<p>In a move that experts have labelled as evasive, on Monday big-tech companies in New Zealand agreed to forego government regulation in favour of themselves reducing dangerous online content. According to Netsafe, a government-funded internet safety organisation, Twitter, Amazon.com Inc., TikTok, Meta Platforms Inc., and Alphabet-owned Google have all signed a code of conduct called Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms. The organisation's chief Brent Carey said that the signatory companies will follow the code as self-regulation. However, industry lobby group NZTech will be overseeing the compliance.&nbsp;"There are too many Kiwis being bullied, harassed, and abused online, which is why the industry has rallied together to protect users," said Carey.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Have a phobia? A new app can help fight it</strong></p>

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<p>As per a Reuters report, the big-tech companies' adherence to obligations, such as decreasing harmful information online, disclosing how they do so, and allowing independent evaluation of results, would be under the supervision of industry lobbying group NZTech.</p>

<p>NZTech CEO Graeme Muller has expressed hope that "the governance framework will enable it to evolve alongside local conditions, while at the same time respecting the fundamental rights of freedom of expression."</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-cracks-down-on-cyberbullying-the-crime-can-now-get-you-a-year-in-jail-496033">Japan cracks down on cyberbullying, makes it a punishable offence, but experts aren't too happy. Here's why</a></strong></p>

<p>However, interest groups demand more information, such as a system for public complaints and punishment for any noncompliance by the corporations.</p>

<p>They further emphasise that an industry organisation, not the government, is in charge of managing the accord.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/roe-v-wade-google-location-history-of-women-remains-vulnerable-youtube-to-censor-false-videos-on-abortion-499712">Roe v. Wade: Google location history of women remains vulnerable; YouTube to censor false videos on abortion</a></strong></p>

<p title="title">Mandy Henk, CEO of Tohatoha NZ, a non-profit organisation that advocates the social impact of technology, called the move "a weak attempt to preempt regulation – in New Zealand and overseas – by promoting an industry-led model."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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In a move that experts have labelled as evasive, on Monday big-tech companies in New Zealand agreed to forego government regulation in favour of themselves reducing dangerous online content.

In a move that experts have labelled as evasive, on Monday big-tech companies in New Zealand agreed to forego government regulation in favour of themselves reducing dangerous online content. According to Netsafe, a government-funded internet safety organisation, Twitter, Amazon.com Inc., TikTok, Meta Platforms Inc., and Alphabet-owned Google have all signed a code of conduct called Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms. The organisation's chief Brent Carey said that the signatory companies will follow the code as self-regulation. However, industry lobby group NZTech will be overseeing the compliance. "There are too many Kiwis being bullied, harassed, and abused online, which is why the industry has rallied together to protect users," said Carey. Watch | Have a phobia? A new app can help fight it As per a Reuters report, the big-tech companies' adherence to obligations, such as decreasing harmful information online, disclosing how they do so, and allowing independent evaluation of results, would be under the supervision of industry lobbying group NZTech. NZTech CEO Graeme Muller has expressed hope that "the governance framework will enable it to evolve alongside local conditions, while at the same time respecting the fundamental rights of freedom of expression." Also read | Japan cracks down on cyberbullying, makes it a punishable offence, but experts aren't too happy. Here's why However, interest groups demand more information, such as a system for public complaints and punishment for any noncompliance by the corporations. They further emphasise that an industry organisation, not the government, is in charge of managing the accord. Also read | Roe v. Wade: Google location history of women remains vulnerable; YouTube to censor false videos on abortion Mandy Henk, CEO of Tohatoha NZ, a non-profit organisation that advocates the social impact of technology, called the move "a weak attempt to preempt regulation – in New Zealand and overseas – by promoting an industry-led model." (With inputs from agencies) 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.

Big-tech companies agree to self-regulate harmful content in New Zealand, experts call it a 'weak attempt'

<p>In a government’s proposal to keep a check on anonymous trolls, social media users, who would not&nbsp;have&nbsp;verified accounts on platforms like Twitter, may not be able to send&nbsp;messages to other users&nbsp;in the UK. &nbsp;</p>

<p>In it, services like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram will ask users to either opt in or opt out from receiving replies, messages and content from unverified or anonymous accounts. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/for-the-first-time-abortion-through-medication-takes-majority-share-in-us-in-2020-finds-study-456298" hreflang="en">For the first time, abortion through medication takes majority share in US in 2020, finds study</a></strong></p>

<p>The verified users may also be able to block unverified or anonymous accounts from seeing their content under the proposal. &nbsp;</p>

<p>What it means is that the people or organisations, who don’t have verified accounts, would be blocked from communicating with, or being seen by the accounts opting out from interactions with unverified sources. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The verified accounts are symbolised by a blue tick on Twitter and Instagram. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/rise-in-temperature-leads-to-more-mental-health-emergencies-claims-study-456151" hreflang="en">Rise in temperature leads to more mental health emergencies, claims study</a></strong></p>

<p>The new system may get introduced under the online safety bill. It requires tech firms to protect users from harmful content or face the threat of fines to be imposed by the communications regulator, Ofcom. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nadine Dorries, culture secretary, UK, said, “Tech firms have a responsibility to stop anonymous trolls polluting their platforms. People will now have more control over, who can contact them and be able to stop the tidal wave of hate served up to them by rogue algorithms.” &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


In a government’s proposal to keep a check on anonymous trolls, social media users, who would not have verified accounts on platforms like Twitter, may not be able to send messages to other users in the UK.

In a government’s proposal to keep a check on anonymous trolls, social media users, who would not have verified accounts on platforms like Twitter, may not be able to send messages to other users in the UK. In it, services like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram will ask users to either opt in or opt out from receiving replies, messages and content from unverified or anonymous accounts. Also Read: For the first time, abortion through medication takes majority share in US in 2020, finds study The verified users may also be able to block unverified or anonymous accounts from seeing their content under the proposal. What it means is that the people or organisations, who don’t have verified accounts, would be blocked from communicating with, or being seen by the accounts opting out from interactions with unverified sources. The verified accounts are symbolised by a blue tick on Twitter and Instagram. Also Read: Rise in temperature leads to more mental health emergencies, claims study The new system may get introduced under the online safety bill. It requires tech firms to protect users from harmful content or face the threat of fines to be imposed by the communications regulator, Ofcom. Nadine Dorries, culture secretary, UK, said, “Tech firms have a responsibility to stop anonymous trolls polluting their platforms. People will now have more control over, who can contact them and be able to stop the tidal wave of hate served up to them by rogue algorithms.” (With inputs from agencies)

Checking trolls? Social media users may get power to block anonymous accounts in UK

<p>WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, announced on Tuesday that it had banned 2,079,000 accounts in India in December in accordance with the new IT Rules of 2021.</p>

<p>In the same month, the firm received 528 grievance reports from across the country and responded to 24 of them, according to the corporation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In accordance with the IT Rules 2021, we have published our seventh monthly report for the month of December, " a WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement.</p>

<p>"As captured in the latest monthly report, WhatsApp banned over 2 million accounts in the month of December," the spokesperson added.</p>

<p>"WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services," the spokesperson said.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/did-us-government-agencies-ask-whatsapp-to-help-agencies-spy-on-users-in-secret-445762"><strong>Also read | Did US government agencies ask WhatsApp to help agencies spy on users in secret?</strong></a><br />
<br />
The statistics published by WhatsApp emphasise the number of Indian accounts banned between December 1 and December 31 using the aforementioned abuse detection approach, which also includes action taken in response to negative input received from users via our "Report" function, according to the firm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We have constantly invested in artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies, data scientists and experts, and processes over the years to keep our users safe on our platform," it continued.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Meta announced on Monday that in December, it removed over 19.3 million pieces of harmful content from Facebook across 13 categories and over 2.4 million pieces of bad content from Instagram across 12 categories, in accordance with the new IT Rules 2021.</p>

