Indian jewellery brand Tanishq has pulled down its latest advertisment from social media after the company faced flak from a certain section online. The brand was acussed of promoting 'Love Jihad' through the commercial. 
 
#BoycottTanishq trended on Twitter all throughout Monday after the advertisement of their new jewellery line released an ad titled "unity in oneness." 
 
The ad depicts a Hindu woman getting a traditional bridal shower from her Muslim mother-in-law. When the surprised daughter-in-law points out that Muslims do not have any such ritual, the mother-in-law replied that to make the daughter happy is a ceremony in every household. 
 
Tanishq, in the description for the video said, "She is married into a family that loves her like their own child. Only for her, they go out of their way to celebrate an occasion that they usually don't. A beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, cultures." 
 
The advertisement has been removed from Youtube as well as various social media platforms. Twitter seemed divided at the move with many condemning the outrage itself.

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The Tanishq 'Love Jihad' ad that has now been taken down. Disgusting! <a href="https://t.co/QuS1XBTVIO">pic.twitter.com/QuS1XBTVIO</a>
— Kashyap Amrika Observer (@YearOfTheKraken) <a href="https://twitter.com/YearOfTheKraken/status/1315662828108353536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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There were others who stated that they would not buy any product of the brand from now on and demanded a complete boycott of the jewellery brand.

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The Tanishq 'Love Jihad' ad that has now been taken down. Disgusting! <a href="https://t.co/QuS1XBTVIO">pic.twitter.com/QuS1XBTVIO</a>
— Kashyap Amrika Observer (@YearOfTheKraken) <a href="https://twitter.com/YearOfTheKraken/status/1315662828108353536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Boycott Tanishq
— JP Awasthy (@JpAwasthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JpAwasthy/status/1315718867503652864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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This is what “UNITED HINDUS” are capable of- <a href="https://twitter.com/TanishqJewelry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TanishqJewelry</a> deletes the video that showed a Hindu girl in a Muslim household: after immense outrage on social media! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottTanishq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottTanishq</a> <a href="https://t.co/EWEYsFwYHm">pic.twitter.com/EWEYsFwYHm</a>
— अणिमा सोनकर (@AnimaSonkar) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnimaSonkar/status/1315671362183200768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Indian jewellery brand Tanishq has pulled down its latest advertisment from social media after the company faced flak from a certain section online. The brand was acussed of promoting 'Love Jihad' through the commercial.

Indian jewellery brand Tanishq has pulled down its latest advertisment from social media after the company faced flak from a certain section online. The brand was acussed of promoting 'Love Jihad' through the commercial. #BoycottTanishq trended on Twitter all throughout Monday after the advertisement of their new jewellery line released an ad titled "unity in oneness." The ad depicts a Hindu woman getting a traditional bridal shower from her Muslim mother-in-law. When the surprised daughter-in-law points out that Muslims do not have any such ritual, the mother-in-law replied that to make the daughter happy is a ceremony in every household. Tanishq, in the description for the video said, "She is married into a family that loves her like their own child. Only for her, they go out of their way to celebrate an occasion that they usually don't. A beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, cultures." The advertisement has been removed from Youtube as well as various social media platforms. Twitter seemed divided at the move with many condemning the outrage itself. The Tanishq 'Love Jihad' ad that has now been taken down. Disgusting! pic.twitter.com/QuS1XBTVIO — Kashyap Amrika Observer (@YearOfTheKraken) October 12, 2020 × There were others who stated that they would not buy any product of the brand from now on and demanded a complete boycott of the jewellery brand. The Tanishq 'Love Jihad' ad that has now been taken down. Disgusting! pic.twitter.com/QuS1XBTVIO — Kashyap Amrika Observer (@YearOfTheKraken) October 12, 2020 × Boycott Tanishq — JP Awasthy (@JpAwasthy) October 12, 2020 × This is what “UNITED HINDUS” are capable of- @TanishqJewelry deletes the video that showed a Hindu girl in a Muslim household: after immense outrage on social media! #BoycottTanishq pic.twitter.com/EWEYsFwYHm — अणिमा सोनकर (@AnimaSonkar) October 12, 2020 ×

Tanishq pulls down new advertisement after being accused of promoting 'Love Jihad'

Since 1989 Ayatollah Khamenei has maintained a firm grip on all walks of life in Iran. From the civil society to politics to the armed forces.

