<p>Amazon is the world's biggest online market. It is now facing fire for exploiting its workers. Some shocking details have emerged on the working conditions at Amazon. The delivery drivers have to consent to surveillance or they could be fired.</p>

<p>The workers are forced to urinate in bottles. Because they don't get access to bathrooms. The company is denying all this. But its story isn't adding up.</p>

<p>Cameras powered by artificial intelligence to snoop on them, no bathrooms, bottles to urinate, and bags to defecate in. Usually, hostages or prisoners live through such conditions. But in the US, Amazon drivers are living through this nightmare.</p>

<p>It began with a tweet from a lawmaker.</p>

<p>Mark Pocan pointed out that Amazon workers are being forced to urinate in bottles at work. Amazon's denial was swift.</p>

<p>In a tweet, the company declared, "You don't really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us."</p>

<p>Amazon should have thought twice before putting out that tweet. Because it didn't take much time for a reporter to dig out images of those bottles.</p>

<p>A report revealed how Amazon drivers deliver up to 300 packages a day on a 10-hour shift.</p>

<p>If they take too long they can be written up and fired.</p>

<p>Amazon denied all these claims in public. It said this never happens. But Amazon's internal documents show it happens and the company knows all about it. A confidential document, posted by an online publication lists the "violations and defects" of Amazon employees.</p>

<p>Public urination and public defecation are listed under unprofessional behaviour.</p>

<p>A letter from a logistics area manager complains about the discovery of unsanitary bags from drivers.</p>

<p>To make matters worse, the workers are now being subjected to surveillance. Reports say Amazon delivery drivers now have to consent to AI surveillance in their vans.</p>

<p>Cameras are being installed to track drivers. Under the new rules, Amazon can collect photos to verify the identity of drivers along with the location of the vehicle and driver movements. They can record potential traffic violations. Even detect if the driver is distracted or drowsy.</p>

<p>For one of the drivers, named Vic, the surveillance proved to be too much. He narrated his ordeal to a news agency.</p>

<p>He described how Amazon first began surveillance of the driver by tracking his route. Then Amazon demanded pictures at the beginning of each shift. After the arrival of AI cameras, Vic decided to leave his job.</p>

<p>Some tweets don't age well. Amazon is learning it the hard way. Its denial of exhausting and exploitative working conditions has led to a PR fiasco.</p>


Amazon is the world's biggest online market. It is now facing fire for exploiting its workers. Some shocking details have emerged on the working conditions at Amazon.

Amazon is the world's biggest online market. It is now facing fire for exploiting its workers. Some shocking details have emerged on the working conditions at Amazon. The delivery drivers have to consent to surveillance or they could be fired. The workers are forced to urinate in bottles. Because they don't get access to bathrooms. The company is denying all this. But its story isn't adding up. Cameras powered by artificial intelligence to snoop on them, no bathrooms, bottles to urinate, and bags to defecate in. Usually, hostages or prisoners live through such conditions. But in the US, Amazon drivers are living through this nightmare. It began with a tweet from a lawmaker. Mark Pocan pointed out that Amazon workers are being forced to urinate in bottles at work. Amazon's denial was swift. In a tweet, the company declared, "You don't really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us." Amazon should have thought twice before putting out that tweet. Because it didn't take much time for a reporter to dig out images of those bottles. A report revealed how Amazon drivers deliver up to 300 packages a day on a 10-hour shift. If they take too long they can be written up and fired. Amazon denied all these claims in public. It said this never happens. But Amazon's internal documents show it happens and the company knows all about it. A confidential document, posted by an online publication lists the "violations and defects" of Amazon employees. Public urination and public defecation are listed under unprofessional behaviour. A letter from a logistics area manager complains about the discovery of unsanitary bags from drivers. To make matters worse, the workers are now being subjected to surveillance. Reports say Amazon delivery drivers now have to consent to AI surveillance in their vans. Cameras are being installed to track drivers. Under the new rules, Amazon can collect photos to verify the identity of drivers along with the location of the vehicle and driver movements. They can record potential traffic violations. Even detect if the driver is distracted or drowsy. For one of the drivers, named Vic, the surveillance proved to be too much. He narrated his ordeal to a news agency. He described how Amazon first began surveillance of the driver by tracking his route. Then Amazon demanded pictures at the beginning of each shift. After the arrival of AI cameras, Vic decided to leave his job. Some tweets don't age well. Amazon is learning it the hard way. Its denial of exhausting and exploitative working conditions has led to a PR fiasco.

Some tweets don't age well, Amazon is getting the taste of this

<p>Lawmakers grilled the leaders of Facebook, Google and Twitter on Thursday about the connection between online disinformation and the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, causing Twitter’s CEO to publicly admit for the first time that his product had played a role in the events that left five people dead.</p>

<p>When a Democratic lawmaker asked the executives to answer with a “yes” or a “no” whether the platforms bore some responsibility for the misinformation that had contributed to the riot, Jack Dorsey of Twitter said “yes.” Neither Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook nor Sundar Pichai of Google would answer the question directly.</p>

<p>The roughly five-hour hearing before a House committee marked the first time lawmakers directly questioned the CEOs regarding social media’s role in the January riot. The tech bosses were also peppered with questions about how their companies helped spread falsehoods around COVID-19 vaccines, enable racism and hurt children’s mental health.</p>

<p>It was also the first time the executives had testified since President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Tough questioning from lawmakers signaled that scrutiny of Silicon Valley’s business practices would not let up, and could even intensify, with Democrats in the White House and leading both chambers of Congress.</p>

<p>The CEOs have become Capitol Hill regulars in recent years. Zuckerberg has testified seven times since 2018. Dorsey has appeared five times and Pichai has testified four times since then. But these hearings, regarding disinformation, antitrust and data privacy, have not led to regulations. Though there is bipartisan animus toward the companies, there is still little agreement on how specifically to hold the internet giants to account. Dozens of privacy, speech and antitrust bills have gone nowhere in the past few years.</p>

<p>“It will be very challenging to translate these concerns into legislation,” said Alexandra Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a tech think tank.</p>

<p>At the heart of the hearing were questions about whether the companies had a financial incentive to keep users engaged — and clicking on ads — by feeding them divisive, extreme and hateful content. Lawmakers from both parties said Congress should reconsider a law that shields the platforms from lawsuits over content posted by their users.</p>

<p>“You’re not passive bystanders,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “You’re making money.”</p>

<p>Lawmakers, who compared the business practices of social media companies to tobacco and alcohol companies, grew frustrated at times with what they said was the executives’ evasiveness.</p>

<p>Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., asked the tech CEOs to answer yes or no: Did their platforms contribute to the spread of misinformation before the riot?</p>

<p>Zuckerberg and Pichai dodged the question. Dorsey was more direct.</p>

<p>“Yes,” he said. “But you also have to take into consideration the broader ecosystem. It’s not just about the technology platforms we use.”</p>

<p>Doyle pressed the other executives.</p>

<p>“How is it possible for you not to at least admit that Facebook played a leading role in facilitating the recruitment, planning and execution of the attack on the Capitol?” he asked Zuckerberg.</p>

<p>“I think that the responsibility here lies with the people who took the actions to break the law and do the insurrection,” Zuckerberg said. He added that people who spread the misinformation bore responsibility as well.</p>

<p>“But your platforms supercharged that,” Doyle said.</p>

<p>Later, while still participating in the videoconference hearing, Dorsey tweeted a single question mark with a poll that had two options: “Yes” or “No.” When asked about his tweet by a lawmaker, he said “yes” was winning.</p>

<p>The January riot at the Capitol has made the issue of disinformation deeply personal for lawmakers. The riot was fueled by false claims from President Donald Trump and others that the election had been stolen, which were rampant on social media.</p>

<p>Some of the participants had connections to QAnon and other online conspiracy theories. And prosecutors have said that groups involved in the riot, including the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, coordinated some of their actions on social media.</p>

<p>Lawmakers also criticized the platforms for the way they have enabled the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and the vaccines for COVID-19. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who represents part of Silicon Valley, told Dorsey that Twitter should “eliminate all COVID misinformation — and not label or reduce its spread, but remove it.”</p>

<p>Republicans criticized the companies for the amplification of toxic content that particularly harmed children. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said social media was her “greatest fear” as a parent. “I’ve monitored where your algorithms lead them. It’s frightening. I know I’m not alone,” Rodgers said.</p>

<p>The Republican members also focused on decisions by the social media platforms to ban Trump and his associates after the Jan. 6 riots. The bans hardened views by conservatives that the companies are left-leaning and are inclined to squelch conservative voices.</p>

<p>“We’re all aware of Big Tech’s ever-increasing censorship of conservative voices and their commitment to serve the radical progressive agenda,” said Rep. Bob Latta of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the panel’s technology subcommittee.</p>

<p>The company leaders defended their businesses, saying they had invested heavily in hiring content moderators and in technology like artificial intelligence, used to identify and fight disinformation.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg argued against the notion that his company had a financial incentive to juice its users’ attention by driving them toward more extreme content. He said Facebook didn’t design “algorithms in order to just kind of try to tweak and optimize and get people to spend every last minute on our service.”</p>

<p>He added later in the hearing that elections disinformation was spread in messaging apps, where amplification and algorithms don’t aid in spread of false content. He also blamed television and other traditional media for spreading election lies.</p>

<p>The companies showed fissures in their view on regulations. Facebook has vocally supported internet regulations in a major advertising blitz on television and in newspapers. In the hearing, Zuckerberg suggested specific regulatory reforms to a key legal shield, known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, that has helped Facebook and other Silicon Valley internet giants thrive.</p>

<p>The legal shield protects companies that host and moderate third-party content, and says companies like Google and Twitter are simply intermediaries of their user-generated content. Democrats have argued that with that protection, companies aren’t motivated to remove disinformation. Republicans accuse the companies of using the shield to moderate too much and to take down content that doesn’t represent their political viewpoints.</p>

<p>“I believe that Section 230 would benefit from thoughtful changes to make it work better for people,” Zuckerberg said in the statement.</p>

<p>He proposed that liability protection for companies be conditional on their ability to fight the spread of certain types of unlawful content. He said platforms should be required to demonstrate that they have systems in place for identifying unlawful content and removing it. Reforms, he said, should be different for smaller social networks, which wouldn’t have the same resources like Facebook to meet new requirements.</p>

<p>Pichai and Dorsey said they supported requirements of transparency in content moderation but fell short of agreeing with Zuckerberg’s other ideas. Dorsey said that it would be very difficult to distinguish a large platform from a smaller one.</p>

<p>Lawmakers did not appear to be won over.</p>

<p>“There’s a lot of smugness among you,” said Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. “There’s this air of untouchable-ness in your responses to many of the tough questions that you’re being asked.”<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Lawmakers grilled the leaders of Facebook, Google and Twitter on Thursday about the connection between online disinformation and the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, causing Twitter’s CEO to publicly admit for the first time that his product had played a role in the events that left five people dead.

