<p>Global Head of Safety at Facebook, Antigone Davis, revealed Facebook&#39;s new initiatives to prevent harassment on Facebook.</p>

<p>The social media giant has rolled out new tools and features to help prevent unwanted friend requests and messages from Facebook users.</p>

<p>These new tools will be capable of recognising and blocking any attempts of communication from a blocked user who might send a message&nbsp;or a friend request from a new or another account.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement released Tuesday, Davis talked about a new option that lets a user ignore a Messenger conversation by automatically moving it to their &#39;Filtered&#39; messages.</p>

<p>Just a tap on a message will let a user ignore a conversation and move it to &#39;Filtered&#39; messages.</p>

<p>A new feature will also let users read messages without letting the sender see if the message has been read already.</p>

<p>The feature is available for single conversations and will soon be applicable to group chats.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These automated features will help in identifying fake accounts, preventing their&nbsp;owners from re-registering.</p>

<p>The set of new features will go a long way in providing stronger cyber-security, especially on Facebook, to women and journalists who often fall prey to online harassment and cyber-stalking.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A range of signals -- like a user&#39;s IP address -- will be analysed to study the type of accounts and their owners who were previously blocked and therefore must be blocked from re-registering on Facebook, sending messages, friend requests or creating another account.&nbsp;</p>


New Facebook tools will recognise and prevent attempts of communication from a blocked user

Global Head of Safety at Facebook, Antigone Davis, revealed Facebook's new initiatives to prevent harassment on Facebook. The social media giant has rolled out new tools and features to help prevent unwanted friend requests and messages from Facebook users. These new tools will be capable of recognising and blocking any attempts of communication from a blocked user who might send a message or a friend request from a new or another account. In a statement released Tuesday, Davis talked about a new option that lets a user ignore a Messenger conversation by automatically moving it to their 'Filtered' messages. Just a tap on a message will let a user ignore a conversation and move it to 'Filtered' messages. A new feature will also let users read messages without letting the sender see if the message has been read already. The feature is available for single conversations and will soon be applicable to group chats. These automated features will help in identifying fake accounts, preventing their owners from re-registering. The set of new features will go a long way in providing stronger cyber-security, especially on Facebook, to women and journalists who often fall prey to online harassment and cyber-stalking. A range of signals -- like a user's IP address -- will be analysed to study the type of accounts and their owners who were previously blocked and therefore must be blocked from re-registering on Facebook, sending messages, friend requests or creating another account.

New Facebook tools will help prevent unwanted friend requests and messages

<p>A recently published report studied the pattern of internet consumption in the country and revealed surprisingly interesting facts about internet penetration in India and other technology-led behavioural traits of an average Indian internet consumer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The report, &#39;Currency of Trust, Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes Toward Digital Financial Services in India,&#39; published by a non-profit entity called the Omidyar Network noted that that number of Indians owning a smartphone versus a basic handset has grown from 28% in 2014 to 40% in 2017 which is estimated to touch 54% by 2020.</p>

<p>&quot;However, a sizeable population will continue to be content with a basic feature phone,&quot; noted the report.</p>

<p>The study also noted that people in India are highly frugal with respect to their data usage, always finding ways to save or economise their data consumption.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Even financially savvy consumers are wary of accessing financial services on their phone and believe that formal financial services are not for them,&quot; noted the study.</p>

<p>The report also listed some of the top applications and internet tools in India going by the quantity of data consumed.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Data consumption in India, report and image via Omidyar Network. (Others)</p>
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<p>Close to 30% of total data usage by Indian consumers goes into accessing communication tool and applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Opera, UC Browser and PSIPHON, an internet censorship circumventing tool.&nbsp;</p>

<p>YouTube, Hotstar, Xender, SHAREit, Facebook, Instagram, Flipkart and Paytm featured among as top applications going by data usage; 13% of total data usage goes into accessing social media applications.&nbsp;</p>


13% of total data usage goes into accessing social media applications

A recently published report studied the pattern of internet consumption in the country and revealed surprisingly interesting facts about internet penetration in India and other technology-led behavioural traits of an average Indian internet consumer. The report, 'Currency of Trust, Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes Toward Digital Financial Services in India,' published by a non-profit entity called the Omidyar Network noted that that number of Indians owning a smartphone versus a basic handset has grown from 28% in 2014 to 40% in 2017 which is estimated to touch 54% by 2020. "However, a sizeable population will continue to be content with a basic feature phone," noted the report. The study also noted that people in India are highly frugal with respect to their data usage, always finding ways to save or economise their data consumption. "Even financially savvy consumers are wary of accessing financial services on their phone and believe that formal financial services are not for them," noted the study. The report also listed some of the top applications and internet tools in India going by the quantity of data consumed. Data consumption in India, report and image via Omidyar Network. (Others) × Close to 30% of total data usage by Indian consumers goes into accessing communication tool and applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Opera, UC Browser and PSIPHON, an internet censorship circumventing tool. YouTube, Hotstar, Xender, SHAREit, Facebook, Instagram, Flipkart and Paytm featured among as top applications going by data usage; 13% of total data usage goes into accessing social media applications.

Indians spend most internet data on communication apps, social media: Study

<p>All French children under the age of 16 will have to seek parental approval to open an account on Facebook or any other social network under draft legislation presented on Wednesday.</p>

<p>The requirement is part of a French bill that seeks to adapt data privacy regulations and improve access to the information internet companies gather, store and in many cases sell to other firms about people`s online activity.</p>

<p>&quot;Joining Facebook will involve parental authorisation for minors aged under 16,&quot; Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet told reporters.</p>

<p>She was presenting the outlines of a data privacy bill that was approved at a weekly cabinet meeting. It now goes to parliament for approval before it can become law.</p>

<p>The bill aims to ensure easier access for users to all the data companies collect so they can more easily seek to have certain details amended or deleted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The minister said signing up to join a social network would involve ticking a box to confirm that approval from parents or rightful guardians had been obtained, and that the box-tick amounted to a declaration governed by law.</p>

<p>It was not clear how enforceable such a process would be.</p>


All French children under the age of 16 will have to seek parental approval to open an account on Facebook

All French children under the age of 16 will have to seek parental approval to open an account on Facebook or any other social network under draft legislation presented on Wednesday. The requirement is part of a French bill that seeks to adapt data privacy regulations and improve access to the information internet companies gather, store and in many cases sell to other firms about people`s online activity. "Joining Facebook will involve parental authorisation for minors aged under 16," Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet told reporters. She was presenting the outlines of a data privacy bill that was approved at a weekly cabinet meeting. It now goes to parliament for approval before it can become law. The bill aims to ensure easier access for users to all the data companies collect so they can more easily seek to have certain details amended or deleted. The minister said signing up to join a social network would involve ticking a box to confirm that approval from parents or rightful guardians had been obtained, and that the box-tick amounted to a declaration governed by law. It was not clear how enforceable such a process would be.

France proposes age-of-consent rule for Facebook users

<p>Facebook is rolling out a new feature call &quot;Did You Know&quot; for user profile on the web and apps.</p>

<p>The feature appears on a user&#39;s profile and asks random questions about guilty pleasures, superheroes, hobbies, interests, like &quot;if I&nbsp;could be&nbsp;anywhere else right now I&#39;d be?&quot;, or more personal question like &quot; the scar,&nbsp;I have with the best story is..&quot;.</p>

<p>Later the information gets shared on your profile in a fun manner, a user can either share it for all to see or with &quot;only me&quot; setting.</p>

<p>Many tech experts are looking at this feature as a way of extracting user information that related to interests, hobbies, and personality and may one day become a part of advertiser profile.</p>

<p>The feature is based on an app called &quot;tbh&quot; on apple store which was acquired by Facebook in October.</p>

<p>The &quot;tbh&quot; app lets teenagers anonymously answer kind-hearted, multiple choice questions about friends but facebook asks more about a user than their friends.</p>

<p>By October &quot;tbh&#39;&#39; had over 205 million daily active users and 5 million downloads.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Did You Know&quot; feature has been rolled out to users from December 5 and to use this feature a user can either access it from clicking on their personal profile and tap on Did You Know section or you can just click on &#39;Try it&#39; section on your friend&#39;s post.</p>

<p>So far users are liking this feature and having fun with it.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">ok facebook relax <a href="https://t.co/z4URQHMOrW">pic.twitter.com/z4URQHMOrW</a></p>
&mdash; Natt ?????????????? (@nattgarun) <a href="https://twitter.com/nattgarun/status/938776615626166273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The feature is based on an app called 'tbh' on apple store which was acquired by Facebook in October

Facebook is rolling out a new feature call "Did You Know" for user profile on the web and apps. The feature appears on a user's profile and asks random questions about guilty pleasures, superheroes, hobbies, interests, like "if I could be anywhere else right now I'd be?", or more personal question like " the scar, I have with the best story is..". Later the information gets shared on your profile in a fun manner, a user can either share it for all to see or with "only me" setting. Many tech experts are looking at this feature as a way of extracting user information that related to interests, hobbies, and personality and may one day become a part of advertiser profile. The feature is based on an app called "tbh" on apple store which was acquired by Facebook in October. The "tbh" app lets teenagers anonymously answer kind-hearted, multiple choice questions about friends but facebook asks more about a user than their friends. By October "tbh'' had over 205 million daily active users and 5 million downloads. "Did You Know" feature has been rolled out to users from December 5 and to use this feature a user can either access it from clicking on their personal profile and tap on Did You Know section or you can just click on 'Try it' section on your friend's post. So far users are liking this feature and having fun with it. ok facebook relax pic.twitter.com/z4URQHMOrW — Natt ?????????????? (@nattgarun) December 7, 2017 × × ×

Facebook's 'Did You Know' feature aims to personalise advertising

<p>As more and more businesses turn to social media to educate customers and target audience with respect to their product or service, WhatsApp recently published a blog giving out more information about its brand new application designed especially for business accounts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Over 1 billion people use WhatsApp every day to stay connected with their family and friends, and over time, more people are using the app to communicate with businesses they care about too. In the coming months, we&#39;ll be testing new features that aim to solve some of these challenges and make it easier for people to communicate with the businesses they want to reach on WhatsApp,&quot; mentions WhatsApp&#39;s official blog.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A business account will be identified as the one created by using the official WhatsApp Business application. The logo will remain the remain, with a minor change that will replace the call logo at the centre of the green dialogue bubble with a &#39;B&#39;.</p>

<p>While a business account will sport a grey question mark badge in its profile, a confirmed account will have a grey checkmark badge.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A business account will get confirmed only after WhatsApp confirms the phone number associated with the account with the number linked to the business. A verified account, on the other hand, will feature a green checkmark badge in its profile right after WhatsApp confirms that an authentic brand owns the business account.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We also provide you with the tools you need to control your experience with businesses. You can block business accounts and report them as spam at any time, right within the chat,&quot; as mentioned on WhatsApp&#39;s blog.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The much-awaited WhatsApp Business app is currently being tested by a private group of testers.</p>

<p>WhatsApp is expected to roll out the standalone business app shortly.&nbsp;</p>


The much-awaited WhatsApp Business app is currently being tested by a private group of testers

As more and more businesses turn to social media to educate customers and target audience with respect to their product or service, WhatsApp recently published a blog giving out more information about its brand new application designed especially for business accounts. "Over 1 billion people use WhatsApp every day to stay connected with their family and friends, and over time, more people are using the app to communicate with businesses they care about too. In the coming months, we'll be testing new features that aim to solve some of these challenges and make it easier for people to communicate with the businesses they want to reach on WhatsApp," mentions WhatsApp's official blog. A business account will be identified as the one created by using the official WhatsApp Business application. The logo will remain the remain, with a minor change that will replace the call logo at the centre of the green dialogue bubble with a 'B'. While a business account will sport a grey question mark badge in its profile, a confirmed account will have a grey checkmark badge. A business account will get confirmed only after WhatsApp confirms the phone number associated with the account with the number linked to the business. A verified account, on the other hand, will feature a green checkmark badge in its profile right after WhatsApp confirms that an authentic brand owns the business account. "We also provide you with the tools you need to control your experience with businesses. You can block business accounts and report them as spam at any time, right within the chat," as mentioned on WhatsApp's blog. The much-awaited WhatsApp Business app is currently being tested by a private group of testers. WhatsApp is expected to roll out the standalone business app shortly.

WhatsApp to roll out a standalone Business app soon; features officially revealed

<p>The nature and ethics of &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; have become a subject of widespread concern. But, for many of us, the issue is much more personal: What are we to do when a cranky uncle or an otherwise pleasant old friend persists in populating our news feeds with a stream of posts that can run deeply contrary to our own values?</p>

<p>One option is to unfriend people who share material that conflicts with our values. But a siloed environment where people self-select into echo chambers could also be worrisome. As a researcher working on the ethics of social technologies, I start with what might seem like an unlikely source: Aristotle.</p>

<p>Classical Greece may bear little resemblance to today&rsquo;s world of smartphones and social media. But Aristotle was no stranger to the struggle to build and maintain social connections in a contentious political climate.</p>

<p><strong>Value of friendship</strong></p>

<p>The first issue is what should real friendships look like. Aristotle argues that a</p>

<p><em>&ldquo;perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in virtue.&quot;</em></p>

<p>On the face of it, it would appear then that friendships are essentially about similarities, arising where like-minded people group together. This could be a problem if you thought that a good friendship involved respecting difference. It would also be a reason for people to unfriend those who disagreed with us politically.</p>

<p>But Aristotle doesn&rsquo;t say friends should be &quot;alike.&rdquo; What he says is that best friend can be different and yet share good lives together so long as each is virtuous in his or her own way. In other words, the only similarity necessary is that they both be virtuous.</p>

<p>By &ldquo;virtuous,&rdquo; he means the features of excellent people, those character traits like courage and kindness that help individuals be good to others, their own selves and live good lives. Such traits help people flourish as rational, social animals.</p>

<p><strong>Appreciating </strong><strong>Differences</strong></p>

<p>Again, if you thought that these characteristics looked the same for every individual, you might worry that this still means that friends should be very similar. But that is not what he says about the nature of virtue.</p>

<p>A virtuous character trait, he says, consists of having the right amount of common human disposition &ndash; not too much and not too little. Courage, for example, is the middle ground between an excess and a deficit of fear. Too much fear would keep people from defending what they valued, while too little would make them vulnerable to unnecessary injury.</p>

<p>But what counts as the middle ground is relative to the individual, not an absolute.</p>

<p>Consider how what counts as the right amount of food is different for an accomplished athlete than a novice. Likewise for courage and other virtues. What counts as the right amount of fear depends on what needs defending, and what resources are available for defense.</p>

<p>So courage can look very different for different people, in different contexts. In other words, each individual could have his or her own moral style. This seems to leave room for appreciating friends&rsquo; differences on social media. It should also give individuals reason to be cautious in exercising the &ldquo;unfriend&rdquo; option.</p>

<p><strong>Living together</strong></p>

<p>For Aristotle, shared lives are key to explaining both why friendship matters to us and why good character matters to friendship. Friends, he says,</p>

<p><em>&hellip; do and share in those things which give them the sense of living together. Thus the friendship of bad men turns out an evil thing (for because of their instability they unite in bad pursuits, and besides they become evil by becoming like each other), while the friendship of good men is good, being augmented by their companionship&hellip;<br />
For Aristotle, virtues are by definition those traits that help you to flourish as a rational, social animal. Being your best self-helps you to live a good life.</em></p>

<p>The opposite, he says, is true of vices. What he means by a vice is the wrong amount of a characteristic: For example, too much fear or too little concern for others. Vices can make people&rsquo;s lives worse overall, even if more enjoyable in the short term. The coward cannot stand up for what she values and so harms herself and not just those she ought to protect. The selfish person makes himself incapable of close friendship and deprives himself of an important human good.</p>

<p>The difference isn&rsquo;t bad, and can even enrich our lives. But having vicious people as friends make us worse off, both because we care about them and want them to live well and because of their influence on us.</p>

<p>How can we use Facebook wisely and well?</p>

<p>What I take from this is that we ought not to think that friends&rsquo; differences, political or otherwise, pose a problem for friendship. But at the same time, character matters. Repeated interactions, even on social media, can shape our character over time.</p>

<p>So, in considering the question, should you disconnect from that Facebook &ldquo;friend,&rdquo; the short but unsatisfying answer is, &ldquo;It depends.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Facebook connects people, but it imposes both physical and psychological distance. One could argue that this makes it easier both to share our thoughts (even those that many wouldn&rsquo;t air in person) and to disconnect from others, even when social pressures might make it harder to do so when face to face.</p>

<p>Figuring out when to exercise these different abilities could require individuals to exercise the virtues. But as I have explained, they do not give anyone a uniform guide to action. What counts as a virtue depends on the details of the circumstance.</p>

<p><strong>Landmarks for navigating</strong></p>

<p>Several factors look relevant. Social media makes people happier when they use it to interact rather than passively observe. Diverse connections and conversations can enrich people&rsquo;s lives. On Facebook, we have an opportunity to experience &ldquo;ideologically diverse news and opinions.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Sure, sometimes unfriending an obnoxious co-worker or relative helps keep the peace&hellip; but this can be cowardly. And sometimes arguing with someone online just reinforces our own belligerence, making us worse in the long run. What we want to do is have good conversations that strengthen good connections.</p>

<p>But here, too, we need to remain sensitive to details of context. Some conversations are better had at a distance and others face to face.</p>

<p>In the end, some reasons to connect or disconnect are rooted in concerns about our own character, and some revolve around others&rsquo; characters. We have reason to foster a courageous and compassionate willingness to consider others&rsquo; worldviews and to be mindful of our own tendency to vilify posts (and people) because we disagree with them. But we also want our friends to be good people.</p>

<p>What we need to remember is that the devil is in the details. I think the reason we grapple with this issue is that it resists easy or uniform answers. But using the tools Aristotle provided to reflect on where we want to end up, we can find ways to connect that make us better off, both singly and together.</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-should-you-unfriend-someone-on-facebook-85363" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


Facebook connects people, but it imposes both physical and psychological distance. One could argue that this makes it easier both to share our thoughts and to disconnect from others