The word Ayatollah Khamenei is absolute for every Iranian and his decisions are beyond any scrutiny. This supreme leader has turned his position &amp; authority into something the Persian monarchs would have envied and just like the monarchs, Khamenei now wants to expand his realm of influence.&nbsp;

He wants to influence the minds of Shia Muslims across the world. The tool he is using to achieve this dream is social media.

Ayatollah Khamenei has gone on a PR overdrive on Twitter and has opened accounts in almost every language including Hindi. His Hindi tweet is is an attempt to strengthen the faith of Indian Muslims in him.

'....The incident of Ghadir is not limited to Shias in terms of its factual matrix --- it is also related to the entire Islamic world...Because the event of Ghadir is based on the real soul of Islam...'' he tweeted. &nbsp;

The event of Ghadir is considered to be of invaluable significance for Shia Muslims. It was this event which separated Muslims into two sects -- Shia and Sunni. Ayatollah Khamenei's message is aimed at encouraging a sense of supremacy among Shia Muslims especially in India where they are lesser in number in comparison to Sunnis.

This tweet was Khamenei's way of reminding the Indian government of the influence he wields on the Shia community. Iran is trying to capitalise the sentiments of Shia Muslims in India. Because Iran did something similar when the US had killed Qasem Soleimani.

Shia Muslims in India had hit the streets after Soleimani's killing. According to a diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks in 2006 one of India's most famous Shia clerics, Maulana Kalbe Jawad was alleged to be a paid spy for Tehran. He was said to be receiving money and instructions from the Iranian embassy but these accusations are yet to be proven.&nbsp;

Iran plays a strategically significant role in the approximately 30 million strong Indian Shia community. Most Shia Muslims in India show their religious allegiance towards Iran's clerics. They are said to accept the religious command of Iran, not Saudi Arabia.

What about the Indian government? Its relations with Iran have always been good but the ties are increasingly becoming hostage to US foreign policy.

India is moving closer towards the US due to geopolitical reasons and Iran is feeling left out in the face of American sanctions.&nbsp;Khamenei's Hindi outreach could be seen as a reminder to New Delhi that if it fails the test of friendship. Tehran knows how to use the sectarian fault-lines in India to its benefit. There is more to social media posts than meets the eye.&nbsp;

Since 1989 Ayatollah Khamenei has maintained a firm grip on all walks of life in Iran. From the civil society to politics to the armed forces. The word Ayatollah Khamenei is absolute for every Iranian and his decisions are beyond any scrutiny.

Since 1989 Ayatollah Khamenei has maintained a firm grip on all walks of life in Iran. From the civil society to politics to the armed forces. The word Ayatollah Khamenei is absolute for every Iranian and his decisions are beyond any scrutiny. This supreme leader has turned his position & authority into something the Persian monarchs would have envied and just like the monarchs, Khamenei now wants to expand his realm of influence. He wants to influence the minds of Shia Muslims across the world. The tool he is using to achieve this dream is social media. Ayatollah Khamenei has gone on a PR overdrive on Twitter and has opened accounts in almost every language including Hindi. His Hindi tweet is is an attempt to strengthen the faith of Indian Muslims in him. '....The incident of Ghadir is not limited to Shias in terms of its factual matrix --- it is also related to the entire Islamic world...Because the event of Ghadir is based on the real soul of Islam...'' he tweeted. The event of Ghadir is considered to be of invaluable significance for Shia Muslims. It was this event which separated Muslims into two sects -- Shia and Sunni. Ayatollah Khamenei's message is aimed at encouraging a sense of supremacy among Shia Muslims especially in India where they are lesser in number in comparison to Sunnis. This tweet was Khamenei's way of reminding the Indian government of the influence he wields on the Shia community. Iran is trying to capitalise the sentiments of Shia Muslims in India. Because Iran did something similar when the US had killed Qasem Soleimani. Shia Muslims in India had hit the streets after Soleimani's killing. According to a diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks in 2006 one of India's most famous Shia clerics, Maulana Kalbe Jawad was alleged to be a paid spy for Tehran. He was said to be receiving money and instructions from the Iranian embassy but these accusations are yet to be proven. Iran plays a strategically significant role in the approximately 30 million strong Indian Shia community. Most Shia Muslims in India show their religious allegiance towards Iran's clerics. They are said to accept the religious command of Iran, not Saudi Arabia. What about the Indian government? Its relations with Iran have always been good but the ties are increasingly becoming hostage to US foreign policy. India is moving closer towards the US due to geopolitical reasons and Iran is feeling left out in the face of American sanctions. Khamenei's Hindi outreach could be seen as a reminder to New Delhi that if it fails the test of friendship. Tehran knows how to use the sectarian fault-lines in India to its benefit. There is more to social media posts than meets the eye.