Lawmakers grilled the leaders of Facebook, Google and Twitter on Thursday about the connection between online disinformation and the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, causing Twitter’s CEO to publicly admit for the first time that his product had played a role in the events that left five people dead. When a Democratic lawmaker asked the executives to answer with a “yes” or a “no” whether the platforms bore some responsibility for the misinformation that had contributed to the riot, Jack Dorsey of Twitter said “yes.” Neither Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook nor Sundar Pichai of Google would answer the question directly. The roughly five-hour hearing before a House committee marked the first time lawmakers directly questioned the CEOs regarding social media’s role in the January riot. The tech bosses were also peppered with questions about how their companies helped spread falsehoods around COVID-19 vaccines, enable racism and hurt children’s mental health. It was also the first time the executives had testified since President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Tough questioning from lawmakers signaled that scrutiny of Silicon Valley’s business practices would not let up, and could even intensify, with Democrats in the White House and leading both chambers of Congress. The CEOs have become Capitol Hill regulars in recent years. Zuckerberg has testified seven times since 2018. Dorsey has appeared five times and Pichai has testified four times since then. But these hearings, regarding disinformation, antitrust and data privacy, have not led to regulations. Though there is bipartisan animus toward the companies, there is still little agreement on how specifically to hold the internet giants to account. Dozens of privacy, speech and antitrust bills have gone nowhere in the past few years. “It will be very challenging to translate these concerns into legislation,” said Alexandra Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a tech think tank. At the heart of the hearing were questions about whether the companies had a financial incentive to keep users engaged — and clicking on ads — by feeding them divisive, extreme and hateful content. Lawmakers from both parties said Congress should reconsider a law that shields the platforms from lawsuits over content posted by their users. “You’re not passive bystanders,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “You’re making money.” Lawmakers, who compared the business practices of social media companies to tobacco and alcohol companies, grew frustrated at times with what they said was the executives’ evasiveness. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., asked the tech CEOs to answer yes or no: Did their platforms contribute to the spread of misinformation before the riot? Zuckerberg and Pichai dodged the question. Dorsey was more direct. “Yes,” he said. “But you also have to take into consideration the broader ecosystem. It’s not just about the technology platforms we use.” Doyle pressed the other executives. “How is it possible for you not to at least admit that Facebook played a leading role in facilitating the recruitment, planning and execution of the attack on the Capitol?” he asked Zuckerberg. “I think that the responsibility here lies with the people who took the actions to break the law and do the insurrection,” Zuckerberg said. He added that people who spread the misinformation bore responsibility as well. “But your platforms supercharged that,” Doyle said. Later, while still participating in the videoconference hearing, Dorsey tweeted a single question mark with a poll that had two options: “Yes” or “No.” When asked about his tweet by a lawmaker, he said “yes” was winning. The January riot at the Capitol has made the issue of disinformation deeply personal for lawmakers. The riot was fueled by false claims from President Donald Trump and others that the election had been stolen, which were rampant on social media. Some of the participants had connections to QAnon and other online conspiracy theories. And prosecutors have said that groups involved in the riot, including the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, coordinated some of their actions on social media. Lawmakers also criticized the platforms for the way they have enabled the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and the vaccines for COVID-19. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who represents part of Silicon Valley, told Dorsey that Twitter should “eliminate all COVID misinformation — and not label or reduce its spread, but remove it.” Republicans criticized the companies for the amplification of toxic content that particularly harmed children. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said social media was her “greatest fear” as a parent. “I’ve monitored where your algorithms lead them. It’s frightening. I know I’m not alone,” Rodgers said. The Republican members also focused on decisions by the social media platforms to ban Trump and his associates after the Jan. 6 riots. The bans hardened views by conservatives that the companies are left-leaning and are inclined to squelch conservative voices. “We’re all aware of Big Tech’s ever-increasing censorship of conservative voices and their commitment to serve the radical progressive agenda,” said Rep. Bob Latta of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the panel’s technology subcommittee. The company leaders defended their businesses, saying they had invested heavily in hiring content moderators and in technology like artificial intelligence, used to identify and fight disinformation. Zuckerberg argued against the notion that his company had a financial incentive to juice its users’ attention by driving them toward more extreme content. He said Facebook didn’t design “algorithms in order to just kind of try to tweak and optimize and get people to spend every last minute on our service.” He added later in the hearing that elections disinformation was spread in messaging apps, where amplification and algorithms don’t aid in spread of false content. He also blamed television and other traditional media for spreading election lies. The companies showed fissures in their view on regulations. Facebook has vocally supported internet regulations in a major advertising blitz on television and in newspapers. In the hearing, Zuckerberg suggested specific regulatory reforms to a key legal shield, known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, that has helped Facebook and other Silicon Valley internet giants thrive. The legal shield protects companies that host and moderate third-party content, and says companies like Google and Twitter are simply intermediaries of their user-generated content. Democrats have argued that with that protection, companies aren’t motivated to remove disinformation. Republicans accuse the companies of using the shield to moderate too much and to take down content that doesn’t represent their political viewpoints. “I believe that Section 230 would benefit from thoughtful changes to make it work better for people,” Zuckerberg said in the statement. He proposed that liability protection for companies be conditional on their ability to fight the spread of certain types of unlawful content. He said platforms should be required to demonstrate that they have systems in place for identifying unlawful content and removing it. Reforms, he said, should be different for smaller social networks, which wouldn’t have the same resources like Facebook to meet new requirements. Pichai and Dorsey said they supported requirements of transparency in content moderation but fell short of agreeing with Zuckerberg’s other ideas. Dorsey said that it would be very difficult to distinguish a large platform from a smaller one. Lawmakers did not appear to be won over. “There’s a lot of smugness among you,” said Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. “There’s this air of untouchable-ness in your responses to many of the tough questions that you’re being asked.”

US lawmakers grill tech CEOs on Capitol riot, getting few direct answers

<p>Model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen announced on Wednesday that she is quitting micro-blogging site Twitter.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Teigen announced her decision with a series of tweets announcing her departure from the platform. She later deleted the account.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Hey, For over 10 years, you guys have been my world. I honestly owe so much to this world we have created here. I truly consider so many of you my actual friends. But it's time for me to say goodbye,” wrote the actress.<br />
<br />
Teigen explained that her decision was partly because of the negativity on the platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“This no longer serves me as positively as it serves me negatively, and I think that's the right time to call something. My life goal is to make people happy. The pain I feel when I don't is too much for me. I've always been portrayed as the strong clap back girl but I'm just not. My desire to be liked and fear of pissing people off has made me somebody you didn’t sign up for, and a different human than I started out here as! Live well, tweeters,” she wrote.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Teigen who is married to musician John Legend has been active on social media for years and is known to be vocal about her views on issues. While signing off she said she had felt deeply bruised by the negativity that was coming her way on Twitter.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
“ I encourage you to know and never forget that your words matter. No matter what you see, what that person portrays, or your intention. For years I have taken so many small, 2-follower count punches that at this point, I am honestly, deeply bruised,” she wrote.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen announced on Wednesday that she is quitting micro-blogging site Twitter. Teigen announced her decision with a series of tweets announcing her departure from the platform.

Model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen announced on Wednesday that she is quitting micro-blogging site Twitter. Teigen announced her decision with a series of tweets announcing her departure from the platform. She later deleted the account. “Hey, For over 10 years, you guys have been my world. I honestly owe so much to this world we have created here. I truly consider so many of you my actual friends. But it's time for me to say goodbye,” wrote the actress. Teigen explained that her decision was partly because of the negativity on the platform. “This no longer serves me as positively as it serves me negatively, and I think that's the right time to call something. My life goal is to make people happy. The pain I feel when I don't is too much for me. I've always been portrayed as the strong clap back girl but I'm just not. My desire to be liked and fear of pissing people off has made me somebody you didn’t sign up for, and a different human than I started out here as! Live well, tweeters,” she wrote. Teigen who is married to musician John Legend has been active on social media for years and is known to be vocal about her views on issues. While signing off she said she had felt deeply bruised by the negativity that was coming her way on Twitter. “ I encourage you to know and never forget that your words matter. No matter what you see, what that person portrays, or your intention. For years I have taken so many small, 2-follower count punches that at this point, I am honestly, deeply bruised,” she wrote.

Chrissy Teigen says ‘goodbye’ to Twitter, deletes her account

<p>Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday urged US lawmakers to offer protection for liability for content to only those platforms that had the ability to remove the unlawful content.</p>

<p>The proposal outlined in testimony prepared for a congressional hearing detailed Facebook's idea for reforming a law known as Section 230 which shields internet services from liability for content posted by others</p>

<p>Zuckerberg maintained that Congress "should consider making platforms' intermediary liability protection for certain types of unlawful content conditional on companies' ability to meet best practices to combat the spread of this content."</p>

<p>Instead of being given blanket immunity, Zuckerberg said "platforms should be required to demonstrate that they have systems in place for identifying unlawful content and removing it."</p>

<p>Mark Zuckerberg also maintained that online services should not be held liable for "if a particular piece of content evades its detection,"&nbsp;</p>

<p>Facebook, Twitter, Alphabet also testify on Thursday. The platforms have been under fire from Democratic Party for misinformation about coronavirus pandemic and US Presidential elections held in 2016 and 2020.</p>

<p><strong>(With agency inputs)</strong></p>


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday urged US lawmakers to offer protection for liability for content to only those platforms that had the ability to remove the unlawful content.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday urged US lawmakers to offer protection for liability for content to only those platforms that had the ability to remove the unlawful content. The proposal outlined in testimony prepared for a congressional hearing detailed Facebook's idea for reforming a law known as Section 230 which shields internet services from liability for content posted by others Zuckerberg maintained that Congress "should consider making platforms' intermediary liability protection for certain types of unlawful content conditional on companies' ability to meet best practices to combat the spread of this content." Instead of being given blanket immunity, Zuckerberg said "platforms should be required to demonstrate that they have systems in place for identifying unlawful content and removing it." Mark Zuckerberg also maintained that online services should not be held liable for "if a particular piece of content evades its detection," Facebook, Twitter, Alphabet also testify on Thursday. The platforms have been under fire from Democratic Party for misinformation about coronavirus pandemic and US Presidential elections held in 2016 and 2020. (With agency inputs)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg proposes changes to internet rules

<p>France has warned China's ambassador to comply "as quickly as possible" with a foreign ministry summons over recent tweets that targetted French lawmakers and a researcher.</p>

<p>The foreign ministry of France has called in Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye to talk about the recent tweets which they termed as "insults and threats" which are "unacceptable comments".</p>

<p>However, the summons have been ignored and snubbed by Shaye, reported Europe MInister Clement Beaune, on<br />
Tuesday.</p>

<p>The office of Shaye said there are "scheduling issues" because of which the envoy would appear later.</p>

<p>This excuse has, however, not been believed by the French ministry. "I don't really believe there's a scheduling problem, and this isn't how these things work," Beaune told a local radio station.</p>

<p>He also warned the Chinese embassy against trying any such thing while citing excuses such as scheduling issues.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Neither France nor Europe is a doormat," he said. "When you are summoned as an ambassador, you pay a visit to the foreign ministry."</p>

<p>Lu Shaye, infamous for being an aggressively outspoken envoy, targetted Antoine Bondaz, a China specialist at the<br />
Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS) think-tank, through social media platform, Twitter recently.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bondaz was labelled as a "small-time hoodlum", a "crazed hyena" and "ideological troll" with "anti-Chinese" stances<br />
by Shaye.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The comments came after Bondaz criticised the pressure from the Chinese on French lawmakers hoping to visit<br />
Taiwan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Chinese envoy also targeted the French lawmakers who wanted to travel to Taiwan.</p>


France has warned China's ambassador to comply "as quickly as possible" with a foreign ministry summons over recent tweets that targetted French lawmakers and a researcher.

France has warned China's ambassador to comply "as quickly as possible" with a foreign ministry summons over recent tweets that targetted French lawmakers and a researcher. The foreign ministry of France has called in Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye to talk about the recent tweets which they termed as "insults and threats" which are "unacceptable comments". However, the summons have been ignored and snubbed by Shaye, reported Europe MInister Clement Beaune, on Tuesday. The office of Shaye said there are "scheduling issues" because of which the envoy would appear later. This excuse has, however, not been believed by the French ministry. "I don't really believe there's a scheduling problem, and this isn't how these things work," Beaune told a local radio station. He also warned the Chinese embassy against trying any such thing while citing excuses such as scheduling issues. "Neither France nor Europe is a doormat," he said. "When you are summoned as an ambassador, you pay a visit to the foreign ministry." Lu Shaye, infamous for being an aggressively outspoken envoy, targetted Antoine Bondaz, a China specialist at the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS) think-tank, through social media platform, Twitter recently. Bondaz was labelled as a "small-time hoodlum", a "crazed hyena" and "ideological troll" with "anti-Chinese" stances by Shaye. The comments came after Bondaz criticised the pressure from the Chinese on French lawmakers hoping to visit Taiwan. The Chinese envoy also targeted the French lawmakers who wanted to travel to Taiwan.

