The ubiquitousness of technology is such that it affects individuals, communities, societies and nations. &nbsp;Social media played a major role in the Brexit referendum, while Trump uses it to his benefit in the US.&nbsp;

In India, political parties use it to maximise their reach and impact. National security and international business have also become entwined because of technology; take for example the imbroglio about Huawei’s 5G technology in the UK and the arrest of its CFO in Canada. Every few years, new technology is used in a way that jars society and raises questions around morality. The history of technology is also the history of human and national turpitude.&nbsp;

Commercial farming grew on the sweat of slave labour. The success of the industrial revolution was fueled by inhuman working conditions. Eisenhower’s ‘atoms for peace’ resulted in a nuclear arms race. The feel-goodness of early Facebook has morphed into a medium that causes suicide, induces real rage through false news and broadcasts murder.&nbsp;

One can blame the human mind because technology, on its own, is impotent. Innovation and invention are based on problem-solving and creating or feeding a need. There is usually a utopian ideal that fuels these inventions. For example, Mark Zuckerberg wanted to unify and globalise people. In retrospect, he was delusional to assume everyone would live as per his dream. He, like other fellow innovators and inventors, fail to recognise two things. The first is that people have minds of their own and are capable of finding new uses to technology. The second is what Yuval Noah Harari says in his book Homo Deus — human’s ability to think of the future is limited by their minds being stuck to the present way of thinking. Thus, even if one thinks of the future, it is framed by current conditions.

Creativity is a key survival feature and finding new uses to technology is inherent to progress. Did NASA ever think their Velcro would be used to fasten shoes? Were washing machines designed to whip up lassi? This thinking out-of-the-box has also led to stun guns being used by both the butcher and police and, transport being used by terrorists to mow down people.

Though Intelligent design has no scientific basis to explain evolution, many of man’s endeavours have been based on its literal application. Quite a few pedigree dogs are results of selective breeding programmes carried out a few centuries earlier. Is it such a giant leap to argue that eugenics crept out from the success of such work?

Should human progress be measured by how technology percolates into everyday life? Or when technology use interchanges between human and animal? The dis-assembly line developed in the early slaughterhouses of the US to slaughter and carve beef efficiently and cheaply inspired Henry Ford’s assembly line. &nbsp;The argument for and against genetic manipulation crisscrosses its application on crops and humans. Animals, vegetables and humans are pumped with chemicals and hormones to enhance their performance — whatever that may be. Artificial insemination and in vitro fertilisation has converted livestock into baby making machines while childless couples see these technologies as a last resort on the road to fulfil the desire of becoming parents.

The choice to introduce technology into every day is a slippery slope. It opens the door to its other potential uses by creating precedents which permit its use for circumstances not initially conceived. Such precedents reduce moral hesitance. When one speaks of laws to regulate these technologies, one is actually seeking to curtail the devious part of human imagination. However, these regulations come a bit late in the day when that technology has already got a foothold.&nbsp;

There are ethics committees for scientific experiments and they focus on the condition of experiments and its morality. Government agencies test chemicals for health and environmental impacts. There are no such bodies for social media platforms, which have a major psychological and physical impact on users. &nbsp;

Society has progressed by meeting its desire for better, more, easier and cheaper. These are relative and differ from individual to individual and from group to group. Thus the routes to reach these goals also vary. It is no surprise then that many are unpleasantly surprised, frequently at that, when technology in the hands of another swings the other way. &nbsp;

Technologies inadvertently convert humans into lab rats. There is now concern about the use of pesticides, plastics, coal for energy, the aha moment for appreciating the negative impact of the technologies took time and are still debated. However, the concern is more compelling for social media platforms because the impacts on society and government are immediate and undeniable.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Facebook and others are tweaking their programmes to prevent hate and false information — things not thought of before release. But these tweaks and laws occur only after society has faced the brunt its abuse. &nbsp;The way society use technology is proof that its members are neither prescient nor have 20-20 hindsight. In fact, it would seem that the relationship with technology is nothing but a series of unfortunate incidents.

Innovators conceive of the use of their technology by society in monochrome — based on their limited and, even biased, perception of it. Just as consumer companies conduct market surveys, are innovators carrying out market research to understand the many other ways this technology can be used when released into society?

Society needs to begin a discussion on the idea of progress and technology. Tales from Robert Louis Stevenson and Mary Shelley to Ray Bradbury and others have a note of caution, which we have yet to heed. 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-things-innovators-must-know-2756186">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The ubiquitousness of technology is such that it affects individuals, communities, societies and nations. Social media played a major role in the Brexit referendum, while Trump uses it to his benefit in the US.

The ubiquitousness of technology is such that it affects individuals, communities, societies and nations. Social media played a major role in the Brexit referendum, while Trump uses it to his benefit in the US. In India, political parties use it to maximise their reach and impact. National security and international business have also become entwined because of technology; take for example the imbroglio about Huawei’s 5G technology in the UK and the arrest of its CFO in Canada. Every few years, new technology is used in a way that jars society and raises questions around morality. The history of technology is also the history of human and national turpitude. Commercial farming grew on the sweat of slave labour. The success of the industrial revolution was fueled by inhuman working conditions. Eisenhower’s ‘atoms for peace’ resulted in a nuclear arms race. The feel-goodness of early Facebook has morphed into a medium that causes suicide, induces real rage through false news and broadcasts murder. One can blame the human mind because technology, on its own, is impotent. Innovation and invention are based on problem-solving and creating or feeding a need. There is usually a utopian ideal that fuels these inventions. For example, Mark Zuckerberg wanted to unify and globalise people. In retrospect, he was delusional to assume everyone would live as per his dream. He, like other fellow innovators and inventors, fail to recognise two things. The first is that people have minds of their own and are capable of finding new uses to technology. The second is what Yuval Noah Harari says in his book Homo Deus — human’s ability to think of the future is limited by their minds being stuck to the present way of thinking. Thus, even if one thinks of the future, it is framed by current conditions. Creativity is a key survival feature and finding new uses to technology is inherent to progress. Did NASA ever think their Velcro would be used to fasten shoes? Were washing machines designed to whip up lassi? This thinking out-of-the-box has also led to stun guns being used by both the butcher and police and, transport being used by terrorists to mow down people. Though Intelligent design has no scientific basis to explain evolution, many of man’s endeavours have been based on its literal application. Quite a few pedigree dogs are results of selective breeding programmes carried out a few centuries earlier. Is it such a giant leap to argue that eugenics crept out from the success of such work? Should human progress be measured by how technology percolates into everyday life? Or when technology use interchanges between human and animal? The dis-assembly line developed in the early slaughterhouses of the US to slaughter and carve beef efficiently and cheaply inspired Henry Ford’s assembly line. The argument for and against genetic manipulation crisscrosses its application on crops and humans. Animals, vegetables and humans are pumped with chemicals and hormones to enhance their performance — whatever that may be. Artificial insemination and in vitro fertilisation has converted livestock into baby making machines while childless couples see these technologies as a last resort on the road to fulfil the desire of becoming parents. The choice to introduce technology into every day is a slippery slope. It opens the door to its other potential uses by creating precedents which permit its use for circumstances not initially conceived. Such precedents reduce moral hesitance. When one speaks of laws to regulate these technologies, one is actually seeking to curtail the devious part of human imagination. However, these regulations come a bit late in the day when that technology has already got a foothold. There are ethics committees for scientific experiments and they focus on the condition of experiments and its morality. Government agencies test chemicals for health and environmental impacts. There are no such bodies for social media platforms, which have a major psychological and physical impact on users. Society has progressed by meeting its desire for better, more, easier and cheaper. These are relative and differ from individual to individual and from group to group. Thus the routes to reach these goals also vary. It is no surprise then that many are unpleasantly surprised, frequently at that, when technology in the hands of another swings the other way. Technologies inadvertently convert humans into lab rats. There is now concern about the use of pesticides, plastics, coal for energy, the aha moment for appreciating the negative impact of the technologies took time and are still debated. However, the concern is more compelling for social media platforms because the impacts on society and government are immediate and undeniable. Facebook and others are tweaking their programmes to prevent hate and false information — things not thought of before release. But these tweaks and laws occur only after society has faced the brunt its abuse. The way society use technology is proof that its members are neither prescient nor have 20-20 hindsight. In fact, it would seem that the relationship with technology is nothing but a series of unfortunate incidents. Innovators conceive of the use of their technology by society in monochrome — based on their limited and, even biased, perception of it. Just as consumer companies conduct market surveys, are innovators carrying out market research to understand the many other ways this technology can be used when released into society? Society needs to begin a discussion on the idea of progress and technology. Tales from Robert Louis Stevenson and Mary Shelley to Ray Bradbury and others have a note of caution, which we have yet to heed. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

National security and international business have become entwined because of technology

If you are planning to apply for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-lawmakers-introduce-legislation-to-protect-work-visa-of-spouses-of-h-1b-holders-222628">US visa</a>, you will have to be careful about your social media history.&nbsp;

Under the new visa rules by Trump administration, all applicants for US visas will have to submit their social media details to the State Department.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-proposes-new-us-immigration-plan-favouring-skills-over-family-ties-219269">Trump proposes new US immigration plan favouring skills over family ties</a>

The State Department<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-imposes-visa-restrictions-on-three-senior-pakistani-officials-218864"> regulations </a>say people will have to submit social media names and five years’ worth of email addresses and phone numbers.

An estimated 14 million travellers and 710,000 immigrants to the US each year will be affected by the changes, according to notes in the Federal Register.

Watch:&nbsp;Trump administration to ban work permits for spouses of H-1B holders

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The official said national security is the top priority and every would-be traveller or immigrant already faced screening, including requirements to list their travel history, family member information, and previous addresses.

The controversial policy is part of an “extreme vetting” regime originating with a March 2017 executive order by President Donald Trump.

If you are planning to apply for the US visa, you will have to be careful about your social media history. Under the new visa rules by Trump administration, all applicants for US visas will have to submit their social media details to the State Department.

If you are planning to apply for the US visa, you will have to be careful about your social media history. Under the new visa rules by Trump administration, all applicants for US visas will have to submit their social media details to the State Department. Also read: Trump proposes new US immigration plan favouring skills over family ties The State Department regulations say people will have to submit social media names and five years’ worth of email addresses and phone numbers. An estimated 14 million travellers and 710,000 immigrants to the US each year will be affected by the changes, according to notes in the Federal Register. Watch: Trump administration to ban work permits for spouses of H-1B holders × The official said national security is the top priority and every would-be traveller or immigrant already faced screening, including requirements to list their travel history, family member information, and previous addresses. The controversial policy is part of an “extreme vetting” regime originating with a March 2017 executive order by President Donald Trump.