Ayatollah Khamenei's PR overdrive on Twitter in India

Facebook, Google and Twitter said Monday they have stopped giving information on users to Hong Kong's government or police force, following China's imposition of draconian security law, according to AFP report.

Facebook, Google and Twitter said Monday they have stopped giving information on users to Hong Kong's government or police force, following China's imposition of draconian security law, according to AFP report. The pause at leading online social network Facebook and its popular messaging service WhatsApp would remain in place "pending further assessment" of the new national security law, and would include "formal human rights due diligence and consultations with human rights experts," the report said quoting a statement by a Facebook spokesman. "We believe freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and support the right of people to express themselves without fear for their safety or other repercussions," the spokesman said. Also read: Five ways Hong Kong has changed under China's security law Twitter and Google told that they too would not comply with information requests by Hong Kong authorities in the immediate future, the report added. "Like many public interest organizations, civil society leaders and entities, and industry peers, we have grave concerns regarding both the developing process and the full intention of this law," Twitter reportedly told AFP. "Twitter cares and is committed to protecting the people using our service and their freedom of expression." China last week imposed the security law on the restive city of around 7.5 million people, banning acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Also read: China has no legal authority to enact security law for Hong Kong: Bar Association The law stipulates that trials can be held behind closed doors without juries, with offenders subject to a maximum of a life sentence. The legislation, which has sent a wave of fear through the territory, has criminalized dissenting opinions such as calls for independence or autonomy. "Last Wednesday, when the law took effect, we paused production on any new data requests from Hong Kong authorities, and we'll continue to review the details of the new law," a Google spokesperson said. Digital rights group ProPrivacy called Facebook's move "a win for both digital privacy and human rights in the region." "With the stakes so high, and the punishments so severe, it is great news to see big tech companies like WhatsApp pushing back in favour of democracy and freedom of expression," the group said. However, it noted the move could lead to WhatsApp being blocked in Hong Kong, as it has been in mainland China. (With inputs from AFP)

Facebook, Google, Twitter block Hong Kong govt from accessing user data

A day after tweeting 'looting leads to shooting',&nbsp;US President Donald Trump is walking back a threat to respond to the critical and violent riots that have occurred during the protests in Minneapolis.

The protests were against the killing of an unarmed black man by the Minneapolis Police Department.

&nbsp;Trump, on May 29, tweeted that the "thugs" were dishonouring the victim.

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....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266231100780744704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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However, Twitter flagged the tweet as an encouragement of violence.

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After this warning from the Twitter, and a lot of criticism from Twitterati and other locals, he said he understands the reason behind the protest and feels the pain, but will not allow this to turn into a lawless anarchy.

"The looters should not be allowed to drown out the voices of so many peaceful protesters," Mr Trump said.

"I understand the hurt, I understand the pain," he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/twitter-flags-donald-trumps-tweet-twitter-says-post-glorified-violence-301937">Also watch:&nbsp;Twitter flags Donald Trump's tweet, Twitter says post 'Glorified Violence'</a>

Trump blamed both sides&nbsp;for the violence that erupted out of the protests, and said he will not let the country burn this way.

