Reddit, the social media giant, has disclosed its intention to go public in the United States stock market, while revealing a narrowed net loss of $90.8 million and a revenue growth of approximately 21 per cent in 2023. <o:p></o:p>

According to Reuters, the company's IPO filing, made public recently, marks a significant milestone nearly two decades after its inception. <o:p></o:p>

Reddit's move toward a public offering is being closely watched, positioning itself against social media powerhouses like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). <o:p></o:p>

With an average of 73.1 million daily active users and 267.5 million weekly active users reported in the last quarter of 2023, Reddit boasts a huge user base, with over 100,000 active communities and 1 billion cumulative posts.<o:p></o:p>

In an effort to strengthen its revenue streams, Reddit has struck a noteworthy deal with Alphabet's Google, according to sources familiar with the matter. <o:p></o:p>

The agreement entails making Reddit's content available to Google's artificial intelligence models, with the contract valued at approximately $60 million annually. <o:p></o:p>

CEO Steven Huffman holds Class B common stock as revealed by the IPO filing, which is dependent upon Reddit achieving a market capitalisation valuation of $5 billion post-offering. <o:p></o:p>

The social media platform's anticipated valuation and market performance are expected to resonate positively among investors, fostering confidence in Reddit's trajectory.<o:p></o:p>

Despite Reddit's presence in the social media landscape, questions linger regarding its monetisation strategy and content moderation practices. <o:p></o:p>

Compared to its counterparts like Meta (Facebook) and Twitter, Reddit's revenue figures are dwarfed, indicating a need to refine its advertising model and address concerns over content moderation. <o:p></o:p>

Nevertheless, Reddit has carved a niche for itself, particularly among younger demographics, bolstered by its acquisition of Dubsmash, a TikTok competitor, in 2020.<o:p></o:p>

The journey to IPO hasn't been without challenges for Reddit. <o:p></o:p>

Economic uncertainties coupled with volatile technology stocks compelled the company to delay its offering, despite confidentially filing for an IPO in late 2021. <o:p></o:p>

However, with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs leading the underwriting efforts, supported by a consortium of other banks, Reddit's foray into the public market is poised for significant attention and scrutiny.

<o:p></o:p>

About the Reddit-Google deal for AI training<o:p></o:p>

Media reports note that Reddit has struck a $60 million deal with Google, granting access to its posts for AI model training. 

This collaboration aims to enhance Google's services, including Search, while Reddit gains access to Google's AI models for internal improvements. 

Despite concerns from moderators, the deal does not indicate data-driven changes to Reddit's functioning, as it operates differently from algorithm-driven platforms. 

Both parties must adhere to Reddit's user terms and privacy policy, ensuring deleted posts are removed entirely. 

For Google, the partnership provides valuable human-generated data to refine AI models, improving understanding of human interactions. 

Google praised Reddit as a repository of authentic experiences, aiming to enhance user access to Reddit content through its products, benefitting both platforms and simplifying user engagement.

<o:p></o:p>

Reddit, the social media giant, has disclosed its intention to go public in the United States stock market, while revealing a narrowed net loss of $90.8 million and a revenue growth of approximately 21 per cent in 2023.

Reddit, the social media giant, has disclosed its intention to go public in the United States stock market, while revealing a narrowed net loss of $90.8 million and a revenue growth of approximately 21 per cent in 2023. According to Reuters, the company's IPO filing, made public recently, marks a significant milestone nearly two decades after its inception. Reddit's move toward a public offering is being closely watched, positioning itself against social media powerhouses like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). With an average of 73.1 million daily active users and 267.5 million weekly active users reported in the last quarter of 2023, Reddit boasts a huge user base, with over 100,000 active communities and 1 billion cumulative posts. In an effort to strengthen its revenue streams, Reddit has struck a noteworthy deal with Alphabet's Google, according to sources familiar with the matter. The agreement entails making Reddit's content available to Google's artificial intelligence models, with the contract valued at approximately $60 million annually. CEO Steven Huffman holds Class B common stock as revealed by the IPO filing, which is dependent upon Reddit achieving a market capitalisation valuation of $5 billion post-offering. The social media platform's anticipated valuation and market performance are expected to resonate positively among investors, fostering confidence in Reddit's trajectory. Despite Reddit's presence in the social media landscape, questions linger regarding its monetisation strategy and content moderation practices. Compared to its counterparts like Meta (Facebook) and Twitter, Reddit's revenue figures are dwarfed, indicating a need to refine its advertising model and address concerns over content moderation. Nevertheless, Reddit has carved a niche for itself, particularly among younger demographics, bolstered by its acquisition of Dubsmash, a TikTok competitor, in 2020. The journey to IPO hasn't been without challenges for Reddit. Economic uncertainties coupled with volatile technology stocks compelled the company to delay its offering, despite confidentially filing for an IPO in late 2021. However, with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs leading the underwriting efforts, supported by a consortium of other banks, Reddit's foray into the public market is poised for significant attention and scrutiny. About the Reddit-Google deal for AI training Media reports note that Reddit has struck a $60 million deal with Google, granting access to its posts for AI model training. This collaboration aims to enhance Google's services, including Search, while Reddit gains access to Google's AI models for internal improvements. Despite concerns from moderators, the deal does not indicate data-driven changes to Reddit's functioning, as it operates differently from algorithm-driven platforms. Both parties must adhere to Reddit's user terms and privacy policy, ensuring deleted posts are removed entirely. For Google, the partnership provides valuable human-generated data to refine AI models, improving understanding of human interactions. Google praised Reddit as a repository of authentic experiences, aiming to enhance user access to Reddit content through its products, benefitting both platforms and simplifying user engagement.

Reddit's IPO filing reveals narrowed losses, steady growth amid high anticipation

Florida lawmakers on Thursday (Feb 22) took a step towards enactment of one of the toughest bans on the use of social media by children in the history of the United States, and the bill – which talks about now allowing kids below the age of 16 on such platforms – has now been sent to the governor. 
 
The controversial law aims at protecting the mental health of children against the "addictive features" of such platforms, in the wake of online dangers like cyberbullying, facing sexual predators, and teen suicide. 
 
The Senate cleared the legislation by 23-14 and the bill then returned to the House where it was passed by a stunning majority of 108-7. 
 
The bill has now reached the governor's table, where for making it a law, the bill needs to be signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.

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<h2 lang="en-US">Ron DeSantis remains sceptical regarding legislation</h2>

DeSantis has expressed scepticism regarding the legislation. Other states have made similar efforts which have been blocked by courts. 
 
"We're talking about businesses that are using addictive features to engage in mass manipulation of our children to cause them harm," said the bill's sponsor Republican Erin Grall, while speaking to the Florida Senate on Thursday (Feb 22). 
 
However, DeSantis, who has earlier expressed his sympathies towards the fears of people regarding the impact that social media has on children, expressed concerns regarding parental rights. 
 
"A parent has the right to opt in," he said, in a press conference Thursday (Feb 22). The governor, who earlier ran for president and dropped out of the race in January, has several times said that parents should have more control over decisions which affect their children, especially in the field of education.

Watch:&nbsp;US Presidential Elections 2024: Donald Trump to face off Nikki Haley in South Carolina primary

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-presidential-elections-2024-donald-trump-to-face-off-nikki-haley-in-south-carolina-primary-692926/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Under DeSantis, several laws have been passed by Florida to curtail teaching regarding gender identity and sex education in schools and to stop diversity programmes which were going on in state-funded universities. 
 
The officials have also removed many books from school library shelves in the state in recent months, which were seen as inappropriate for children by school boards and conservative parents. 
 
As per critics, such a law, which targets social media use, will violate the First Amendment of the US Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech. 
 
Social media networks generally have a minimum age bar of 13 to open an account although very less measures have been adopted by companies to ensure compliance with the provision.

(With inputs from agencies)

Florida lawmakers on Thursday (Feb 22) took a step towards enactment of one of the toughest bans on the use of social media by children in the history of the United States, and the bill – which talks about now allowing kids below the age of 16 on such platforms – has now been sent to the governor.

Florida lawmakers on Thursday (Feb 22) took a step towards enactment of one of the toughest bans on the use of social media by children in the history of the United States, and the bill – which talks about now allowing kids below the age of 16 on such platforms – has now been sent to the governor. The controversial law aims at protecting the mental health of children against the "addictive features" of such platforms, in the wake of online dangers like cyberbullying, facing sexual predators, and teen suicide. The Senate cleared the legislation by 23-14 and the bill then returned to the House where it was passed by a stunning majority of 108-7. The bill has now reached the governor's table, where for making it a law, the bill needs to be signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Also Read: US President Joe Biden's dog bit Secret Service members at least 24 times in less than a year Ron DeSantis remains sceptical regarding legislation DeSantis has expressed scepticism regarding the legislation. Other states have made similar efforts which have been blocked by courts. "We're talking about businesses that are using addictive features to engage in mass manipulation of our children to cause them harm," said the bill's sponsor Republican Erin Grall, while speaking to the Florida Senate on Thursday (Feb 22). However, DeSantis, who has earlier expressed his sympathies towards the fears of people regarding the impact that social media has on children, expressed concerns regarding parental rights. "A parent has the right to opt in," he said, in a press conference Thursday (Feb 22). The governor, who earlier ran for president and dropped out of the race in January, has several times said that parents should have more control over decisions which affect their children, especially in the field of education. Watch: US Presidential Elections 2024: Donald Trump to face off Nikki Haley in South Carolina primary Under DeSantis, several laws have been passed by Florida to curtail teaching regarding gender identity and sex education in schools and to stop diversity programmes which were going on in state-funded universities. The officials have also removed many books from school library shelves in the state in recent months, which were seen as inappropriate for children by school boards and conservative parents. As per critics, such a law, which targets social media use, will violate the First Amendment of the US Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech. Social media networks generally have a minimum age bar of 13 to open an account although very less measures have been adopted by companies to ensure compliance with the provision. (With inputs from agencies)

Florida moves ahead with bill imposing social media ban on kids, governor's nod remains

A new trend is taking over Tik Tok and this time it is targeting the vulnerable young men. Tik tok's latest Trend looksmaxxing is aimed at young men who want to enhance their physical appearance in order to gain social acceptance. Popular methods of looksmaxxing include adopting skincare routines, working out and catching a generous amount of sleep. Watch to know more!

Is 'Looksmaxxing' preying on younger men? Decoding the viral TikTok trend

Watching a favourite influencer chow down on the latest fast food fad or cocktail may feel like entertainment, but those posts are likely adverts in disguise, the EU said Wednesday.

The European Union is concerned about the growing impact of social media content creators -- on everything from physical and mental health, to politics and the spread of disinformation.

With influencer marketing believed to have a reaped a global total of around 20 billion euros ($21.5 billion) last year, the European Commission launched a probe into the practice.&nbsp;

The results were unequivocal: it found that 97 per cent of influencers published posts with commercial content but only 20 per cent "systematically disclosed" it as advertising.&nbsp;

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The study looked at 576 influencers in 22 member states as well as Iceland and Norway as part of a "sweep" to check their compliance with EU consumer law -- which compels creators to disclose all advertising activity.

