<p>Australian regulators have fined Elon Musk’s social media platform X, rebranded from Twitter,&nbsp;$385,000 (A$610,500) as it failed to cooperate with a probe into anti-child abuse practices after not providing information about its efforts to combat child exploitation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This comes days after the European Union said that it is investigating potential violations of its online content rules after X was accused of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/x-removes-hundreds-of-hamas-affiliated-accounts-rebuffs-disinformation-claims-on-israel-war-645932">failing to combat disinformation</a> related to Hamas’ attack on Israel.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Australian regulators about X&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Earlier this year, multiple tech giants and social media companies, including X and Google, were sent legal notices by Australian regulators asking them to detail their measures for detecting and removing child sexual abuse material.</p>

<p>According to Australia’s eSafety commissioner, some companies responded to reports of abuse within minutes, while others took&nbsp;hours. “Companies can make empty statements like ‘Child exploitation is our top priority,’ so what we’re saying is show us,” Julie Inman Grant said during an interview.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Inman Grant, who was a public policy director for X until 2016, also said that the “only reason” that she saw for failing to answer important questions about illegal content and conduct happening on platforms would be to not have them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After taking over the social media platform, Musk said in a post that “removing child exploitation is priority #1”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, when asked about how the social media platform prevented child grooming on the platform, X told Australian regulators that it was “not a service used by large numbers of young people.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Australian regulators were also told by X&nbsp;that the available anti-grooming technology was “not of sufficient capability or accuracy to be deployed on Twitter”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking about the child sexual abuse materials, X said that its detection of such material on the platform had fallen to 75 per cent from 90 per cent in the three months after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-promotes-unvetted-accounts-amid-spread-of-false-war-information-644316">Tesla CEO took over.</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The company also told the Australian regulators, that it did not use tools to detect the material in private messages because “the technology is still in development”.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Google’s case</strong></h2>

<p>Google also came under scrutiny&nbsp;in this context but was let off with a warning after the search engine giant’s responses to some questions were found to be “generic”, said the Inman Grant.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, Google said that it cooperated with the regulator and found the warning disappointing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We remain committed to these efforts and collaborating constructively and in good faith with the e-Safety Commissioner, government and industry on the shared goal of keeping Australians safer online,” said Google’s director of government affairs and public policy for Australia, Lucinda Longcroft, as quoted by Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Australian regulators have fined Elon Musk’s social media platform X, rebranded from Twitter, $385,000 (A$610,500) as it failed to cooperate with a probe into anti-child abuse practices after not providing information about its efforts to combat child exploitation.

Australian regulators have fined Elon Musk’s social media platform X, rebranded from Twitter, $385,000 (A$610,500) as it failed to cooperate with a probe into anti-child abuse practices after not providing information about its efforts to combat child exploitation. This comes days after the European Union said that it is investigating potential violations of its online content rules after X was accused of failing to combat disinformation related to Hamas’ attack on Israel. Australian regulators about X Earlier this year, multiple tech giants and social media companies, including X and Google, were sent legal notices by Australian regulators asking them to detail their measures for detecting and removing child sexual abuse material. According to Australia’s eSafety commissioner, some companies responded to reports of abuse within minutes, while others took hours. “Companies can make empty statements like ‘Child exploitation is our top priority,’ so what we’re saying is show us,” Julie Inman Grant said during an interview. Inman Grant, who was a public policy director for X until 2016, also said that the “only reason” that she saw for failing to answer important questions about illegal content and conduct happening on platforms would be to not have them. After taking over the social media platform, Musk said in a post that “removing child exploitation is priority #1”. However, when asked about how the social media platform prevented child grooming on the platform, X told Australian regulators that it was “not a service used by large numbers of young people.” Australian regulators were also told by X that the available anti-grooming technology was “not of sufficient capability or accuracy to be deployed on Twitter”. Speaking about the child sexual abuse materials, X said that its detection of such material on the platform had fallen to 75 per cent from 90 per cent in the three months after the Tesla CEO took over. The company also told the Australian regulators, that it did not use tools to detect the material in private messages because “the technology is still in development”. Google’s case Google also came under scrutiny in this context but was let off with a warning after the search engine giant’s responses to some questions were found to be “generic”, said the Inman Grant. However, Google said that it cooperated with the regulator and found the warning disappointing. “We remain committed to these efforts and collaborating constructively and in good faith with the e-Safety Commissioner, government and industry on the shared goal of keeping Australians safer online,” said Google’s director of government affairs and public policy for Australia, Lucinda Longcroft, as quoted by Reuters. (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.

Australia fines Musk’s X $385,000 for failure to provide information on child abuse content

The Indian government has given an ultimatum to social media companies The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued notices to X, YouTube and Telegram.

Social media companies at risk of losing 'safe harbor protection'

<p>Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter has removed headlines from news articles shared by users after the site owner said it would make the posts look better. In a move which might further worsen the already souring relations between the social media platform’s relations with media groups.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What is the change?</strong></h2>

<p>According to reports the change was first made on Wednesday (Oct 4) for iOS and desktop users. In line with this, links posted on the microblogging platform now appear as the image posted in the article while the text on the bottom left side of the image shows the domain of the link.</p>

<p>Therefore, to access the link the users will now have to click on the image while there is only a slight change to how the images uploaded to the site appear.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-taunts-musk-after-he-posts-meme-mocking-zelensky-641781">Ukraine taunts Elon Musk after he posts meme mocking Zelensky</a></strong></p>

<p>Notably, while Musk has long targeted “legacy media” and has previously claimed that X is a better source of information, he said that the latest change will “greatly improve the esthetics.”</p>

<p>Media reports about the news and other links appearing only as images with no text first emerged in August. It was after a report by Forbes that the Tesla CEO said that the change is in the works. “This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics,” said Musk.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Move draws criticism</strong></h2>

<p>A report by the news agency AFP has noted how the change has been introduced gradually this week where users, instead of seeing a headline along with a picture, now see only an image with a small watermark.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/elon-musk-has-an-offer-for-journalists-who-want-to-earn-more-on-x-627721">Elon Musk has an offer for journalists who want to 'earn more' on X</a></strong></p>

<p>Several users on the microblogging platform have reportedly said that it has become difficult to distinguish between news and other kinds of information.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This has also led many to further raise questions about the trustworthiness of the website after Musk following his $44 billion deal and takeover allowed banned conspiracy theorists and extremists back on the platform.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>X’s souring relationship with media</strong></h2>

<p>Earlier this week, Musk posted, “I almost never read legacy news anymore.” He added, “What’s the point of reading 1,000 words about something that was already posted on X several days ago?”</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/twitter-still-sinking-under-elon-musk-platform-struggles-to-reach-positive-cash-flows-616085">Twitter still sinking under Elon Musk? Platform struggles to reach 'positive cash flows'</a></strong></p>

<p>Additionally, some media outlets have completely stopped posting on X altogether citing a rise in hate speech and Musk’s behaviour after the takeover, not to mention his reported&nbsp; banning and then eventually reinstating accounts of several journalists.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In August, several media organisations also reported a delay and briefly appeared to put a five-second delay on loading links to news sites to X including Reuters, the New York Times, and so on.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter has removed headlines from news articles shared by users after the site owner said it would make the posts look better.

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter has removed headlines from news articles shared by users after the site owner said it would make the posts look better. In a move which might further worsen the already souring relations between the social media platform’s relations with media groups. What is the change? According to reports the change was first made on Wednesday (Oct 4) for iOS and desktop users. In line with this, links posted on the microblogging platform now appear as the image posted in the article while the text on the bottom left side of the image shows the domain of the link. Therefore, to access the link the users will now have to click on the image while there is only a slight change to how the images uploaded to the site appear. ALSO READ | Ukraine taunts Elon Musk after he posts meme mocking Zelensky Notably, while Musk has long targeted “legacy media” and has previously claimed that X is a better source of information, he said that the latest change will “greatly improve the esthetics.” Media reports about the news and other links appearing only as images with no text first emerged in August. It was after a report by Forbes that the Tesla CEO said that the change is in the works. “This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics,” said Musk. Move draws criticism A report by the news agency AFP has noted how the change has been introduced gradually this week where users, instead of seeing a headline along with a picture, now see only an image with a small watermark. ALSO READ | Elon Musk has an offer for journalists who want to 'earn more' on X Several users on the microblogging platform have reportedly said that it has become difficult to distinguish between news and other kinds of information. This has also led many to further raise questions about the trustworthiness of the website after Musk following his $44 billion deal and takeover allowed banned conspiracy theorists and extremists back on the platform. X’s souring relationship with media Earlier this week, Musk posted, “I almost never read legacy news anymore.” He added, “What’s the point of reading 1,000 words about something that was already posted on X several days ago?” ALSO READ | Twitter still sinking under Elon Musk? Platform struggles to reach 'positive cash flows' Additionally, some media outlets have completely stopped posting on X altogether citing a rise in hate speech and Musk’s behaviour after the takeover, not to mention his reported banning and then eventually reinstating accounts of several journalists. In August, several media organisations also reported a delay and briefly appeared to put a five-second delay on loading links to news sites to X including Reuters, the New York Times, and so on. (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.

Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, strips headlines from news story links for ‘aesthetics’

Are you done with watching workout reels on social media? Do you also want to add some physical exercise to your routine but are not ready to indulge in any hardcore exercise? If yes, this new TikTok trend is for you - Cozy Cardio. Watch the video to know about this.

Cozy Cardio: The new fitness trend on social media which aims to improve mind & body

On Meta platforms such as Instagram and Facebook users are constantly bombarded with sponsored posts and advertisements only to capitalize on the vast global reach that Meta enjoys. The platform is now exploring a plan that could make users in the European Union shell out as much as $14 to access ad-free versions of Instagram or Facebook. Would you be willing to pay that much money to avoid ads?

Would you agree to personalised ads for the free version?

Social networking platform X is now teamed up with Paris Hilton's digital advertising firm 1111 networking on Monday. Paris Hilton and X announced that they'll be collaborating to produce some exclusive video content covering subjects including Style, Beauty, travel, and more.

X teams up with Paris Hilton for exclusive content

<p>Advertisements on Instagram can severely influence the perception of teenage girls about their own bodies and force them to undertake appearance-altering measures, research published in the Journal of Psychology has claimed.</p>

<p>The research specifically focused on girls aged between 17 and 19. It revealed that when exposed to ads featuring thin or curvy models, female users of Instagram might develop a physical inferiority complex.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The research reaffirms the results of previous studies that highlighted how exposure to idealised body types in media can lead to body dissatisfaction and even unhealthy behaviours.</p>

<h2><strong>How was study conducted?</strong></h2>

<p>The study involved 284 young women aged 17-19, all enrolled in a psychology course at an Australian university. They were selected from a research participant pool and had to meet specific criteria, such as being regular Instagram users and not having diagnosed eating disorders or body dysmorphia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The research aimed to understand how exposure to Instagram ads featuring both thin and curvy models affected these participants.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/twitter-co-founder-jack-dorsey-quits-instagram-the-coveted-handle-may-be-up-for-grabs-626714"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey quits Instagram, his coveted handle may be up for grabs</strong></a></p>

<p>To assess the impact of this exposure, the researchers used various measures, including participants' body image preferences (whether they preferred thin or curvy body types), how often they compared themselves to these idealised images, their body satisfaction level, and their willingness to take actions to achieve a thinner or curvier body.</p>

<p>The results indicated that participants who had more exposure to thin or curvy models through Instagram advertising were more likely to prefer those body types. This suggests that Instagram ads can influence people's preferences for certain body ideals.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Trending on WION: Meta to lift breast images ban rule in Facebook, Instagram</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trending-on-wion-meta-to-lift-breast-images-ban-rule-in-facebook-instagram-554099/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Furthermore, the study found that exposure to these body ideals was associated with a greater willingness to take specific actions to attain them. Those who preferred thin bodies were more open to actions like dieting or surgery to reduce their waist size, while those who preferred curvy bodies were more inclined to consider procedures to increase breast and buttocks size.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Dissatisfaction - a key factor</strong></h2>

<p>The research also revealed that dissatisfaction with their bodies played a key role for teenagers in affecting decisions to alter their appearance.</p>

<p>Study author Jannatul Shimul Ferdousi, a PhD student in the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University, was quoted as saying by Psypost that there needs to be updated policies and government intervention to stop this menace.</p>

<p>“This highlights the need for updated policies and interventions so that they take into account the impact of newer advertising platforms and body ideals on body image,” said Ferdousi.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Advertisements on Instagram can severely influence the perception of teenage girls about their own bodies and force them to undertake appearance-altering measures, research published in the Journal of Psychology has claimed.

Advertisements on Instagram can severely influence the perception of teenage girls about their own bodies and force them to undertake appearance-altering measures, research published in the Journal of Psychology has claimed. The research specifically focused on girls aged between 17 and 19. It revealed that when exposed to ads featuring thin or curvy models, female users of Instagram might develop a physical inferiority complex. The research reaffirms the results of previous studies that highlighted how exposure to idealised body types in media can lead to body dissatisfaction and even unhealthy behaviours. How was study conducted? The study involved 284 young women aged 17-19, all enrolled in a psychology course at an Australian university. They were selected from a research participant pool and had to meet specific criteria, such as being regular Instagram users and not having diagnosed eating disorders or body dysmorphia. The research aimed to understand how exposure to Instagram ads featuring both thin and curvy models affected these participants. Also read: Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey quits Instagram, his coveted handle may be up for grabs To assess the impact of this exposure, the researchers used various measures, including participants' body image preferences (whether they preferred thin or curvy body types), how often they compared themselves to these idealised images, their body satisfaction level, and their willingness to take actions to achieve a thinner or curvier body. The results indicated that participants who had more exposure to thin or curvy models through Instagram advertising were more likely to prefer those body types. This suggests that Instagram ads can influence people's preferences for certain body ideals. Watch: Trending on WION: Meta to lift breast images ban rule in Facebook, Instagram × Furthermore, the study found that exposure to these body ideals was associated with a greater willingness to take specific actions to attain them. Those who preferred thin bodies were more open to actions like dieting or surgery to reduce their waist size, while those who preferred curvy bodies were more inclined to consider procedures to increase breast and buttocks size. Dissatisfaction - a key factor The research also revealed that dissatisfaction with their bodies played a key role for teenagers in affecting decisions to alter their appearance. Study author Jannatul Shimul Ferdousi, a PhD student in the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University, was quoted as saying by Psypost that there needs to be updated policies and government intervention to stop this menace. “This highlights the need for updated policies and interventions so that they take into account the impact of newer advertising platforms and body ideals on body image,” said Ferdousi. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Instagram ads might lead teen girls to undertake appearance-altering measures: Report

There's a new TikTok trend in which girls are flaunting their boyfriends' glow up. It's called The "girlfriend effect". How real is it? Do you agree with it?