"This is no time for incendiary tweets. It's no time to encourage violence. This is a national crisis and we need real leadership right now. Leadership that will bring everyone to the table so that we can take measures to root out systemic racism,"&nbsp;said former vice-president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

A day after tweeting 'looting leads to shooting', US President Donald Trump is walking back a threat to respond to the critical and violent riots that have occurred during the protests in Minneapolis.

A day after tweeting 'looting leads to shooting', US President Donald Trump is walking back a threat to respond to the critical and violent riots that have occurred during the protests in Minneapolis. The protests were against the killing of an unarmed black man by the Minneapolis Police Department. Trump, on May 29, tweeted that the "thugs" were dishonouring the victim. ....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020 × However, Twitter flagged the tweet as an encouragement of violence. After this warning from the Twitter, and a lot of criticism from Twitterati and other locals, he said he understands the reason behind the protest and feels the pain, but will not allow this to turn into a lawless anarchy. "The looters should not be allowed to drown out the voices of so many peaceful protesters," Mr Trump said. "I understand the hurt, I understand the pain," he added. Also watch: Twitter flags Donald Trump's tweet, Twitter says post 'Glorified Violence' Trump blamed both sides for the violence that erupted out of the protests, and said he will not let the country burn this way. "This is no time for incendiary tweets. It's no time to encourage violence. This is a national crisis and we need real leadership right now. Leadership that will bring everyone to the table so that we can take measures to root out systemic racism," said former vice-president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

'I understand the hurt and pain': Trump backtracks on his tweets

Twitter on Tuesday for the first time prompted readers to check the facts in tweets sent by US President Donald Trump and accused him of making false claims. The social network has long resisted calls to censure the US president over truth-defying posts.

Twitter on Tuesday for the first time prompted readers to check the facts in tweets sent by US President Donald Trump and accused him of making false claims. The social network has long resisted calls to censure the US president over truth-defying posts. The move drew a furious response from Trump, who used the platform to accuse Twitter of "interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election." "Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen!" he tweeted. ....Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020 × The social media giant targeted two tweets the president posted on Tuesday in which he contended without evidence that mail-in voting would lead to fraud and a "Rigged Election." Under the tweets, Twitter posted a link which read "Get the facts about mail-in ballots" and which took users to a notice calling the claims "unsubstantiated", citing reporting by CNN, the Washington Post and other media. "Trump falsely claimed that mail-in ballots would lead to 'Rigged Election'," the notice contended. "However, fact-checkers say there is no evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud." Trump aimed the misleading tweets at California, contending falsely that anyone living in the state would be sent ballots when in fact they will only go to registered voters, according to the notice. The president has long used Twitter as a platform to spread abuse, conspiracy theories, false information and insults to his 80 million followers. (With inputs from AFP)

Twitter fact-checks Trump tweet for the first time, calls it 'unsubstantiated' 

Sketch show 'Saturday Night Live'&nbsp;is returning to U.S. television with a new, remotely produced show this weekend, broadcaster NBC said on Thursday.

In pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/cooking-washing-doing-dishes-how-celebrities-have-become-more-relatable-in-times-of-self-isolation-290376" hreflang="en">Cooking, washing, doing dishes: How celebrities have become more relatable in times of self-isolation</a>

The network said the satirical show, which shut down production in mid-March because of the coronavirus outbreak, would feature original content from 'Saturday Night Live'&nbsp;cast members, including the regular 'Weekend Update' segment.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
'Saturday Night Live', with its mix of topical sketches, songs and celebrity appearances, has been a cultural favourite in the United States since 1975.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/ellen-degeneres-slammed-for-calling-quarantine-in-27-million-mansion-being-in-jail-291450" hreflang="en">Ellen DeGeneres slammed for calling quarantine in $27 million mansion, 'being in jail'</a> 
 
NBC gave no details about who would appear on the show which will be broadcast on April 11 at its regular 11:30 pm ET (0330 GMT Sunday) time slot. 
 