The platforms used by creators included Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, gamer streaming unit Twitch, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.

"Influencers hold considerable sway over their followers, many of which are minors," the EU's justice commissioner, Didier Reynders, said in a statement.&nbsp;

"I call on them to be much more transparent to their audience."

Of the influencers screened, 119 promoted "unhealthy or hazardous activities" including junk food and alcohol, cosmetic treatments, gambling or crypto trading. 
 
The commission said 358 influencers face further action if they do not comply with the rules.

<h2>- Need for 'ethical code'? -</h2>

The 27-nation EU is weighing what action to take towards influencers.

A discussion paper seen by AFP recommended that member states "consider developing an ethical code or ethical label for influencers".

The paper dated January 31 said influencers can have a "positive impact" on young people -- for instance creating a sense of community for people underrepresented in traditional media -- but it also warned of potential "harmful" effects.

"The mis- and disinformation shared by some influencers can also have a negative impact at the societal level," it said.

The issue is in the spotlight after a scandal last year involving Italy's Instagram star Chiara Ferragni, who is being investigated over a charity cake deal in which she wrongly suggested that sale proceeds would help children with bone cancer.

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Italy responded with plans to increase supervision of influencers.

France last year passed a law targeting influencers, in a bid to prevent creators selling questionable products or promoting risky trends.

The EU has had the digital world increasingly in its sights in recent years.

The bloc's milestone Digital Services Act (DSA) demands companies do more to protect users from hate speech and disinformation as well as consumers shopping online.

While aimed largely at big tech, the DSA will also affect how influencers use platforms to share their content as it demands more transparency over advertising.

All companies must comply with the DSA from Saturday.

Watching a favourite influencer chow down on the latest fast food fad or cocktail may feel like entertainment, but those posts are likely adverts in disguise, the EU said Wednesday.

Watching a favourite influencer chow down on the latest fast food fad or cocktail may feel like entertainment, but those posts are likely adverts in disguise, the EU said Wednesday. The European Union is concerned about the growing impact of social media content creators -- on everything from physical and mental health, to politics and the spread of disinformation. With influencer marketing believed to have a reaped a global total of around 20 billion euros ($21.5 billion) last year, the European Commission launched a probe into the practice. The results were unequivocal: it found that 97 per cent of influencers published posts with commercial content but only 20 per cent "systematically disclosed" it as advertising. Also Read | An asteroid hit ended Dinosaurs' reign. But did it really help birds? The study looked at 576 influencers in 22 member states as well as Iceland and Norway as part of a "sweep" to check their compliance with EU consumer law -- which compels creators to disclose all advertising activity. The platforms used by creators included Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, gamer streaming unit Twitch, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube. "Influencers hold considerable sway over their followers, many of which are minors," the EU's justice commissioner, Didier Reynders, said in a statement. "I call on them to be much more transparent to their audience." Of the influencers screened, 119 promoted "unhealthy or hazardous activities" including junk food and alcohol, cosmetic treatments, gambling or crypto trading. The commission said 358 influencers face further action if they do not comply with the rules. - Need for 'ethical code'? - The 27-nation EU is weighing what action to take towards influencers. A discussion paper seen by AFP recommended that member states "consider developing an ethical code or ethical label for influencers". The paper dated January 31 said influencers can have a "positive impact" on young people -- for instance creating a sense of community for people underrepresented in traditional media -- but it also warned of potential "harmful" effects. "The mis- and disinformation shared by some influencers can also have a negative impact at the societal level," it said. The issue is in the spotlight after a scandal last year involving Italy's Instagram star Chiara Ferragni, who is being investigated over a charity cake deal in which she wrongly suggested that sale proceeds would help children with bone cancer. Also Read | US: Surgical robot kills cancer patient after burning hole in internal organs; patient’s husband seeks justice Italy responded with plans to increase supervision of influencers. France last year passed a law targeting influencers, in a bid to prevent creators selling questionable products or promoting risky trends. The EU has had the digital world increasingly in its sights in recent years. The bloc's milestone Digital Services Act (DSA) demands companies do more to protect users from hate speech and disinformation as well as consumers shopping online. While aimed largely at big tech, the DSA will also affect how influencers use platforms to share their content as it demands more transparency over advertising. All companies must comply with the DSA from Saturday.

That influencer tip? Probably an ad in disguise, EU finds

According to a joint study by London's University College and the University of Kent, algorithms used by social media platforms are rapidly amplifying highly misogynistic content.

Report: Social media algorithms amplify misogynistic content

Ever heard of the term rat snacking well contrary to the imagery evoked by the term it is not about rodent's eating away food. Rat snacking a food Trend going viral on social media. Watch to know more!

What is Rat Snacking? Joyful snacking or harmful habit?

Is social media pushing youngsters towards more misogynistic content? As per a new research, yes.&nbsp;A study by teams at University College London and the University of Kent found that social media platforms are amplifying extreme misogynistic content. Such content, it says, is now spreading from teenagers' screens and onto playgrounds where it has now become normalised.

<h2>Shocking findings</h2>

In this particular study, researchers looked at TikTok. They found that over a five-day period of monitoring, there was a four-fold increase in the level of misogynistic content the social media platform suggested. Suggested content included extreme videos that focussed on anger and blame directed at women.

As per the Guardian, researchers say while the results may be from TikTok only, but that they are likely to apply to other social media platforms.

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The study called 'Safer Scrolling' argues that social media algorithms are pushing harmful content to teenagers and young people under the guise of entertainment.

As per the study, toxic, hateful or misogynistic material is "pushed" to young people, normalising harmful ideologies. It says that boys with anxiety and mental health issues are at an increased risk from such content.

<h2>Study methodology</h2>

Researchers began by interviewing young people who engage with and producing radical online content. Based on the interviews, they established "archetypes, to represent typologies of teenage boys who may be vulnerable to becoming radicalised by online content." Based on that, they set up accounts on TikTok with specific content interests — for example, someone seeking out content on masculinity or addressing loneliness.&nbsp;

Finally, researchers used this to watch video content suggestions on the 'for you' page over a period of seven days.&nbsp;

Initially, content suggestions were in line with the chosen interests of each archetype. However, over time, it evolved into anger and blame directed at women. Five days into the research, TikTok was suggesting content such as objectification, sexual harassment or discrediting women — increasing four-fold, from 13 per cent of recommended videos to 56 per cent.

Finally, roundtables and interviews with school leaders revealed that such misogynistic tropes are becoming normal in in-person interactions, as well.

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"UCL's findings show that algorithms – which most of us know little about – have a snowball effect in which they serve up ever-more extreme content in the form of entertainment," remarks, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, which collaborated with the research.

"This is deeply worrying in general but particularly so in respect of the amplification of messages around toxic masculinity and its impact on young people who need to be able to grow up and develop their understanding of the world without being influenced by such appalling material" he added, as quoted by The guardian.

<h2>What the researchers recommend</h2>

Researchers recommend a "healthy digital diet" education, holding social media companies accountable, peer-to-peer monitoring, and promotion of wider awareness of algorithmic processes among parents and the community at large.

(With inputs from agencies)

Is social media pushing youngsters towards more misogynistic content? As per a new research, yes. A study by teams at University College London and the University of Kent found that social media platforms are amplifying extreme misogynistic content.

Is social media pushing youngsters towards more misogynistic content? As per a new research, yes. A study by teams at University College London and the University of Kent found that social media platforms are amplifying extreme misogynistic content. Such content, it says, is now spreading from teenagers' screens and onto playgrounds where it has now become normalised. Shocking findings In this particular study, researchers looked at TikTok. They found that over a five-day period of monitoring, there was a four-fold increase in the level of misogynistic content the social media platform suggested. Suggested content included extreme videos that focussed on anger and blame directed at women. As per the Guardian, researchers say while the results may be from TikTok only, but that they are likely to apply to other social media platforms. Also read | Watch: US TikToker purchases foldable house from Amazon. Video goes viral The study called 'Safer Scrolling' argues that social media algorithms are pushing harmful content to teenagers and young people under the guise of entertainment. As per the study, toxic, hateful or misogynistic material is "pushed" to young people, normalising harmful ideologies. It says that boys with anxiety and mental health issues are at an increased risk from such content. Study methodology Researchers began by interviewing young people who engage with and producing radical online content. Based on the interviews, they established "archetypes, to represent typologies of teenage boys who may be vulnerable to becoming radicalised by online content." Based on that, they set up accounts on TikTok with specific content interests — for example, someone seeking out content on masculinity or addressing loneliness. Finally, researchers used this to watch video content suggestions on the 'for you' page over a period of seven days. Initially, content suggestions were in line with the chosen interests of each archetype. However, over time, it evolved into anger and blame directed at women. Five days into the research, TikTok was suggesting content such as objectification, sexual harassment or discrediting women — increasing four-fold, from 13 per cent of recommended videos to 56 per cent. Finally, roundtables and interviews with school leaders revealed that such misogynistic tropes are becoming normal in in-person interactions, as well. Also read | Meta slammed for 'incoherent' deepfake policy after viral Biden video "UCL's findings show that algorithms – which most of us know little about – have a snowball effect in which they serve up ever-more extreme content in the form of entertainment," remarks, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, which collaborated with the research. "This is deeply worrying in general but particularly so in respect of the amplification of messages around toxic masculinity and its impact on young people who need to be able to grow up and develop their understanding of the world without being influenced by such appalling material" he added, as quoted by The guardian. What the researchers recommend Researchers recommend a "healthy digital diet" education, holding social media companies accountable, peer-to-peer monitoring, and promotion of wider awareness of algorithmic processes among parents and the community at large. (With inputs from agencies)

Social media pushing youngsters towards more misogynistic content, finds study

Sri Lanka’s draconian law to regulate online content came into effect on Thursday (Feb 1) amid widespread criticism and concern. The law, which rights groups and opposition politicians allege is aimed at stifling free speech, passed last week in the country’s parliament.&nbsp;

<h2>What is the bill about?</h2>

The Online Safety Bill will give a five-member commission the power to assess and remove the content it considers illegal. Additionally, the members of the so-called “Online Safety Commission” will be appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.&nbsp;

The bill also proposed jail terms and hefty fines for what it considers illegal content and making social media platforms such as Google, Facebook, and X, liable for such content on their platforms.

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The government has said that the law is aimed at battling cyber crime including child abuse, data theft and online fraud, but the critics of the law and opposition politicians have said that it is to suppress free speech and dissent ahead of elections.&nbsp;

The bill was passed on January 24 with a majority of 46 votes in the 225-member house amid protests outside the parliament.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka has reported 8,000 cybercrime complaints in 2023, said Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, on Tuesday (Jan 23) while introducing the bill, adding that “We all agree that we need laws to address these issues. This is why we are bringing this law.”&nbsp;

“It is not to suppress the media or the opposition...Any complaint will be taken up by the commission, who will be appointed by the president and they will decide how to act,” said the Sri Lankan minister.

