Ostrich eggshell beads were used to create the world's oldest social network, connecting cultures.

According to researchers in Germany, the beads show a 50,000-year-old infrastructure that connects Stone Age people in South and East Africa.

Humans entirely changed the shells to construct the beads, making them the world's oldest fully made jewellery.

Different prehistoric cultures manufactured various types of beads, allowing scholars to trace links between them.

Anthropologists spent more than a decade compiling the world's largest database of ostrich eggshell beads, which included 1,500 beads from the last 50,000 years and were discovered in 31 locations across South and East Africa. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/social-media-day-history-significance-and-all-you-need-to-know-394943">Also read | Social Media Day: History, significance and all you need to know</a>

They discovered that people in the two regions were using nearly similar beads by comparing the diameter and shell thickness of the beads.&nbsp;

The findings show that the oldest social network discovered was a long-distance social network that connected people living approximately 1,900 kilometres apart.

By 33,000 years ago, all signs of the network had vanished, which was most likely caused by drastic climate change.

"Humans are social beings, but little is known about when, how, and why distinct populations bonded in the past," stated lead study author Dr Jennifer Miller.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Ostrich eggshell beads were used to create the world's oldest social network, connecting cultures. According to researchers in Germany, the beads show a 50,000-year-old infrastructure that connects Stone Age people in South and East Africa.

Ostrich eggshell beads were used to create the world's oldest social network, connecting cultures. According to researchers in Germany, the beads show a 50,000-year-old infrastructure that connects Stone Age people in South and East Africa. Humans entirely changed the shells to construct the beads, making them the world's oldest fully made jewellery. Different prehistoric cultures manufactured various types of beads, allowing scholars to trace links between them. Anthropologists spent more than a decade compiling the world's largest database of ostrich eggshell beads, which included 1,500 beads from the last 50,000 years and were discovered in 31 locations across South and East Africa. Also read | Social Media Day: History, significance and all you need to know They discovered that people in the two regions were using nearly similar beads by comparing the diameter and shell thickness of the beads. The findings show that the oldest social network discovered was a long-distance social network that connected people living approximately 1,900 kilometres apart. By 33,000 years ago, all signs of the network had vanished, which was most likely caused by drastic climate change. "Humans are social beings, but little is known about when, how, and why distinct populations bonded in the past," stated lead study author Dr Jennifer Miller. (With inputs from agencies)

Social networking in Stone Age: 50,000-year-old social network discovered in Africa

If anything is invite-only, it naturally gets people crazy as everyone wants to feel exclusive. So this strategy is often used to attract customers. But apparently, Clubhouse isn't one of those apps that aim to gain quick fame. Clubhouse features likes of Elon Musk in its list of users and it is creating quite a buzz.

Clubhouse is the latest craze that may strike bigger markets. It's a social-networking app that is based on audio chat. Users can listen in on interviews, interactions and discussions between interesting people. The conversation rooms are like a conference call but with some people talking and discussing while most others listening in. When the conversation ends, the room is closed.

Clubhouse hit headlines when Tesla CEO Elon Musk used it to hold&nbsp;a conversation with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev recently. Number of those wanting to listen to the interaction was so high that the conversation room maxed out.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/jack-dorsey-likes-tweet-asking-for-emoji-to-complement-farmersprotest-361405">Jack Dorsey likes Tweet asking for emoji to complement #FarmersProtest</a>

The starpower of Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO helped Clubhouse create an unprecedented buzz. As per theconversation [dot] com, Clubhouse app had 2 million users by February 1.

How to get Clubhouse invite?

The app is currently invite-only. Am existing user has to send you an invite in order for you to create account on the app. But before you rush to hunt for a Clubhouse user to get you an invite, know that each user has only two invites which he can use to invite people.

The app is currently valued at USD 1 billion. The makers have given a hint that they would launch the app in wider market, but no date or timeframe has been given as of now.

If anything is invite-only, it naturally gets people crazy as everyone wants to feel exclusive. So this strategy is often used to attract customers. But apparently, Clubhouse isn't one of those apps that aim to gain quick fame.

If anything is invite-only, it naturally gets people crazy as everyone wants to feel exclusive. So this strategy is often used to attract customers. But apparently, Clubhouse isn't one of those apps that aim to gain quick fame. Clubhouse features likes of Elon Musk in its list of users and it is creating quite a buzz. Clubhouse is the latest craze that may strike bigger markets. It's a social-networking app that is based on audio chat. Users can listen in on interviews, interactions and discussions between interesting people. The conversation rooms are like a conference call but with some people talking and discussing while most others listening in. When the conversation ends, the room is closed. Clubhouse hit headlines when Tesla CEO Elon Musk used it to hold a conversation with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev recently. Number of those wanting to listen to the interaction was so high that the conversation room maxed out. Also Read | Jack Dorsey likes Tweet asking for emoji to complement #FarmersProtest The starpower of Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO helped Clubhouse create an unprecedented buzz. As per theconversation [dot] com, Clubhouse app had 2 million users by February 1. How to get Clubhouse invite? The app is currently invite-only. Am existing user has to send you an invite in order for you to create account on the app. But before you rush to hunt for a Clubhouse user to get you an invite, know that each user has only two invites which he can use to invite people. The app is currently valued at USD 1 billion. The makers have given a hint that they would launch the app in wider market, but no date or timeframe has been given as of now.

Clubhouse: The invite-only chat app that Elon Musk uses

Alphabet Inc's Google on Friday suspended the Parler social networking service from its app store, citing posts inciting violence.