Production on 'Saturday Night Live'&nbsp;and all other U.S. television shows and movies shut down in mid-March because of social distancing and shutdown orders aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus. 
 
Several topical television shows, including daytime talk show 'The Ellen Show' and late-night staples 'The Tonight Show'&nbsp;and 'The Late Show,'&nbsp;have returned in recent weeks with their hosts filming themselves from their homes and speaking with guests on social media and video platforms.

Sketch show 'Saturday Night Live' is returning to U.S. television with a new, remotely produced show this weekend, broadcaster NBC said on Thursday. In pics: Cooking, washing, doing dishes: How celebrities have become more relatable in times of self-isolation The network said the satirical show, which shut down production in mid-March because of the coronavirus outbreak, would feature original content from 'Saturday Night Live' cast members, including the regular 'Weekend Update' segment.

Sketch show 'Saturday Night Live' is returning to U.S. television with a new, remotely produced show this weekend, broadcaster NBC said on Thursday. In pics: Cooking, washing, doing dishes: How celebrities have become more relatable in times of self-isolation The network said the satirical show, which shut down production in mid-March because of the coronavirus outbreak, would feature original content from 'Saturday Night Live' cast members, including the regular 'Weekend Update' segment. 'Saturday Night Live', with its mix of topical sketches, songs and celebrity appearances, has been a cultural favourite in the United States since 1975. Also read: Ellen DeGeneres slammed for calling quarantine in $27 million mansion, 'being in jail' NBC gave no details about who would appear on the show which will be broadcast on April 11 at its regular 11:30 pm ET (0330 GMT Sunday) time slot. Production on 'Saturday Night Live' and all other U.S. television shows and movies shut down in mid-March because of social distancing and shutdown orders aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus. Several topical television shows, including daytime talk show 'The Ellen Show' and late-night staples 'The Tonight Show' and 'The Late Show,' have returned in recent weeks with their hosts filming themselves from their homes and speaking with guests on social media and video platforms.

'Saturday Night Live' returning with remotely produced TV show

India plans to amend proposed rules for policing digital content so the toughest measures apply only to big social media firms, according to two government sources, in a move that could give relief to other tech players fearful of the new regulations.

India plans to amend proposed rules for policing digital content so the toughest measures apply only to big social media firms, according to two government sources, in a move that could give relief to other tech players fearful of the new regulations. The original proposal would have forced all tech players, in addition to Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, to deploy automated tools to check for unlawful content and to appoint an officer for "24x7" coordination with law enforcement. The rules are part of India's broader efforts to tackle disinformation and "fake news". Since 2017, rumour-mongering on social media has been blamed for mob attacks that killed 30 people across the country. But the draft proposals, called "intermediary guidelines" when they were released in December 2018, could have applied to a broad range of technology firms including e-commerce players, cloud storage providers and telecoms companies. India's IT ministry is now considering a two-tier system - with stricter rules similar to the original proposals applying only to social media companies, said the two government sources, who declined to be named as the plans are still private. "The problem is largely with large messaging platforms, ones that enable interaction. Some of the requirements for non-social media companies were unrealistic," one of the officials said. India's IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The second government source said that having two separate layers of rules would mean that big social media companies such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Chinese video app TikTok would continue to face stricter regulation, but technology firms such as Amazon.com could breathe easier. The official described the proposed regulation for other technology companies as "minimal" and "simple", adding the rules would be finalised later this month. India's IT ministry has previously said stricter regulations were necessary to safeguard users and the nation's security as the Internet has emerged as a "potent tool to cause unimaginable disruption to the democratic polity". The original draft rules also said companies must "remove or disable access" to "unlawful" content within 24 hours when asked by a government agency or through a court order. That particular requirement, however, would likely stay in the new rules for both social media and other technology firms, the sources said. Global internet companies Mozilla Corp, Microsoft's GitHub and Cloudflare Inc this week wrote an open letter to India's IT minister, saying the draft 2018 regulations were extremely broad and would impact many companies. Calling for new rules to be made public soon, the companies also said the timeline of 24 hours for removing content posed significant implementation challenges.