Gravitas: What is the girlfriend effect?

Following a social media controversy, the BBC's flagship presenters now have new guidelines. Presenters with a lot of prominence should be free to discuss policies and concerns, but they shouldn't go so far as to run for office.

UK: Public Broadcaster BBC issues new social media rules for stars

<p>Reddit, one of the world's most popular social media platforms, has unveiled a plan to financially reward its top contributors for their valuable posts.</p>

<p>This initiative is set to launch initially in the United States, marking a significant departure from Reddit's traditional approach to content rewards.</p>

<h2><strong>A new era of content monetisation</strong></h2>

<p>Under this scheme, Reddit will share its revenue with users who are granted the coveted "gold" award by fellow community members.</p>

<p>These gold awards will be available for purchase, ranging in price from $1.99&nbsp;to $49. The individuals receiving these accolades will, in turn, pocket up to half of the purchase price, making it potentially lucrative for content creators.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reddit's decision to monetise content creators is also a&nbsp;shift in its business model, especially in light of the backlash the platform faced in June.</p>

<p>During that tumultuous period, a significant portion of Reddit was rendered inaccessible as a form of protest against the company's senior management.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-why-thousand-of-subreddits-are-going-dark-on-reddit-603320">Explained: Why are thousands of subreddits going dark on Reddit?</a></p>

<h2><strong>Evolution of Reddit's "gold"</strong></h2>

<p>Gold has been a fixture on Reddit for quite some time, initially serving as a virtual token of appreciation for exceptional posts or comments.</p>

<p>In the past, Redditors could purchase and gift gold to others, but it held no tangible real-world value; the funds were used to support the platform.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;NASA's spacecraft lands successfully | First-ever poetry written by AI&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nasas-spacecraft-lands-successfully-first-ever-poetry-written-by-ai-trending-on-wion-639357/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>However, receiving gold came with perks, such as an ad-free week of browsing Reddit. Later, a more exclusive platinum award offered a month of ad-free browsing.</p>

<p>The announcement of this innovative content monetisation strategy has generated mixed reactions among Reddit users. While some Redditors express concerns that it might adversely impact the platform's overall quality, others remain cautiously optimistic.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-admits-reddit-blackout-affected-search-experience-as-users-were-unhappy-609981">Google admits Reddit blackout affected search experience as users were 'unhappy'</a></p>

<p>A few months back&nbsp;thousands of communities on Reddit had gone dark. Meaning, these subreddits had locked themselves as a sign of protest against the site's 'ludicrous' new decision to try to monetise access to its data.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></p>


Reddit, one of the world's most popular social media platforms, has unveiled a plan to financially reward its top contributors for their valuable posts. This initiative is set to launch initially in the United States, marking a significant departure from Reddit's traditional approach to content rewards.

Reddit, one of the world's most popular social media platforms, has unveiled a plan to financially reward its top contributors for their valuable posts. This initiative is set to launch initially in the United States, marking a significant departure from Reddit's traditional approach to content rewards. A new era of content monetisation Under this scheme, Reddit will share its revenue with users who are granted the coveted "gold" award by fellow community members. These gold awards will be available for purchase, ranging in price from $1.99 to $49. The individuals receiving these accolades will, in turn, pocket up to half of the purchase price, making it potentially lucrative for content creators. Reddit's decision to monetise content creators is also a shift in its business model, especially in light of the backlash the platform faced in June. During that tumultuous period, a significant portion of Reddit was rendered inaccessible as a form of protest against the company's senior management. Also read | Explained: Why are thousands of subreddits going dark on Reddit? Evolution of Reddit's "gold" Gold has been a fixture on Reddit for quite some time, initially serving as a virtual token of appreciation for exceptional posts or comments. In the past, Redditors could purchase and gift gold to others, but it held no tangible real-world value; the funds were used to support the platform. Also watch | NASA's spacecraft lands successfully | First-ever poetry written by AI However, receiving gold came with perks, such as an ad-free week of browsing Reddit. Later, a more exclusive platinum award offered a month of ad-free browsing. The announcement of this innovative content monetisation strategy has generated mixed reactions among Reddit users. While some Redditors express concerns that it might adversely impact the platform's overall quality, others remain cautiously optimistic. Also read | Google admits Reddit blackout affected search experience as users were 'unhappy' A few months back thousands of communities on Reddit had gone dark. Meaning, these subreddits had locked themselves as a sign of protest against the site's 'ludicrous' new decision to try to monetise access to its data. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Reddit to start paying top contributors for popular posts

<p>To further break the terror networks in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the social media sites have reportedly given direct access to Jammu and Kashmir Police to track people who are involved in anti-national activities.</p>

<p>According to top police officials, the Jammu and Kashmir police in the Union territory is actively tracking the individuals found involved in any anti-national activity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to sources, this is the first time that direct access to social media sites has been provided to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.</p>

<p>The Police will have all the information regarding those who are using social media sites to spread anti-national propaganda.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/terrorist-hardeep-singh-nijjar-was-hit-with-34-bullets-fired-by-men-in-sikh-getup-report-639697">Terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was hit with 34 bullets fired by men in 'Sikh getup': Report</a></p>

<p>The terror networks have been using these sites to talk to their handlers across the border in Pakistan.</p>

<p>According to officials, some of these apps also work without SIM cards. Although this year hundreds of OGWs (Over the Ground Workers) have been arrested by the J&amp;K Police, the direct access by social media sites will give them a further edge to break the terror networks in the valley.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In recent times, every other day Jammu and Kashmir Police bust the terror networks and arrested OGWs.</p>

<p>In North Kashmir's Baramulla district, one Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist and five terror associates including two women were arrested by J&amp;K Police.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/interpol-issues-red-corner-notice-for-khalistani-terrorist-karanvir-singh-639677">Interpol issues Red Corner Notice for Khalistani terrorist Karanvir Singh</a></p>

<p>"The police have arrested an active LeT terrorist and five terrorist associates in Baramulla district and recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition including grenades and pistols from them. The process of arrests started after two suspects were detained in September in Uri. The five terror associates arrested include two women and a juvenile as well. Accordingly, a case under relevant sections of law was registered in Police Station Baramulla and an investigation was taken up'', said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Barmulla Amog Nagpure.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the Kokernag encounter in South Kashmir, where security forces lost three officers and one soldier in the gunfight, one arrest was made in South Kashmir of a person who was found glorifying terrorism on social media sites.</p>

<p>He was arrested and a case was filed against him. The Police is now also monitoring the group chats on various social media sites.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-crackdown-on-khalistani-terrorists-punjab-police-conducts-raids-at-264-locations-in-state-639757">India crackdown on Khalistani terrorists: Punjab police conducts raids at 264 locations in state</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-crackdown-on-khalistani-terrorists-punjab-police-conducts-raids-at-264-locations-in-state-639757/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>However, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti came heavily on social media sites to give access to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.</p>

<p>''As if the level of surveillance in J&amp;K wasn't enough, now agencies have been given free access to intrude upon people’s privacy &amp; whatever they post on social media. As it is, they are breathing down our necks, '' said former chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


To further break the terror networks in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the social media sites have reportedly given direct access to Jammu and Kashmir Police to track people who are involved in anti-national activities.

To further break the terror networks in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the social media sites have reportedly given direct access to Jammu and Kashmir Police to track people who are involved in anti-national activities. According to top police officials, the Jammu and Kashmir police in the Union territory is actively tracking the individuals found involved in any anti-national activity. According to sources, this is the first time that direct access to social media sites has been provided to the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The Police will have all the information regarding those who are using social media sites to spread anti-national propaganda. Also Read | Terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was hit with 34 bullets fired by men in 'Sikh getup': Report The terror networks have been using these sites to talk to their handlers across the border in Pakistan. According to officials, some of these apps also work without SIM cards. Although this year hundreds of OGWs (Over the Ground Workers) have been arrested by the J&K Police, the direct access by social media sites will give them a further edge to break the terror networks in the valley. In recent times, every other day Jammu and Kashmir Police bust the terror networks and arrested OGWs. In North Kashmir's Baramulla district, one Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist and five terror associates including two women were arrested by J&K Police. Also Read | Interpol issues Red Corner Notice for Khalistani terrorist Karanvir Singh "The police have arrested an active LeT terrorist and five terrorist associates in Baramulla district and recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition including grenades and pistols from them. The process of arrests started after two suspects were detained in September in Uri. The five terror associates arrested include two women and a juvenile as well. Accordingly, a case under relevant sections of law was registered in Police Station Baramulla and an investigation was taken up'', said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Barmulla Amog Nagpure. After the Kokernag encounter in South Kashmir, where security forces lost three officers and one soldier in the gunfight, one arrest was made in South Kashmir of a person who was found glorifying terrorism on social media sites. He was arrested and a case was filed against him. The Police is now also monitoring the group chats on various social media sites. Watch | India crackdown on Khalistani terrorists: Punjab police conducts raids at 264 locations in state × However, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti came heavily on social media sites to give access to the Jammu and Kashmir Police. ''As if the level of surveillance in J&K wasn't enough, now agencies have been given free access to intrude upon people’s privacy & whatever they post on social media. As it is, they are breathing down our necks, '' said former chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti. 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. ×

J&K Police get access to track anti-national individuals on social media sites

Former first son, Trump Jr's social media account was hacked on X, formerly known as Twitter. The hacker announced that Donald Trump was dead and took a jab at U.S. President Biden. What more fake tweets were posted? Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: Trump Jr’s social media account gets hacked | Is social media more fake than real?

<p>On a seemingly ordinary Monday (September 4) afternoon, tech mogul Elon Musk, known for his controversial Twitter presence, made a surprising statement on his verified Twitter account. Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, declared his stance against antisemitism, sparking a Twitter storm and subsequent clash with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).</p>

<p>The move brought to light several issues, including allegations of false accusations and a significant decline in advertising revenue for X, which Musk attributed to the ADL's influence.</p>

<h2><strong>Musk's allegations and threats</strong></h2>

<p>Elon Musk's Twitter posts expressed his concern over antisemitism and free speech. He accused the ADL of attempting to undermine his social media platform by falsely labelling it and himself as antisemitic. Musk even hinted at a potential defamation lawsuit against the ADL, threatening to force them to drop the "anti" part of their name if they lost the suit. This provocative move left many wondering about the implications and possible legal actions.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/elon-musks-x-to-collect-users-facial-data-fingerprints-employment-and-educational-details-explained-632169">Elon Musk’s X to collect user’s facial data, fingerprints, employment and educational details: Explained</a></p>

<h2><strong>ADL's response and policy</strong></h2>

<p>In response to Musk's accusations, the ADL refrained from commenting on the legal threats, citing their policy. They referred media inquiries to a general statement addressing a recent #BanTheADL campaign on the platform, which Musk had engaged with. This stance signalled their intent to remain focused on their mission of combating hate in all forms and safeguarding marginalised groups.</p>

<h2><strong>Advertising revenue woes</strong></h2>

<p>Musk also claimed that X's advertising revenue had plummeted by 60 per cent&nbsp;in the US.&nbsp;He attributed this sharp decline to pressure from the ADL, alleging that advertisers were influenced by the organisation's actions. This assertion raised questions about the power of advocacy groups over social media platforms and their revenue streams.</p>

<h2><strong>Previous controversies and legal battles</strong></h2>

<p>This clash between Musk and the ADL isn't the first controversy surrounding X. In the past, advertisers expressed concerns about potential changes Musk might make to the platform, leading to a pullback in advertising. Musk himself blamed "activist groups" for trying to suppress free speech on the platform. Additionally, X recently filed a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), accusing them of orchestrating a campaign to drive advertisers away from the platform. This lawsuit added another layer to Musk's legal battles and drew criticism from CCDH.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Musk vs US govt over subsidies</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/musk-vs-us-govt-over-subsidies-631668/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The ADL had previously published a report accusing X of failing to take action against hate speech. Their research indicated that a mere 28 per cent of posts flagged for antisemitic content received sanctions or removal. This critique highlighted concerns about X's commitment to combating hate speech and its effectiveness in content moderation.</p>

<p>A study from Montclair State University revealed a concerning increase in hate speech on X shortly after Musk assumed ownership. The platform witnessed a surge in offensive content targeting individuals based on race and other protected classes, suggesting a shift in the acceptability of such content under Musk's leadership. Moreover, X faced backlash for seemingly reversing its policy aimed at protecting transgender individuals on the platform, earning it the title of "the most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people", according to GLAAD's Social Media Safety Index.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></p>


On a seemingly ordinary Monday (September 4) afternoon, tech mogul Elon Musk, known for his controversial Twitter presence, made a surprising statement on his verified Twitter account.