France warns Chinese envoy to 'strictly comply' to summons after offensive tweets

<p>Twitter's top boss Jack Dorsey recently sold the first-ever Tweet on the platform for a little over $2.9 million on Monday. The tweet, posted by Dorsey&nbsp;said, ''just setting up my twttr'' and was sold as a unique digital signature on a website that sells tweets as "non-fungible tokens" (NFTs).</p>

<p>NFTs are digital files that basically serve as digital signatures to ascertain ownership of pictures, videos, and other media on the web.</p>

<p>Dorsey pushed out the tweet in March, 2006. Reuters reported he had received offers going as high as $88,888.88 just minutes after posting a link of the listing, which was posted on a tweets marketplace called "Valuables by Cent".</p>

<p>The tweet was bought using the cryptocurrency Ether for 1630.5825601 ETH, which amounted to $2,915,835.47 at the time of sale, the company’s CEO Cameron Hejazi confirmed on Monday.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/business-economy/jack-dorsey-to-convert-proceeds-from-auction-of-first-tweet-to-bitcoin-369277" hreflang="en">Jack Dorsey to convert proceeds from auction of first tweet to bitcoin</a></p>

<p>Sina Estavi has been confirmed as the buyer of the tweet.&nbsp;Estavi, based in Malaysia, is the CEO of a blockchain company called Bridge Oracle.</p>

<p>Many believe that the tweet was put up for sale in December 2020, with the listing gaining traction after Dorsey tweeted about the same. The 15-year-old tweet by Dorsey is one of the platform's most famous tweets ever!</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/bid-for-first-tweet-of-twitter-co-founder-jack-dorsey-reaches-usd-25-million-368677" hreflang="en">Bid for first tweet of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey reaches USD 2.5 million&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>Valuables by Cent was launched over three months ago and compares buying tweets to buying an autographed baseball card. "There is only one unique signed version of the tweet, and if the creator agrees to sell, you can own it forever", the company was quoted as saying by Reuters.</p>

<p>Dorsey plans to convert the proceeds into bitcoin which will then be donated to Africa’s fight against COVID-19. Twitter boss received 95 per cent of the proceeds while Cent received 5 per cent.</p>


Twitter's top boss Jack Dorsey recently sold the first-ever Tweet on the platform for a little over $2.9 million on Monday. The tweet, posted by Dorsey said, ''just setting up my twttr'' and was sold as a unique digital signature on a website that sells tweets as "non-fungible tokens" (NFTs).

Twitter's top boss Jack Dorsey recently sold the first-ever Tweet on the platform for a little over $2.9 million on Monday. The tweet, posted by Dorsey said, ''just setting up my twttr'' and was sold as a unique digital signature on a website that sells tweets as "non-fungible tokens" (NFTs). NFTs are digital files that basically serve as digital signatures to ascertain ownership of pictures, videos, and other media on the web. Dorsey pushed out the tweet in March, 2006. Reuters reported he had received offers going as high as $88,888.88 just minutes after posting a link of the listing, which was posted on a tweets marketplace called "Valuables by Cent". The tweet was bought using the cryptocurrency Ether for 1630.5825601 ETH, which amounted to $2,915,835.47 at the time of sale, the company’s CEO Cameron Hejazi confirmed on Monday. Also read: Jack Dorsey to convert proceeds from auction of first tweet to bitcoin Sina Estavi has been confirmed as the buyer of the tweet. Estavi, based in Malaysia, is the CEO of a blockchain company called Bridge Oracle. Many believe that the tweet was put up for sale in December 2020, with the listing gaining traction after Dorsey tweeted about the same. The 15-year-old tweet by Dorsey is one of the platform's most famous tweets ever! Also read: Bid for first tweet of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey reaches USD 2.5 million Valuables by Cent was launched over three months ago and compares buying tweets to buying an autographed baseball card. "There is only one unique signed version of the tweet, and if the creator agrees to sell, you can own it forever", the company was quoted as saying by Reuters. Dorsey plans to convert the proceeds into bitcoin which will then be donated to Africa’s fight against COVID-19. Twitter boss received 95 per cent of the proceeds while Cent received 5 per cent.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's first Tweet sold for $2.9 million as NFT

<p>Facebook&nbsp;Inc has fixed a technical issue that caused a global outage of its services after more than a million people reported problems with its photo-sharing app Instagram.</p>

<p>The issue had also affected the company's online messaging services Whatsapp and Messenger, with #whatsappoutage trending on Twitter in many countries, including India.</p>

<p>A&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;spokesperson said the company had resolved the issue, which prevented access to its services.</p>

<p>Over one million people had reported problems with Instagram, while nearly 20,000 users posted about issues with WhatsApp, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com.</p>

<p>Downdetector tracks outages by collating status reports from a series of sources, including user-submitted errors on its platform. The outages might be affecting a larger number of users.</p>

<p>Take a look at some reactions below:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Whole India right now <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whatsappoutage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whatsappoutage</a> <a href="https://t.co/IQgBwneNXm">pic.twitter.com/IQgBwneNXm</a></p>
— SH (@sumukh_herlekar) <a href="https://twitter.com/sumukh_herlekar/status/1372970120121774080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Before yesterday's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatsappOutage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatsappOutage</a>, I had a notification (since many days) for accepting the new privacy policy of WhatsApp. I had not tapped on it to accept it.<br />
<br />
After the outage, I can not see the notification. Is anyone else also experiencing anything similar.</p>
— Nikhil Pingle (@nikhilpingle) <a href="https://twitter.com/nikhilpingle/status/1373122157413273605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am enjoying the disconnect. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whatsappoutage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whatsappoutage</a></p>
— Srishti Mahajan (@mahajan_srishti) <a href="https://twitter.com/mahajan_srishti/status/1372968960983846912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">And I thought there was some prob with my data and wifi.<br />
WhatsApp msgs weren't delivering.<br />
Checked insta and it wasn't loading.<br />
Restarted my phone too.<br />
Twitter to the rescue finally ! 😅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whatsapp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whatsapp</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whatsappoutage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whatsappoutage</a></p>
— Abhijeet ಅಭಿಜೀತ್ (@panneerpepper) <a href="https://twitter.com/panneerpepper/status/1372969229947789312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Instagram &amp; WhatsApp are down. Is everybody feeling like their life has come to a standstill or is it just me? 😂<br />
What about the students who had their tests on whatsapp groups? RIP 😆<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatsAppDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatsAppDown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InstagramDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InstagramDown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Instagram?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Instagram</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Whatsapp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Whatsapp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Outage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Outage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InstagramOutage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InstagramOutage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatsappOutage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatsappOutage</a></p>
— Shreya Narang (@narangshreyaa) <a href="https://twitter.com/narangshreyaa/status/1372967311930355715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Facebook Inc has fixed a technical issue that caused a global outage of its services after more than a million people reported problems with its photo-sharing app Instagram.

Facebook Inc has fixed a technical issue that caused a global outage of its services after more than a million people reported problems with its photo-sharing app Instagram. The issue had also affected the company's online messaging services Whatsapp and Messenger, with #whatsappoutage trending on Twitter in many countries, including India. A Facebook spokesperson said the company had resolved the issue, which prevented access to its services. Over one million people had reported problems with Instagram, while nearly 20,000 users posted about issues with WhatsApp, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com. Downdetector tracks outages by collating status reports from a series of sources, including user-submitted errors on its platform. The outages might be affecting a larger number of users. Take a look at some reactions below: Whole India right now #whatsappoutage pic.twitter.com/IQgBwneNXm — SH (@sumukh_herlekar) March 19, 2021 × Before yesterday's #WhatsappOutage, I had a notification (since many days) for accepting the new privacy policy of WhatsApp. I had not tapped on it to accept it. After the outage, I can not see the notification. Is anyone else also experiencing anything similar. — Nikhil Pingle (@nikhilpingle) March 20, 2021 × I am enjoying the disconnect. #whatsappoutage — Srishti Mahajan (@mahajan_srishti) March 19, 2021 × And I thought there was some prob with my data and wifi. WhatsApp msgs weren't delivering. Checked insta and it wasn't loading. Restarted my phone too. Twitter to the rescue finally ! 😅#whatsapp#whatsappoutage — Abhijeet ಅಭಿಜೀತ್ (@panneerpepper) March 19, 2021 × Instagram & WhatsApp are down. Is everybody feeling like their life has come to a standstill or is it just me? 😂 What about the students who had their tests on whatsapp groups? RIP 😆#WhatsAppDown #InstagramDown #Instagram #Whatsapp #Outage #InstagramOutage #WhatsappOutage — Shreya Narang (@narangshreyaa) March 19, 2021 ×

Global outage of Facebook services including WhatsApp causes mayhem on Twitter

<p>A few days after Moscow warned social media platform, Twitter, to remove banned content or face a ban, Russia's media watchdog has asked Twitter to delete the account of an opposition news outlet.</p>

<p>MBK media is a news website that is seen as a critic of the present Russian government. The media house has been accused of posting content that shows Russia in a negative light and labels the country as 'undesirable, MBK said.</p>

<p>The website is funded by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky but was blocked by Russia in 2018. MBK claims the Kremlin has asked Twitter to suspend its account citing a violation of Russian law.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-gives-twitter-one-month-to-remove-banned-content-370938">&nbsp;Russia gives Twitter one month to remove 'banned' content</a></strong></p>

<p>Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, claims MBK's Twitter account contains anti-Russia material.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The editorial office has not received any warnings from Roskomnadzor," MBK media’s editor-in-chief Veronica Kutsyllo said. "MBK media ... is a media organisation that has no relationships with any organisations, desirable or undesirable from the point of view of Roskomnadzor."</p>

<p>Kutsyllo also assured that MBK media does not "publish anyone's material except our own".</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-president-biden-talks-about-putins-interference-in-us-elections-371382"><strong>Watch |</strong></a></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-president-biden-talks-about-putins-interference-in-us-elections-371382/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>He also added that the media house had not received any warning and the watchdog had not informed MBK about any problem regarding the website's material.</p>

<p>"[The state] has been pursuing this new tactic for some time, putting pressure on networks and providers without first warning their potential ‘victims’," Kutsyllo said.</p>

<p>This has come after Russia had slowed down the speed of Twitter citing the alleged uncooperative nature of the social media platform regarding several "banned content".</p>

<p>"Twitter is not reacting to our requests as they should. If the situation carries on then it will be blocked in a month without a court order," Vadim Subbotin, deputy head of the regulator, told the Interfax news agency.</p>


A few days after Moscow warned social media platform, Twitter, to remove banned content or face a ban, Russia's media watchdog has asked Twitter to delete the account of an opposition news outlet.

A few days after Moscow warned social media platform, Twitter, to remove banned content or face a ban, Russia's media watchdog has asked Twitter to delete the account of an opposition news outlet. MBK media is a news website that is seen as a critic of the present Russian government. The media house has been accused of posting content that shows Russia in a negative light and labels the country as 'undesirable, MBK said. The website is funded by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky but was blocked by Russia in 2018. MBK claims the Kremlin has asked Twitter to suspend its account citing a violation of Russian law. Also read | Russia gives Twitter one month to remove 'banned' content Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, claims MBK's Twitter account contains anti-Russia material. "The editorial office has not received any warnings from Roskomnadzor," MBK media’s editor-in-chief Veronica Kutsyllo said. "MBK media ... is a media organisation that has no relationships with any organisations, desirable or undesirable from the point of view of Roskomnadzor." Kutsyllo also assured that MBK media does not "publish anyone's material except our own". Watch | He also added that the media house had not received any warning and the watchdog had not informed MBK about any problem regarding the website's material. "[The state] has been pursuing this new tactic for some time, putting pressure on networks and providers without first warning their potential ‘victims’," Kutsyllo said. This has come after Russia had slowed down the speed of Twitter citing the alleged uncooperative nature of the social media platform regarding several "banned content". "Twitter is not reacting to our requests as they should. If the situation carries on then it will be blocked in a month without a court order," Vadim Subbotin, deputy head of the regulator, told the Interfax news agency.

Russian watchdog asks Twitter to delete opposition's content: Reports

Russia's telecommunication watchdog has given Twitter exactly a one-month ultimatum to remove what Russia is describing as banned content. Russia is threatening social media platform altogether from its territory.