It further demanded “robust” content moderation from the app favoured by many supporters of US President Donald Trump.

Apple Inc on Friday also gave the service 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan, pointing to participants using the service to coordinate Wednesday's siege of the US Capitol building.

The actions by these social media companies mean that the network seen as a haven for people expelled from Twitter could become unavailable for new downloads on the world's main mobile phone app stores within a day. It would still be available in mobile browsers.

Right-leaning social media users in the United States have flocked to Parler, messaging app Telegram and hands-off social site Gab, citing the more aggressive policing of political comments on mainstream platforms such as Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc.&nbsp;

Twitter, meanwhile, permanently suspected President Trump's account on Friday.

In suspending the service, Google, whose software powers Android phones, cited its policy against apps that promote violence and gave recent examples from Parler, including a Friday post that began "How do we take back our country? About 20 or so coordinated hits" and another promoting a "Million Militia March" on Washington.

Parler Chief Executive John Matze said in a post on Friday that Apple was applying standards to Parler that it did not apply to itself.

In a statement, Google said that "for us to distribute an app through Google Play, we do require that apps implement robust moderation for egregious content. In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app’s listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues."

In a letter from Apple's App Store review team to Parler seen by Reuters, Apple cited participants of the mob storming the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday.

"Content that threatens the well-being of others or is intended to incite violence or other lawless acts has never been acceptable on the App Store," Apple said in the letter.

Apple gave Parler 24 hours to "remove all objectionable content from your app ... as well as any content referring to harm to people or attacks on government facilities now or at any future date." The company also demanded that Parler submit a written plan "to moderate and filter this content" from the app.

(with inputs)

Alphabet Inc's Google on Friday suspended the Parler social networking service from its app store, citing posts inciting violence. It further demanded “robust” content moderation from the app favoured by many supporters of US President Donald Trump.

Alphabet Inc's Google on Friday suspended the Parler social networking service from its app store, citing posts inciting violence. It further demanded “robust” content moderation from the app favoured by many supporters of US President Donald Trump. Apple Inc on Friday also gave the service 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan, pointing to participants using the service to coordinate Wednesday's siege of the US Capitol building. The actions by these social media companies mean that the network seen as a haven for people expelled from Twitter could become unavailable for new downloads on the world's main mobile phone app stores within a day. It would still be available in mobile browsers. Right-leaning social media users in the United States have flocked to Parler, messaging app Telegram and hands-off social site Gab, citing the more aggressive policing of political comments on mainstream platforms such as Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc. Twitter, meanwhile, permanently suspected President Trump's account on Friday. In suspending the service, Google, whose software powers Android phones, cited its policy against apps that promote violence and gave recent examples from Parler, including a Friday post that began "How do we take back our country? About 20 or so coordinated hits" and another promoting a "Million Militia March" on Washington. Parler Chief Executive John Matze said in a post on Friday that Apple was applying standards to Parler that it did not apply to itself. In a statement, Google said that "for us to distribute an app through Google Play, we do require that apps implement robust moderation for egregious content. In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app’s listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues." In a letter from Apple's App Store review team to Parler seen by Reuters, Apple cited participants of the mob storming the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday. "Content that threatens the well-being of others or is intended to incite violence or other lawless acts has never been acceptable on the App Store," Apple said in the letter. Apple gave Parler 24 hours to "remove all objectionable content from your app ... as well as any content referring to harm to people or attacks on government facilities now or at any future date." The company also demanded that Parler submit a written plan "to moderate and filter this content" from the app. (with inputs)

Google suspends American social networking app; Apple gives 24-hour warning

Facebook has taken down content that spread lies in Israel against coronavirus vaccinations as the government seeks to drum up support for the programme, the Justice Ministry said on Sunday. 
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday became the first person to be vaccinated in Israel. Opinion polls show some two-thirds of the public want to follow suit. 
 
The Justice Ministry said that, at its request, Facebook took down four groups at the weekend that had disseminated texts, photographs and videos with "deliberately mendacious content designed to mislead about coronavirus vaccines". 
 
Such "fake news" included arguments that vaccines would be used to plant government tracking chips in recipients` bodies, to poison them and thus cull the population or to subject them to medical experimentation, the ministry said in a statement. 
 
A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed that four Hebrew-language groups had been taken down as part of the company`s policy against "spreading misinformation regarding the vaccines". 
 
Israeli officials say the country has enough vaccines on order by year`s end to protect the most vulnerable 20% of the population and then lift some coronavirus curbs, but worry that turnout might be dampened if people get false information about the innoculations. 
 
Israel began administering vaccines to medical staff on Sunday. At Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, dozens of doctors and nurses danced as they prepared to receive their injections. 
 
Next in line are elderly Israelis or those in high-risk groups. The wider adult population is slated to get shots in early 2021. 
 
With a population of 9 million, Israel has logged 373,368 coronavirus cases and 3,074 deaths. It has imposed two national lockdowns and is mulling new curbs on high-contagion areas.

Facebook has taken down content that spread lies in Israel against coronavirus vaccinations as the government seeks to drum up support for the programme, the Justice Ministry said on Sunday.