<p>From December 1 to December 31, Meta received 534 allegations against Facebook through the Indian grievance procedure, and replied to all of them, which ranged from bogus profiles to harassment/abusive content and hacked accounts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meta took action on 28 of the other 95 reports that required a specialised review on Facebook.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, announced on Tuesday that it had banned 2,079,000 accounts in India in December in accordance with the new IT Rules of 2021. In the same month, the firm received 528 grievance reports from across the country and responded to 24 of them, according to the corporation.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, announced on Tuesday that it had banned 2,079,000 accounts in India in December in accordance with the new IT Rules of 2021. In the same month, the firm received 528 grievance reports from across the country and responded to 24 of them, according to the corporation. In accordance with the IT Rules 2021, we have published our seventh monthly report for the month of December, " a WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement. "As captured in the latest monthly report, WhatsApp banned over 2 million accounts in the month of December," the spokesperson added. "WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services," the spokesperson said. Also read | Did US government agencies ask WhatsApp to help agencies spy on users in secret? The statistics published by WhatsApp emphasise the number of Indian accounts banned between December 1 and December 31 using the aforementioned abuse detection approach, which also includes action taken in response to negative input received from users via our "Report" function, according to the firm. "We have constantly invested in artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies, data scientists and experts, and processes over the years to keep our users safe on our platform," it continued. Meanwhile, Meta announced on Monday that in December, it removed over 19.3 million pieces of harmful content from Facebook across 13 categories and over 2.4 million pieces of bad content from Instagram across 12 categories, in accordance with the new IT Rules 2021. From December 1 to December 31, Meta received 534 allegations against Facebook through the Indian grievance procedure, and replied to all of them, which ranged from bogus profiles to harassment/abusive content and hacked accounts. Meta took action on 28 of the other 95 reports that required a specialised review on Facebook. (With inputs from agencies)

Whatsapp banned 2 million Indian accounts in December 2021: Compliance report

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="3">Deleting Facebook, according to one lady, was the key to her 30 kg lockdown weight reduction.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="5">Brenda Finn, 33, said that she'd always "been a little overweight," but that bad eating habits caused her to expand to a size 22 between 2016 and 2019.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="6">The candlemaker resolved to change her life after she reached 99 kg in August of last year.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="7">She also blamed her failure to lose weight or stay healthy on social media, alleging that continual posts and advertisements about unhealthy foods were to blame.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="8">Because she had "no excuses," the self-confessed social media junkie went cold turkey.&nbsp;</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="9">Brenda then deleted Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and her weight began to drop dramatically.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="10">Brenda is now a healthy 58 kg, having shed more than a third of her body weight.&nbsp;</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="11">"When I realised how distracting Facebook and Instagram were from my progress, I shut off from it all," she said.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="12">"That was a pinnacle point for me – it was hard to say goodbye to my social media, but it was the best decision I ever made.</p>

<p data-changed="false" data-paragraphid="13"><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Deleting Facebook, according to one lady, was the key to her 30 kg lockdown weight reduction. Brenda Finn, 33, said that she'd always "been a little overweight," but that bad eating habits caused her to expand to a size 22 between 2016 and 2019.

Deleting Facebook, according to one lady, was the key to her 30 kg lockdown weight reduction. Brenda Finn, 33, said that she'd always "been a little overweight," but that bad eating habits caused her to expand to a size 22 between 2016 and 2019. The candlemaker resolved to change her life after she reached 99 kg in August of last year. She also blamed her failure to lose weight or stay healthy on social media, alleging that continual posts and advertisements about unhealthy foods were to blame. Because she had "no excuses," the self-confessed social media junkie went cold turkey. Brenda then deleted Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and her weight began to drop dramatically. Brenda is now a healthy 58 kg, having shed more than a third of her body weight. "When I realised how distracting Facebook and Instagram were from my progress, I shut off from it all," she said. "That was a pinnacle point for me – it was hard to say goodbye to my social media, but it was the best decision I ever made. (With inputs from agencies)

She deleted her Facebook account, and says it helped her lose 32 kg

<p>With the deadline to comply with the new IT rules meant for big social media platforms in India ending on Tuesday, Facebook said that the company aims to comply with the provisions of the new intermediary guidelines and is working towards it.<br />
<br />
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had asked the social media platform to abide by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 by May 25, or face strict action. A Facebook spokesperson said that the company is putting operational processes in place to meet the new IT rules.<br />
<br />
"We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government," a company spokesperson said in a statement.<br />
<br />
"Pursuant to the IT rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies. Facebook remains committed to people`s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platform," the spokesperson added.<br />
<br />
Twitter was yet to speak officially on the May 25 deadline.<br />
<br />
The MeitY had announced it's draft new IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules for social media platforms on February 25.<br />
<br />
As per the new rules, social media platforms will have to remove offending content within 36 hours after a government directive or a legal order.<br />
<br />
The new rules mandate that the intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, must establish a grievance redressal mechanism for receiving/resolving complaints from the users or victims.<br />
<br />
Only homegrown micro-blogging platform Koo has met the compliance requirements of the new IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2021.<br />
<br />
Koo said it has also implemented due diligence and grievance redressal mechanism supported by an Indian resident Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Officer and Grievance Officer.<br />
<br />
"Complying with the new social media guidelines published by the government of India within time clearly shows why it`s important to have Indian social media players thriving in the country," said Aprameya Radhakrishna, Co-Founder and CEO of Koo.</p>


With the deadline to comply with the new IT rules meant for big social media platforms in India ending on Tuesday, Facebook said that the company aims to comply with the provisions of the new intermediary guidelines and is working towards it.

With the deadline to comply with the new IT rules meant for big social media platforms in India ending on Tuesday, Facebook said that the company aims to comply with the provisions of the new intermediary guidelines and is working towards it. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had asked the social media platform to abide by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 by May 25, or face strict action. A Facebook spokesperson said that the company is putting operational processes in place to meet the new IT rules. "We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government," a company spokesperson said in a statement. "Pursuant to the IT rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies. Facebook remains committed to people`s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platform," the spokesperson added. Twitter was yet to speak officially on the May 25 deadline. The MeitY had announced it's draft new IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules for social media platforms on February 25. As per the new rules, social media platforms will have to remove offending content within 36 hours after a government directive or a legal order. The new rules mandate that the intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, must establish a grievance redressal mechanism for receiving/resolving complaints from the users or victims. Only homegrown micro-blogging platform Koo has met the compliance requirements of the new IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2021. Koo said it has also implemented due diligence and grievance redressal mechanism supported by an Indian resident Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Officer and Grievance Officer. "Complying with the new social media guidelines published by the government of India within time clearly shows why it`s important to have Indian social media players thriving in the country," said Aprameya Radhakrishna, Co-Founder and CEO of Koo.

Working hard to meet Indian IT rules for social media: Facebook

<p>As Facebook decided the fate of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a> account, current US President, Joe Biden urged social media platforms to “stop amplifying untrustworthy content”.</p>

<p>“The president’s view is that the major platforms have a responsibility related to the health and safety of all Americans to stop amplifying untrustworthy content, disinformation and misinformation, especially related to COVID-19, vaccinations and elections,” White House spokeswoman, Jen Psaki told reporters.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-oversight-board-upholds-ban-on-donald-trump-383012" hreflang="en">Facebook oversight board upholds ban on Donald Trump</a></strong></p>

<p>Statement from White House came after Facebook decided to continue the ban on former president &nbsp;Donald Trump’s social media account after he was accused of using social media for motivating his supporters to carry out Capitol riots in January.</p>

<p>While the White House refused to directly address the topic of Trump’s ban, Biden has indirectly talked about Trump’s repeated trials of accusing Biden of voter fraud on social media.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-the-desk-of-donald-trump-launches-his-own-social-media-space-382830" hreflang="en">'From the Desk of...': Donald Trump launches his own social media space</a></strong></p>

<p>The statement came a day after Trump launched his own version of social media platform where he can post messages, which can then be shared on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/twitter">Twitter</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook">Facebook</a>. Local media has dubbed this new platform as "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump". The posts published on this platform will be open to liking and sharing. The platform has, reportedly, been built by Campaign Nucleus, the digital services company created by Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale.</p>

<p>Trump will be using this space once again to amplify his claims about the US election 2020 were manipulated and allege his opposition of voter fraud — without providing any proof.</p>

<p>“The fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!," Trump said.</p>


As Facebook decided the fate of Donald Trump’s account, current US President, Joe Biden urged social media platforms to “stop amplifying untrustworthy content”. “The president’s view is that the major platforms have a responsibility related to the health and safety of all Americans to stop amplifying untrustworthy content, disinformation and misinformation, especially related to COVID-19, vaccinations and elections,” White House spokeswoman, Jen Psaki told reporters.