On a seemingly ordinary Monday (September 4) afternoon, tech mogul Elon Musk, known for his controversial Twitter presence, made a surprising statement on his verified Twitter account. Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, declared his stance against antisemitism, sparking a Twitter storm and subsequent clash with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The move brought to light several issues, including allegations of false accusations and a significant decline in advertising revenue for X, which Musk attributed to the ADL's influence. Musk's allegations and threats Elon Musk's Twitter posts expressed his concern over antisemitism and free speech. He accused the ADL of attempting to undermine his social media platform by falsely labelling it and himself as antisemitic. Musk even hinted at a potential defamation lawsuit against the ADL, threatening to force them to drop the "anti" part of their name if they lost the suit. This provocative move left many wondering about the implications and possible legal actions. Also read | Elon Musk’s X to collect user’s facial data, fingerprints, employment and educational details: Explained ADL's response and policy In response to Musk's accusations, the ADL refrained from commenting on the legal threats, citing their policy. They referred media inquiries to a general statement addressing a recent #BanTheADL campaign on the platform, which Musk had engaged with. This stance signalled their intent to remain focused on their mission of combating hate in all forms and safeguarding marginalised groups. Advertising revenue woes Musk also claimed that X's advertising revenue had plummeted by 60 per cent in the US. He attributed this sharp decline to pressure from the ADL, alleging that advertisers were influenced by the organisation's actions. This assertion raised questions about the power of advocacy groups over social media platforms and their revenue streams. Previous controversies and legal battles This clash between Musk and the ADL isn't the first controversy surrounding X. In the past, advertisers expressed concerns about potential changes Musk might make to the platform, leading to a pullback in advertising. Musk himself blamed "activist groups" for trying to suppress free speech on the platform. Additionally, X recently filed a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), accusing them of orchestrating a campaign to drive advertisers away from the platform. This lawsuit added another layer to Musk's legal battles and drew criticism from CCDH. Also watch | Musk vs US govt over subsidies The ADL had previously published a report accusing X of failing to take action against hate speech. Their research indicated that a mere 28 per cent of posts flagged for antisemitic content received sanctions or removal. This critique highlighted concerns about X's commitment to combating hate speech and its effectiveness in content moderation. A study from Montclair State University revealed a concerning increase in hate speech on X shortly after Musk assumed ownership. The platform witnessed a surge in offensive content targeting individuals based on race and other protected classes, suggesting a shift in the acceptability of such content under Musk's leadership. Moreover, X faced backlash for seemingly reversing its policy aimed at protecting transgender individuals on the platform, earning it the title of "the most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people", according to GLAAD's Social Media Safety Index. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Musk points finger at anti-defamation league for X's ad sales slump, threatens legal showdown

Right now the question is is it okay for children under the age of 18 to exercise their free will before they go on creating their profiles on social media? There is a lot of debate around this but a federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked or cancelled a state in the United States from enforcing a new law that would have required parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts. let us get to know more here.

Judge blocks law calling for parental consent for kids on social media

<p>A video captured by a passerby of a moment when a meteor flew across and lit up the night sky in the Turkish city of Erzurum and Gumushane Province in the east of the country is gaining traction on social media.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>About the video</strong></h2>

<p>Onur Kacmaz who posted the video on X (formerly Twitter), on Saturday (September 2) was said to be in a children’s park in the evening when a meteor flew across the night sky briefly lighting up the clouds in a somewhat green and then red colour.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="tr">Gökyüzüne dikkat 👁️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/erzurum?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#erzurum</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/meteor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#meteor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/g%C3%B6ky%C3%BCz%C3%BC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gökyüzü</a> <a href="https://t.co/mKkLIv9LGv">pic.twitter.com/mKkLIv9LGv</a></p>
— onurkacmaz (@onurkacmaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/onurkacmaz/status/1698023673678971175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The video of the dramatic view which is said to have been caused by the meteoroid entering the Earth’s upper atmosphere and heating up, has since garnered nearly 65,000 views and over 230 likes with it being widely shared on social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/rare-astronomical-accident-meteorite-hits-woman-sipping-coffee-with-a-friend-616184">Rare astronomical accident: Meteorite hits woman sipping coffee with a friend</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>Different angle</strong></h2>

<p>Another video which is said to be of the same meteor was posted by another X user with the caption “Another great angle of the green meteor spotted in Turkey about an hour ago.”&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another great angle of the green meteor spotted in Turkey about an hour ago. <a href="https://t.co/JXx5hBNJcU">pic.twitter.com/JXx5hBNJcU</a></p>
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) <a href="https://twitter.com/WxNB_/status/1698041924928598349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>A report by the Abu Dhabi-based daily newspaper, The National, said that the meteor was also visible in the coastal city of Antalya and that it surprised some drivers along a rural road.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/meteor-remnants-found-on-pacific-not-part-of-solar-system-could-be-alien-technology-harvard-scientist-630303">Meteor remnants found in Pacific not part of solar system, could be 'alien technology': Harvard scientist</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>What is a meteor?</strong></h2>

<p>According to the American space agency, NASA, meteoroids or “space rocks,” are objects in space that range in size from dust grains to small asteroids but when they enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up, the fireballs or “shooting stars” are called meteors.</p>

<p>Additionally, meteors, which are made of metals like iron and nickel, emit a green colour when they burn through the atmosphere.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


A video captured by a passerby of a moment when a meteor flew across and lit up the night sky in the Turkish city of Erzurum and Gumushane Province in the east of the country is gaining traction on social media.

A video captured by a passerby of a moment when a meteor flew across and lit up the night sky in the Turkish city of Erzurum and Gumushane Province in the east of the country is gaining traction on social media. About the video Onur Kacmaz who posted the video on X (formerly Twitter), on Saturday (September 2) was said to be in a children’s park in the evening when a meteor flew across the night sky briefly lighting up the clouds in a somewhat green and then red colour. Gökyüzüne dikkat 👁️ #erzurum #meteor #gökyüzü pic.twitter.com/mKkLIv9LGv — onurkacmaz (@onurkacmaz) September 2, 2023 × The video of the dramatic view which is said to have been caused by the meteoroid entering the Earth’s upper atmosphere and heating up, has since garnered nearly 65,000 views and over 230 likes with it being widely shared on social media. ALSO READ | Rare astronomical accident: Meteorite hits woman sipping coffee with a friend Different angle Another video which is said to be of the same meteor was posted by another X user with the caption “Another great angle of the green meteor spotted in Turkey about an hour ago.” Another great angle of the green meteor spotted in Turkey about an hour ago. pic.twitter.com/JXx5hBNJcU — Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) September 2, 2023 × A report by the Abu Dhabi-based daily newspaper, The National, said that the meteor was also visible in the coastal city of Antalya and that it surprised some drivers along a rural road. ALSO READ | Meteor remnants found in Pacific not part of solar system, could be 'alien technology': Harvard scientist What is a meteor? According to the American space agency, NASA, meteoroids or “space rocks,” are objects in space that range in size from dust grains to small asteroids but when they enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up, the fireballs or “shooting stars” are called meteors. Additionally, meteors, which are made of metals like iron and nickel, emit a green colour when they burn through the atmosphere. 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.

WATCH | Meteor 'lights up' night sky in Turkish city of Erzurum

<p>In an attempt to keep up with X, formerly known as Twitter, Meta on Tuesday (August 22) announced the launch of its web version of the Threads app. Having launched the app in July, Meta has been hit with a reality check in recent weeks as it attempts to&nbsp;rebuild consumer interest.</p>

<p>Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to the platform ad announced the release of the desktop version, with a photo of his younger self in his dorm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Actual footage of me building Threads for the web. Rolling out over the next few days." he captioned the post as saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Users can now post a thread, access their feed and interact with other users on the website. While Meta says the web version is part of a comprehensive drive to deliver new features to the users, experts argue that the social media platform needs to polish its product to stand a chance against X. &nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/twitter-threatens-legal-action-against-metas-threads-unraveling-battle-for-social-media-supremacy-612886"><strong>Also read | X&nbsp;threatens legal action against Meta's Threads, unraveling battle for social media supremacy</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Threads becomes a dud&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Threads, dubbed a "Twitter/X&nbsp;killer" by a significant portion of the internet community, had an impressive opening but since then, the platform has seen its popularity take a massive&nbsp;dip. As per data, both active users and time spent on the app - two major metrics to gauge a platform's popularity, were down significantly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Similarweb data, over 100 million users had signed up for the app within a week of its release on July 5. The app reached a peak of 49 million users who engaged with the platform on a daily basis. However, on July 22, the metric had fallen to 12 million active users.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Even Zuckerberg admitted there has been a drop in numbers as Meta seeks to compete against X.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Obviously, if you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We're not there yet," he told employees during an internal company town hall last month.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/threads-vs-x-the-rivalry-intensifies-as-threads-gets-a-web-version-wion-628098"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Threads vs X: The rivalry intensifies as Threads gets a web version | WION</strong></a></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/threads-vs-x-the-rivalry-intensifies-as-threads-gets-a-web-version-wion-628098/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Musk vs Zuckerberg&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Ever since the launch of Threads, both Elon Musk and Zuckerberg have been at each other's throats. The rivalry has only intensified after Musk and his team threatened to take legal action against&nbsp;Zuckerberg.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a letter addressed to the Meta boss, X's lawyer Alex Spiro warned that the company intends to sue Meta if it does not cease using Twitter's trade secrets and confidential information, reports Reuters.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


In an attempt to keep up with X, formerly known as Twitter, Meta on Tuesday (August 22) announced the launch of its web version of the Threads app. Having launched the app in July, Meta has been hit with a reality check in recent weeks as it attempts to rebuild consumer interest.

In an attempt to keep up with X, formerly known as Twitter, Meta on Tuesday (August 22) announced the launch of its web version of the Threads app. Having launched the app in July, Meta has been hit with a reality check in recent weeks as it attempts to rebuild consumer interest. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to the platform ad announced the release of the desktop version, with a photo of his younger self in his dorm. “Actual footage of me building Threads for the web. Rolling out over the next few days." he captioned the post as saying. Users can now post a thread, access their feed and interact with other users on the website. While Meta says the web version is part of a comprehensive drive to deliver new features to the users, experts argue that the social media platform needs to polish its product to stand a chance against X. Also read | X threatens legal action against Meta's Threads, unraveling battle for social media supremacy Threads becomes a dud Threads, dubbed a "Twitter/X killer" by a significant portion of the internet community, had an impressive opening but since then, the platform has seen its popularity take a massive dip. As per data, both active users and time spent on the app - two major metrics to gauge a platform's popularity, were down significantly. According to Similarweb data, over 100 million users had signed up for the app within a week of its release on July 5. The app reached a peak of 49 million users who engaged with the platform on a daily basis. However, on July 22, the metric had fallen to 12 million active users. Even Zuckerberg admitted there has been a drop in numbers as Meta seeks to compete against X. "Obviously, if you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We're not there yet," he told employees during an internal company town hall last month. Watch | Threads vs X: The rivalry intensifies as Threads gets a web version | WION × Musk vs Zuckerberg Ever since the launch of Threads, both Elon Musk and Zuckerberg have been at each other's throats. The rivalry has only intensified after Musk and his team threatened to take legal action against Zuckerberg. In a letter addressed to the Meta boss, X's lawyer Alex Spiro warned that the company intends to sue Meta if it does not cease using Twitter's trade secrets and confidential information, reports Reuters. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Meta officially rolls out web version of Threads app to compete against X

Elon Musk's social media app is in new trouble. 'X' removed pictures & links posted before Dec 2014. Platform users voice concerns about the glitch. Is 'X' on the verge of failure?

'X ‘may fail’ after...': Elon Musk's big reveal about the social media platform

Vietnam has an track record of blocking online content criticizing the one-party state. Now it is proposing to go a step further by blocking the users themselves from accessing the internet.

Vietnam's new measures to block users from accessing the internet

<p>According to a recent report, social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has retracted from its previous move of slowing down access to a few of the top news outlets. However, the delays in accessing links to other&nbsp;social media competing platforms like Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram continue to remain. This alleged deliberate delay, which lasted approximately five seconds upon clicking a link on X, was observed during tests conducted by The Washington Post and Reuters. However, as of late Tuesday, X seemed to have eliminated this delay. Despite confirmation of the removal, there was no comment&nbsp;by X.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Previous conflicts</strong></h2>

<p>Billionaire Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter in October, has previously engaged in public disputes with news organisations and journalists who have critiqued his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. Moreover, X has previously prevented users from sharing links to rival social media platforms.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgia-governor-brian-kemp-takes-to-twitter-to-refute-donald-trumps-allegations-of-election-theft-625869">Georgia Governor Brian Kemp takes to Twitter to refute Donald Trump's allegations of election theft</a></p>

<p>At the time he cited that there will be no free advertising for these competing platforms and that it is a violation of X policies. As per reports, Musk said that cross-posting is accepted but what is not acceptable is X platform being used in order to promote one's content.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Delay in accessing links&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>While the exact events which led to the delay in accessing links remain unclear, a user on Hacker News, a technology-focused forum, reportedly said that X began imposing delays on links to the New York Times on August 4.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hunter-bidens-lawyer-steps-down-to-testify-as-witness-in-doj-investigation-625865">Hunter Biden's lawyer steps down, to testify as witness in DOJ investigation</a></p>

<p>On that same day, Musk publicly criticised the New York Times for its coverage of South Africa and accused it of promoting genocide. However, it is worth noting that there is no proven connection between these two events and no certain conclusion can be drawn.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Concerns and reactions&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Before the delay in accessing the links was reversed, representatives from The New York Times expressed concerns over the incident. "While we don't know the rationale behind the application of this time delay, we would be concerned by targeted pressure applied to any news organisation for unclear reasons," the spokesperson said on Tuesday.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Poland beefs defence amid Russia-Ukraine war</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/poland-beefs-defence-amid-russia-ukraine-war-625850/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>A Reuters spokesperson said: "We are aware of the report in the Washington Post of a delay in opening links to Reuters stories on X. We are looking into the matter."&nbsp;Bluesky, a competitor of X, and Meta reportedly did not respond to requests for comments on the issue.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


According to a recent report, social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has retracted from its previous move of slowing down access to a few of the top news outlets.