The nature and ethics of “fake news” have become a subject of widespread concern. But, for many of us, the issue is much more personal: What are we to do when a cranky uncle or an otherwise pleasant old friend persists in populating our news feeds with a stream of posts that can run deeply contrary to our own values? One option is to unfriend people who share material that conflicts with our values. But a siloed environment where people self-select into echo chambers could also be worrisome. As a researcher working on the ethics of social technologies, I start with what might seem like an unlikely source: Aristotle. Classical Greece may bear little resemblance to today’s world of smartphones and social media. But Aristotle was no stranger to the struggle to build and maintain social connections in a contentious political climate. Value of friendship The first issue is what should real friendships look like. Aristotle argues that a “perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in virtue." On the face of it, it would appear then that friendships are essentially about similarities, arising where like-minded people group together. This could be a problem if you thought that a good friendship involved respecting difference. It would also be a reason for people to unfriend those who disagreed with us politically. But Aristotle doesn’t say friends should be "alike.” What he says is that best friend can be different and yet share good lives together so long as each is virtuous in his or her own way. In other words, the only similarity necessary is that they both be virtuous. By “virtuous,” he means the features of excellent people, those character traits like courage and kindness that help individuals be good to others, their own selves and live good lives. Such traits help people flourish as rational, social animals. Appreciating Differences Again, if you thought that these characteristics looked the same for every individual, you might worry that this still means that friends should be very similar. But that is not what he says about the nature of virtue. A virtuous character trait, he says, consists of having the right amount of common human disposition – not too much and not too little. Courage, for example, is the middle ground between an excess and a deficit of fear. Too much fear would keep people from defending what they valued, while too little would make them vulnerable to unnecessary injury. But what counts as the middle ground is relative to the individual, not an absolute. Consider how what counts as the right amount of food is different for an accomplished athlete than a novice. Likewise for courage and other virtues. What counts as the right amount of fear depends on what needs defending, and what resources are available for defense. So courage can look very different for different people, in different contexts. In other words, each individual could have his or her own moral style. This seems to leave room for appreciating friends’ differences on social media. It should also give individuals reason to be cautious in exercising the “unfriend” option. Living together For Aristotle, shared lives are key to explaining both why friendship matters to us and why good character matters to friendship. Friends, he says, … do and share in those things which give them the sense of living together. Thus the friendship of bad men turns out an evil thing (for because of their instability they unite in bad pursuits, and besides they become evil by becoming like each other), while the friendship of good men is good, being augmented by their companionship… For Aristotle, virtues are by definition those traits that help you to flourish as a rational, social animal. Being your best self-helps you to live a good life. The opposite, he says, is true of vices. What he means by a vice is the wrong amount of a characteristic: For example, too much fear or too little concern for others. Vices can make people’s lives worse overall, even if more enjoyable in the short term. The coward cannot stand up for what she values and so harms herself and not just those she ought to protect. The selfish person makes himself incapable of close friendship and deprives himself of an important human good. The difference isn’t bad, and can even enrich our lives. But having vicious people as friends make us worse off, both because we care about them and want them to live well and because of their influence on us. How can we use Facebook wisely and well? What I take from this is that we ought not to think that friends’ differences, political or otherwise, pose a problem for friendship. But at the same time, character matters. Repeated interactions, even on social media, can shape our character over time. So, in considering the question, should you disconnect from that Facebook “friend,” the short but unsatisfying answer is, “It depends.” Facebook connects people, but it imposes both physical and psychological distance. One could argue that this makes it easier both to share our thoughts (even those that many wouldn’t air in person) and to disconnect from others, even when social pressures might make it harder to do so when face to face. Figuring out when to exercise these different abilities could require individuals to exercise the virtues. But as I have explained, they do not give anyone a uniform guide to action. What counts as a virtue depends on the details of the circumstance. Landmarks for navigating Several factors look relevant. Social media makes people happier when they use it to interact rather than passively observe. Diverse connections and conversations can enrich people’s lives. On Facebook, we have an opportunity to experience “ideologically diverse news and opinions.” Sure, sometimes unfriending an obnoxious co-worker or relative helps keep the peace… but this can be cowardly. And sometimes arguing with someone online just reinforces our own belligerence, making us worse in the long run. What we want to do is have good conversations that strengthen good connections. But here, too, we need to remain sensitive to details of context. Some conversations are better had at a distance and others face to face. In the end, some reasons to connect or disconnect are rooted in concerns about our own character, and some revolve around others’ characters. We have reason to foster a courageous and compassionate willingness to consider others’ worldviews and to be mindful of our own tendency to vilify posts (and people) because we disagree with them. But we also want our friends to be good people. What we need to remember is that the devil is in the details. I think the reason we grapple with this issue is that it resists easy or uniform answers. But using the tools Aristotle provided to reflect on where we want to end up, we can find ways to connect that make us better off, both singly and together. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: When should you unfriend someone on Facebook?

<p>Social media took to trolling again when a video featuring hijab-clad girls dancing in public at Malappuram, Kerala went viral on Monday. The video features three girls, who are believed to be students at a local dental college, dancing to the popular number, &#39;Jimikki Kammal&#39;. Reportedly, their act was a part of AIDS Day celebrations observed in the area, conducted by the district health department. The video has raked much controversy in a span of less than 24 hours with many trolling the girls for disrespecting Islam by their act.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Three girls dance in a flash mob in Kerala&#39;s Malappuram (4.12.17) <a href="https://t.co/niyNtIGXn5">pic.twitter.com/niyNtIGXn5</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937566343041228800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>So far, the video has hundreds of shares and uncountable reactions. The same was posted on Facebook as well and was deleted later on.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While the &#39;dancing act&#39; has been condemned by many of social media, calling it as an inappropriate and &quot;shameless&quot; act, many others reason how dancing, or making a performance has very little to do with religion or one&#39;s devotion to the same -- here&#39;s taking a look at the conundrum that continues to simmer on Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">They were not dancing for cheap popularity. The dance was a part of the AIDS awareness campaign of the Malappuram District Health Administration. I don&#39;t why you found it cheap when it was for a good cause.</p>
&mdash; keshav kumar (@keshavk08371405) <a href="https://twitter.com/keshavk08371405/status/937574777329475584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">People should become religious when it comes to girls. Religion is same for all.<br />
One should do some introspection before abusing these girls.</p>
&mdash; Shakeel_Hamid (@ShakeelSpeaks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShakeelSpeaks/status/937568260349988864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">More and more girls should come forward and celebrate the openness which India as a country bestows as a right to its citizens. India.Kerala should become the best example for liberated, yet decent women working for the best interests of the society promoting openness.</p>
&mdash; Renju (@renjusd) <a href="https://twitter.com/renjusd/status/937710947073847296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The three girls, believed to be students of a Malappuram dental college, danced to the popular number 'Jimikki Kammal'

Social media took to trolling again when a video featuring hijab-clad girls dancing in public at Malappuram, Kerala went viral on Monday. The video features three girls, who are believed to be students at a local dental college, dancing to the popular number, 'Jimikki Kammal'. Reportedly, their act was a part of AIDS Day celebrations observed in the area, conducted by the district health department. The video has raked much controversy in a span of less than 24 hours with many trolling the girls for disrespecting Islam by their act. #WATCH: Three girls dance in a flash mob in Kerala's Malappuram (4.12.17) pic.twitter.com/niyNtIGXn5 — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2017 × So far, the video has hundreds of shares and uncountable reactions. The same was posted on Facebook as well and was deleted later on. While the 'dancing act' has been condemned by many of social media, calling it as an inappropriate and "shameless" act, many others reason how dancing, or making a performance has very little to do with religion or one's devotion to the same -- here's taking a look at the conundrum that continues to simmer on Twitter. They were not dancing for cheap popularity. The dance was a part of the AIDS awareness campaign of the Malappuram District Health Administration. I don't why you found it cheap when it was for a good cause. — keshav kumar (@keshavk08371405) December 4, 2017 × People should become religious when it comes to girls. Religion is same for all. One should do some introspection before abusing these girls. — Shakeel_Hamid (@ShakeelSpeaks) December 4, 2017 × More and more girls should come forward and celebrate the openness which India as a country bestows as a right to its citizens. India.Kerala should become the best example for liberated, yet decent women working for the best interests of the society promoting openness. — Renju (@renjusd) December 4, 2017 ×

Kerala: 3 hijab-clad girls dance to popular number, Twitter reacts

<p>Pope Francis&#39;s embrace of the Rohingya during a trip to Bangladesh has sparked some angry comment on social media in Myanmar, where just days earlier he chose not to publicly air their plight.</p>

<p>On Friday the head of the Catholic church met a group of refugees from Myanmar&#39;s stateless Muslim minority in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He referred to them as &quot;Rohingya&quot; - a term unacceptable to many in Myanmar where they are reviled as alleged &quot;Bengali&quot; illegal immigrants rather than as a distinct ethnic group.</p>

<p>During his public addresses on the previous leg of his trip in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, Francis did not refer to the group by name or directly allude to the crisis in Rakhine state, from where over 620,000 Rohingya have fled since August.</p>

<p>His caution initially won applause from Myanmar&#39;s tiny Catholic minority - who feared a nationalist blowback - as well as from Buddhist hardliners, who are on the defensive after a global outcry about the treatment of the group.</p>

<p>A deadly attack by Rohingya militants on police posts in late August sparked a ferocious crackdown in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which the US and UN describe as ethnic cleansing.</p>

<p>As he arrived back at the Vatican, the pontiff said he had taken up the Rohingya cause in private in Myanmar, also describing how he wept after meeting the group of refugees.</p>

<p>&quot;I wept: I tried to do it in a way that it couldn&#39;t be seen,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;They wept too.&quot;</p>

<p>The comments sparked a flurry of online anger in Myanmar, a country locked off from modern communications for five decades but which now has an active social media.</p>

<p>&quot;He is like a lizard whose colour has changed because of weather,&quot; said Facebook user Aung Soe Lin of the pope&#39;s strikingly different stances on the crisis.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;He should be a salesman or broker for using different words even though he is a religious leader,&quot; said another Facebook user called Soe Soe.</p>

<p>Myanmar&#39;s Catholic church had advised Francis not to stray into the incendiary issue of the status of the Rohingya in Myanmar, in case he worsened tensions and endangered Christians.</p>

<p>In his public addresses he treaded softly on the topic, urging unity, compassion and respect for all ethnic groups - but not naming the Rohingya.</p>

<p>&quot;The Pope is a holy person... but he said something here (in Myanmar) and he said different in another country,&quot; another Facebook user Ye Linn Maung posted. &quot;He should say the same things if he loves the truth.&quot;</p>

<p>Others were more sanguine about Francis&#39;&nbsp;choice of language once he had left Myanmar soil.</p>

<p>Maung Thway Chun, chairman of an unofficial party of nationalists called the 135 Patriots Party, applauded the pope&#39;s decision not to name them in Myanmar despite pressure from rights groups.</p>

<p>&quot;It means he respects Myanmar people,&quot; he said. &quot;He even did not use the word many times in Bangladesh... I think he said it once, just to comfort human rights organisations.&quot;</p>


Pope Francis referred to the refugees as 'Rohingya' - a term unacceptable to many in Myanmar where they are reviled as alleged 'Bengali' illegal immigrants rather than as a distinct ethnic group

Pope Francis's embrace of the Rohingya during a trip to Bangladesh has sparked some angry comment on social media in Myanmar, where just days earlier he chose not to publicly air their plight. On Friday the head of the Catholic church met a group of refugees from Myanmar's stateless Muslim minority in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. He referred to them as "Rohingya" - a term unacceptable to many in Myanmar where they are reviled as alleged "Bengali" illegal immigrants rather than as a distinct ethnic group. During his public addresses on the previous leg of his trip in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, Francis did not refer to the group by name or directly allude to the crisis in Rakhine state, from where over 620,000 Rohingya have fled since August. His caution initially won applause from Myanmar's tiny Catholic minority - who feared a nationalist blowback - as well as from Buddhist hardliners, who are on the defensive after a global outcry about the treatment of the group. A deadly attack by Rohingya militants on police posts in late August sparked a ferocious crackdown in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which the US and UN describe as ethnic cleansing. As he arrived back at the Vatican, the pontiff said he had taken up the Rohingya cause in private in Myanmar, also describing how he wept after meeting the group of refugees. "I wept: I tried to do it in a way that it couldn't be seen," he told reporters. "They wept too." The comments sparked a flurry of online anger in Myanmar, a country locked off from modern communications for five decades but which now has an active social media. "He is like a lizard whose colour has changed because of weather," said Facebook user Aung Soe Lin of the pope's strikingly different stances on the crisis. "He should be a salesman or broker for using different words even though he is a religious leader," said another Facebook user called Soe Soe. Myanmar's Catholic church had advised Francis not to stray into the incendiary issue of the status of the Rohingya in Myanmar, in case he worsened tensions and endangered Christians. In his public addresses he treaded softly on the topic, urging unity, compassion and respect for all ethnic groups - but not naming the Rohingya. "The Pope is a holy person... but he said something here (in Myanmar) and he said different in another country," another Facebook user Ye Linn Maung posted. "He should say the same things if he loves the truth." Others were more sanguine about Francis' choice of language once he had left Myanmar soil. Maung Thway Chun, chairman of an unofficial party of nationalists called the 135 Patriots Party, applauded the pope's decision not to name them in Myanmar despite pressure from rights groups. "It means he respects Myanmar people," he said. "He even did not use the word many times in Bangladesh... I think he said it once, just to comfort human rights organisations."

Myanmar social media anger after Pope says 'Rohingya'

<p>A martyr&#39;s daughter, who turned up to meet Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani to present a petition, was allegedly manhandled by the cops as she tried to approach the CM.</p>

<p>A video shared by many on social media shows a young woman being pushed around and dragged away by police from the venue of an election speech by the CM.</p>

<p>Local media reported that the woman in the video is Rupal Tadvi, the daughter of Ashok Tadvi, an army personnel martyred in Kashmir in 2002.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shocked &amp; Saddened by how Daughter of a Martyr was mistreated by Police in front of CM Vijay Rupani, She only wished to meet CM &amp; represent issue. CM must immediately apologise to this daughter of Gujarat for insulting her &amp; the sacrifices of her father. <a href="https://t.co/C36cVkWtos">https://t.co/C36cVkWtos</a> <a href="https://t.co/GdefcMDmNj">pic.twitter.com/GdefcMDmNj</a></p>
&mdash; Bharat Solanki (@BharatSolankee) <a href="https://twitter.com/BharatSolankee/status/936533037340229632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The young woman was reportedly trying to meet the Gujarat CM to complain about her family not receiving their compensation from the state.</p>

<p>A local media reported that Rupal and her mother had been knocking on doors after the door of minister and officials to get the land allocated to them approved but to no avail.</p>

<p>Earlier, the duo had tried to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Bharuch to seek his help, but they were reportedly denied permission.</p>

<p>On January 26th, the martyr&#39;s wife&nbsp;had allegedly threatened to self-immolate due to the pension issue, however, she was detained by police before the act.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???<br />
<br />
&lsquo;??? ???????&rsquo; ???????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ?????<br />
<br />
15 ??? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ????, ????? ???? ?? ??????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ?????<br />
<br />
???? ?????,????? ?????? <a href="https://t.co/w8k7TYQrDt">pic.twitter.com/w8k7TYQrDt</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/936603290439008258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee Bharat Solanki tweeted the video and wrote &#39;&#39;shocked and saddened by how the daughter of a martyr was mistreated by police in front of CM Vijay Rupani, she only wished to meet the CM and represent an issue. CM must immediately apologise to this daughter of Gujarat for insulting her and the sacrifices of her father.&quot;</p>

<p>The same video was tweeted by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi too.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi wrote in Hindi: &quot;The BJP&#39;s arrogance is at its peak. Rupaniji the &#39; Ultimate Patriot &#39;, the Martyr&#39;s daughter Finkava out of the house to shaming humanity. For 15 years, the family did not get help, hollow promises and Dutkar. This daughter was humiliated today for Insapha.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Be ashamed, give justice,&quot;&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi added.</p>


The young woman was trying to meet the CM to complain about her family not receiving their rightful compensation from the state yet.

A martyr's daughter, who turned up to meet Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani to present a petition, was allegedly manhandled by the cops as she tried to approach the CM. A video shared by many on social media shows a young woman being pushed around and dragged away by police from the venue of an election speech by the CM. Local media reported that the woman in the video is Rupal Tadvi, the daughter of Ashok Tadvi, an army personnel martyred in Kashmir in 2002. Shocked & Saddened by how Daughter of a Martyr was mistreated by Police in front of CM Vijay Rupani, She only wished to meet CM & represent issue. CM must immediately apologise to this daughter of Gujarat for insulting her & the sacrifices of her father. https://t.co/C36cVkWtos pic.twitter.com/GdefcMDmNj — Bharat Solanki (@BharatSolankee) December 1, 2017 × The young woman was reportedly trying to meet the Gujarat CM to complain about her family not receiving their compensation from the state. A local media reported that Rupal and her mother had been knocking on doors after the door of minister and officials to get the land allocated to them approved but to no avail. Earlier, the duo had tried to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Bharuch to seek his help, but they were reportedly denied permission. On January 26th, the martyr's wife had allegedly threatened to self-immolate due to the pension issue, however, she was detained by police before the act. ????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ??? ‘??? ???????’ ???????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ????? 15 ??? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ????, ????? ???? ?? ??????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?????,????? ?????? pic.twitter.com/w8k7TYQrDt — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 1, 2017 × The president of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee Bharat Solanki tweeted the video and wrote ''shocked and saddened by how the daughter of a martyr was mistreated by police in front of CM Vijay Rupani, she only wished to meet the CM and represent an issue. CM must immediately apologise to this daughter of Gujarat for insulting her and the sacrifices of her father." The same video was tweeted by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi too. Rahul Gandhi wrote in Hindi: "The BJP's arrogance is at its peak. Rupaniji the ' Ultimate Patriot ', the Martyr's daughter Finkava out of the house to shaming humanity. For 15 years, the family did not get help, hollow promises and Dutkar. This daughter was humiliated today for Insapha." "Be ashamed, give justice," Rahul Gandhi added.

Watch: Martyr's daughter allegedly manhandled by cops in front of Gujarat CM Rupani

<p>A court in Vietnam on Thursday upheld a 10-year jail sentence for a prominent blogger convicted of publishing propaganda against the state, her lawyer said, the latest move in a crackdown on critics of the one-party state.</p>

<p>Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness towards social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam&#39;s ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism.</p>

<p>In recent months, it has targeted critics whose voices have been amplified by social media in a country that ranks among Facebook&#39;s top ten, in terms of users.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vietnam-woman-blogger-sentenced-to-10-year-prison-over-a-facebook-post-18318">Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, known as &quot;Me Nam&quot; (Mother Mushroom)</a>, who gained prominence for blogging about environmental issues and deaths in police custody, was found guilty in June for distributing what police called anti-state reports.</p>

<p>A court in the central city of Nha Trang upheld Quynh&#39;s sentence, one of her lawyers said.</p>

<p>&quot;This sentence is not objective and is unfair,&quot; Ha Huy Son told Reuters by telephone. &quot;Quynh said she is innocent and she carried out her right as a citizen.&quot;</p>

<p>Her mother was denied access to the hearing, he added. The mother could not immediately be reached for comment.</p>

<p>In March 2009, Quynh spent nine days in police detention for receiving funds from Viet Tan, a California-based activist group which Vietnam calls a terrorist group, to print T-shirts with slogans against a major bauxite project, police said.</p>

<p>Quynh has also spoken out against a subsidiary of Taiwan&#39;s Formosa Plastics Corp that caused one of Vietnam&#39;s biggest environmental disasters in April.</p>

<p>On Monday a prominent rights lawyer who has represented Quynh said the bar federation in the southcentral province of Phu Yen had revoked his licence to practice law just days before Quynh&#39;s appeal hearing.</p>


Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, was found guilty in June for distributing what police called anti-state reports

A court in Vietnam on Thursday upheld a 10-year jail sentence for a prominent blogger convicted of publishing propaganda against the state, her lawyer said, the latest move in a crackdown on critics of the one-party state. Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness towards social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism. In recent months, it has targeted critics whose voices have been amplified by social media in a country that ranks among Facebook's top ten, in terms of users. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, known as "Me Nam" (Mother Mushroom), who gained prominence for blogging about environmental issues and deaths in police custody, was found guilty in June for distributing what police called anti-state reports. A court in the central city of Nha Trang upheld Quynh's sentence, one of her lawyers said. "This sentence is not objective and is unfair," Ha Huy Son told Reuters by telephone. "Quynh said she is innocent and she carried out her right as a citizen." Her mother was denied access to the hearing, he added. The mother could not immediately be reached for comment. In March 2009, Quynh spent nine days in police detention for receiving funds from Viet Tan, a California-based activist group which Vietnam calls a terrorist group, to print T-shirts with slogans against a major bauxite project, police said. Quynh has also spoken out against a subsidiary of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Corp that caused one of Vietnam's biggest environmental disasters in April. On Monday a prominent rights lawyer who has represented Quynh said the bar federation in the southcentral province of Phu Yen had revoked his licence to practice law just days before Quynh's appeal hearing.