As Facebook decided the fate of Donald Trump’s account, current US President, Joe Biden urged social media platforms to “stop amplifying untrustworthy content”. “The president’s view is that the major platforms have a responsibility related to the health and safety of all Americans to stop amplifying untrustworthy content, disinformation and misinformation, especially related to COVID-19, vaccinations and elections,” White House spokeswoman, Jen Psaki told reporters. Also read | Facebook oversight board upholds ban on Donald Trump Statement from White House came after Facebook decided to continue the ban on former president Donald Trump’s social media account after he was accused of using social media for motivating his supporters to carry out Capitol riots in January. While the White House refused to directly address the topic of Trump’s ban, Biden has indirectly talked about Trump’s repeated trials of accusing Biden of voter fraud on social media. Also read | 'From the Desk of...': Donald Trump launches his own social media space The statement came a day after Trump launched his own version of social media platform where he can post messages, which can then be shared on Twitter and Facebook. Local media has dubbed this new platform as "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump". The posts published on this platform will be open to liking and sharing. The platform has, reportedly, been built by Campaign Nucleus, the digital services company created by Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale. Trump will be using this space once again to amplify his claims about the US election 2020 were manipulated and allege his opposition of voter fraud — without providing any proof. “The fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!," Trump said.

Social media platforms should not amplify 'untrustworthy' content: Biden

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned against the increasing influence large tech companies wield. He said &nbsp;that these tech giants were "competing" with states. Russia is ramping up pressure on foreign internet companies. The companies usually are not subject to state censorship that majority of Russian media outlets work under.</p>

<p>Putin sounded the warning during his virtual address at Davos virtual economic summit. He said it was unclear where the line should be drawn between &nbsp;a "succesful global business" and "attempts to crudely, at their own discretion, control society".</p>

<p>"We just saw it all in the United States," he added, referring to riots earlier this month in Washington led by supporters of then US President Donald Trump.</p>

<p>Moscow earlier this week accused US tech giants of interfering in Russia's internal affairs, in particular during anti-government protests led by supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ahead of the rallies, Russia's media watchdog Roskomnadzor ordered several online platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, to delete posts by users calling for protesters to attend demonstrations.</p>

<p>On Wednesday, the chairman of the lower house State Duma's foreign interference committee, Vasily Piskaryov, said that the head of TikTok's Russian branch had been invited to parliament for a conversation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>\Piskaryov was cited by the TASS news agency as saying that "questions had piled up" about the China-based video-sharing service.</p>

<p>In recent months, TikTok has emerged as a popular platform for young Russians to express their political views.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-biden-putin-phone-call-russias-lower-house-of-parliament-approves-new-start-nuclear-control-treaty-359670">After Biden-Putin phone call, Russia's lower house of Parliament approves New START nuclear control treaty</a></strong></p>

<p>Hashtags dedicated to Navalny have been trending on TikTok, garnering more than 1.5 billion views, after the anti-corruption campaigner was jailed on his return to Russia from Germany.</p>

<p><strong>(With AFP inputs)</strong></p>


Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned against the increasing influence large tech companies wield. He said that these tech giants were "competing" with states.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned against the increasing influence large tech companies wield. He said that these tech giants were "competing" with states. Russia is ramping up pressure on foreign internet companies. The companies usually are not subject to state censorship that majority of Russian media outlets work under. Putin sounded the warning during his virtual address at Davos virtual economic summit. He said it was unclear where the line should be drawn between a "succesful global business" and "attempts to crudely, at their own discretion, control society". "We just saw it all in the United States," he added, referring to riots earlier this month in Washington led by supporters of then US President Donald Trump. Moscow earlier this week accused US tech giants of interfering in Russia's internal affairs, in particular during anti-government protests led by supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Saturday. Ahead of the rallies, Russia's media watchdog Roskomnadzor ordered several online platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, to delete posts by users calling for protesters to attend demonstrations. On Wednesday, the chairman of the lower house State Duma's foreign interference committee, Vasily Piskaryov, said that the head of TikTok's Russian branch had been invited to parliament for a conversation. \Piskaryov was cited by the TASS news agency as saying that "questions had piled up" about the China-based video-sharing service. In recent months, TikTok has emerged as a popular platform for young Russians to express their political views. Also Read | After Biden-Putin phone call, Russia's lower house of Parliament approves New START nuclear control treaty Hashtags dedicated to Navalny have been trending on TikTok, garnering more than 1.5 billion views, after the anti-corruption campaigner was jailed on his return to Russia from Germany. (With AFP inputs)

Putin warns against influence of tech giants, says they 'compete' with states

From Fleets to Reels, here's all the social media buzz that happened in 2020

<p>More than two months after Tik Tok was banned, the story of short video apps in India is moving on two tracks influencers are struggling to rebuild their fan base and compensate for the dip in their incomes while similar homegrown apps are enjoying the spike in the number of users.</p>

<p>So, 24-year-old beatboxer Jesus Mehta is trying to find a new home for his talents but Indian short video companies look at the absence of Tiktok as an opportunity to grow.</p>

<p>On June 29, the government banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, leaving over 200 million users of the short video app feeling a little bereft and those like Mehta with significantly reduced earnings.</p>

<p>A month before joining a job that would have paid him a little under Rs 10,000, Mehta last January decided to make TikTok videos showcasing his beatboxing talent instead.</p>

<p>A year later, he had a following of over two million.</p>

<p>And what had so far been a hobby paid him at least Rs 60,000 a month.</p>

<p>Those glory days are over, at least for the moment, the Surat-based beatboxer said.</p>

<p>The last two months haven't been smooth. TikTok was one of my sources of income. I also take online classes. TikTok alone earned me over Rs 60,000 monthly, and now it barely reaches Rs 20,000, Mehta told PTI over the phone.</p>

<p>He would do brand collaborations and live performances on TikTok, where the audience could send gift points redeemable in cash rewards.</p>

<p>He is now trying to rebuild his fanbase on Instagram and has so far got a little over 17,000 followers.</p>

<p>While there is no dearth of options, including Chingari, Roposo, Rizzle and Instagram Reels, many TikTok creators are still looking for the right platform.</p>

<p>But they will have to start from scratch and wait for a long time before money starts coming in.</p>

<p>Yamuna Nagar-based TikTok creator Abheshek Garg said there are plenty of options available to create content but nothing comes close to TikTok in terms of audience reach and monetary benefits.</p>

<p>"A lot of people were actually relying on TikTok for their bread and butter. So it has been a huge setback. The reach that platform had was immense. No application comes close to that,Garg, a fashion and travel blogger who had over a million followers on TikTok, said.</p>

<p>"If you join any new platform, we won't get any monetary benefits because no brand associates with such new accounts or new applications. TikTok was well established, and it was growing massively in monetary terms, he added.</p>

<p>Though several similar apps existed in India along with TikTok, it was only after the ban that they registered a sudden spike in new users.</p>

<p>Roposo, a leading short-video platform in India, was launched in 2014.</p>

<p>While it already had over 50 million downloads on Google Play Store, another 40 million users downloaded the app in the next two months after the TikTok ban.</p>

<p>However, the Bangalore-based social video platform doesn't think the entire credit goes to the ban.</p>

<p>According to Bikash Chowdhury, chief marketing officer of Glance, the parent company of Roposo, the application was already at the number one spot on the Google Play Store in the social app category in mid-June.</p>

<p>Additionally, a few weeks back we introduced the Pride of India programme, a collaboration with Indian achievers like Babita Phogat, Chandro Tomar, Neel Ghose and Sangram Singh. The multifaceted programme provides these remarkable Indians a platform to mentor and inspire fellow Indians. This programme has seen a lot of engagement, he said.</p>