Facebook has taken down content that spread lies in Israel against coronavirus vaccinations as the government seeks to drum up support for the programme, the Justice Ministry said on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday became the first person to be vaccinated in Israel. Opinion polls show some two-thirds of the public want to follow suit. The Justice Ministry said that, at its request, Facebook took down four groups at the weekend that had disseminated texts, photographs and videos with "deliberately mendacious content designed to mislead about coronavirus vaccines". Such "fake news" included arguments that vaccines would be used to plant government tracking chips in recipients` bodies, to poison them and thus cull the population or to subject them to medical experimentation, the ministry said in a statement. A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed that four Hebrew-language groups had been taken down as part of the company`s policy against "spreading misinformation regarding the vaccines". Israeli officials say the country has enough vaccines on order by year`s end to protect the most vulnerable 20% of the population and then lift some coronavirus curbs, but worry that turnout might be dampened if people get false information about the innoculations. Israel began administering vaccines to medical staff on Sunday. At Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, dozens of doctors and nurses danced as they prepared to receive their injections. Next in line are elderly Israelis or those in high-risk groups. The wider adult population is slated to get shots in early 2021. With a population of 9 million, Israel has logged 373,368 coronavirus cases and 3,074 deaths. It has imposed two national lockdowns and is mulling new curbs on high-contagion areas.

Facebook removes anti-vaccine 'fake news' in Israel: Government

New features on Whatsapp | WhatsApp - the messaging platform is at the helm of social media applications. Run by Facebook - one of the four Big Tech companies, its features complement those of its sister platforms like Instagram and Facebook.&nbsp; So if any feature exists on one of these platforms, expect it to show up on all eventually. For instance - “Stories”. By imitating the Snapchat model of quick short lived stories, Instagram mastered it, further emulating it on Facebook and WhatsApp.

In a bid to keep the app updated and fresh, new features are introduced every once in a while. Take a look at what to expect!

WhatsApp Web calling

Do you use WhatsApp web more often than the mobile app, especially while working? Worry not! Now you may not need to use your phone for video and audio calls.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/whatsapp-update-top-5-new-features-in-the-messenger-app-333999" hreflang="en">WhatsApp Update: Top 5 new features in the messenger app</a>

According to WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp web client is getting the calling feature very soon, and are being tested right now.

Expiring media

Instagram already has it, and now WhatsApp is going to get it. Expiring media implies images, gifs, and videos, and perhaps even messages with a shelf life. Once the stipulated period (probably to be decided by users) ends, the media will disappear from the chat, and without saying “this message was deleted”.

History sync&nbsp;

Do you switch your OS platforms often? And never get to retrieve your chats from the previous OS? Worry not! WhatsApp is solving that once and for all, by allowing users to copy chats from divide to another, regardless of the OS they run on.

Multi-device support

Do you use more than one smartphone, but feel restricted to using WhatsApp on one? The company may be working out something for you. With support for multi-device usage, Whatsapp will allow users to access the same account from different devices.

Wallpaper

WhatsApp already lets users decide what image they want to use as the application wallpaper, which appears as the background in chats. This feature is being expanded. According to WABetaInfor, the app will introduce more generic wallpapers from the company, with more personalisation options.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/whatsapp-business-now-has-over-15-million-users-in-india-introduces-new-features-312199" hreflang="en">WhatsApp Business now has over 15 million users in India; introduces new features</a>

For all tech news, follow www.wionews.com/technology&nbsp;

New features on Whatsapp | WhatsApp - the messaging platform is at the helm of social media applications. Run by Facebook - one of the four Big Tech companies, its features complement those of its sister platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

New features on Whatsapp | WhatsApp - the messaging platform is at the helm of social media applications. Run by Facebook - one of the four Big Tech companies, its features complement those of its sister platforms like Instagram and Facebook. So if any feature exists on one of these platforms, expect it to show up on all eventually. For instance - “Stories”. By imitating the Snapchat model of quick short lived stories, Instagram mastered it, further emulating it on Facebook and WhatsApp. In a bid to keep the app updated and fresh, new features are introduced every once in a while. Take a look at what to expect! WhatsApp Web calling Do you use WhatsApp web more often than the mobile app, especially while working? Worry not! Now you may not need to use your phone for video and audio calls. Also read: WhatsApp Update: Top 5 new features in the messenger app According to WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp web client is getting the calling feature very soon, and are being tested right now. Expiring media Instagram already has it, and now WhatsApp is going to get it. Expiring media implies images, gifs, and videos, and perhaps even messages with a shelf life. Once the stipulated period (probably to be decided by users) ends, the media will disappear from the chat, and without saying “this message was deleted”. History sync Do you switch your OS platforms often? And never get to retrieve your chats from the previous OS? Worry not! WhatsApp is solving that once and for all, by allowing users to copy chats from divide to another, regardless of the OS they run on. Multi-device support Do you use more than one smartphone, but feel restricted to using WhatsApp on one? The company may be working out something for you. With support for multi-device usage, Whatsapp will allow users to access the same account from different devices. Wallpaper WhatsApp already lets users decide what image they want to use as the application wallpaper, which appears as the background in chats. This feature is being expanded. According to WABetaInfor, the app will introduce more generic wallpapers from the company, with more personalisation options. Also read: WhatsApp Business now has over 15 million users in India; introduces new features For all tech news, follow www.wionews.com/technology

WhatsApp to get new exciting features like video calling on WhatsApp Web. Here's what to expect

The European Union (EU) has rejected Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's white paper on online content regulation, saying the social networking platform must take responsibility for harmful, fake and illegal content. Zuckerberg on February 17 pushed forward a white paper titled "Charting a Way Forward: Online Content Regulation" that builds on recent developments, including legislative efforts and scholarship.

EU rejects Facebook CEO's offer on regulating online content

US President Donald Trump has said that it is a great honour that Facebook ranked him number one and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social networking site in terms of his popularity before his first visit to India.