US demands social media details, email addresses for 5 years from visa applicants

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-troops-flood-jakarta-streets-after-post-election-riots-220989">Indonesia</a> on Saturday lifted temporary restrictions on some social media functions aimed at stopping online hoaxes during recent violence linked to the announcement of official election results, a communications ministry official said.

Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, the ministry`s information applications director general, told a news conference that social media had returned to normal.

The restrictions came into force on Wednesday after rioting broke out in the Indonesian capital following protests against the victory of President Joko Widodo in last month`s poll. Eight people were killed and more than 900 hurt, with authorities blaming fake stories spread online for inflaming tensions.&nbsp;

Indonesia on Saturday lifted temporary restrictions on some social media functions aimed at stopping online hoaxes during recent violence linked to the announcement of official election results, a communications ministry official said.

Indonesia on Saturday lifted temporary restrictions on some social media functions aimed at stopping online hoaxes during recent violence linked to the announcement of official election results, a communications ministry official said. Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, the ministry`s information applications director general, told a news conference that social media had returned to normal. The restrictions came into force on Wednesday after rioting broke out in the Indonesian capital following protests against the victory of President Joko Widodo in last month`s poll. Eight people were killed and more than 900 hurt, with authorities blaming fake stories spread online for inflaming tensions.

Indonesia lifts social media curbs targeting hoaxes during recent unrest

Suspected cow vigilantes allegedly thrashed two persons in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni with sticks, accusing them of carrying beef, following which five accused have been arrested, police said Saturday.

The group of five 'gau rakshaks' also allegedly forced one of the victims to beat up a woman accompanying them with chappals, a police officer said.

Police also said that the three people who were beaten up have been arrested as possession and sale of beef is illegal in Madhya Pradesh.

In a purported video clip of the incident, which has been widely circulated on social media, the five accused can be seen beating up the two men. Later, they also forced one of the men to beat up the woman accompanying them.

The attackers also forced the three persons to raise slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram', as seen in the video.

According to police, the incident occurred on May 22 on Mandla Road in Kanhiwada area under Dunda Seoni police station limits.

Seoni Superintendent of Police Lalit Shakyawar said an FIR has been registered against the five persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Dunda Seoni police station, and all of them have been arrested.

Dunda Seoni police station in charge GS Uike said the three persons who were beaten up have been arrested for allegedly carrying beef as its possession and sale is banned in the state.

Uike said none of the victims sustained any serious injuries in the attack.

"The accused persons shot videos of thrashing. Police reached the spot after the incident and brought the trio along with the meat they were carrying to the police station," he said.

One of the accused uploaded the video on social media on May 23, but later withdrew it following a sharp reaction from various quarters, he said. 
However, police took cognisance of the clip and traced the accused persons.

Meanwhile, the SP said police seized 140 kg red meat, suspected to be beef, from the trio. Police also seized a three-wheeler and a scooter from them.

Suspected cow vigilantes allegedly thrashed two persons in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni with sticks, accusing them of carrying beef, following which five accused have been arrested, police said Saturday.

Suspected cow vigilantes allegedly thrashed two persons in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni with sticks, accusing them of carrying beef, following which five accused have been arrested, police said Saturday. The group of five 'gau rakshaks' also allegedly forced one of the victims to beat up a woman accompanying them with chappals, a police officer said. Police also said that the three people who were beaten up have been arrested as possession and sale of beef is illegal in Madhya Pradesh. In a purported video clip of the incident, which has been widely circulated on social media, the five accused can be seen beating up the two men. Later, they also forced one of the men to beat up the woman accompanying them. The attackers also forced the three persons to raise slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram', as seen in the video. According to police, the incident occurred on May 22 on Mandla Road in Kanhiwada area under Dunda Seoni police station limits. Seoni Superintendent of Police Lalit Shakyawar said an FIR has been registered against the five persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Dunda Seoni police station, and all of them have been arrested. Dunda Seoni police station in charge GS Uike said the three persons who were beaten up have been arrested for allegedly carrying beef as its possession and sale is banned in the state. Uike said none of the victims sustained any serious injuries in the attack. "The accused persons shot videos of thrashing. Police reached the spot after the incident and brought the trio along with the meat they were carrying to the police station," he said. One of the accused uploaded the video on social media on May 23, but later withdrew it following a sharp reaction from various quarters, he said. However, police took cognisance of the clip and traced the accused persons. Meanwhile, the SP said police seized 140 kg red meat, suspected to be beef, from the trio. Police also seized a three-wheeler and a scooter from them.

Two beaten up for carrying beef in Madhya Pradesh, cops arrest them as well as 5 attackers

Tens of thousands of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-police-arrest-at-least-20-amid-post-election-violence-220535">Indonesian military and police </a>were deployed on the streets of Jakarta Thursday, as a deadline approached for a presidential challenger to file an appeal over claims of widespread cheating in last month's election.

At least seven people were killed -- including a 17-year old high school student -- after two nights of rioting in the capital as police clashed with protesters opposed to the re-election of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesias-joko-widodo-wins-second-term-as-president-220251/amp">President Joko Widodo.</a>

The violence has been fanned by claims from Widodo's rival Prabowo Subianto, a retired general, that the April 17 poll was a fraud.

Indonesia's election commission on Tuesday confirmed Widodo had beaten Subianto, who has until Friday to challenge the results at the Constitutional Court.

The 67-year-old has appealed for calm and said he would pursue legal channels, as he did, unsuccessfully, against Widodo in the 2014 election.

Election officials and analysts have discounted Subianto's claims of rampant cheating in the world's third-biggest democracy, after India and the United States.

Nearly 60,000 security personnel were deployed Thursday, nearly double the previous number, after Widodo vowed that he "won't tolerate" more riots.

The government has also partly blocked access to social media -- including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram -- in a bid to clamp down on fake news and hoaxes linked to the violence.

That moves come after fresh skirmishes erupted late Wednesday outside the election supervisory agency's office in the heart of the city, with thousands of protesters chanting and waving Indonesian flags.

Some hurled stones, fireworks and molotov cocktails at riot police who lined up behind a razor wire barricade near the election supervisory agency building, where a police post was torched.

Police pushed back the main group of rioters after firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators.

Indonesia's capital been gripped by bigger demonstrations in the past, but the level of violence in this week's clashes has not been seen in years.

Authorities said the violence was orchestrated by people who came to Jakarta to stir up trouble.

But they've given few details about the circumstances of how the seven died or who was responsible, earlier saying that they had gunshot or blunt force wounds. Authorities denied firing live rounds into the crowd.&nbsp;

Nine officers had been injured, police said, but they did not give details of wounded protesters thought to number in the hundreds.

On Thursday, National Police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal said two of about 300 arrested suspects were linked to a hard line organisation that had once pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Local media this year speculated about a connection between the founder of that local organisation and Subianto, after he lent his car to the politician's campaign team.

Elsewhere, smaller poll protests were held in Sumatra's Medan city this week and in Pontianak on Borneo island, where over 500 demonstrators armed with stones and firecrackers blocked roads, damaged vehicles and set two police posts alight, local police said.

Tens of thousands of Indonesian military and police were deployed on the streets of Jakarta Thursday, as a deadline approached for a presidential challenger to file an appeal over claims of widespread cheating in last month's election.

Tens of thousands of Indonesian military and police were deployed on the streets of Jakarta Thursday, as a deadline approached for a presidential challenger to file an appeal over claims of widespread cheating in last month's election. At least seven people were killed -- including a 17-year old high school student -- after two nights of rioting in the capital as police clashed with protesters opposed to the re-election of President Joko Widodo. The violence has been fanned by claims from Widodo's rival Prabowo Subianto, a retired general, that the April 17 poll was a fraud. Indonesia's election commission on Tuesday confirmed Widodo had beaten Subianto, who has until Friday to challenge the results at the Constitutional Court. The 67-year-old has appealed for calm and said he would pursue legal channels, as he did, unsuccessfully, against Widodo in the 2014 election. Election officials and analysts have discounted Subianto's claims of rampant cheating in the world's third-biggest democracy, after India and the United States. Nearly 60,000 security personnel were deployed Thursday, nearly double the previous number, after Widodo vowed that he "won't tolerate" more riots. The government has also partly blocked access to social media -- including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram -- in a bid to clamp down on fake news and hoaxes linked to the violence. That moves come after fresh skirmishes erupted late Wednesday outside the election supervisory agency's office in the heart of the city, with thousands of protesters chanting and waving Indonesian flags. Some hurled stones, fireworks and molotov cocktails at riot police who lined up behind a razor wire barricade near the election supervisory agency building, where a police post was torched. Police pushed back the main group of rioters after firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators. Indonesia's capital been gripped by bigger demonstrations in the past, but the level of violence in this week's clashes has not been seen in years. Authorities said the violence was orchestrated by people who came to Jakarta to stir up trouble. But they've given few details about the circumstances of how the seven died or who was responsible, earlier saying that they had gunshot or blunt force wounds. Authorities denied firing live rounds into the crowd. Nine officers had been injured, police said, but they did not give details of wounded protesters thought to number in the hundreds. On Thursday, National Police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal said two of about 300 arrested suspects were linked to a hard line organisation that had once pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Local media this year speculated about a connection between the founder of that local organisation and Subianto, after he lent his car to the politician's campaign team. Elsewhere, smaller poll protests were held in Sumatra's Medan city this week and in Pontianak on Borneo island, where over 500 demonstrators armed with stones and firecrackers blocked roads, damaged vehicles and set two police posts alight, local police said.

Indonesian troops flood Jakarta streets after post-election riots

The Nepal government has taken strong exception to the US envoy's move to engage with Nepali people on a weekly basis through social media, saying it would only invite unnecessary controversy, according to a media report on Thursday.

In a video on embassy's official Twitter and Facebook pages on Monday,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-ambassador-to-china-visiting-tibet-this-week-220100/amp"> US Ambassador</a> to Nepal Randy Berry said he was starting a weekly series where he would hear and answer questions from around four million Nepalese following these social media handles.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said that such a move would only invite unnecessary controversy as there was no practice in Nepal in which ambassadors interacted with Nepali people on the social media.

We think such kind of engagement is not needed. If the embassy has anything to say, it can directly talk to the government, Gyawali was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times.

The embassy's Facebook post read, What would you ask Ambassador Berry if you had the chance? We are letting random people ask random questions, and we will share those exchanges in a weekly video series called GuffGaff with the Ambassador'. Stay tuned for our first video,&nbsp;new ones will be posted on Mondays!

However, Berry's initiative resulted in mixed reactions on social media, with most observers stating that it was not in line with diplomatic norms and principles.