<p>Vidya Narayanan, CEO and co-founder of Rizzle which was launched in June 2019, also believes it wasn't the TikTok ban that made the app popular but the content by its creators who continue to set new records and inspire new creators to join the tribe.</p>

<p>Finding hundreds and even thousands of videos per creator profile on the feed is not uncommon on Rizzle. Our users surprised us with tweet storms for Rizzle and now it's a regular regime for them. They even started fan pages on Instagram and Facebook. This is a community that is going to town for this app. It is their initiative, Narayanan said.</p>

<p>Since the ban on the popular app, some leading TikTokers', including Khushi Punjaban, who had over 18 million followers for her comedy and dance videos on the banned app, model Neetu Bisht with nearly seven million followers, and chef Rashika Punjabi with 2.8 lakh followers, joined Roposo.</p>

<p>Masterchef India finalist Geetha Sridhar, who had over a million followers, and This is Sumesh' (short comic videos) with one million followers on TikTok, joined the Rizzle app.</p>

<p>Sumit Ghosh, founder of Chingari, sees the scattered migration of top TikTok creators as an opportunity for short-video companies to coexist and even grow together.</p>

<p>TikTok ban has created a kind of a gold rush, hundreds of tech startups are rushing to this space...In this space, we believe there can be multiple players, and they can coexist. Our plan anyway was to coexist with TikTok and grow so I think the differentiating factor will be the content genre, Ghosh said.</p>

<p>Launched in November 2018, the Chingari app currently registers two-three million daily active users.</p>

<p>Ghosh added that Chingari's focus is to build micro creators instead of going after influencers or TikTok stars.</p>

<p>The very multiplicity of options can also be a problem.</p>

<p>Without disclosing details, mental health speaker Gaurav Jain said his earnings had reduced "significantly" after the TikTok ban.</p>

<p>He sees the availability of multiple platforms as a reason behind the division of his follower base on TikTok, which may further cause a delay in getting back the same popularity.</p>

<p>"I think that followers have got distributed on so many different platforms since the TikTok ban. If I had a million followers on TikTok, two lakh might be using Roposo, another lakh might be using Takatak.</p>

<p>"The creator will have to kind of recreate their audience. Some might recognise you from your face maybe, but I don't think the exact one million followers come back to me on another platform. I totally have to rebuild my audience," the Delhi-based influencer, with over a million TikTok followers, said.</p>


More than two months after Tik Tok was banned, the story of short video apps in India is moving on two tracks influencers are struggling to rebuild their fan base and compensate for the dip in their incomes while similar homegrown apps are enjoying the spike in the number of users.

More than two months after Tik Tok was banned, the story of short video apps in India is moving on two tracks influencers are struggling to rebuild their fan base and compensate for the dip in their incomes while similar homegrown apps are enjoying the spike in the number of users. So, 24-year-old beatboxer Jesus Mehta is trying to find a new home for his talents but Indian short video companies look at the absence of Tiktok as an opportunity to grow. On June 29, the government banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, leaving over 200 million users of the short video app feeling a little bereft and those like Mehta with significantly reduced earnings. A month before joining a job that would have paid him a little under Rs 10,000, Mehta last January decided to make TikTok videos showcasing his beatboxing talent instead. A year later, he had a following of over two million. And what had so far been a hobby paid him at least Rs 60,000 a month. Those glory days are over, at least for the moment, the Surat-based beatboxer said. The last two months haven't been smooth. TikTok was one of my sources of income. I also take online classes. TikTok alone earned me over Rs 60,000 monthly, and now it barely reaches Rs 20,000, Mehta told PTI over the phone. He would do brand collaborations and live performances on TikTok, where the audience could send gift points redeemable in cash rewards. He is now trying to rebuild his fanbase on Instagram and has so far got a little over 17,000 followers. While there is no dearth of options, including Chingari, Roposo, Rizzle and Instagram Reels, many TikTok creators are still looking for the right platform. But they will have to start from scratch and wait for a long time before money starts coming in. Yamuna Nagar-based TikTok creator Abheshek Garg said there are plenty of options available to create content but nothing comes close to TikTok in terms of audience reach and monetary benefits. "A lot of people were actually relying on TikTok for their bread and butter. So it has been a huge setback. The reach that platform had was immense. No application comes close to that,Garg, a fashion and travel blogger who had over a million followers on TikTok, said. "If you join any new platform, we won't get any monetary benefits because no brand associates with such new accounts or new applications. TikTok was well established, and it was growing massively in monetary terms, he added. Though several similar apps existed in India along with TikTok, it was only after the ban that they registered a sudden spike in new users. Roposo, a leading short-video platform in India, was launched in 2014. While it already had over 50 million downloads on Google Play Store, another 40 million users downloaded the app in the next two months after the TikTok ban. However, the Bangalore-based social video platform doesn't think the entire credit goes to the ban. According to Bikash Chowdhury, chief marketing officer of Glance, the parent company of Roposo, the application was already at the number one spot on the Google Play Store in the social app category in mid-June. Additionally, a few weeks back we introduced the Pride of India programme, a collaboration with Indian achievers like Babita Phogat, Chandro Tomar, Neel Ghose and Sangram Singh. The multifaceted programme provides these remarkable Indians a platform to mentor and inspire fellow Indians. This programme has seen a lot of engagement, he said. Vidya Narayanan, CEO and co-founder of Rizzle which was launched in June 2019, also believes it wasn't the TikTok ban that made the app popular but the content by its creators who continue to set new records and inspire new creators to join the tribe. Finding hundreds and even thousands of videos per creator profile on the feed is not uncommon on Rizzle. Our users surprised us with tweet storms for Rizzle and now it's a regular regime for them. They even started fan pages on Instagram and Facebook. This is a community that is going to town for this app. It is their initiative, Narayanan said. Since the ban on the popular app, some leading TikTokers', including Khushi Punjaban, who had over 18 million followers for her comedy and dance videos on the banned app, model Neetu Bisht with nearly seven million followers, and chef Rashika Punjabi with 2.8 lakh followers, joined Roposo. Masterchef India finalist Geetha Sridhar, who had over a million followers, and This is Sumesh' (short comic videos) with one million followers on TikTok, joined the Rizzle app. Sumit Ghosh, founder of Chingari, sees the scattered migration of top TikTok creators as an opportunity for short-video companies to coexist and even grow together. TikTok ban has created a kind of a gold rush, hundreds of tech startups are rushing to this space...In this space, we believe there can be multiple players, and they can coexist. Our plan anyway was to coexist with TikTok and grow so I think the differentiating factor will be the content genre, Ghosh said. Launched in November 2018, the Chingari app currently registers two-three million daily active users. Ghosh added that Chingari's focus is to build micro creators instead of going after influencers or TikTok stars. The very multiplicity of options can also be a problem. Without disclosing details, mental health speaker Gaurav Jain said his earnings had reduced "significantly" after the TikTok ban. He sees the availability of multiple platforms as a reason behind the division of his follower base on TikTok, which may further cause a delay in getting back the same popularity. "I think that followers have got distributed on so many different platforms since the TikTok ban. If I had a million followers on TikTok, two lakh might be using Roposo, another lakh might be using Takatak. "The creator will have to kind of recreate their audience. Some might recognise you from your face maybe, but I don't think the exact one million followers come back to me on another platform. I totally have to rebuild my audience," the Delhi-based influencer, with over a million TikTok followers, said.