According to a recent report, social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has retracted from its previous move of slowing down access to a few of the top news outlets. However, the delays in accessing links to other social media competing platforms like Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram continue to remain. This alleged deliberate delay, which lasted approximately five seconds upon clicking a link on X, was observed during tests conducted by The Washington Post and Reuters. However, as of late Tuesday, X seemed to have eliminated this delay. Despite confirmation of the removal, there was no comment by X. Previous conflicts Billionaire Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter in October, has previously engaged in public disputes with news organisations and journalists who have critiqued his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. Moreover, X has previously prevented users from sharing links to rival social media platforms. Also Read | Georgia Governor Brian Kemp takes to Twitter to refute Donald Trump's allegations of election theft At the time he cited that there will be no free advertising for these competing platforms and that it is a violation of X policies. As per reports, Musk said that cross-posting is accepted but what is not acceptable is X platform being used in order to promote one's content. Delay in accessing links While the exact events which led to the delay in accessing links remain unclear, a user on Hacker News, a technology-focused forum, reportedly said that X began imposing delays on links to the New York Times on August 4. Also Read | Hunter Biden's lawyer steps down, to testify as witness in DOJ investigation On that same day, Musk publicly criticised the New York Times for its coverage of South Africa and accused it of promoting genocide. However, it is worth noting that there is no proven connection between these two events and no certain conclusion can be drawn. Concerns and reactions Before the delay in accessing the links was reversed, representatives from The New York Times expressed concerns over the incident. "While we don't know the rationale behind the application of this time delay, we would be concerned by targeted pressure applied to any news organisation for unclear reasons," the spokesperson said on Tuesday. Watch | Poland beefs defence amid Russia-Ukraine war × A Reuters spokesperson said: "We are aware of the report in the Washington Post of a delay in opening links to Reuters stories on X. We are looking into the matter." Bluesky, a competitor of X, and Meta reportedly did not respond to requests for comments on the issue. 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. ×

Musk retracts slowed access to news outlets, but delay not removed for social media rivals

<p>Authorities in the United Kingdom’s capital city, London, have warned businesses to prepare for “gangs of youths” who may carry out an alleged TikTok-inspired raid at a shopping centre, on Saturday (August 12). The warning was issued a day prior to the south-east London borough amid speculations that a post on TikTok and other social media platforms could encourage people to storm JD Sports to steal items.</p>

<h2><strong>What did the London police say?</strong></h2>

<p>According to British media reports, stores in the Broadway Shopping Centre were sent a letter that said, “Many of you will have seen on social media the potential threat of stores being targeted by gangs of youths who intend to steal stock. They are targeting specific towns and Bexleyheath has been listed for this coming Saturday, August 12.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>It added, “We will be increasing the number of guards within the shopping centre, ensuring that one is positioned at each main entrance. If we see that there is any trouble outside we will shut all entrances until everything calms down.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>The letter also said that while there is a chance of nothing happening, the police have decided to take the matter “seriously” and “cover every eventuality.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Additionally, a Met spokesperson also said that there will be an “increased policing presence” in the area this weekend after speculation of “anti-social behaviour,” adding that any person “who does take part in criminal activity will be dealt with.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to reports, a Section 35 dispersal order has been imposed on Broadway Shopping Centre till Sunday (August 13) at 4:00 pm (local time), in line with which police personnel have the power to stop people entering the area. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Dispersal orders allow the police with extra powers to break up groups of two or more people, where they believe their behaviour is causing a nuisance, harassment or distress to others.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Why is the police taking such stringent measures?</strong></h2>

<p>The security measures come days after police clashed with dozens of young people in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oxford-street-chaos-police-arrest-9-after-rumours-of-planned-disorder-on-social-media-624101">Oxford Street</a>, on Wednesday (August 9), in a similar social media-motivated incident. At least nine people were arrested and 34 dispersal orders were issued on Oxford Street, said the police, after rowdy crowds gathered on London’s busiest shopping street and rushed into stores.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reportedly, the crowd gathered after posts began appearing on TikTok and other social media apps calling for people to raid a sporting goods store at 3:00 pm (local time).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The message added, that it is advised the “dress code” was a balaclava and gloves. The mob of people forced the closure of West End stores and locked customers inside during Wednesday’s looting raid.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Authorities in the United Kingdom’s capital city, London, have warned businesses to prepare for “gangs of youths” who may carry out an alleged TikTok-inspired raid at a shopping centre, on Saturday (August 12).

Authorities in the United Kingdom’s capital city, London, have warned businesses to prepare for “gangs of youths” who may carry out an alleged TikTok-inspired raid at a shopping centre, on Saturday (August 12). The warning was issued a day prior to the south-east London borough amid speculations that a post on TikTok and other social media platforms could encourage people to storm JD Sports to steal items. What did the London police say? According to British media reports, stores in the Broadway Shopping Centre were sent a letter that said, “Many of you will have seen on social media the potential threat of stores being targeted by gangs of youths who intend to steal stock. They are targeting specific towns and Bexleyheath has been listed for this coming Saturday, August 12.” It added, “We will be increasing the number of guards within the shopping centre, ensuring that one is positioned at each main entrance. If we see that there is any trouble outside we will shut all entrances until everything calms down.” The letter also said that while there is a chance of nothing happening, the police have decided to take the matter “seriously” and “cover every eventuality.” Additionally, a Met spokesperson also said that there will be an “increased policing presence” in the area this weekend after speculation of “anti-social behaviour,” adding that any person “who does take part in criminal activity will be dealt with.” According to reports, a Section 35 dispersal order has been imposed on Broadway Shopping Centre till Sunday (August 13) at 4:00 pm (local time), in line with which police personnel have the power to stop people entering the area. Dispersal orders allow the police with extra powers to break up groups of two or more people, where they believe their behaviour is causing a nuisance, harassment or distress to others. Why is the police taking such stringent measures? The security measures come days after police clashed with dozens of young people in Oxford Street, on Wednesday (August 9), in a similar social media-motivated incident. At least nine people were arrested and 34 dispersal orders were issued on Oxford Street, said the police, after rowdy crowds gathered on London’s busiest shopping street and rushed into stores. Reportedly, the crowd gathered after posts began appearing on TikTok and other social media apps calling for people to raid a sporting goods store at 3:00 pm (local time). The message added, that it is advised the “dress code” was a balaclava and gloves. The mob of people forced the closure of West End stores and locked customers inside during Wednesday’s looting raid. (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.

London’s High Street ‘on lockdown’ to stop possible social media-fuelled 'mass looting'

Tech platforms can censor advertisements or should there be a model obligation to check the validity of products that are being widely scaled and advertised? Meta, YouTube and Google are being accused of making massive profits by promoting harmful Health products for women in Kenya. Now these products claim to cure infertility and even prevent cervical cancer in some cases but is it really ethical to promote these kinds of products that actually have not shown results?

Tech firms permit ads for potentially harmful products in Kenya

<p>While scrolling on Instagram reels, if you haven't stumbled upon a teenager struggling hilariously with a reality check during their summer internships (you actually have to work!), your algorithm probably concluded that you're not quite Gen Z.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The modern workforce is witnessing a shift as many young are ditching a full-time job in favour of a freelancing career.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to some estimates, 43 per cent of Gen Z in the US works in the gig economy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It’s an escape from the “soul-sucking" office culture as well as a swifter path to launching a career and stacking the fresh resumes.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-job-openings-sink-to-over-2-year-low-labor-market-remains-tight-621558">US job openings sink to two-year low, labour market remains&nbsp;tight</a></strong></p>

<p>The traditional college-internship-job route has been replaced by a competitive and entrepreneurial spirit. We want to move mountains before we even graduate college, which is most readily attainable within the realm of freelance work.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But is this shift a commendable celebration of individualism and adaptability, or does it signify a disconcerting departure from the long-established path towards secure and stable careers?</p>

<h2>Why do we levitate towards the gig economy?</h2>

<p>We’re in a landscape dominated by social media influencers advocating passion over practicality, memes mocking the 9 to 5 grind, coming-of-age films with a lead who has a whacky, non-traditional job and portraying corporate employees as 'NPCs', or non-playable characters.</p>

<p>Our generation can't help but feel that pursuing a secure career is seen as too "normie."&nbsp;</p>

<p>As we’re nudged towards a non-conformist approach to work, the post-pandemic era has unveiled a surprising ease with which Gen Z wants to earn.&nbsp;<br />
No forced office time or politics, reduced commuting and flexible working hours attract young workers to this more comfortable pace.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As an undergraduate student with peers who all share the anxiety of feeling like they just don’t fit into an office atmosphere or a singular career path, the gig economy seems like an answer to all our prayers: creative control, a chance to diversify our skills and work in different domains on our own terms.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As digital natives, we’re a generation that seizes opportunities to monetise our skills. Whether it be Etsy, TikTok or OnlyFans, there’s a niche for everybody to profit from.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Brand deals on a rapidly growing social media account can accelerate your career much quicker than conventional jobs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As a part of the impatient-to-earn Gen Z, I have considered racing the social media tracks for an easy income far too often.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We like taking shortcuts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Most corporate newbies I have encountered all share the sentiment that companies eventually shape employees to invest minimal effort while maximising their paid hours: “Why should I work on filling data in excel sheets when I can be out in the field doing consulting?”</p>

<h2>Red flag: It can lean towards being precarious and unrealistic</h2>

<p>But Gen Z’s romanticised spell of working at the most odd hour from a coffee shop with no ‘boss’ can easily be broken with a few hard-hitting questions: How will you afford unsubsidised healthcare?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Is it okay if you’re not paid for sick leave?&nbsp;<br />
What if your clients drop you?&nbsp;<br />
Did you pay a self employment tax?&nbsp;<br />
Can you budget your business costs?&nbsp;<br />
Is your business insured?&nbsp;<br />
What about pensions?</p>

<p>As proud as we are in valuing passion over disingenuity, we’re unfortunately also a generation lost in aesthetics over facts, easily enticed by unsustainable earning methods.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In freelancing, innate talent can often lead to a larger paycheck than a stable job. But many gig economy participants, especially those who promote it, often come from some form of wealth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For someone struggling to make ends meet, a lifestyle of uncertain opportunities and always being on the look-out may not be feasible.</p>

<p>In the quest for structure and advancement, a secure job emerges as an appealing choice.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-despite-prioritising-sex-millennials-are-less-sexually-free-than-gen-z-survey-finds-611916">Despite prioritising sex, millennials are less 'sexually free' than Gen Z, survey finds</a></strong></p>

<p>No fretting about the uncertainty of work; designated shifts offer focus without the added anxiety.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The best part? Post-shift hours and weekends are all yours for some much-needed "me time." Not to mention the chance to connect with a work community and expand your network to learn from fellow professionals.</p>

<h2>Your work ethic will lead your way</h2>

<p>There’s no bashing of either approaches, rather, a focus on investigating each beyond the aesthetics and words of privileged members of a high economic class.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Freelancing is a playground for the self-motivated, self-disciplined, and fiercely talented. It's all about weighing the risks, making sure your skill and freelancing income skyrockets enough to forgo those corporate benefits.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If not, there's no shame in the 9-5 grind; talent finds its place there too.&nbsp;<br />
You’re not a “normie” or a “suit”, it's about embracing what works best for you.</p>

<p>You can take up a passion project, a side hustle that adds a spark to your full-time job.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Diving into the gig economy doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing affair; it can be a safe, less risky way to explore your ambitions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In fact, it's a fairly common route that's statistically proven to make your 9-5 job more bearable. Who knows, this side gig might just be the game-changer you've been seeking.</p>

<p><strong>(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


While scrolling on Instagram reels, if you haven't stumbled upon a teenager struggling hilariously with a reality check during their summer internships (you actually have to work!

While scrolling on Instagram reels, if you haven't stumbled upon a teenager struggling hilariously with a reality check during their summer internships (you actually have to work!), your algorithm probably concluded that you're not quite Gen Z. The modern workforce is witnessing a shift as many young are ditching a full-time job in favour of a freelancing career. According to some estimates, 43 per cent of Gen Z in the US works in the gig economy. It’s an escape from the “soul-sucking" office culture as well as a swifter path to launching a career and stacking the fresh resumes. Also read | US job openings sink to two-year low, labour market remains tight The traditional college-internship-job route has been replaced by a competitive and entrepreneurial spirit. We want to move mountains before we even graduate college, which is most readily attainable within the realm of freelance work. But is this shift a commendable celebration of individualism and adaptability, or does it signify a disconcerting departure from the long-established path towards secure and stable careers? Why do we levitate towards the gig economy? We’re in a landscape dominated by social media influencers advocating passion over practicality, memes mocking the 9 to 5 grind, coming-of-age films with a lead who has a whacky, non-traditional job and portraying corporate employees as 'NPCs', or non-playable characters. Our generation can't help but feel that pursuing a secure career is seen as too "normie." As we’re nudged towards a non-conformist approach to work, the post-pandemic era has unveiled a surprising ease with which Gen Z wants to earn. No forced office time or politics, reduced commuting and flexible working hours attract young workers to this more comfortable pace. As an undergraduate student with peers who all share the anxiety of feeling like they just don’t fit into an office atmosphere or a singular career path, the gig economy seems like an answer to all our prayers: creative control, a chance to diversify our skills and work in different domains on our own terms. As digital natives, we’re a generation that seizes opportunities to monetise our skills. Whether it be Etsy, TikTok or OnlyFans, there’s a niche for everybody to profit from. Brand deals on a rapidly growing social media account can accelerate your career much quicker than conventional jobs. As a part of the impatient-to-earn Gen Z, I have considered racing the social media tracks for an easy income far too often. We like taking shortcuts. Most corporate newbies I have encountered all share the sentiment that companies eventually shape employees to invest minimal effort while maximising their paid hours: “Why should I work on filling data in excel sheets when I can be out in the field doing consulting?” Red flag: It can lean towards being precarious and unrealistic But Gen Z’s romanticised spell of working at the most odd hour from a coffee shop with no ‘boss’ can easily be broken with a few hard-hitting questions: How will you afford unsubsidised healthcare? Is it okay if you’re not paid for sick leave? What if your clients drop you? Did you pay a self employment tax? Can you budget your business costs? Is your business insured? What about pensions? As proud as we are in valuing passion over disingenuity, we’re unfortunately also a generation lost in aesthetics over facts, easily enticed by unsustainable earning methods. In freelancing, innate talent can often lead to a larger paycheck than a stable job. But many gig economy participants, especially those who promote it, often come from some form of wealth. For someone struggling to make ends meet, a lifestyle of uncertain opportunities and always being on the look-out may not be feasible. In the quest for structure and advancement, a secure job emerges as an appealing choice. Also read | Despite prioritising sex, millennials are less 'sexually free' than Gen Z, survey finds No fretting about the uncertainty of work; designated shifts offer focus without the added anxiety. The best part? Post-shift hours and weekends are all yours for some much-needed "me time." Not to mention the chance to connect with a work community and expand your network to learn from fellow professionals. Your work ethic will lead your way There’s no bashing of either approaches, rather, a focus on investigating each beyond the aesthetics and words of privileged members of a high economic class. Freelancing is a playground for the self-motivated, self-disciplined, and fiercely talented. It's all about weighing the risks, making sure your skill and freelancing income skyrockets enough to forgo those corporate benefits. If not, there's no shame in the 9-5 grind; talent finds its place there too. You’re not a “normie” or a “suit”, it's about embracing what works best for you. You can take up a passion project, a side hustle that adds a spark to your full-time job. Diving into the gig economy doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing affair; it can be a safe, less risky way to explore your ambitions. In fact, it's a fairly common route that's statistically proven to make your 9-5 job more bearable. Who knows, this side gig might just be the game-changer you've been seeking. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Can Gen-Z sustain themselves by working in the gig economy?