Former foreign secretary Madhu Raman Acharya wrote in a Twitter post, diplomatic activism of foreign ambassadors increases when the government does not sufficiently engage and brief them on the recent developments. So the rule is,&nbsp;keep them engaged or they will find themselves ways to be engaged!

Clarifying its move, the US embassy said it was part of its public diplomacy.&nbsp;A core function of diplomacy is to engage with people, understand them and their priorities and build connections with them. We have been doing this in Nepal for 72 years; it is what diplomats do, it is who we are,&nbsp;it said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The Nepal government has taken strong exception to the US envoy's move to engage with Nepali people on a weekly basis through social media, saying it would only invite unnecessary controversy, according to a media report on Thursday.

The Nepal government has taken strong exception to the US envoy's move to engage with Nepali people on a weekly basis through social media, saying it would only invite unnecessary controversy, according to a media report on Thursday. In a video on embassy's official Twitter and Facebook pages on Monday, US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry said he was starting a weekly series where he would hear and answer questions from around four million Nepalese following these social media handles. Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said that such a move would only invite unnecessary controversy as there was no practice in Nepal in which ambassadors interacted with Nepali people on the social media. We think such kind of engagement is not needed. If the embassy has anything to say, it can directly talk to the government, Gyawali was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times. The embassy's Facebook post read, What would you ask Ambassador Berry if you had the chance? We are letting random people ask random questions, and we will share those exchanges in a weekly video series called GuffGaff with the Ambassador'. Stay tuned for our first video, new ones will be posted on Mondays! However, Berry's initiative resulted in mixed reactions on social media, with most observers stating that it was not in line with diplomatic norms and principles. Former foreign secretary Madhu Raman Acharya wrote in a Twitter post, diplomatic activism of foreign ambassadors increases when the government does not sufficiently engage and brief them on the recent developments. So the rule is, keep them engaged or they will find themselves ways to be engaged! Clarifying its move, the US embassy said it was part of its public diplomacy. A core function of diplomacy is to engage with people, understand them and their priorities and build connections with them. We have been doing this in Nepal for 72 years; it is what diplomats do, it is who we are, it said in a statement issued on Thursday.

Nepal objects to US envoy's move to engage with people through social media

In what could spell further embarrassment for social media giant Facebook, a massive database containing the contact information of millions of Instagram influencers, celebrities and brand accounts has been found online. Reports suggest, as many as 49 million accounts have been compromised.&nbsp;

The database was left exposed without a password online, allowing anyone to access it.

According to reports, each record contained public data scraped from influencer Instagram accounts, including their bio, profile picture, the number of followers they have, if they’re verified and their location by city and country.

The database also contained their private contact information, such as the Instagram account owner’s email address and phone number.

According to Facebook, scraping data of any kind is prohibited on Instagram, but it's still unclear how the data was procured or how it may have been used. &nbsp;

As Facebook works to emphasize privacy, it will have to address Instagram's vulnerabilities as well.

This discovery comes just after Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook has been heavily criticised by the European leaders.&nbsp;

Just like Friday, the European Commission - which is the independent executive arm of the European Union - rebuked tech giants Google, Facebook and Twitter for not doing enough to tackle fake news.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-says-it-stored-millions-of-unencrypted-instagram-passwords-211684">Just last month, Facebook released a blog post</a> wherein it said that "millions" of Instagram users had their passwords stored in unencrypted form on internal servers, Facebook said Thursday, raising its original estimate of tens of thousands.

"We discovered additional logs of Instagram passwords being stored in a readable format. We now estimate that this issue impacted millions of Instagram users," Facebook said in a blog post.

"We will be notifying these users as we did the others. Our investigation has determined that these stored passwords were not internally abused or improperly accessed," the social network said.

Facebook, Instagram's parent company, revealed last month that the unencrypted passwords of hundreds of millions of users had been stored, putting the number of Instagram users affected in the tens of thousands, news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

In what could spell further embarrassment for social media giant Facebook, a massive database containing the contact information of millions of Instagram influencers, celebrities and brand accounts has been found online.

In what could spell further embarrassment for social media giant Facebook, a massive database containing the contact information of millions of Instagram influencers, celebrities and brand accounts has been found online. Reports suggest, as many as 49 million accounts have been compromised. The database was left exposed without a password online, allowing anyone to access it. According to reports, each record contained public data scraped from influencer Instagram accounts, including their bio, profile picture, the number of followers they have, if they’re verified and their location by city and country. The database also contained their private contact information, such as the Instagram account owner’s email address and phone number. According to Facebook, scraping data of any kind is prohibited on Instagram, but it's still unclear how the data was procured or how it may have been used. As Facebook works to emphasize privacy, it will have to address Instagram's vulnerabilities as well. This discovery comes just after Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook has been heavily criticised by the European leaders. Just like Friday, the European Commission - which is the independent executive arm of the European Union - rebuked tech giants Google, Facebook and Twitter for not doing enough to tackle fake news. Just last month, Facebook released a blog post wherein it said that "millions" of Instagram users had their passwords stored in unencrypted form on internal servers, Facebook said Thursday, raising its original estimate of tens of thousands. "We discovered additional logs of Instagram passwords being stored in a readable format. We now estimate that this issue impacted millions of Instagram users," Facebook said in a blog post. "We will be notifying these users as we did the others. Our investigation has determined that these stored passwords were not internally abused or improperly accessed," the social network said. Facebook, Instagram's parent company, revealed last month that the unencrypted passwords of hundreds of millions of users had been stored, putting the number of Instagram users affected in the tens of thousands, news agency AFP reported.

Instagram in trouble as nearly 50 million users' data gets leaked online

With a glamorous cast of flesh-eating undead including Iggy Pop, US filmmaker Jim Jarmusch kicked off Cannes' cinema showcase with an acerbic swipe at American society - though the zombie romp lacked the bite some critics had hoped for.

Selena Gomez scared of 'terrible, dangerous' social media

The Sri Lankan government&nbsp;temporarily blocked some social media network and instant messaging apps after violent incidents marred the country in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-catholics-hold-first-sunday-mass-after-easter-attacks-217979">fallout of Easter suicide bombings</a>.

Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-imposes-curfew-in-western-coastal-town-after-communal-clashes-218047">man was beaten in the town of Chilaw</a> on the west coast on Sunday in a dispute that started on Facebook, news agency Reuters reported.

Some temporarily blocked apps include Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp.

Sri Lankan media also reported incidents in several nearby areas overnight.

Following the incident in Chilaw, a curfew was also imposed in the area which was in&nbsp;effect until 6 am today.

According to the report, tension brewing since Saturday between the Catholics and Muslims in the Christian dominated the town.&nbsp;

On April 21, nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others on the Easter Sunday.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-terror-group-linked-to-easter-bombings-has-over-rs-140-mn-cash-rs-7-bn-worth-assets-police-216553">National Thawheed Jama'ath</a> (NTJ), for the bombings.

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Early this month, several people were injured in clashes between Muslims and Christians in Negombo, a majority Christian town where St. Sebastian's Church was targeted during the Easter attacks.

After clashes in Negombo, Cardinal Ranjith had appealed to Christians and other communities to show restraint. 
Sri Lanka has a population of 21 million which is a patchwork of ethnicities and religions, dominated by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority.

Muslims account for 10 per cent of the population and are the second-largest minority after Hindus. Around seven per cent of Sri Lankans is Christians.&nbsp;

(With inputs from news agencies)

The Sri Lankan government temporarily blocked some social media network and instant messaging apps after violent incidents marred the country in the fallout of Easter suicide bombings.

The Sri Lankan government temporarily blocked some social media network and instant messaging apps after violent incidents marred the country in the fallout of Easter suicide bombings. Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a man was beaten in the town of Chilaw on the west coast on Sunday in a dispute that started on Facebook, news agency Reuters reported. Some temporarily blocked apps include Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp. Sri Lankan media also reported incidents in several nearby areas overnight. Following the incident in Chilaw, a curfew was also imposed in the area which was in effect until 6 am today. According to the report, tension brewing since Saturday between the Catholics and Muslims in the Christian dominated the town. On April 21, nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others on the Easter Sunday. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group, the National Thawheed Jama'ath (NTJ), for the bombings. × Early this month, several people were injured in clashes between Muslims and Christians in Negombo, a majority Christian town where St. Sebastian's Church was targeted during the Easter attacks. After clashes in Negombo, Cardinal Ranjith had appealed to Christians and other communities to show restraint. Sri Lanka has a population of 21 million which is a patchwork of ethnicities and religions, dominated by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Muslims account for 10 per cent of the population and are the second-largest minority after Hindus. Around seven per cent of Sri Lankans is Christians. (With inputs from news agencies)

Sri Lanka blocks some social media platforms after mosque attack in Chilaw

Facebook has sued South Korean data analytics company, Rankwave, for allegedly misusing data in its advertising and marketing services, the social media giant said in a statement.

Rankwave ran applications on the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/facebook-under-pressure-to-censor-hate-speech-217637"> Facebook platform</a> which have since been suspended by the social media company.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in a court in California, US, Jessica Romero, the director of litigation and compliance of the platform said in a statement.

"Facebook was investigating Rankwave’s data practices in relation to its advertising and marketing services. Rankwave failed to cooperate with our efforts to verify their compliance with our policies, which we require of all developers using our platform," Romero said.

The American company suspects that Rankwave could have used user data collected through its applications for its own commercial purposes.

"By filing the lawsuit, we are sending a message to developers that Facebook is serious about enforcing our policies, including requiring developers to cooperate with us during an investigation," Romero added.

So far, Rankwave has not commented on the lawsuit.&nbsp;

The case could again tarnish the image of the social network and its security measures on the processing of personal data after data from millions of users was compromised by British data analysis firm Cambridge Analytica for political purposes.

What appeared to be an inoffensive fun app in the form of a personality quiz encouraged millions of users to share data about themselves.

Facebook alleges that Rankwave was slurping up user data based on Facebook activity that was then sold on to advertising clients of the South Korean data handling company.&nbsp;

Facebook's demand against Rankwave was presented the same day that the president and co-founder of the American company, Mark Zuckerberg, met in Paris with French <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-rejects-co-founder-call-for-breakup-senator-urges-us-antitrust-probe-217697">President Emmanuel Macron</a>, at a time when France is preparing to toughen its legislation on social networks.

Facebook has sued South Korean data analytics company, Rankwave, for allegedly misusing data in its advertising and marketing services, the social media giant said in a statement.