<h2>‘Adamant pursuit’</h2>

On Thursday, a Sri Lankan pro-democracy group, March 12 Movement, said that the government’s “adamant pursuit” of the legislation was a “clear indication of its intention to silent dissent and suppress civic activism,” as quoted by BBC.&nbsp;

Additionally, several international rights groups, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, and the United Nations have expressed concerns over the law.&nbsp;

Last year, the UN human rights office said that the law “could potentially criminalize nearly all forms of legitimate expression, creating an environment that has a chilling effect on freedom of expression.”

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“The law would seriously threaten the right to freedom of expression as Sri Lanka prepares for parliamentary and presidential elections later this year,” Meenakshi Ganguly, Deputy Asia Director of HRW, wrote in a statement.&nbsp;

“This legislation is a threat to our democracy,” Harsha de Silva, a lawmaker of Sri Lanka’s main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya, told parliament last week.&nbsp;

He added, “This will have a severe negative impact on expanding e-commerce in Sri Lanka, to provide jobs to our youth and help our economy, which is in desperate need of growth.”

(With inputs from agencies)

Sri Lanka’s draconian law to regulate online content came into effect on Thursday (Feb 1) amid widespread criticism and concern. The law, which rights groups and opposition politicians allege is aimed at stifling free speech, passed last week in the country’s parliament.

Sri Lanka’s draconian law to regulate online content came into effect on Thursday (Feb 1) amid widespread criticism and concern. The law, which rights groups and opposition politicians allege is aimed at stifling free speech, passed last week in the country’s parliament. What is the bill about? The Online Safety Bill will give a five-member commission the power to assess and remove the content it considers illegal. Additionally, the members of the so-called “Online Safety Commission” will be appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The bill also proposed jail terms and hefty fines for what it considers illegal content and making social media platforms such as Google, Facebook, and X, liable for such content on their platforms. ALSO READ | Sri Lanka’s big blow to China: Year-long moratorium on entry of ‘spy ships’ The government has said that the law is aimed at battling cyber crime including child abuse, data theft and online fraud, but the critics of the law and opposition politicians have said that it is to suppress free speech and dissent ahead of elections. The bill was passed on January 24 with a majority of 46 votes in the 225-member house amid protests outside the parliament. Sri Lanka has reported 8,000 cybercrime complaints in 2023, said Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, on Tuesday (Jan 23) while introducing the bill, adding that “We all agree that we need laws to address these issues. This is why we are bringing this law.” “It is not to suppress the media or the opposition...Any complaint will be taken up by the commission, who will be appointed by the president and they will decide how to act,” said the Sri Lankan minister. ‘Adamant pursuit’ On Thursday, a Sri Lankan pro-democracy group, March 12 Movement, said that the government’s “adamant pursuit” of the legislation was a “clear indication of its intention to silent dissent and suppress civic activism,” as quoted by BBC. Additionally, several international rights groups, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, and the United Nations have expressed concerns over the law. Last year, the UN human rights office said that the law “could potentially criminalize nearly all forms of legitimate expression, creating an environment that has a chilling effect on freedom of expression.” ALSO READ | Sri Lanka's ambitious 2024 budget targets higher revenues and a controlled deficit “The law would seriously threaten the right to freedom of expression as Sri Lanka prepares for parliamentary and presidential elections later this year,” Meenakshi Ganguly, Deputy Asia Director of HRW, wrote in a statement. “This legislation is a threat to our democracy,” Harsha de Silva, a lawmaker of Sri Lanka’s main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya, told parliament last week. He added, “This will have a severe negative impact on expanding e-commerce in Sri Lanka, to provide jobs to our youth and help our economy, which is in desperate need of growth.” (With inputs from agencies)

Sri Lanka’s controversial new law to regulate online content comes into force

In the dynamic world of internet trends, the latest sensation is the "mob wife winter" aesthetic, a bold and assertive style inspired by iconic Italian-American mob wives seen on television. Watch in the report for more details.

Decoding the rise of social media's 'Mob Wife Winter' aesthetic trend

Sachin Tendulkar has called for action on a deepfake video that went viral on social media. The video shows Tendulkar endorsing a gaming app called "Skyward Aviator Quest". In the 30-second ad, Tendulkar can be heard speaking in Hindi.

Deepfake bill: US proposes bill to tackle Deepfake, AI images prompt US to create bill

Sexual predators suicide tendencies eating disorders and unrealistic beauty standards are just some of the issues that young people deal with on social media. Children activism lawyers say that companies are not doing enough to protect them. On Wednesday the CEOs of Meta, Tikok, X and Snapchat testified on the Senate Judiciary Committee addressing the charges.

Social media giants accused of not safeguarding children on platform

Social media viral sensation Stanley Cups have reportedly tested positive for lead. Should you be worried as a user?

Gravitas | Is the Stanley Cup fever over?

South Korea’s food ministry has issued a health warning, appealing to people not to consume fried toothpicks, which are made of starch and have a shape similar to that of curly fries after the practice of eating this bizarre food item went viral on social media platforms. 
 
In the video clips shared on TikTok and Instagram, people were seen eating deep-fried starch toothpicks with seasoning like powdered cheese.

These videos attracted thousands of likes and shares on these social media platforms. 
 
“Their safety as food has not been verified,” said the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, in a post shared on social media platform X on Wednesday (Jan 24). “Please do not eat (them),” it added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korean-parliamentarian-bae-hyun-jin-attacked-rushed-to-hospital-683497">South Korean woman parliamentarian Bae Hyun-jin attacked, rushed to hospital</a>

The post further added, "Starch toothpicks are a hygiene product! The safety of sanitary products is managed according to standards and specifications for ingredients, manufacturing methods, and uses.” 
 
The post added that videos of people eating or frying in oil things like toothpicks and sanitary products have gone viral.

<h2 lang="en-US">Food colouring used on 'crispy' toothpicks</h2>

People have been using food colouring to give a green hue to toothpicks, which are made either from corn starch or sweet potato and are considered biodegradable and environment-friendly. 
 
However, the toothpicks contain an ingredient called sorbitol, which is harmless if consumed in small amounts.

However, it leads to vomiting, inflammation and diarrhoea if overconsumed.

Watch:&nbsp;Tensions in Korean Peninsula: South Korea's evacuation orders for Yeonpyeong Island

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The toothpicks, which are generally used in restaurants in South Korea, are also used by people to eat finger foods.

In South Korea, online eating shows like “Mukbang”, in which people are shown eating unusual dishes or excessive amounts of food, are popular. 
 
The government of South Korea in 2018 tried to impose regulations on these videos to stop them from influencing people to eat bizarre stuff and harming public health. 
 
In one of the videos shared by a TikTok user, he was seen crunching up fried toothpicks and saying, “It’s very crispy”.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

South Korea’s food ministry has issued a health warning, appealing to people not to consume fried toothpicks, which are made of starch and have a shape similar to that of curly fries after the practice of eating this bizarre food item went viral on social media platforms.

South Korea’s food ministry has issued a health warning, appealing to people not to consume fried toothpicks, which are made of starch and have a shape similar to that of curly fries after the practice of eating this bizarre food item went viral on social media platforms. In the video clips shared on TikTok and Instagram, people were seen eating deep-fried starch toothpicks with seasoning like powdered cheese. These videos attracted thousands of likes and shares on these social media platforms. “Their safety as food has not been verified,” said the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, in a post shared on social media platform X on Wednesday (Jan 24). “Please do not eat (them),” it added. Also read: South Korean woman parliamentarian Bae Hyun-jin attacked, rushed to hospital The post further added, "Starch toothpicks are a hygiene product! The safety of sanitary products is managed according to standards and specifications for ingredients, manufacturing methods, and uses.” The post added that videos of people eating or frying in oil things like toothpicks and sanitary products have gone viral. Food colouring used on 'crispy' toothpicks People have been using food colouring to give a green hue to toothpicks, which are made either from corn starch or sweet potato and are considered biodegradable and environment-friendly. However, the toothpicks contain an ingredient called sorbitol, which is harmless if consumed in small amounts. However, it leads to vomiting, inflammation and diarrhoea if overconsumed. Watch: Tensions in Korean Peninsula: South Korea's evacuation orders for Yeonpyeong Island The toothpicks, which are generally used in restaurants in South Korea, are also used by people to eat finger foods. In South Korea, online eating shows like “Mukbang”, in which people are shown eating unusual dishes or excessive amounts of food, are popular. The government of South Korea in 2018 tried to impose regulations on these videos to stop them from influencing people to eat bizarre stuff and harming public health. In one of the videos shared by a TikTok user, he was seen crunching up fried toothpicks and saying, “It’s very crispy”. (With inputs from agencies)

'Don't eat fried toothpicks': South Korea warns citizens against weird social media trend

Social media giant Reddit is gearing up for its long-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in March, marking the sector's first major debut since Pinterest in 2019.<o:p></o:p>

This is based on a Reuters report.<o:p></o:p>

Reddit, valued at approximately $10 billion in a 2021 funding round, faces fierce competition from platforms like TikTok and Facebook for advertising revenue. <o:p></o:p>

The IPO would also be a litmus test for Reddit users' willingness to support the company's stock market entry, considering the platform's history of fuelling "meme" stock rallies.<o:p></o:p>

The San Francisco-based company, founded in 2005, plans to make its public filing in late February, initiate its roadshow in early March, and complete the IPO by the end of the same month. <o:p></o:p>

Reddit, seeking to sell about 10 per cent of its shares, will decide on the IPO valuation closer to the listing. <o:p></o:p>

While these plans could face delays, as seen in the past, sources caution that Reddit's IPO aspirations might encounter hurdles.<o:p></o:p>

Known for its niche discussion groups, Reddit generates revenue primarily through advertising and offers premium access for a monthly fee. Despite its popularity, the platform has yet to turn a profit. <o:p></o:p>

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman acknowledged the losses, attributing them to investments in the platform and lower user engagement with advertising compared to other social media. <o:p></o:p>

The company held off on its IPO plans until it neared profitability, also navigating market volatility that disrupted IPOs in recent years.<o:p></o:p>

The IPO move comes after Reddit expected to generate over $800 million in advertising revenue in 2023, reflecting a 20 per cent increase from the previous year. <o:p></o:p>

While the company looks to tap into its vast user base for financial gains, it introduced charges for accessing its application programming interface (API), causing discontent among users relying on third-party apps. <o:p></o:p>

This strategic shift signals Reddit's effort to monetise its services beyond traditional advertising models.<o:p></o:p>

Despite Reddit's delayed profitability, the broader social media sector has experienced a rebound, driven by a rally in technology stocks. <o:p></o:p>

Meta Platforms, operating Facebook, witnessed a threefold surge in shares over the past 12 months, while Snap's shares rose by 60 per cent during the same period.<o:p></o:p>

(With inputs from Reuters)<o:p></o:p>

Social media giant Reddit is gearing up for its long-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in March, marking the sector's first major debut since Pinterest in 2019.