India to tweak proposed content regulations to ease burden on some: Sources

In a crackdown against state-sponsored propaganda, social-media giants Facebook and Twitter said that they had blocked multiple government-backed manipulation operations around the world.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-blocks-group-spreading-pro-trump-posts-from-fake-accounts-269435">Facebook </a>said that it had blocked a network in Vietnam and the United States which posted pro-Trump messages targetting US citizens.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspends-thousands-of-accounts-that-were-linked-to-saudi-arabia-269402">Twitter</a>, on the other hand, claimed that it had blocked nearly 88,000 accounts linked to Saudi state-backed "information operations", in violation of its manipulation rules.

The Twitter safety team said that their analysis found that the network targetted discussions related to Saudi Arabia and was promoting Riyadh's geopolitical interests at an international level.&nbsp;

"Our internal analysis shows the network was involved in various forms of platform manipulation, targetting discussions related to Saudi Arabia and advancing their geopolitical interests on the world stage," the Twitter team said.&nbsp;

Twitter's investigations revealed Saudi-based social media marketing firm Smaat behind this campaign of manipulation. Smaat has been permanently blocked by the platform.&nbsp;

The Saudi-based firm was working for "high-profile individuals" and for several government departments in Saudi Arabia, Twitter said. Some of the tweets were of 2016 and were supporting&nbsp;the presidential campaign of US President Donald Trump.

Facebook said that the Vietnam network was traced to the multi-language media group Epoch Times, which is linked to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, and a US media outlet called BL, which has been uploading pro-Trump posts.&nbsp;

Facebook also said that it has removed more than 600 accounts on Facebook and Instagram.&nbsp;

"The people behind this activity made widespread use of fake accounts -- many of which had been automatically removed by our systems -- to manage pages and groups, automate posting at very high frequencies and direct traffic to off-platform sites," Facebook security chief Nathaniel Gleicher said.

"The BL-focused network repeatedly violated a number of our policies, including our policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior, spam and misrepresentation, to name just a few."

The Facebook security chief said that the fake accounts shared memes and content focussing on conservative ideology and US political issues such as Trump's impeachment, trade, family values, freedom of religion, among others.

(with inputs from AFP)

In a crackdown against state-sponsored propaganda, social-media giants Facebook and Twitter said that they had blocked multiple government-backed manipulation operations around the world.

In a crackdown against state-sponsored propaganda, social-media giants Facebook and Twitter said that they had blocked multiple government-backed manipulation operations around the world. Facebook said that it had blocked a network in Vietnam and the United States which posted pro-Trump messages targetting US citizens. Twitter, on the other hand, claimed that it had blocked nearly 88,000 accounts linked to Saudi state-backed "information operations", in violation of its manipulation rules. The Twitter safety team said that their analysis found that the network targetted discussions related to Saudi Arabia and was promoting Riyadh's geopolitical interests at an international level. "Our internal analysis shows the network was involved in various forms of platform manipulation, targetting discussions related to Saudi Arabia and advancing their geopolitical interests on the world stage," the Twitter team said. Twitter's investigations revealed Saudi-based social media marketing firm Smaat behind this campaign of manipulation. Smaat has been permanently blocked by the platform. The Saudi-based firm was working for "high-profile individuals" and for several government departments in Saudi Arabia, Twitter said. Some of the tweets were of 2016 and were supporting the presidential campaign of US President Donald Trump. Facebook said that the Vietnam network was traced to the multi-language media group Epoch Times, which is linked to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, and a US media outlet called BL, which has been uploading pro-Trump posts. Facebook also said that it has removed more than 600 accounts on Facebook and Instagram. "The people behind this activity made widespread use of fake accounts -- many of which had been automatically removed by our systems -- to manage pages and groups, automate posting at very high frequencies and direct traffic to off-platform sites," Facebook security chief Nathaniel Gleicher said. "The BL-focused network repeatedly violated a number of our policies, including our policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior, spam and misrepresentation, to name just a few." The Facebook security chief said that the fake accounts shared memes and content focussing on conservative ideology and US political issues such as Trump's impeachment, trade, family values, freedom of religion, among others. (with inputs from AFP)

Facebook, Twitter block state-sponsored manipulation accounts in latest crackdown

A video that President Donald Trump re-tweeted that included the soundtrack of a Batman movie was pulled from his account due to copyright violations. 
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they call you racist," read the text at the start of the fan-made 2020 Trump campaign video, as pictures of Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton flashed on the screen. 
 