Facebook has sued South Korean data analytics company, Rankwave, for allegedly misusing data in its advertising and marketing services, the social media giant said in a statement. Rankwave ran applications on the Facebook platform which have since been suspended by the social media company. The lawsuit was filed Friday in a court in California, US, Jessica Romero, the director of litigation and compliance of the platform said in a statement. "Facebook was investigating Rankwave’s data practices in relation to its advertising and marketing services. Rankwave failed to cooperate with our efforts to verify their compliance with our policies, which we require of all developers using our platform," Romero said. The American company suspects that Rankwave could have used user data collected through its applications for its own commercial purposes. "By filing the lawsuit, we are sending a message to developers that Facebook is serious about enforcing our policies, including requiring developers to cooperate with us during an investigation," Romero added. So far, Rankwave has not commented on the lawsuit. The case could again tarnish the image of the social network and its security measures on the processing of personal data after data from millions of users was compromised by British data analysis firm Cambridge Analytica for political purposes. What appeared to be an inoffensive fun app in the form of a personality quiz encouraged millions of users to share data about themselves. Facebook alleges that Rankwave was slurping up user data based on Facebook activity that was then sold on to advertising clients of the South Korean data handling company. Facebook's demand against Rankwave was presented the same day that the president and co-founder of the American company, Mark Zuckerberg, met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, at a time when France is preparing to toughen its legislation on social networks.

Facebook sues South Korean analytics firm for misuse of data

Threats, arrests, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/never-been-on-social-media-your-privacy-may-still-be-at-risk-says-study-191971">blocked accounts and restricted posts</a> -- Big Brother is watching more closely than ever in Pakistan as authorities accelerate efforts to censor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-social-media-bill-sparks-freedom-of-speech-concerns-198633">social networks</a>, further reducing an already shrunken space for dissent.

In the past 18 months, a slew of journalists, activists, and government opponents –- both at home and overseas -- have faced intimidation or the threat of legal action for their online posts.&nbsp;

Censorship is already rife among Pakistan's mainstream media, with the Committee to Protect Journalists noting last year that the military had "quietly but effectively" imposed strict limits on the scope of general news reporting.

Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were regarded as the last holdouts of dissenting voices, but now that has changed.

In February, authorities announced the creation of a new enforcement arm to root out social media users accused of spreading "hate speech and violence" as part of the crackdown.

Gul Bukhari, a columnist and sometime government critic who was briefly abducted by unidentified men last year, said the assault on social media was carefully organised and coordinated.

"It is the last frontier they try to conquer," Bukhari explained.

&nbsp;Silence dissent&nbsp;

Journalist Rizwan-ur-Rehman Razi was among the people targeted. He was arrested in February at home in the eastern city of Lahore for publishing "defamatory and obnoxious" content against the state.

A few days earlier, he had criticised extra-judicial executions allegedly committed by the security forces, according to a copy of his tweets seen by AFP.

Released after two nights, he has not tweeted since, and his posts have been deleted.

The net cast by the crackdown is a wide one, with Shahzad Ahmad, director of the digital security NGO Bytes for All, pointing to the harassment of civil rights activists, the political opposition, and bloggers.

According to Annie Zaman, an expert on cyber-censorship in Pakistan, this is made possible by an all-encompassing 2016 law that prohibits online posts that are deemed to compromise state security or offend anything from "the glory of Islam" to non-defined notions of "decency and morality".

"Because this law is vague, it gave more space to the authorities to censor online," Zaman said.

Offenders can face up to 14 years in prison.

The military signalled its involvement in the campaign as early as June last year, when spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor boasted of the capacity to monitor social media accounts during a televised press conference.

In a clear warning, Ghafoor briefly showed an image of what appeared to be specific Twitter handles and names.

Facebook and Twitter transparency reports show the crackdown was already well underway last year, with a huge spike in requests by the Pakistani government seeking to censor online activity.

Facebook restricted more content in Pakistan than in any other country in the first six months of 2018, according to its transparency figures from that time period, which are the most recently available.

The social media giant said it restricted the availability of 2,203 pieces of content in total -- a seven-fold jump from the previous six months.

All but 87 of the items had been reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority "as allegedly violating local laws prohibiting blasphemy, anti-judiciary content, and condemnation of the country's independence," it said.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority did not respond to requests for comment.

&nbsp;'Overstepping boundaries'&nbsp;

Twitter figures for the same time period showed a similar trend, with requests to remove content from 3,004 accounts in Pakistan compared to 674 in the second half of 2017.

A Twitter spokesman said the vast majority of the requests had come from the government and stressed that the company had acquiesced to none of them.

"The authorities are no longer hiding their agenda (or policy) to silence internet-mediated dissent," said Rabia Mehmood, a researcher for Amnesty International.

"While the current censorship is exceptionally intense, over the years, one message has been consistent that criticism of policies of the Pakistan military will not be tolerated."

Even those posting on social media from overseas have found themselves targeted.

Twitter routinely sends out a notice to users notifying them when the company receives complaints that their posts have violated a country's laws.

AFP has found dozens of users who received such a message warning they had violated Pakistani laws -- including 11 who had tweeted from beyond Pakistan's borders, in countries such as Australia, the US and Canada.

The requests represent "a government censor overstepping jurisdiction boundaries", said Jillian York, an expert at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an American NGO.

Threats, arrests, blocked accounts and restricted posts -- Big Brother is watching more closely than ever in Pakistan as authorities accelerate efforts to censor social networks, further reducing an already shrunken space for dissent.

Threats, arrests, blocked accounts and restricted posts -- Big Brother is watching more closely than ever in Pakistan as authorities accelerate efforts to censor social networks, further reducing an already shrunken space for dissent. In the past 18 months, a slew of journalists, activists, and government opponents –- both at home and overseas -- have faced intimidation or the threat of legal action for their online posts. Censorship is already rife among Pakistan's mainstream media, with the Committee to Protect Journalists noting last year that the military had "quietly but effectively" imposed strict limits on the scope of general news reporting. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were regarded as the last holdouts of dissenting voices, but now that has changed. In February, authorities announced the creation of a new enforcement arm to root out social media users accused of spreading "hate speech and violence" as part of the crackdown. Gul Bukhari, a columnist and sometime government critic who was briefly abducted by unidentified men last year, said the assault on social media was carefully organised and coordinated. "It is the last frontier they try to conquer," Bukhari explained. Silence dissent Journalist Rizwan-ur-Rehman Razi was among the people targeted. He was arrested in February at home in the eastern city of Lahore for publishing "defamatory and obnoxious" content against the state. A few days earlier, he had criticised extra-judicial executions allegedly committed by the security forces, according to a copy of his tweets seen by AFP. Released after two nights, he has not tweeted since, and his posts have been deleted. The net cast by the crackdown is a wide one, with Shahzad Ahmad, director of the digital security NGO Bytes for All, pointing to the harassment of civil rights activists, the political opposition, and bloggers. According to Annie Zaman, an expert on cyber-censorship in Pakistan, this is made possible by an all-encompassing 2016 law that prohibits online posts that are deemed to compromise state security or offend anything from "the glory of Islam" to non-defined notions of "decency and morality". "Because this law is vague, it gave more space to the authorities to censor online," Zaman said. Offenders can face up to 14 years in prison. The military signalled its involvement in the campaign as early as June last year, when spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor boasted of the capacity to monitor social media accounts during a televised press conference. In a clear warning, Ghafoor briefly showed an image of what appeared to be specific Twitter handles and names. Facebook and Twitter transparency reports show the crackdown was already well underway last year, with a huge spike in requests by the Pakistani government seeking to censor online activity. Facebook restricted more content in Pakistan than in any other country in the first six months of 2018, according to its transparency figures from that time period, which are the most recently available. The social media giant said it restricted the availability of 2,203 pieces of content in total -- a seven-fold jump from the previous six months. All but 87 of the items had been reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority "as allegedly violating local laws prohibiting blasphemy, anti-judiciary content, and condemnation of the country's independence," it said. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority did not respond to requests for comment. 'Overstepping boundaries' Twitter figures for the same time period showed a similar trend, with requests to remove content from 3,004 accounts in Pakistan compared to 674 in the second half of 2017. A Twitter spokesman said the vast majority of the requests had come from the government and stressed that the company had acquiesced to none of them. "The authorities are no longer hiding their agenda (or policy) to silence internet-mediated dissent," said Rabia Mehmood, a researcher for Amnesty International. "While the current censorship is exceptionally intense, over the years, one message has been consistent that criticism of policies of the Pakistan military will not be tolerated." Even those posting on social media from overseas have found themselves targeted. Twitter routinely sends out a notice to users notifying them when the company receives complaints that their posts have violated a country's laws. AFP has found dozens of users who received such a message warning they had violated Pakistani laws -- including 11 who had tweeted from beyond Pakistan's borders, in countries such as Australia, the US and Canada. The requests represent "a government censor overstepping jurisdiction boundaries", said Jillian York, an expert at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an American NGO.

Social networks under intense surveillance in Pakistan

President Donald Trump on Friday evening took to Twitter and slammed social media censorship in reaction to Facebook's recent crackdown of conspiracy theorists. Watch full video to know more.

US President Donald Trump slams censorship on social media

Some 1.4 million Pakistani children missed getting polio vaccinations over a three-day campaign in April because of false reports that the vaccine had made children sick, said the government's top coordinator in the drive against polio.

Over a million Pakistani children missed vaccinations amid fake scare against polio medicine

An Instagram story on Holocaust for social media generation

Sri Lanka on Tuesday lifted the temporary social media ban that was imposed after the April 21 Easter Sunday bombings. Watch this video to know more.

WION Gravitas: Sri Lanka lifts temporary ban on social media

Just like US President Donald Trump and France's Marine Le Pen, Spain's far-right party Vox has made a point of dominating social media with its hardline rhetoric <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spain-all-set-for-snap-polls-on-april-28-213763">ahead of elections on Sunday</a>.

Shunning traditional media, the newcomer party's strategy is to target potential voters on social networks and generate as much of a buzz as possible, even if it's bad.

And it's working. Opinion polls predict that Vox will enter parliament for the first time in the parliamentary elections, in fifth place.

According to social media analysis group Social Elephants, Vox's messages on Twitter and Facebook generated the most interactions -- referring to messages that are liked, shared or commented on -- out of the five main parties over the past month.

More specifically, a third of all the five's interactions came from Vox.

Ultra-nationalist messages that also bash illegal immigration and abortion, videos showing leader Santiago Abascal riding a horse or standing under the rain in a picturesque part of Spain: the party provokes as much enthusiasm as rage.

"They've awakened the beast," one admiring online user said this week, reacting to a video of Abascal predicting the end of the "liberal dictatorship" in Spain after the elections.

Spain was ruled by dictator Francisco Franco after its 1936-39 civil war until his death in 1975.

"They are so scary," said another concerned user.

Talk, even if negative

Relegated to the distant margins of politics until December, when it erupted on the scene in regional elections in southern Andalusia, Vox could get around 30 lawmakers out of 350, according to opinion polls.