<p>Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, sued a non-profit research group, on Monday (July 31) which investigates hate speech on the social media platforms alleging that they pushed false claims and encouraged advertisers to pause investment on the platform.</p>

<h2><strong>X’s accusations</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The lawsuit was filed in a United States district court in Northern California where X alleged that the American and British operations of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) “engaged in a series of unlawful acts” and “improperly” accessed “protected X Corp. data.”</p>

<p>This comes a day after American media reported that the Elon Musk-owned social media platform sent a letter to the organisation and threatened to sue the non-profit for unspecified damages.</p>

<p>The social media giant also accused CCDH of researchers violating its terms of service as well as breach of contract, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and intentional interference with contractual relations, in a “scare campaign to drive away advertisers,” with “incendiary claims”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The microblogging platform also asks that CCDH be barred from accessing materials licensed to a tool that, according to Musk’s lawyers, was allegedly used by the group to obtain the data used for the report.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>CCDH report about X/Twitter</strong></h2>

<p>Musk, who is a self-described free-speech absolutist, as per reports has welcomed back white supremacists and election deniers to the platform after his takeover and reinstated previously banned accounts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The lawsuit stems from a report by Bloomberg published in July which cited findings from CCDH’s research and said that hate speech had increased towards minority communities on X.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The organisation, which also studies hate speech, extremism and harmful behaviour on social media platforms including X, TikTok and Facebook, has published several reports critical of Musk’s leadership after the takeover.&nbsp;It has also documented an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
However, as per American media reports, X’s attorney cited a report from June that showed that the microblogging platform failed to remove neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content from verified users that violated its rules.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The CCDH report in June said Twitter had failed to take action against 99 of the 100 paid accounts the organisation had flagged with user-reporting tools for hateful conduct, among which was an anti-Semitic post and a transphobic post.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a recent statement, X and its CEO Linda Yaccarino labelled the report false and inaccurate, adding that it was based on “a collection of incorrect, misleading, and outdated metrics, mostly from the period shortly after Twitter’s acquisition.”</p>

<h2><strong>Musk declares an ‘open war’</strong></h2>

<p>In response to X’s letter threatening to sue the research organisation, CCHD hit back and accused the social media platform of “intimidating those who have the courage to advocate against incitement, hate speech and harmful content online,” adding that their allegations have no factual basis.</p>

<p>In an interview with <em>The Associated Press</em>, CCHD founder and CEO Imran Ahmed called the lawsuit an “unprecedented escalation by a social media company against independent researchers.” He added, “Musk has just declared open war”.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, sued a non-profit research group, on Monday (July 31) which investigates hate speech on the social media platforms alleging that they pushed false claims and encouraged advertisers to pause investment on the platform.

Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, sued a non-profit research group, on Monday (July 31) which investigates hate speech on the social media platforms alleging that they pushed false claims and encouraged advertisers to pause investment on the platform. X’s accusations The lawsuit was filed in a United States district court in Northern California where X alleged that the American and British operations of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) “engaged in a series of unlawful acts” and “improperly” accessed “protected X Corp. data.” This comes a day after American media reported that the Elon Musk-owned social media platform sent a letter to the organisation and threatened to sue the non-profit for unspecified damages. The social media giant also accused CCDH of researchers violating its terms of service as well as breach of contract, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and intentional interference with contractual relations, in a “scare campaign to drive away advertisers,” with “incendiary claims”. The microblogging platform also asks that CCDH be barred from accessing materials licensed to a tool that, according to Musk’s lawyers, was allegedly used by the group to obtain the data used for the report. CCDH report about X/Twitter Musk, who is a self-described free-speech absolutist, as per reports has welcomed back white supremacists and election deniers to the platform after his takeover and reinstated previously banned accounts. The lawsuit stems from a report by Bloomberg published in July which cited findings from CCDH’s research and said that hate speech had increased towards minority communities on X. The organisation, which also studies hate speech, extremism and harmful behaviour on social media platforms including X, TikTok and Facebook, has published several reports critical of Musk’s leadership after the takeover. It has also documented an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation. However, as per American media reports, X’s attorney cited a report from June that showed that the microblogging platform failed to remove neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content from verified users that violated its rules. The CCDH report in June said Twitter had failed to take action against 99 of the 100 paid accounts the organisation had flagged with user-reporting tools for hateful conduct, among which was an anti-Semitic post and a transphobic post. In a recent statement, X and its CEO Linda Yaccarino labelled the report false and inaccurate, adding that it was based on “a collection of incorrect, misleading, and outdated metrics, mostly from the period shortly after Twitter’s acquisition.” Musk declares an ‘open war’ In response to X’s letter threatening to sue the research organisation, CCHD hit back and accused the social media platform of “intimidating those who have the courage to advocate against incitement, hate speech and harmful content online,” adding that their allegations have no factual basis. In an interview with The Associated Press, CCHD founder and CEO Imran Ahmed called the lawsuit an “unprecedented escalation by a social media company against independent researchers.” He added, “Musk has just declared open war”. (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.

Musk’s Twitter, now X, sues non-profit that documented rise in hate speech on platform

<p>Elon Musk's X Corp, the parent company of Twitter (renamed X.com), sent a letter to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit organisation studying hate speech and misinformation on social media. In the letter, X Corp&nbsp;accused the centre of making harmful and unfounded claims against Twitter and threatened legal action.</p>

<p>The Center for Countering Digital Hate published research in June, highlighting hate speech on Twitter.</p>

<p>One of their papers revealed that Twitter had taken no action against 99 per cent of 100 reported Twitter Blue accounts for "tweeting hate".</p>

<p>Elon Musk's company dismissed the research as false and misleading, citing improper methodology and accusing the centre of being funded by Twitter's competitors or foreign governments with ulterior motives.&nbsp;CCDH’s operations were “supported by funding from X Corp’s commercial competitors, as well as government entities and their affiliates," the letter read.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The letter was sent by Musk's lawyer Alex Spiro of the US law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan. “The article is little more than a series of inflammatory, misleading, and unsupported claims based on a cursory review of random tweets,” Spiro wrote.</p>

<h2><strong>Pushback&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Imran Ahmed, the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, criticised Elon Musk's actions as an attempt to silence legitimate criticism and independent research.</p>

<p>He argued that Musk's motivation was to improve his relationship with advertisers and suppress negative stories.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bhutans-roaring-success-in-tiger-conservation-grows-spotlight-with-latest-numbers-620999">Bhutan's roaring success in Tiger conservation grows spotlight with latest numbers</a></p>

<p>“Elon Musk’s actions represent a brazen attempt to silence honest criticism and independent research," he said adding that Musk sought to “stem the tide of negative stories and rebuild his relationship with advertisers," reported New York Times. In retaliation, a letter sent by Musk's lawyer said it is nothing but a “series of troubling and baseless claims that appear calculated to harm Twitter generally, and its digital advertising business specifically”.</p>

<h2><strong>Twitter's struggling advertising business</strong></h2>

<p>Under Elon Musk's ownership, Twitter's advertising business has faced challenges. The US&nbsp;ad revenue for a five-week period showed a 59 per cent decline compared to the previous year.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/song-about-going-to-prison-plays-as-trump-takes-to-stage-in-rally-620990">Song about 'going to prison' plays as Trump takes to stage in rally</a></p>

<p>Advertisers seem wary of Musk's changes to the social network, which include removing content guidelines and featuring more ads related to online gambling and marijuana products.</p>

<h2><strong>Leadership changes&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>In an effort to address the advertising struggles, Musk hired Linda Yaccarino, a former top advertising executive for NBCUniversal, as Twitter's new chief executive.</p>

<p>This letter to the Center for Countering Digital Hate is not the first legal threat from X Corp.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | UK: Health agency report shows slight increase in hospital admission</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-health-agency-report-shows-slight-increase-in-hospital-admission-621004/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>In May, Musk targeted Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, accusing the tech giant of improper data usage.</p>

<p>Additionally, X Corp&nbsp;sent a letter to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, accusing them of copying Twitter's trade secrets when creating their new social app, Threads.</p>

<p>Furthermore, X Corp&nbsp;filed a lawsuit against Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen &amp; Katz, a prominent corporate law firm, over alleged unjust payments related to Musk's $44 billion acquisition of Twitter.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Elon Musk's X Corp, the parent company of Twitter (renamed X.com), sent a letter to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit organisation studying hate speech and misinformation on social media.

Elon Musk's X Corp, the parent company of Twitter (renamed X.com), sent a letter to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit organisation studying hate speech and misinformation on social media. In the letter, X Corp accused the centre of making harmful and unfounded claims against Twitter and threatened legal action. The Center for Countering Digital Hate published research in June, highlighting hate speech on Twitter. One of their papers revealed that Twitter had taken no action against 99 per cent of 100 reported Twitter Blue accounts for "tweeting hate". Elon Musk's company dismissed the research as false and misleading, citing improper methodology and accusing the centre of being funded by Twitter's competitors or foreign governments with ulterior motives. CCDH’s operations were “supported by funding from X Corp’s commercial competitors, as well as government entities and their affiliates," the letter read. The letter was sent by Musk's lawyer Alex Spiro of the US law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan. “The article is little more than a series of inflammatory, misleading, and unsupported claims based on a cursory review of random tweets,” Spiro wrote. Pushback Imran Ahmed, the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, criticised Elon Musk's actions as an attempt to silence legitimate criticism and independent research. He argued that Musk's motivation was to improve his relationship with advertisers and suppress negative stories. Also Read | Bhutan's roaring success in Tiger conservation grows spotlight with latest numbers “Elon Musk’s actions represent a brazen attempt to silence honest criticism and independent research," he said adding that Musk sought to “stem the tide of negative stories and rebuild his relationship with advertisers," reported New York Times. In retaliation, a letter sent by Musk's lawyer said it is nothing but a “series of troubling and baseless claims that appear calculated to harm Twitter generally, and its digital advertising business specifically”. Twitter's struggling advertising business Under Elon Musk's ownership, Twitter's advertising business has faced challenges. The US ad revenue for a five-week period showed a 59 per cent decline compared to the previous year. Also Read | Song about 'going to prison' plays as Trump takes to stage in rally Advertisers seem wary of Musk's changes to the social network, which include removing content guidelines and featuring more ads related to online gambling and marijuana products. Leadership changes In an effort to address the advertising struggles, Musk hired Linda Yaccarino, a former top advertising executive for NBCUniversal, as Twitter's new chief executive. This letter to the Center for Countering Digital Hate is not the first legal threat from X Corp. Watch | UK: Health agency report shows slight increase in hospital admission × In May, Musk targeted Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, accusing the tech giant of improper data usage. Additionally, X Corp sent a letter to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, accusing them of copying Twitter's trade secrets when creating their new social app, Threads. Furthermore, X Corp filed a lawsuit against Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a prominent corporate law firm, over alleged unjust payments related to Musk's $44 billion acquisition of Twitter. 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. ×

Legal battle looms as X takes on hate speech tracker group over 'false claims'

<p>A report by the Wall Street Journal citing internal company communications, on Friday (July 28) said that Facebook removed content,&nbsp; including posts claiming the virus was man-made, from its social media platform after pressure from the White House. This comes a day after the United States President Joe Biden’s administration reaffirmed its position on social media content moderation.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Facebook asked to remove&nbsp;posts </strong></h2>

<p>In a leaked email procured by the WSJ, Nick Clegg, the company’s president of global affairs in July 2021 wrote, “Can someone quickly remind me why we were removing — rather than demoting/labeling — claims that Covid is man made.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Subsequently, the Facebook vice president in charge of content policy wrote, “We were under pressure from the administration and others to do more,” referencing the Biden administration, as quoted by the WSJ. The VP added, “We shouldn’t have done it.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>The emails in question were exchanged months after the social media platform had decided to end its policy of banning certain posts questioning whether COVID-19 was the result of a leak from Chinese virology lab in Wuhan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The WSJ also published an email that was circulated after Biden, in July 2021, accused platforms like Facebook of “killing people” by allowing so-called “misinformation” to propagate unchecked. The Facebook VP after a few days also circulated a memo that showed the difference between the company's content policies and the Biden administration’s demands.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“There is likely a significant gap between what the WH would like us to remove and what we are comfortable removing,” wrote the Facebook executive. The WSJ report citing an email from the VP further said that the White House also wanted the social media platform to take down humorous or satirical content that suggested the COVID-19 vaccines aren’t safe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To which Clegg responded: “I can’t see Mark [Zuckerberg] in a million years being comfortable with removing that – and I wouldn’t recommend it.”<br />
<br />
Furthermore, Facebook executives also expressed concerns that taking down posts showing American users reluctant about getting vaccinated could further fuel vaccine hesitancy and even warned that removing such posts could give rise to conspiracy theories, reported the WSJ.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>‘Facebook files’</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The report by the Journal also comes a day after the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee&nbsp;is in the midst of investigating what GOP lawmakers have claimed is the Biden administration’s unlawful censoring of users on social media.</p>

<p>The lawsuit was filed by Republican attorneys general of the US states of Missouri and Louisiana, in 2022, and accused the Biden administration of pressuring social media platforms to take down dissenting views, including criticism of mask mandates and objections to COVID-19 vaccination.</p>

<p>On Thursday, the GOP lawmaker from Ohio, Jim Jordan reasserted his claims of pressure on Facebook to censor conservative comments after he abruptly called off a vote Thursday to hold Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a series of tweets, Jordan revealed what he claimed were “never-before-released” documents contained in the House Judiciary Committee’s subpoena, which he called “Facebook files” and asserted “that Facebook and Instagram censored posts”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jordan also claimed that the alleged censorship and change in content moderation policies of the social media platform were changed due to “unconstitutional pressure” from the Biden administration.</p>

<p>One of these emails was written in April 2021, when a Facebook employee circulated an email for Facebook CEO Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, writing: “We are facing continued pressure from external stakeholders, including the [Biden] White House” to remove posts.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>White House reaffirms stance</strong></h2>

<p>Meanwhile, the White House, on Thursday said that the discussions with social media companies were aimed at protecting public health, safety, and security during a pandemic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We have consistently made clear that we believe social media companies have a critical responsibility to take account of the effects that their platforms have on the American people, while making independent decisions about the content of their platforms,” said the White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She added, “That continues to be the case. That has not changed, on what we believe here.”</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


A report by the Wall Street Journal citing internal company communications, on Friday (July 28) said that Facebook removed content, including posts claiming the virus was man-made, from its social media platform after pressure from the White House.