Vietnam court upholds prominent blogger's 10-year jail term, lawyer says

<p><em>Authors:&nbsp;Daniel Wagner and&nbsp;Giuseppe Del Vecchio*</em></p>

<p>Cyberspace is the ideal platform for terrorists because, unlike conventional warfare, barriers to entry into cyberspace are much lower. The price of entry is an internet connection. The surreptitious use of the internet to advance terrorist group objectives has created a new brand of Holy War &mdash; &ldquo;virtual jihad&rdquo;&mdash; that gains thousands of new adherents each day. Long after the current terrorist groups have ceased to be a major threat from a physical perspective, they will remain omnipresent in cyberspace, promoting a virtual caliphate from their safe haven behind computer keyboards around the world. Islamic extremists are natural candidates to transition to a virtual world that offers them automatic citizenship beyond the nation-state.</p>

<p>Since the Islamic State (IS) was founded, its leaders have deftly and continually rewritten the narrative to claim that the group&rsquo;s desired caliphate exists, has a specific location and maintains a defined group of adherents. Unconstrained by the absence of a definitive Quranic guideline for what constitutes a caliphate, IS created its own self-promoting doctrine. The group expanded its caliphate narrative to include a wide range of options for participation: Membership included everyone from the passive observer reading a blog or curiously following a Twitter feed to the keyboard jihadist editing Rumiyah or hacking a website to the real-world operators attacking a nightclub or running down holiday celebrants with a delivery truck.</p>

<p>IS has successfully exploited the sociopolitical environment and young adults&rsquo; obsession with technology to establish a growing community of devotees in the ungoverned territory of cyberspace, ensuring its ability to continue to coordinate and inspire violence well into the future. IS has found its own salvation via the internet, particularly since it has already passed the peak of its real-world power.</p>

<p>The Islamic State has also capitalised on the world&rsquo;s evolving propensity to integrate online activities with real-world activities. Social media has had an incredible multiplying effect on radical messaging and IS has had great success publishing online, which has resonated particularly well with disenfranchised Muslims and youths, causing some to act on inspiration and guidance received online. IS has exploited their search for meaningful identity by promising to restore their dignity so that they may find personal fulfilment and purpose.</p>

<p><strong>Virtual world</strong></p>

<p>The virtual world is in some ways more compelling than the real world because storylines can be artfully crafted for maximum appeal while omitting anything that may be perceived as negative. A promise is much easier to make online, as is the vision of fulfilling aspirations. IS has created virtual messaging that is wildly at odds with the reality of life as an IS fighter on the ground. Cyberspace has enabled the group to turn tactical defeats on the battlefield into glorious martyrdom operations that highlight the bravery and commitment of its fighters. The loss of territory and the deaths of key leaders have served to feed propaganda efforts that are used to prove the resiliency of the caliphate.</p>

<p>Since all that is required to be a virtual planner is an internet connection and good encryption, they can operate from anywhere, although being geographically dispersed carries the heightened risk of detection in some nations. The virtual planner model has revolutionised jihadist external operations. IS has taken advantage of recent advances in online communications and encryption so that the group&rsquo;s top operatives can directly guide lone attackers, playing a central role in the conceptualisation, target selection, timing and execution of future attacks. Virtual planners offer operatives the same services once provided by strictly physical networks. They seamlessly execute the group&rsquo;s guiding strategy and maximize the impact and propaganda value of attacks waged in its name, while avoiding many of the risks typically associated with physical training operatives, such as being tailed or getting caught returning to a home country.</p>

<p>Integrated into the group&rsquo;s geographical command structure, virtual planners function much like theatre commanders, but in the cyber realm. IS virtual planners are also assigned areas of responsibility according to their nationality and linguistic skills and are tasked with actively recruiting and handling attackers from these areas.</p>

<p><strong>Global brand</strong></p>

<p>The advancement of internet-based communication and the explosion of social media have enabled the planner to reach a larger audience than ever before. By building an &ldquo;intimate&rdquo; relationship with a potential attacker, the virtual planner provides encouragement and validation, addressing the individual&rsquo;s doubts and hesitations while generating confidence and a strong desire to carry out an attack. Virtual planners can replicate the same social pressures that exist with in-person cells. Individuals can simply wander into searchable online networks rather than identify with and be socialised by covert in-person networks. Unlike with physical networks, the virtual planner model does not risk the capture or punishment of the network&rsquo;s key operatives.</p>

<p>Individuals inspired by IS can directly reach out to virtual planners for guidance and assistance in carrying out attacks. In addition to recruitment and operational guidance, virtual planners can bring disparate individuals and cells together to form larger attack networks. IS virtual planners allow the group to effectively seize ownership over what would previously have been considered lone-wolf attacks. Virtual planners transform these individuals into ambassadors for the IS global brand at relatively low cost. Virtual planners help maximize the psychological and reputational impact of violence committed in the IS name, further enticing other potential devotees to join its cause.</p>

<p>The success of the virtual-planner model underscores the ongoing process of organisational learning by jihadist groups. But the model also has disadvantages, such as the inability to provide in-person training or be optimally nimble during an attack to modify plans as circumstances change. Cells directed by virtual planners are also at greater risk of being detected by signals intelligence, despite advances in end-to-end encryption. Nonetheless, the virtual planner approach is a low-cost, high-reward strategy with enormous destructive potential, especially as IS and other terrorist groups continue to refine the model.</p>

<p>Adaptations to jihadists&rsquo; modes of operation have continually outpaced states&rsquo; ability to effectively counter them, and will likely continue to do so. Virtual jihad has not only gained prominence and credibility as an alternative to traditional conceptions of jihad but has also progressively outpaced physical jihad. Although physical jihad continues to appeal to a great many actors, its virtual incarnation has supplanted traditional notions of jihad for a new generation of adherents who are either unwilling or unable to engage in physical violence themselves. The rise of the virtual jihadist has assumed an important (perhaps irreplaceable) role in rejuvenating the concept of jihad and facilitating the dissemination of its &ldquo;counterculture&rdquo; narrative to new audiences for many years to come.</p>

<p>This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/islamic-state-caliphate-jihad-online-world-news-headlines-today-17655/" rel="nofollow">article</a> has been originally published in <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow">Fair Observer</a>.</p>

<p>*Giuseppe Del Vecchio is a research analyst at Country Risk Solutions.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: Both authors write here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


The Islamic State is increasingly going online to ensure its survival

Authors: Daniel Wagner and Giuseppe Del Vecchio* Cyberspace is the ideal platform for terrorists because, unlike conventional warfare, barriers to entry into cyberspace are much lower. The price of entry is an internet connection. The surreptitious use of the internet to advance terrorist group objectives has created a new brand of Holy War — “virtual jihad”— that gains thousands of new adherents each day. Long after the current terrorist groups have ceased to be a major threat from a physical perspective, they will remain omnipresent in cyberspace, promoting a virtual caliphate from their safe haven behind computer keyboards around the world. Islamic extremists are natural candidates to transition to a virtual world that offers them automatic citizenship beyond the nation-state. Since the Islamic State (IS) was founded, its leaders have deftly and continually rewritten the narrative to claim that the group’s desired caliphate exists, has a specific location and maintains a defined group of adherents. Unconstrained by the absence of a definitive Quranic guideline for what constitutes a caliphate, IS created its own self-promoting doctrine. The group expanded its caliphate narrative to include a wide range of options for participation: Membership included everyone from the passive observer reading a blog or curiously following a Twitter feed to the keyboard jihadist editing Rumiyah or hacking a website to the real-world operators attacking a nightclub or running down holiday celebrants with a delivery truck. IS has successfully exploited the sociopolitical environment and young adults’ obsession with technology to establish a growing community of devotees in the ungoverned territory of cyberspace, ensuring its ability to continue to coordinate and inspire violence well into the future. IS has found its own salvation via the internet, particularly since it has already passed the peak of its real-world power. The Islamic State has also capitalised on the world’s evolving propensity to integrate online activities with real-world activities. Social media has had an incredible multiplying effect on radical messaging and IS has had great success publishing online, which has resonated particularly well with disenfranchised Muslims and youths, causing some to act on inspiration and guidance received online. IS has exploited their search for meaningful identity by promising to restore their dignity so that they may find personal fulfilment and purpose. Virtual world The virtual world is in some ways more compelling than the real world because storylines can be artfully crafted for maximum appeal while omitting anything that may be perceived as negative. A promise is much easier to make online, as is the vision of fulfilling aspirations. IS has created virtual messaging that is wildly at odds with the reality of life as an IS fighter on the ground. Cyberspace has enabled the group to turn tactical defeats on the battlefield into glorious martyrdom operations that highlight the bravery and commitment of its fighters. The loss of territory and the deaths of key leaders have served to feed propaganda efforts that are used to prove the resiliency of the caliphate. Since all that is required to be a virtual planner is an internet connection and good encryption, they can operate from anywhere, although being geographically dispersed carries the heightened risk of detection in some nations. The virtual planner model has revolutionised jihadist external operations. IS has taken advantage of recent advances in online communications and encryption so that the group’s top operatives can directly guide lone attackers, playing a central role in the conceptualisation, target selection, timing and execution of future attacks. Virtual planners offer operatives the same services once provided by strictly physical networks. They seamlessly execute the group’s guiding strategy and maximize the impact and propaganda value of attacks waged in its name, while avoiding many of the risks typically associated with physical training operatives, such as being tailed or getting caught returning to a home country. Integrated into the group’s geographical command structure, virtual planners function much like theatre commanders, but in the cyber realm. IS virtual planners are also assigned areas of responsibility according to their nationality and linguistic skills and are tasked with actively recruiting and handling attackers from these areas. Global brand The advancement of internet-based communication and the explosion of social media have enabled the planner to reach a larger audience than ever before. By building an “intimate” relationship with a potential attacker, the virtual planner provides encouragement and validation, addressing the individual’s doubts and hesitations while generating confidence and a strong desire to carry out an attack. Virtual planners can replicate the same social pressures that exist with in-person cells. Individuals can simply wander into searchable online networks rather than identify with and be socialised by covert in-person networks. Unlike with physical networks, the virtual planner model does not risk the capture or punishment of the network’s key operatives. Individuals inspired by IS can directly reach out to virtual planners for guidance and assistance in carrying out attacks. In addition to recruitment and operational guidance, virtual planners can bring disparate individuals and cells together to form larger attack networks. IS virtual planners allow the group to effectively seize ownership over what would previously have been considered lone-wolf attacks. Virtual planners transform these individuals into ambassadors for the IS global brand at relatively low cost. Virtual planners help maximize the psychological and reputational impact of violence committed in the IS name, further enticing other potential devotees to join its cause. The success of the virtual-planner model underscores the ongoing process of organisational learning by jihadist groups. But the model also has disadvantages, such as the inability to provide in-person training or be optimally nimble during an attack to modify plans as circumstances change. Cells directed by virtual planners are also at greater risk of being detected by signals intelligence, despite advances in end-to-end encryption. Nonetheless, the virtual planner approach is a low-cost, high-reward strategy with enormous destructive potential, especially as IS and other terrorist groups continue to refine the model. Adaptations to jihadists’ modes of operation have continually outpaced states’ ability to effectively counter them, and will likely continue to do so. Virtual jihad has not only gained prominence and credibility as an alternative to traditional conceptions of jihad but has also progressively outpaced physical jihad. Although physical jihad continues to appeal to a great many actors, its virtual incarnation has supplanted traditional notions of jihad for a new generation of adherents who are either unwilling or unable to engage in physical violence themselves. The rise of the virtual jihadist has assumed an important (perhaps irreplaceable) role in rejuvenating the concept of jihad and facilitating the dissemination of its “counterculture” narrative to new audiences for many years to come. This article has been originally published in Fair Observer. *Giuseppe Del Vecchio is a research analyst at Country Risk Solutions. (Disclaimer: Both authors write here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: The Islamic State is ready to wage 'virtual jihad'

<p>In the past week, Silicon Valley has faced renewed calls for greater regulation of social media platforms amid the growing scandal of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.</p>

<p>Given rising awareness of the serious problems inherent within U.S. internet giants&rsquo; business models, it&rsquo;s an opportune time to discuss how best to regulate these companies.</p>

<p>I&rsquo;m a researcher who studies regulation on the internet. For my book, Chokepoints: Global Private Regulation on the Internet, I&rsquo;ve interviewed representatives from internet firms and their trade associations, along with policymakers in Canada and the U.S. in regards to what responsibility intermediaries should have for content on their platforms.</p>

<p>Internet intermediaries typically frame their opposition to legislation as protecting freedom of expression, but no right of speech is absolute. This debate is a battle over the control over information: What data should be collected and sold, what content should be permitted online, and who should decide?</p>

<p>Last week the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee grilled senior legal counsel for Facebook, Google and Twitter about their roles in Russian efforts to influence the U.S. election.</p>

<p>In a startling development, after months of denying and downplaying their responsibility, executives from each of the three companies grudgingly admitted that they had not yet determined the full extent of Russian activities on their platforms.</p>

<p>The executives&rsquo; testimony starkly reveals that the companies have few controls on the advertisements and so-called &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; that they accept on their platforms.</p>

<p>These candid admissions from the social media giants focus much-needed attention on the serious problems inherent in big intermediaries&rsquo; data-intensive business models.</p>

<p><strong>Few safeguards, financial interest in status quo</strong></p>

<p>As the U.S. election scandal shows, big social media platforms not only have few safeguards to prevent the deliberate manipulation of information, but they also have financial interests in maintaining the status quo. Unfettered flows of information and unconstrained advertising revenue are key to their business models. And this model is tremendously profitable.</p>

<p>Facebook&rsquo;s third-quarter profit was an astounding US$4.7 billion, the vast majority coming from advertisements relating to its 1.3 billion average daily users. Viral stories, whether factual or false, attract clicks and advertising revenue.</p>

<p>Given the seemingly intractable challenges of regulating social media platforms, what can be done? In the United States, three members of Congress have proposed a bipartisan response, the Honest Ads Act, that would require platforms to publish information about their advertisers and maintain a public archive of political advertisements.</p>

<p>This is a step in the right direction, and the Canadian government should consider similar measures in advance of the 2019 federal election. Facebook has already announced a program, the Canadian Election Integrity Initiative, to counter the spread of misinformation that focuses on media literacy and training.</p>

<p><strong>Deliberate misinformation</strong></p>

<p>While these projects appear useful, they likely will do little to address the underlying problem: The bad-faith spread of online misinformation. That&rsquo;s because the fundamental problem lies with Facebook&rsquo;s business model. Efforts to constrain the flow of information, especially information that generates advertising revenue, are contrary to their business model.</p>

<p>Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who initially dismissed claims of Russian interference as &ldquo;crazy&rdquo; just after the 2016 U.S. election, said on Nov. 1 that Facebook&rsquo;s new security features to counter so-called fake news will have a &ldquo;significant impact our profitability.&rdquo;</p>

<p>While the big platforms can afford to take a financial hit to restore their reputations and work to get rid of the worst offenders, they can&rsquo;t fully solve the problem without fundamentally changing how &mdash; and with whom &mdash; they do business.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/file-20171106-1017-774va4-20171117092609.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Facebook ads linked to a Russian effort to stir tensions on divisive social issues during the U.S. election campaign. (AP)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>In response to what has become a fundamental challenge to the survival of liberal democracy, Facebook, Twitter and Google have all committed to voluntarily implementing measures to address the spread of misinformation and targeting accounts that troll other users with often bigoted, racist content.</p>

<p>Google, for example, is creating a public database of election advertising content that appears on its services. These companies prefer self-regulation to legislation and they&rsquo;ve lobbied the U.S Federal Election Commission in the past to have online political advertising exempt from disclosure. It&rsquo;s only the political pressure from the Senate inquiry that is forcing these platforms into action.</p>

<p><strong>Internet companies, algorithms are black boxes</strong></p>

<p>While these developments may seem like attempts by these major companies to be responsible, they amount to Google et al saying: &ldquo;Trust us to fix the problem we created.&rdquo;</p>

<p>However, while Google, Facebook and Twitter are all creating algorithms to, in the words of Zuckerberg, &ldquo;detect bad content and bad actors,&rdquo; these algorithms operate as so-called &ldquo;black boxes.&rdquo; This means that the criteria the algorithms use to make decisions are off-limits to public scrutiny.</p>

<p>Is &ldquo;trust us&rdquo; a good enough response, given the problem? With so much at stake, it may be time for a fundamental rethink of how these indispensable 21st-century companies are regulated and what they&rsquo;re allowed to do.</p>

<p>At the very minimum, governments and citizens should reconsider whether the lack of oversight into how these companies shape our speech rights is really in the public interest.</p>

<p>Social media platforms &ldquo;are an enabler of democracy,&rdquo; says Margrethe Vestager, the European Union&rsquo;s Commissioner for Competition, but we&rsquo;re seeing that &ldquo;they can also be used against our very basic beliefs in democracy.&rdquo;</p>

<p>It&rsquo;s time to start taking that threat to democracy seriously.</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/regulate-social-media-platforms-before-its-too-late-86984" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.</p>


In a fight for the global flow of information, social media firms must be regulated. Their billions of dollars in revenue put their financial interests in conflict with truth and democracy