But analysts believe it could do even better, saying there may be many "hidden" Vox supporters who lie when asked by pollsters who they will be voting for.

Largely shunning traditional media, Vox has opted "for a strategy of direct communication through social networks, through rallies with lots of people," Abascal told Spanish radio this week.

He said his party had felt "pretty badly treated" by traditional media in the past, which "distorted many of our proposals."

Ruben Durante of the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies said that "what matters to a party that doesn't have visibility in traditional media and doesn't have representation in institutions is that people talk about them, even if it's negative."

"Controversial arguments attract attention and in the end, they win, because those who criticise aren't those who would vote for them," adds the expert in social networks and democracy.

On Twitter, Vox generated 1.1 million interactions over the past month compared to 886,000 for far-left party Podemos, which has always been very active online, according to Social Elephants.

That's also more than double the interactions of the Socialist Party, centre-right Ciudadanos and the conservative Popular Party (PP).

To top it all, Vox generated all those interactions by sending just an average of 11 messages a day, compared to 27 for Podemos or 50 for Ciudadanos.

And it also has far less followers on Twitter than other parties: 240,000, compared to Podemos's 1.37 million, the PP's 705,000, the Socialists' 670,000 and Ciudadanos' 518,000.

Mobilising the disgruntled

Durante says that in general, social networks allow parties to target potential voters and get their messages to them directly.

"If you're Vox, you can identify people who don't vote or won't vote, with specific interests like hunting... and target these people," he says.

This low-cost approach is attractive for those parties that have limited resources, he adds.

"Vox does that well, (far-right leader) Marine Le Pen did it in France, the (anti-establishment) Five Star Movement in Italy... and Donald Trump did it in the United States," says Durante.

And Vox has since 2017 been in contact with Trump's former advisor Steve Bannon, as the latter recognised in a recent interview with the El Pais daily.

Messages posted on social networks or sent via WhatsApp, another very popular tool in Spain, also have a broader reach because they are shared with relatives or friends.

Silvia Martinez, an expert on social networks and campaigns at Catalonia's Open University, says this is key as what originates from those close to you instantly appears more credible.

Just like US President Donald Trump and France's Marine Le Pen, Spain's far-right party Vox has made a point of dominating social media with its hardline rhetoric ahead of elections on Sunday.

Just like US President Donald Trump and France's Marine Le Pen, Spain's far-right party Vox has made a point of dominating social media with its hardline rhetoric ahead of elections on Sunday. Shunning traditional media, the newcomer party's strategy is to target potential voters on social networks and generate as much of a buzz as possible, even if it's bad. And it's working. Opinion polls predict that Vox will enter parliament for the first time in the parliamentary elections, in fifth place. According to social media analysis group Social Elephants, Vox's messages on Twitter and Facebook generated the most interactions -- referring to messages that are liked, shared or commented on -- out of the five main parties over the past month. More specifically, a third of all the five's interactions came from Vox. Ultra-nationalist messages that also bash illegal immigration and abortion, videos showing leader Santiago Abascal riding a horse or standing under the rain in a picturesque part of Spain: the party provokes as much enthusiasm as rage. "They've awakened the beast," one admiring online user said this week, reacting to a video of Abascal predicting the end of the "liberal dictatorship" in Spain after the elections. Spain was ruled by dictator Francisco Franco after its 1936-39 civil war until his death in 1975. "They are so scary," said another concerned user. Talk, even if negative Relegated to the distant margins of politics until December, when it erupted on the scene in regional elections in southern Andalusia, Vox could get around 30 lawmakers out of 350, according to opinion polls. But analysts believe it could do even better, saying there may be many "hidden" Vox supporters who lie when asked by pollsters who they will be voting for. Largely shunning traditional media, Vox has opted "for a strategy of direct communication through social networks, through rallies with lots of people," Abascal told Spanish radio this week. He said his party had felt "pretty badly treated" by traditional media in the past, which "distorted many of our proposals." Ruben Durante of the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies said that "what matters to a party that doesn't have visibility in traditional media and doesn't have representation in institutions is that people talk about them, even if it's negative." "Controversial arguments attract attention and in the end, they win, because those who criticise aren't those who would vote for them," adds the expert in social networks and democracy. On Twitter, Vox generated 1.1 million interactions over the past month compared to 886,000 for far-left party Podemos, which has always been very active online, according to Social Elephants. That's also more than double the interactions of the Socialist Party, centre-right Ciudadanos and the conservative Popular Party (PP). To top it all, Vox generated all those interactions by sending just an average of 11 messages a day, compared to 27 for Podemos or 50 for Ciudadanos. And it also has far less followers on Twitter than other parties: 240,000, compared to Podemos's 1.37 million, the PP's 705,000, the Socialists' 670,000 and Ciudadanos' 518,000. Mobilising the disgruntled Durante says that in general, social networks allow parties to target potential voters and get their messages to them directly. "If you're Vox, you can identify people who don't vote or won't vote, with specific interests like hunting... and target these people," he says. This low-cost approach is attractive for those parties that have limited resources, he adds. "Vox does that well, (far-right leader) Marine Le Pen did it in France, the (anti-establishment) Five Star Movement in Italy... and Donald Trump did it in the United States," says Durante. And Vox has since 2017 been in contact with Trump's former advisor Steve Bannon, as the latter recognised in a recent interview with the El Pais daily. Messages posted on social networks or sent via WhatsApp, another very popular tool in Spain, also have a broader reach because they are shared with relatives or friends. Silvia Martinez, an expert on social networks and campaigns at Catalonia's Open University, says this is key as what originates from those close to you instantly appears more credible.

Spain's far-right, the clear leader in social media

In the wake of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/new-zealand-has-not-yet-seen-intel-linking-sri-lanka-bombings-to-christchurch-pm-212941">Christchurch attack</a>, New Zealand said on Wednesday that it would work with France in an effort to stop social media from being used to promote terrorism and violent extremism.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement that she will co-chair a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on May 15 that will seek to have world leaders and CEOs of tech companies agree to a pledge, called the Christchurch Call, to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.

A lone gunman killed 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, while live streaming the massacre on Facebook.

Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder for the mass shooting.

''It’s critical that technology platforms like Facebook are not perverted as a tool for terrorism, and instead become part of a global solution to countering extremism," Ardern said in the statement.

"This meeting presents an opportunity for an act of unity between governments and the tech companies," she added.

The meeting will be held alongside the Tech for Humanity meeting of G7 digital ministers, of which France is the chair, and France’s separate Tech for Good summit, both on 15 May, the statement said.

Ardern said at a press conference later on Wednesday that she has spoken with executives from a number of tech firms including Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Google and few other companies.

"The response I've received has been positive. No tech company, just like no government, would like to see violent extremism and terrorism online," Ardern said at the media briefing, adding that she had also spoken with Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg directly on the topic.

A Facebook spokesman said the company looks forward to collaborating with government, industry and safety experts on a clear framework of rules.

"We're evaluating how we can best support this effort and who among top Facebook executives will attend,” the spokesman said in a statement sent by email.

Facebook Inc, the world's largest social network with 2.7 billion users, has faced criticism since the Christchurch attack that it failed to tackle extremism.

One of the main groups representing Muslims in France has said it was suing Facebook and YouTube, a unit of Alphabet's Google, accusing them of inciting violence by allowing the streaming of the Christchurch massacre on their platforms.

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said last month that the company was looking to place restrictions on who can go live on its platform based on certain criteria.

In the wake of the Christchurch attack, New Zealand said on Wednesday that it would work with France in an effort to stop social media from being used to promote terrorism and violent extremism.

In the wake of the Christchurch attack, New Zealand said on Wednesday that it would work with France in an effort to stop social media from being used to promote terrorism and violent extremism. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement that she will co-chair a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on May 15 that will seek to have world leaders and CEOs of tech companies agree to a pledge, called the Christchurch Call, to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. A lone gunman killed 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, while live streaming the massacre on Facebook. Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder for the mass shooting. ''It’s critical that technology platforms like Facebook are not perverted as a tool for terrorism, and instead become part of a global solution to countering extremism," Ardern said in the statement. "This meeting presents an opportunity for an act of unity between governments and the tech companies," she added. The meeting will be held alongside the Tech for Humanity meeting of G7 digital ministers, of which France is the chair, and France’s separate Tech for Good summit, both on 15 May, the statement said. Ardern said at a press conference later on Wednesday that she has spoken with executives from a number of tech firms including Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Google and few other companies. "The response I've received has been positive. No tech company, just like no government, would like to see violent extremism and terrorism online," Ardern said at the media briefing, adding that she had also spoken with Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg directly on the topic. A Facebook spokesman said the company looks forward to collaborating with government, industry and safety experts on a clear framework of rules. "We're evaluating how we can best support this effort and who among top Facebook executives will attend,” the spokesman said in a statement sent by email. Facebook Inc, the world's largest social network with 2.7 billion users, has faced criticism since the Christchurch attack that it failed to tackle extremism. One of the main groups representing Muslims in France has said it was suing Facebook and YouTube, a unit of Alphabet's Google, accusing them of inciting violence by allowing the streaming of the Christchurch massacre on their platforms. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said last month that the company was looking to place restrictions on who can go live on its platform based on certain criteria.

New Zealand, France plan bid to tackle extremism on social media

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday lifted the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/if-madras-high-court-doesnt-decide-by-april-24-ban-on-tiktok-will-be-lifted-supreme-court-212501">ban on TikTok video application</a>.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of India told Chinese company Bytedance Technology, the maker of hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok, that if Madras the High Court fails to decide by April 24 its plea for relief, then its ban order will stand vacated.

The company had told the court that the Madras High Court gave the order banning the app in India without hearing its side of the story. It also said that the ban has led to a loss of crores of rupees.

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Madurai bench of the Madras High Court lifts ban on TikTok video app. <a href="https://t.co/1oFP4oYncs">pic.twitter.com/1oFP4oYncs</a>
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The Supreme Court bench then said the next date of hearing is April 24, and if the high court doesn't decide on the plea against the ban, the order will stand vacated.

Google had last week blocked access to TikTok on its Play Store in India. The decision was taken hours after the Madras High Court refused a request by Bytedance Technology to suspend a ban on TikTok, putting its future in one of its key markets in doubt.

The Madras High Court had on April 3 asked the central government to ban TikTok, saying it encouraged pornography and made child users vulnerable to sexual predators. It's ruling came after an individual launched public interest litigation calling for a ban.

The Centre had sent a letter to Apple and Google to abide by the state court's order.

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday lifted the ban on TikTok video application. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of India told Chinese company Bytedance Technology, the maker of hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok, that if Madras the High Court fails to decide by April 24 its plea for relief, then its ban order will stand vacated.