Russia threatens to block Twitter within one month

<p>Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor on Tuesday gave Twitter a one-month ultimatum to remove "banned" content, threatening to consider blocking the social media platform within the country if it does not comply.</p>

<p>Last week Roskomnadzor started disrupting Twitter's services in Russia, saying the US platform failed to comply with its requests to delete content related to child pornography, drug use and calls for minors to commit suicide.</p>

<p>"We have taken a month and are watching Twitter's response to the removal of banned content," Roskomnadzor deputy head Vadim Subbotin told the state-run TASS news agency.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-critic-alexei-navalny-claims-he-is-locked-up-in-concentration-camp-outside-moscow-370910" hreflang="en">Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny claims he is locked up in 'concentration camp' outside Moscow</a></strong></p>

<p>He added that if Twitter does not comply in that time period, the media regulator "will consider the question of completely blocking the service" on Russian territory.</p>

<p>Subbotin also told the Interfax news agency that Twitter has not taken any "specific steps" to remove the prohibited content.</p>

<p>Russian authorities have in recent months increased pressure on Western social media platforms, especially those hosting content supporting jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Roskomnadzor last week said it had started slowing down the speed of photo and video content for all mobile users and 50 percent of desktop users in Russia.</p>

<p>A Twitter spokesperson last week told AFP that the company does not support "any unlawful behaviour" and is "deeply concerned by increased attempts to block and throttle online public conversation".</p>


Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor on Tuesday gave Twitter a one-month ultimatum to remove "banned" content, threatening to consider blocking the social media platform within the country if it does not comply.

Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor on Tuesday gave Twitter a one-month ultimatum to remove "banned" content, threatening to consider blocking the social media platform within the country if it does not comply. Last week Roskomnadzor started disrupting Twitter's services in Russia, saying the US platform failed to comply with its requests to delete content related to child pornography, drug use and calls for minors to commit suicide. "We have taken a month and are watching Twitter's response to the removal of banned content," Roskomnadzor deputy head Vadim Subbotin told the state-run TASS news agency. Also read| Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny claims he is locked up in 'concentration camp' outside Moscow He added that if Twitter does not comply in that time period, the media regulator "will consider the question of completely blocking the service" on Russian territory. Subbotin also told the Interfax news agency that Twitter has not taken any "specific steps" to remove the prohibited content. Russian authorities have in recent months increased pressure on Western social media platforms, especially those hosting content supporting jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Roskomnadzor last week said it had started slowing down the speed of photo and video content for all mobile users and 50 percent of desktop users in Russia. A Twitter spokesperson last week told AFP that the company does not support "any unlawful behaviour" and is "deeply concerned by increased attempts to block and throttle online public conversation".

Russia gives Twitter one month to remove 'banned' content

<p>Twitter users all across the world&nbsp;who used the word "Memphis" found themselves temporarily locked out of their accounts at the weekend because of a bizarre bug.</p>

<p>Several users shared screenshots showing messages from Twitter saying their account was being limited for violating the platform's rules after they had tweeted a message which included the word "Memphis."</p>

<p>Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey&nbsp;acknowledged the error and said it had been fixed.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A number of accounts that Tweeted the word “Memphis” were temporarily limited due to a bug. It’s been fixed and the accounts have now been restored. We’re sorry this happened.</p>
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/1371235587718582274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Reports of the bug emerged after some soccer fans noticed that posts mentioning Olympique Lyonnais player Memphis Depay were being blocked.</p>

<p>The French soccer club tweeted a picture of their Dutch forward with the message: "Hey, @Twitter -- can we talk about him yet?"</p>

<p>Others joined in with jokes about the apparent taboo.</p>

<p>"When bots flood our comments with 'say the m word'," NBA team the Memphis Grizzlies tweeted with a video of a player blocking a shot.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">when bots flood our comments with "say the m word" <a href="https://t.co/X1qgsIRmm9">pic.twitter.com/X1qgsIRmm9</a></p>
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz/status/1371169847879606274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Some users expressed mock concern about the taboo covering the Tennessee home of rock'n'roll where Elvis Presley grew up.</p>

<p>Others referenced the Monty Python comedy "Life of Brian," with lawyer George Conway, a vocal Donald Trump critic, linking to the scene where a man is about to be stoned for saying the word "Jehovah."</p>

<p>"A number of accounts that Tweeted the word 'Memphis' were temporarily limited due to a bug," Twitter Support said on Sunday.</p>

<p>"It's been fixed and the accounts have now been restored. We're sorry this happened."</p>

<p>Some users noted that Twitter was able to ban a specific term, albeit inadvertently, and called for it to better address abuse on the platform.</p>

<p>"Hello Twitter, Glad you got that fixed. Now ban the nazis, please," one user tweeted.</p>


Twitter users all across the world who used the word "Memphis" found themselves temporarily locked out of their accounts at the weekend because of a bizarre bug.

Twitter users all across the world who used the word "Memphis" found themselves temporarily locked out of their accounts at the weekend because of a bizarre bug. Several users shared screenshots showing messages from Twitter saying their account was being limited for violating the platform's rules after they had tweeted a message which included the word "Memphis." Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey acknowledged the error and said it had been fixed. A number of accounts that Tweeted the word “Memphis” were temporarily limited due to a bug. It’s been fixed and the accounts have now been restored. We’re sorry this happened. — Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) March 14, 2021 × Reports of the bug emerged after some soccer fans noticed that posts mentioning Olympique Lyonnais player Memphis Depay were being blocked. The French soccer club tweeted a picture of their Dutch forward with the message: "Hey, @Twitter -- can we talk about him yet?" Others joined in with jokes about the apparent taboo. "When bots flood our comments with 'say the m word'," NBA team the Memphis Grizzlies tweeted with a video of a player blocking a shot. when bots flood our comments with "say the m word" pic.twitter.com/X1qgsIRmm9 — Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) March 14, 2021 × Some users expressed mock concern about the taboo covering the Tennessee home of rock'n'roll where Elvis Presley grew up. Others referenced the Monty Python comedy "Life of Brian," with lawyer George Conway, a vocal Donald Trump critic, linking to the scene where a man is about to be stoned for saying the word "Jehovah." "A number of accounts that Tweeted the word 'Memphis' were temporarily limited due to a bug," Twitter Support said on Sunday. "It's been fixed and the accounts have now been restored. We're sorry this happened." Some users noted that Twitter was able to ban a specific term, albeit inadvertently, and called for it to better address abuse on the platform. "Hello Twitter, Glad you got that fixed. Now ban the nazis, please," one user tweeted.

Twitter users experiencing bizarre bug banning users for mentioning 'Memphis'

Russia has restricted the use of Twitter across the nation by moving to slow down the speed of the service after it was accused of failing to remove banned content from its website.

Russia restricts use of Twitter over failure to delete illegal content

Russia slowed down Twitter's speed and threatened to ban the platform after it allegedly ignored requests to delete illegal content. Is this Russia's effort to rein in tech giants or suppress dissent?

Gravitas: Why is Russia fighting Twitter?

<p>Russia is waging a war on social media as it has sued America's big three tech giants. It is threatening to ban Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The story of social media regulations began with the arrest and sentencing of Kremlin critic&nbsp;Alexei Navalny, who was allegedly poisoned last year. It triggered a wave of protests in major Russian cities.</p>

<p><strong>ALso read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/while-slowing-down-twitter-russia-ends-up-shutting-down-its-own-state-websites-reports-369506" hreflang="en">While slowing down Twitter, Russia ends up shutting down its own state websites: Reports</a></strong></p>

<p>Early on, the security forces were overwhelmed but they soon struck back. There was a crackdown and a large part of this mobilisation was done on social media. Twitter hashtags and Facebook groups were used to organise protests, to decide where to gather, what posters to bring and such.</p>

<p>It was a powerful tool in the hands of protesters, but Russia says it is being misused.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-is-russia-fighting-twitter-369527/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Local media alleged in unverified reports that a few social media posts encouraged children to join the public protests.</p>

<p>While inflammatory posts may have been the immediate trigger, Russia was always mulling a social media crackdown. The first indication came from President Putin himself who said the internet must respect not only formal laws but also moral ones.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-disrupting-twitter-over-illegal-content-369358">Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content</a></strong></p>

<p>"We had discussions about certain restrictions on the internet. The internet has already penetrated into all spheres of our lives... It must obey not just the laws of formal, legal rules, but also the moral laws of the society in which we live, otherwise, this society will collapse from the inside. And there (online) we, unfortunately, encounter not only calls to take to the streets for unauthorised street actions," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Twitter, Google and Facebook, each have three cases against them. The violations carry a fine of up to $54,000, which is negligible for the companies. However, it is not about the money, but about sending a message.</p>

<p>Even before the companies had time to respond, Russia had slowed down Twitter. Its operating speed was curbed in 100 per cent of all mobile devices and 50 per cent of all non-mobile devices. This time, the internet regulator gave a different reason. It claimed Twitter was reportedly ignoring Russia's requests to delete objectionable content including child pornography, graphic details of drug abuse and abetment of suicide.</p>

<p>There were 3,000 such posts and apparently repeated requests to remove them were ignored by Twitter, as per Russia.</p>

<p>Russians are used to policing on the streets, but digital policing is new and people are rightly worried. What they fear is a China-style crackdown on the internet. The Kremlin has assured that this is not the case.</p>

<p>However, the battle between the state and social media isn't new.&nbsp;While blocking inflammatory content is justified, using it as a cover for suppressing dissent is not. Similar Russian efforts in the past have ended in failure. In 2018, Moscow tried to ban Telegram, but in vain as the ban was lifted a year later.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The recent push to curb social media has been more successful. In December, the Russian parliament backed a new set of laws and called for big fines on social media platforms. Officials are also demanding so-called digital sovereignty, which is mostly along the lines of what President Putin said.</p>

<p>Russia's war on social media is a sign of changing times. Until a few years ago, containing dissent was about boots on the ground. Russia has more than enough of that but dissent has now gone digital. Narratives and stories decide the outcome of struggles, and the Kremlin wants to decide which stories to hear.</p>


Russia is waging a war on social media as it has sued America's big three tech giants. It is threatening to ban Twitter. The story of social media regulations began with the arrest and sentencing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was allegedly poisoned last year.

Russia is waging a war on social media as it has sued America's big three tech giants. It is threatening to ban Twitter. The story of social media regulations began with the arrest and sentencing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was allegedly poisoned last year. It triggered a wave of protests in major Russian cities. ALso read | While slowing down Twitter, Russia ends up shutting down its own state websites: Reports Early on, the security forces were overwhelmed but they soon struck back. There was a crackdown and a large part of this mobilisation was done on social media. Twitter hashtags and Facebook groups were used to organise protests, to decide where to gather, what posters to bring and such. It was a powerful tool in the hands of protesters, but Russia says it is being misused. Watch | Local media alleged in unverified reports that a few social media posts encouraged children to join the public protests. While inflammatory posts may have been the immediate trigger, Russia was always mulling a social media crackdown. The first indication came from President Putin himself who said the internet must respect not only formal laws but also moral ones. Also read | Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content "We had discussions about certain restrictions on the internet. The internet has already penetrated into all spheres of our lives... It must obey not just the laws of formal, legal rules, but also the moral laws of the society in which we live, otherwise, this society will collapse from the inside. And there (online) we, unfortunately, encounter not only calls to take to the streets for unauthorised street actions," he said. Twitter, Google and Facebook, each have three cases against them. The violations carry a fine of up to $54,000, which is negligible for the companies. However, it is not about the money, but about sending a message. Even before the companies had time to respond, Russia had slowed down Twitter. Its operating speed was curbed in 100 per cent of all mobile devices and 50 per cent of all non-mobile devices. This time, the internet regulator gave a different reason. It claimed Twitter was reportedly ignoring Russia's requests to delete objectionable content including child pornography, graphic details of drug abuse and abetment of suicide. There were 3,000 such posts and apparently repeated requests to remove them were ignored by Twitter, as per Russia. Russians are used to policing on the streets, but digital policing is new and people are rightly worried. What they fear is a China-style crackdown on the internet. The Kremlin has assured that this is not the case. However, the battle between the state and social media isn't new. While blocking inflammatory content is justified, using it as a cover for suppressing dissent is not. Similar Russian efforts in the past have ended in failure. In 2018, Moscow tried to ban Telegram, but in vain as the ban was lifted a year later. The recent push to curb social media has been more successful. In December, the Russian parliament backed a new set of laws and called for big fines on social media platforms. Officials are also demanding so-called digital sovereignty, which is mostly along the lines of what President Putin said. Russia's war on social media is a sign of changing times. Until a few years ago, containing dissent was about boots on the ground. Russia has more than enough of that but dissent has now gone digital. Narratives and stories decide the outcome of struggles, and the Kremlin wants to decide which stories to hear.