A report by the Wall Street Journal citing internal company communications, on Friday (July 28) said that Facebook removed content, including posts claiming the virus was man-made, from its social media platform after pressure from the White House. This comes a day after the United States President Joe Biden’s administration reaffirmed its position on social media content moderation. Facebook asked to remove posts In a leaked email procured by the WSJ, Nick Clegg, the company’s president of global affairs in July 2021 wrote, “Can someone quickly remind me why we were removing — rather than demoting/labeling — claims that Covid is man made.” Subsequently, the Facebook vice president in charge of content policy wrote, “We were under pressure from the administration and others to do more,” referencing the Biden administration, as quoted by the WSJ. The VP added, “We shouldn’t have done it.” The emails in question were exchanged months after the social media platform had decided to end its policy of banning certain posts questioning whether COVID-19 was the result of a leak from Chinese virology lab in Wuhan. The WSJ also published an email that was circulated after Biden, in July 2021, accused platforms like Facebook of “killing people” by allowing so-called “misinformation” to propagate unchecked. The Facebook VP after a few days also circulated a memo that showed the difference between the company's content policies and the Biden administration’s demands. “There is likely a significant gap between what the WH would like us to remove and what we are comfortable removing,” wrote the Facebook executive. The WSJ report citing an email from the VP further said that the White House also wanted the social media platform to take down humorous or satirical content that suggested the COVID-19 vaccines aren’t safe. To which Clegg responded: “I can’t see Mark [Zuckerberg] in a million years being comfortable with removing that – and I wouldn’t recommend it.” Furthermore, Facebook executives also expressed concerns that taking down posts showing American users reluctant about getting vaccinated could further fuel vaccine hesitancy and even warned that removing such posts could give rise to conspiracy theories, reported the WSJ. ‘Facebook files’ The report by the Journal also comes a day after the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee is in the midst of investigating what GOP lawmakers have claimed is the Biden administration’s unlawful censoring of users on social media. The lawsuit was filed by Republican attorneys general of the US states of Missouri and Louisiana, in 2022, and accused the Biden administration of pressuring social media platforms to take down dissenting views, including criticism of mask mandates and objections to COVID-19 vaccination. On Thursday, the GOP lawmaker from Ohio, Jim Jordan reasserted his claims of pressure on Facebook to censor conservative comments after he abruptly called off a vote Thursday to hold Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress. In a series of tweets, Jordan revealed what he claimed were “never-before-released” documents contained in the House Judiciary Committee’s subpoena, which he called “Facebook files” and asserted “that Facebook and Instagram censored posts”. Jordan also claimed that the alleged censorship and change in content moderation policies of the social media platform were changed due to “unconstitutional pressure” from the Biden administration. One of these emails was written in April 2021, when a Facebook employee circulated an email for Facebook CEO Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, writing: “We are facing continued pressure from external stakeholders, including the [Biden] White House” to remove posts. White House reaffirms stance Meanwhile, the White House, on Thursday said that the discussions with social media companies were aimed at protecting public health, safety, and security during a pandemic. “We have consistently made clear that we believe social media companies have a critical responsibility to take account of the effects that their platforms have on the American people, while making independent decisions about the content of their platforms,” said the White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre. She added, “That continues to be the case. That has not changed, on what we believe here.” 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.

Facebook removed COVID-19-related posts after pressure from the White House: Report

<p>In an update that may leave some billionaire fans upset, it turns out the ‘fight of the century’ may not be happening after all. This comes after multiple social media exchanges between billionaire social media moguls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg who had agreed to a “cage match” just over a month ago. However, the Facebook CEO during a recent town hall told employees that he was not sure if the fight was going to happen, reported Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What is this ‘cage match’?</strong></h2>

<p>In a series of social media posts and a chain of events that occurred in late June, the Facebook parent company Meta CEO and X owner, formerly known as Twitter, ‘agreed’ to a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/elon-musks-big-update-ahead-of-his-cage-fight-with-mark-zuckerberg-stst-610514">“cage match”</a> against each other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I’m sure Earth can’t wait to be exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options. At least it will be ‘sane’. Was worried there for a moment,” Musk tweeted with a crying-laughing emoji.</p>

<p>A Twitter user replied to Musk saying he should be careful of Zuckerberg since the Facebook boss had been practising jiu-jitsu, a Brazilian martial art form.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/fight-of-the-century-musk-and-zuckerberg-agree-to-fight-each-other-in-cage-match-607165">Fight of the century? Musk and Zuckerberg 'agree' to fight each other in cage match</a></strong></p>

<p>“I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” replied a cavalier Musk.</p>

<p>Though one would be forgiven to think it was all banter from Musk, Zuckerberg seemed game for the match. He posted a screenshot of Musk’s tweet on his Instagram story, saying, “send me location”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Afterwards, another netizen posted Zuckerberg’s Instagram story screenshot to which Musk replied, “If this is for real, I will do it.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>On June 30, Musk also took to his microblogging platform and in a cryptic post, days after the online banter said, “Some chance fight happens in Colosseum.”</p>

<h2><strong>So what happened?</strong></h2>

<p>During a town hall, on Thursday (July 28), the audio of which was heard by Reuters, Zuckerberg in response to the proposed “cage match” against Musk, Zuckerberg said he was “not sure if it’s going to come together.”&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-boss-zuckerberg-admits-threads-failed-to-retain-even-half-of-initial-users-620576">Meta boss Zuckerberg admits Threads failed to retain even half of initial users</a></strong></p>

<p>This comes as Meta’s CEO recently acknowledged that their new social media platform ‘Threads’ has witnessed a drastic fall in the number of its users within a month of its launch.</p>

<p>But make no mistake, the X rival rocketed to 100 million users within five days of its launch in early July; however, it failed to retain even half of them before the end of the month.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


In an update that may leave some billionaire fans upset, it turns out the ‘fight of the century’ may not be happening after all. This comes after multiple social media exchanges between billionaire social media moguls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg who had agreed to a “cage match” just over a month ago.

In an update that may leave some billionaire fans upset, it turns out the ‘fight of the century’ may not be happening after all. This comes after multiple social media exchanges between billionaire social media moguls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg who had agreed to a “cage match” just over a month ago. However, the Facebook CEO during a recent town hall told employees that he was not sure if the fight was going to happen, reported Reuters. What is this ‘cage match’? In a series of social media posts and a chain of events that occurred in late June, the Facebook parent company Meta CEO and X owner, formerly known as Twitter, ‘agreed’ to a “cage match” against each other. “I’m sure Earth can’t wait to be exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options. At least it will be ‘sane’. Was worried there for a moment,” Musk tweeted with a crying-laughing emoji. A Twitter user replied to Musk saying he should be careful of Zuckerberg since the Facebook boss had been practising jiu-jitsu, a Brazilian martial art form. ALSO READ | Fight of the century? Musk and Zuckerberg 'agree' to fight each other in cage match “I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” replied a cavalier Musk. Though one would be forgiven to think it was all banter from Musk, Zuckerberg seemed game for the match. He posted a screenshot of Musk’s tweet on his Instagram story, saying, “send me location”. Afterwards, another netizen posted Zuckerberg’s Instagram story screenshot to which Musk replied, “If this is for real, I will do it.” On June 30, Musk also took to his microblogging platform and in a cryptic post, days after the online banter said, “Some chance fight happens in Colosseum.” So what happened? During a town hall, on Thursday (July 28), the audio of which was heard by Reuters, Zuckerberg in response to the proposed “cage match” against Musk, Zuckerberg said he was “not sure if it’s going to come together.” ALSO READ | Meta boss Zuckerberg admits Threads failed to retain even half of initial users This comes as Meta’s CEO recently acknowledged that their new social media platform ‘Threads’ has witnessed a drastic fall in the number of its users within a month of its launch. But make no mistake, the X rival rocketed to 100 million users within five days of its launch in early July; however, it failed to retain even half of them before the end of the month. (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.

Cold feet? ‘Cage match’ against Musk might not happen, says Zuckerberg

<p>Elon Musk has once again succeeded in capturing the world's attention. Whether one loved or loathed the new logo, its unveiling has left netizens worldwide buzzing with excitement. Musk shared a video of his company's San Francisco headquarters on Saturday which showed the new logo 'X' in aerial footage. The giant sign has been placed atop the downtown building and is adorned with running LED lights, enhancing the beauty of the historic building.</p>

<p>Tesla CEO took to the microblogging site to showcase the breathtaking sight of the newly adorned San Francisco headquarters. The video has already garnered significant attention, amassing over 1.8 million views and 46,000 likes.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Social media frenzy&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>"Why do I imagine Elon standing up there with the look of Batman in his eyes saying quietly 'The world is mine'?" one user posted on X, drawing comparisons to the iconic superhero.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/melting-swiss-glacier-coughs-up-body-remains-of-hiker-who-went-missing-in-1986-620545">Melting Swiss glacier coughs up body remains of hiker who went missing in 1986</a></p>

<p>"That's LIT," wrote another user. "You are signaling to your friends in Mars. Right??" speculated a netizen, playfully suggesting that the X logo might have a secret extraterrestrial message.&nbsp;Elon had long been vocal about his ambition to colonise Mars, and fans enjoyed entertaining the idea that the logo might hold hidden meanings.</p>

<p>"You turned the place into a nightclub?" one user cheekily commented, comparing the electrifying atmosphere of the logo with that of a club.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asian-masalanomics-for-spice-trade-spiced-up-in-vietnam-2000-years-ago-reveals-study-620534">Asian masalanomics for spice trade spiced up in Vietnam 2000 years ago, reveals study</a></p>

<p>Amid the sea of positive comments, there was some criticism of the new logo as well.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Our HQ in San Francisco tonight <a href="https://t.co/VQO2NoX9Tz">pic.twitter.com/VQO2NoX9Tz</a></p>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1685211486669484032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>"I truly don't get the hype about that change. Personally, I hate the new icon, and do miss the bird," wrote one user, expressing their disappointment over the change of logo, which featured a bluebird. "That X looks cheap af, black is too dark, looks like an unfinished marketing trainee job," the tweet continued, criticizing the new logo design.</p>

<h2><strong>Controversy surrounding installation</strong></h2>

<p>Despite the excitement surrounding the new logo, its installation on the historic building has sparked controversy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The city of San Francisco initiated an investigation after learning that the giant 'X' sign was installed without proper permits. The Department of Building Inspection stated that any modifications to the building's exterior require a permit to maintain historical integrity and ensure safe installation.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Rains soak Northern China as Doksuri makes its way to Beijing</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/rains-soak-northern-china-as-doksuri-makes-its-way-to-beijing-620555/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>"Any replacement letters or symbols would require a permit to ensure consistency with the historic nature of the building and to make sure additions are safely attached to the sign," the spokesperson said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Elon Musk had announced the logo change earlier, leading to the installation of the LED sign board.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Interestingly, the appearance of the signboard came after San Francisco police stopped workers from removing the brand's iconic bird and logo due to safety concerns for pedestrians as they had not taped off the sidewalk.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Elon Musk has once again succeeded in capturing the world's attention. Whether one loved or loathed the new logo, its unveiling has left netizens worldwide buzzing with excitement.