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday lifted the ban on TikTok video application. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of India told Chinese company Bytedance Technology, the maker of hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok, that if Madras the High Court fails to decide by April 24 its plea for relief, then its ban order will stand vacated. The company had told the court that the Madras High Court gave the order banning the app in India without hearing its side of the story. It also said that the ban has led to a loss of crores of rupees. Madurai bench of the Madras High Court lifts ban on TikTok video app. pic.twitter.com/1oFP4oYncs — ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2019 × The Supreme Court bench then said the next date of hearing is April 24, and if the high court doesn't decide on the plea against the ban, the order will stand vacated. Google had last week blocked access to TikTok on its Play Store in India. The decision was taken hours after the Madras High Court refused a request by Bytedance Technology to suspend a ban on TikTok, putting its future in one of its key markets in doubt. The Madras High Court had on April 3 asked the central government to ban TikTok, saying it encouraged pornography and made child users vulnerable to sexual predators. It's ruling came after an individual launched public interest litigation calling for a ban. The Centre had sent a letter to Apple and Google to abide by the state court's order.

Madras High Court lifts ban on TikTok video app

A new study shows a dip in Russian President Vladimir Putin's popularity ratings. Russians on social media blame Putin for a weak economy.

Gravitas: Is Putin losing his grip on Russia?

Did U.S. president Donald Trump get a clean chit in the Muller investigation? We break down the investigation report and Trump's comments about it.

Gravitas: Russia Meddling Probe: Clean chit for Donald Trump?

"Millions" of Instagram users had their passwords stored in unencrypted form on internal servers,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-bans-uk-far-right-groups-including-bnp-edl-britain-first-211564"> Facebook</a> said Thursday, raising its original estimate of tens of thousands.

"We discovered additional logs of Instagram passwords being stored in a readable format. We now estimate that this issue impacted millions of Instagram users," Facebook said in a blog post.

"We will be notifying these users as we did the others. Our investigation has determined that these stored passwords were not internally abused or improperly accessed," the social network said.

Facebook, Instagram's parent company, revealed last month that the unencrypted passwords of hundreds of millions of users had been stored, putting the number of Instagram users affected in the tens of thousands.

The social network's handling of user data has been a flashpoint for controversy since it admitted last year that Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy, used an app that may have hijacked the private details of 87 million users.

Facebook has announced a series of moves to tighten handling of data, including eliminating most of its data-sharing partnerships with outside companies.

The California firm reaches an estimated 2.7 billion people with its core social network, Instagram and messaging applications.

"Millions" of Instagram users had their passwords stored in unencrypted form on internal servers, Facebook said Thursday, raising its original estimate of tens of thousands.

"Millions" of Instagram users had their passwords stored in unencrypted form on internal servers, Facebook said Thursday, raising its original estimate of tens of thousands. "We discovered additional logs of Instagram passwords being stored in a readable format. We now estimate that this issue impacted millions of Instagram users," Facebook said in a blog post. "We will be notifying these users as we did the others. Our investigation has determined that these stored passwords were not internally abused or improperly accessed," the social network said. Facebook, Instagram's parent company, revealed last month that the unencrypted passwords of hundreds of millions of users had been stored, putting the number of Instagram users affected in the tens of thousands. The social network's handling of user data has been a flashpoint for controversy since it admitted last year that Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy, used an app that may have hijacked the private details of 87 million users. Facebook has announced a series of moves to tighten handling of data, including eliminating most of its data-sharing partnerships with outside companies. The California firm reaches an estimated 2.7 billion people with its core social network, Instagram and messaging applications.

Facebook says it stored 'millions' of unencrypted Instagram passwords

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave access to sensitive user data to dozens of app developer friends, according to thousands of leaked documents. Zuckerberg reportedly used the data as a reward to third party companies and developers who either had a favourable relationship with company executives or spent considerable amounts on ads.

Leaked documents reveal Facebook secrets

Britain will make social media bosses personally liable for harmful content and shut down offending platforms under a "world-leading" government plan published Monday in response to the spread of online abuses and crimes.

The long-delayed and eagerly anticipated proposals lay the groundwork for legislation that could be passed in the coming months.

They were drawn up after consultations with social media moguls such as Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and have faced little resistance from other platforms that have also been blamed for inciting harmful behaviour online.

But some of the proposals have sparked concerns from free speech groups.

"What we're proposing today is that companies that deal with user-generated content should take greater responsibility for keeping those users safe," culture and media minister Jeremy Wright told BBC radio.

"These are world-leading proposals."

Australia also fast-tracked legislation last week that threatened jailed time for social media executives who failed to enact the "expeditious removal" of footage of terrorism and other odious crimes.

Punitive sanctions

Australia's laws came in direct response to last month's live broadcast by Facebook and YouTube of the slaying of 50 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand.

Britain's initiative was born out of public anger over the 2017 suicide of a 14-year-old girl who followed social media accounts about depression and self-harm.

The proposed UK regulations would see social media companies accept "duty of care" obligations that require them to identify and remove "online harms".

Those that fail would be first issued warnings and then hit progressively with more punitive sanctions.

The government paper suggests that these include "the creation of new liability (civil fines or extended to criminal liability) for individual senior managers".

The most serious would see internet service providers block non-compliant websites and apps.

"This would only be considered as an option of last resort and deploying such an option would be a decision for the independent regulator alone," the plan says.

The regulations would only apply in Britain and should have no immediate impact on users elsewhere in the world.

But they may prompt other governments to take notice and follow suit.

Wright suggested the fines would be substantial.

He noted that those available to European Union authorities implementing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules on data privacy reached "up to four per cent of a company's turnover".

"We think we should be looking at something comparable here," Wright told BBC television.

Minefield of problems

Wright's office is navigating a minefield of problems regulating an industry that largely functions outside the bounds of existing legislation -- and whose harms are open to interpretation and remain undefined.

A joint letter sent by media executives to the British government in February stressed that legislation must be "technically possible to implement in practice... (and) be targeted at specific harms".

The government paper lists both "harms with a clear legal definition" and "harms with a less clear legal definition".

The first includes terrorist activity and a range of cyber-stalking and hate crimes.

The second lists disinformation and "violent content" as a whole.

What types of harm fall where would be established by a new regulator whose enforcement powers would be funded by the social media companies themselves.

Libertarian ethos

The social media boom was born in the spirit of a libertarian Silicon Valley ethos of innovation and non-interference from the government.

But the industry is now facing a litany of dangers that range from the spread of state propaganda to promotion of teen suicide and live streaming or murders and serious crimes.

The techUK industry lobby group admitted Monday that platforms' attempts at self-regulation have fallen short.

But it also urged the government to avoid "creating discrepancies in law between the online and offline worlds".

Twitter UK public policy chief Katy Minshall said her platform would work with the government "to strike an appropriate balance between keeping users safe and preserving the open, free nature of the internet."

Britain's Article 19 free speech group also warned that the proposed legislation "could violate individuals' rights to freedom of expression and privacy".

Britain will make social media bosses personally liable for harmful content and shut down offending platforms under a "world-leading" government plan published Monday in response to the spread of online abuses and crimes.

Britain will make social media bosses personally liable for harmful content and shut down offending platforms under a "world-leading" government plan published Monday in response to the spread of online abuses and crimes. The long-delayed and eagerly anticipated proposals lay the groundwork for legislation that could be passed in the coming months. They were drawn up after consultations with social media moguls such as Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and have faced little resistance from other platforms that have also been blamed for inciting harmful behaviour online. But some of the proposals have sparked concerns from free speech groups. "What we're proposing today is that companies that deal with user-generated content should take greater responsibility for keeping those users safe," culture and media minister Jeremy Wright told BBC radio. "These are world-leading proposals." Australia also fast-tracked legislation last week that threatened jailed time for social media executives who failed to enact the "expeditious removal" of footage of terrorism and other odious crimes. Punitive sanctions Australia's laws came in direct response to last month's live broadcast by Facebook and YouTube of the slaying of 50 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand. Britain's initiative was born out of public anger over the 2017 suicide of a 14-year-old girl who followed social media accounts about depression and self-harm. The proposed UK regulations would see social media companies accept "duty of care" obligations that require them to identify and remove "online harms". Those that fail would be first issued warnings and then hit progressively with more punitive sanctions. The government paper suggests that these include "the creation of new liability (civil fines or extended to criminal liability) for individual senior managers". The most serious would see internet service providers block non-compliant websites and apps. "This would only be considered as an option of last resort and deploying such an option would be a decision for the independent regulator alone," the plan says. The regulations would only apply in Britain and should have no immediate impact on users elsewhere in the world. But they may prompt other governments to take notice and follow suit. Wright suggested the fines would be substantial. He noted that those available to European Union authorities implementing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules on data privacy reached "up to four per cent of a company's turnover". "We think we should be looking at something comparable here," Wright told BBC television. Minefield of problems Wright's office is navigating a minefield of problems regulating an industry that largely functions outside the bounds of existing legislation -- and whose harms are open to interpretation and remain undefined. A joint letter sent by media executives to the British government in February stressed that legislation must be "technically possible to implement in practice... (and) be targeted at specific harms". The government paper lists both "harms with a clear legal definition" and "harms with a less clear legal definition". The first includes terrorist activity and a range of cyber-stalking and hate crimes. The second lists disinformation and "violent content" as a whole. What types of harm fall where would be established by a new regulator whose enforcement powers would be funded by the social media companies themselves. Libertarian ethos The social media boom was born in the spirit of a libertarian Silicon Valley ethos of innovation and non-interference from the government. But the industry is now facing a litany of dangers that range from the spread of state propaganda to promotion of teen suicide and live streaming or murders and serious crimes. The techUK industry lobby group admitted Monday that platforms' attempts at self-regulation have fallen short. But it also urged the government to avoid "creating discrepancies in law between the online and offline worlds". Twitter UK public policy chief Katy Minshall said her platform would work with the government "to strike an appropriate balance between keeping users safe and preserving the open, free nature of the internet." Britain's Article 19 free speech group also warned that the proposed legislation "could violate individuals' rights to freedom of expression and privacy".

UK takes aim at social networks that fail to quash 'hateful' content

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-to-tighten-live-stream-access-after-mosque-attacks-206634">Facebook</a> will block election advertising from outside <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australias-economy-slows-ahead-of-election-201452">Australia ahead of polls next month</a>, in the wake of growing criticism of the social media giant's role in the spread of disinformation.

The restrictions -- already rolled out for polls in other countries such as Thailand and Indonesia -- will come into force when the government announces the election date in the coming days.

"We're temporarily not allowing electoral ads purchased from outside Australia ahead of the election in May," Facebook's Australia and New Zealand policy director Mia Garlick said in a statement.

"The restriction... will apply to ads we determine to be coming from foreign entities that are of an electoral nature, meaning they contain references to politicians, parties or election suppression.