Two months after TikTok: Influencers busy rebuilding fan base as homegrown apps enjoy 'gold rush'

<p>To show solidarity with all minority, online and offline,&nbsp; communities, Starbucks has also&nbsp;announced a temporary stop to all social media advertisements to come up with a plan to "stop the spread of hate speech"</p>

<p>"We believe in bringing communities together, both in person and online, and we stand against hate speech," the Seattle-based coffee giant said in a statement.</p>

<p>"We believe more must be done to create welcoming and inclusive online communities, and we believe both business leaders and policy makers need to come together to affect real change."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coca-cola-says-pausing-social-media-advertising-308915"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Coca-Cola says pausing social media advertising</strong></a></p>

<p>Few days after Unilever and Coco Cola announced a temporary social media advertisement ban, Starbucks too announced a temporary stop to the social media advertisements. However, Starbucks has cleared that this is not a boycott, but just a way to come up with a more inclusive approach.</p>

<p>"We will pause advertising on all social media platforms while we continue discussions internally, with our media partners and with civil rights organizations in the effort to stop the spread of hate speech," the statement continued.</p>

<p>While protests against racism took over the streets of the US, social media platforms, especially Facebook, were criticised for allowing, and indirectly spreading, hate messages towards minority groups on their platforms.</p>

<p>After this accusation, NAACP, a civil rights group that defends African Americans' interests,&nbsp;and the Anti-Defamation League, which fights anti-Semitism, called for an advertising boycott which was supported by Unilever and Coca Cola.</p>


To show solidarity with all minority, online and offline, communities, Starbucks has also announced a temporary stop to all social media advertisements to come up with a plan to "stop the spread of hate speech" "We believe in bringing communities together, both in person and online, and we stand against hate speech," the Seattle-based coffee giant said in a statement.

To show solidarity with all minority, online and offline, communities, Starbucks has also announced a temporary stop to all social media advertisements to come up with a plan to "stop the spread of hate speech" "We believe in bringing communities together, both in person and online, and we stand against hate speech," the Seattle-based coffee giant said in a statement. "We believe more must be done to create welcoming and inclusive online communities, and we believe both business leaders and policy makers need to come together to affect real change." Also read: Coca-Cola says pausing social media advertising Few days after Unilever and Coco Cola announced a temporary social media advertisement ban, Starbucks too announced a temporary stop to the social media advertisements. However, Starbucks has cleared that this is not a boycott, but just a way to come up with a more inclusive approach. "We will pause advertising on all social media platforms while we continue discussions internally, with our media partners and with civil rights organizations in the effort to stop the spread of hate speech," the statement continued. While protests against racism took over the streets of the US, social media platforms, especially Facebook, were criticised for allowing, and indirectly spreading, hate messages towards minority groups on their platforms. After this accusation, NAACP, a civil rights group that defends African Americans' interests, and the Anti-Defamation League, which fights anti-Semitism, called for an advertising boycott which was supported by Unilever and Coca Cola.

Starbucks pauses social media ads to fight against 'hate speech'

<p>Chinese social networking platform TikTok on Thursday added parental control feature to its app that will allow parents to set restrictions on the accounts of their children remotely.</p>

<p>Media reports suggest that the feature is named 'family Pairing', that lets parents link their TikTok accounts with the account of the children. 'Family Pairing' allows parents to disable direct messages, set screen time limits and disable direct messages.</p>

<p>TikTok will also be disabling the feature of direct messages for all the users below the age of 16 from today.</p>

<p>TikTok is a Chinese video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The feature has been officially introduced but TikTok said that the worldwide rollout will take place over the “coming weeks.”</p>

<p>This is not a well-explained feature. But for an app of TikTok’s scale, it’s likely based in large part on users flagging inappropriate videos they come across.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>


Chinese social networking platform TikTok on Thursday added parental control feature to its app that will allow parents to set restrictions on the accounts of their children remotely.

Chinese social networking platform TikTok on Thursday added parental control feature to its app that will allow parents to set restrictions on the accounts of their children remotely. Media reports suggest that the feature is named 'family Pairing', that lets parents link their TikTok accounts with the account of the children. 'Family Pairing' allows parents to disable direct messages, set screen time limits and disable direct messages. TikTok will also be disabling the feature of direct messages for all the users below the age of 16 from today. TikTok is a Chinese video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming. The feature has been officially introduced but TikTok said that the worldwide rollout will take place over the “coming weeks.” This is not a well-explained feature. But for an app of TikTok’s scale, it’s likely based in large part on users flagging inappropriate videos they come across. (With inputs from ANI)

TikTok adds ‘Family Pairing’, gives parents more control over their kids' accounts

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidlfb6NUIKfbjP" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>India plans to amend proposed rules for policing digital content so the toughest measures apply only to big social media firms, according to two government sources, in a move that could give relief to other tech players fearful of the new regulations.</p>

<p>The original proposal would have forced all tech players, in addition to Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, to deploy automated tools to check for unlawful content and to appoint an officer for "24x7" coordination with law enforcement.</p>

<p>The rules are part of India's broader efforts to tackle disinformation and "fake news". Since 2017, rumour-mongering on social media has been blamed for mob attacks that killed 30 people across the country.</p>

<p>But the draft proposals, called "intermediary guidelines" when they were released in December 2018, could have applied to a broad range of technology firms including e-commerce players, cloud storage providers and telecoms companies.</p>

<p>India's IT ministry is now considering a two-tier system - with stricter rules similar to the original proposals applying only to social media companies, said the two government sources, who declined to be named as the plans are still private.</p>

<p>"The problem is largely with large messaging platforms, ones that enable interaction. Some of the requirements for non-social media companies were unrealistic," one of the officials said.</p>

<p>India's IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment.</p>

<p>The second government source said that having two separate layers of rules would mean that big social media companies such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Chinese video app TikTok would continue to face stricter regulation, but technology firms such as Amazon.com could breathe easier.</p>

<p>The official described the proposed regulation for other technology companies as "minimal" and "simple", adding the rules would be finalised later this month.</p>

<p>India's IT ministry has previously said stricter regulations were necessary to safeguard users and the nation's security as the Internet has emerged as a "potent tool to cause unimaginable disruption to the democratic polity".</p>

<p>The original draft rules also said companies must "remove or disable access" to "unlawful" content within 24 hours when asked by a government agency or through a court order.</p>

<p>That particular requirement, however, would likely stay in the new rules for both social media and other technology firms, the sources said.</p>

<p>Global internet companies Mozilla Corp, Microsoft's GitHub and Cloudflare Inc this week wrote an open letter to India's IT minister, saying the draft 2018 regulations were extremely broad and would impact many companies.</p>

<p>Calling for new rules to be made public soon, the companies also said the timeline of 24 hours for removing content posed significant implementation challenges.</p>


India plans to amend proposed rules for policing digital content so the toughest measures apply only to big social media firms, according to two government sources, in a move that could give relief to other tech players fearful of the new regulations.

India plans to amend proposed rules for policing digital content so the toughest measures apply only to big social media firms, according to two government sources, in a move that could give relief to other tech players fearful of the new regulations. The original proposal would have forced all tech players, in addition to Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, to deploy automated tools to check for unlawful content and to appoint an officer for "24x7" coordination with law enforcement. The rules are part of India's broader efforts to tackle disinformation and "fake news". Since 2017, rumour-mongering on social media has been blamed for mob attacks that killed 30 people across the country. But the draft proposals, called "intermediary guidelines" when they were released in December 2018, could have applied to a broad range of technology firms including e-commerce players, cloud storage providers and telecoms companies. India's IT ministry is now considering a two-tier system - with stricter rules similar to the original proposals applying only to social media companies, said the two government sources, who declined to be named as the plans are still private. "The problem is largely with large messaging platforms, ones that enable interaction. Some of the requirements for non-social media companies were unrealistic," one of the officials said. India's IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The second government source said that having two separate layers of rules would mean that big social media companies such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Chinese video app TikTok would continue to face stricter regulation, but technology firms such as Amazon.com could breathe easier. The official described the proposed regulation for other technology companies as "minimal" and "simple", adding the rules would be finalised later this month. India's IT ministry has previously said stricter regulations were necessary to safeguard users and the nation's security as the Internet has emerged as a "potent tool to cause unimaginable disruption to the democratic polity". The original draft rules also said companies must "remove or disable access" to "unlawful" content within 24 hours when asked by a government agency or through a court order. That particular requirement, however, would likely stay in the new rules for both social media and other technology firms, the sources said. Global internet companies Mozilla Corp, Microsoft's GitHub and Cloudflare Inc this week wrote an open letter to India's IT minister, saying the draft 2018 regulations were extremely broad and would impact many companies. Calling for new rules to be made public soon, the companies also said the timeline of 24 hours for removing content posed significant implementation challenges.