In the past week, Silicon Valley has faced renewed calls for greater regulation of social media platforms amid the growing scandal of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Given rising awareness of the serious problems inherent within U.S. internet giants’ business models, it’s an opportune time to discuss how best to regulate these companies. I’m a researcher who studies regulation on the internet. For my book, Chokepoints: Global Private Regulation on the Internet, I’ve interviewed representatives from internet firms and their trade associations, along with policymakers in Canada and the U.S. in regards to what responsibility intermediaries should have for content on their platforms. Internet intermediaries typically frame their opposition to legislation as protecting freedom of expression, but no right of speech is absolute. This debate is a battle over the control over information: What data should be collected and sold, what content should be permitted online, and who should decide? Last week the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee grilled senior legal counsel for Facebook, Google and Twitter about their roles in Russian efforts to influence the U.S. election. In a startling development, after months of denying and downplaying their responsibility, executives from each of the three companies grudgingly admitted that they had not yet determined the full extent of Russian activities on their platforms. The executives’ testimony starkly reveals that the companies have few controls on the advertisements and so-called “fake news” that they accept on their platforms. These candid admissions from the social media giants focus much-needed attention on the serious problems inherent in big intermediaries’ data-intensive business models. Few safeguards, financial interest in status quo As the U.S. election scandal shows, big social media platforms not only have few safeguards to prevent the deliberate manipulation of information, but they also have financial interests in maintaining the status quo. Unfettered flows of information and unconstrained advertising revenue are key to their business models. And this model is tremendously profitable. Facebook’s third-quarter profit was an astounding US$4.7 billion, the vast majority coming from advertisements relating to its 1.3 billion average daily users. Viral stories, whether factual or false, attract clicks and advertising revenue. Given the seemingly intractable challenges of regulating social media platforms, what can be done? In the United States, three members of Congress have proposed a bipartisan response, the Honest Ads Act, that would require platforms to publish information about their advertisers and maintain a public archive of political advertisements. This is a step in the right direction, and the Canadian government should consider similar measures in advance of the 2019 federal election. Facebook has already announced a program, the Canadian Election Integrity Initiative, to counter the spread of misinformation that focuses on media literacy and training. Deliberate misinformation While these projects appear useful, they likely will do little to address the underlying problem: The bad-faith spread of online misinformation. That’s because the fundamental problem lies with Facebook’s business model. Efforts to constrain the flow of information, especially information that generates advertising revenue, are contrary to their business model. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who initially dismissed claims of Russian interference as “crazy” just after the 2016 U.S. election, said on Nov. 1 that Facebook’s new security features to counter so-called fake news will have a “significant impact our profitability.” While the big platforms can afford to take a financial hit to restore their reputations and work to get rid of the worst offenders, they can’t fully solve the problem without fundamentally changing how — and with whom — they do business. Facebook ads linked to a Russian effort to stir tensions on divisive social issues during the U.S. election campaign. (AP) × In response to what has become a fundamental challenge to the survival of liberal democracy, Facebook, Twitter and Google have all committed to voluntarily implementing measures to address the spread of misinformation and targeting accounts that troll other users with often bigoted, racist content. Google, for example, is creating a public database of election advertising content that appears on its services. These companies prefer self-regulation to legislation and they’ve lobbied the U.S Federal Election Commission in the past to have online political advertising exempt from disclosure. It’s only the political pressure from the Senate inquiry that is forcing these platforms into action. Internet companies, algorithms are black boxes While these developments may seem like attempts by these major companies to be responsible, they amount to Google et al saying: “Trust us to fix the problem we created.” However, while Google, Facebook and Twitter are all creating algorithms to, in the words of Zuckerberg, “detect bad content and bad actors,” these algorithms operate as so-called “black boxes.” This means that the criteria the algorithms use to make decisions are off-limits to public scrutiny. Is “trust us” a good enough response, given the problem? With so much at stake, it may be time for a fundamental rethink of how these indispensable 21st-century companies are regulated and what they’re allowed to do. At the very minimum, governments and citizens should reconsider whether the lack of oversight into how these companies shape our speech rights is really in the public interest. Social media platforms “are an enabler of democracy,” says Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s Commissioner for Competition, but we’re seeing that “they can also be used against our very basic beliefs in democracy.” It’s time to start taking that threat to democracy seriously. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Why social media needs to be regulated urgently

<p>Facebook&rsquo;s latest attempt to tackle the non-consensual sharing of sexual pictures (often known as &ldquo;revenge porn&rdquo;) appeared so wrong-headed that at first, it seemed like a joke. But the social network has made clear its system of asking users to send in explicit images that they don&rsquo;t want to appear on the site is a real pilot programme being tested in Australia.</p>

<p>Facebook&rsquo;s motivation is right and proper: To help women (and men) worried that their ex-partners may shame or manipulate them by uploading sexual images taken during the relationship. This unwanted sharing can have devastating consequences. Even the threat that the images could be shared can be used by controlling, violent abusers to force their victims into line, as has been recognised by a new Scottish law to criminalise this.</p>

<p>To prevent people falling victim to this practice, users are urged to use Facebook&rsquo;s Messenger app to send themselves any pictures at risk of being shared. Facebook will then &ldquo;hash&rdquo; the image, creating a numerical fingerprint of it. The picture itself can then be deleted and Facebook has said images will not be stored permanently on their servers. When another Facebook user uploads a picture, it will be run through the database of hashes. If it matches an image in the database, it will be blocked and cannot be posted or shared on Facebook.</p>

<p>Would this work? If a picture uploaded by a vengeful ex is identical to the one uploaded by their frightened victim then yes, it will be blocked. But there is nothing to stop the ex-uploading it to another site and linking to it on Facebook, even if it wouldn&rsquo;t appear on Facebook itself.</p>

<p>But what if the ex-realises why they have been blocked and changes the picture slightly? Hashes work for identical pictures. Alex Stamos, chief security officer for Facebook, said that simple changes like re-sizing should not fool the hash. It&rsquo;s not clear whether cropping it, adding a filter or scribbling on the background will create a different hash that will fail to match.</p>

<p>The security implications surrounding this are significant. First, just sending an image is a risk. The user is creating a copy of the photo that could be hacked or intercepted, especially if their phone or computer is stolen. Then there is the possibility of human error by the user. It seems likely at least some people will accidentally send the images to someone else in their contact list instead of to themselves.</p>

<p>Finally, there is the enormous issue of how far we can trust Facebook and its staff. This is a small pilot and is likely to be run to tight standards. But further issues will likely appear if it is scaled up. In order to create a hash, the picture has to be seen by a member of Facebook&rsquo;s staff. Antigone Davis, Facebook&rsquo;s global head of safety, says the images will only be seen by &ldquo;a specially trained representative from our community operations team&rdquo;. Doubtless in the pilot, these people will be well vetted.</p>

<p>But if this was to be rolled out to Facebook&rsquo;s billion-strong community of users, this team would have to be enormously expanded. The mind-bending work of ill-paid, ill-trained and replaceable community moderators has been well documented. These people, tempted by the idea of a first-rung on a career as a fashionable company, can be traumatised by the endless viewing of horrific pictures of animal cruelty, car crashes and sexual violence, and often burn out within months.</p>

<p>Can Facebook guarantee that these photos, trustingly uploaded by desperate people trying to break free from damaging relationships, will only be seen by responsible staff? Or will they, over time, be farmed out to subcontractors, trainees and people who are themselves damaged by constant exposure to violence and sex online. However good Facebook&rsquo;s own security is, there would be little to stop a disgruntled, bored or malicious employee simply taking pictures of their screen with their phone and uploading them to another site.</p>

<p>Then there is the corporation itself. The company has a long history of controversial changes to its terms and conditions, including how they use and retain users&rsquo; data, even after people have quit the platform. They have fought court cases brought by revenge porn victims who feel failed by the system, in one case by a British 14-year-old.</p>

<p>This is a well-meaning initiative, but it&rsquo;s just not clear that we can trust this commercial organisation to make the right decisions about how they hold this most sensitive data. Stamos has complained that the company gets criticised for imperfect solutions. It&rsquo;s true that partial solutions are better than none, and those pre-emptive solutions are better than clean-ups when the damage is done. But this is a solution that carries its own risk.</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/facebook-wants-your-nude-photos-to-prevent-revenge-porn-heres-why-you-should-be-sceptical-87390" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.</p>

<p>Image Credit:&nbsp;Shutterstock</p>


Facebook attempts to tackle the non-consensual sharing of sexual pictures but it appears to be an imperfect solution

Facebook’s latest attempt to tackle the non-consensual sharing of sexual pictures (often known as “revenge porn”) appeared so wrong-headed that at first, it seemed like a joke. But the social network has made clear its system of asking users to send in explicit images that they don’t want to appear on the site is a real pilot programme being tested in Australia. Facebook’s motivation is right and proper: To help women (and men) worried that their ex-partners may shame or manipulate them by uploading sexual images taken during the relationship. This unwanted sharing can have devastating consequences. Even the threat that the images could be shared can be used by controlling, violent abusers to force their victims into line, as has been recognised by a new Scottish law to criminalise this. To prevent people falling victim to this practice, users are urged to use Facebook’s Messenger app to send themselves any pictures at risk of being shared. Facebook will then “hash” the image, creating a numerical fingerprint of it. The picture itself can then be deleted and Facebook has said images will not be stored permanently on their servers. When another Facebook user uploads a picture, it will be run through the database of hashes. If it matches an image in the database, it will be blocked and cannot be posted or shared on Facebook. Would this work? If a picture uploaded by a vengeful ex is identical to the one uploaded by their frightened victim then yes, it will be blocked. But there is nothing to stop the ex-uploading it to another site and linking to it on Facebook, even if it wouldn’t appear on Facebook itself. But what if the ex-realises why they have been blocked and changes the picture slightly? Hashes work for identical pictures. Alex Stamos, chief security officer for Facebook, said that simple changes like re-sizing should not fool the hash. It’s not clear whether cropping it, adding a filter or scribbling on the background will create a different hash that will fail to match. The security implications surrounding this are significant. First, just sending an image is a risk. The user is creating a copy of the photo that could be hacked or intercepted, especially if their phone or computer is stolen. Then there is the possibility of human error by the user. It seems likely at least some people will accidentally send the images to someone else in their contact list instead of to themselves. Finally, there is the enormous issue of how far we can trust Facebook and its staff. This is a small pilot and is likely to be run to tight standards. But further issues will likely appear if it is scaled up. In order to create a hash, the picture has to be seen by a member of Facebook’s staff. Antigone Davis, Facebook’s global head of safety, says the images will only be seen by “a specially trained representative from our community operations team”. Doubtless in the pilot, these people will be well vetted. But if this was to be rolled out to Facebook’s billion-strong community of users, this team would have to be enormously expanded. The mind-bending work of ill-paid, ill-trained and replaceable community moderators has been well documented. These people, tempted by the idea of a first-rung on a career as a fashionable company, can be traumatised by the endless viewing of horrific pictures of animal cruelty, car crashes and sexual violence, and often burn out within months. Can Facebook guarantee that these photos, trustingly uploaded by desperate people trying to break free from damaging relationships, will only be seen by responsible staff? Or will they, over time, be farmed out to subcontractors, trainees and people who are themselves damaged by constant exposure to violence and sex online. However good Facebook’s own security is, there would be little to stop a disgruntled, bored or malicious employee simply taking pictures of their screen with their phone and uploading them to another site. Then there is the corporation itself. The company has a long history of controversial changes to its terms and conditions, including how they use and retain users’ data, even after people have quit the platform. They have fought court cases brought by revenge porn victims who feel failed by the system, in one case by a British 14-year-old. This is a well-meaning initiative, but it’s just not clear that we can trust this commercial organisation to make the right decisions about how they hold this most sensitive data. Stamos has complained that the company gets criticised for imperfect solutions. It’s true that partial solutions are better than none, and those pre-emptive solutions are better than clean-ups when the damage is done. But this is a solution that carries its own risk. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Facebook wants your nude photos to prevent 'revenge porn' - but be careful

<p>More governments are following the lead of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-backs-us-intelligence-agencies-on-russia-election-meddling-24020">Russia</a> and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/dense-fog-strands-more-than-10000-travelers-at-airport-in-southwest-china-city-6690">China</a> by manipulating <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/people-destroy-keurig-coffee-makers-after-company-pulls-ads-from-fox-news-show-24150">social media</a> and suppressing dissent online in a grave threat to democracy, a human rights watchdog said Tuesday.</p>

<p>A study of internet freedom in 65 countries found 30 governments are deploying some form of manipulation to distort online information, up from 23 the previous year.</p>

<p>These efforts included paid commentators, trolls, &quot;bots&quot; - the name given to automated accounts - false news sites and propaganda outlets, according to the 2017 &quot;Freedom on the Net&quot; report by human rights group Freedom House.</p>

<p>The report said online manipulation and disinformation tactics played an important role in elections in at least 18 countries over the past year, including the United States.</p>

<p>&quot;The use of paid commentators and political bots to spread government propaganda was pioneered by China and Russia but has now gone global,&rdquo; said Michael Abramowitz, president of Freedom House.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The effects of these rapidly spreading techniques on democracy and civic activism are potentially devastating.&quot;</p>

<p>Sanja Kelly, director of the Freedom on the Net project, explained such manipulation is often hard to detect, and &quot;more difficult to combat than other types of censorship, such as website blocking.&quot;</p>

<p>The organization said 2017 marked a seventh consecutive year of overall decline in internet freedom, as a result of these and other efforts to filter and censor information online.</p>

<p><strong>China is worst, again</strong></p>

<p>Freedom House said China was the world&#39;s worst abuser of internet freedom for a third straight year, due to stepped-up online censorship, a new law cracking down on anonymity online and the imprisonment of dissidents using the web.</p>

<p>Other countries also increased their efforts to censor and manipulate information, the report said.</p>

<p>This included a &quot;keyboard army&quot; of people employed and paid $10 a day by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/dutertes-trump-song-you-are-the-light-in-my-world-545#photo-28733">the Philippine government</a> to amplify the impression of widespread support of a brutal drugs crackdown, and Turkey&#39;s use of an estimated 6,000 people to counter government opponents on social media.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, as Russia sought to spread disinformation to influence elections in the US and Europe, the Kremlin also tightened its internal controls, the report said.</p>

<p>Bloggers who attract more than 3,000 daily visitors must register their personal details with the Russian government and abide by the law regulating mass media -- while search engines and news aggregators are banned from including stories from unregistered outlets.</p>

<p>The study also found governments in at least 14 countries restricted internet freedom in a bid to address content manipulation. In one such example, Ukraine blocked Russia-based services, including the country&#39;s most widely used social network and search engine, in an effort to crack down on pro-Russian propaganda.</p>

<p>&quot;When trying to combat online manipulation from abroad, it is important for countries not to overreach,&quot; Kelly said.</p>

<p>&quot;The solution to manipulation and disinformation lies not in censoring websites but in teaching citizens how to detect fake news and commentary. Democracies should ensure that the source of political advertising online is at least as transparent online as it is offline.&quot;</p>

<p>Freedom House expressed concern over growing restrictions on VPNs -- virtual private networks which allow circumvention of sensors -- which are now in place in 14 countries.</p>

<p>It said internet freedom also took a hit in the United States over the past year.</p>

<p>&quot;While the online environment in the United States remained vibrant and diverse, the prevalence of disinformation and hyperpartisan content had a significant impact,&quot; the report said.</p>

<p>&quot;Journalists who challenge Donald Trump&rsquo;s positions have faced egregious online harassment.&quot;</p>


More governments are following the lead of Russia and China by manipulating social media and suppressing dissent online in a grave threat to democracy, a human rights watchdog said Tuesday

More governments are following the lead of Russia and China by manipulating social media and suppressing dissent online in a grave threat to democracy, a human rights watchdog said Tuesday. A study of internet freedom in 65 countries found 30 governments are deploying some form of manipulation to distort online information, up from 23 the previous year. These efforts included paid commentators, trolls, "bots" - the name given to automated accounts - false news sites and propaganda outlets, according to the 2017 "Freedom on the Net" report by human rights group Freedom House. The report said online manipulation and disinformation tactics played an important role in elections in at least 18 countries over the past year, including the United States. "The use of paid commentators and political bots to spread government propaganda was pioneered by China and Russia but has now gone global,” said Michael Abramowitz, president of Freedom House. "The effects of these rapidly spreading techniques on democracy and civic activism are potentially devastating." Sanja Kelly, director of the Freedom on the Net project, explained such manipulation is often hard to detect, and "more difficult to combat than other types of censorship, such as website blocking." The organization said 2017 marked a seventh consecutive year of overall decline in internet freedom, as a result of these and other efforts to filter and censor information online. China is worst, again Freedom House said China was the world's worst abuser of internet freedom for a third straight year, due to stepped-up online censorship, a new law cracking down on anonymity online and the imprisonment of dissidents using the web. Other countries also increased their efforts to censor and manipulate information, the report said. This included a "keyboard army" of people employed and paid $10 a day by the Philippine government to amplify the impression of widespread support of a brutal drugs crackdown, and Turkey's use of an estimated 6,000 people to counter government opponents on social media. Meanwhile, as Russia sought to spread disinformation to influence elections in the US and Europe, the Kremlin also tightened its internal controls, the report said. Bloggers who attract more than 3,000 daily visitors must register their personal details with the Russian government and abide by the law regulating mass media -- while search engines and news aggregators are banned from including stories from unregistered outlets. The study also found governments in at least 14 countries restricted internet freedom in a bid to address content manipulation. In one such example, Ukraine blocked Russia-based services, including the country's most widely used social network and search engine, in an effort to crack down on pro-Russian propaganda. "When trying to combat online manipulation from abroad, it is important for countries not to overreach," Kelly said. "The solution to manipulation and disinformation lies not in censoring websites but in teaching citizens how to detect fake news and commentary. Democracies should ensure that the source of political advertising online is at least as transparent online as it is offline." Freedom House expressed concern over growing restrictions on VPNs -- virtual private networks which allow circumvention of sensors -- which are now in place in 14 countries. It said internet freedom also took a hit in the United States over the past year. "While the online environment in the United States remained vibrant and diverse, the prevalence of disinformation and hyperpartisan content had a significant impact," the report said. "Journalists who challenge Donald Trump’s positions have faced egregious online harassment."