Elon Musk has once again succeeded in capturing the world's attention. Whether one loved or loathed the new logo, its unveiling has left netizens worldwide buzzing with excitement. Musk shared a video of his company's San Francisco headquarters on Saturday which showed the new logo 'X' in aerial footage. The giant sign has been placed atop the downtown building and is adorned with running LED lights, enhancing the beauty of the historic building. Tesla CEO took to the microblogging site to showcase the breathtaking sight of the newly adorned San Francisco headquarters. The video has already garnered significant attention, amassing over 1.8 million views and 46,000 likes. Social media frenzy "Why do I imagine Elon standing up there with the look of Batman in his eyes saying quietly 'The world is mine'?" one user posted on X, drawing comparisons to the iconic superhero. Also Read | Melting Swiss glacier coughs up body remains of hiker who went missing in 1986 "That's LIT," wrote another user. "You are signaling to your friends in Mars. Right??" speculated a netizen, playfully suggesting that the X logo might have a secret extraterrestrial message. Elon had long been vocal about his ambition to colonise Mars, and fans enjoyed entertaining the idea that the logo might hold hidden meanings. "You turned the place into a nightclub?" one user cheekily commented, comparing the electrifying atmosphere of the logo with that of a club. Also Read | Asian masalanomics for spice trade spiced up in Vietnam 2000 years ago, reveals study Amid the sea of positive comments, there was some criticism of the new logo as well. Our HQ in San Francisco tonight pic.twitter.com/VQO2NoX9Tz — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2023 × "I truly don't get the hype about that change. Personally, I hate the new icon, and do miss the bird," wrote one user, expressing their disappointment over the change of logo, which featured a bluebird. "That X looks cheap af, black is too dark, looks like an unfinished marketing trainee job," the tweet continued, criticizing the new logo design. Controversy surrounding installation Despite the excitement surrounding the new logo, its installation on the historic building has sparked controversy. The city of San Francisco initiated an investigation after learning that the giant 'X' sign was installed without proper permits. The Department of Building Inspection stated that any modifications to the building's exterior require a permit to maintain historical integrity and ensure safe installation. Watch | Rains soak Northern China as Doksuri makes its way to Beijing × "Any replacement letters or symbols would require a permit to ensure consistency with the historic nature of the building and to make sure additions are safely attached to the sign," the spokesperson said. Elon Musk had announced the logo change earlier, leading to the installation of the LED sign board. Interestingly, the appearance of the signboard came after San Francisco police stopped workers from removing the brand's iconic bird and logo due to safety concerns for pedestrians as they had not taped off the sidewalk. 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. ×

WATCH: Elon Musk unveils new 'X' logo at San Francisco headquarters, sparks social media frenzy

<p>Recently, I had a conversation with someone grappling with major depressive disorder (MDD).</p>

<p>This person had consciously chosen to steer clear of both Instagram, which she branded as a cult of aesthetics, and X, which she completely dismissed as a mere megaphone for the uninformed.</p>

<p>Her perspective struck a chord with me, leaving me intrigued.</p>

<p>As I reminisce over my college days, one particular memory stands out.</p>

<p>A dear friend of mine, who now graces the screen as a morning-time anchor at a top TV channel, decided to tackle the captivating yet perilous subject of social media's harmful effects and our ever-present attachment to mobile phones.</p>

<p>Her enthusiasm was contagious as she prepared to deliver her presentation.</p>

<p>I vividly remember the moment she engaged the class with a straightforward question that cut through the air like a sharp blade: "Raise your hand if you think you are NOT addicted to social media."</p>

<p>Only one hand emerged from the crowd – mine.</p>

<p>A sense of pride and confidence washed over me, and a beaming smile adorned my face. In that moment, I firmly believed I had built an impregnable fortress of immunity against the allure of Instagram and X.</p>

<p>Little did I know that the siren calls of these virtual realms can seep through the tiniest of cracks.</p>

<p>As time went on, I, too, found myself wandering down the enticing rabbit hole of social media. The constant buzz of notifications and the allure of endless scrolling began to grip me.</p>

<p>Now, as I reflect on that moment in the classroom, I realise the profound irony of my self-assured response.</p>

<p>As I continue my path in the media world, I carry with me this wisdom - The ever-evolving digital landscape demands vigilance and a mindful approach.</p>

<p>But as I peel off the layers of this digital world, the question echoes, "What is going down in this virtual hell?"</p>

<p>The answer is complex and multifaceted, urging us to introspect and navigate this interconnected terrain with a discerning eye and a grounded sense of self.</p>

<h2><strong>Instagram as a cult of aesthetics</strong></h2>

<p>As I log into Instagram, I can't help but notice how this social media app is nothing but a quest for flawlessness, cultivating an obsession with aesthetics.</p>

<p>People are competing to present a picture-perfect version of their lives. The pictures are first carefully selected and then enhanced with artistic filters.</p>

<p>Soon enough and unconsciously, the same Instagram users carry around with them a weight of societal beauty standards.</p>

<p>And then comes the creeping monster which bites the most gullible ones first. It fuels their struggles with self-esteem and body image.</p>

<p>The heavy burden of comparison with influencers and celebrities only ends up in feelings of inadequacy and envy.</p>

<p>Genuine connections fade away with a relentless pursuit of validation through likes and comments. It leaves us all with just one thing in the end - the empty craving for online popularity.</p>

<h2><strong>X, a big mic to morons</strong></h2>

<p>Twitter, now rebranded as X, has become a platform that amplifies the voices of individuals, often regardless of the substance of their messages.</p>

<p>It amplifies the uninhibited and often mindless expression.</p>

<p>The platform's character limit encourages users to condense complex thoughts into short sentences. It sacrifices nuance and promotes superficial thinking.</p>

<p>As a result, X has fostered an environment where divisive opinions and misinformation spread like wildfire. It hijacks meaningful discourse and stifles constructive conversations.</p>

<p>The more I research on this, the more I confirm, said my friend I mentioned earlier, as we wrap up our conversation.</p>

<p>As social media continues to wield a powerful influence over society, it is imperative for us to reflect on the direction these platforms are taking us.</p>

<p>Instagram's cult of perfection and X's glorification of mindless expression contribute to the erosion of critical thinking.</p>

<p>Though, not everything is lost.</p>

<p>Undoubtedly, at times, the platform serves as a tool to air the right message and give voice to the voiceless.</p>

<p>For instance, my journalist friend a couple of days back used X to expose her neighbours who thrashed her parents over a parking dispute in the Indian capital Delhi.</p>

<p>However, more often than not, social media leads to unintended consequences. It lacks empathy and genuine human connection.</p>

<h2><strong>So where are we heading?</strong></h2>

<p>As individuals, we need to redefine our relationship with social media.</p>

<p>Embracing imperfection and authenticity on Instagram can counteract the relentless pursuit of an unattainable ideal.</p>

<p>Moreover, engaging in thoughtful discussions and supporting meaningful content on X can help foster an environment that promotes learning and empathy rather than senseless banter.</p>

<p>Ultimately, the power of these social media platforms lies within us, the users.</p>

<p>It is up to us to challenge the cult of aesthetics on Instagram and hold those promoting harmful rhetoric on X accountable.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Recently, I had a conversation with someone grappling with major depressive disorder (MDD). This person had consciously chosen to steer clear of both Instagram, which she branded as a cult of aesthetics, and X, which she completely dismissed as a mere megaphone for the uninformed.

Recently, I had a conversation with someone grappling with major depressive disorder (MDD). This person had consciously chosen to steer clear of both Instagram, which she branded as a cult of aesthetics, and X, which she completely dismissed as a mere megaphone for the uninformed. Her perspective struck a chord with me, leaving me intrigued. As I reminisce over my college days, one particular memory stands out. A dear friend of mine, who now graces the screen as a morning-time anchor at a top TV channel, decided to tackle the captivating yet perilous subject of social media's harmful effects and our ever-present attachment to mobile phones. Her enthusiasm was contagious as she prepared to deliver her presentation. I vividly remember the moment she engaged the class with a straightforward question that cut through the air like a sharp blade: "Raise your hand if you think you are NOT addicted to social media." Only one hand emerged from the crowd – mine. A sense of pride and confidence washed over me, and a beaming smile adorned my face. In that moment, I firmly believed I had built an impregnable fortress of immunity against the allure of Instagram and X. Little did I know that the siren calls of these virtual realms can seep through the tiniest of cracks. As time went on, I, too, found myself wandering down the enticing rabbit hole of social media. The constant buzz of notifications and the allure of endless scrolling began to grip me. Now, as I reflect on that moment in the classroom, I realise the profound irony of my self-assured response. As I continue my path in the media world, I carry with me this wisdom - The ever-evolving digital landscape demands vigilance and a mindful approach. But as I peel off the layers of this digital world, the question echoes, "What is going down in this virtual hell?" The answer is complex and multifaceted, urging us to introspect and navigate this interconnected terrain with a discerning eye and a grounded sense of self. Instagram as a cult of aesthetics As I log into Instagram, I can't help but notice how this social media app is nothing but a quest for flawlessness, cultivating an obsession with aesthetics. People are competing to present a picture-perfect version of their lives. The pictures are first carefully selected and then enhanced with artistic filters. Soon enough and unconsciously, the same Instagram users carry around with them a weight of societal beauty standards. And then comes the creeping monster which bites the most gullible ones first. It fuels their struggles with self-esteem and body image. The heavy burden of comparison with influencers and celebrities only ends up in feelings of inadequacy and envy. Genuine connections fade away with a relentless pursuit of validation through likes and comments. It leaves us all with just one thing in the end - the empty craving for online popularity. X, a big mic to morons Twitter, now rebranded as X, has become a platform that amplifies the voices of individuals, often regardless of the substance of their messages. It amplifies the uninhibited and often mindless expression. The platform's character limit encourages users to condense complex thoughts into short sentences. It sacrifices nuance and promotes superficial thinking. As a result, X has fostered an environment where divisive opinions and misinformation spread like wildfire. It hijacks meaningful discourse and stifles constructive conversations. The more I research on this, the more I confirm, said my friend I mentioned earlier, as we wrap up our conversation. As social media continues to wield a powerful influence over society, it is imperative for us to reflect on the direction these platforms are taking us. Instagram's cult of perfection and X's glorification of mindless expression contribute to the erosion of critical thinking. Though, not everything is lost. Undoubtedly, at times, the platform serves as a tool to air the right message and give voice to the voiceless. For instance, my journalist friend a couple of days back used X to expose her neighbours who thrashed her parents over a parking dispute in the Indian capital Delhi. However, more often than not, social media leads to unintended consequences. It lacks empathy and genuine human connection. So where are we heading? As individuals, we need to redefine our relationship with social media. Embracing imperfection and authenticity on Instagram can counteract the relentless pursuit of an unattainable ideal. Moreover, engaging in thoughtful discussions and supporting meaningful content on X can help foster an environment that promotes learning and empathy rather than senseless banter. Ultimately, the power of these social media platforms lies within us, the users. It is up to us to challenge the cult of aesthetics on Instagram and hold those promoting harmful rhetoric on X accountable. 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. ×

How social media is leading us down toxic rabbit holes of endless scrolling

<p>Research published in the journals Science and Nature on Thursday deduced that social media platforms’ algorithms do&nbsp;not create political polarisation. The research came years after regulators and activists worried that social media companies’ algorithms were fuelling divide in the US politics through toxic posts and conspiracies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The research, divided into four studies, was released under the unique partnership between university researchers and Meta’s own analysts to study how social media affects political polarisation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-qin-gang-references-reappear-on-foreign-ministry-website-620231">Missing or not missing? Qin Gang's references reappear on Chinese foreign ministry site</a></p>

<p>The partnership was the result of widespread concern from thinkers and regulators regarding the use of social media platforms to funnel political news in order to affect the upcoming presidential election of 2024.</p>

<h2><strong>Research doubts social media platform&nbsp;algorithms fuel political polarisation</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The initial results of the research show that a company’s social media platforms play a critical role in pivoting users to partisan information with which they are likely to agree more. But the results cast doubt on assumptions that the strategies Meta could use to discourage virality and engagement on its social networks would substantially affect people’s political beliefs.</p>

<p>“Algorithms are extremely influential in terms of what people see on the platform, and in terms of shaping their on-platform experience,” Joshua Tucker, co-director of the Center for Social Media and Politics at New York University and one of the leaders of the research project, said in an interview.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-withdraws-from-games-in-china-over-stapled-visa-controversy-620206">India withdraws from games in China over stapled visa controversy</a></p>

<p>Tucker further said, “Despite the fact that we find this big impact in people’s on-platform experience, we find very little impact in changes to people’s attitudes about politics and even people’s self-reported participation around politics”.</p>

<p>All the studies of the research were peer-reviewed before publication, which is a standard procedure in science in which papers are sent out to other experts in the field who assess the work’s merit.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>How the research was carried out?</strong></h2>

<p>Researchers, as part of the project, altered the feeds of thousands of Facebook and Instagram users in the fall of 2020 to see if that could change political beliefs, knowledge or polarisation by exposing them to different information. The researchers generally concluded that such changes had little to no impact on users.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/time-to-swipe-left-misinformation-drives-vaccine-free-dating-620237">Time to swipe left?: Misinformation drives 'vaccine-free' dating</a></p>

<p>The collaboration, which is expected to be released over a dozen studies, will also examine data collected after the 6 January 2021, attack on the US Capitol, Tucker said.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The ever-going debate</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The findings are likely to bolster social media companies’ long-standing arguments that algorithms are not the cause of political polarisation and upheaval.<br />
<br />
Meta has claimed in the past that political polarisation and support for civic institutions started declining long before the rise of social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But critics and researchers on the other hand, who had seen the research before its release, caution that the results do not give a free hand to tech companies to alter their algorithms indiscriminately.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Research published in the journals Science and Nature on Thursday deduced that social media platforms’ algorithms do not create political polarisation. The research came years after regulators and activists worried that social media companies’ algorithms were fuelling divide in the US politics through toxic posts and conspiracies.