The video, which Trump reposted Tuesday evening, showed images of his presidency, including his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 
 
"Your vote proved them all wrong," the two-minute video said, calling Trump's 2020 re-election a "great victory." The soundtrack of the video was composer Hans Zimmer's "Why Do We Fall?" from the 2012 movie "The Dark Knight Rises" - and movie Warner Brothers, which owns the Batman franchise, was not happy. 
 
"The use of Warner Bros.' score from The Dark Knight Rises' in the campaign video was unauthorized," the movie studio told Buzzfeed News. "We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed." By Wednesday all that was left on Trump's Twitter feed was a dead link with a message that read "This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner." The video, however, garnered 101,000 likes and 31,000 retweets before it was pulled. 
 
This is not the first time that the president has retweeted controversial fan-made material.&nbsp;Previous cases include the image of the president body slamming a CNN logo.&nbsp;Musicians including Pharell Williams and Aerosmith have also complained about Trump using their music for political purposes

A video that President Donald Trump re-tweeted that included the soundtrack of a Batman movie was pulled from his account due to copyright violations. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they call you racist," read the text at the start of the fan-made 2020 Trump campaign video, as pictures of Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton flashed on the screen.

A video that President Donald Trump re-tweeted that included the soundtrack of a Batman movie was pulled from his account due to copyright violations. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they call you racist," read the text at the start of the fan-made 2020 Trump campaign video, as pictures of Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton flashed on the screen. The video, which Trump reposted Tuesday evening, showed images of his presidency, including his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. "Your vote proved them all wrong," the two-minute video said, calling Trump's 2020 re-election a "great victory." The soundtrack of the video was composer Hans Zimmer's "Why Do We Fall?" from the 2012 movie "The Dark Knight Rises" - and movie Warner Brothers, which owns the Batman franchise, was not happy. "The use of Warner Bros.' score from The Dark Knight Rises' in the campaign video was unauthorized," the movie studio told Buzzfeed News. "We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed." By Wednesday all that was left on Trump's Twitter feed was a dead link with a message that read "This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner." The video, however, garnered 101,000 likes and 31,000 retweets before it was pulled. This is not the first time that the president has retweeted controversial fan-made material. Previous cases include the image of the president body slamming a CNN logo. Musicians including Pharell Williams and Aerosmith have also complained about Trump using their music for political purposes

Donald Trump's tweet using 'The Dark Knight Rises' music pulled down for copyright violation

Twitter co-founder and one-time chief executive Evan Williams is stepping down from the board, leaving the one-to-many messaging service to focus on "other projects."

Williams will depart the Twitter board at the end of this month, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.

"It's been an incredible 13 years, and I'm proud of what Twitter has accomplished during my time with the company," Williams said in the filing.

"I will continue rooting for the team as I focus my time on other projects."

Williams throttled back his role in the San Francisco-based startup eight years ago, turning his attention to new endeavors including creating popular online publishing platform Medium.

Williams ceded his role as Twitter chief executive to Dick Costolo in 2010. Co-founder Jack Dorsey returned as Twitter chief in 2015, having held the position when the startup was nascent.

Dorsey said in a Tweet that Williams was the reason he joined startup Odeo, an endeavour that led to him, Williams and Biz Stone creating Twitter.

"I appreciate you, Ev!" Dorsey tweeted on Friday.

"We're going to miss your voice in our board conversations."

Twitter has become a high-profile, and sometimes controversial, global stage for communication since it was launched in March of 2006.

"Thank you, @jack and @biz for starting this crazy company with me—and continuing to make it better and better," Williams tweeted.