Trump tweets about his upcoming visit to India on February 25

Around 50 senior executives of Delhi NCR-based companies fell victim to a racket that spanned three months and tangled 150 people in its web.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-gay-dating-app-halts-registration-after-underage-hiv-report-188529">Also read: Chinese gay dating app halts registration after underage HIV report</a>

The cornerstone to this fraudulent scheme was a social networking app called Grindr, which is designed to accommodate gay, bisexual and transgender people who were reportedly blackmailed with intimate pictures.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tech-it-out-love-in-the-age-of-online-dating-178254/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Targets of the racket were allegedly contacted through the app and dates were arranged after befriending them on isolated stretches of the Western Peripheral Expressway and Southern Peripheral Road in Gurugram.

Most victims were reportedly ambushed in their cars by the gang members, beaten up, photographed in the nude and robbed of their belongings.

The operation involving six men was busted in November after a decoy was sent to meet one of the members on Southern Peripheral Road following a complaint by a victim. Four of the culprits were arrested post-haste while two are still at large.

80 of the 150 victims have been tracked down by local law enforcement in the last three months, though the investigation is far from over. No response has been available from the US-based company Grindr on its horrifying misuse on Indians from the LGBTQ community.

The modus operandi for this crew involved striking friendship on the app and calling the victims to Sector 29 where one of the two members of the gang would meet the victim, chosen on account of their looks.

Most victims failed to realise that the person was different from the picture in the app or probably didn’t mind the difference. The stigma attached to same-sex relationships runs deep within India, even though such bonds are not illegal. Many of the senior executives who fell victims to this were married and had children, and could therefore not come out yet.

Victims would then be coerced to take a drive along the Southern Peripheral Road and Western Peripheral Expressway where police presence is low and the streets are improperly lit. Following them were the gang, who would ambush the two once they started performing a sexual act.

Gang members surrounded the parked cars and threatened the couple with a pistol, following which they clicked pictures and forced them to hand over their belongings. Victims threatened by the idea of their nude photos and videos being posted on several websites would hand over cash, laptops, watches and even transferred money into different accounts.

Most victims returned home and spent restless nights allegedly being blackmailed by the gang to transfer more money into specific accounts. Many could not disclose their predicament to their families or friends, for few would have understood.

Most victims the police reached out to were hesitant to discuss the matter and feared to take any legal action. Local law enforcement collected details and contact numbers of more victims after they had sufficient evidence of the gang's activities.

One officer set up a meeting in Sector 29 from where the suspect took him to the Southern Peripheral Expressway, where the police arrested the four men. The arrested goons admitted to robbing and assaulting around 150 people in three months.

Fears of their intimate images being on several electronic devices to be used for blackmail on a later date is rampant among the victims of this racket, who feel that Grindr has disrupted their personal lives and embarrassed them socially.

Law enforcement branches are determined to identify similar cases and are appealing to citizens with any information to contact the police.&nbsp;

The police were keen to identify more people involved in similar cases and were appealing to residents with any information to contact the police.

“We want to urge people who use these online dating applications not to share their details with strangers and not to meet them in isolated places; they should meet at public places,” said Police Commissioner Muhammad Akil in a statement.

Around 50 senior executives of Delhi NCR-based companies fell victim to a racket that spanned three months and tangled 150 people in its web. Also read: Chinese gay dating app halts registration after underage HIV report The cornerstone to this fraudulent scheme was a social networking app called Grindr, which is designed to accommodate gay, bisexual and transgender people who were reportedly blackmailed with intimate pictures.

Around 50 senior executives of Delhi NCR-based companies fell victim to a racket that spanned three months and tangled 150 people in its web. Also read: Chinese gay dating app halts registration after underage HIV report The cornerstone to this fraudulent scheme was a social networking app called Grindr, which is designed to accommodate gay, bisexual and transgender people who were reportedly blackmailed with intimate pictures. Targets of the racket were allegedly contacted through the app and dates were arranged after befriending them on isolated stretches of the Western Peripheral Expressway and Southern Peripheral Road in Gurugram. Most victims were reportedly ambushed in their cars by the gang members, beaten up, photographed in the nude and robbed of their belongings. The operation involving six men was busted in November after a decoy was sent to meet one of the members on Southern Peripheral Road following a complaint by a victim. Four of the culprits were arrested post-haste while two are still at large. 80 of the 150 victims have been tracked down by local law enforcement in the last three months, though the investigation is far from over. No response has been available from the US-based company Grindr on its horrifying misuse on Indians from the LGBTQ community. The modus operandi for this crew involved striking friendship on the app and calling the victims to Sector 29 where one of the two members of the gang would meet the victim, chosen on account of their looks. Most victims failed to realise that the person was different from the picture in the app or probably didn’t mind the difference. The stigma attached to same-sex relationships runs deep within India, even though such bonds are not illegal. Many of the senior executives who fell victims to this were married and had children, and could therefore not come out yet. Victims would then be coerced to take a drive along the Southern Peripheral Road and Western Peripheral Expressway where police presence is low and the streets are improperly lit. Following them were the gang, who would ambush the two once they started performing a sexual act. Gang members surrounded the parked cars and threatened the couple with a pistol, following which they clicked pictures and forced them to hand over their belongings. Victims threatened by the idea of their nude photos and videos being posted on several websites would hand over cash, laptops, watches and even transferred money into different accounts. Most victims returned home and spent restless nights allegedly being blackmailed by the gang to transfer more money into specific accounts. Many could not disclose their predicament to their families or friends, for few would have understood. Most victims the police reached out to were hesitant to discuss the matter and feared to take any legal action. Local law enforcement collected details and contact numbers of more victims after they had sufficient evidence of the gang's activities. One officer set up a meeting in Sector 29 from where the suspect took him to the Southern Peripheral Expressway, where the police arrested the four men. The arrested goons admitted to robbing and assaulting around 150 people in three months. Fears of their intimate images being on several electronic devices to be used for blackmail on a later date is rampant among the victims of this racket, who feel that Grindr has disrupted their personal lives and embarrassed them socially. Law enforcement branches are determined to identify similar cases and are appealing to citizens with any information to contact the police. The police were keen to identify more people involved in similar cases and were appealing to residents with any information to contact the police. “We want to urge people who use these online dating applications not to share their details with strangers and not to meet them in isolated places; they should meet at public places,” said Police Commissioner Muhammad Akil in a statement.