Social media giant Reddit is gearing up for its long-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in March, marking the sector's first major debut since Pinterest in 2019. This is based on a Reuters report. Reddit, valued at approximately $10 billion in a 2021 funding round, faces fierce competition from platforms like TikTok and Facebook for advertising revenue. The IPO would also be a litmus test for Reddit users' willingness to support the company's stock market entry, considering the platform's history of fuelling "meme" stock rallies. The San Francisco-based company, founded in 2005, plans to make its public filing in late February, initiate its roadshow in early March, and complete the IPO by the end of the same month. Reddit, seeking to sell about 10 per cent of its shares, will decide on the IPO valuation closer to the listing. While these plans could face delays, as seen in the past, sources caution that Reddit's IPO aspirations might encounter hurdles. Known for its niche discussion groups, Reddit generates revenue primarily through advertising and offers premium access for a monthly fee. Despite its popularity, the platform has yet to turn a profit. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman acknowledged the losses, attributing them to investments in the platform and lower user engagement with advertising compared to other social media. The company held off on its IPO plans until it neared profitability, also navigating market volatility that disrupted IPOs in recent years. The IPO move comes after Reddit expected to generate over $800 million in advertising revenue in 2023, reflecting a 20 per cent increase from the previous year. While the company looks to tap into its vast user base for financial gains, it introduced charges for accessing its application programming interface (API), causing discontent among users relying on third-party apps. This strategic shift signals Reddit's effort to monetise its services beyond traditional advertising models. Despite Reddit's delayed profitability, the broader social media sector has experienced a rebound, driven by a rally in technology stocks. Meta Platforms, operating Facebook, witnessed a threefold surge in shares over the past 12 months, while Snap's shares rose by 60 per cent during the same period. (With inputs from Reuters)

Reddit plans IPO launch in March amid intense social media competition

United States President Joe Biden's issue of age was once again re-ignited on social media after video footage of First Lady Jill Biden escorting him off stage, after he delivered the January 6 anniversary remarks, went viral.&nbsp;

RNC Research's X account shared a video which included the footage in which Biden just ended his speech near Valley Forge in Pennsylvania on Friday (Jan 5) after which his wife held his hand and led him away from the podium.&nbsp;

Social media users were left amused by the fact that Joe Biden's wife was allowed by the White House staff to rush to the stage and lead President Biden away from the podium before he by any chance hesitated awkwardly or walked towards the stage's wrong end in confusion, reported Fox News.

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Jill, Ed.D., escorts Biden off the stage following his remarks <a href="https://t.co/jCaV2Rtk49">pic.twitter.com/jCaV2Rtk49</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1743376556553031769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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In the video, Jill Biden is seen climbing the stage as soon as the president has ended his speech, grabbing his hand and taking him to the back of the stage where the two disappeared behind the American flags that were kept on display.

<h2>Netizens react to the video, call it 'pathetic'&nbsp;</h2>

Sharing the video, The Daily Mail US on X wrote, “Jill Biden rushed to embrace zoned-out Biden after he finished the speech, then went into trance-like state on-stage." Quickly responding to the trolling of Biden, some netizens wrote, “Remember the many times Melania wouldn’t hold Trump’s hand?"

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Jill Biden rushed to embrace zoned-out Biden after he finished speech, then went into trance-like state on-stage <a href="https://t.co/fYJ1zrdQwL">https://t.co/fYJ1zrdQwL</a> <a href="https://t.co/aBELRccmER">pic.twitter.com/aBELRccmER</a>
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyMail/status/1743667700071621022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, other netizens taking a subtle dig at Donald Trump, wrote, “Yeah wives actually want to hold the hands of their husbands when their husbands are faithful and didn't raw dog a pornstar when they were home with their infant son. Crazy."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-joe-bidens-age-in-focus-yet-again-as-us-prez-celebrates-81st-birthday-ahead-of-2024-elections-660845">Explained | Joe Biden’s age in focus again as US president celebrates 81st birthday ahead of 2024 elections</a>

“Couples that actually love each other still hold hands. It's a thing Repukes don't comprehend because you are not capable of love," said another.&nbsp;

However, many others joined the trolling of Biden ahead of the US Presidential elections which are set to be held this year and in which President Biden is seeking another term at the White House.&nbsp;

"Tried to cover it by running on stage to hug him beforehand. I bet we'll see more of these "displays of love" to help him exit," netizens wrote.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Xi Jinping, Joe Biden vow to promote bilateral ties | WION

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“It's pathetic to see the Commander in Chief being led off the stage. But Jill is there specifically to make sure Biden finds his way off of the stage and doesn't get distracted trying to shake hands with invisible people," another user said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

United States President Joe Biden's issue of age was once again re-ignited on social media after video footage of First Lady Jill Biden escorting him off stage, after he delivered the January 6 anniversary remarks, went viral.

United States President Joe Biden's issue of age was once again re-ignited on social media after video footage of First Lady Jill Biden escorting him off stage, after he delivered the January 6 anniversary remarks, went viral. RNC Research's X account shared a video which included the footage in which Biden just ended his speech near Valley Forge in Pennsylvania on Friday (Jan 5) after which his wife held his hand and led him away from the podium. Social media users were left amused by the fact that Joe Biden's wife was allowed by the White House staff to rush to the stage and lead President Biden away from the podium before he by any chance hesitated awkwardly or walked towards the stage's wrong end in confusion, reported Fox News. Jill, Ed.D., escorts Biden off the stage following his remarks pic.twitter.com/jCaV2Rtk49 — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 5, 2024 × In the video, Jill Biden is seen climbing the stage as soon as the president has ended his speech, grabbing his hand and taking him to the back of the stage where the two disappeared behind the American flags that were kept on display. Netizens react to the video, call it 'pathetic' Sharing the video, The Daily Mail US on X wrote, “Jill Biden rushed to embrace zoned-out Biden after he finished the speech, then went into trance-like state on-stage." Quickly responding to the trolling of Biden, some netizens wrote, “Remember the many times Melania wouldn’t hold Trump’s hand?" Jill Biden rushed to embrace zoned-out Biden after he finished speech, then went into trance-like state on-stage https://t.co/fYJ1zrdQwL pic.twitter.com/aBELRccmER — Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) January 6, 2024 × Meanwhile, other netizens taking a subtle dig at Donald Trump, wrote, “Yeah wives actually want to hold the hands of their husbands when their husbands are faithful and didn't raw dog a pornstar when they were home with their infant son. Crazy." Also read: Explained | Joe Biden’s age in focus again as US president celebrates 81st birthday ahead of 2024 elections “Couples that actually love each other still hold hands. It's a thing Repukes don't comprehend because you are not capable of love," said another. However, many others joined the trolling of Biden ahead of the US Presidential elections which are set to be held this year and in which President Biden is seeking another term at the White House. "Tried to cover it by running on stage to hug him beforehand. I bet we'll see more of these "displays of love" to help him exit," netizens wrote. Watch: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden vow to promote bilateral ties | WION “It's pathetic to see the Commander in Chief being led off the stage. But Jill is there specifically to make sure Biden finds his way off of the stage and doesn't get distracted trying to shake hands with invisible people," another user said. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Biden ‘escorted’ off stage by First Lady, age debate sparks on social media ahead of polls

In an exclusive interview with WION, actor Siddhant Chaturvedi talks in length about his new film 'Kho Gaye Hum Kahan'. The actor also opens up about being the perils of social media and what it's like to be a '90s kid.

Siddhant Chaturvedi on 'Kho Gaye Hum Kahan', social media and more

Oversharing online invites for unauthorised access. The new Instagram viral trend can expose answers to common security questions. Watch the video to know more!

Experts warn against 'Get to Know Me' trend over 'Privacy concerns'

In the fast-paced world of social media trends, as the fad of joining popular challenges often overshadows potential risks, the spotlight has fallen on a recent trend named "Get to Know Me on Instagram".&nbsp;

The trend has caught the attention of cybersecurity experts and consequently concerns about online safety have grown.

Eliana Shiloh, known as @elshiloh on TikTok, a cyber security analyst at Deloitte, has sounded the alarm on the unsuspected dangers lurking within this seemingly harmless social media challenge.

Also watch |&nbsp;Meta's Instagram under fire for showing sexual videos of young users | WION Dispatch

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According to a report by the New York Post, Shiloh's video, posted on December 23 and viewed by over 1.5 million people, highlights the critical need for caution.&nbsp;

In her warning, Shiloh urged viewers to refrain from participating in the trend.

<h2>'Get to know me on Instagram': What is the concern?</h2>

Shiloh's primary concern revolves around the inadvertent disclosure of answers to common security questions, potentially exposing individuals to cyber threats such as hacking attempts.

Shiloh revealed that she nearly fell victim to the trend herself. The information shared in the challenge closely aligned with her security questions, raising alarms about potential security breaches.

<h2>What is 'Get to know me on Instagram' trend?</h2>

The "Get to Know Me" challenge prompts users to share personal details like age, height, birthdate, preferences, tattoos, piercings, and phobias – information frequently used in security checks.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/wion-business-wrap-instagram-reels-reshape-beauty-openais-86-bn-valuation-in-limbo-more-660711">Wion Business Wrap | Instagram reels reshape beauty, OpenAI's $86 bn valuation in limbo &amp; more</a>

Shiloh, the online cybersecurity influencer said that while direct security question answers might not be explicitly disclosed, sharing this personal information could inadvertently create a goldmine of identifiable data for hackers.

Expressing her concern, Shiloh warned against sharing sensitive details online and raised the alarm about the possibility of even more confidential information, such as Social Security numbers, becoming unwittingly public.

<h2>How to mitigate risks associated with this trend?</h2>

Shiloh cautioned against oversharing on social media and advocated following the US Department of Justice's advice in related matters: avoiding the disclosure of personal information online or integrating it into passwords.

(With inputs from agencies)

In the fast-paced world of social media trends, as the fad of joining popular challenges often overshadows potential risks, the spotlight has fallen on a recent trend named "Get to Know Me on Instagram".