"I'm going to ride off into the sunset (or...down Market Street), so I can focus on some other things."

Twitter co-founder and one-time chief executive Evan Williams is stepping down from the board, leaving the one-to-many messaging service to focus on "other projects.

Twitter co-founder and one-time chief executive Evan Williams is stepping down from the board, leaving the one-to-many messaging service to focus on "other projects." Williams will depart the Twitter board at the end of this month, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. "It's been an incredible 13 years, and I'm proud of what Twitter has accomplished during my time with the company," Williams said in the filing. "I will continue rooting for the team as I focus my time on other projects." Williams throttled back his role in the San Francisco-based startup eight years ago, turning his attention to new endeavors including creating popular online publishing platform Medium. Williams ceded his role as Twitter chief executive to Dick Costolo in 2010. Co-founder Jack Dorsey returned as Twitter chief in 2015, having held the position when the startup was nascent. Dorsey said in a Tweet that Williams was the reason he joined startup Odeo, an endeavour that led to him, Williams and Biz Stone creating Twitter. "I appreciate you, Ev!" Dorsey tweeted on Friday. "We're going to miss your voice in our board conversations." Twitter has become a high-profile, and sometimes controversial, global stage for communication since it was launched in March of 2006. "Thank you, @jack and @biz for starting this crazy company with me—and continuing to make it better and better," Williams tweeted. "I'm going to ride off into the sunset (or...down Market Street), so I can focus on some other things."

Twitter co-founder Evan Williams steps down from board

Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday that Silicon Valley companies, including his own, have not done enough to protect victims of online abuse, calling it a "huge fail."

Interviewed via Twitter by Kara Swisher, co-founder of the tech news site Recode, Dorsey tweeted that he would give himself a 'C' grade for what Swisher termed "tech responsibility."

"We've made progress, but it has been scattered and not felt enough," he tweeted in response to Swisher's questions. "Changing the experience hasn't been meaningful enough. And we've put most of the burden on the victims of abuse (that's a huge fail)."

Twitter, along with online social media network Facebook Inc, has faced criticism for abusive posts, fake users and inaccurate news stories on its service. The company has been investing heavily to improve what Dorsey has described as the "collective health" of Twitter.

Dorsey said on Tuesday he does not like how Twitter tends to incentivise outrage, short-term thinking, echo chambers, and fragmented conversations, and that the lack of diversity in the company has not helped in combating such problems.

He said Twitter's work against "automation and coordinated campaigns," along with its collaboration with various government agencies, has left it in a better position to combat the threat of misinformation for the 2020 U.S. presidential elections.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia used social media during the 2016 U.S. elections to sway voters. Moscow denies that charge.

Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday that Silicon Valley companies, including his own, have not done enough to protect victims of online abuse, calling it a "huge fail.

Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday that Silicon Valley companies, including his own, have not done enough to protect victims of online abuse, calling it a "huge fail." Interviewed via Twitter by Kara Swisher, co-founder of the tech news site Recode, Dorsey tweeted that he would give himself a 'C' grade for what Swisher termed "tech responsibility." "We've made progress, but it has been scattered and not felt enough," he tweeted in response to Swisher's questions. "Changing the experience hasn't been meaningful enough. And we've put most of the burden on the victims of abuse (that's a huge fail)." Twitter, along with online social media network Facebook Inc, has faced criticism for abusive posts, fake users and inaccurate news stories on its service. The company has been investing heavily to improve what Dorsey has described as the "collective health" of Twitter. Dorsey said on Tuesday he does not like how Twitter tends to incentivise outrage, short-term thinking, echo chambers, and fragmented conversations, and that the lack of diversity in the company has not helped in combating such problems. He said Twitter's work against "automation and coordinated campaigns," along with its collaboration with various government agencies, has left it in a better position to combat the threat of misinformation for the 2020 U.S. presidential elections. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia used social media during the 2016 U.S. elections to sway voters. Moscow denies that charge.

Twitter CEO says his and other tech firms have not combated abuse enough

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