Freedom on the Net: threat to democracy

<p>Twitter has&nbsp;increased the word limit for its users to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-to-double-tweet-limit-to-280-characters-23698" target="_blank">280 characters</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The social networking site initiated the move to draw more users.</p>

<p>Twitterati reacted to the extension of the word limit.</p>

<p>Many of them were quite happy to see the extension.</p>

<p>However, some users were not satisfied and demanded an edit button.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All we wanted was an edit button<br />
All we wanted was an edit button<br />
All we wanted was an edit button<br />
All we wanted was an edit button<br />
All we wanted was an edit button<br />
All we wanted was an edit button<br />
All we wanted was an edit button<br />
All we wanted was an edit button<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/280characters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#280characters</a></p>
&mdash; KEEPER (@Sushimibelle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sushimibelle/status/928145807030730752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Voters today chose<br />
-2 new Democratic governors<br />
-2 black lieutenant governors<br />
-2 transgender officials<br />
-A Black Lives Matter lawyer as DA in Philly<br />
-A Sikh mayor in Hoboken<br />
-A socialist in Virginia<br />
-To oust GOP mayor in Atlantic City<br />
-And to expand Medicaid in Maine<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/280characters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#280characters</a></p>
&mdash; Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) <a href="https://twitter.com/keithboykin/status/928118303419224064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When you realise that Twitter increases it&#39;s character limit to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/280characters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#280characters</a>. <a href="https://t.co/3wjSTX7D6T">pic.twitter.com/3wjSTX7D6T</a></p>
&mdash; Viral Ramesh (@viralramesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/viralramesh/status/928168684102799360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When you wake up and see <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/280characters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#280characters</a> trending on twitter and u know you don&#39;t need to delete dots and commas anymore to fit in 140 characters. <a href="https://t.co/ZQ68cwbGSI">pic.twitter.com/ZQ68cwbGSI</a></p>
&mdash; Rehegoo Music (@RehegooMusic) <a href="https://twitter.com/RehegooMusic/status/928176977743400960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/280characters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#280characters</a> vs 140 is a good analogy of financial needs vs wants.<br />
<br />
Just because I have $280 doesn&#39;t mean I must spend all $280.</p>
&mdash; thatwasntme (@yours_heidi) <a href="https://twitter.com/yours_heidi/status/928154884406497280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My friend slept in class. I took his phone and changed my name in his contacts to &ldquo;dad&rdquo; then I texted him &ldquo; son, I just won 500 million dollars in the lottery. We are rich now. You don&rsquo;t have to go to school anymore!&rdquo;<br />
~~THREAD~~<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/280characters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#280characters</a><br />
??????????????</p>
&mdash; Total Man (@Omoso_Omoso) <a href="https://twitter.com/Omoso_Omoso/status/928163061424369666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/280characters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#280characters</a> everyone!<br />
<br />
Enjoy typing nonsense twice as much! ??<br />
<br />
We&#39;re free!<br />
<br />
WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ??</p>
&mdash; Shyning77 (@Shyning77) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shyning77/status/928182007351402496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Don&#39;t reply with &quot;k&quot; you now have <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/280Characters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#280Characters</a></p>
&mdash; Nompumelelo (@Mpumi_Can) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mpumi_Can/status/928180046333964293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I think today should be marked <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/280characters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#280characters</a> day. <a href="https://t.co/cNaTWgUt2c">pic.twitter.com/cNaTWgUt2c</a></p>
&mdash; Henry Eyo&trade; (@MeetHenryEyo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetHenryEyo/status/928179812811845632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Initially, Twitter allowed its users just 140 characters which were not enough for its users to express their opinions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Twitter had started testing the increase of its word limit in early September.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The word limit has been increased to all languages except for Japanese, Korean and Chinese as these languages did not have any space limitation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The social networking site has been trying to modify its features to attract more users and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/twitter-says-it-could-turn-first-ever-profit-shares-surge-23009" target="_blank">compete with the leading media sites</a>.</p>

<p>Twitter is also working on introducing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/saveforlater-twitter-to-soon-introduce-bookmarking-feature-21248" target="_blank">&#39;Save For Later&#39;</a>&nbsp;feature to bookmark posts for its users.&nbsp;</p>


The social networking site initiated the move to draw more users

Twitter has increased the word limit for its users to 280 characters. The social networking site initiated the move to draw more users. Twitterati reacted to the extension of the word limit. Many of them were quite happy to see the extension. However, some users were not satisfied and demanded an edit button. All we wanted was an edit button All we wanted was an edit button All we wanted was an edit button All we wanted was an edit button All we wanted was an edit button All we wanted was an edit button All we wanted was an edit button All we wanted was an edit button#280characters — KEEPER (@Sushimibelle) November 8, 2017 × Voters today chose -2 new Democratic governors -2 black lieutenant governors -2 transgender officials -A Black Lives Matter lawyer as DA in Philly -A Sikh mayor in Hoboken -A socialist in Virginia -To oust GOP mayor in Atlantic City -And to expand Medicaid in Maine#280characters — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) November 8, 2017 × When you realise that Twitter increases it's character limit to #280characters. pic.twitter.com/3wjSTX7D6T — Viral Ramesh (@viralramesh) November 8, 2017 × When you wake up and see #280characters trending on twitter and u know you don't need to delete dots and commas anymore to fit in 140 characters. pic.twitter.com/ZQ68cwbGSI — Rehegoo Music (@RehegooMusic) November 8, 2017 × #280characters vs 140 is a good analogy of financial needs vs wants. Just because I have $280 doesn't mean I must spend all $280. — thatwasntme (@yours_heidi) November 8, 2017 × My friend slept in class. I took his phone and changed my name in his contacts to “dad” then I texted him “ son, I just won 500 million dollars in the lottery. We are rich now. You don’t have to go to school anymore!” ~~THREAD~~#280characters ?????????????? — Total Man (@Omoso_Omoso) November 8, 2017 × Happy #280characters everyone! Enjoy typing nonsense twice as much! ?? We're free! WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ?? — Shyning77 (@Shyning77) November 8, 2017 × Don't reply with "k" you now have #280Characters — Nompumelelo (@Mpumi_Can) November 8, 2017 × I think today should be marked #280characters day. pic.twitter.com/cNaTWgUt2c — Henry Eyo™ (@MeetHenryEyo) November 8, 2017 × Initially, Twitter allowed its users just 140 characters which were not enough for its users to express their opinions. Twitter had started testing the increase of its word limit in early September. The word limit has been increased to all languages except for Japanese, Korean and Chinese as these languages did not have any space limitation. The social networking site has been trying to modify its features to attract more users and compete with the leading media sites. Twitter is also working on introducing 'Save For Later' feature to bookmark posts for its users.

Twitterati welcomes 280 characters in Twitter

<p>The internet is a wonderful place to be in. It takes you to places, teaches you new words, makes you learn new skills and brings you closer to people who you admire and idolise. But as the world shrinks into your palmtop, and becomes an integral part of your daily life, it also gives you an abnormal power to meddle and snoop in. The ever-booming world of the internet also draws a lot of unwarranted attention.</p>

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<h5>Celebrities open up about their lives and their work - they not only get a lot of love and adulation but also a lot of unnecessary opinions that perhaps they can do without.</h5>
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<p>Take the recent cases of Milind Soman and Deepika Padukone. Two absolutely gorgeous, talented and successful people - they enjoy an enormous fan following. And as the trend is these days, they never shy away from spreading joy among their fans and connect with them through their personal accounts on social media. Which is where the problem also begins. Because as they, like many other celebrities open up about their lives and their work - they not only get a lot of love and adulation but also a lot of unnecessary opinions that perhaps they can do without.</p>

<p>On his 52nd birthday, Milind Soman posted a selfie with his 23-year-old girlfriend Ankita Konwar. While most showered the couple with love and wishes, there were some who questioned the couple&#39;s massive age gap and mocked the pair. Some called her his daughter, some simply questioned God a &#39;why&#39; and others just asked Soman point blank about how it was okay for him to date someone so young. And then, of course, there were some who just resorted to abuses in the comment box.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbJf-u9AFLU/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Milind Usha Soman (@milindrunning)</a> on <time datetime="2017-11-06T09:16:30+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 6, 2017 at 1:16am PST</time></p>
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<p>On the same day, a photo of Deepika Padukone surfaced on the internet. Now for the uninitiated, Deepika threw a bash at her place for her industry friends which had a lot of prominent names of Bollywood in attendance. One photo from that party had Deepika flanked by Aadar and Armaan Jain, who happen to Deepika&#39;s ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor&#39;s cousin. One photo had Aadar planting a peck on DP&#39;s cheek and other had them smiling for the camera.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbG-S1mnWwm/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Aadar Jain (@aadarjain)</a> on <time datetime="2017-11-05T09:43:40+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 5, 2017 at 1:43am PST</time></p>
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<p>At a time when technology has advanced leaps and bounds, and mankind has evolved - Deepika Padukone was trolled for posing with her ex&#39;s cousin. &nbsp;An Instagram user said, &quot;Didn&#39;t like it at all..it looks vulgar to me.&quot; Some called her desperate, others declared she was drunk and some even predicted that she was posing with the two actors because she wanted to get back with her former boyfriend. A logic that surpasses all logic, clearly.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbHCFhMlcrf/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Armaan Jain (@therealarmaanjain)</a> on <time datetime="2017-11-05T10:16:48+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 5, 2017 at 2:16am PST</time></p>
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<p>It didn&#39;t matter to these people that in a free country, the actress had the right to be drunk and pose with whoever she wanted to at her own party. She did not break a law, neither were the images unpleasant to the eyes- yet some people felt it was their duty to comment on her photos. Similarly, Milind Soman posted a happy photo on his birthday for his fans. Nowhere in the caption did it say, that he needed people&#39;s opinion on what they felt about him and his girlfriend. Yet the comments flowed in abundance.</p>

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<h5>Internet now serves as a platform to meddle in other&#39;s businesses, comment on it and draw a judgement.</h5>
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<p>This isn&#39;t the first time that celebrities have been trolled unnecessarily on social media. Earlier actresses like Sana Fatima Sheikh, Esha Gupta, Sonam Kapoor - all have been asked to dress up properly or reminded of their culture and morals.</p>

<p>The internet has definitely brought the world closer.&nbsp;But along with it, it has brought a license for a lot of unsolicited advice. We now have armchair activists, armchair moral police and armchair thinkers- who may not have the courage to speak out in person but definitely, use their keyboard to express whatever they wish to. Internet now serves as a platform to meddle in other&#39;s businesses, comment on it and draw a judgement.</p>

<p>It may not be the most accurate of the pieces of advice, it may be uncalled for - but since no one is there to reprimand - it is easy to slip by after writing abuses. Which is why the Internet is also hazardous. Where one really doesn&#39;t know what impact a comment can make in one&#39;s life. It is a great thing that most celebrities wear an invisible cloak of nonchalance when it comes to internet trolls - but these trolls also point out a very alarming fact. That a lot of us draw a great amount of satisfaction in maligning others in the garb of anonymity. That as a race, we are lonely, frustrated and crave for attention. Because why would anyone in their right mind express such toxic things on a celebrity&#39;s photo if he was not wishing to get noticed?</p>


Few people use social media to give unsolicited advice on celebrities and also troll them unnecessarily on Facebook and Twitter

The internet is a wonderful place to be in. It takes you to places, teaches you new words, makes you learn new skills and brings you closer to people who you admire and idolise. But as the world shrinks into your palmtop, and becomes an integral part of your daily life, it also gives you an abnormal power to meddle and snoop in. The ever-booming world of the internet also draws a lot of unwarranted attention. Celebrities open up about their lives and their work - they not only get a lot of love and adulation but also a lot of unnecessary opinions that perhaps they can do without. × Take the recent cases of Milind Soman and Deepika Padukone. Two absolutely gorgeous, talented and successful people - they enjoy an enormous fan following. And as the trend is these days, they never shy away from spreading joy among their fans and connect with them through their personal accounts on social media. Which is where the problem also begins. Because as they, like many other celebrities open up about their lives and their work - they not only get a lot of love and adulation but also a lot of unnecessary opinions that perhaps they can do without. On his 52nd birthday, Milind Soman posted a selfie with his 23-year-old girlfriend Ankita Konwar. While most showered the couple with love and wishes, there were some who questioned the couple's massive age gap and mocked the pair. Some called her his daughter, some simply questioned God a 'why' and others just asked Soman point blank about how it was okay for him to date someone so young. And then, of course, there were some who just resorted to abuses in the comment box. A post shared by Milind Usha Soman (@milindrunning) on Nov 6, 2017 at 1:16am PST × On the same day, a photo of Deepika Padukone surfaced on the internet. Now for the uninitiated, Deepika threw a bash at her place for her industry friends which had a lot of prominent names of Bollywood in attendance. One photo from that party had Deepika flanked by Aadar and Armaan Jain, who happen to Deepika's ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor's cousin. One photo had Aadar planting a peck on DP's cheek and other had them smiling for the camera. A post shared by Aadar Jain (@aadarjain) on Nov 5, 2017 at 1:43am PST × At a time when technology has advanced leaps and bounds, and mankind has evolved - Deepika Padukone was trolled for posing with her ex's cousin. An Instagram user said, "Didn't like it at all..it looks vulgar to me." Some called her desperate, others declared she was drunk and some even predicted that she was posing with the two actors because she wanted to get back with her former boyfriend. A logic that surpasses all logic, clearly. A post shared by Armaan Jain (@therealarmaanjain) on Nov 5, 2017 at 2:16am PST × It didn't matter to these people that in a free country, the actress had the right to be drunk and pose with whoever she wanted to at her own party. She did not break a law, neither were the images unpleasant to the eyes- yet some people felt it was their duty to comment on her photos. Similarly, Milind Soman posted a happy photo on his birthday for his fans. Nowhere in the caption did it say, that he needed people's opinion on what they felt about him and his girlfriend. Yet the comments flowed in abundance. Internet now serves as a platform to meddle in other's businesses, comment on it and draw a judgement. × This isn't the first time that celebrities have been trolled unnecessarily on social media. Earlier actresses like Sana Fatima Sheikh, Esha Gupta, Sonam Kapoor - all have been asked to dress up properly or reminded of their culture and morals. The internet has definitely brought the world closer. But along with it, it has brought a license for a lot of unsolicited advice. We now have armchair activists, armchair moral police and armchair thinkers- who may not have the courage to speak out in person but definitely, use their keyboard to express whatever they wish to. Internet now serves as a platform to meddle in other's businesses, comment on it and draw a judgement. It may not be the most accurate of the pieces of advice, it may be uncalled for - but since no one is there to reprimand - it is easy to slip by after writing abuses. Which is why the Internet is also hazardous. Where one really doesn't know what impact a comment can make in one's life. It is a great thing that most celebrities wear an invisible cloak of nonchalance when it comes to internet trolls - but these trolls also point out a very alarming fact. That a lot of us draw a great amount of satisfaction in maligning others in the garb of anonymity. That as a race, we are lonely, frustrated and crave for attention. Because why would anyone in their right mind express such toxic things on a celebrity's photo if he was not wishing to get noticed?

Dear Internet, learn to mind your own business

<p>Snapchat went down around the world late Monday, early Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reuters reported the outage lasted as long as four hours.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The social networking app&#39;s support team said they were aware of the problem and were looking into it.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We&#39;re aware of the issue and working on a fix?? Stay tuned for updates! ??We recommend staying logged into your account.</p>
&mdash; Snapchat Support (@snapchatsupport) <a href="https://twitter.com/snapchatsupport/status/927651703532371968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The app&#39;s users meanwhile took to rival Twitter to complain, and to show off their sense of humour:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The year 2057:<br />
<br />
&quot;Granddad, were you around when <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/snapchat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#snapchat</a> was down for an hour?&quot;<br />
<br />
*cries uncontrollably*<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/snapchatdown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#snapchatdown</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vp0RwBEFZT">pic.twitter.com/Vp0RwBEFZT</a></p>
&mdash; Jaye (@JayePee_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JayePee_/status/927685166360821761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Me trying to refresh my Snapchat while it&rsquo;s down <a href="https://t.co/ha5LUyVxHW">pic.twitter.com/ha5LUyVxHW</a></p>
&mdash; Cordell (@CIoutBoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CIoutBoy/status/927685161872953344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/snapchat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#snapchat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/snapchatdown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#snapchatdown</a> *when snapchat stopped*<br />
<br />
Me: gonna use my twitter more..<br />
<br />
Friend:Snapchat&#39;s back!<br />
<br />
Me: what&#39;s a twitter? <a href="https://t.co/8jkmPj8blW">pic.twitter.com/8jkmPj8blW</a></p>
&mdash; Lumi the Musician (@That_Aries_Girl) <a href="https://twitter.com/That_Aries_Girl/status/927684530793844736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can&rsquo;t workout if I&rsquo;m clicking on Snapchat every 30 seconds to check if it&rsquo;s still broken or if I&rsquo;m usually that addicted when it&rsquo;s working??</p>
&mdash; Emily Canham (@EmilyCanham) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilyCanham/status/927656778288025600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Reuters reported that Snapchat had also had technical issues in October.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The worldwide outage lasted as long as four hours

Snapchat went down around the world late Monday, early Tuesday. Reuters reported the outage lasted as long as four hours. The social networking app's support team said they were aware of the problem and were looking into it. We're aware of the issue and working on a fix?? Stay tuned for updates! ??We recommend staying logged into your account. — Snapchat Support (@snapchatsupport) November 6, 2017 × The app's users meanwhile took to rival Twitter to complain, and to show off their sense of humour: The year 2057: "Granddad, were you around when #snapchat was down for an hour?" *cries uncontrollably*#snapchatdown pic.twitter.com/Vp0RwBEFZT — Jaye (@JayePee_) November 6, 2017 × Me trying to refresh my Snapchat while it’s down pic.twitter.com/ha5LUyVxHW — Cordell (@CIoutBoy) November 6, 2017 × #snapchat #snapchatdown *when snapchat stopped* Me: gonna use my twitter more.. Friend:Snapchat's back! Me: what's a twitter? pic.twitter.com/8jkmPj8blW — Lumi the Musician (@That_Aries_Girl) November 6, 2017 × Can’t workout if I’m clicking on Snapchat every 30 seconds to check if it’s still broken or if I’m usually that addicted when it’s working?? — Emily Canham (@EmilyCanham) November 6, 2017 × Reuters reported that Snapchat had also had technical issues in October.

Snapchat goes down, users take to Twitter to complain

<p>Under Hitler, Germany experienced the consequences of a nation caving into propaganda and hate speech. This may explain its government&rsquo;s urgency to enact a new law, known as the &ldquo;Facebook Act,&rdquo; in response to the recent alarming rise of hate speech online.</p>

<p>Canada is experiencing a similar rise.</p>

<p>Media marketing company Cision documented a six-fold rise - that&rsquo;s a 600 per cent increase - in the amount of intolerant and hate speech in social media postings by Canadians between November 2015 and November 2016. Hashtags such as #banmuslims, #siegheil, #whitegenocide and #whitepower were widely used on popular social media platforms such as Twitter.</p>

<p>Some analysts blame Trump. But Canadian media outlets shouldn&rsquo;t be too smug about their adherence to the practice of fair and balanced journalism.</p>

<p>A group of scholars at Ryerson University conducted a critical analysis of how the Canadian media covered the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Canada between September 2015 and April 2016. They found several news outlets played a major role in reinforcing the negative image of Syrian refugees and Muslims in the public eye.</p>

<p>The refugees were subject to &quot;othering,&quot; the practice of depicting nonwhite cultures as &quot;alien,&quot; and highlighting differences rather than shared values or interests. The new arrivals from Syria were stereotyped, criminalised (especially men) and perceived as passive, lacking agency, vulnerable, needy and a drain on government resources. Male Syrian refugees were viewed as security threats and female Syrian refugees as voiceless, oppressed and desperate.</p>

<p>My research study investigates the way youth view their role in society as it relates to refugees, and how they regard and interpret online propaganda.</p>

<p><strong>The $74 million question</strong></p>

<p>The European Commission recently announced a new set of guidelines and principles for online platforms to prevent content inciting hatred, violence and terrorism, and Twitter began implementing its new rules for fighting hate on Nov. 1.</p>

<p>Should Canada follow in Germany&rsquo;s footsteps and enact a law that would pressure social networks to remove offensive posts within 24 hours or risk fines of up to $74 million for failing to comply? Adopting new regulations forcing social media platforms to respond swiftly could be an effective intervention to halt the spread of hate speech online. However, it could also prove to be challenging, as moderators wade into complex language and often get it wrong. Ultimately, we need to adopt a systematic response to hateful and dangerous rhetoric online.</p>

<p>The German social media law has been the subject of criticism since it was announced. Some critics say the law is too broad while others warn it could be the executioner of free speech. The thin line between hate speech and free speech is the focus of many concerned Canadians.</p>

<p>In Canada, hate speech is addressed in the recently updated Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46). However, the applicability of this law to online hate speech is a frequent subject of debate that produces conflicting conclusions. In particular, the Defenses section of the code outlines cases where the proponents of hate speech could be exempted.</p>

<p>Distinguishing hate speech from fear speech - speech originating from fear and masked with terms and expressions usually associated with hate - is by itself a great challenge. Motion 103 (M-103), which condemns Islamophobia in Canada, and was passed in the House of Commons this Spring, is perceived by some Canadians to be suppressing free speech.</p>

<p><strong>How to stop hate online?</strong></p>

<p>Extremist parties, politicians and their fans have all successfully taken advantage of social media platforms to spread messages filled with racism and intolerance - even incitement to radical views.</p>

<p>Right-wing activists and the movements they espouse now total more than 100 organised groups in Canada. They are more visible and also better connected than ever before.</p>

<p>Stopping hate speech and extremist views on social media may be an impossible mission.</p>

