present in Russia as their operations are aimed at the country’s territory. The latest punitive action comes at a time when Russia has restricted access to Meta's Facebook and Instagram, as well as Twitter, after Moscow’s invasion on Ukraine began. Critics said the move was part of Russia’s plan to exert greater control over information flows and counter the narrative thrown by the western media. Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has also been blocked in Russia for years after a court found it violated the local data storage rule, which was passed in 2015. Other tech giants like Apple was also fined 2 million rubles (about $34,000) earlier this month over the data storage issue. Airbnb, Pinterest and the video streaming service Twitch were fined the same amount last month. In March, Instagram and Facebook were banned in Russia after their parent company — Meta — was labelled “extremist” by the authorities. These actions have bolstered Russia to develop and promote homegrown applications as an alternative to the US-based social media platforms. The government has been providing income tax breaks and preferential loans for homegrown IT companies, and employees can get their military service deferred. Politicians are also encouraging users to switch to domestic providers. According to Reuters, RuTube was downloaded about 1.4 million times on Russia’s App Store and Google Play in the 40 days after Russia invaded Ukraine, up more than 2,000 per cent on the previous period, according to data analytics firm Sensor Tower. A Facebook-like site, VKontakte, which already had a massive presence in the Russian market, saw a 14 per cent jump in active users in March, with social networks Telegram and OK also experiencing 23 per cent and 6 per cent growth respectively, according to monitor Brand Analytics. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Russian court penalises WhatsApp, Snapchat over data law violations

Facebook-owned messaging service&nbsp;WhatsApp&nbsp;has announced the launch of&nbsp;disappearing photos and videos on its platform starting this week, as it looks to better compete with Snap Inc's photo messaging app&nbsp;Snapchat.

In a blog post,&nbsp;Facebook said the&nbsp;feature, called 'View Once', will let photos and videos disappear from the chat after they have been seen.

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After the media has been viewed, the message will appear as “opened” to avoid any confusion about what was happening in the chat at the time.&nbsp;

Since its launch in 2009 as a smartphone messaging app,&nbsp;WhatsApp&nbsp;has amassed more than two billion users around the world and was acquired by Facebook.

Snapchat, known for its Stories feature that lets users post updates that disappear after 24 hours, has grown in popularity last year as pandemic-induced curbs kept users at home. The company has also been adding new features on its messaging app to attract more users.

Users prefer WhatsApp over Snapchat because it is available on a personal computer, does not have advertisements, can be personalised, and supports more languages.

However,&nbsp;WhatsApp had received backlash after it forced&nbsp;users to accept new terms of sharing data with&nbsp;Facebook.

As a result of the&nbsp;flap over its&nbsp;privacy policy,&nbsp;described by Facebook as a misunderstanding about efforts to bring businesses onto the platform,&nbsp;it had to retreat and delay it.

The update was supposed to allow additional sharing of information from&nbsp;WhatsApp&nbsp;with Facebook and its other applications such as Instagram and Messenger, such as contacts and profile data, but not the content of messages which remain encrypted.

It was among the latest episodes highlighting concerns over the tech giant's privacy and data protection policies.

(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp has announced the launch of disappearing photos and videos on its platform starting this week, as it looks to better compete with Snap Inc's photo messaging app Snapchat.

Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp has announced the launch of disappearing photos and videos on its platform starting this week, as it looks to better compete with Snap Inc's photo messaging app Snapchat. In a blog post, Facebook said the feature, called 'View Once', will let photos and videos disappear from the chat after they have been seen. After the media has been viewed, the message will appear as “opened” to avoid any confusion about what was happening in the chat at the time. Since its launch in 2009 as a smartphone messaging app, WhatsApp has amassed more than two billion users around the world and was acquired by Facebook. Snapchat, known for its Stories feature that lets users post updates that disappear after 24 hours, has grown in popularity last year as pandemic-induced curbs kept users at home. The company has also been adding new features on its messaging app to attract more users. Users prefer WhatsApp over Snapchat because it is available on a personal computer, does not have advertisements, can be personalised, and supports more languages. However, WhatsApp had received backlash after it forced users to accept new terms of sharing data with Facebook. As a result of the flap over its privacy policy, described by Facebook as a misunderstanding about efforts to bring businesses onto the platform, it had to retreat and delay it. The update was supposed to allow additional sharing of information from WhatsApp with Facebook and its other applications such as Instagram and Messenger, such as contacts and profile data, but not the content of messages which remain encrypted. It was among the latest episodes highlighting concerns over the tech giant's privacy and data protection policies. (With inputs from agencies)

WhatsApp is doing a Snapchat: Facebook-owned messaging service rolls out option for disappearing photos, videos

Social media giant Facebook will pay&nbsp;the creators of popular posts, from fashionistas to comedians and video gamers, $1 billion&nbsp;through 2022.