Social media coup: Russia slows down Twitter, files cases against Facebook and Google

<p>Russia's telecommunications watchdog on Thursday said that Twitter has still not deleted over 3,000 posts with illegal content after Kremlin slowed down Twitter's services in the nation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"As of March 11, 2021, more than 3,100 publications containing banned information have not been deleted," Roskomnadzor in a statement said on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-is-russia-fighting-twitter-369527/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The watchdog also said the social media has given no response to its request "to delete banned materials containing child pornography, pro-drug and suicide content."</p>

<p>It reiterated that the measures would not be applicable to photo, video and graphics shared on Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The owners of the social media network should bring its work in Russia into compliance with our country's legislation," Roskomnadzor further said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/social-media-coup-russia-slows-down-twitter-files-cases-against-facebook-and-google-369526">Social media coup: Russia slows down Twitter; Files cases against Facebook and Google</a></strong></p>

<p>On Wednesday, Roskomnadzor said it was slowing down Twitter's services in Russia, alleging that the social media company failed to comply with its requests to take down contented related to child pornography, drug use and provoking minors to commit suicide.</p>

<p>Twitter, late on Wednesday, said that Russia's measures are to "block and throttle online public conversation".</p>

<p>It said that there is a "zero-tolerance" policy on "child sexual exploitation" and it did not encourage suicide and self-harm.&nbsp;</p>


Russia's telecommunications watchdog on Thursday said that Twitter has still not deleted over 3,000 posts with illegal content after Kremlin slowed down Twitter's services in the nation.

Russia's telecommunications watchdog on Thursday said that Twitter has still not deleted over 3,000 posts with illegal content after Kremlin slowed down Twitter's services in the nation. "As of March 11, 2021, more than 3,100 publications containing banned information have not been deleted," Roskomnadzor in a statement said on Thursday. Watch | The watchdog also said the social media has given no response to its request "to delete banned materials containing child pornography, pro-drug and suicide content." It reiterated that the measures would not be applicable to photo, video and graphics shared on Twitter. "The owners of the social media network should bring its work in Russia into compliance with our country's legislation," Roskomnadzor further said. Also read | Social media coup: Russia slows down Twitter; Files cases against Facebook and Google On Wednesday, Roskomnadzor said it was slowing down Twitter's services in Russia, alleging that the social media company failed to comply with its requests to take down contented related to child pornography, drug use and provoking minors to commit suicide. Twitter, late on Wednesday, said that Russia's measures are to "block and throttle online public conversation". It said that there is a "zero-tolerance" policy on "child sexual exploitation" and it did not encourage suicide and self-harm.

Russia vs Twitter: Kremlin says over 3,000 posts with illegal content still not deleted

<p>While Russia was in the headlines for slowing down the speed of social media platform, Twitter, they did not realise that their actions were bringing negative effects on their own official websites.</p>

<p>During the day, the Kremlin website and a few other state websites were shut down, in what was being assumed as a retaliation by the US. However, it has now been reported that the shut down was a side effect of Russia's action towards Twitter.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-and-other-russian-official-websites-down-experts-doubt-us-involvement-369398">Kremlin and other Russian official websites down; experts doubt US involvement</a></strong></p>

<p>On Tuesday, Russia initiated protocols to slow down the speed of Twitter as retaliation to Twitter's alleged failure to curb and remove banned content.</p>

<p>Russian state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, also threatened a total block of the social media platform if the US firm failed to comply with the demands.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-disrupting-twitter-over-illegal-content-369358">Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content</a></strong></p>

<p>While Twitter faced tough enforcement from Russia, its own state websites also faced shutdowns. At first, reports speculated that the shut down of Russian websites of Kremlin, Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments was a move by the US as a few days before it had warned of a cyber attack against Russia.</p>

<p>This move was being assumed to be from the US as the officials had recently concluded that Russia was likely involved in the controversial SolarWinds Orion attacks that had led to the disruption of several government agencies and private firms' security.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-sues-google-facebook-twitter-for-not-deleting-protest-content-report-369132"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report</strong></a></p>

<p>The disruptions of the websites also came a little after the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to local media house, CNBC, that the US government will be taking 'a mix of actions seen and unseen' as a rebuttal to the alleged attacks from Russia, but declined to give any further details saying, 'we will not publicly discuss certain aspects of our response.'</p>

<p>Moscow had been busy restricting the use of Twitter in the country after, it said, the platform failed to remove the "illegal" content.&nbsp;"The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website.</p>

<p>"If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said.</p>


While Russia was in the headlines for slowing down the speed of social media platform, Twitter, they did not realise that their actions were bringing negative effects on their own official websites.

While Russia was in the headlines for slowing down the speed of social media platform, Twitter, they did not realise that their actions were bringing negative effects on their own official websites. During the day, the Kremlin website and a few other state websites were shut down, in what was being assumed as a retaliation by the US. However, it has now been reported that the shut down was a side effect of Russia's action towards Twitter. Also read | Kremlin and other Russian official websites down; experts doubt US involvement On Tuesday, Russia initiated protocols to slow down the speed of Twitter as retaliation to Twitter's alleged failure to curb and remove banned content. Russian state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, also threatened a total block of the social media platform if the US firm failed to comply with the demands. Also read | Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content While Twitter faced tough enforcement from Russia, its own state websites also faced shutdowns. At first, reports speculated that the shut down of Russian websites of Kremlin, Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments was a move by the US as a few days before it had warned of a cyber attack against Russia. This move was being assumed to be from the US as the officials had recently concluded that Russia was likely involved in the controversial SolarWinds Orion attacks that had led to the disruption of several government agencies and private firms' security. Also read | Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report The disruptions of the websites also came a little after the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to local media house, CNBC, that the US government will be taking 'a mix of actions seen and unseen' as a rebuttal to the alleged attacks from Russia, but declined to give any further details saying, 'we will not publicly discuss certain aspects of our response.' Moscow had been busy restricting the use of Twitter in the country after, it said, the platform failed to remove the "illegal" content. "The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website. "If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said.

While slowing down Twitter, Russia ends up shutting down its own state websites: Reports

<p>Twitter Inc boss Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday he will convert proceeds from the digital auction of the first ever tweet on the platform to bitcoin for charity.</p>

<p>"just setting up my twttr" - the first ever tweet went live for sale after Dorsey listed it as a unique digital signature on a website for selling tweets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).</p>

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<p>NFTs are digital files that serve as digital signatures to certify who owns photos, videos and other online media. Dorsey, a known bitcoin enthusiast, said the auction will end on March 21.</p>

<p>Payments company Square Inc, also led by Dorsey, invested $170 million more in bitcoin last month, adding to the mainstream acceptance of the digital currency that has been winning support from several big investors.</p>

<p>Dorsey's 15-year old tweet could attract bidders to pay a high price for the digital memorabilia. The highest bid for the tweet stood at $2.5 million as of 17:05 GMT on Tuesday.</p>

<p>The proceeds are being donated to GiveDirectly, a fundraising project to give cash directly to families experiencing extreme poverty in Africa.</p>


Twitter Inc boss Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday he will convert proceeds from the digital auction of the first ever tweet on the platform to bitcoin for charity. "just setting up my twttr" - the first ever tweet went live for sale after Dorsey listed it as a unique digital signature on a website for selling tweets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Twitter Inc boss Jack Dorsey said on Tuesday he will convert proceeds from the digital auction of the first ever tweet on the platform to bitcoin for charity. "just setting up my twttr" - the first ever tweet went live for sale after Dorsey listed it as a unique digital signature on a website for selling tweets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). View this post on Instagram A post shared by WION (@wionews) NFTs are digital files that serve as digital signatures to certify who owns photos, videos and other online media. Dorsey, a known bitcoin enthusiast, said the auction will end on March 21. Payments company Square Inc, also led by Dorsey, invested $170 million more in bitcoin last month, adding to the mainstream acceptance of the digital currency that has been winning support from several big investors. Dorsey's 15-year old tweet could attract bidders to pay a high price for the digital memorabilia. The highest bid for the tweet stood at $2.5 million as of 17:05 GMT on Tuesday. The proceeds are being donated to GiveDirectly, a fundraising project to give cash directly to families experiencing extreme poverty in Africa.

Jack Dorsey to convert proceeds from auction of first tweet to bitcoin

<p>American microblogging and social networking service Twitter is working on a `big overhaul` of its TweetDeck platform, which lets users arrange lists and feeds into easy-to-read vertical rows.</p>

<p>The company plans to share more details about the project publicly later this year, product chief Kayvon Beykpour said in an interview with The Verge on Tuesday.</p>

<p>TweetDeck, an alternative Twitter platform owned by the social networking service, offers a number of different features, such as accessing multiple timelines in columns and scheduling tweets.</p>

<p>TweetDeck has not received any significant updates in the last 10 years. The platform hasn`t seen many changes in the way of design or major feature updates in years.</p>

<p>The app launched nearly 12 years ago and was acquired by Twitter in 2011, and it is more or less still the same vertical grid viewer for your various Twitter feeds it started as. Mostly, Twitter has ported over new functions added to its main website and mobile apps while keeping the core TweetDeck design relatively static.</p>

<p>Beykpour and the product team recognise that they haven`t "given TweetDeck a lot of love recently," and they are actively working on a new TweetDeck they plan to show off later this year.</p>

<p>The upcoming changes to the platform are a part of a broader push to improve Twitter`s developer tools and repair its relationship with app makers, with the latter being a longtime contention between Twitter and the broader software development community.</p>

<p>However, Beykpour did not specify whether the new TweetDeck will be released this year or simply previewed for the public. It is also unclear whether this new TweetDeck would feature a refreshed visual design, all-new features, or both. However, whatever form the new platform takes, it will be a breath of fresh air for TweetDeck`s longtime users.</p>


American microblogging and social networking service Twitter is working on a `big overhaul` of its TweetDeck platform, which lets users arrange lists and feeds into easy-to-read vertical rows.

American microblogging and social networking service Twitter is working on a `big overhaul` of its TweetDeck platform, which lets users arrange lists and feeds into easy-to-read vertical rows. The company plans to share more details about the project publicly later this year, product chief Kayvon Beykpour said in an interview with The Verge on Tuesday. TweetDeck, an alternative Twitter platform owned by the social networking service, offers a number of different features, such as accessing multiple timelines in columns and scheduling tweets. TweetDeck has not received any significant updates in the last 10 years. The platform hasn`t seen many changes in the way of design or major feature updates in years. The app launched nearly 12 years ago and was acquired by Twitter in 2011, and it is more or less still the same vertical grid viewer for your various Twitter feeds it started as. Mostly, Twitter has ported over new functions added to its main website and mobile apps while keeping the core TweetDeck design relatively static. Beykpour and the product team recognise that they haven`t "given TweetDeck a lot of love recently," and they are actively working on a new TweetDeck they plan to show off later this year. The upcoming changes to the platform are a part of a broader push to improve Twitter`s developer tools and repair its relationship with app makers, with the latter being a longtime contention between Twitter and the broader software development community. However, Beykpour did not specify whether the new TweetDeck will be released this year or simply previewed for the public. It is also unclear whether this new TweetDeck would feature a refreshed visual design, all-new features, or both. However, whatever form the new platform takes, it will be a breath of fresh air for TweetDeck`s longtime users.