<p>Yet, a majority of Canadians get their news about politics through social media giants such as Facebook. Facebook says 84 per cent of young Canadians actively use the social media platform.</p>

<p>&quot;The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it,&quot; said Joseph Goebbels, Hitler&rsquo;s minister of propaganda and national enlightenment.</p>

<p>According to the Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication, created in 1948 by mathematician and electronic engineer Claude Elwood Shannon and scientist Warren Weaver, every communication includes an information source, a message, a transmitter, a receiver, a destination and a noise source.</p>

<p>If we apply the communication model to online hate speech, we can identify the information sources as the propagandists, including extremist parties. They craft a simple, direct message such as &ldquo;Muslims are terrorists&rdquo; and transmit it through social media posts.</p>

<p>The destination is the audience the propagandists are focused on manipulating. This audience belongs to a whole spectrum, ranging from supporters of the idea to an audience that is outraged by it.</p>

<p>The receiver is the system used by the audience to decode the message and interpret it. The noise source includes the laws, acts, filtering and flagging strategies put in place to prevent the message from reaching the destination.</p>

<p>So far, it has been proven that the sender of hate speech is unstoppable and the noise source lacks efficiency since hate speech not only persists but also is on the rise.</p>

<p>Therefore, we must shift our tactics. We could, for example, focus on the receiver and the destination of the hate-filled message. We could teach the audience - youth in particular - how to withstand digital hate speech propaganda.</p>

<p><strong>Youth need to be part of the solution</strong></p>

<p>Conversations that characterise millennials as passive consumers of news with little and incidental exposure to world events could not be more wrong. A study conducted by the Media Insight Project in 2015 found youth between the age of 18 and 24 are &quot;anything but &#39;newsless&#39;&quot; passive or uninterested in civic issues.</p>

<p>Instead, they consume news and information in strikingly different ways than previous generations and their paths &quot;to discovery are more nuanced and varied than some may have imagined&quot;.&nbsp;Social media plays a large role in their news consumption.</p>

<p>Many youths are critical of media content and their choice of the information and the news they read online is far from random. They often see or experience direct or indirect racial discrimination online or witness unproductive, uncivil or disturbing Facebook discussions.</p>

<p>They recognise the agendas and algorithms behind the posts that pop up on their walls, and they hunger for an influential voice that would disrupt the discourses about issues that affect their lives.</p>

<p>Yet, fearing a backlash, a majority of youth choose to remain bystanders in an era where their social media presence and skills are needed the most. They remain &quot;power users (frequent users),&quot; instead of &quot;powerful users (influential users).&quot;</p>

<p>Youth could be our best candidates to be these agents of change, given their familiarity with social media. For this to happen, young people need to develop civic online reasoning and identify ways to leverage the power of social media for &quot;greater control, hate speech and ugly online conversations around Syrian refugees are mainly orchestrated to spread fear among people who might otherwise be members of actual or prospective welcoming communities. A campaign to counter propaganda, led by agents of change, is important to counterbalance the negative influence and allow host societies to make informed choices.voice and influence over issues that matter most in their lives.&quot;</p>

<p>They need to understand where their political tolerance and intolerance comes from and understand the concerns, emotions and values that generate public attitudes.</p>

<p>Many argue that education is not enough. However, equipping and empowering youth to disrupt the messaging transmitted by radical extremists or parties with racist agendas start with the pedagogy of understanding oneself.</p>

<p><strong>The power of self-knowledge</strong></p>

<p>My research study involved 126 in-depth interviews with 42 youth between 18 and 24 years old from Canada, the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Greece and Lebanon. During the interviews, I engaged these young participants in the process of learning about themselves using tools I adapted from Personal Construct Psychology.</p>

<p>I wanted to understand how they viewed their role in the integration and inclusion of refugees in their societies, in a context where the image of refugees was deeply influenced by social media, especially after terror attacks.</p>

<p>I also wanted to discover what knowledge and skills they developed through the process of understanding themselves by identifying their construct systems - the &quot;lenses&quot; they used when decoding digital propaganda targeting sensitive and controversial issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis.</p>

<p>Through our discussions, each of these 42 young people had an &quot;aha moment.&quot;</p>

<p>Regardless of their geographical locations or the ways they experienced the refugee crisis and the recent terror attacks, they had the same sudden realisation. Not only could they control how social media influenced them, but they also had a role to play in shaping the image of refugees through what they shared online.</p>

<p>They became critical of media content. They developed empathy towards both refugees and people who rejected newcomers. They moved from passive bystanders to became confident agents of change, ready to play a leadership role in counterbalancing the digital hate speech propaganda against refugees.</p>

<p>To eradicate digital hate speech propaganda, we need to prevent propagandists from reaching their objectives.</p>

<p>Laws such as Germany&rsquo;s &quot;Facebook Act&quot; constitute one piece of the solution. The other key is to make sure audiences are trained to better withstand manipulation.</p>

<p>Our youth, once equipped and empowered, are our best candidates to disrupt the messages spread by propagandists and to pursue the mission of putting a stop to hate speech.</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-trump-effect-in-canada-a-600-per-cent-increase-in-online-hate-speech-86026" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.</p>


Anti-hate laws and self-awareness education for audiences is essential to eradicate digital hate speech propaganda

Under Hitler, Germany experienced the consequences of a nation caving into propaganda and hate speech. This may explain its government’s urgency to enact a new law, known as the “Facebook Act,” in response to the recent alarming rise of hate speech online. Canada is experiencing a similar rise. Media marketing company Cision documented a six-fold rise - that’s a 600 per cent increase - in the amount of intolerant and hate speech in social media postings by Canadians between November 2015 and November 2016. Hashtags such as #banmuslims, #siegheil, #whitegenocide and #whitepower were widely used on popular social media platforms such as Twitter. Some analysts blame Trump. But Canadian media outlets shouldn’t be too smug about their adherence to the practice of fair and balanced journalism. A group of scholars at Ryerson University conducted a critical analysis of how the Canadian media covered the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Canada between September 2015 and April 2016. They found several news outlets played a major role in reinforcing the negative image of Syrian refugees and Muslims in the public eye. The refugees were subject to "othering," the practice of depicting nonwhite cultures as "alien," and highlighting differences rather than shared values or interests. The new arrivals from Syria were stereotyped, criminalised (especially men) and perceived as passive, lacking agency, vulnerable, needy and a drain on government resources. Male Syrian refugees were viewed as security threats and female Syrian refugees as voiceless, oppressed and desperate. My research study investigates the way youth view their role in society as it relates to refugees, and how they regard and interpret online propaganda. The $74 million question The European Commission recently announced a new set of guidelines and principles for online platforms to prevent content inciting hatred, violence and terrorism, and Twitter began implementing its new rules for fighting hate on Nov. 1. Should Canada follow in Germany’s footsteps and enact a law that would pressure social networks to remove offensive posts within 24 hours or risk fines of up to $74 million for failing to comply? Adopting new regulations forcing social media platforms to respond swiftly could be an effective intervention to halt the spread of hate speech online. However, it could also prove to be challenging, as moderators wade into complex language and often get it wrong. Ultimately, we need to adopt a systematic response to hateful and dangerous rhetoric online. The German social media law has been the subject of criticism since it was announced. Some critics say the law is too broad while others warn it could be the executioner of free speech. The thin line between hate speech and free speech is the focus of many concerned Canadians. In Canada, hate speech is addressed in the recently updated Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46). However, the applicability of this law to online hate speech is a frequent subject of debate that produces conflicting conclusions. In particular, the Defenses section of the code outlines cases where the proponents of hate speech could be exempted. Distinguishing hate speech from fear speech - speech originating from fear and masked with terms and expressions usually associated with hate - is by itself a great challenge. Motion 103 (M-103), which condemns Islamophobia in Canada, and was passed in the House of Commons this Spring, is perceived by some Canadians to be suppressing free speech. How to stop hate online? Extremist parties, politicians and their fans have all successfully taken advantage of social media platforms to spread messages filled with racism and intolerance - even incitement to radical views. Right-wing activists and the movements they espouse now total more than 100 organised groups in Canada. They are more visible and also better connected than ever before. Stopping hate speech and extremist views on social media may be an impossible mission. Yet, a majority of Canadians get their news about politics through social media giants such as Facebook. Facebook says 84 per cent of young Canadians actively use the social media platform. "The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it," said Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s minister of propaganda and national enlightenment. According to the Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication, created in 1948 by mathematician and electronic engineer Claude Elwood Shannon and scientist Warren Weaver, every communication includes an information source, a message, a transmitter, a receiver, a destination and a noise source. If we apply the communication model to online hate speech, we can identify the information sources as the propagandists, including extremist parties. They craft a simple, direct message such as “Muslims are terrorists” and transmit it through social media posts. The destination is the audience the propagandists are focused on manipulating. This audience belongs to a whole spectrum, ranging from supporters of the idea to an audience that is outraged by it. The receiver is the system used by the audience to decode the message and interpret it. The noise source includes the laws, acts, filtering and flagging strategies put in place to prevent the message from reaching the destination. So far, it has been proven that the sender of hate speech is unstoppable and the noise source lacks efficiency since hate speech not only persists but also is on the rise. Therefore, we must shift our tactics. We could, for example, focus on the receiver and the destination of the hate-filled message. We could teach the audience - youth in particular - how to withstand digital hate speech propaganda. Youth need to be part of the solution Conversations that characterise millennials as passive consumers of news with little and incidental exposure to world events could not be more wrong. A study conducted by the Media Insight Project in 2015 found youth between the age of 18 and 24 are "anything but 'newsless'" passive or uninterested in civic issues. Instead, they consume news and information in strikingly different ways than previous generations and their paths "to discovery are more nuanced and varied than some may have imagined". Social media plays a large role in their news consumption. Many youths are critical of media content and their choice of the information and the news they read online is far from random. They often see or experience direct or indirect racial discrimination online or witness unproductive, uncivil or disturbing Facebook discussions. They recognise the agendas and algorithms behind the posts that pop up on their walls, and they hunger for an influential voice that would disrupt the discourses about issues that affect their lives. Yet, fearing a backlash, a majority of youth choose to remain bystanders in an era where their social media presence and skills are needed the most. They remain "power users (frequent users)," instead of "powerful users (influential users)." Youth could be our best candidates to be these agents of change, given their familiarity with social media. For this to happen, young people need to develop civic online reasoning and identify ways to leverage the power of social media for "greater control, hate speech and ugly online conversations around Syrian refugees are mainly orchestrated to spread fear among people who might otherwise be members of actual or prospective welcoming communities. A campaign to counter propaganda, led by agents of change, is important to counterbalance the negative influence and allow host societies to make informed choices.voice and influence over issues that matter most in their lives." They need to understand where their political tolerance and intolerance comes from and understand the concerns, emotions and values that generate public attitudes. Many argue that education is not enough. However, equipping and empowering youth to disrupt the messaging transmitted by radical extremists or parties with racist agendas start with the pedagogy of understanding oneself. The power of self-knowledge My research study involved 126 in-depth interviews with 42 youth between 18 and 24 years old from Canada, the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Greece and Lebanon. During the interviews, I engaged these young participants in the process of learning about themselves using tools I adapted from Personal Construct Psychology. I wanted to understand how they viewed their role in the integration and inclusion of refugees in their societies, in a context where the image of refugees was deeply influenced by social media, especially after terror attacks. I also wanted to discover what knowledge and skills they developed through the process of understanding themselves by identifying their construct systems - the "lenses" they used when decoding digital propaganda targeting sensitive and controversial issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis. Through our discussions, each of these 42 young people had an "aha moment." Regardless of their geographical locations or the ways they experienced the refugee crisis and the recent terror attacks, they had the same sudden realisation. Not only could they control how social media influenced them, but they also had a role to play in shaping the image of refugees through what they shared online. They became critical of media content. They developed empathy towards both refugees and people who rejected newcomers. They moved from passive bystanders to became confident agents of change, ready to play a leadership role in counterbalancing the digital hate speech propaganda against refugees. To eradicate digital hate speech propaganda, we need to prevent propagandists from reaching their objectives. Laws such as Germany’s "Facebook Act" constitute one piece of the solution. The other key is to make sure audiences are trained to better withstand manipulation. Our youth, once equipped and empowered, are our best candidates to disrupt the messages spread by propagandists and to pursue the mission of putting a stop to hate speech. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Trump effect in Canada: A 600 per cent increase in online hate speech

<p>Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid was on Sunday ousted from Islam for worshipping Lord Ram.</p>

<p>Earlier the video and photographs&nbsp;of the Congress leader performing Aarti of Lord Ram during Kalki Festival in Sambhal went viral on the social media.</p>

<p>Taking suo motu notice of the video and photographs on social media, Darul Iftaa, debarred the senior Congress leader from Islam with immediate effect.</p>

<p>&ldquo;His act is against the basic tenets of Islam which does not allow any devout Muslim to worship anyone other than Allah. Moreover, idol worship is strictly banned in Islam&rdquo; said a statement in Urdu from Deoband&rsquo;s Ulema Mufti Tariq Kashmi.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My response to Deoband rep (?): My iman not frail like yours to whither by respecting practices of my friend&rsquo;s faith. May Allah forgive you</p>
&mdash; Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) <a href="https://twitter.com/salman7khurshid/status/924848896056143872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&ldquo;His (Salman Khurship) act violates Islamic laws and, therefore, he is being ousted from the Islam with immediate effect. He is no longer a Muslim and should repent (Tauba) before Allah for his un-Islamic act and read Kalma only then he will be allowed to embrace Islam again as per Islamic laws,&rdquo; DNA quoted Ulema as saying.</p>

<p>The Deoband Mufti advised and warned Muslims in general to stay away from such &lsquo;un-Islamic&rsquo; acts or be ready to face the consequences. &ldquo;Any Muslim worshipping anyone other than Allah will have no place in Islam,&rdquo; warned the Ulema.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Respect for a compatriots religion is no denial of one&rsquo;s own. Wakum din a kum, yakum din in most positive form</p>
&mdash; Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) <a href="https://twitter.com/salman7khurshid/status/924579385910464512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Reacting to the &#39;ouster&#39;, Salman Khurshid tweeted that respect for a compatriot&#39;s religion wasn&#39;t denial of one&#39;s own.</p>

<p>Earlier, Darul Uloom deoband had ousted about a dozen Muslim women in Varanasi when they worshipped and performed Aarti on Lord Ram on Diwali. Following the ouster, the Chairperson of the Muslim Women Foundation, Varanasi Nazneen had demanded to ban Darul Uloom Deoband for spreading communal hatred in the society and issuing anti-Islamic fatwas.</p>


Taking suo motu notice of the video and photographs on social media, Darul Iftaa, debarred the senior Congress leader from Islam with immediate effect.

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid was on Sunday ousted from Islam for worshipping Lord Ram. Earlier the video and photographs of the Congress leader performing Aarti of Lord Ram during Kalki Festival in Sambhal went viral on the social media. Taking suo motu notice of the video and photographs on social media, Darul Iftaa, debarred the senior Congress leader from Islam with immediate effect. “His act is against the basic tenets of Islam which does not allow any devout Muslim to worship anyone other than Allah. Moreover, idol worship is strictly banned in Islam” said a statement in Urdu from Deoband’s Ulema Mufti Tariq Kashmi. My response to Deoband rep (?): My iman not frail like yours to whither by respecting practices of my friend’s faith. May Allah forgive you — Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) October 30, 2017 × “His (Salman Khurship) act violates Islamic laws and, therefore, he is being ousted from the Islam with immediate effect. He is no longer a Muslim and should repent (Tauba) before Allah for his un-Islamic act and read Kalma only then he will be allowed to embrace Islam again as per Islamic laws,” DNA quoted Ulema as saying. The Deoband Mufti advised and warned Muslims in general to stay away from such ‘un-Islamic’ acts or be ready to face the consequences. “Any Muslim worshipping anyone other than Allah will have no place in Islam,” warned the Ulema. Respect for a compatriots religion is no denial of one’s own. Wakum din a kum, yakum din in most positive form — Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) October 29, 2017 × Reacting to the 'ouster', Salman Khurshid tweeted that respect for a compatriot's religion wasn't denial of one's own. Earlier, Darul Uloom deoband had ousted about a dozen Muslim women in Varanasi when they worshipped and performed Aarti on Lord Ram on Diwali. Following the ouster, the Chairperson of the Muslim Women Foundation, Varanasi Nazneen had demanded to ban Darul Uloom Deoband for spreading communal hatred in the society and issuing anti-Islamic fatwas.

Salman Khurshid 'ousted' from Islam for worshipping Lord Ram

<p>Online abuse will be treated as seriously as offline offences, Britain&#39;s prosecution service said on Monday in new guidance on handling hate crimes.</p>

<p>The rules, which included guidelines on helping disabled and bisexual victims, were meant to encourage more people to come forward and press courts to impose longer sentences, the Crown Prosecution Service said.</p>

<p>&quot;This is a crime that&#39;s under-reported. Sometimes people feel that they just have to put up with it ... That&#39;s absolutely not the case,&quot; Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, told the BBC.</p>

<p>The new advice was in response to the growth of social media, the CPS said. There have been several high-profile instances of successful prosecutions of people who had abused lawmakers and other public figures online.</p>


The rules, which included guidelines on helping disabled and bisexual victims, were meant to encourage more people to come forward and press courts to impose longer sentences, the Crown Prosecution Service said

Online abuse will be treated as seriously as offline offences, Britain's prosecution service said on Monday in new guidance on handling hate crimes. The rules, which included guidelines on helping disabled and bisexual victims, were meant to encourage more people to come forward and press courts to impose longer sentences, the Crown Prosecution Service said. "This is a crime that's under-reported. Sometimes people feel that they just have to put up with it ... That's absolutely not the case," Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, told the BBC. The new advice was in response to the growth of social media, the CPS said. There have been several high-profile instances of successful prosecutions of people who had abused lawmakers and other public figures online.