In the fast-paced world of social media trends, as the fad of joining popular challenges often overshadows potential risks, the spotlight has fallen on a recent trend named "Get to Know Me on Instagram". The trend has caught the attention of cybersecurity experts and consequently concerns about online safety have grown. Eliana Shiloh, known as @elshiloh on TikTok, a cyber security analyst at Deloitte, has sounded the alarm on the unsuspected dangers lurking within this seemingly harmless social media challenge. Also watch | Meta's Instagram under fire for showing sexual videos of young users | WION Dispatch × According to a report by the New York Post, Shiloh's video, posted on December 23 and viewed by over 1.5 million people, highlights the critical need for caution. In her warning, Shiloh urged viewers to refrain from participating in the trend. 'Get to know me on Instagram': What is the concern? Shiloh's primary concern revolves around the inadvertent disclosure of answers to common security questions, potentially exposing individuals to cyber threats such as hacking attempts. Shiloh revealed that she nearly fell victim to the trend herself. The information shared in the challenge closely aligned with her security questions, raising alarms about potential security breaches. What is 'Get to know me on Instagram' trend? The "Get to Know Me" challenge prompts users to share personal details like age, height, birthdate, preferences, tattoos, piercings, and phobias – information frequently used in security checks. Also read | Wion Business Wrap | Instagram reels reshape beauty, OpenAI's $86 bn valuation in limbo & more Shiloh, the online cybersecurity influencer said that while direct security question answers might not be explicitly disclosed, sharing this personal information could inadvertently create a goldmine of identifiable data for hackers. Expressing her concern, Shiloh warned against sharing sensitive details online and raised the alarm about the possibility of even more confidential information, such as Social Security numbers, becoming unwittingly public. How to mitigate risks associated with this trend? Shiloh cautioned against oversharing on social media and advocated following the US Department of Justice's advice in related matters: avoiding the disclosure of personal information online or integrating it into passwords. (With inputs from agencies)

Social media users warned against oversharing amid ‘Get to know me on Instagram’ challenge

The Indian government on Tuesday issued an advisory to all social media platforms to comply with IT rules amid growing concerns around deepfakes.

Deepfake videos wreaking havoc on society, AI pornography on rise

A unique conversational show that brings the top leaders across all industries, sharing their insights on different agendas, right at the centre of WION's headquarters, a joint initiative with DMAasia. What Social Media means to leaders from different businesses in conversation with WION.

Brand leaders from different businesses and brands in conversation with WION

The latest Pew Research Center survey of US teens revealed that they continued to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc, despite rising concerns about social media's impact on youth.&nbsp;

The teens have been using these social media platforms at high rates, with some describing their social media use as "almost constant".&nbsp;

The survey revealed that YouTube continues to dominate as roughly nine-in-ten teens have said that they use the video-streaming platform.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-first-ai-powered-campaign-caller-ashley-deployed-ahead-of-2024-elections-in-us-669250">World’s first AI-powered campaign caller ‘Ashley’ deployed ahead of 2024 elections in US</a>&nbsp;

YouTube became the most widely used platform measured in the survey, which was conducted between September 26 to October 23, 2023.&nbsp;

The survey included 1,453 teens between 13 to 17 years of age. It covered social media, internet use and device ownership among teens.&nbsp;

The survey also found that TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram remain popular among teens. TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%), and Instagram (59%) are all popular among youths aged 13 to 17. These proportions are almost seven in ten for older youths aged 15 to 17.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-flouted-copyrights-to-train-its-ai-llama-despite-warning-from-lawyers-claims-lawsuit-669148">Meta flouted copyrights to train its AI 'Llama' despite warning from lawyers, claims lawsuit by authors</a>

When it comes to Facebook, it's not that popular as the survey found that teens are less likely to be using Facebook and Twitter (recently renamed X) than they were a decade ago.&nbsp;

There was a time when Facebook dominated the social media landscape among America's youth. However, the percentage has dropped from 71% in 2014-2015 to 33% today. In July 2023, X has also seen that its users have dropped during the past decade.&nbsp;

<h2>Social media sites underfire&nbsp;</h2>

Experts have raised concerns over social media's impact on the young generation as questions have been raised over the algorithmic techniques that platforms use to draw in and retain younger users.&nbsp;

In the US, a coalition of 33 states in October sued Meta Platforms for contributing to the youth mental health crisis.&nbsp;

They alleged that the company knowingly and deliberately designed features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. Meta has denied the charges.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The latest Pew Research Center survey of US teens revealed that they continued to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc, despite rising concerns about social media's impact on youth.

The latest Pew Research Center survey of US teens revealed that they continued to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc, despite rising concerns about social media's impact on youth. The teens have been using these social media platforms at high rates, with some describing their social media use as "almost constant". The survey revealed that YouTube continues to dominate as roughly nine-in-ten teens have said that they use the video-streaming platform. Also read: World’s first AI-powered campaign caller ‘Ashley’ deployed ahead of 2024 elections in US YouTube became the most widely used platform measured in the survey, which was conducted between September 26 to October 23, 2023. The survey included 1,453 teens between 13 to 17 years of age. It covered social media, internet use and device ownership among teens. The survey also found that TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram remain popular among teens. TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%), and Instagram (59%) are all popular among youths aged 13 to 17. These proportions are almost seven in ten for older youths aged 15 to 17. Also read: Meta flouted copyrights to train its AI 'Llama' despite warning from lawyers, claims lawsuit by authors When it comes to Facebook, it's not that popular as the survey found that teens are less likely to be using Facebook and Twitter (recently renamed X) than they were a decade ago. There was a time when Facebook dominated the social media landscape among America's youth. However, the percentage has dropped from 71% in 2014-2015 to 33% today. In July 2023, X has also seen that its users have dropped during the past decade. Social media sites underfire Experts have raised concerns over social media's impact on the young generation as questions have been raised over the algorithmic techniques that platforms use to draw in and retain younger users. In the US, a coalition of 33 states in October sued Meta Platforms for contributing to the youth mental health crisis. They alleged that the company knowingly and deliberately designed features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. Meta has denied the charges. (With inputs from agencies)

US teens actively using several social media platforms despite concerns, finds survey

A reference to the popular Netflix series Money Heist to slam alleged corruption by a Congress lawmaker.

Pictographs showing faces with tears of joy, and so many 'warning' emojis.&nbsp;

These are passé if they appear on an influencer's social media feed. But the person here is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The tone, tenor and colourful language in the recent social media outreach deployed by Modi ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections haven't gone unnoticed.

The season of elections in South Asia will conclude in New Delhi's corridors of power in the summer of 2024. Bangladesh is voting in January, Pakistan in February and India by all tentative estimates, in April and&nbsp;May. The calendar is packed.&nbsp;

While the old-school election campaigns with chest-thumping rallies are expected to dominate the news cycle in the coming weeks, much of the electoral fate of the South Asian capitals remains deeply connected to the use of social media by the leaders in power and their principal challengers.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-elections-2024-pm-sheikh-hasina-led-14-party-alliance-to-head-to-polls-667359">Bangladesh elections 2024: PM Sheikh Hasina-led 14 party alliance to head to polls</a>

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-elections-nawaz-sharifs-pmln-faces-online-embarrassment-over-deleted-poll-656595">Pakistan elections: Nawaz Sharif's PML(N) faces online embarrassment over deleted poll</a>

Over 600 million eligible voters in India are aged between 18 to 35. The politicians are now adapting to the way youngsters — a massive voting block India — interact, and their methods of communication are partly redefining the politician-voter outreach in the world's biggest democracy.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-pm-modi-hails-four-state-election-results-as-victory-of-politics-of-development-665751">Indian PM Modi hails three-state election win as potential sign of third term in 2024</a>

Just within last week, the Indian Prime Minister Modi has stirred the pot on social media. First by posting a banner headline of a Hindi daily with a blend of tears of joy and 'warning emojis'.

"The countrymen should look at the pile of these notes and then listen to the honest 'speeches' of their leaders...," Modi wrote on X, formerly Twitter, while slamming the ₹350 Crore ($42mn) cash howl at the premises linked to opposition Congress party's&nbsp;lawmaker Dhiraj Sahu.

"Whatever has been looted from the public, every penny will have to be returned, this is Modi's guarantee," Modi posted on X.&nbsp;

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देशवासी इन नोटों के ढेर को देखें और फिर इनके नेताओं के ईमानदारी के 'भाषणों' को सुनें... 😂😂😂 
 
जनता से जो लूटा है, उसकी पाई-पाई लौटानी पड़ेगी, यह मोदी की गारंटी है। 
 
❌❌❌💵 💵 💵❌❌❌ <a href="https://t.co/O2pEA4QTOj">pic.twitter.com/O2pEA4QTOj</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1733040901457322300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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On December 12, Modi reposted a video published by the X handle of Bharatiya Janata Party which drew parallels between Sahu's cash howl with Spanish Netflix crime drama Money Heist. "In India, who needs 'Money Heist' fiction, when you have the Congress Party, whose heists are legendary for 70 years and counting!," Modi wrote.

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In India, who needs 'Money Heist' fiction, when you have the Congress Party, whose heists are legendary for 70 years and counting! <a href="https://t.co/J70MCA5lcG">https://t.co/J70MCA5lcG</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1734477685865488725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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"He (Modi) is keeping it funny," said Adarsh Pandit, a New Delhi-based political strategist, when asked about the revamped social media outreach from Modi's account on X, formerly Twitter.&nbsp;

"This is how the people in their 20s or early 30s talk over social media. Most of our messages are just the emojis. Modi is simply bringing down his social media handles to the youth in the language they understand without being undignified."

Pandit, who was one of the key political strategists behind the BJP's win in the recently concluded state elections in central India's Chhattisgarh, added&nbsp;that taking on opposition through social media is not exclusively a Modi construct. "So many leaders in the West, be it Boris Johnson or Hillary Clinton use the social media to attack opposition black-and-white."

Pandit contends that Modi's revamped social media messaging is an attempt to ensure that the focus of national discussions ahead of 2024 polls "remains entirely on him."

But it's not just Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party who have deployed social media to target the younger demographics. The Opposition parties have blended viral trends and memes to attack Modi administration.

"Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have done quite well in their social media outreach," Pandit said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;"The BJP has frontrunner advantage," he added, noting&nbsp;that it's the distribution part of the social media outreach where the BJP has an edge over opposition.&nbsp;

Since the early 2010s when the access to social media was beginning to shape up the public sphere in India, the BJP has created social media channels to distribute its messaging at "each and every polling booth".

"While the opposition can match the BJP on the content part. They have not been able to match against the distribution angle," Pandit said.

"That party structure is not there with any other party but the BJP. It is one thing to create good content but it is completely different to disseminate it to the basic of all levels. That's where the BJP wins," he added.&nbsp;

A reference to the popular Netflix series Money Heist to slam alleged corruption by a Congress lawmaker. Pictographs showing faces with tears of joy, and so many 'warning' emojis.