It is the strongest signal yet that Facebook now recognises the strategic importance of the "creator economy".&nbsp;&nbsp;

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YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat have waged an increasingly fierce battle to attract figures with big followings that can in turn attract serious advertising revenues.&nbsp;

Last November, photo and video app Snapchat began paying $1 million a day to top creators, although the payments have since tapered off. Popular YouTubers have been receiving a slice of the site's billions in ad revenues since 2007.&nbsp;

Facebook has been comparatively slow on the uptake. While the site began paying popular video-makers in 2017, most vloggers have found YouTube to be far more lucrative.&nbsp;

Facebook-owned Instagram has meanwhile launched the careers of many a food blogger and fashion influencer, but the app only began sharing its advertising income directly with them last year.

Traditionally, the bulk of Insta-celebrities' earnings has come through product endorsement deals negotiated directly with brands.&nbsp;

Late to the influencer party

Joe Gagliese, co-founder of international influencer agency Viral Nation, said it was not surprising that Facebook's efforts had lagged behind competitors'.

Founded in 2004, Facebook had already built a hugely lucrative advertising business by the time the phenomenon of full-time internet celebrities emerged at the end of the decade. Courting influencers wasn't crucial to its "primary business", Gagliese said.&nbsp;

But as creators have headed elsewhere, their predominantly young followings have followed, contributing to a sense that Facebook, in the eyes of Gen Z, has become an irredeemably uncool website where their parents hang out.&nbsp;

Facebook's user base is indeed ageing. The proportion of over-65s has shot up roughly a quarter over the past year, almost double the average, according to the Digital 2021 report from media companies We Are Social and Hootsuite.&nbsp;

In the meantime, Chinese-owned TikTok was the world's most downloaded app in the first half of 2021.

It has largely replaced Facebook as the driver of international social media crazes,&nbsp;not least during the pandemic, as bored millions have turned to its dance videos and cooking trends for light relief.&nbsp;

In this context, Facebook's $1 billion gambit is being seen partly as an attempt to regain cultural relevance and stem the youth exodus.&nbsp;

"The only way for these platforms to keep their relevance with younger generations is to understand what resonates with them and keep up with the pace of innovation," said Claudia Cameron, head of marketing and insights at Amsterdam-based influencer agency IMA.

"Creators are a very important part of this equation, as they set the tone for what's cool."

A drop in the ocean?&nbsp;

While young users from Iran to Brazil have been flocking elsewhere, industry insiders say it is far too early to regard Facebook as doomed.&nbsp;

"You can't underestimate them, because they are so powerful when it comes to the tech," said Gagliese.&nbsp;

Facebook's vast income,&nbsp;it raked in $84.2 billion in advertising revenues last year, more than the GDP of some countries,&nbsp;gives it huge funds with which to innovate.&nbsp;

It is also, despite its relative loss of street cred, still growing, with 2.8 billion monthly users worldwide.&nbsp;

Gagliese suggested Facebook should be spending far more on its efforts to lure internet stars from other platforms.&nbsp;

"Unless Facebook leans in really hard,&nbsp;I'm talking, 'way more than a billion dollars' hard,&nbsp;it's going to be very hard for them to attract all these new creators," he said.&nbsp;

Facebook has yet to outline detailed plans for the $1 billion, but Cameron pointed out that a large chunk will likely be distributed via Instagram, which still enjoys a "cool" factor.

That would be good news for TikTok comedian Mwas, who also has a sizeable following there.&nbsp;

"I'm taking a wait-and-see approach," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Social media giant Facebook will pay the creators of popular posts, from fashionistas to comedians and video gamers, $1 billion through 2022. It is the strongest signal yet that Facebook now recognises the strategic importance of the "creator economy".