"We also won't allow foreign ads that include political slogans and party logos."

Facebook said it has introduced restrictions on foreign electoral ads in countries including Nigeria, Ukraine, Thailand, Indonesia, and Ireland around its May 2018 referendum on abortion.&nbsp;

For the European Parliamentary elections, it requires advertisers to be authorised in their country to run ads related to the vote.

The world's biggest social network first began looking into its influence on elections after revelations of Russian influence campaigns during the 2016 US election.

Critics have accused the US firm of being too slow to act.

AFP has a global fact-checking network that is dedicated to verifying and debunking disinformation spread online.&nbsp;

Some of this content is flagged on Facebook, as part of a contract between AFP and the social media company. AFP's collaboration with Facebook has just been extended to Australia.

Facebook will block election advertising from outside Australia ahead of polls next month, in the wake of growing criticism of the social media giant's role in the spread of disinformation.

Facebook will block election advertising from outside Australia ahead of polls next month, in the wake of growing criticism of the social media giant's role in the spread of disinformation. The restrictions -- already rolled out for polls in other countries such as Thailand and Indonesia -- will come into force when the government announces the election date in the coming days. "We're temporarily not allowing electoral ads purchased from outside Australia ahead of the election in May," Facebook's Australia and New Zealand policy director Mia Garlick said in a statement. "The restriction... will apply to ads we determine to be coming from foreign entities that are of an electoral nature, meaning they contain references to politicians, parties or election suppression. "We also won't allow foreign ads that include political slogans and party logos." Facebook said it has introduced restrictions on foreign electoral ads in countries including Nigeria, Ukraine, Thailand, Indonesia, and Ireland around its May 2018 referendum on abortion. For the European Parliamentary elections, it requires advertisers to be authorised in their country to run ads related to the vote. The world's biggest social network first began looking into its influence on elections after revelations of Russian influence campaigns during the 2016 US election. Critics have accused the US firm of being too slow to act. AFP has a global fact-checking network that is dedicated to verifying and debunking disinformation spread online. Some of this content is flagged on Facebook, as part of a contract between AFP and the social media company. AFP's collaboration with Facebook has just been extended to Australia.

Facebook to block foreign ads for Australia election

A new blackout hit Caracas and other major Venezuelan cities on Friday, the third major electricity outage in the crisis-plagued country this month.

The blackout began around 7:10 pm (2310 GMT), leaving the capital as well as cities including Maracaibo, Valencia, Maracay and San Cristobal without electricity, according to users on social media networks.

It is the third time since March 7 that a major power outage has hit Venezuela -- worsening the already-dire economic and living conditions in a country that is witnessing a major political showdown between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition chief Juan Guaido.

Maduro has blamed the previous outages on sabotage, but experts have said that infrastructure crumbling from years of neglect is a more likely culprit than outside interference.

Earlier on Friday, the Red Cross said it would begin impartially distributing aid in Venezuela in two weeks, brushing aside the threat of political interference amid the Maduro-Guaido power struggle.

Malnutrition and disease are on the rise as living conditions plummet in the oil-producing Latin American nation, which is spiralling ever deeper into economic chaos during a protracted political crisis.

"We estimate that in a period of approximately 15 days we will be ready to offer help," said Francesco Rocca, head of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

The United States -- which considers Guaido interim president along with some 50 other countries -- welcomed the announcement as a "real opportunity."

Rocca told reporters in Caracas the organization would begin distributing aid mid-April, including tons of mostly US food and medical supplies that Maduro has to date refused to allow into the country -- leaving it stockpiled for weeks on the borders with Colombia and Brazil.

The Red Cross -- aiming to reach 650,000 people initially -- would act according to its principles of "impartiality, neutrality and independence," he said, "without accepting interference from anyone."

'Victory over sanctions'

Meanwhile, in a boost to Maduro, a Chinese plane loaded with 65 tons of medical aid landed in Caracas on Friday. His government celebrated it as a victory over US sanctions, which the socialist leader blames for the economic crisis.

Though unpopular, Maduro has the upper hand at home, thanks to loyalty from his military chiefs and, since last weekend, the presence of 100 Russian troops.

The Russian deployment to Venezuela has drawn fire from Washington, but Caracas' defence minister said Friday that "no one should be alarmed" by their presence.

"We are overcoming the purported siege, the blockade, which has been undertaken by President Trump and the diabolical puppet from here in Venezuela," said vice-president Tareck El Aissami, referring to Guaido.

El Aissami, on the tarmac to meet the Chinese plane, said the medical supplies were the "first cargo of several that start from this moment."&nbsp;

It includes analgesics, surgical equipment and medicine for diseases such as diabetes.

China's ambassador Li Baorong said the delivery was part of previous "cooperation agreements" with Venezuela.

Speaking at a news conference in Caracas, Rocca said agreements had been put in place to guarantee aid distribution, but declined to give details.&nbsp;

In Washington, Elliott Abrams, the envoy heading the US effort to oust Maduro, praised the Red Cross initiative and credited appeals by Guaido.&nbsp;

"This looks like a real opportunity, and we think that it is a response to the efforts that interim President Guaido has been making," Abrams told reporters in Washington.

"So it's very welcome, we hope it works, and -- assuming that it does, which we do -- the United States would be happy to put some of our aid into this method of reaching the Venezuelan people," he said.

Maduro ordered the border closed to keep out the aid, thwarting a high-profile February 23 operation orchestrated by Guaido to bring badly needed food and medical supplies into the country where the UN says seven million people are in dire need.&nbsp;

At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in subsequent rioting at the border.

Seven million in dire need

The socialist leader said aid would be a precursor to a US military incursion.

"That was an issue that was very politicized," said Rocca. "If that help complies with our rules and our protocols, of course, we are willing to distribute it."

About 24 per cent of Venezuela's population -- seven million people -- are in dire need of humanitarian aid, according to an internal UN report that showed malnutrition and disease were on the rise as living conditions plummet.

Abrams nonetheless said the Red Cross assistance was no substitute for toppling Maduro.

"The kind of aid that is needed for a broad recovery of the Venezuelan economy really cannot be put in place until the regime is replaced by democratic government," Abrams said.

A new blackout hit Caracas and other major Venezuelan cities on Friday, the third major electricity outage in the crisis-plagued country this month. The blackout began around 7:10 pm (2310 GMT), leaving the capital as well as cities including Maracaibo, Valencia, Maracay and San Cristobal without electricity, according to users on social media networks.

A new blackout hit Caracas and other major Venezuelan cities on Friday, the third major electricity outage in the crisis-plagued country this month. The blackout began around 7:10 pm (2310 GMT), leaving the capital as well as cities including Maracaibo, Valencia, Maracay and San Cristobal without electricity, according to users on social media networks. It is the third time since March 7 that a major power outage has hit Venezuela -- worsening the already-dire economic and living conditions in a country that is witnessing a major political showdown between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition chief Juan Guaido. Maduro has blamed the previous outages on sabotage, but experts have said that infrastructure crumbling from years of neglect is a more likely culprit than outside interference. Earlier on Friday, the Red Cross said it would begin impartially distributing aid in Venezuela in two weeks, brushing aside the threat of political interference amid the Maduro-Guaido power struggle. Malnutrition and disease are on the rise as living conditions plummet in the oil-producing Latin American nation, which is spiralling ever deeper into economic chaos during a protracted political crisis. "We estimate that in a period of approximately 15 days we will be ready to offer help," said Francesco Rocca, head of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. The United States -- which considers Guaido interim president along with some 50 other countries -- welcomed the announcement as a "real opportunity." Rocca told reporters in Caracas the organization would begin distributing aid mid-April, including tons of mostly US food and medical supplies that Maduro has to date refused to allow into the country -- leaving it stockpiled for weeks on the borders with Colombia and Brazil. The Red Cross -- aiming to reach 650,000 people initially -- would act according to its principles of "impartiality, neutrality and independence," he said, "without accepting interference from anyone." 'Victory over sanctions' Meanwhile, in a boost to Maduro, a Chinese plane loaded with 65 tons of medical aid landed in Caracas on Friday. His government celebrated it as a victory over US sanctions, which the socialist leader blames for the economic crisis. Though unpopular, Maduro has the upper hand at home, thanks to loyalty from his military chiefs and, since last weekend, the presence of 100 Russian troops. The Russian deployment to Venezuela has drawn fire from Washington, but Caracas' defence minister said Friday that "no one should be alarmed" by their presence. "We are overcoming the purported siege, the blockade, which has been undertaken by President Trump and the diabolical puppet from here in Venezuela," said vice-president Tareck El Aissami, referring to Guaido. El Aissami, on the tarmac to meet the Chinese plane, said the medical supplies were the "first cargo of several that start from this moment." It includes analgesics, surgical equipment and medicine for diseases such as diabetes. China's ambassador Li Baorong said the delivery was part of previous "cooperation agreements" with Venezuela. Speaking at a news conference in Caracas, Rocca said agreements had been put in place to guarantee aid distribution, but declined to give details. In Washington, Elliott Abrams, the envoy heading the US effort to oust Maduro, praised the Red Cross initiative and credited appeals by Guaido. "This looks like a real opportunity, and we think that it is a response to the efforts that interim President Guaido has been making," Abrams told reporters in Washington. "So it's very welcome, we hope it works, and -- assuming that it does, which we do -- the United States would be happy to put some of our aid into this method of reaching the Venezuelan people," he said. Maduro ordered the border closed to keep out the aid, thwarting a high-profile February 23 operation orchestrated by Guaido to bring badly needed food and medical supplies into the country where the UN says seven million people are in dire need. At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in subsequent rioting at the border. Seven million in dire need The socialist leader said aid would be a precursor to a US military incursion. "That was an issue that was very politicized," said Rocca. "If that help complies with our rules and our protocols, of course, we are willing to distribute it." About 24 per cent of Venezuela's population -- seven million people -- are in dire need of humanitarian aid, according to an internal UN report that showed malnutrition and disease were on the rise as living conditions plummet. Abrams nonetheless said the Red Cross assistance was no substitute for toppling Maduro. "The kind of aid that is needed for a broad recovery of the Venezuelan economy really cannot be put in place until the regime is replaced by democratic government," Abrams said.

Caracas and other major Venezuelan cities hit by new blackout

Facebook Inc has removed a social media network in the Philippines for "coordinated inauthentic behaviour", and took the unusual step of linking it to a businessman who said he had managed the president's online election campaign in 2016.

Facebook said its investigation found that the online activity was linked to a network organised by a former chief executive of Omnicom Media Group Philippines, who it identified as Nic Gabunada, and said it had removed 200 pages of groups and accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

"The individuals behind this activity used a combination of authentic and fake accounts to disseminate content across a variety of pages and groups", Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of Cybersecurity Policy, said in a statement, dated on Thursday.