Thugs used online dating app 'Grindr' to rob CEOs of Delhi-NCR

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri on Friday said that a test of hiding "likes" at the image and photo-sharing social network will spread to the US.

"Heads up! We've been testing making likes private on Instagram in a number of countries this year," Mosseri said in a tweet.

"We're expanding those tests to include a small portion of people in the US next week."

Facebook in September confirmed it is dabbling with no longer making a public display of how many "likes" are racked up by posts.

Such a change could ease the pressure to win approval with images, videos or comments and, instead, get people to simply focus on what is in the posts.

Facebook-owned Instagram earlier this year announced it was testing hiding like counts and video view tallies in more than a half-dozen countries, with account holders still able to see the numbers but masking amounts from others.

Twitter has also experimented with hiding numbers of times tweets were "liked" or "retweeted," according to product lead Kayvon Beykpour.

Twitter found that people engaged less with tweets when they couldn't see the counts.

"When you remove engagement indicators, people engage less," Beykpour said while briefing journalists at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco earlier this year.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri on Friday said that a test of hiding "likes" at the image and photo-sharing social network will spread to the US. "Heads up! We've been testing making likes private on Instagram in a number of countries this year," Mosseri said in a tweet.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri on Friday said that a test of hiding "likes" at the image and photo-sharing social network will spread to the US. "Heads up! We've been testing making likes private on Instagram in a number of countries this year," Mosseri said in a tweet. "We're expanding those tests to include a small portion of people in the US next week." Facebook in September confirmed it is dabbling with no longer making a public display of how many "likes" are racked up by posts. Such a change could ease the pressure to win approval with images, videos or comments and, instead, get people to simply focus on what is in the posts. Facebook-owned Instagram earlier this year announced it was testing hiding like counts and video view tallies in more than a half-dozen countries, with account holders still able to see the numbers but masking amounts from others. Twitter has also experimented with hiding numbers of times tweets were "liked" or "retweeted," according to product lead Kayvon Beykpour. Twitter found that people engaged less with tweets when they couldn't see the counts. "When you remove engagement indicators, people engage less," Beykpour said while briefing journalists at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco earlier this year.

Instagram test of hiding 'likes' on app to start rolling out in United States

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebooks-zuckerberg-grilled-in-us-congress-on-digital-currency-privacy-elections-257824">Facebook</a>&nbsp;on Friday began rolling out its dedicated "news tab" with professionally produced content, the latest move by the social network to promote journalism and shed its reputation as a platform for misinformation.

The tab, being tested with some US users, will be separate from a user's normal feed and include articles from partner news organisations,&nbsp;making a clear distinction between journalism and stories shared by users from a wide range of sources.

"This is going to be&nbsp;the first time ever there will be a dedicated space on the (Facebook) app that is focused on high-quality journalism," Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told an audience in New York in a joint appearance with CEO Robert Thomson of News Corp, one of the partners in the project.

The mix of stories in&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;News will be determined by algorithmic "personalisation" based on a user's preferences and data, with journalists choosing some of the stories.

The company said users would have "more control over the stories they see, and the ability to explore a wider range of their news interests, directly within the&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;app."

Facebook&nbsp;is expected to pay some of the news organizations, reportedly millions of dollars in some cases,&nbsp;but has yet to disclose full details.

Zuckerberg said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;would not seek to limit coverage of the company or himself.

Going global?

Zuckerberg said he sees the effort as important even if it is used by only a small percentage of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/libras-association-is-independent-facebook-wont-be-part-of-it-even-outside-the-us-till-regulators-approve-zuckerberg-to-us-house-panel-257767">Facebook</a>&nbsp;users. And he said the company is in discussions to bring the feature to other countries.

"We want to do something like this across the world as well," he said.

The social network has partnered with some 200 news organisations including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, CBS News, BuzzFeed, Fox News, the Boston Globe, Bloomberg and Vanity Fair.

Zuckerberg defended the inclusion of partners some criticise as politically partisan such as the right-wing outlet Breitbart, saying the news tab "needs to have a diversity of views."

Facebook&nbsp;said it would begin an initial test rollout which would "showcase local original reporting" from publications in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Houston, Washington, Miami, Atlanta and Boston.

Topic sections will include business, entertainment, health, science and technology, and sports.

Rebooting the relationship

The move represents&nbsp;Facebook's effort to reboot its relationship with news organisations, many of which have been critical of the platform for failing to curb the spread of misinformation and for taking much of the online ad revenue.

The plan notably brings together&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Thomson, the News Corp CEO who last year denounced what he called a "dysfunctional" online landscape that made it hard for publishers to thrive, welcomed the&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;initiative in the joint appearance with Zuckerberg.

"It is a powerful precedent that will echo around editorial departments," said Thomson, whose company includes the Wall Street Journal.