Social media giant Facebook will pay the creators of popular posts, from fashionistas to comedians and video gamers, $1 billion through 2022. It is the strongest signal yet that Facebook now recognises the strategic importance of the "creator economy". YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat have waged an increasingly fierce battle to attract figures with big followings that can in turn attract serious advertising revenues. Last November, photo and video app Snapchat began paying $1 million a day to top creators, although the payments have since tapered off. Popular YouTubers have been receiving a slice of the site's billions in ad revenues since 2007. Facebook has been comparatively slow on the uptake. While the site began paying popular video-makers in 2017, most vloggers have found YouTube to be far more lucrative. Facebook-owned Instagram has meanwhile launched the careers of many a food blogger and fashion influencer, but the app only began sharing its advertising income directly with them last year. Traditionally, the bulk of Insta-celebrities' earnings has come through product endorsement deals negotiated directly with brands. Late to the influencer party Joe Gagliese, co-founder of international influencer agency Viral Nation, said it was not surprising that Facebook's efforts had lagged behind competitors'. Founded in 2004, Facebook had already built a hugely lucrative advertising business by the time the phenomenon of full-time internet celebrities emerged at the end of the decade. Courting influencers wasn't crucial to its "primary business", Gagliese said. But as creators have headed elsewhere, their predominantly young followings have followed, contributing to a sense that Facebook, in the eyes of Gen Z, has become an irredeemably uncool website where their parents hang out. Facebook's user base is indeed ageing. The proportion of over-65s has shot up roughly a quarter over the past year, almost double the average, according to the Digital 2021 report from media companies We Are Social and Hootsuite. In the meantime, Chinese-owned TikTok was the world's most downloaded app in the first half of 2021. It has largely replaced Facebook as the driver of international social media crazes, not least during the pandemic, as bored millions have turned to its dance videos and cooking trends for light relief. In this context, Facebook's $1 billion gambit is being seen partly as an attempt to regain cultural relevance and stem the youth exodus. "The only way for these platforms to keep their relevance with younger generations is to understand what resonates with them and keep up with the pace of innovation," said Claudia Cameron, head of marketing and insights at Amsterdam-based influencer agency IMA. "Creators are a very important part of this equation, as they set the tone for what's cool." A drop in the ocean? While young users from Iran to Brazil have been flocking elsewhere, industry insiders say it is far too early to regard Facebook as doomed. "You can't underestimate them, because they are so powerful when it comes to the tech," said Gagliese. Facebook's vast income, it raked in $84.2 billion in advertising revenues last year, more than the GDP of some countries, gives it huge funds with which to innovate. It is also, despite its relative loss of street cred, still growing, with 2.8 billion monthly users worldwide. Gagliese suggested Facebook should be spending far more on its efforts to lure internet stars from other platforms. "Unless Facebook leans in really hard, I'm talking, 'way more than a billion dollars' hard, it's going to be very hard for them to attract all these new creators," he said. Facebook has yet to outline detailed plans for the $1 billion, but Cameron pointed out that a large chunk will likely be distributed via Instagram, which still enjoys a "cool" factor. That would be good news for TikTok comedian Mwas, who also has a sizeable following there. "I'm taking a wait-and-see approach," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

What is Facebook's $1 billion gamble to regain lost users?

Snapchat took down a "Juneteenth"-themed filter and apologised to users for the lens, which drew criticism for being insensitive, the photo messaging app's parent Snap Inc&nbsp;said on Friday.

The filter used Pan-African flag as a backdrop and prompted users to smile, which caused chains to appear behind them and then break.

Snap Inc. sought to show Black users it cared about them by releasing an interactive camera filter to commemorate Juneteenth. But the filter and social media outcry that followed only reminded the world of the company’s history of racist or insensitive blunders and lack of internal diversity.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dating-app-grindr-to-remove-ethnicity-filter-in-solidarity-with-black-lives-matter-movement-302532">Dating app Grindr to remove ethnicity filter in solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement</a>

''We deeply apologize to the members of the Snapchat community who found this Lens offensive,''&nbsp;the company said. ''A diverse group of Snap team members were involved in developing the concept, but a version of the Lens that went live for Snapchatters this morning had not been approved through our review process.''

Juneteenth marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were freed 2 and half&nbsp;years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The filter,&nbsp;prompting users to ''smile'' in order to break digital chains, debuted Friday morning on Snapchat. Within a few hours, the company had pulled it and apologized.

Noting that the company has published similarly offensive filters in the past, three former employees said the tone of the Juneteenth filter illustrates a lack of effort and attention to issues of race and diversity.

Several companies, including Twitter Inc &lt;TWTR.N&gt; and Nike Inc &lt;NKE.N&gt;, have declared June 19 a paid holiday for employees or reduced operating hours to commemorate Juneteenth.

Snapchat took down a "Juneteenth"-themed filter and apologised to users for the lens, which drew criticism for being insensitive, the photo messaging app's parent Snap Inc said on Friday.