Twitter working on a 'big overhaul' of TweetDeck platform

<p>Days after the US warned of a cyber attack against Russia,&nbsp;the Kremlin website and a few other official websites have stopped working.</p>

<p>In a surprising move, on Wednesday morning, nobody was able to open the websites of Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments.</p>

<p>This has come after there were several reports claiming that the US was preparing a retaliation cyber attack against Russia.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-disrupting-twitter-over-illegal-content-369358">Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content</a></strong></p>

<p>A few sources of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/the-white-house">White House</a> told the American publication The New York Times that the first move against Vladimir Putin-ruled country is expected in the next three weeks, which will be followed with a 'series of clandestine actions across Russian networks'.</p>

<p>While these actions will not have a massive impact on others and will not be hugely evident to outsiders, sources believe it will send a clear message to Vladimir Putin — who has been receiving criticism over the alleged poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.</p>

<p>This alleged move from the US has come after the officials concluded that Russia was likely involved in the controversial SolarWinds Orion attacks that had led to the disruption of several government agencies and private firms' security.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-sues-google-facebook-twitter-for-not-deleting-protest-content-report-369132"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report</strong></a></p>

<p>These disruptions of the websites have come a little after the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to local media house, CNBC, that the US government will be taking&nbsp;'a mix of actions seen and unseen' as a rebuttal to the alleged attacks from Russia, but declined to give any further details saying, 'we will not publicly discuss certain aspects of our response.'</p>

<p>The description of websites also happened while&nbsp;Moscow was busy restricting the use of Twitter by slowing down its speed for users in the country over what it said was the social media platform's failure to remove "illegal" content.</p>

<p>"The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website.</p>

<p>"If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said.</p>


Days after the US warned of a cyber attack against Russia, the Kremlin website and a few other official websites have stopped working. In a surprising move, on Wednesday morning, nobody was able to open the websites of Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments.

Days after the US warned of a cyber attack against Russia, the Kremlin website and a few other official websites have stopped working. In a surprising move, on Wednesday morning, nobody was able to open the websites of Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments. This has come after there were several reports claiming that the US was preparing a retaliation cyber attack against Russia. Also read | Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content A few sources of the White House told the American publication The New York Times that the first move against Vladimir Putin-ruled country is expected in the next three weeks, which will be followed with a 'series of clandestine actions across Russian networks'. While these actions will not have a massive impact on others and will not be hugely evident to outsiders, sources believe it will send a clear message to Vladimir Putin — who has been receiving criticism over the alleged poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. This alleged move from the US has come after the officials concluded that Russia was likely involved in the controversial SolarWinds Orion attacks that had led to the disruption of several government agencies and private firms' security. Also read | Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report These disruptions of the websites have come a little after the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to local media house, CNBC, that the US government will be taking 'a mix of actions seen and unseen' as a rebuttal to the alleged attacks from Russia, but declined to give any further details saying, 'we will not publicly discuss certain aspects of our response.' The description of websites also happened while Moscow was busy restricting the use of Twitter by slowing down its speed for users in the country over what it said was the social media platform's failure to remove "illegal" content. "The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website. "If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said.

Kremlin and other Russian official websites down; experts doubt US involvement

<p>Moscow has restricted the use of Twitter by slowing down its speed for users in the country over what it said was the social media platform's failure to remove "illegal" content.</p>

<p>Russia's media watchdog Wednesday said in a statement its decision to restrict Twitter's services was intended to "protect Russian citizens" and force the company to comply with Russian law.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russian authorities in recent years have been tightening control over the internet in the name of fighting extremism, terrorism and protecting minors.</p>

<p>The Roskomandzor watchdog said the disruption would begin on Wednesday and comprise a "slowdown in service speed" on all mobile users and 50 per cent of desktop users. It added that since 2017 it had sent Twitter "over 28,000 initial and repeated requests" to delete links to child pornography, information on drug use and calls for minors to commit suicide.</p>

<p>The watchdog warned that if Twitter ignores Russian law it could face further restrictions, including a complete ban in the country.</p>

<p>Twitter, like other US social media, is used widely inside Russia by allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny whose jailing last month prompted nationwide protests.</p>

<p>"The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website.</p>

<p>"If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-sues-google-facebook-twitter-for-not-deleting-protest-content-report-369132"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report</strong></a></p>

<p>Wednesday's move comes amid mounting efforts by Moscow to exert greater influence over US social media platforms and frustrations over what authorities say is their failure to follow Russian laws.</p>

<p>Moscow in recent months has put Western tech giants like Facebook and Twitter under increasing pressure for failing to take down calls to participate in anti-government demonstrations. It has already banned a number of websites that refused to cooperate with authorities, such as the video platform Dailymotion and professional networking website LinkedIn.</p>

<p>Last December, parliament's lower house backed big new fines on platforms that fail to delete banned content and another bill that would allow them to be restricted if they "discriminate" against Russian media.</p>

<p>In 2019, a law was passed for the development of a "sovereign internet" aimed at isolating Russia from the worldwide web, a move activists fear will tighten government control of cyberspace and stifle free speech.</p>

<p><em><strong>(with inputs from agencies)</strong></em></p>


Moscow has restricted the use of Twitter by slowing down its speed for users in the country over what it said was the social media platform's failure to remove "illegal" content.

Moscow has restricted the use of Twitter by slowing down its speed for users in the country over what it said was the social media platform's failure to remove "illegal" content. Russia's media watchdog Wednesday said in a statement its decision to restrict Twitter's services was intended to "protect Russian citizens" and force the company to comply with Russian law. Russian authorities in recent years have been tightening control over the internet in the name of fighting extremism, terrorism and protecting minors. The Roskomandzor watchdog said the disruption would begin on Wednesday and comprise a "slowdown in service speed" on all mobile users and 50 per cent of desktop users. It added that since 2017 it had sent Twitter "over 28,000 initial and repeated requests" to delete links to child pornography, information on drug use and calls for minors to commit suicide. The watchdog warned that if Twitter ignores Russian law it could face further restrictions, including a complete ban in the country. Twitter, like other US social media, is used widely inside Russia by allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny whose jailing last month prompted nationwide protests. "The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website. "If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said. Also read | Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report Wednesday's move comes amid mounting efforts by Moscow to exert greater influence over US social media platforms and frustrations over what authorities say is their failure to follow Russian laws. Moscow in recent months has put Western tech giants like Facebook and Twitter under increasing pressure for failing to take down calls to participate in anti-government demonstrations. It has already banned a number of websites that refused to cooperate with authorities, such as the video platform Dailymotion and professional networking website LinkedIn. Last December, parliament's lower house backed big new fines on platforms that fail to delete banned content and another bill that would allow them to be restricted if they "discriminate" against Russian media. In 2019, a law was passed for the development of a "sovereign internet" aimed at isolating Russia from the worldwide web, a move activists fear will tighten government control of cyberspace and stifle free speech. (with inputs from agencies)

Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content

<p>Russian authorities are suing five social media platforms for allegedly failing to delete posts urging children to take part in illegal protests, the Interfax news agency cited a Moscow court as saying on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Twitter, Google, Facebook each have three cases against them, with each violation punishable by a fine of up to 4 million roubles (around $54,000), and cases have also been filed against Tiktok and Telegram, the report said.</p>

<p>The cases were opened after protests nationwide over last month's jailing of Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin.</p>

<p>Navalny and his supporters say his 30-month sentence, for alleged parole violations related to an embezzlement case, was trumped up for political reasons, something the authorities deny.</p>

<p>Google declined to comment on the Interfax report. Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p>

<p>The cases against Google, Facebook and Twitter will be heard on April 2, the agency said.</p>


Russian authorities are suing five social media platforms for allegedly failing to delete posts urging children to take part in illegal protests, the Interfax news agency cited a Moscow court as saying on Tuesday.

Russian authorities are suing five social media platforms for allegedly failing to delete posts urging children to take part in illegal protests, the Interfax news agency cited a Moscow court as saying on Tuesday. Twitter, Google, Facebook each have three cases against them, with each violation punishable by a fine of up to 4 million roubles (around $54,000), and cases have also been filed against Tiktok and Telegram, the report said. The cases were opened after protests nationwide over last month's jailing of Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin. Navalny and his supporters say his 30-month sentence, for alleged parole violations related to an embezzlement case, was trumped up for political reasons, something the authorities deny. Google declined to comment on the Interfax report. Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The cases against Google, Facebook and Twitter will be heard on April 2, the agency said.

Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report

<p>Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B has deactivated her Twitter account after facing intense backlash following the launch of her new doll. On Friday, the rapper took to Instagram to announce the release of her new venture: an original doll modelled after the artist herself.<br />
<br />
Cardi revealed that she had designed her own doll with the brand Real Women Are. However, it didn`t sit too well with fans who have been impatiently waiting for a new album instead. Fans replied to her post complaining that she was releasing a doll instead of working on fresh music.<br />
<br />
In the last seven months, Cardi has released hits like `WAP` and `Up`.After receiving flak, Cardi took to Instagram Live to set the record straight on all of her current ventures. She said that while she is working on new music, fans need to be patient as she puts her focus toward other projects, reported People magazine. "I have so much pressure. I`m working on a lot of s--- to please people. I wanna please my fans, because y`all been asking for something from me for a very long time that I can`t say, and I`m doing it for ya," she said. She posed a question for those who were frustrated that she was working on other businesses in the meantime. "How am I supposed to be rich? How am I supposed to build my net worth?" she said.<br />
<br />
The backlash ultimately led the rapper to deactivate her Twitter account. Cardi has also deleted her Twitter in past for similar harassment claims of fans questioning her life choices.<br />
<br />
Cardi had announced the release of the doll, writing, "BARDI GANG!! I`m dropping my own doll TODAY. Inspired by me. Created by me. Designed by me. Thank you @officialrealwomenare This means sooo much."</p>

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<p>In two follow-up videos, Cardi explained her decision to design a doll, adding that she plans to expand her doll line to include other artists and women in roles traditionally dominated by men." When this doll business got presented to me, one of the reasons I decided to do it is because I`m a girl`s mom," she said.<br />
<br />
The rapper added, "Nowadays, these dolls are not like Barbies. They are way more expensive. They come with way more fashion and are way more diverse. They come so chic and I constantly gotta spend money on these dolls. My daughter constantly want me to buy these dolls, she actually has a preference."<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, on the personal front, previously in September, Cardi filed for divorce from her husband and rapper Offset after three years of marriage. Their split came after accusations of Offset`s infidelity resurfaced, but Cardi called off the divorce in October. The duo is proud parents to daughter Kulture.&nbsp;</p>


Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B has deactivated her Twitter account after facing intense backlash following the launch of her new doll. On Friday, the rapper took to Instagram to announce the release of her new venture: an original doll modelled after the artist herself.

Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B has deactivated her Twitter account after facing intense backlash following the launch of her new doll. On Friday, the rapper took to Instagram to announce the release of her new venture: an original doll modelled after the artist herself. Cardi revealed that she had designed her own doll with the brand Real Women Are. However, it didn`t sit too well with fans who have been impatiently waiting for a new album instead. Fans replied to her post complaining that she was releasing a doll instead of working on fresh music. In the last seven months, Cardi has released hits like `WAP` and `Up`.After receiving flak, Cardi took to Instagram Live to set the record straight on all of her current ventures. She said that while she is working on new music, fans need to be patient as she puts her focus toward other projects, reported People magazine. "I have so much pressure. I`m working on a lot of s--- to please people. I wanna please my fans, because y`all been asking for something from me for a very long time that I can`t say, and I`m doing it for ya," she said. She posed a question for those who were frustrated that she was working on other businesses in the meantime. "How am I supposed to be rich? How am I supposed to build my net worth?" she said. The backlash ultimately led the rapper to deactivate her Twitter account. Cardi has also deleted her Twitter in past for similar harassment claims of fans questioning her life choices. Cardi had announced the release of the doll, writing, "BARDI GANG!! I`m dropping my own doll TODAY. Inspired by me. Created by me. Designed by me. Thank you @officialrealwomenare This means sooo much." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cardi B (@iamcardib) × In two follow-up videos, Cardi explained her decision to design a doll, adding that she plans to expand her doll line to include other artists and women in roles traditionally dominated by men." When this doll business got presented to me, one of the reasons I decided to do it is because I`m a girl`s mom," she said. The rapper added, "Nowadays, these dolls are not like Barbies. They are way more expensive. They come with way more fashion and are way more diverse. They come so chic and I constantly gotta spend money on these dolls. My daughter constantly want me to buy these dolls, she actually has a preference." Meanwhile, on the personal front, previously in September, Cardi filed for divorce from her husband and rapper Offset after three years of marriage. Their split came after accusations of Offset`s infidelity resurfaced, but Cardi called off the divorce in October. The duo is proud parents to daughter Kulture.