Britain to treat internet hate crime as seriously as offline offences

<p>Perched in his opulent Manhattan apartment, a flamboyant Chinese billionaire armed with a smartphone has used social media to rattle the Communist-ruled political system back in his homeland.</p>

<p>With a keen sense of drama, real estate tycoon Guo Wengui has spent the last three months waging a one-man guerrilla war against China&#39;s elite with explosive accusations of corruption among the powerful.</p>

<p>While his posts and videos appear on websites banned in China, they have angered party officials as they prepare for their twice a decade Congress later this year. The major meeting is expected to firmly consolidate President Xi Jinping&#39;s grip on power by filling top leadership posts with his allies.</p>

<p>But Guo&#39;s verbal grenades have threatened to derail the carefully orchestrated plans, creating what political commentator Liang Jing has called the &#39;biggest Chinese political black swan of 2017&#39;.</p>

<p>&quot;What&#39;s notable is how much attention (Guo) has gotten both from the party itself and from politically aware Chinese people,&quot; said Trey McArver, founder of Beijing-based research firm Trivium China. &quot;It&#39;s not so much what he&#39;s done, but the potential for what he could do.&quot;</p>

<p>Authorities have fired back, seeking his arrest and putting executives from a company linked to Guo on trial last week.</p>

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<p>Authorities have fired back on Guo Wengui seeking his arrest and putting executives from a company linked to him on trial last week. (AFP)</p>
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<p>He is also in legal trouble in the United States, where a lawyer announced this week that he faced a lawsuit by nine creditors demanding $50 million for outstanding debts.</p>

<p>Guo is not the only billionaire who has run into legal trouble as the authorities crack down on corruption and risky investments in the corporate world. Just on Wednesday, the chairman of Anbang Insurance Group, Wu Xiaohui, stepped aside following a report that he was taken away by authorities.</p>

<p><strong>Hard to ignore&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Guo&#39;s saga burst into view in April, when the billionaire sat for an interview with the US government-funded news outlet Voice of America (VOA) that was cut short amid accusations of pressure from China&#39;s embassy in Washington. But Guo, who fled from China in 2014, has proven hard to ignore.</p>

<p>He maintains a larger-than-life social media presence, posting photos of his palatial living quarters, updates on his workout routine, selfies with his white puppy and an image of him frolicking at US President Donald Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.</p>

<p>But it is his unsubstantiated allegations about China&#39;s rich and powerful that have infuriated the authorities while earning him supporters on Twitter who offer him dubious tips on official corruption.</p>

<p>One of China&#39;s most powerful real estate developers, Pan Shiyi, and the editor-in-chief of the hard-charging investigative magazine Caixin, Hu Shuli, have threatened to take him to court over his accusations. Some of Guo&#39;s own real estate deals have been tainted by corruption allegations, including that he bought off top Chinese officials.</p>

<p><strong>To the death</strong></p>

<p>In the lead-up to Guo&#39;s VOA appearance, China announced it had requested a non-binding Interpol warrant for his arrest. An expose into Guo by the state-controlled Beijing News and a video of a former top spy chief confessing to accepting bribes from Guo appeared on YouTube around the same time.</p>

<p>Then, last Friday, former employees of a Chinese company linked to Guo confessed in court to fraudulently obtaining loans at his direction.</p>

<p>The following day the HNA Group issued a statement denying Guo&#39;s accusations that the conglomerate was partly owned by relatives of Wang Qishan, the powerful head of China&#39;s anti-corruption watchdog, who has acted as Xi&#39;s top enforcer. The terse statement came almost two months after Guo first accused the company of an improper relationship with Wang, tipped to be the country&#39;s next premier.</p>

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<p>HNA Group issued a statement on June 10, 2017 denying Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui&#39;s accusations that the conglomerate was partly owned by relatives of Wang Qishan (AFP)</p>
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<p>That same day the Global Times, a Communist Party-controlled tabloid, published a lacerating editorial accusing Guo of &#39;political slander&#39;. &quot;His dirty tricks which aim to challenge China&#39;s strict legal proceedings will only make his crimes even more serious and worsen his legal case in China,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>Guo is not backing down, vowing to make more revelations in a press conference this autumn. The timing suggests he may want to influence the outcome of the upcoming party congress.</p>

<p>The unfolding battle poses a &quot;conundrum&quot; for China&#39;s politicians, said David Kelly, research director of Beijing-based consulting firm China Policy. &quot;You cannot deal with him without revealing the power of informal politics,&quot; Kelly said.</p>

<p>&quot;How it plays out is too hard to predict,&quot; he said. But, he added, &quot;it is really gloves off and it&#39;s to the death.&quot;</p>


Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui has over the last three months made accusations of corruption on China's elite on social media

Perched in his opulent Manhattan apartment, a flamboyant Chinese billionaire armed with a smartphone has used social media to rattle the Communist-ruled political system back in his homeland. With a keen sense of drama, real estate tycoon Guo Wengui has spent the last three months waging a one-man guerrilla war against China's elite with explosive accusations of corruption among the powerful. While his posts and videos appear on websites banned in China, they have angered party officials as they prepare for their twice a decade Congress later this year. The major meeting is expected to firmly consolidate President Xi Jinping's grip on power by filling top leadership posts with his allies. But Guo's verbal grenades have threatened to derail the carefully orchestrated plans, creating what political commentator Liang Jing has called the 'biggest Chinese political black swan of 2017'. "What's notable is how much attention (Guo) has gotten both from the party itself and from politically aware Chinese people," said Trey McArver, founder of Beijing-based research firm Trivium China. "It's not so much what he's done, but the potential for what he could do." Authorities have fired back, seeking his arrest and putting executives from a company linked to Guo on trial last week. Authorities have fired back on Guo Wengui seeking his arrest and putting executives from a company linked to him on trial last week. (AFP) × He is also in legal trouble in the United States, where a lawyer announced this week that he faced a lawsuit by nine creditors demanding $50 million for outstanding debts. Guo is not the only billionaire who has run into legal trouble as the authorities crack down on corruption and risky investments in the corporate world. Just on Wednesday, the chairman of Anbang Insurance Group, Wu Xiaohui, stepped aside following a report that he was taken away by authorities. Hard to ignore Guo's saga burst into view in April, when the billionaire sat for an interview with the US government-funded news outlet Voice of America (VOA) that was cut short amid accusations of pressure from China's embassy in Washington. But Guo, who fled from China in 2014, has proven hard to ignore. He maintains a larger-than-life social media presence, posting photos of his palatial living quarters, updates on his workout routine, selfies with his white puppy and an image of him frolicking at US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. But it is his unsubstantiated allegations about China's rich and powerful that have infuriated the authorities while earning him supporters on Twitter who offer him dubious tips on official corruption. One of China's most powerful real estate developers, Pan Shiyi, and the editor-in-chief of the hard-charging investigative magazine Caixin, Hu Shuli, have threatened to take him to court over his accusations. Some of Guo's own real estate deals have been tainted by corruption allegations, including that he bought off top Chinese officials. To the death In the lead-up to Guo's VOA appearance, China announced it had requested a non-binding Interpol warrant for his arrest. An expose into Guo by the state-controlled Beijing News and a video of a former top spy chief confessing to accepting bribes from Guo appeared on YouTube around the same time. Then, last Friday, former employees of a Chinese company linked to Guo confessed in court to fraudulently obtaining loans at his direction. The following day the HNA Group issued a statement denying Guo's accusations that the conglomerate was partly owned by relatives of Wang Qishan, the powerful head of China's anti-corruption watchdog, who has acted as Xi's top enforcer. The terse statement came almost two months after Guo first accused the company of an improper relationship with Wang, tipped to be the country's next premier. HNA Group issued a statement on June 10, 2017 denying Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui's accusations that the conglomerate was partly owned by relatives of Wang Qishan (AFP) × That same day the Global Times, a Communist Party-controlled tabloid, published a lacerating editorial accusing Guo of 'political slander'. "His dirty tricks which aim to challenge China's strict legal proceedings will only make his crimes even more serious and worsen his legal case in China," it said. Guo is not backing down, vowing to make more revelations in a press conference this autumn. The timing suggests he may want to influence the outcome of the upcoming party congress. The unfolding battle poses a "conundrum" for China's politicians, said David Kelly, research director of Beijing-based consulting firm China Policy. "You cannot deal with him without revealing the power of informal politics," Kelly said. "How it plays out is too hard to predict," he said. But, he added, "it is really gloves off and it's to the death."

How billionaire Guo Wengui is fighting China's elites

<p>Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, returned&nbsp;to Harvard University, the school he dropped out of to start the pioneering social network. In his speech to the graduating class,&nbsp;he&nbsp;urged&nbsp;them to help create a new social safety net to allow creative risk-taking.</p>

<p>The thirty-three-year-old tech founder of the world&#39;s largest social networking company said he would never have been able to risk leaving the elite ivy league school if he had not known that his family would have been able to support him if he failed.</p>

<p>&quot;There is something wrong with our system when I can leave here and make billions of dollars in 10 years when millions of students can&#39;t afford to pay off their loans, let alone start a business,&quot; Zuckerberg told the graduates.</p>

<p>&quot;When you don&#39;t have the freedom to take your idea and turn it into a historic enterprise we all lose,&quot; said Zuckerberg, who was also named an honorary doctor of laws.</p>

<p>He offered no specific solutions to the problems he highlighted, but urged graduates to contemplate them.</p>

<p>Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has inspired a host of competitors, including Twitter Inc and Snapchat.</p>

<p>Today some 1.9 billion people use Facebook each month. Its broad reach has made the company a lightning rod for controversy, most recently for the ways that producers of fake news stories used it to influence public opinion during the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election, and for a pair of incidents last month in which users posted videos of two murders, one of them live.</p>

<p>The Menlo Park, California-based company has vowed to tackle both problems and this month said it will hire 3,000 new workers to speed up the removal of videos depicting murder, suicide, and other violent acts.<br />
Earlier in the day the website of the school&#39;s student newspaper, The Crimson&nbsp;was briefly filled with satirical headlines about Zuckerberg. The newspaper on Twitter apologised to its readers for the incident.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg&#39;s speech was not the first time a successful dropout returned to the campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to address graduates. Microsoft Corp&nbsp;co-founder Bill Gates spoke to graduates in 2007.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg gave a speech at Harvard University urging graduates to help create a new social safety net

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, returned to Harvard University, the school he dropped out of to start the pioneering social network. In his speech to the graduating class, he urged them to help create a new social safety net to allow creative risk-taking. The thirty-three-year-old tech founder of the world's largest social networking company said he would never have been able to risk leaving the elite ivy league school if he had not known that his family would have been able to support him if he failed. "There is something wrong with our system when I can leave here and make billions of dollars in 10 years when millions of students can't afford to pay off their loans, let alone start a business," Zuckerberg told the graduates. "When you don't have the freedom to take your idea and turn it into a historic enterprise we all lose," said Zuckerberg, who was also named an honorary doctor of laws. He offered no specific solutions to the problems he highlighted, but urged graduates to contemplate them. Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has inspired a host of competitors, including Twitter Inc and Snapchat. Today some 1.9 billion people use Facebook each month. Its broad reach has made the company a lightning rod for controversy, most recently for the ways that producers of fake news stories used it to influence public opinion during the 2016 US presidential election, and for a pair of incidents last month in which users posted videos of two murders, one of them live. The Menlo Park, California-based company has vowed to tackle both problems and this month said it will hire 3,000 new workers to speed up the removal of videos depicting murder, suicide, and other violent acts. Earlier in the day the website of the school's student newspaper, The Crimson was briefly filled with satirical headlines about Zuckerberg. The newspaper on Twitter apologised to its readers for the incident. Zuckerberg's speech was not the first time a successful dropout returned to the campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to address graduates. Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates spoke to graduates in 2007. (Reuters)

Mark Zuckerberg urges Harvard grads to contemplate risk

<p>Jammu and Kashmir government today banned 22 social networking sites and applications including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter in Kashmir on the ground that these were being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements to fan trouble.</p>

<p>The ban will be in place for a month or till further orders, whichever is earlier, said an order issued by Principal Secretary (Home) R K Goyal.</p>

<p>&quot;In the interest of maintenance of public order, the government hereby directs all internet service providers that any message or class of messages to or from a person or a class of persons relating to any subject or any pictorial content through the following social networking sites shall not be transmitted in Kashmir valley with immediate effect for a period of one month or till further orders, whichever is earlier,&quot; he said in the three-page order.</p>

<p>The sites and applications which will be inaccessible in the valley include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Wechat, QQ, Qzone, Google Plus, Skype, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, Vine and Flickr.</p>

<p>An earlier report said the government had suspended internet services in Kashmir for a month but this was not correct.</p>

<p>To ban the social networking sites and Apps, Goyal invoked the powers conferred on Government under Indian Telegraph Act 1885 read with Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules 2007 to ban these sites and applications.</p>

<p>&quot;On careful examination of all relevant factors, it is observed that the use of social media platforms, which are being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements by transmitting inflammatory messages in various forms are immediately required to be regulated/curbed,&quot; the order reads.</p>

<p>It said, &quot;the anti-national and inimical elements largely succeed in transmitting unverified, objectionable and inflammatory material and content through the medium of these social networking sites.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was being &quot;felt that continued misuse of social networking sites and instant messaging services is likely to be detrimental to the interests of peace and tranquility in the state,&quot; the order said.</p>

<p>&quot;It was also observed during law and order disturbances of 2016 in the Kashmir valley that anti-national and subversive elements extensively misused social media sites and instant messaging services for vitiating peace and instigating violence, which caused large scale damage to life and property,&quot; it added.</p>

<p>The move comes against the backdrop of repeated student protests in Kashmir, which the authorities believe are fanned through social media.</p>

<p>Some days back, a police official had said that 350 WhatsApp groups were being used to spread rumours in Kashmir and the government had cracked down, shutting 90 per cent of these groups.</p>

<p>The mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir on April 17, following widespread student protests in the valley against alleged highhandedness of security forces.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


The ban will be in place for a month or till further orders, whichever is earlier, said an order issued by Principal Secretary (Home) R K Goyal

Jammu and Kashmir government today banned 22 social networking sites and applications including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter in Kashmir on the ground that these were being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements to fan trouble. The ban will be in place for a month or till further orders, whichever is earlier, said an order issued by Principal Secretary (Home) R K Goyal. "In the interest of maintenance of public order, the government hereby directs all internet service providers that any message or class of messages to or from a person or a class of persons relating to any subject or any pictorial content through the following social networking sites shall not be transmitted in Kashmir valley with immediate effect for a period of one month or till further orders, whichever is earlier," he said in the three-page order. The sites and applications which will be inaccessible in the valley include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Wechat, QQ, Qzone, Google Plus, Skype, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, Vine and Flickr. An earlier report said the government had suspended internet services in Kashmir for a month but this was not correct. To ban the social networking sites and Apps, Goyal invoked the powers conferred on Government under Indian Telegraph Act 1885 read with Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules 2007 to ban these sites and applications. "On careful examination of all relevant factors, it is observed that the use of social media platforms, which are being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements by transmitting inflammatory messages in various forms are immediately required to be regulated/curbed," the order reads. It said, "the anti-national and inimical elements largely succeed in transmitting unverified, objectionable and inflammatory material and content through the medium of these social networking sites." It was being "felt that continued misuse of social networking sites and instant messaging services is likely to be detrimental to the interests of peace and tranquility in the state," the order said. "It was also observed during law and order disturbances of 2016 in the Kashmir valley that anti-national and subversive elements extensively misused social media sites and instant messaging services for vitiating peace and instigating violence, which caused large scale damage to life and property," it added. The move comes against the backdrop of repeated student protests in Kashmir, which the authorities believe are fanned through social media. Some days back, a police official had said that 350 WhatsApp groups were being used to spread rumours in Kashmir and the government had cracked down, shutting 90 per cent of these groups. The mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir on April 17, following widespread student protests in the valley against alleged highhandedness of security forces. (PTI)

Social media banned for 1 month in Kashmir

<p>Twitter began rolling out changes to let people pack more into tweets, subtracting from the character count names of those being replied to in posts.</p>

<p>The latest software modification at the one-to-many messaging service comes about a year after Twitter set out to relax a 140-character limit set due to mobile phone text messaging constraints in place when Twitter launched in 2006.</p>

<p>Twitter first announced plans to relax the limit a year ago, as part of an effort to bring in more members and make the platform easier to use.</p>

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We&#39;re changing replies so that you have all 140 characters to express yourself.<br />
<br />
Learn more: <a href="https://t.co/PNWGilbmVd">https://t.co/PNWGilbmVd</a> <a href="https://t.co/cxBJohZc2Q">pic.twitter.com/cxBJohZc2Q</a></p>
&mdash; Twitter (@Twitter) <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/847479110616047616">March 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

<p>&quot;Remember how we told you we were working on ways to let you to express more with 140 characters?&quot; Twitter product manager Sasank Reddy said in an online post.</p>

<p>&quot;Now, when you reply to someone or a group, those @usernames won&rsquo;t count toward your tweet&#39;s 140 characters.&quot;<br />
Providing more room in tweets is seen as a way to encourage more use and sharing of pictures, videos and links.</p>

<p>The move is part of a push by Twitter to increase its user base and engagement, which have sputtered to the chagrin of investors. &quot;Our work isn&#39;t finished,&quot; Reddy said.</p>

<p>&quot;We&#39;ll continue to think about how we can improve conversations and make Twitter easier to use.&quot;</p>

<p>Twitter faces competition from Facebook and Instagram, and a trend of people opting to share content in video or picture formats instead of text.</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


Twitter subtracts from the character count names of those being replied to in posts

Twitter began rolling out changes to let people pack more into tweets, subtracting from the character count names of those being replied to in posts. The latest software modification at the one-to-many messaging service comes about a year after Twitter set out to relax a 140-character limit set due to mobile phone text messaging constraints in place when Twitter launched in 2006. Twitter first announced plans to relax the limit a year ago, as part of an effort to bring in more members and make the platform easier to use. We're changing replies so that you have all 140 characters to express yourself. Learn more: https://t.co/PNWGilbmVd pic.twitter.com/cxBJohZc2Q — Twitter (@Twitter) March 30, 2017 "Remember how we told you we were working on ways to let you to express more with 140 characters?" Twitter product manager Sasank Reddy said in an online post. "Now, when you reply to someone or a group, those @usernames won’t count toward your tweet's 140 characters." Providing more room in tweets is seen as a way to encourage more use and sharing of pictures, videos and links. The move is part of a push by Twitter to increase its user base and engagement, which have sputtered to the chagrin of investors. "Our work isn't finished," Reddy said. "We'll continue to think about how we can improve conversations and make Twitter easier to use." Twitter faces competition from Facebook and Instagram, and a trend of people opting to share content in video or picture formats instead of text. (AFP)

You now have more space for your replies on Twitter

<p><meta charset="utf-8" />Virtual Reality has matured a lot since it&rsquo;s inception and it seems like it has no intentions of stopping in further development. And people have realized the impact it is having, so much so that people have started taking advantage of it in the education sector.</p>

<p>With the implementation of mobiles, tablets and various learning applications that have been made available to students these days, the latest is VR in immersive learning, and it changing the education sector for the better:<meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Inspires Learning</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Virtual Reality can help merge&nbsp;the line of difference between education and technology. It can help students explore and learn. VR brings interactiveness in education to a whole new level, which the old methods could not.</p>

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<p>Role of Virtual Reality in Education (Others)</p>
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<p>VR with the help of educational but fun games will help students retain their imagination. It also offers students to work together thereby promoting team-building.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">An Interactive Teaching-Learning Environment</h2>

<p dir="ltr">With the help of VR, teachers can take lectures from home or other environments. It gives them an opportunity to show the students various artifacts from around the world which they otherwise may not be able to visit and see.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Some of the schools in rural areas have started to utilize VR technology, to provide their students with top class education even when they are not able to bring in teachers with high qualifications to teach.</p>

<p dir="ltr">For instance, a school can get pre-recorded lessons from highly qualified teachers. The interactive session allowed the teacher to come live from her computer to answer the questions that the students were curious about.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Education is more Engaging</h2>

<p dir="ltr">VR helps the educators to add a more interactive way of teaching in their establishments. This will help them make subjects which the students feel are difficult easy for them with the help of subject based games.</p>

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<p>Role of Virtual Reality in Education (Others)</p>
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<p>In the recent times, companies like Google have made huge efforts to push VR in education by getting engaging educational games and lessons provided in their databases.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Helps Students Perform better</h2>

<p>There are many benefits of VR to Educational Sector, one of which is that the students will be more attentive and engaged while playing educational games, getting virtual lectures, etc. This will aid them in&nbsp;retaining what they have learned at a greater level, which will inturn help them perform better.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2>

<p>With the implementation of VR in education, there are chances of students getting better grades and get equal level of knowledge from highly qualified educators. This will also help improve kids attention spans and also help them develop their imagination.</p>

<p>Written By - Karanveer Singh Arora</p>


With VR taking a major role in the education sector, we found the ways in which VR is immensely helpful for better learning.