Snapchat took down a "Juneteenth"-themed filter and apologised to users for the lens, which drew criticism for being insensitive, the photo messaging app's parent Snap Inc said on Friday. The filter used Pan-African flag as a backdrop and prompted users to smile, which caused chains to appear behind them and then break. Snap Inc. sought to show Black users it cared about them by releasing an interactive camera filter to commemorate Juneteenth. But the filter and social media outcry that followed only reminded the world of the company’s history of racist or insensitive blunders and lack of internal diversity. Also read: Dating app Grindr to remove ethnicity filter in solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement ''We deeply apologize to the members of the Snapchat community who found this Lens offensive,'' the company said. ''A diverse group of Snap team members were involved in developing the concept, but a version of the Lens that went live for Snapchatters this morning had not been approved through our review process.'' Juneteenth marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were freed 2 and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The filter, prompting users to ''smile'' in order to break digital chains, debuted Friday morning on Snapchat. Within a few hours, the company had pulled it and apologized. Noting that the company has published similarly offensive filters in the past, three former employees said the tone of the Juneteenth filter illustrates a lack of effort and attention to issues of race and diversity. Several companies, including Twitter Inc <TWTR.N> and Nike Inc <NKE.N>, have declared June 19 a paid holiday for employees or reduced operating hours to commemorate Juneteenth.

Snapchat removes Juneteenth photo filter and apologises after backlash

Twitter Inc posted a better-than-expected second-quarter revenue on Friday and an uptick in daily users who see advertisements on the site, driven by changes to show users more relevant content.

However, the company forecast third-quarter revenue below many Wall Street estimates and said revenue growth would lag the first two quarters, partly due to ending some older ad formats.

Twitter's revenue and the number of users have been in focus since the social media platform started deleting millions of spam or fake accounts promoting hate speech or spreading political misinformation, contributing to declines in monthly users through 2018.

The company reported a rise in monthly active users in the first quarter, fueling speculation that Twitter was returning to growth, but has since stopped disclosing its MAU count.

Instead, this quarter it reported monetizable daily active usage (mDAU), a metric it created to measure only users exposed daily to advertising on the site and exclude those who access Twitter via aggregating sites like TweetDeck.

Its monetizable daily active usage (mDAU) hit 139 million, beating analyst expectations of 135 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey said machine learning improvements to deliver more relevant content helped drive up to this count.

Twitter reported a second-quarter profit of $1.1 billion, or $1.43 per share, compared with $100 million, or 13 cents per share, a year earlier. Profit was boosted by an income tax benefit of over $1 billion related to corporate restructuring.

Twitter's revenue rose 18% from a year earlier to $841 million, beating Wall Street expectations of $829 million, based on Refinitiv data.

Total advertising revenue rose to $727 million, an increase of 21 per cent&nbsp;year-on-year, as the company continued to improve its ad platform and formats.

It forecast total revenue for the third quarter to be between $815 million and $875 million. Analysts on average were expecting about $869.3 million.

Twitter has continued to bulk up its live and on-demand video content partnerships. On Thursday, NBCUniversal said they would team up to live-stream parts of the 2022 Olympic Games, Twitter's latest move in a series of deals aimed at boosting sports conversation on the platform.

It also expanded its multimedia features, launching a Snapchat-style camera feature in the Twitter app and releasing its long-awaited tool for clipping and publishing video.

Last week, the company rolled out its redesigned site and in March launched "twttr," a prototype app where certain users can test out new features as part of its efforts to make conversations easier to find and follow.

Twitter also recently updated its policies on hateful conduct directed at religious groups and last month introduced a new policy to de-emphasize and label rule-breaking tweets from important sources like politicians, though this has not yet been used.

Total operating expenses, including the cost of revenue, rose by 21 per cent&nbsp;to $766 million, partly due to plans to hire more employees.

Twitter Inc posted a better-than-expected second-quarter revenue on Friday and an uptick in daily users who see advertisements on the site, driven by changes to show users more relevant content.