Cardi B deactivates Twitter after backlash over doll release

<p>Twitter's top boss Jack Dorsey recently listed the first-ever Tweet on the platform for sale. The Tweet, posted by Dorsey himself, said the following - ''just setting up my twttr'' and is being sold as a unique digital signature on a website that sells Tweets as "non-fungible tokens" (NFTs).</p>

<p>Dorsey pushed out the Tweet in March, 2006. Reuters reported that by Friday, he had received offers going as high as $88,888.88 just minutes after Dorsey posted a link of the listing, which was posted on a tweets marketplace called "Valuables by Cent".</p>

<p>Based on old offers already in place, many believe that the tweet was put up for sale in December 2020, with the listing gaining traction on Friday after Dorsey tweeted about the same.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/twitter-deploys-human-monitors-to-strike-down-coronavirus-vaccine-misinformation-367330" hreflang="en">Twitter deploys human monitors to strike down coronavirus vaccine misinformation</a></p>

<p>NFTs are digital files that basically serve as digital signatures to ascertain ownership of pictures, videos, and other media on the web. The 15-year-old tweet by Dorsey is one of the platform's most famous tweets ever, and could attract high prices by bidders. On Saturday, the highest bid stood at $100,000.</p>

<p>Valuables by Cent was launched three months ago and compares buying tweets to buying an autographed baseball card.</p>

<p>"There is only one unique signed version of the tweet, and if the creator agrees to sell, you can own it forever", the company was cited as saying by Reuters.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/russia-accuses-twitter-of-breaking-law-by-failing-to-delete-content-367219" hreflang="en">Russia accuses Twitter of breaking law by failing to delete content</a></p>

<p>After buying the tweet, the bidder receives an autographed digital certificate which is signed using cryptography, and also includes metadata of the original tweet, the company claims on its website.</p>

<p>Regardless of who the Tweet is sold to, it will continue to appear on the website.</p>


Twitter's top boss Jack Dorsey recently listed the first-ever Tweet on the platform for sale. The Tweet, posted by Dorsey himself, said the following - ''just setting up my twttr'' and is being sold as a unique digital signature on a website that sells Tweets as "non-fungible tokens" (NFTs).

Twitter's top boss Jack Dorsey recently listed the first-ever Tweet on the platform for sale. The Tweet, posted by Dorsey himself, said the following - ''just setting up my twttr'' and is being sold as a unique digital signature on a website that sells Tweets as "non-fungible tokens" (NFTs). Dorsey pushed out the Tweet in March, 2006. Reuters reported that by Friday, he had received offers going as high as $88,888.88 just minutes after Dorsey posted a link of the listing, which was posted on a tweets marketplace called "Valuables by Cent". Based on old offers already in place, many believe that the tweet was put up for sale in December 2020, with the listing gaining traction on Friday after Dorsey tweeted about the same. Also read: Twitter deploys human monitors to strike down coronavirus vaccine misinformation NFTs are digital files that basically serve as digital signatures to ascertain ownership of pictures, videos, and other media on the web. The 15-year-old tweet by Dorsey is one of the platform's most famous tweets ever, and could attract high prices by bidders. On Saturday, the highest bid stood at $100,000. Valuables by Cent was launched three months ago and compares buying tweets to buying an autographed baseball card. "There is only one unique signed version of the tweet, and if the creator agrees to sell, you can own it forever", the company was cited as saying by Reuters. Also read: Russia accuses Twitter of breaking law by failing to delete content After buying the tweet, the bidder receives an autographed digital certificate which is signed using cryptography, and also includes metadata of the original tweet, the company claims on its website. Regardless of who the Tweet is sold to, it will continue to appear on the website.

Twitter's Jack Dorsey auctions first ever Tweet!

"just setting up my twttr" - the first ever tweet on the platform is up for sale after Twitter boss Jack Dorsey listed his famous post as a unique digital signature on a website for selling tweets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Twitter's Dorsey auctions first ever tweet as digital memorabilia

Russia’s communications regulator has accused Twitter of violating Russian law, saying the social media platform failed to comply with its requests to delete banned content.

Russia accuses Twitter of breaking law by failing to delete unauthorized posts

<p>Many people opposed to vaccination, or anti-vaxxers,&nbsp;find their audience in social media, but now Twitter is deploying human monitors to crack down on disinformation as Covid-19 shots are being rolled out across the world.</p>

<p>The microblogging platform will label&nbsp;tweets that include misleading information about coronavirus vaccines.</p>

<p>Twitter said it has started using human reviewers to assess whether tweets violate its policy against COVID vaccine misinformation. Eventually, the work will be done by a combination of humans and automation, it said.</p>

<p>It will be using a "strike system" to eventually remove accounts that repeatedly violate its rules.</p>

<p>"Through the use of the strike system, we hope to educate people on why certain content breaks our rules so they have the opportunity to further consider their behaviour and their impact on the public conversation," Twitter said in a blog post on Monday.</p>

<p>"We believe the strike system will help to educate the public on our policies and further reduce the spread of potentially harmful and misleading information on Twitter, particularly for repeated moderate and high-severity violations of our rules,"&nbsp;the company said.</p>

<p>Twitter had already banned some COVID-related misinformation in December, including falsehoods about how the virus spreads, whether masks are effective and the risk of infection and death.</p>

<p>People with one violation or strike&nbsp;will see no action. Two strikes will lead to an account being locked for 12 hours. Five or more will get a user permanently banned from Twitter, but users can appeal against the removal.</p>

<p>There is still a great amount of vaccine scepticism in various countries. In Ukraine, for instance,&nbsp;medical facilities reportedly threw&nbsp;out some unused coronavirus vaccines after doctors didn't show up for their inoculation appointments.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With agency inputs)</em></p>


Many people opposed to vaccination, or anti-vaxxers, find their audience in social media, but now Twitter is deploying human monitors to crack down on disinformation as Covid-19 shots are being rolled out across the world.

Many people opposed to vaccination, or anti-vaxxers, find their audience in social media, but now Twitter is deploying human monitors to crack down on disinformation as Covid-19 shots are being rolled out across the world. The microblogging platform will label tweets that include misleading information about coronavirus vaccines. Twitter said it has started using human reviewers to assess whether tweets violate its policy against COVID vaccine misinformation. Eventually, the work will be done by a combination of humans and automation, it said. It will be using a "strike system" to eventually remove accounts that repeatedly violate its rules. "Through the use of the strike system, we hope to educate people on why certain content breaks our rules so they have the opportunity to further consider their behaviour and their impact on the public conversation," Twitter said in a blog post on Monday. "We believe the strike system will help to educate the public on our policies and further reduce the spread of potentially harmful and misleading information on Twitter, particularly for repeated moderate and high-severity violations of our rules," the company said. Twitter had already banned some COVID-related misinformation in December, including falsehoods about how the virus spreads, whether masks are effective and the risk of infection and death. People with one violation or strike will see no action. Two strikes will lead to an account being locked for 12 hours. Five or more will get a user permanently banned from Twitter, but users can appeal against the removal. There is still a great amount of vaccine scepticism in various countries. In Ukraine, for instance, medical facilities reportedly threw out some unused coronavirus vaccines after doctors didn't show up for their inoculation appointments. (With agency inputs)

Twitter deploys human monitors to strike down coronavirus vaccine misinformation

<p>Russia's communications regulator accused Twitter on Monday of violating the country's&nbsp;law, saying the social media platform had not complied with some of its requests to delete banned content.</p>

<p>Roskomnadzor said Twitter had failed to delete 2,862 posts containing material linked to suicide, pornography and drugs since 2017. It could be fined heavily if found guilty of repeatedly failing to delete content deemed illegal under Russian law, it said.</p>

<p>The platform is used extensively by Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and his allies to criticise the authorities and announce new protests.</p>

<p>Twitter, which declined to comment, has been fined in the past for breaching Russia's data laws, but the penalties have been relatively small. A Moscow court last year fined Twitter 4 million roubles ($54,000) for failing to comply with Russian data law after the platform refused to locate its server holding data about Russian citizens on Russian territory.</p>

<p>Russia in recent months has taken steps to exert more influence over foreign social media platforms.</p>

<p>Bills passed by the lower house of parliament in December last year allowed Russia to impose large fines on platforms that do not delete banned content and even to restrict access to U.S. social media giants if they "discriminate" against Russian media.</p>

<p>The foreign ministry has also accused Facebook and other US&nbsp;platforms of failing to identify fake posts related to unauthorized protests in support of Navalny, where police detained thousands of demonstrators nationwide.</p>

<p>In January, President Vladimir Putin queried what he described as the growing clout of US&nbsp;social media giants and said their influence meant they now competed with governments.</p>


Russia's communications regulator accused Twitter on Monday of violating the country's law, saying the social media platform had not complied with some of its requests to delete banned content.

Russia's communications regulator accused Twitter on Monday of violating the country's law, saying the social media platform had not complied with some of its requests to delete banned content. Roskomnadzor said Twitter had failed to delete 2,862 posts containing material linked to suicide, pornography and drugs since 2017. It could be fined heavily if found guilty of repeatedly failing to delete content deemed illegal under Russian law, it said. The platform is used extensively by Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and his allies to criticise the authorities and announce new protests. Twitter, which declined to comment, has been fined in the past for breaching Russia's data laws, but the penalties have been relatively small. A Moscow court last year fined Twitter 4 million roubles ($54,000) for failing to comply with Russian data law after the platform refused to locate its server holding data about Russian citizens on Russian territory. Russia in recent months has taken steps to exert more influence over foreign social media platforms. Bills passed by the lower house of parliament in December last year allowed Russia to impose large fines on platforms that do not delete banned content and even to restrict access to U.S. social media giants if they "discriminate" against Russian media. The foreign ministry has also accused Facebook and other US platforms of failing to identify fake posts related to unauthorized protests in support of Navalny, where police detained thousands of demonstrators nationwide. In January, President Vladimir Putin queried what he described as the growing clout of US social media giants and said their influence meant they now competed with governments.