"They frequently posted about local and political news, including topics like the upcoming elections, candidate updates and views, alleged misconduct of political opponents, and controversial events that were purported to occur during previous administrations," he said.

Facebook said it had taken down the pages and accounts "based on their behaviour, not the content they posted".

Gabunada told ABS-CBN News that it was "unfortunate" that Facebook linked him to the questionable pages and accounts.

"If they will have to take down my account, it's their prerogative. On the other hand, they have to consider I'm not doing it for the sake of whatever it is that they're accusing me of," Gabunada said.

In an interview with the news site Rappler in May 2016, shortly after President Rodrigo Duterte had been elected, Gabunada said he had volunteered to help lead Duterte's social media team during his campaign.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag said Duterte has only one communications group, the PCOO, and Gabunada is not part of it.

Duterte, a former city mayor from outside of the political elite, tapped into social media to help him win the 2016 election by a big margin.

The Philippines is due to hold mid-term elections in May 2019 that are seen as a referendum on Duterte's administration.

At least one of the pages taken down by Facebook was named "Duterte Warriors".

Another was named "Bong Go Supporters", referring to supporters of the president's longtime special assistant, Christopher "Bong" Go, who is running for the Senate.

Studies have shown that the Philippines at times has led the world when it comes to sending text messages, using Facebook, and posting selfies.

Filipinos in 2017 spent on average nearly four hours a day on social media, more than any other country, according to a 2018 report by social media management firms, We Are Social and Hootsuite.

Facebook Inc has removed a social media network in the Philippines for "coordinated inauthentic behaviour", and took the unusual step of linking it to a businessman who said he had managed the president's online election campaign in 2016.

Facebook Inc has removed a social media network in the Philippines for "coordinated inauthentic behaviour", and took the unusual step of linking it to a businessman who said he had managed the president's online election campaign in 2016. Facebook said its investigation found that the online activity was linked to a network organised by a former chief executive of Omnicom Media Group Philippines, who it identified as Nic Gabunada, and said it had removed 200 pages of groups and accounts on Facebook and Instagram. "The individuals behind this activity used a combination of authentic and fake accounts to disseminate content across a variety of pages and groups", Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of Cybersecurity Policy, said in a statement, dated on Thursday. "They frequently posted about local and political news, including topics like the upcoming elections, candidate updates and views, alleged misconduct of political opponents, and controversial events that were purported to occur during previous administrations," he said. Facebook said it had taken down the pages and accounts "based on their behaviour, not the content they posted". Gabunada told ABS-CBN News that it was "unfortunate" that Facebook linked him to the questionable pages and accounts. "If they will have to take down my account, it's their prerogative. On the other hand, they have to consider I'm not doing it for the sake of whatever it is that they're accusing me of," Gabunada said. In an interview with the news site Rappler in May 2016, shortly after President Rodrigo Duterte had been elected, Gabunada said he had volunteered to help lead Duterte's social media team during his campaign. Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag said Duterte has only one communications group, the PCOO, and Gabunada is not part of it. Duterte, a former city mayor from outside of the political elite, tapped into social media to help him win the 2016 election by a big margin. The Philippines is due to hold mid-term elections in May 2019 that are seen as a referendum on Duterte's administration. At least one of the pages taken down by Facebook was named "Duterte Warriors". Another was named "Bong Go Supporters", referring to supporters of the president's longtime special assistant, Christopher "Bong" Go, who is running for the Senate. Studies have shown that the Philippines at times has led the world when it comes to sending text messages, using Facebook, and posting selfies. Filipinos in 2017 spent on average nearly four hours a day on social media, more than any other country, according to a 2018 report by social media management firms, We Are Social and Hootsuite.

Facebook removes online network in Philippines over 'inauthentic behaviour'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation today with an "important message".&nbsp;

"I would be addressing the nation at around 11:45 AM - 12.00 noon with an important message," Modi tweeted. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
मेरे प्यारे देशवासियों, 
 
आज सवेरे लगभग 11.45 - 12.00 बजे मैं एक महत्वपूर्ण संदेश लेकर आप के बीच आऊँगा। 
 
I would be addressing the nation at around 11:45 AM - 12.00 noon with an important message. 
 
Do watch the address on television, radio or social media.
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1110781818238693376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Do watch the address on television, radio or social media," he added.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation today with an "important message". "I would be addressing the nation at around 11:45 AM - 12.00 noon with an important message," Modi tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation today with an "important message". "I would be addressing the nation at around 11:45 AM - 12.00 noon with an important message," Modi tweeted. मेरे प्यारे देशवासियों, आज सवेरे लगभग 11.45 - 12.00 बजे मैं एक महत्वपूर्ण संदेश लेकर आप के बीच आऊँगा। I would be addressing the nation at around 11:45 AM - 12.00 noon with an important message. Do watch the address on television, radio or social media. — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2019 × "Do watch the address on television, radio or social media," he added.

PM Modi to address nation today with 'important message'

Gravitas: Is social media threat to mental health?

BJP's wrong foot on social media, ministers prefix 'Chowkidar' to Twitter handles

Organisers of an International Women's Day march in Pakistan say they have had death and rape threats on social media over the event, which prompted complaints from some conservative groups.

Nighat Daad told Reuters that the march organisers are looking into filing a complaint with Pakistan's Federal Investigation Authority about the online harassment.

"It has gone too far in terms of death and rape threats to the organisers and also to the marchers," Daad said, adding that one of the threatening accounts had been suspended by Twitter.

The event, which attracted tens of thousands of women on March 8, was only the second of its kind in Pakistan, which A Thomson Reuters Foundation poll found to be the sixth most dangerous country for women in 2018.

A Human Rights Watch report last year estimated that 1,000 "honour killings" -- the practice of relatives murdering girls or women because they think the victim has brought shame or dishonour on the family -- take place in Pakistan each year.

Another march organiser, who asked not to be identified, said the backlash "shows that this collective organisation of women has threatened the patriarchal forces".

Pakistan has experienced a surge in social media usage with more than 40 million Facebook users. The rapid growth has sparked an online debate about misogyny, with some women highlighting daily hate and pornographic messaging.

The days following the march have seen social media attacks on women, while some prominent men have complained about "obscene" signs carried by protesters.

A member of the country's largest religious political party filed a complaint with police, seen by Reuters, in the southern city of Karachi where 7,000 women attended the march, saying the protesters "provoked religious sentiments" and spread vulgarity.

The march organisers also said the media had focused on the backlash more than the original aims of the event.

"The media played a massively negative role in this campaign ... they just looked at what trolls were saying online and picked up (on) a few placards that were provocative to try and sell their content," Daad said.

Organisers of an International Women's Day march in Pakistan say they have had death and rape threats on social media over the event, which prompted complaints from some conservative groups.

Organisers of an International Women's Day march in Pakistan say they have had death and rape threats on social media over the event, which prompted complaints from some conservative groups. Nighat Daad told Reuters that the march organisers are looking into filing a complaint with Pakistan's Federal Investigation Authority about the online harassment. "It has gone too far in terms of death and rape threats to the organisers and also to the marchers," Daad said, adding that one of the threatening accounts had been suspended by Twitter. The event, which attracted tens of thousands of women on March 8, was only the second of its kind in Pakistan, which A Thomson Reuters Foundation poll found to be the sixth most dangerous country for women in 2018. A Human Rights Watch report last year estimated that 1,000 "honour killings" -- the practice of relatives murdering girls or women because they think the victim has brought shame or dishonour on the family -- take place in Pakistan each year. Another march organiser, who asked not to be identified, said the backlash "shows that this collective organisation of women has threatened the patriarchal forces". Pakistan has experienced a surge in social media usage with more than 40 million Facebook users. The rapid growth has sparked an online debate about misogyny, with some women highlighting daily hate and pornographic messaging. The days following the march have seen social media attacks on women, while some prominent men have complained about "obscene" signs carried by protesters. A member of the country's largest religious political party filed a complaint with police, seen by Reuters, in the southern city of Karachi where 7,000 women attended the march, saying the protesters "provoked religious sentiments" and spread vulgarity. The march organisers also said the media had focused on the backlash more than the original aims of the event. "The media played a massively negative role in this campaign ... they just looked at what trolls were saying online and picked up (on) a few placards that were provocative to try and sell their content," Daad said.

Pakistan womens' march organisers highlight online death threats

Many people in Amritsar city claimed to have heard "loud blasts" in the wee hours of Thursday after which social media was abuzz with speculations.

A few people took to social media to write about two very loud sounds, which some said sounded similar to bomb blasts.

However, police said "everything was okay" in the city and not to believe in "rumours" on social media.

Jagjit Singh Walia, ADCP Amritsar, told ANI, "I appeal to the people to not believe in rumours on social media. Everything is okay. As per our information, nothing has happened."

On Twitter, people claimed "heightened air activity" in the city. Soon the hashtag Amritsar surfaced with the conversation perking up about "sonic booms", "low flying jets" &nbsp;or just "loud sounds across the sky".

Most people reported loud sounds around 1 am on Friday.

ADCP Amritsar said it was merely a chatter on social media and added, "We will investigate the matter. If there is something, we will let you know." &nbsp;

Amritsar is situated near the border of India with Pakistan with the Wagah Border only 28 kilometres away from it.

Recently, tensions have been high between India and Pakistan ever since India undertook an anti-terror strike on a JeM terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot.

Many people in Amritsar city claimed to have heard "loud blasts" in the wee hours of Thursday after which social media was abuzz with speculations. A few people took to social media to write about two very loud sounds, which some said sounded similar to bomb blasts.

Many people in Amritsar city claimed to have heard "loud blasts" in the wee hours of Thursday after which social media was abuzz with speculations. A few people took to social media to write about two very loud sounds, which some said sounded similar to bomb blasts. However, police said "everything was okay" in the city and not to believe in "rumours" on social media. Jagjit Singh Walia, ADCP Amritsar, told ANI, "I appeal to the people to not believe in rumours on social media. Everything is okay. As per our information, nothing has happened." On Twitter, people claimed "heightened air activity" in the city. Soon the hashtag Amritsar surfaced with the conversation perking up about "sonic booms", "low flying jets" or just "loud sounds across the sky". Most people reported loud sounds around 1 am on Friday. ADCP Amritsar said it was merely a chatter on social media and added, "We will investigate the matter. If there is something, we will let you know." Amritsar is situated near the border of India with Pakistan with the Wagah Border only 28 kilometres away from it. Recently, tensions have been high between India and Pakistan ever since India undertook an anti-terror strike on a JeM terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot.

Social media abuzz with 'loud blast'' sounds in Amritsar

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