India to tweak proposed content regulations to ease burden on some: Sources

<p>The top&nbsp;US&nbsp;solar&nbsp;industry&nbsp;trade group on Wednesday urged members to use social media to hit back in a dispute with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/washington-airspace-alert-sparks-white-house-lockdown-264738">White&nbsp;House</a>&nbsp;over whether the Trump administration's tariffs on imported panels are killing or creating American jobs.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;Solar&nbsp;Energy&nbsp;Industry&nbsp;Association's call to action came a day after it released a study saying the levies would cost 62,000 jobs and $19 billion in clean energy investments. The study is part of a strategy to persuade President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/global-stocks-rattled-after-donald-trump-says-no-deadline-on-us-china-trade-deal-266025">Donald Trump</a> to reduce or end the four-year tariff regime implemented early last year.</p>

<p>The study prompted a withering rebuttal from Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro, who called the estimate&nbsp;"fake news" and the association "a loose confederation of Chinese&nbsp;solar&nbsp;companies seeking to destroy American&nbsp;solar&nbsp;manufacturing jobs."</p>

<p>In an email to the&nbsp;solar&nbsp;group's public relations committee on Wednesday, Dan Whitten, it's vice president of public affairs, asked that members post photos of&nbsp;US&nbsp;solar&nbsp;workers online with the phrase: "Mr. Peter Navarro, I am an American&nbsp;solar&nbsp;worker. #StopSolarTariffs @WhiteHouse&nbsp;&amp; @USTradeRep".</p>

<p>"We need your help to punch back," said the email, which was seen by Reuters. "We need to engage our workers in a&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;to hit back."</p>

<p>SEIA's president, Abigail Hopper, issued a statement in response to Navarro's comments saying: "We'd be thrilled if Mr. Navarro would come to one of our conferences to meet some of the 240,000 Americans who work in this great&nbsp;industry, including the tens of thousands of people who manufacture&nbsp;solar&nbsp;products."</p>

<p>Trump's tariff program on imported panels was his opening salvo in a trade war aimed at helping&nbsp;US&nbsp;manufacturers rebound from years of decline due to foreign competition.&nbsp;Solar&nbsp;installers opposed the tariffs because they rely on cheap imported panels to compete with fossil fuels.</p>

<p>The levies started at 30 per cent&nbsp;and were designed to drop by five percentage points each year.</p>

<p>The report, whose gloomy forecasts were based on that rate regime, came out two days before a scheduled mid-term review of the tariff program by the International Trade Commission that could influence whether Trump maintains, changes or cancels it.</p>

<p>Most panels installed in the United States are made in Asia. Despite the tariffs, panel prices have continued to fall due to an oversupply in top producer China, which cut incentives on installations, unleashing a flood of&nbsp;solar&nbsp;products onto the global market.</p>


The top US solar industry trade group on Wednesday urged members to use social media to hit back in a dispute with the White House over whether the Trump administration's tariffs on imported panels are killing or creating American jobs.

The top US solar industry trade group on Wednesday urged members to use social media to hit back in a dispute with the White House over whether the Trump administration's tariffs on imported panels are killing or creating American jobs. The Solar Energy Industry Association's call to action came a day after it released a study saying the levies would cost 62,000 jobs and $19 billion in clean energy investments. The study is part of a strategy to persuade President Donald Trump to reduce or end the four-year tariff regime implemented early last year. The study prompted a withering rebuttal from Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro, who called the estimate "fake news" and the association "a loose confederation of Chinese solar companies seeking to destroy American solar manufacturing jobs." In an email to the solar group's public relations committee on Wednesday, Dan Whitten, it's vice president of public affairs, asked that members post photos of US solar workers online with the phrase: "Mr. Peter Navarro, I am an American solar worker. #StopSolarTariffs @WhiteHouse & @USTradeRep". "We need your help to punch back," said the email, which was seen by Reuters. "We need to engage our workers in a Twitter campaign to hit back." SEIA's president, Abigail Hopper, issued a statement in response to Navarro's comments saying: "We'd be thrilled if Mr. Navarro would come to one of our conferences to meet some of the 240,000 Americans who work in this great industry, including the tens of thousands of people who manufacture solar products." Trump's tariff program on imported panels was his opening salvo in a trade war aimed at helping US manufacturers rebound from years of decline due to foreign competition. Solar installers opposed the tariffs because they rely on cheap imported panels to compete with fossil fuels. The levies started at 30 per cent and were designed to drop by five percentage points each year. The report, whose gloomy forecasts were based on that rate regime, came out two days before a scheduled mid-term review of the tariff program by the International Trade Commission that could influence whether Trump maintains, changes or cancels it. Most panels installed in the United States are made in Asia. Despite the tariffs, panel prices have continued to fall due to an oversupply in top producer China, which cut incentives on installations, unleashing a flood of solar products onto the global market.

US solar industry urged members to use social media to 'hit back' at White house

<p>Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women Empowerment on Thursday met representatives of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-corrects-users-post-under-new-singapore-fake-news-law-265378">Facebook</a> group at Parliament House Annexe building in view of rising crime against women on social media.</p>

<p>The Committee chaired by Lok Sabha Heena Gavit will discuss <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/cyber-bullying-star-suicides-the-dark-side-of-south-koreas-k-pop-world-265173">cyber harassment</a> and cyberbullying with representatives of the social media giant, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.</p>

<p>A meeting of the committee was called on December 4 and 5 in which representatives of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have been called.</p>

<p>On Wednesday, the Parliamentary Committee met Twitter India representatives and had a detail discussion on cyber harassment and cyberbullying, sources said.<br />
<br />
The Parliamentary Committee has called the representatives of social media companies amidst the concerns raised on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rape-survivor-set-ablaze-in-unnao-266330">safety of women</a> across the country.</p>

<p>Sources said, Twitter India has given presentations to the Parliamentary Committee on women safety, on how Twitter works, how to report on Twitter and on the basis of complaint how Twitter will take action against complaint.</p>


Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women Empowerment on Thursday met representatives of the Facebook group at Parliament House Annexe building in view of rising crime against women on social media.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women Empowerment on Thursday met representatives of the Facebook group at Parliament House Annexe building in view of rising crime against women on social media. The Committee chaired by Lok Sabha Heena Gavit will discuss cyber harassment and cyberbullying with representatives of the social media giant, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. A meeting of the committee was called on December 4 and 5 in which representatives of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have been called. On Wednesday, the Parliamentary Committee met Twitter India representatives and had a detail discussion on cyber harassment and cyberbullying, sources said. The Parliamentary Committee has called the representatives of social media companies amidst the concerns raised on the safety of women across the country. Sources said, Twitter India has given presentations to the Parliamentary Committee on women safety, on how Twitter works, how to report on Twitter and on the basis of complaint how Twitter will take action against complaint.

Parliamentary panel meets Facebook group over rising crime against women on social media

<p>Demi Lovato has made a revelation that she is dating model Austin Wilson. She made the relationship Instagram official! The 'Sorry Not Sorry'&nbsp;singer made it clear that she is now off the market as she posted a monochrome picture of her with Austin who is cutely planting a kiss on her cheek on Tuesday and captioned, "My" accompanied by a heart emoticon.<br />
<br />
To confirm the same, the 25-year old model too shared the same click on his feed writing, "My love". And in no time, the singer's friends dropped their congratulatory notes in the comment section.&nbsp;</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4y9w_ZhYui/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">My ❤️...</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ddlovato/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Demi Lovato</a> (@ddlovato) on <time datetime="2019-11-13T06:56:03+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 12, 2019 at 10:56pm PST</time></p>
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<p>Actor Debra Messing commented on the post, "Gorgeous''. However, their dating timeline is not confirmed yet. Meanwhile, Lovato was most recently linked to 'Bachelorette'&nbsp;alum Mike Johnson.&nbsp;</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4y-mtPnAXm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">My Love🥰</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/austingwilson/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> 🌴 LA🌴</a> (@austingwilson) on <time datetime="2019-11-13T07:03:24+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 12, 2019 at 11:03pm PST</time></p>
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<p>After exchanging some flirty messages on social media, their romance fizzled out&nbsp;after Johnson opened up about their private dates and disclosed that Lovato is a really good kisser.<br />
<br />
"Nothing happened, it just ran its course," an insider source told news agency&nbsp;in late October. The insider added, "Demi was definitely interested in Mike at one point, but it was short-lived and she wasn't ever planning on dating him seriously".<br />
<br />
A few days back, she opened up about her fatal drug overdose in July 2018. On the work front, Lovato is all set to appear in the upcoming season of 'Will &amp; Grace'&nbsp;which airs next year.</p>


Demi Lovato has made a revelation that she is dating model Austin Wilson. She made the relationship Instagram official! The 'Sorry Not Sorry' singer made it clear that she is now off the market as she posted a monochrome picture of her with Austin who is cutely planting a kiss on her cheek on Tuesday and captioned, "My" accompanied by a heart emoticon.