Research published in the journals Science and Nature on Thursday deduced that social media platforms’ algorithms do not create political polarisation. The research came years after regulators and activists worried that social media companies’ algorithms were fuelling divide in the US politics through toxic posts and conspiracies. The research, divided into four studies, was released under the unique partnership between university researchers and Meta’s own analysts to study how social media affects political polarisation. Also Read | Missing or not missing? Qin Gang's references reappear on Chinese foreign ministry site The partnership was the result of widespread concern from thinkers and regulators regarding the use of social media platforms to funnel political news in order to affect the upcoming presidential election of 2024. Research doubts social media platform algorithms fuel political polarisation The initial results of the research show that a company’s social media platforms play a critical role in pivoting users to partisan information with which they are likely to agree more. But the results cast doubt on assumptions that the strategies Meta could use to discourage virality and engagement on its social networks would substantially affect people’s political beliefs. “Algorithms are extremely influential in terms of what people see on the platform, and in terms of shaping their on-platform experience,” Joshua Tucker, co-director of the Center for Social Media and Politics at New York University and one of the leaders of the research project, said in an interview. Also Read | India withdraws from games in China over stapled visa controversy Tucker further said, “Despite the fact that we find this big impact in people’s on-platform experience, we find very little impact in changes to people’s attitudes about politics and even people’s self-reported participation around politics”. All the studies of the research were peer-reviewed before publication, which is a standard procedure in science in which papers are sent out to other experts in the field who assess the work’s merit. How the research was carried out? Researchers, as part of the project, altered the feeds of thousands of Facebook and Instagram users in the fall of 2020 to see if that could change political beliefs, knowledge or polarisation by exposing them to different information. The researchers generally concluded that such changes had little to no impact on users. Also Read | Time to swipe left?: Misinformation drives 'vaccine-free' dating The collaboration, which is expected to be released over a dozen studies, will also examine data collected after the 6 January 2021, attack on the US Capitol, Tucker said. The ever-going debate The findings are likely to bolster social media companies’ long-standing arguments that algorithms are not the cause of political polarisation and upheaval. Meta has claimed in the past that political polarisation and support for civic institutions started declining long before the rise of social media. But critics and researchers on the other hand, who had seen the research before its release, caution that the results do not give a free hand to tech companies to alter their algorithms indiscriminately. (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.

New research shows social media algorithms don’t fuel political polarisation

An Indian man posing for an Instagram reel slipped off in a waterfall in Karnataka. The terror of 'killfies' continues. When will people learn the lesson? Priyanka Sharma brings you the details.

Gravitas: The terror of 'killfies' continues

<p>I never liked Twitter. The name mostly. I felt it was extremely frivolous if it was indeed a platform to discuss serious news and important political events. It could be called anything else but 'Twitter' because most of us don't really identify ourselves with birds or think we are the 'Twitterati' much as we may love to talk and spout an opinion here and there.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also along with serious discussions, Twitter usually always has a lot of space for pictures of people's pets, especially cats and dogs which seems to have become rampant now on this app particularly. And while I’m saying this, let me clear the air that I mean no offence to animal lovers because I realise I’m in a minority that I don’t really warm up to the furry species.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Here’s a tiny flashback to my pre-Twitter days: It was 2010 when I first joined the gang of blue birdie lovers only because peer pressure built up and the FOMO movement became really huge. I was constantly asked why, oh why did I not have a Twitter account, all the more necessary for journalists, and so I gave in. But I was never active on the site. I liked to read people's rabid views, enjoy the ensuing fights that occurred over them and generally stay put in my role of a spectator.<br />
<br />
And then, as the years passed, things changed a bit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the last two years, I actually started enjoying Twitter. Oh no, don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t because I developed a fetish for political debates or sparring or putting my views across forcefully. No. I started liking it because of the information overload that I craved. If I wanted to get information on anything, Twitter became the place to go to. Suddenly those jarring fights between people assumed meaning because I had developed a hunger for learning things (never say too old, never) and Twitter was good with that. I educated myself on a lot of things on Twitter, only because I was too lazy and did not have time to pore through manuals of information on health, science, politics, etc.,<br />
<br />
And then sometime later. Elon Musk took over. Twitter's been fun since then.<br />
<br />
There’s a lot happening there and the news is current, interesting, and debatable and the exchanges are getting intellectual with almost every expert of any kind waxing eloquent on Twitter, supported by pictures and videos and the like. Of course, the icing on the cake these days is the never-politically-correct Musk who encourages people to be themselves. Always a believer in the unvarnished world. He got me there.<br />
<br />
The bad boys are always more fun. I started loving being on Twitter.<br />
<br />
Of course, there’s one more thing. Most social media apps may get you a lot of influence in the corridors of power, dependent on how many followers you have, but on Twitter, you could be a common man/woman with just a handful of friends as your followers, and you can actually tag power makers and get your voice heard. I started to feel that if you wanted to change things around, Twitter&nbsp;helps. It did for me.<br />
<br />
I don’t know if that reason will still be there in the days to come and if Twitter will still be regarded as a powerful tool of social media, but so far so good.<br />
<br />
And then into that space, this week, suddenly entered the potential rival #twitterkiller, Threads by Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg of the fat family of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and so many others.<br />
<br />
I don’t think anybody yet doesn’t know what Threads is all about. Is it going to kill Twitter, is it going to get Zuckerberg laughing all the way to the bank as Musk sheds tears? We don’t know. Not yet.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
I’ll tell you about my experience.</p>

<p>I spent a solitary week on Threads, gathering a few followers, deleting a few posts and seriously, not much action. After getting used to a diet of hard news, and happenings from all around the world and checking out comments and activities related to that, this place seems, uh, dull. The random feeds bored me.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We already have Instagram for photos, Facebook for happenings in our personal lives, Linkedin for our work life, Youtube, Snapchat for videos, Tik Tok (in some countries), Twitter for news and so on and so forth. What do you do on Threads?&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Frankly speaking, it was like going back in a time machine to when really simple social media existed. Does anybody remember Orkut?&nbsp;<br />
<br />
On the face of it, the layout is eerily similar to Twitter. Innovation be damned, Mr Zuckerberg.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/threads-overtakes-chatgpt-to-hit-100-million-users-mark-in-mere-five-days-614052"><strong>ALSO READ| Threads overtakes ChatGPT to hit 100 million users mark in mere five days</strong></a></p>

<p>But then, once you go in, you realise there are many features that are still not available on Threads yet and for those who are used to all that, it may be a bit cumbersome to be denied all the goodies we have been playing with, so far.<br />
<br />
Is everybody on Twitter going to shift bag&nbsp;and baggage here as doomsday media predictions go?&nbsp;<br />
<br />
I think we should cool our heels and wait. Things are going by too fast and maybe none of these predictions will hold water in a few months. But, the figures are good and the storyboard could shift.<br />
<br />
Last heard, Threads had 100 million signups! Whether that is happening because of the curiosity factor as is apt to happen whenever something new launches or because people are starved of new social platforms or because they are genuinely fed up with Twitter, we don’t know.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<strong>Okay, now what does Threads have or not have, as compared to Twitter?&nbsp;</strong><br />
<br />
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has said that Threads is not for news and politics. Really? What would people do then if there are no burning discussions on who’s doing what? Twitter has all of it and much more.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Threads has only a single feed with trending posts and content from followers. Twitter has separate feeds such as "For You" and "Following" that can enhance user experience. I felt that simplified my life because of the neat compartmentalization.</p>

<p>Threads lacks DMs (I know, can’t imagine not connecting with people you barely know, right?) and hashtags that make content discoverable (I used that on Threads as well; old habits die hard)<br />
<br />
Threads has no edit facilities. Twitter has it for its premium users. I haven’t got there nor the blue tick, yet. But will, I’m optimistic or at least trying to be.<br />
<br />
While Twitter gives the flexibility to access its platform through any web browser, Threads, on the other hand, is designed as a mobile application. The website, Threads.net, redirects users to download the Android or iOS version of the Threads app.<br />
<br />
Threads does not allow customisation of the alt (alternative) text or image descriptions, unlike Twitter, therefore making it less accessible to people with disabilities as it is used by screen readers that come in handy for the visually impaired.<br />
<br />
Unlike Twitter, Threads has no trending topics, no ads and you cannot embed Threads posts, for sharing on external platforms such as blogs.<br />
<br />
No ads is of course a happy experience and Meta CEO Zuckerberg says Threads may not introduce ads unless it achieves a substantial user base.</p>

<p>The one good thing!<br />
<br />
In the end though, I’m still a Twitter fan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reasons? All of the above features that Threads still doesn’t have, or maybe doesn’t plan to implement. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
And what's really scary is that, apparently, once you download Threads and enter it, you can’t really leave. If you try to leave, along with it, your much-loved Instagram account that you have spent hours on editing and filtering photos to upload, will also be deleted.<br />
<br />
If that’s not holding one at gunpoint, what is?&nbsp;</p>

<p>I’m happier staying with Twitter.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><em><strong>(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)</strong></em></p>

<p><br />
<strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>


I never liked Twitter. The name mostly. I felt it was extremely frivolous if it was indeed a platform to discuss serious news and important political events. It could be called anything else but 'Twitter' because most of us don't really identify ourselves with birds or think we are the 'Twitterati' much as we may love to talk and spout an opinion here and there.

I never liked Twitter. The name mostly. I felt it was extremely frivolous if it was indeed a platform to discuss serious news and important political events. It could be called anything else but 'Twitter' because most of us don't really identify ourselves with birds or think we are the 'Twitterati' much as we may love to talk and spout an opinion here and there. Also along with serious discussions, Twitter usually always has a lot of space for pictures of people's pets, especially cats and dogs which seems to have become rampant now on this app particularly. And while I’m saying this, let me clear the air that I mean no offence to animal lovers because I realise I’m in a minority that I don’t really warm up to the furry species. Here’s a tiny flashback to my pre-Twitter days: It was 2010 when I first joined the gang of blue birdie lovers only because peer pressure built up and the FOMO movement became really huge. I was constantly asked why, oh why did I not have a Twitter account, all the more necessary for journalists, and so I gave in. But I was never active on the site. I liked to read people's rabid views, enjoy the ensuing fights that occurred over them and generally stay put in my role of a spectator. And then, as the years passed, things changed a bit. In the last two years, I actually started enjoying Twitter. Oh no, don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t because I developed a fetish for political debates or sparring or putting my views across forcefully. No. I started liking it because of the information overload that I craved. If I wanted to get information on anything, Twitter became the place to go to. Suddenly those jarring fights between people assumed meaning because I had developed a hunger for learning things (never say too old, never) and Twitter was good with that. I educated myself on a lot of things on Twitter, only because I was too lazy and did not have time to pore through manuals of information on health, science, politics, etc., And then sometime later. Elon Musk took over. Twitter's been fun since then. There’s a lot happening there and the news is current, interesting, and debatable and the exchanges are getting intellectual with almost every expert of any kind waxing eloquent on Twitter, supported by pictures and videos and the like. Of course, the icing on the cake these days is the never-politically-correct Musk who encourages people to be themselves. Always a believer in the unvarnished world. He got me there. The bad boys are always more fun. I started loving being on Twitter. Of course, there’s one more thing. Most social media apps may get you a lot of influence in the corridors of power, dependent on how many followers you have, but on Twitter, you could be a common man/woman with just a handful of friends as your followers, and you can actually tag power makers and get your voice heard. I started to feel that if you wanted to change things around, Twitter helps. It did for me. I don’t know if that reason will still be there in the days to come and if Twitter will still be regarded as a powerful tool of social media, but so far so good. And then into that space, this week, suddenly entered the potential rival #twitterkiller, Threads by Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg of the fat family of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and so many others. I don’t think anybody yet doesn’t know what Threads is all about. Is it going to kill Twitter, is it going to get Zuckerberg laughing all the way to the bank as Musk sheds tears? We don’t know. Not yet. I’ll tell you about my experience. I spent a solitary week on Threads, gathering a few followers, deleting a few posts and seriously, not much action. After getting used to a diet of hard news, and happenings from all around the world and checking out comments and activities related to that, this place seems, uh, dull. The random feeds bored me. We already have Instagram for photos, Facebook for happenings in our personal lives, Linkedin for our work life, Youtube, Snapchat for videos, Tik Tok (in some countries), Twitter for news and so on and so forth. What do you do on Threads? Frankly speaking, it was like going back in a time machine to when really simple social media existed. Does anybody remember Orkut? On the face of it, the layout is eerily similar to Twitter. Innovation be damned, Mr Zuckerberg. ALSO READ| Threads overtakes ChatGPT to hit 100 million users mark in mere five days But then, once you go in, you realise there are many features that are still not available on Threads yet and for those who are used to all that, it may be a bit cumbersome to be denied all the goodies we have been playing with, so far. Is everybody on Twitter going to shift bag and baggage here as doomsday media predictions go? I think we should cool our heels and wait. Things are going by too fast and maybe none of these predictions will hold water in a few months. But, the figures are good and the storyboard could shift. Last heard, Threads had 100 million signups! Whether that is happening because of the curiosity factor as is apt to happen whenever something new launches or because people are starved of new social platforms or because they are genuinely fed up with Twitter, we don’t know. Okay, now what does Threads have or not have, as compared to Twitter? Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has said that Threads is not for news and politics. Really? What would people do then if there are no burning discussions on who’s doing what? Twitter has all of it and much more. Threads has only a single feed with trending posts and content from followers. Twitter has separate feeds such as "For You" and "Following" that can enhance user experience. I felt that simplified my life because of the neat compartmentalization. Threads lacks DMs (I know, can’t imagine not connecting with people you barely know, right?) and hashtags that make content discoverable (I used that on Threads as well; old habits die hard) Threads has no edit facilities. Twitter has it for its premium users. I haven’t got there nor the blue tick, yet. But will, I’m optimistic or at least trying to be. While Twitter gives the flexibility to access its platform through any web browser, Threads, on the other hand, is designed as a mobile application. The website, Threads.net, redirects users to download the Android or iOS version of the Threads app. Threads does not allow customisation of the alt (alternative) text or image descriptions, unlike Twitter, therefore making it less accessible to people with disabilities as it is used by screen readers that come in handy for the visually impaired. Unlike Twitter, Threads has no trending topics, no ads and you cannot embed Threads posts, for sharing on external platforms such as blogs. No ads is of course a happy experience and Meta CEO Zuckerberg says Threads may not introduce ads unless it achieves a substantial user base. The one good thing! In the end though, I’m still a Twitter fan. Reasons? All of the above features that Threads still doesn’t have, or maybe doesn’t plan to implement. And what's really scary is that, apparently, once you download Threads and enter it, you can’t really leave. If you try to leave, along with it, your much-loved Instagram account that you have spent hours on editing and filtering photos to upload, will also be deleted. If that’s not holding one at gunpoint, what is? I’m happier staying with Twitter. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Stitching up Twitter on War of the Apps: Is Threads really a threat?

social-media

Social Media, News on Social Media, stories on Social Media, articles on Social Media, Social Media stories at Wion, Social Media news, Social Media latest news