A reference to the popular Netflix series Money Heist to slam alleged corruption by a Congress lawmaker. Pictographs showing faces with tears of joy, and so many 'warning' emojis. These are passé if they appear on an influencer's social media feed. But the person here is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The tone, tenor and colourful language in the recent social media outreach deployed by Modi ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections haven't gone unnoticed. The season of elections in South Asia will conclude in New Delhi's corridors of power in the summer of 2024. Bangladesh is voting in January, Pakistan in February and India by all tentative estimates, in April and May. The calendar is packed. While the old-school election campaigns with chest-thumping rallies are expected to dominate the news cycle in the coming weeks, much of the electoral fate of the South Asian capitals remains deeply connected to the use of social media by the leaders in power and their principal challengers. Also read | Bangladesh elections 2024: PM Sheikh Hasina-led 14 party alliance to head to polls Also read | Pakistan elections: Nawaz Sharif's PML(N) faces online embarrassment over deleted poll Over 600 million eligible voters in India are aged between 18 to 35. The politicians are now adapting to the way youngsters — a massive voting block India — interact, and their methods of communication are partly redefining the politician-voter outreach in the world's biggest democracy. Also read | Indian PM Modi hails three-state election win as potential sign of third term in 2024 Just within last week, the Indian Prime Minister Modi has stirred the pot on social media. First by posting a banner headline of a Hindi daily with a blend of tears of joy and 'warning emojis'. "The countrymen should look at the pile of these notes and then listen to the honest 'speeches' of their leaders...," Modi wrote on X, formerly Twitter, while slamming the ₹350 Crore ($42mn) cash howl at the premises linked to opposition Congress party's lawmaker Dhiraj Sahu. "Whatever has been looted from the public, every penny will have to be returned, this is Modi's guarantee," Modi posted on X. देशवासी इन नोटों के ढेर को देखें और फिर इनके नेताओं के ईमानदारी के 'भाषणों' को सुनें... 😂😂😂 जनता से जो लूटा है, उसकी पाई-पाई लौटानी पड़ेगी, यह मोदी की गारंटी है। ❌❌❌💵 💵 💵❌❌❌ pic.twitter.com/O2pEA4QTOj — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 8, 2023 × On December 12, Modi reposted a video published by the X handle of Bharatiya Janata Party which drew parallels between Sahu's cash howl with Spanish Netflix crime drama Money Heist. "In India, who needs 'Money Heist' fiction, when you have the Congress Party, whose heists are legendary for 70 years and counting!," Modi wrote. In India, who needs 'Money Heist' fiction, when you have the Congress Party, whose heists are legendary for 70 years and counting! https://t.co/J70MCA5lcG — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 12, 2023 × "He (Modi) is keeping it funny," said Adarsh Pandit, a New Delhi-based political strategist, when asked about the revamped social media outreach from Modi's account on X, formerly Twitter. "This is how the people in their 20s or early 30s talk over social media. Most of our messages are just the emojis. Modi is simply bringing down his social media handles to the youth in the language they understand without being undignified." Pandit, who was one of the key political strategists behind the BJP's win in the recently concluded state elections in central India's Chhattisgarh, added that taking on opposition through social media is not exclusively a Modi construct. "So many leaders in the West, be it Boris Johnson or Hillary Clinton use the social media to attack opposition black-and-white." Pandit contends that Modi's revamped social media messaging is an attempt to ensure that the focus of national discussions ahead of 2024 polls "remains entirely on him." But it's not just Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party who have deployed social media to target the younger demographics. The Opposition parties have blended viral trends and memes to attack Modi administration. "Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have done quite well in their social media outreach," Pandit said. "The BJP has frontrunner advantage," he added, noting that it's the distribution part of the social media outreach where the BJP has an edge over opposition. Since the early 2010s when the access to social media was beginning to shape up the public sphere in India, the BJP has created social media channels to distribute its messaging at "each and every polling booth". "While the opposition can match the BJP on the content part. They have not been able to match against the distribution angle," Pandit said. "That party structure is not there with any other party but the BJP. It is one thing to create good content but it is completely different to disseminate it to the basic of all levels. That's where the BJP wins," he added.

Indian PM Modi's new social media strategy: Emojis, elections, 'Money Heist'

In a troubling trend, apps and websites using AI to undress women in photos are gaining popularity. The misuse of AI is increasing day by day, according to a social network analysis, a company called Graphica, 24 million people have visited sites with undressing services.

Deepfake undressing on rise, 2,400% rise in 'undressing' ads on social media | World DNA

Capitalizing on digital media platforms, content creators are leveraging a diverse range of content. This evolution positions them as dynamic contributors to the promising wave of commerce, reshaping the landscape of the digital economy.

Digital revolution brings unprecedented opportunities | World DNA

In an alleged case of honour killing in Pakistan's an 18-year-old girl was allegedly killed by her family after a video of her dancing with a few boys went viral on social media. Pakistani police have arrested four people including the main accused who killed his teenage daughter.

Pakistani father shoots daughter for appearing in a viral social media video

Students of many colleges in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city staged protests on Wednesday (Nov 29) against an online post made by a suspended pupil of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) reportedly targeting Prophet Mohammed.

The student, who is said to be from Maharashtra, was booked under Sections 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riots) of the Indian Penal Code, after he made comments that were deemed derogative against the Prophet.

The student was later rusticated after protests from the university students on Tuesday, reported Times of India.

<h2>Student suspended for hurting religious sentiments&nbsp;</h2>

According to the registrar of the National Institute of Technology, Atikur Rehman, the suspended student had shared a clip on Instagram which was sent to him by someone in the United States, reported Greater Kashmir.

“The situation has been pacified and we assured action into the matter. Inquiry is going on and recommendations will be followed,” he was quoted as saying.

A police case was lodged against the student after NIT’s Registrar complained seeking legal action.

<h2>Anger spreads to other colleges&nbsp;</h2>

But the anger continued to simmer the next day on Wednesday after the matter came to light, where students of Srinagar’s Amar Singh College took out a march seeking action against the student, the Indian Express reported.

Protests were also witnessed at Islamia College of Science and Commerce in downtown Srinagar.

The academic activity at the NIT institute was also suspended due to the tense situation.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttarakhand-tunnel-rescue-rat-hole-miners-emerges-as-real-heroes-save-lives-with-outlawed-technique-663981">Uttarakhand tunnel rescue: Rat-hole miners emerge as 'real heroes', save lives with outlawed technique</a>

The incident comes at a time when seven students of another university in Kashmir were booked for raising pro-Pakistan slogans while celebrating the Indian cricket team’s loss in the final of World Cup 2023.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-embassy-in-india-issues-record-140000-student-visas-amid-global-visa-surge-664159">US embassy in India issues record 140,000+ student visas amid global visa surge</a>

On Sunday (Nov 26), the students of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Shuhama were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UPAP)—an anti-terror law—after another student complained that he was allegedly threatened and pro-Pakistan slogans were raised following Australia’s victory against India in the cricket World Cup final.

But the police later applied a milder version of the law following criticism from the public.

(With inputs from agencies)

Students of many colleges in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city staged protests on Wednesday (Nov 29) against an online post made by a suspended pupil of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) reportedly targeting Prophet Mohammed.

Students of many colleges in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city staged protests on Wednesday (Nov 29) against an online post made by a suspended pupil of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) reportedly targeting Prophet Mohammed. The student, who is said to be from Maharashtra, was booked under Sections 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riots) of the Indian Penal Code, after he made comments that were deemed derogative against the Prophet. The student was later rusticated after protests from the university students on Tuesday, reported Times of India. Student suspended for hurting religious sentiments According to the registrar of the National Institute of Technology, Atikur Rehman, the suspended student had shared a clip on Instagram which was sent to him by someone in the United States, reported Greater Kashmir. “The situation has been pacified and we assured action into the matter. Inquiry is going on and recommendations will be followed,” he was quoted as saying. A police case was lodged against the student after NIT’s Registrar complained seeking legal action. Anger spreads to other colleges But the anger continued to simmer the next day on Wednesday after the matter came to light, where students of Srinagar’s Amar Singh College took out a march seeking action against the student, the Indian Express reported. Protests were also witnessed at Islamia College of Science and Commerce in downtown Srinagar. The academic activity at the NIT institute was also suspended due to the tense situation. Also read | Uttarakhand tunnel rescue: Rat-hole miners emerge as 'real heroes', save lives with outlawed technique The incident comes at a time when seven students of another university in Kashmir were booked for raising pro-Pakistan slogans while celebrating the Indian cricket team’s loss in the final of World Cup 2023. Also read | US embassy in India issues record 140,000+ student visas amid global visa surge On Sunday (Nov 26), the students of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Shuhama were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UPAP)—an anti-terror law—after another student complained that he was allegedly threatened and pro-Pakistan slogans were raised following Australia’s victory against India in the cricket World Cup final. But the police later applied a milder version of the law following criticism from the public. (With inputs from agencies)

Students in Jammu and Kashmir protest against online post on Prophet Mohammed

A lot of Indians have been captivated by the "Moye Moye" trend which has left its deep mark on the digital media for days. The social media has been swept by the Serbian tune. 
 
The tune which first started to gain fame on TikTok, slowly extended to Instagram reels, Facebook videos, and YouTube shorts, all of which featured snippets of the song. 
 
The song has been incorporated by Indian users into hilarious memes, acting videos, and other creative content, which showcases the versatility of the trend and its widespread appeal.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/shocking-indian-man-dies-from-wifes-punch-over-her-unmet-dubai-birthday-plans-662720">Shocking! Indian man dies from wife's punch over her unmet Dubai birthday plans</a>

This trend is now being used by the Delhi Police to raise awareness regarding road safety among its followers. 
 
Delhi Police shared a video on X on Saturday in which an accident during a bike stunt was shown and the caption read "Gaadi par control na khoyen, nahi toh ho sakta hai Moye Moye (Do not lose control on the car/bike, or else Moye Moye can happen to you)”.

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Gaadi par control na khoyen, nahi toh ho sakta hai Moye Moye..<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DelhiPoliceCares?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DelhiPoliceCares</a> <a href="https://t.co/rYYrYj3EV9">pic.twitter.com/rYYrYj3EV9</a>
— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiPolice/status/1728074248298594364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Video gains immense popularity on social media</h2>

The video, which is aimed at promoting awareness of road safety among people, gained popularity quickly on social media. 
 
The video, which was shared on X, has garnered around one million views, as netizens continue to post positive comments as well as applaud Delhi Police for adopting an engaging and inventive approach to delivering a crucial message.

Watch:&nbsp;India: Stampede claims four lives in Kerala

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-stampede-claims-four-lives-in-kerala-662882/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The video which has incorporated the 'Moye Moye' sound, sourced from the Serbian song 'Dzanum' by Teya Dora, has tapped into today's popular trend of using the music on meme pages for conveying emotions like sorrow, regret, or drama. 
 
Interesting comments are being left by social media users on the post and many have appreciated the creativity of the Delhi Police social media team. 
 
"At first, I thought it was a parody account. Good one," wrote a user. "Delhi Police is being highly creative," commented another user. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

A lot of Indians have been captivated by the "Moye Moye" trend which has left its deep mark on the digital media for days. The social media has been swept by the Serbian tune.