Demi Lovato has made a revelation that she is dating model Austin Wilson. She made the relationship Instagram official! The 'Sorry Not Sorry' singer made it clear that she is now off the market as she posted a monochrome picture of her with Austin who is cutely planting a kiss on her cheek on Tuesday and captioned, "My" accompanied by a heart emoticon. To confirm the same, the 25-year old model too shared the same click on his feed writing, "My love". And in no time, the singer's friends dropped their congratulatory notes in the comment section. View this post on Instagram My ❤️... A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on Nov 12, 2019 at 10:56pm PST × Actor Debra Messing commented on the post, "Gorgeous''. However, their dating timeline is not confirmed yet. Meanwhile, Lovato was most recently linked to 'Bachelorette' alum Mike Johnson. View this post on Instagram My Love🥰 A post shared by 🌴 LA🌴 (@austingwilson) on Nov 12, 2019 at 11:03pm PST × After exchanging some flirty messages on social media, their romance fizzled out after Johnson opened up about their private dates and disclosed that Lovato is a really good kisser. "Nothing happened, it just ran its course," an insider source told news agency in late October. The insider added, "Demi was definitely interested in Mike at one point, but it was short-lived and she wasn't ever planning on dating him seriously". A few days back, she opened up about her fatal drug overdose in July 2018. On the work front, Lovato is all set to appear in the upcoming season of 'Will & Grace' which airs next year.

Demi Lovato dating Austin Wilson; makes it Instagram official

<p>&nbsp;Social media platforms will observe a voluntary code of ethics during "the ongoing Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls" as well as in all future elections, the Election Commission (EC) said on Thursday.</p>

<p>"The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on behalf of its members has agreed to observe the voluntary code of ethics during all future elections including the ongoing general elections to the Haryana and Maharashtra Legislative Assemblies and various bye-elections being held simultaneously," an official statement said.</p>

<p>"This came into immediate effect from the day it was presented to the Commission on March 20. During the election period, social media platforms took action on 909 violative cases, reported by the EC," the statement added.</p>

<p>Under it, social media platforms have created a high priority dedicated grievance redressal channel for taking prompt action on the cases reported by the electoral body. The social media platforms and the Commission have developed a notification mechanism by which poll panel can notify the platforms for potential violations of electoral laws, said the statement.</p>

<p>The platforms will ensure that all political advertisements on their platforms are pre-certified from the media certification and monitoring committees of the EC. Besides, they will voluntarily undertake information, education and communication campaigns to build awareness related to electoral laws and other related instructions, the statement said.</p>

<p>The social media platforms and the EC have developed a notification mechanism and by this, the electoral body can notify the relevant platforms of potential violations of Section 126 of the R.P. Act, 1951, and other electoral laws.</p>

<p>Platforms will ensure that all political advertisements are pre-certified from the media certification and monitoring committees as per the directions of the Supreme Court. Participating platforms are committed to facilitate transparency in paid political advertisements, including utilizing their pre-existing labels/disclosure technology for such advertisements.</p>


Social media platforms will observe a voluntary code of ethics during "the ongoing Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls" as well as in all future elections, the Election Commission (EC) said on Thursday.

Social media platforms will observe a voluntary code of ethics during "the ongoing Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls" as well as in all future elections, the Election Commission (EC) said on Thursday. "The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on behalf of its members has agreed to observe the voluntary code of ethics during all future elections including the ongoing general elections to the Haryana and Maharashtra Legislative Assemblies and various bye-elections being held simultaneously," an official statement said. "This came into immediate effect from the day it was presented to the Commission on March 20. During the election period, social media platforms took action on 909 violative cases, reported by the EC," the statement added. Under it, social media platforms have created a high priority dedicated grievance redressal channel for taking prompt action on the cases reported by the electoral body. The social media platforms and the Commission have developed a notification mechanism by which poll panel can notify the platforms for potential violations of electoral laws, said the statement. The platforms will ensure that all political advertisements on their platforms are pre-certified from the media certification and monitoring committees of the EC. Besides, they will voluntarily undertake information, education and communication campaigns to build awareness related to electoral laws and other related instructions, the statement said. The social media platforms and the EC have developed a notification mechanism and by this, the electoral body can notify the relevant platforms of potential violations of Section 126 of the R.P. Act, 1951, and other electoral laws. Platforms will ensure that all political advertisements are pre-certified from the media certification and monitoring committees as per the directions of the Supreme Court. Participating platforms are committed to facilitate transparency in paid political advertisements, including utilizing their pre-existing labels/disclosure technology for such advertisements.

Social media platforms to observe voluntary code of ethics during elections: Election Commission

<p>Nepal's government on Wednesday tabled draft legislation that would impose harsh <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bill-introduced-by-nepal-pm-proposes-five-years-of-jail-for-posting-anti-government-content-on-social-media-197921">penalties for "improper" social media posts</a>, igniting concerns it could be used to suppress freedom of speech and stifle dissent.</p>

<p>Under the proposed law, the government would have the power to block social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube unless they register in Nepal.</p>

<p>And social media posts deemed defamatory or against national sovereignty could be punished with up to five years in jail and a fine of 1.5 million Nepalese rupees ($13,000).</p>

<p>No timetable was given for passing the bill, but activists have described it as an attempt to shackle criticism of the powerful communist government, which has a two-thirds majority in parliament.</p>

<p>"The bill is against the freedom of expression and justice as it criminalises online expression," Tara Nath Dahal of Freedom Forum, a media freedom organisation, told AFP.</p>

<p>The government has defended the bill, saying it is needed to ensure data and internet security.</p>

<p>"The bill was registered to manage social networking sites because the challenges caused by such sites are increasing," information minister Gokul Prasad Baskota told parliament.</p>

<p>Under the proposed law, the government can also instruct social network site operators to remove posts. Failure to do so could lead to a three-year jail term and a 30,000-rupee fine.</p>

<p>The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on the government to address concerns raised by rights groups.</p>

<p>"The proposed law put forward by the Nepal government is a blatant attempt to control and muzzle freedom of expression on social media," it said in a statement.</p>

<p>"Freedom of expression is guaranteed in the Nepal constitution, and this must be respected and protected by the government."</p>

<p>The ruling party has shown increasing intolerance for dissent since its landslide victory in 2017.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another law barring civil servants from criticising government policies on social media was tabled earlier this month.</p>

<p>A popular folk singer was forced to take down a satirical anti-corruption song from YouTube last week after pressure from ruling party cadres.</p>

<p>Nepal, with a population of about 30 million, has an internet penetration of 57 percent.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have millions of users in the South Asian nation.</p>


Nepal's government on Wednesday tabled draft legislation that would impose harsh penalties for "improper" social media posts, igniting concerns it could be used to suppress freedom of speech and stifle dissent.