Twitter Inc posted a better-than-expected second-quarter revenue on Friday and an uptick in daily users who see advertisements on the site, driven by changes to show users more relevant content. However, the company forecast third-quarter revenue below many Wall Street estimates and said revenue growth would lag the first two quarters, partly due to ending some older ad formats. Twitter's revenue and the number of users have been in focus since the social media platform started deleting millions of spam or fake accounts promoting hate speech or spreading political misinformation, contributing to declines in monthly users through 2018. The company reported a rise in monthly active users in the first quarter, fueling speculation that Twitter was returning to growth, but has since stopped disclosing its MAU count. Instead, this quarter it reported monetizable daily active usage (mDAU), a metric it created to measure only users exposed daily to advertising on the site and exclude those who access Twitter via aggregating sites like TweetDeck. Its monetizable daily active usage (mDAU) hit 139 million, beating analyst expectations of 135 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey said machine learning improvements to deliver more relevant content helped drive up to this count. Twitter reported a second-quarter profit of $1.1 billion, or $1.43 per share, compared with $100 million, or 13 cents per share, a year earlier. Profit was boosted by an income tax benefit of over $1 billion related to corporate restructuring. Twitter's revenue rose 18% from a year earlier to $841 million, beating Wall Street expectations of $829 million, based on Refinitiv data. Total advertising revenue rose to $727 million, an increase of 21 per cent year-on-year, as the company continued to improve its ad platform and formats. It forecast total revenue for the third quarter to be between $815 million and $875 million. Analysts on average were expecting about $869.3 million. Twitter has continued to bulk up its live and on-demand video content partnerships. On Thursday, NBCUniversal said they would team up to live-stream parts of the 2022 Olympic Games, Twitter's latest move in a series of deals aimed at boosting sports conversation on the platform. It also expanded its multimedia features, launching a Snapchat-style camera feature in the Twitter app and releasing its long-awaited tool for clipping and publishing video. Last week, the company rolled out its redesigned site and in March launched "twttr," a prototype app where certain users can test out new features as part of its efforts to make conversations easier to find and follow. Twitter also recently updated its policies on hateful conduct directed at religious groups and last month introduced a new policy to de-emphasize and label rule-breaking tweets from important sources like politicians, though this has not yet been used. Total operating expenses, including the cost of revenue, rose by 21 per cent to $766 million, partly due to plans to hire more employees.

Twitter beats revenue expectation, sees rise in daily users viewing ads

Congested Google servers in the eastern United States caused problems for<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-preparing-antitrust-probe-of-google-report-223296"> users of Snapchat and YouTube</a> on Sunday, with complaints on social media that the popular apps weren't accessible.

Google acknowledged the issue, writing in a statement on its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-unwanted-asian-shops-shun-phone-trade-ins-on-google-suspension-worries-220614">Cloud Platform status page</a> that it was dealing with "high levels of network congestion in the eastern USA, affecting multiple services in Google Cloud, G Suite and YouTube."

"Users may see slow performance or intermittent errors," it said, adding that engineers had completed the first of two steps to restore normal operations.

Earlier in the day, social media users complained of trouble loading a slew of popular websites and apps.

"Google, YouTube, Snapchat, Shopify, all currently down. Is the internet melting?" asked one Twitter post.

Snapchat and Google-owned YouTube both acknowledged the server issue on their Twitter accounts.

Cloud computing is one of Google's most lucrative services, but faces stiff competition from other technology companies like Amazon and Microsoft.

In March, the world's largest social network, Facebook, blamed a "server configuration change" for a massive outage affecting its applications around the world.

The outage affected users for at least 12 hours in most areas of the world, with the biggest impact in North America and Europe, a tracking website said at the time.

Congested Google servers in the eastern United States caused problems for users of Snapchat and YouTube on Sunday, with complaints on social media that the popular apps weren't accessible.

Congested Google servers in the eastern United States caused problems for users of Snapchat and YouTube on Sunday, with complaints on social media that the popular apps weren't accessible. Google acknowledged the issue, writing in a statement on its Cloud Platform status page that it was dealing with "high levels of network congestion in the eastern USA, affecting multiple services in Google Cloud, G Suite and YouTube." "Users may see slow performance or intermittent errors," it said, adding that engineers had completed the first of two steps to restore normal operations. Earlier in the day, social media users complained of trouble loading a slew of popular websites and apps. "Google, YouTube, Snapchat, Shopify, all currently down. Is the internet melting?" asked one Twitter post. Snapchat and Google-owned YouTube both acknowledged the server issue on their Twitter accounts. Cloud computing is one of Google's most lucrative services, but faces stiff competition from other technology companies like Amazon and Microsoft. In March, the world's largest social network, Facebook, blamed a "server configuration change" for a massive outage affecting its applications around the world. The outage affected users for at least 12 hours in most areas of the world, with the biggest impact in North America and Europe, a tracking website said at the time.

Google servers cause problems for YouTube, Snapchat in US

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