A lot of Indians have been captivated by the "Moye Moye" trend which has left its deep mark on the digital media for days. The social media has been swept by the Serbian tune. The tune which first started to gain fame on TikTok, slowly extended to Instagram reels, Facebook videos, and YouTube shorts, all of which featured snippets of the song. The song has been incorporated by Indian users into hilarious memes, acting videos, and other creative content, which showcases the versatility of the trend and its widespread appeal. Also read: Shocking! Indian man dies from wife's punch over her unmet Dubai birthday plans This trend is now being used by the Delhi Police to raise awareness regarding road safety among its followers. Delhi Police shared a video on X on Saturday in which an accident during a bike stunt was shown and the caption read "Gaadi par control na khoyen, nahi toh ho sakta hai Moye Moye (Do not lose control on the car/bike, or else Moye Moye can happen to you)”. Gaadi par control na khoyen, nahi toh ho sakta hai Moye Moye..#DelhiPoliceCares pic.twitter.com/rYYrYj3EV9 — Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) November 24, 2023 × Video gains immense popularity on social media The video, which is aimed at promoting awareness of road safety among people, gained popularity quickly on social media. The video, which was shared on X, has garnered around one million views, as netizens continue to post positive comments as well as applaud Delhi Police for adopting an engaging and inventive approach to delivering a crucial message. Watch: India: Stampede claims four lives in Kerala The video which has incorporated the 'Moye Moye' sound, sourced from the Serbian song 'Dzanum' by Teya Dora, has tapped into today's popular trend of using the music on meme pages for conveying emotions like sorrow, regret, or drama. Interesting comments are being left by social media users on the post and many have appreciated the creativity of the Delhi Police social media team. "At first, I thought it was a parody account. Good one," wrote a user. "Delhi Police is being highly creative," commented another user. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Delhi Police uses 'Moye Moye' trend to warn people against road accidents

New-age wars are not confined to tanks and fighter jets. There are other mass tools of disruption, which can shape narratives and influence millions of people across the world. These tools act as catalysts for significant geopolitical developments.&nbsp;

During World War I and World War II, the world for the first time witnessed the battlefield use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The wars have now evolved, they are now different from the contemporary conflicts.&nbsp;

British academic Mary Kaldor came up with the term "new wars" to characterise conflicts in the post-Cold War era. She attempted to differentiate "old" and "new" wars to help analyse today's conflicts more efficiently.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/middle-east/netanyahu-says-israel-will-take-control-of-overall-security-of-gaza-after-war-655981">Netanyahu says Israel will take control of 'overall security' of Gaza after war</a>&nbsp;

The new wars are characterised by violence between varying combinations of state and non-state networks, which are mostly fighting in the name of identity politics as opposed to ideology.&nbsp;

The wars these days, such as the Russia-Ukraine war or Israel-Hamas war, are based on the use of stand–off warfare: precision-guided weapons, drones, and more.&nbsp;

A simultaneous war takes place online, where people from different parts of the world find an easy theatre: social media and message platforms like X, Facebook and Telegram, to participate and share their point of view, sometimes news, and sometimes fake news.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-hamas-war-un-says-88-staff-killed-in-conflict-the-highest-ever-figure-in-any-war-655804">UN says its 88 staffers killed in conflict, the highest ever in any war</a>&nbsp;

<h2>Geopolitics and fake news&nbsp;</h2>

During wars, geopolitics and fake news are a potent combination. Fake news and dis/misinformation can be strategically used to shape narratives, sway alliances, influence political decisions, and manipulate public sentiment, significantly impacting the geopolitical landscape, which we can commonly witness during the Israel-Hamas war. Fake news can also hinder efforts to achieve resolution or peace.&nbsp;

Social media can amplify the impact of fake news especially during wars, as it spreads information rapidly and influences public opinion on a global scale.&nbsp;

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has seen a proliferation of fake news, which has exacerbated tensions and often created a distorted perception of events.&nbsp;

Hamas, the Palestine-based militant group designated as a terrorist organisation by many countries including the US and the UK, launched a surprise attack on Oct&nbsp;7. As per Israeli authorities, more than 1,400 people - mostly civilians- were killed and more than 200 were taken back into the Gaza Strip as hostages.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-are-white-phosphorus-bombs-that-israel-reportedly-launched-in-gaza-it-is-legal-to-use-645106">What are white phosphorus bombs that Israel reportedly used in Gaza? Is it illegal?</a>

In return, Israel waged a war, calling it a retaliatory action, and ever since, misinformation has spread online as the two sides continued to battle.

Many social media users share misleading or baseless claims, including miscaptioned imagery or altered documents, during major events which have the potential to impact geopolitics. They shape public perception.&nbsp;

Asked how social media is making this war different from the previous ones Israel was involved in, &nbsp; Ian Bremmer, the founder and president of Eurasia Group, &nbsp;a political risk research and consulting firm, told WION it is "a horrible challenge and getting much worse".

"Information generated on social media becomes a tool for manipulation and spreading predefined geopolitical narratives to specific audience and population," Gene Yoo, the CEO of Resecurity, an American cybersecurity company with a focus on next-generation endpoint protection and intelligence-driven solutions, told WION.&nbsp;

"Such activity also took place in period of election campaigns and important social events such as pandemics and disasters, when the bad actors can also buy or steal specific data and use it for further targeting to accomplish own goals."&nbsp;

Yoo said the tactics of bad actors involved in misinformation have become more advanced. "Based on our assessment, the bad actors may leverage a wide range of tools and resources to target desktop and mobile-based channels to spread misinformation. Typically, one of the main goals of such activity is to generate chaos and influence specific narratives using digital media channels".&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-are-core-israel-palestine-issues-whats-the-future-of-peace-attempts-646716">What are core Israel-Palestine issues? What's the future of peace attempts?</a>&nbsp;

<h2>The flow of fake news&nbsp;</h2>

But what if verified or government handles post misleading information? For example, Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) shared a video on Oct&nbsp;13, claiming to show Lebanese youth at the Palestinian border trying to help the Palestinians and climb over fences in Gaza.&nbsp;

But the video was called out as old and was later deleted by IRNA.&nbsp;

Since it was posted by an official handle, it was shared by many till the time it remained online, and consumed by millions who saw it on their feed.&nbsp;

<img alt="Israel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="630717e0-12cd-473f-a500-fce7505cb194" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Israe-Hamas.png" />

When Hamas launched the Oct 7 attack, militants backed by rocket fire flew into Israel on paragliders. But thousands of people on social media wound up watching unrelated footage of Egyptian paratroopers skydiving over the Egyptian Military Academy in Cairo. News agency Reuters fact-checked this and found it to be unrelated to the developments in Israel.&nbsp;

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A lot of decontextualized videos continue to circulate on Twitter to glorify Hamas terror attacks on Israel. 
 
Here, the video shows Egyptian paratroopers near the military academy in Cairo and has nothing to do with recent events in Israel. <a href="https://t.co/0mzkzYWwiX">pic.twitter.com/0mzkzYWwiX</a>
— Roman Adamczyk (@RomanAdamczyk5) <a href="https://twitter.com/RomanAdamczyk5/status/1711041627752444302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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One of the Hamas gunmen's first targets after breaching the Gaza border fence was a music festival attended by hundreds in the Israeli kibbutz of Reim.&nbsp;

A video recorded three days earlier, showing fans of US artist Bruno Mars storming into a Tel Aviv concert site to see him perform, was widely circulated on social media as showing the moment the festival was attacked.&nbsp;

Our heart sinks when we see children suffering, and dying during the wars, but it appears those in the fake news business are using small kids to promote misleading narratives to escalate tensions. A case in point: A photo montage posted online showing three different men carrying the same child.&nbsp;

It's claimed that the girl was injured during Israeli airstrikes. Three photographs showed her being carried away following an airstrike in Syria in 2016, but they have resurfaced online in Oct&nbsp;2023, miscaptioned to falsely claim that she is a crisis actor who allegedly survived three attacks by Israel in one day.&nbsp;

<img alt="Israel " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="539e68d3-7baf-4621-89db-4212b2a3a8b6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Israel%20%282%29.png" />

An Oct&nbsp;24 post on X with over 332,000 views reads: "Somebody call Guinness World Records. We have found the most lucky (or unlucky?) girl in the world. She has miraculously survived Israel ruthless attacks on 3 separate occasions times on the same day. Wow!"

It later emerged that all three images were taken by news agency AFP's photographer Ameer Alhalbi on Aug 27, 2016, in the Maadi district of eastern Aleppo following an airstrike.&nbsp;

<h2>What's the way forward?&nbsp;</h2>

It's a distant dream to hope for an ideal world of peace with no room for wars and armed conflicts.&nbsp;

Wars will continue to happen and so will the spread of propaganda online.

Hence, there's no way out but to seek information from reputable sources to avoid being misled.&nbsp;

It's necessary to cross-check the videos and images to foster a more accurate understanding of the complex situation.&nbsp;

While reporting or writing about the Israel-Hamas war, or any other war... it becomes crucial to gather information from official sources, and news agencies for data and quotes. &nbsp;

Bremmer said, "Social media companies need to have responsibility for not promoting fake news algorithmically."&nbsp;

"All accounts should be verified as actual people" and "AI-generated images and videos must be verifiably watermarked".&nbsp;

Yoo, the Resecurity CEO, shared his thoughts on how we can tackle widely shared misinformation and baseless claims. "Detection of misinformation remains one of the biggest challenges. &nbsp;Successful tackling of such activity should include comprehensive screening, analysis and fact-checking."

"Data science and Artificial Intelligence could be helpful in the analysis of big volumes of data coming from social media and alternative digital channels," he said.&nbsp;

He also suggested that in addition to technology, it is critical to have domain experts and industry professionals who will be able to independently validate the content.&nbsp;

He added that collaboration is also an important component of collecting required feedback and disseminating it between the key parties involved.&nbsp;

Yoo explained with an example. During the Israel-Hamas war, he said, several misinformation campaigns were detected, targeting Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand, India and other countries. "Collected feedback from the partners and correlation with other available details allowed to detect misinformation campaign at the early stage and notify the key stakeholders," he said.&nbsp;

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

New-age wars are not confined to tanks and fighter jets. There are other mass tools of disruption, which can shape narratives and influence millions of people across the world.