Nepal's government on Wednesday tabled draft legislation that would impose harsh penalties for "improper" social media posts, igniting concerns it could be used to suppress freedom of speech and stifle dissent. Under the proposed law, the government would have the power to block social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube unless they register in Nepal. And social media posts deemed defamatory or against national sovereignty could be punished with up to five years in jail and a fine of 1.5 million Nepalese rupees ($13,000). No timetable was given for passing the bill, but activists have described it as an attempt to shackle criticism of the powerful communist government, which has a two-thirds majority in parliament. "The bill is against the freedom of expression and justice as it criminalises online expression," Tara Nath Dahal of Freedom Forum, a media freedom organisation, told AFP. The government has defended the bill, saying it is needed to ensure data and internet security. "The bill was registered to manage social networking sites because the challenges caused by such sites are increasing," information minister Gokul Prasad Baskota told parliament. Under the proposed law, the government can also instruct social network site operators to remove posts. Failure to do so could lead to a three-year jail term and a 30,000-rupee fine. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on the government to address concerns raised by rights groups. "The proposed law put forward by the Nepal government is a blatant attempt to control and muzzle freedom of expression on social media," it said in a statement. "Freedom of expression is guaranteed in the Nepal constitution, and this must be respected and protected by the government." The ruling party has shown increasing intolerance for dissent since its landslide victory in 2017. Another law barring civil servants from criticising government policies on social media was tabled earlier this month. A popular folk singer was forced to take down a satirical anti-corruption song from YouTube last week after pressure from ruling party cadres. Nepal, with a population of about 30 million, has an internet penetration of 57 percent. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have millions of users in the South Asian nation.

Nepal social media bill sparks freedom of speech concerns

<p>Taiwanese rescue teams were trying Tuesday to retrieve the body of a dead hiker who became famous on social media for taking selfies on top of mountain peaks dressed in a bikini.</p>

<p>Gigi Wu -- dubbed the "Bikini Climber" by fans -- used a satellite phone on Saturday to tell friends she had fallen down a ravine in Taiwan's Yushan national park and badly injured herself.</p>

<p>Rescue helicopters struggled to reach her because of bad weather and officials eventually located her lifeless body on Monday.</p>

<p>"The weather conditions in the mountains are not good, we have asked our rescuers to move the body to a more open space and after the weather clears we will make a request for a helicopter to bring the body down," Lin Cheng-yi, from the Nantou County Fire and Rescue Services, told reporters.</p>

<p>Officials said Wu had told friends she was unable to move the lower half of her body after a fall of some 20-30 metres (65-100 feet) but was able to give her coordinates.</p>

<p>She is the latest in a string of social media adventure seekers who have met an untimely end.</p>

<p>Last week, the bodies of an Indian couple were found at the bottom of a popular overlook in California's Yosemite National Park after hikers alerted officials to their camera equipment at the top of the cliff.</p>

<p>New Taipei City native Wu, 36, built up a sizeable social media following through photos of herself at the top of mountains dressed in bikinis.</p>

<p>She usually wore hiking clothes to scale the mountains, only changing into a bikini once she reached the top.</p>

<p>In an interview with local channel FTV last year, she said she had scaled more than 100 peaks in four years.</p>

<p>"I put on a bikini in each one of the 100 mountains. I only have around 97 bikinis so I accidentally repeated some," she said.</p>

<p>When asked why she did it, she replied: "It just looks so beautiful, what's not to like?"</p>

<p>While Taiwan is a largely tropical country, it boasts a spine of towering peaks down its middle that regularly top 3,000 metres. In the winter, temperatures routinely drop well below freezing on the mountain slopes.</p>

<p>Lin said their top rescue team hiked for 28 hours to reach the body, only sleeping for three hours because they knew temperatures were rapidly plunging.</p>


Taiwanese rescue teams were trying Tuesday to retrieve the body of a dead hiker who became famous on social media for taking selfies on top of mountain peaks dressed in a bikini.

Taiwanese rescue teams were trying Tuesday to retrieve the body of a dead hiker who became famous on social media for taking selfies on top of mountain peaks dressed in a bikini. Gigi Wu -- dubbed the "Bikini Climber" by fans -- used a satellite phone on Saturday to tell friends she had fallen down a ravine in Taiwan's Yushan national park and badly injured herself. Rescue helicopters struggled to reach her because of bad weather and officials eventually located her lifeless body on Monday. "The weather conditions in the mountains are not good, we have asked our rescuers to move the body to a more open space and after the weather clears we will make a request for a helicopter to bring the body down," Lin Cheng-yi, from the Nantou County Fire and Rescue Services, told reporters. Officials said Wu had told friends she was unable to move the lower half of her body after a fall of some 20-30 metres (65-100 feet) but was able to give her coordinates. She is the latest in a string of social media adventure seekers who have met an untimely end. Last week, the bodies of an Indian couple were found at the bottom of a popular overlook in California's Yosemite National Park after hikers alerted officials to their camera equipment at the top of the cliff. New Taipei City native Wu, 36, built up a sizeable social media following through photos of herself at the top of mountains dressed in bikinis. She usually wore hiking clothes to scale the mountains, only changing into a bikini once she reached the top. In an interview with local channel FTV last year, she said she had scaled more than 100 peaks in four years. "I put on a bikini in each one of the 100 mountains. I only have around 97 bikinis so I accidentally repeated some," she said. When asked why she did it, she replied: "It just looks so beautiful, what's not to like?" While Taiwan is a largely tropical country, it boasts a spine of towering peaks down its middle that regularly top 3,000 metres. In the winter, temperatures routinely drop well below freezing on the mountain slopes. Lin said their top rescue team hiked for 28 hours to reach the body, only sleeping for three hours because they knew temperatures were rapidly plunging.

Taiwan's 'Bikini Climber' dies after falling into ravine

<p>Social media posts of political parties and groups in poll-bound Telangana will come under the Election Commission's scanner to check for any objectionable content under the model code of conduct, state Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar has said.</p>

<p>An agency had been appointed in Telangana to help the CEO on social media issues and the EC at the national and the state level is in touch with companies such as Google and Facebook, which have assured cooperation in cases of violation of the model code of conduct (MCC), he said.</p>

<p>Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Telangana on December 7.</p>

<p>"We are working out the matrix right now on how to control social media (content violative of MCC)... We will put some keywords which indicate a violation of MCC... An appeal or an offer of money with catchphrases. We will scan through various websites, the CEO told PTI.</p>

<p>The official said Telangana Director General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy has also offered help of the Cyber wing in taking action in cases of violation of the code.</p>

<p>"The source will be identified and action will be taken against him under the relevant sections of IPC and cyber crimes also," he said.</p>

<p>According to him, the guidelines for social media are exactly the same as that of print and electronic media.</p>

<p>Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said they will keep an eye on bulk messaging sent through social media or the traditional way with a malafide intention.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Besides monitoring, a Facebook page under the name Chief Electoral officer Telangana has been created to update news and initiatives by the EC to reach out to voters.</p>

<p>The page had already clocked over 9.70 lakh views as of October 11, Kumar said.</p>

<p>Around 90 per cent of followers are less than 34 years of age and majority of whom are below 24, he added.</p>


Social media posts of political parties and groups in poll-bound Telangana will come under the Election Commission's scanner to check for any objectionable content under the model code of conduct, state Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar has said.

Social media posts of political parties and groups in poll-bound Telangana will come under the Election Commission's scanner to check for any objectionable content under the model code of conduct, state Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar has said. An agency had been appointed in Telangana to help the CEO on social media issues and the EC at the national and the state level is in touch with companies such as Google and Facebook, which have assured cooperation in cases of violation of the model code of conduct (MCC), he said. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Telangana on December 7. "We are working out the matrix right now on how to control social media (content violative of MCC)... We will put some keywords which indicate a violation of MCC... An appeal or an offer of money with catchphrases. We will scan through various websites, the CEO told PTI. The official said Telangana Director General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy has also offered help of the Cyber wing in taking action in cases of violation of the code. "The source will be identified and action will be taken against him under the relevant sections of IPC and cyber crimes also," he said. According to him, the guidelines for social media are exactly the same as that of print and electronic media. Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said they will keep an eye on bulk messaging sent through social media or the traditional way with a malafide intention. Besides monitoring, a Facebook page under the name Chief Electoral officer Telangana has been created to update news and initiatives by the EC to reach out to voters. The page had already clocked over 9.70 lakh views as of October 11, Kumar said. Around 90 per cent of followers are less than 34 years of age and majority of whom are below 24, he added.

Social media to be monitored for poll code violations: Telangana CEO Rajat Kumar

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