Virtual Reality has matured a lot since it’s inception and it seems like it has no intentions of stopping in further development. And people have realized the impact it is having, so much so that people have started taking advantage of it in the education sector. With the implementation of mobiles, tablets and various learning applications that have been made available to students these days, the latest is VR in immersive learning, and it changing the education sector for the better: Inspires Learning Virtual Reality can help merge the line of difference between education and technology. It can help students explore and learn. VR brings interactiveness in education to a whole new level, which the old methods could not. Role of Virtual Reality in Education (Others) × VR with the help of educational but fun games will help students retain their imagination. It also offers students to work together thereby promoting team-building. An Interactive Teaching-Learning Environment With the help of VR, teachers can take lectures from home or other environments. It gives them an opportunity to show the students various artifacts from around the world which they otherwise may not be able to visit and see. Some of the schools in rural areas have started to utilize VR technology, to provide their students with top class education even when they are not able to bring in teachers with high qualifications to teach. For instance, a school can get pre-recorded lessons from highly qualified teachers. The interactive session allowed the teacher to come live from her computer to answer the questions that the students were curious about. Education is more Engaging VR helps the educators to add a more interactive way of teaching in their establishments. This will help them make subjects which the students feel are difficult easy for them with the help of subject based games. Role of Virtual Reality in Education (Others) × In the recent times, companies like Google have made huge efforts to push VR in education by getting engaging educational games and lessons provided in their databases. Helps Students Perform better There are many benefits of VR to Educational Sector, one of which is that the students will be more attentive and engaged while playing educational games, getting virtual lectures, etc. This will aid them in retaining what they have learned at a greater level, which will inturn help them perform better. Conclusion With the implementation of VR in education, there are chances of students getting better grades and get equal level of knowledge from highly qualified educators. This will also help improve kids attention spans and also help them develop their imagination. Written By - Karanveer Singh Arora

Role of Virtual Reality in Education

<p>Why do Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi continue to pulverise each other with trivialities, sarcasm and cherry picked facts. Is it temporary or does it represents a permanent shift in the way politicians, mainstream and social media would behave with each other? In my opinion, it is a new reality of Indian political life, and it needs to be altered before it does deep and permanent damage to India&rsquo;s democratic discourse. It creates a culture to out-talk the adversary rather than engage in a dialogue, which is the most important pillar of democracy. Nations cannot turn their backs upon new technologies, but must be aware of the potential it holds to change the institution for which it is being imagined to help.</p>

<p>The new technology indeed liberates opinion from few and transfers it to everyone who can afford a 3G connection. It has expanded the pool of opinion makers, both geographically and class-wise. The very act has stolen the thunder from corporately structured mainstream media. It also makes mainstream media look compromised as talk on the social media is open to issue of corporate political nexus.The reduction of message to lowest common denominator, coupled with furious and repetitive messaging, makes technology&nbsp;used&nbsp;less for&nbsp;debate and more about putting down a rival on any trivial issue it can find. &nbsp;</p>

<p>So the larger question is how&nbsp;this aggressive messaging-politics will affect India. In the West it galvanised stereotypes masquerading as facts creating a minority complex within the majority. The results were on the expected line. The liberal opinion was rendered ineffective as it was criticised from the vantage point of political outsider. The accusation, whether grounded in fact or not, creates enough doubt in people to either extend or withdraw support on major issues. It solidifies the support constituency and hardens the opinion, rather than making it open to new ideas. It was best evident when Hillary Clinton lost the election&nbsp;because,&nbsp;only days before voters went to the polls,&nbsp;the FBI chief announced that the&nbsp;agency would open up a new investigation into her email scandal; the suggestion of the case re-opening confirmed her guilt&nbsp;for&nbsp;people who had been&nbsp;barraged with negative email messaging for months. Their&nbsp;minds were already so made up that&nbsp;the fact that&nbsp;she was eventually cleared of all wrongdoing, again, made no impact on their opinion.</p>

<p>Will this happen in India or not is a different story, but it renders certain institutional interactions compromised. The worst brunt of the redefined relationship between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi because of technologically-enabled constant messaging was taken by the Parliament. Despite repeated offer of talks, both sides remained firm on their position and didn&rsquo;t budge as constant messaging solidified the views of supporters, reducing political elbow room for any compromise. So instead of genuine dialogue, the political discourse has reduced itself to out-talk the other. The process of out-talk, which was limited to assembly and national elections, has extended itself to normal discourse which relies on conversation. The out-talk might have immediate benefits, like management of opinion, but it creates an unhealthy political discourse.</p>

<p>Robust democracies rest&nbsp;on structured and unstructured discussions in every space available. Technology should be used to&nbsp;enable this, but to expect it&nbsp;to act as a wise&nbsp;enabler would be to fool oneself;&nbsp;technology is inherently amoral. The moral rim sprouts from the cultural bed unique to the country where the democracy rests. If India wants to walk a different path, especially from the West--which for the&nbsp;past 50 years&nbsp;has&nbsp;been exporting different phobias, ranging from socialism to an absence of liberty in West Asia and now Islam--it needs to do more. Indian political actors must re-learn the art of conversation and not score partisan points&nbsp;by out-talking each other.</p>

<p>A conversation is a journey in itself, and to out-talk is to walk on a path where the end has been imagined and consumed even before the first syllable has been uttered. &nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Technology has reduced India's political discourse to out-talking opponents, rather than meaningful dialogue. Hopefully, this can change

Why do Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi continue to pulverise each other with trivialities, sarcasm and cherry picked facts. Is it temporary or does it represents a permanent shift in the way politicians, mainstream and social media would behave with each other? In my opinion, it is a new reality of Indian political life, and it needs to be altered before it does deep and permanent damage to India’s democratic discourse. It creates a culture to out-talk the adversary rather than engage in a dialogue, which is the most important pillar of democracy. Nations cannot turn their backs upon new technologies, but must be aware of the potential it holds to change the institution for which it is being imagined to help. The new technology indeed liberates opinion from few and transfers it to everyone who can afford a 3G connection. It has expanded the pool of opinion makers, both geographically and class-wise. The very act has stolen the thunder from corporately structured mainstream media. It also makes mainstream media look compromised as talk on the social media is open to issue of corporate political nexus.The reduction of message to lowest common denominator, coupled with furious and repetitive messaging, makes technology used less for debate and more about putting down a rival on any trivial issue it can find. So the larger question is how this aggressive messaging-politics will affect India. In the West it galvanised stereotypes masquerading as facts creating a minority complex within the majority. The results were on the expected line. The liberal opinion was rendered ineffective as it was criticised from the vantage point of political outsider. The accusation, whether grounded in fact or not, creates enough doubt in people to either extend or withdraw support on major issues. It solidifies the support constituency and hardens the opinion, rather than making it open to new ideas. It was best evident when Hillary Clinton lost the election because, only days before voters went to the polls, the FBI chief announced that the agency would open up a new investigation into her email scandal; the suggestion of the case re-opening confirmed her guilt for people who had been barraged with negative email messaging for months. Their minds were already so made up that the fact that she was eventually cleared of all wrongdoing, again, made no impact on their opinion. Will this happen in India or not is a different story, but it renders certain institutional interactions compromised. The worst brunt of the redefined relationship between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi because of technologically-enabled constant messaging was taken by the Parliament. Despite repeated offer of talks, both sides remained firm on their position and didn’t budge as constant messaging solidified the views of supporters, reducing political elbow room for any compromise. So instead of genuine dialogue, the political discourse has reduced itself to out-talk the other. The process of out-talk, which was limited to assembly and national elections, has extended itself to normal discourse which relies on conversation. The out-talk might have immediate benefits, like management of opinion, but it creates an unhealthy political discourse. Robust democracies rest on structured and unstructured discussions in every space available. Technology should be used to enable this, but to expect it to act as a wise enabler would be to fool oneself; technology is inherently amoral. The moral rim sprouts from the cultural bed unique to the country where the democracy rests. If India wants to walk a different path, especially from the West--which for the past 50 years has been exporting different phobias, ranging from socialism to an absence of liberty in West Asia and now Islam--it needs to do more. Indian political actors must re-learn the art of conversation and not score partisan points by out-talking each other. A conversation is a journey in itself, and to out-talk is to walk on a path where the end has been imagined and consumed even before the first syllable has been uttered. (WION)

Facts or no facts : Let?s out-talk the other guy

<p>Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google is expected to reach a tax settlement with the Indonesian government in the next few weeks, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.</p>

<p>Under the proposed settlement, Google will pay back taxes and fines, and the search giant will have to agree to a new calculation of profits made in the country, said one of the people, who declined to be named as the information was not public.</p>

<p>If the settlement goes ahead, it could pave the way for more countries to aggressively pursue back taxes from internet companies like Google, analysts say.</p>

<p>A tax office spokesman declined to comment. A Google spokesman also declined to comment.</p>

<p>Most of the revenue generated by Google in Indonesia is booked at its Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, according to the tax office.</p>

<p>A senior tax official said in September that Indonesia planned to pursue Google for five years of back taxes, and the company could face a bill of more than $400 million for 2015 alone if it were found to have avoided payments.</p>

<p>&quot;I think other countries that have a significant population will also try to chase Google for taxes,&quot; said Yustinus Prastowo, executive director of the Center for Indonesia Taxation Analysis.</p>

<p>Indonesia, which launched a tax amnesty scheme in July to lure back billions of dollars stashed abroad, is eager to ramp up its tax collection to narrow its budget deficit and fund an ambitious infrastructure programme.</p>

<p>The country of 250 million people has a youthful demographic that is among the world&#39;s biggest users of social media like Facebook and Twitter.</p>

<p>Senior executives from Google&#39;s Asia Pacific headquarters had met with Indonesian tax officials several times to negotiate its tax bill, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.</p>

<p>In January, Google agreed to pay 130 million pounds ($185 million) in back taxes to settle a probe by Britain&#39;s tax authority, which had challenged the company&#39;s low tax returns for the years since 2005.</p>

<p>Other governments around the world are also seeking to clamp down on what they see as egregious corporate tax avoidance.</p>

<p>Thailand is studying plans to toughen tax collection rules for internet and technology firms, the head of the country&#39;s revenue department told Reuters in September.</p>

<p>Australia announced a further crackdown on multinational tax avoidance in its annual budget in May, including the planned introduction of a UK-style diverted profits tax.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Under the proposed deal, Google will pay back taxes and fines, and will have to agree to a new calculation of profits made in the country

Alphabet Inc's Google is expected to reach a tax settlement with the Indonesian government in the next few weeks, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Under the proposed settlement, Google will pay back taxes and fines, and the search giant will have to agree to a new calculation of profits made in the country, said one of the people, who declined to be named as the information was not public. If the settlement goes ahead, it could pave the way for more countries to aggressively pursue back taxes from internet companies like Google, analysts say. A tax office spokesman declined to comment. A Google spokesman also declined to comment. Most of the revenue generated by Google in Indonesia is booked at its Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, according to the tax office. A senior tax official said in September that Indonesia planned to pursue Google for five years of back taxes, and the company could face a bill of more than $400 million for 2015 alone if it were found to have avoided payments. "I think other countries that have a significant population will also try to chase Google for taxes," said Yustinus Prastowo, executive director of the Center for Indonesia Taxation Analysis. Indonesia, which launched a tax amnesty scheme in July to lure back billions of dollars stashed abroad, is eager to ramp up its tax collection to narrow its budget deficit and fund an ambitious infrastructure programme. The country of 250 million people has a youthful demographic that is among the world's biggest users of social media like Facebook and Twitter. Senior executives from Google's Asia Pacific headquarters had met with Indonesian tax officials several times to negotiate its tax bill, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. In January, Google agreed to pay 130 million pounds ($185 million) in back taxes to settle a probe by Britain's tax authority, which had challenged the company's low tax returns for the years since 2005. Other governments around the world are also seeking to clamp down on what they see as egregious corporate tax avoidance. Thailand is studying plans to toughen tax collection rules for internet and technology firms, the head of the country's revenue department told Reuters in September. Australia announced a further crackdown on multinational tax avoidance in its annual budget in May, including the planned introduction of a UK-style diverted profits tax. (Reuters)

Google nears tax settlement with Indonesian government: Sources

<p>A&nbsp;blogger from India&rsquo;s eastern West Bengal state, Tarak Biswas, who was arrested on September 15 for allegedly criticising Islam on social media, was granted bail today.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Biswas has been granted bail after serving 21 days in jail. His bail plea was earlier rejected twice on grounds that his comments had spread communal tension. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The blogger&rsquo;s release comes after&nbsp;two rights organisations&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Association For Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) and Hindu Samhati&ndash;&nbsp;took up his case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>While APDR&#39;s lawyer, Abhijit Dutta, fought Tarak&#39;s case at the Howrah court, Hindu Samhati&#39;s &nbsp;lawyer, Tirthankar Ghosh, fought the case at the Calcutta High Court.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was granted bail by the Calcutta High Court. However, he is yet to walk out of the jail as the proceedings are pending at two other courts in Bengal - Howrah and Tamluk. Once the copy of the bail order will reach these courts, Tarak will be able to step out of the jail.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier, a delegation comprising APDR members had even met the police commissioner of Howrah city police, Devendra Prakash Singh, and submitted a memorandum.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Biswas has been accused of&nbsp;posting&nbsp;a message on the social media criticising the Islam religion and hurting religious sentiments. One Sanaullah Khan had registered a complaint with the cyber police station of the Howrah Police Commissionerate demanding his arrest. According to locals,&nbsp;Khan is&nbsp;leader from the ruling- Trinamool Congress Party (TMC).&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Sanaullah Khan had registered an FIR against Biswas for hurting religious sentiments. Based on the complaint filed, we arrested him. Presently he is in police custody,&rdquo; said a senior police officer of the Howrah police commissionerate.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Soon after the complaint was registered, he was arrested by the police. However, his arrest had triggered widespread condemnation on social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Locals had alleged that the police had picked up Biswas from his residence in the wee hours of September 15. According to the police, Tarak was arrested under section&nbsp;295 A, 298 of the Indian Penal Code (hurting religious sentiments and hate speech), besides section 66, 67 and 67A of the IT Act (posting, sending offensive messages through communication services).</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


His bail plea was earlier rejected twice on grounds that his comments had spread communal tension

A blogger from India’s eastern West Bengal state, Tarak Biswas, who was arrested on September 15 for allegedly criticising Islam on social media, was granted bail today. Biswas has been granted bail after serving 21 days in jail. His bail plea was earlier rejected twice on grounds that his comments had spread communal tension. The blogger’s release comes after two rights organisations – Association For Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) and Hindu Samhati– took up his case. While APDR's lawyer, Abhijit Dutta, fought Tarak's case at the Howrah court, Hindu Samhati's lawyer, Tirthankar Ghosh, fought the case at the Calcutta High Court. He was granted bail by the Calcutta High Court. However, he is yet to walk out of the jail as the proceedings are pending at two other courts in Bengal - Howrah and Tamluk. Once the copy of the bail order will reach these courts, Tarak will be able to step out of the jail. Earlier, a delegation comprising APDR members had even met the police commissioner of Howrah city police, Devendra Prakash Singh, and submitted a memorandum. Biswas has been accused of posting a message on the social media criticising the Islam religion and hurting religious sentiments. One Sanaullah Khan had registered a complaint with the cyber police station of the Howrah Police Commissionerate demanding his arrest. According to locals, Khan is leader from the ruling- Trinamool Congress Party (TMC). “Sanaullah Khan had registered an FIR against Biswas for hurting religious sentiments. Based on the complaint filed, we arrested him. Presently he is in police custody,” said a senior police officer of the Howrah police commissionerate. Soon after the complaint was registered, he was arrested by the police. However, his arrest had triggered widespread condemnation on social media. Locals had alleged that the police had picked up Biswas from his residence in the wee hours of September 15. According to the police, Tarak was arrested under section 295 A, 298 of the Indian Penal Code (hurting religious sentiments and hate speech), besides section 66, 67 and 67A of the IT Act (posting, sending offensive messages through communication services). (WION)

India: Blogger arrested for criticising Islam on social media granted bail after 21 days in jail

<h2><strong>ALS Ice Bucket Challenge&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<h2><br />
<strong>Feeling Nuts</strong></h2>

<h2><br />
<strong>Save The Internet, By All India Backchod</strong></h2>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mfY1NKrzqi0" width="560"></iframe></p>

<h2><br />
<strong>Africa For Norway</strong></h2>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oJLqyuxm96k" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><br />
<strong>British Heart Foundation - Promoting CPR</strong></h2>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ILxjxfB4zNk" width="560"></iframe></p>

<h2><br />
<strong>Movember</strong></h2>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8w1p5UI7Siw" width="560"></iframe></p>

<h2><br />
<strong>Spice Girls</strong></h2>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gJLIiF15wjQ" width="560"></iframe></p>


Sometimes, humor tells you where the trouble is

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Feeling Nuts Save The Internet, By All India Backchod Africa For Norway British Heart Foundation - Promoting CPR Movember Spice Girls

Social Media Campaigns that utilized comedy to bring awareness

Facebook-owned photo-sharing app, Instagram, launched a keyword moderation tool on Monday which will allow users to monitor the comments posted on their pictures.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today we&rsquo;re rolling out improvements to make comments safer for everyone. Read a letter from Kevin Systrom here: <a href="https://t.co/DpUN0Z3Lmk">https://t.co/DpUN0Z3Lmk</a></p>
&mdash; Instagram (@instagram) <a href="https://twitter.com/instagram/status/775348514335420417">September 12, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<br />
The users will now be able to list words that they find offensive or obscene and those words will be hidden from user&#39;s posts. Either they can use their own list or use the default list provided by the app, Reuters reported.<br />
<br />
Instagram users can delete comments by swiping, reporting the comment as offensive and block accounts.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Social media has become an active platform for abusive comments and trolling, celebrities and common people alike are being harassed.<br />
<br />
Last month, Justin Bieber deactivated his account on Instagram following hateful comments on a picture he posted. Ghostbuster actor Leslie Jones quit Twitter after she was harassed by users. Twitter permanently suspended a number of user accounts involved in abusing her.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from Reuters)<br />
<br />
&nbsp;

Instagram users will now be able to list words that they find offensive or obscene to hide them from the users' posts

Facebook-owned photo-sharing app, Instagram, launched a keyword moderation tool on Monday which will allow users to monitor the comments posted on their pictures. Today we’re rolling out improvements to make comments safer for everyone. Read a letter from Kevin Systrom here: https://t.co/DpUN0Z3Lmk — Instagram (@instagram) September 12, 2016 The users will now be able to list words that they find offensive or obscene and those words will be hidden from user's posts. Either they can use their own list or use the default list provided by the app, Reuters reported. Instagram users can delete comments by swiping, reporting the comment as offensive and block accounts. Social media has become an active platform for abusive comments and trolling, celebrities and common people alike are being harassed. Last month, Justin Bieber deactivated his account on Instagram following hateful comments on a picture he posted. Ghostbuster actor Leslie Jones quit Twitter after she was harassed by users. Twitter permanently suspended a number of user accounts involved in abusing her. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Instagram introduces new feature to moderate comments

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