"It begins to change the terms of trade for quality journalism."

Paying for 'good stuff'

Northeastern University professor Dan Kennedy said the tab could help&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-announces-steps-to-clamp-down-on-misinformation-ahead-of-2020-election-257494">Facebook</a> users distinguish between misinformation and professional news.

"Less savvy news consumers might not be able to tell the difference between exaggerated or fake viral news and real journalism from respected news organisations," Kennedy said.

"So this should help a lot."

But Kennedy said it could be problematic that&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;may only be paying the richest media organisations, increasing woes for small, local outlets.

Ken Paulson, a former USA Today editor who now heads the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, agreed that the initiative will promote better content.

"My long-term hope for the news business is that more consumers will recognise the difference between quality and chaos and be willing to pay for the good stuff," Paulson said.

University of Oregon journalism professor Damian Radcliffe noted that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-defends-facebooks-approach-to-free-speech-draws-line-on-china-257158">Facebook</a>&nbsp;users currently "bump into" news in their feed, as opposed to actively seeking it out.

He said the project raises "important questions here about how transparent the story selection process will be, and what&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;is effectively saying about news which sits outside of the tab. Does that means it's deemed less trustworthy?"

Facebook on Friday began rolling out its dedicated "news tab" with professionally produced content, the latest move by the social network to promote journalism and shed its reputation as a platform for misinformation.

Facebook on Friday began rolling out its dedicated "news tab" with professionally produced content, the latest move by the social network to promote journalism and shed its reputation as a platform for misinformation. The tab, being tested with some US users, will be separate from a user's normal feed and include articles from partner news organisations, making a clear distinction between journalism and stories shared by users from a wide range of sources. "This is going to be the first time ever there will be a dedicated space on the (Facebook) app that is focused on high-quality journalism," Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told an audience in New York in a joint appearance with CEO Robert Thomson of News Corp, one of the partners in the project. The mix of stories in Facebook News will be determined by algorithmic "personalisation" based on a user's preferences and data, with journalists choosing some of the stories. The company said users would have "more control over the stories they see, and the ability to explore a wider range of their news interests, directly within the Facebook app." Facebook is expected to pay some of the news organizations, reportedly millions of dollars in some cases, but has yet to disclose full details. Zuckerberg said Facebook would not seek to limit coverage of the company or himself. Going global? Zuckerberg said he sees the effort as important even if it is used by only a small percentage of Facebook users. And he said the company is in discussions to bring the feature to other countries. "We want to do something like this across the world as well," he said. The social network has partnered with some 200 news organisations including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, CBS News, BuzzFeed, Fox News, the Boston Globe, Bloomberg and Vanity Fair. Zuckerberg defended the inclusion of partners some criticise as politically partisan such as the right-wing outlet Breitbart, saying the news tab "needs to have a diversity of views." Facebook said it would begin an initial test rollout which would "showcase local original reporting" from publications in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Houston, Washington, Miami, Atlanta and Boston. Topic sections will include business, entertainment, health, science and technology, and sports. Rebooting the relationship The move represents Facebook's effort to reboot its relationship with news organisations, many of which have been critical of the platform for failing to curb the spread of misinformation and for taking much of the online ad revenue. The plan notably brings together Facebook and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Thomson, the News Corp CEO who last year denounced what he called a "dysfunctional" online landscape that made it hard for publishers to thrive, welcomed the Facebook initiative in the joint appearance with Zuckerberg. "It is a powerful precedent that will echo around editorial departments," said Thomson, whose company includes the Wall Street Journal. "It begins to change the terms of trade for quality journalism." Paying for 'good stuff' Northeastern University professor Dan Kennedy said the tab could help Facebook users distinguish between misinformation and professional news. "Less savvy news consumers might not be able to tell the difference between exaggerated or fake viral news and real journalism from respected news organisations," Kennedy said. "So this should help a lot." But Kennedy said it could be problematic that Facebook may only be paying the richest media organisations, increasing woes for small, local outlets. Ken Paulson, a former USA Today editor who now heads the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, agreed that the initiative will promote better content. "My long-term hope for the news business is that more consumers will recognise the difference between quality and chaos and be willing to pay for the good stuff," Paulson said. University of Oregon journalism professor Damian Radcliffe noted that Facebook users currently "bump into" news in their feed, as opposed to actively seeking it out. He said the project raises "important questions here about how transparent the story selection process will be, and what Facebook is effectively saying about news which sits outside of the tab. Does that means it's deemed less trustworthy?"

Facebook's 'news tab' seeks to reboot its role within media

2004 to 2019: Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook turns 15

With social media giant Facebook embroiled in data breach scandal, a quest for alternative online networking platforms is turning into reality. According to reports, Orkut's founder has announced the entry of a new social networking platform 'hello' into the Indian market.&nbsp;

Orkut Buyukkokten-led social networking platform, 'Hello', aims is to create positive, meaningful, authentic connections and sustained social engagement, Buyukkokten noted.&nbsp;

"If you look at social media today, it has isolated people instead of bringing them closer. It has become more about broadcasting than sharing. We need a fresh start. Hello is built around interest-based communities where users with same interests can connect, leading to true connections," Buyukkokten told media.