New-age wars are not confined to tanks and fighter jets. There are other mass tools of disruption, which can shape narratives and influence millions of people across the world. These tools act as catalysts for significant geopolitical developments. During World War I and World War II, the world for the first time witnessed the battlefield use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The wars have now evolved, they are now different from the contemporary conflicts. British academic Mary Kaldor came up with the term "new wars" to characterise conflicts in the post-Cold War era. She attempted to differentiate "old" and "new" wars to help analyse today's conflicts more efficiently. Also read: Netanyahu says Israel will take control of 'overall security' of Gaza after war The new wars are characterised by violence between varying combinations of state and non-state networks, which are mostly fighting in the name of identity politics as opposed to ideology. The wars these days, such as the Russia-Ukraine war or Israel-Hamas war, are based on the use of stand–off warfare: precision-guided weapons, drones, and more. A simultaneous war takes place online, where people from different parts of the world find an easy theatre: social media and message platforms like X, Facebook and Telegram, to participate and share their point of view, sometimes news, and sometimes fake news. Also read: UN says its 88 staffers killed in conflict, the highest ever in any war Geopolitics and fake news During wars, geopolitics and fake news are a potent combination. Fake news and dis/misinformation can be strategically used to shape narratives, sway alliances, influence political decisions, and manipulate public sentiment, significantly impacting the geopolitical landscape, which we can commonly witness during the Israel-Hamas war. Fake news can also hinder efforts to achieve resolution or peace. Social media can amplify the impact of fake news especially during wars, as it spreads information rapidly and influences public opinion on a global scale. The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has seen a proliferation of fake news, which has exacerbated tensions and often created a distorted perception of events. Hamas, the Palestine-based militant group designated as a terrorist organisation by many countries including the US and the UK, launched a surprise attack on Oct 7. As per Israeli authorities, more than 1,400 people - mostly civilians- were killed and more than 200 were taken back into the Gaza Strip as hostages. Also read: What are white phosphorus bombs that Israel reportedly used in Gaza? Is it illegal? In return, Israel waged a war, calling it a retaliatory action, and ever since, misinformation has spread online as the two sides continued to battle. Many social media users share misleading or baseless claims, including miscaptioned imagery or altered documents, during major events which have the potential to impact geopolitics. They shape public perception. Asked how social media is making this war different from the previous ones Israel was involved in, Ian Bremmer, the founder and president of Eurasia Group, a political risk research and consulting firm, told WION it is "a horrible challenge and getting much worse". "Information generated on social media becomes a tool for manipulation and spreading predefined geopolitical narratives to specific audience and population," Gene Yoo, the CEO of Resecurity, an American cybersecurity company with a focus on next-generation endpoint protection and intelligence-driven solutions, told WION. "Such activity also took place in period of election campaigns and important social events such as pandemics and disasters, when the bad actors can also buy or steal specific data and use it for further targeting to accomplish own goals." Yoo said the tactics of bad actors involved in misinformation have become more advanced. "Based on our assessment, the bad actors may leverage a wide range of tools and resources to target desktop and mobile-based channels to spread misinformation. Typically, one of the main goals of such activity is to generate chaos and influence specific narratives using digital media channels". Also read: What are core Israel-Palestine issues? What's the future of peace attempts? The flow of fake news But what if verified or government handles post misleading information? For example, Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) shared a video on Oct 13, claiming to show Lebanese youth at the Palestinian border trying to help the Palestinians and climb over fences in Gaza. But the video was called out as old and was later deleted by IRNA. Since it was posted by an official handle, it was shared by many till the time it remained online, and consumed by millions who saw it on their feed. When Hamas launched the Oct 7 attack, militants backed by rocket fire flew into Israel on paragliders. But thousands of people on social media wound up watching unrelated footage of Egyptian paratroopers skydiving over the Egyptian Military Academy in Cairo. News agency Reuters fact-checked this and found it to be unrelated to the developments in Israel. A lot of decontextualized videos continue to circulate on Twitter to glorify Hamas terror attacks on Israel. Here, the video shows Egyptian paratroopers near the military academy in Cairo and has nothing to do with recent events in Israel. pic.twitter.com/0mzkzYWwiX — Roman Adamczyk (@RomanAdamczyk5) October 8, 2023 × One of the Hamas gunmen's first targets after breaching the Gaza border fence was a music festival attended by hundreds in the Israeli kibbutz of Reim. A video recorded three days earlier, showing fans of US artist Bruno Mars storming into a Tel Aviv concert site to see him perform, was widely circulated on social media as showing the moment the festival was attacked. Our heart sinks when we see children suffering, and dying during the wars, but it appears those in the fake news business are using small kids to promote misleading narratives to escalate tensions. A case in point: A photo montage posted online showing three different men carrying the same child. It's claimed that the girl was injured during Israeli airstrikes. Three photographs showed her being carried away following an airstrike in Syria in 2016, but they have resurfaced online in Oct 2023, miscaptioned to falsely claim that she is a crisis actor who allegedly survived three attacks by Israel in one day. An Oct 24 post on X with over 332,000 views reads: "Somebody call Guinness World Records. We have found the most lucky (or unlucky?) girl in the world. She has miraculously survived Israel ruthless attacks on 3 separate occasions times on the same day. Wow!" It later emerged that all three images were taken by news agency AFP's photographer Ameer Alhalbi on Aug 27, 2016, in the Maadi district of eastern Aleppo following an airstrike. What's the way forward? It's a distant dream to hope for an ideal world of peace with no room for wars and armed conflicts. Wars will continue to happen and so will the spread of propaganda online. Hence, there's no way out but to seek information from reputable sources to avoid being misled. It's necessary to cross-check the videos and images to foster a more accurate understanding of the complex situation. While reporting or writing about the Israel-Hamas war, or any other war... it becomes crucial to gather information from official sources, and news agencies for data and quotes. Bremmer said, "Social media companies need to have responsibility for not promoting fake news algorithmically." "All accounts should be verified as actual people" and "AI-generated images and videos must be verifiably watermarked". Yoo, the Resecurity CEO, shared his thoughts on how we can tackle widely shared misinformation and baseless claims. "Detection of misinformation remains one of the biggest challenges. Successful tackling of such activity should include comprehensive screening, analysis and fact-checking." "Data science and Artificial Intelligence could be helpful in the analysis of big volumes of data coming from social media and alternative digital channels," he said. He also suggested that in addition to technology, it is critical to have domain experts and industry professionals who will be able to independently validate the content. He added that collaboration is also an important component of collecting required feedback and disseminating it between the key parties involved. Yoo explained with an example. During the Israel-Hamas war, he said, several misinformation campaigns were detected, targeting Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand, India and other countries. "Collected feedback from the partners and correlation with other available details allowed to detect misinformation campaign at the early stage and notify the key stakeholders," he said. Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Israel-Hamas war: Social media is the biggest devil. How to tackle fake news?

Dozens of US states, on Tuesday (Oct 24) filed a lawsuit against Instagram’s parent company Meta alleging that the social media platform contributes to the youth mental health crisis, is profiting “from children’s pain,” and misleading people about the safety of its platforms.&nbsp;

The lawsuit comes after a nationwide bipartisan investigation found that Meta has been “harming” children and teens due to the addictive nature of their social media platforms.

The latest lawsuit is among a string of legal actions against social media companies on behalf of children and teens.&nbsp;

<h2>About the lawsuit</h2>

There are a total of more than 40 US states which are suing Meta but 33 of them have filed their complaint in a federal lawsuit as opposed to others which have sought to fight their case in local courts.&nbsp;

“In seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms,” said the joint lawsuit filed by more than 30 states, including California and Illinois in the city of Oakland.&nbsp;

It added, “Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens.”&nbsp;

The lawsuit argues that Meta has exploited young users by creating a business model designed to make them spend as much time as possible on the platform despite harm to their health.&nbsp;

It also accused Meta of knowingly inducing addictive and compulsive social media use despite knowing that teenage brains are susceptible to the need for approval in the form of “likes” from other users about their content.&nbsp;

“Meta did not disclose that its algorithms were designed to capitalize on young users’ dopamine responses and create an addictive cycle of engagement,” said the complaint.&nbsp;

The lawsuit also alleges Meta has violated a law banning the collection of data about children under the age of 13.&nbsp;

“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement announcing the suit.&nbsp;

The suit has sought a variety of remedies, including substantial civil penalties. According to James, it also urges the federal court to order Meta to stop manipulative tactics.&nbsp;

<h2>Meta is ‘disappointed’</h2>

Meta has since responded to the lawsuit and said that it was “disappointed”&nbsp;that the attorneys general have chosen to single them out instead of seeking industry-wide solutions.&nbsp;

Instagram’s parent company also said that it has developed more than 30 tools in its apps to support teenage users, and made it easier for parents to “shape” online activity.&nbsp;

The lawsuit is said to have stemmed from a nationwide investigation announced in November of 2021. "Research has shown that young people’s use of Meta's social media platforms is associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and many other negative outcomes," said the complaint.&nbsp;

“Our bipartisan investigation has arrived at a solemn conclusion: Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits,” said California attorney general Rob Bonta, in a statement.&nbsp;

It added, “With today's lawsuit, we are drawing the line.” The investigation came after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked more than 20,000 pages of internal documents sparking criticism of the social media giant putting profit before the security of its users.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
 
&nbsp;

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Dozens of US states, on Tuesday (Oct 24) filed a lawsuit against Instagram’s parent company Meta alleging that the social media platform contributes to the youth mental health crisis, is profiting “from children’s pain,” and misleading people about the safety of its platforms.

Dozens of US states, on Tuesday (Oct 24) filed a lawsuit against Instagram’s parent company Meta alleging that the social media platform contributes to the youth mental health crisis, is profiting “from children’s pain,” and misleading people about the safety of its platforms. The lawsuit comes after a nationwide bipartisan investigation found that Meta has been “harming” children and teens due to the addictive nature of their social media platforms. The latest lawsuit is among a string of legal actions against social media companies on behalf of children and teens. About the lawsuit There are a total of more than 40 US states which are suing Meta but 33 of them have filed their complaint in a federal lawsuit as opposed to others which have sought to fight their case in local courts. “In seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms,” said the joint lawsuit filed by more than 30 states, including California and Illinois in the city of Oakland. It added, “Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens.” The lawsuit argues that Meta has exploited young users by creating a business model designed to make them spend as much time as possible on the platform despite harm to their health. It also accused Meta of knowingly inducing addictive and compulsive social media use despite knowing that teenage brains are susceptible to the need for approval in the form of “likes” from other users about their content. “Meta did not disclose that its algorithms were designed to capitalize on young users’ dopamine responses and create an addictive cycle of engagement,” said the complaint. The lawsuit also alleges Meta has violated a law banning the collection of data about children under the age of 13. “Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement announcing the suit. The suit has sought a variety of remedies, including substantial civil penalties. According to James, it also urges the federal court to order Meta to stop manipulative tactics. Meta is ‘disappointed’ Meta has since responded to the lawsuit and said that it was “disappointed” that the attorneys general have chosen to single them out instead of seeking industry-wide solutions. Instagram’s parent company also said that it has developed more than 30 tools in its apps to support teenage users, and made it easier for parents to “shape” online activity. The lawsuit is said to have stemmed from a nationwide investigation announced in November of 2021. "Research has shown that young people’s use of Meta's social media platforms is associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and many other negative outcomes," said the complaint. “Our bipartisan investigation has arrived at a solemn conclusion: Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits,” said California attorney general Rob Bonta, in a statement. It added, “With today's lawsuit, we are drawing the line.” The investigation came after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked more than 20,000 pages of internal documents sparking criticism of the social media giant putting profit before the security of its users. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Over 30 US states sue Meta, accusing it of fuelling a youth mental health crisis

After the European Union, the United States became the latest country to pull up various social media platforms for their failure to curve fake news and disinformation. US Senator Michael Benett has written a letter to Major Tech Giants such as Meta X TikTok and Google. The question is what these Tech Giants are doing to stop the spread of false and misleading content about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Michael Benett: Social media platforms amplifying misinformation

US Senator Michael Benett has sent letters to Google, TikTok, Meta X, and other major IT companies to prevent the dissemination of inaccurate and deceptive information regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.

'Social media platforms amplifying misinformation', says US Senator Michael Benett

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