Buyukkokten-led Orkut was once a social media rage in countries like India and Brazil but was shut down in 2014 with the rise of rival networking websites like Twitter, Facebook and others.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I'm so excited to be coming to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a>! Win tickets to a special <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hello?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hello</a> event with me: <a href="https://t.co/5EjYVpgZRI">https://t.co/5EjYVpgZRI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/orkut?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#orkut</a> <a href="https://t.co/P3JEoTjMvJ">pic.twitter.com/P3JEoTjMvJ</a>
— Orkut Buyukkokten (@orkut) <a href="https://twitter.com/orkut/status/981376472777613312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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"We started in Brazil in July 2016... About 35,000 users were a part of our beta testing in the Indian market. Orkut was huge in India and I'm delighted to say hello to India once again," Buyukkokten noted.

"When a user signs up, they are asked about five things that they are passionate about and then get recommendations that are non-intrusive. We also ensure that every advertiser has a profile on hello (for greater accountability)," he said adding that no user information is shared with third-party applications.

Buyukkokten's next stop to roll out the application would likely be the US as well as countries like France and Germany.

The 'Hello' application is available in India on App Store and Google Play.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The 'Hello' application is available in India on Android App Store and Google Play

With social media giant Facebook embroiled in data breach scandal, a quest for alternative online networking platforms is turning into reality. According to reports, Orkut's founder has announced the entry of a new social networking platform 'hello' into the Indian market. Orkut Buyukkokten-led social networking platform, 'Hello', aims is to create positive, meaningful, authentic connections and sustained social engagement, Buyukkokten noted. "If you look at social media today, it has isolated people instead of bringing them closer. It has become more about broadcasting than sharing. We need a fresh start. Hello is built around interest-based communities where users with same interests can connect, leading to true connections," Buyukkokten told media. Buyukkokten-led Orkut was once a social media rage in countries like India and Brazil but was shut down in 2014 with the rise of rival networking websites like Twitter, Facebook and others. I'm so excited to be coming to #India! Win tickets to a special #hello event with me: https://t.co/5EjYVpgZRI #orkut pic.twitter.com/P3JEoTjMvJ — Orkut Buyukkokten (@orkut) April 4, 2018 × "We started in Brazil in July 2016... About 35,000 users were a part of our beta testing in the Indian market. Orkut was huge in India and I'm delighted to say hello to India once again," Buyukkokten noted. "When a user signs up, they are asked about five things that they are passionate about and then get recommendations that are non-intrusive. We also ensure that every advertiser has a profile on hello (for greater accountability)," he said adding that no user information is shared with third-party applications. Buyukkokten's next stop to roll out the application would likely be the US as well as countries like France and Germany. The 'Hello' application is available in India on App Store and Google Play. (With inputs from agencies)

Delighted to say 'Hello' to India again: Orkut founder rolls out new social networking app 

Twitter announced Tuesday it would double the limit for tweets to 280 characters in a bid to draw in more users and boost engagement at the social network.

&quot;We&#39;re expanding the character limit! We want it to be easier and faster for everyone to express themselves,&quot; tweeted the site, which started testing an increase to its 140-character limit in most languages in early September.

The changes will be rolling out in all languages except Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, in which space limitations have not been an issue, Twitter said.

Twitter, which has been lagging behind rival social networks in user growth and struggling to reach profitability, faced a dilemma over the change in that it could alienate longtime users and transform the nature of the service.

Product manager Aliza Rosen said in a blog post that the test showed most people still used 140 characters or fewer, suggesting the fast-moving nature of Twitter will not change.

Twitter began to look at the new limit &quot;so every person around the world could express themselves easily in a tweet,&quot; Rosen said.

&quot;Our goal was to make this possible while ensuring we keep the speed and brevity that makes Twitter, Twitter. Looking at all the data, we&#39;re excited to share we&rsquo;ve achieved this goal and are rolling the change out to all languages where cramming was an issue.&quot;

She noted that in the first few days of the test many people used the full 280 limit because it was new and novel, &quot;but soon after behavior normalized.&quot;

As a result, &quot;the brevity of Twitter remained,&quot; she said.

Some users have worried that longer tweets could profoundly change the nature of the one-to-many messaging platform, which is popular with journalists and politicians but has failed to win the mass appeal of rivals like Facebook.

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said there was a positive response to the test of the length limit.

&quot;In addition to more Tweeting, people who had 280 characters received more Likes, Retweets, @mentions, Followers, and were more satisfied with Twitter. So, you&rsquo;ll be getting 280 too, enjoy!&quot; Stone tweeted.

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In addition to more Tweeting, people who had 280 characters received more Likes, Retweets, @mentions, Followers, and were more satisfied with Twitter. So, you&rsquo;ll be getting 280 too&mdash;enjoy!
&mdash; Biz Stone (@biz) <a href="https://twitter.com/biz/status/928005016916389888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Last month, Twitter reported its loss for the past quarter narrowed as the company suggested it could reach profitability for the first time in the fourth quarter.

The update showed Twitter&#39;s monthly active user base rose slightly to 330 million, roughly in line with forecasts.&nbsp;

Twitter announced Tuesday it would double the limit for tweets to 280 characters in a bid to draw in more users and boost engagement at the social network

Twitter announced Tuesday it would double the limit for tweets to 280 characters in a bid to draw in more users and boost engagement at the social network. "We're expanding the character limit! We want it to be easier and faster for everyone to express themselves," tweeted the site, which started testing an increase to its 140-character limit in most languages in early September. The changes will be rolling out in all languages except Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, in which space limitations have not been an issue, Twitter said. Twitter, which has been lagging behind rival social networks in user growth and struggling to reach profitability, faced a dilemma over the change in that it could alienate longtime users and transform the nature of the service. Product manager Aliza Rosen said in a blog post that the test showed most people still used 140 characters or fewer, suggesting the fast-moving nature of Twitter will not change. Twitter began to look at the new limit "so every person around the world could express themselves easily in a tweet," Rosen said. "Our goal was to make this possible while ensuring we keep the speed and brevity that makes Twitter, Twitter. Looking at all the data, we're excited to share we’ve achieved this goal and are rolling the change out to all languages where cramming was an issue." She noted that in the first few days of the test many people used the full 280 limit because it was new and novel, "but soon after behavior normalized." As a result, "the brevity of Twitter remained," she said. Some users have worried that longer tweets could profoundly change the nature of the one-to-many messaging platform, which is popular with journalists and politicians but has failed to win the mass appeal of rivals like Facebook. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said there was a positive response to the test of the length limit. "In addition to more Tweeting, people who had 280 characters received more Likes, Retweets, @mentions, Followers, and were more satisfied with Twitter. So, you’ll be getting 280 too, enjoy!" Stone tweeted. In addition to more Tweeting, people who had 280 characters received more Likes, Retweets, @mentions, Followers, and were more satisfied with Twitter. So, you’ll be getting 280 too—enjoy! — Biz Stone (@biz) November 7, 2017 × Last month, Twitter reported its loss for the past quarter narrowed as the company suggested it could reach profitability for the first time in the fourth quarter. The update showed Twitter's monthly active user base rose slightly to 330 million, roughly in line with forecasts.

Twitter to double tweet limit to 280 characters

When FBI Director James Comey teased that he had joined the world of social media with secret Instagram and Twitter accounts, tech writer Ashley Feinberg took the dare.

After four hours of FBI-level sleuthing, she was pretty sure she had the answer: On both he was using the name of US Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Embarrassing: He had only one Twitter follower.

All it took, Feinberg said on the Gizmodo website where she is a senior reporter, was for Comey to tell an audience of security professionals on Wednesday night that he had very cautiously joined the social networking age to keep up with family.

&quot;I care deeply about privacy, treasure it. I have an Instagram account with nine followers. Nobody is getting in. They&#39;re all immediate relatives, and one daughter&#39;s serious boyfriend,&quot; Comey let slip.

Feinberg&#39;s interest was piqued.

&quot;Who am I to say no to a challenge?&quot; she wrote. She tracked down Comey&#39;s family members, eventually discovering his son Brien&#39;s Instagram account by way of a photo of him with an Instagram tag.

That led to a potential dead end: A protected account which she could not view.

But when she asked to be invited by Brien Comey to view his account, Instagram popped up with offers to follow other accounts that included Brien&#39;s mother and a mysterious &quot;Reinhold Niebuhr,&quot; who had just nine followers.

And a Google check easily showed that Niebuhr was the subject of James Comey&#39;s 1982 university thesis.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation chief, who carries the mammoth political burden of investigating the Trump administration&#39;s suspected links to Russia as both political parties eye him suspiciously, unsurprisingly also had a protected account.

But from there to Twitter was easy. Feinberg found seven Niebuhrs there, but only one with secretive identity: @projectexile7. That was the name of a program to battle gun-related crime that Comey helped develop.

That account had no tweets in three years, and followed only 27 other accounts. But those were reporters who cover the FBI, and law enforcement-related accounts. And Donald Trump.

And the one follower was a prominent expert in national security law and a friend of Comey&#39;s.

Bingo. So much for secrecy. The FBI had no comment, but the Twitter-verse was convinced. Hours after Feinberg&#39;s report, Comey had more than 8,000 followers. Pretty good for never tweeting.

(AFP)

FBI Director James Comey had very cautiously joined social media with secret Instagram and Twitter accounts to keep up with family

When FBI Director James Comey teased that he had joined the world of social media with secret Instagram and Twitter accounts, tech writer Ashley Feinberg took the dare. After four hours of FBI-level sleuthing, she was pretty sure she had the answer: On both he was using the name of US Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Embarrassing: He had only one Twitter follower. All it took, Feinberg said on the Gizmodo website where she is a senior reporter, was for Comey to tell an audience of security professionals on Wednesday night that he had very cautiously joined the social networking age to keep up with family. "I care deeply about privacy, treasure it. I have an Instagram account with nine followers. Nobody is getting in. They're all immediate relatives, and one daughter's serious boyfriend," Comey let slip. Feinberg's interest was piqued. "Who am I to say no to a challenge?" she wrote. She tracked down Comey's family members, eventually discovering his son Brien's Instagram account by way of a photo of him with an Instagram tag. That led to a potential dead end: A protected account which she could not view. But when she asked to be invited by Brien Comey to view his account, Instagram popped up with offers to follow other accounts that included Brien's mother and a mysterious "Reinhold Niebuhr," who had just nine followers. And a Google check easily showed that Niebuhr was the subject of James Comey's 1982 university thesis. The Federal Bureau of Investigation chief, who carries the mammoth political burden of investigating the Trump administration's suspected links to Russia as both political parties eye him suspiciously, unsurprisingly also had a protected account. But from there to Twitter was easy. Feinberg found seven Niebuhrs there, but only one with secretive identity: @projectexile7. That was the name of a program to battle gun-related crime that Comey helped develop. That account had no tweets in three years, and followed only 27 other accounts. But those were reporters who cover the FBI, and law enforcement-related accounts. And Donald Trump. And the one follower was a prominent expert in national security law and a friend of Comey's. Bingo. So much for secrecy. The FBI had no comment, but the Twitter-verse was convinced. Hours after Feinberg's report, Comey had more than 8,000 followers. Pretty good for never tweeting. (AFP)

Is this FBI chief James Comey's secret Twitter account?

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