Russia accuses Twitter of breaking law by failing to delete content

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>This story contains spoilers for the seventh episode of 'WandaVision.'</strong></p>

<p>If you are a fan of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” there are five words that have been stuck in your head for the past week: “It was Agatha all along.”</p>

<p>The 62-second earworm appears in Episode 7, “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” and its purpose is simple: It explains what Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), has been up to this entire time. It has also taken on a life of its own, having spawned numerous trap, rock and rap remixes in the days since the episode debuted Feb 19.</p>

<p>“None of us knew this was going to be the song,” said composer Robert Lopez, 46, who created the songs for the series with his wife of 17 years, Oscar and Grammy-winning lyricist Kristen Anderson-Lopez, 48. “We woke up that morning to find that it was all over the internet, and it was like, ‘This is awesome.’”</p>

<p>It isn’t the first time the songwriting power couple has created an infectious earworm, having written tunes such as the Oscar- and Grammy-winning song “Let It Go” for the Disney animated movie “Frozen” and the Oscar-winning ballad “Remember Me” for the Pixar animated film “Coco.” They’ve won a pile of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys between them. (Lopez, who co-conceived and co-wrote the hit musicals “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon,” is in rarefied air as the only double EGOT — someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, twice over.)</p>

<p>But it is a minute-long riff on “The Munsters” theme that has burned itself into the brains of the collective internet over the past week.</p>

<p><br />
“It’s got an ‘Addams Family’ twist with an electric harpsichord,” Anderson-Lopez said. “It’s super-duper cool and feels like something you’d find in a haunted house.”</p>

<p>Sung by Hahn and a chorus of male backup singers (including Lopez), it delivers the dramatic revelation that Agnes is the powerful witch Agatha Harkness — and that it is she, not Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), who is behind all the oddities happening in sleepy little Westview. (Having killed a dog, she reveals, was among her dastardly deeds.)</p>

<p>When the song debuted on Spotify and iTunes on Tuesday, it leaped to the No. 1 slot on the iTunes soundtrack charts. (The trap remix created by hip-hop artist Leland Philpot is “the most glorious thing,” Anderson-Lopez said.)<br />
<br />
In a phone interview from Connecticut on Wednesday, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez shared how the track came together, their trick for getting their own songs out of their own heads and why Hahn’s character is “perfidious” rather than “hideous.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation.</p>

<p>Q: Did you have any idea “Agatha All Along” was going to blow up like this?</p>

<p>ROBERT LOPEZ: No, not at all. We were sort of sad that we were winding down and we didn’t know if we’d have any hits come out of this thing. But my goodness.</p>

<p>Q: What part of the song came to you first?</p>

<p>LOPEZ: We have a theme — the “WandaVision” motif — that’s in every single song. So that was how we began with “Agatha.”</p>

<p>KRISTEN ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But, in a way, “Agatha All Along” was there all along. We’ve been spoon-feeding a tritone that’s called the devil’s interval — the&nbsp; 'duh-duh-duh'&nbsp;— throughout the series. And then ultimately, when the big reveal happens with the 'DUH! DUH! DUH!', everyone had been hearing it steadily, so it felt like an old friend.</p>

<p>Q: Where did you look for inspiration for the song?</p>

<p>LOPEZ: We started with a different idea for a version of the song more along the lines of “That Girl.”</p>

<p>ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But it just wasn’t right; it just wasn’t churning my blood the way that I wanted it to. So then we thought: It’s a show about witches, right? So let’s embrace it. What other shows are about witches and Goth figures? “The Addams Family,” “The Munsters,” the “Monster Mash” — all these Halloween-y kind of songs that have this grinding, growling bari sax.</p>

<p>LOPEZ: We also have an electric harpsichord, which is what they use in “The Addams Family.” That’s the thing going dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit — the repeated chorus.</p>

<p>Q:Who does what when you’re writing a song?</p>

<p>LOPEZ: It changes with every song. Sometimes we’ll write it together in the same room, sometimes one of us will write the whole thing and the other one will take credit. In this case, Kristen wrote the full lyrics and gave them to me on a sheet of paper, and then I went to town with music.</p>

<p>ANDERSON-LOPEZ: I would wake up in the morning, and sometimes I’d be so excited to write the songs that I would write them in the shower. Get out, get a towel, scribble them on a piece of paper with drips, blurring ink — and Bobby would compose them by 10 a.m., and we’d record them after lunch, and then get notes at like 5 p.m.</p>

<p>Q:“Perfidious” is quite the lyric! Where did that come from?</p>

<p>ANDERSON-LOPEZ: We knew we didn’t want to say "hideous," because Agatha is still hot. So I looked at a rhyming dictionary and was like: “'Perfidious!' It’s so great! It’s so perfect!”</p>

<p>LOPEZ: We always have an SAT word in the lyrics somewhere because people appreciate learning a word. And if they already know it, they appreciate being able to brag that they know it.</p>

<p>ANDERSON-LOPEZ: Right! “Frozen fractals …” [from “Let It Go”]</p>

<p>Q: Your neighbors were not fans of one of your last hits, “Let It Go.” Has reaction been more favorable this time around?</p>

<p>ANDERSON-LOPEZ: It’s still early — they’ve had less than a week. But I’m starting to feel the trickles on Twitter. I’m getting messages saying, “Thank you so much for ‘Agatha All Along,’ now please remove it from my head!” and “It’s been five days, now take it back, please!”</p>

<p>Q: Do the songs you write get stuck in your head, too?</p>

<p>LOPEZ: Of course! You wake up in the middle of the night with it pounding in your ears. But having a song that gets in people’s heads is such an honor for us. It means what we created somehow magically connected across space and time and landed in another person’s neurons. It’s what was in our heads, and now it’s in their heads, and that’s something we now all share.</p>

<p>ANDERSON-LOPEZ:I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning with “She’s insidious / So perfidious” just going on a loop in my head. And so I replaced it with: “Don’t worry, / Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh, / be happy.”</p>

<p>LOPEZ: That’s how you get it out of your system …</p>

<p>ANDERSON-LOPEZ: … replace it with another thing that’s been stuck in your head before.</p>


This story contains spoilers for the seventh episode of 'WandaVision.' If you are a fan of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” there are five words that have been stuck in your head for the past week: “It was Agatha all along.

This story contains spoilers for the seventh episode of 'WandaVision.' If you are a fan of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” there are five words that have been stuck in your head for the past week: “It was Agatha all along.” The 62-second earworm appears in Episode 7, “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” and its purpose is simple: It explains what Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), has been up to this entire time. It has also taken on a life of its own, having spawned numerous trap, rock and rap remixes in the days since the episode debuted Feb 19. “None of us knew this was going to be the song,” said composer Robert Lopez, 46, who created the songs for the series with his wife of 17 years, Oscar and Grammy-winning lyricist Kristen Anderson-Lopez, 48. “We woke up that morning to find that it was all over the internet, and it was like, ‘This is awesome.’” It isn’t the first time the songwriting power couple has created an infectious earworm, having written tunes such as the Oscar- and Grammy-winning song “Let It Go” for the Disney animated movie “Frozen” and the Oscar-winning ballad “Remember Me” for the Pixar animated film “Coco.” They’ve won a pile of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys between them. (Lopez, who co-conceived and co-wrote the hit musicals “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon,” is in rarefied air as the only double EGOT — someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, twice over.) But it is a minute-long riff on “The Munsters” theme that has burned itself into the brains of the collective internet over the past week. “It’s got an ‘Addams Family’ twist with an electric harpsichord,” Anderson-Lopez said. “It’s super-duper cool and feels like something you’d find in a haunted house.” Sung by Hahn and a chorus of male backup singers (including Lopez), it delivers the dramatic revelation that Agnes is the powerful witch Agatha Harkness — and that it is she, not Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), who is behind all the oddities happening in sleepy little Westview. (Having killed a dog, she reveals, was among her dastardly deeds.) When the song debuted on Spotify and iTunes on Tuesday, it leaped to the No. 1 slot on the iTunes soundtrack charts. (The trap remix created by hip-hop artist Leland Philpot is “the most glorious thing,” Anderson-Lopez said.) In a phone interview from Connecticut on Wednesday, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez shared how the track came together, their trick for getting their own songs out of their own heads and why Hahn’s character is “perfidious” rather than “hideous.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation. Q: Did you have any idea “Agatha All Along” was going to blow up like this? ROBERT LOPEZ: No, not at all. We were sort of sad that we were winding down and we didn’t know if we’d have any hits come out of this thing. But my goodness. Q: What part of the song came to you first? LOPEZ: We have a theme — the “WandaVision” motif — that’s in every single song. So that was how we began with “Agatha.” KRISTEN ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But, in a way, “Agatha All Along” was there all along. We’ve been spoon-feeding a tritone that’s called the devil’s interval — the 'duh-duh-duh' — throughout the series. And then ultimately, when the big reveal happens with the 'DUH! DUH! DUH!', everyone had been hearing it steadily, so it felt like an old friend. Q: Where did you look for inspiration for the song? LOPEZ: We started with a different idea for a version of the song more along the lines of “That Girl.” ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But it just wasn’t right; it just wasn’t churning my blood the way that I wanted it to. So then we thought: It’s a show about witches, right? So let’s embrace it. What other shows are about witches and Goth figures? “The Addams Family,” “The Munsters,” the “Monster Mash” — all these Halloween-y kind of songs that have this grinding, growling bari sax. LOPEZ: We also have an electric harpsichord, which is what they use in “The Addams Family.” That’s the thing going dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit — the repeated chorus. Q:Who does what when you’re writing a song? LOPEZ: It changes with every song. Sometimes we’ll write it together in the same room, sometimes one of us will write the whole thing and the other one will take credit. In this case, Kristen wrote the full lyrics and gave them to me on a sheet of paper, and then I went to town with music. ANDERSON-LOPEZ: I would wake up in the morning, and sometimes I’d be so excited to write the songs that I would write them in the shower. Get out, get a towel, scribble them on a piece of paper with drips, blurring ink — and Bobby would compose them by 10 a.m., and we’d record them after lunch, and then get notes at like 5 p.m. Q:“Perfidious” is quite the lyric! Where did that come from? ANDERSON-LOPEZ: We knew we didn’t want to say "hideous," because Agatha is still hot. So I looked at a rhyming dictionary and was like: “'Perfidious!' It’s so great! It’s so perfect!” LOPEZ: We always have an SAT word in the lyrics somewhere because people appreciate learning a word. And if they already know it, they appreciate being able to brag that they know it. ANDERSON-LOPEZ: Right! “Frozen fractals …” [from “Let It Go”] Q: Your neighbors were not fans of one of your last hits, “Let It Go.” Has reaction been more favorable this time around? ANDERSON-LOPEZ: It’s still early — they’ve had less than a week. But I’m starting to feel the trickles on Twitter. I’m getting messages saying, “Thank you so much for ‘Agatha All Along,’ now please remove it from my head!” and “It’s been five days, now take it back, please!” Q: Do the songs you write get stuck in your head, too? LOPEZ: Of course! You wake up in the middle of the night with it pounding in your ears. But having a song that gets in people’s heads is such an honor for us. It means what we created somehow magically connected across space and time and landed in another person’s neurons. It’s what was in our heads, and now it’s in their heads, and that’s something we now all share. ANDERSON-LOPEZ:I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning with “She’s insidious / So perfidious” just going on a loop in my head. And so I replaced it with: “Don’t worry, / Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh, / be happy.” LOPEZ: That’s how you get it out of your system … ANDERSON-LOPEZ: … replace it with another thing that’s been stuck in your head before.

Meet the songwriters behind the 'WandaVision' hit 'Agatha All Along'

<p>Twitter on Thursday announced the launch of a "super follow" feature, which will allow users to charge followers to get&nbsp;exclusive content.</p>

<p>The new feature will let users charge for exclusive, extra material from their followers and can include subscriber-only newsletters, videos, deals and discounts, the social media giant said in an investor presentation on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/twitter-cfo-confirms-permanent-ban-against-us-former-president-donald-trump-363029/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>A monthly subscription fee would be charged for access to such content.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/twitter-wont-bow-to-pressure-over-abuse-of-premier-league-stars-365005">Twitter won't bow to pressure over abuse of Premier League stars</a></strong></p>

<p>Users and investors for long have been asking the social media giant to launch a subscription-based model.</p>

<p>Content creators and YouTubers use tools like Patreon, Substack and OnlyFans to collect money from their users.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Exploring audience funding opportunities like Super Follows will allow creators and publishers to be directly supported by their audience and will incentivize them to continue creating content that their audience loves," Twitter said in a statement.</p>

<p>The feature is yet to be launched, but the company plans to launch it in the coming months.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Twitter will also be launching "Revue" and "Twitter Spaces".</p>

<p>"Twitter Spaces," a feature similar to Clubhouse will allow users to participate in audio conversations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The feature is in private beta testing, meaning it is yet to be launched for users.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Twitter on Thursday announced the launch of a "super follow" feature, which will allow users to charge followers to get exclusive content. The new feature will let users charge for exclusive, extra material from their followers and can include subscriber-only newsletters, videos, deals and discounts, the social media giant said in an investor presentation on Thursday.

Twitter on Thursday announced the launch of a "super follow" feature, which will allow users to charge followers to get exclusive content. The new feature will let users charge for exclusive, extra material from their followers and can include subscriber-only newsletters, videos, deals and discounts, the social media giant said in an investor presentation on Thursday. Watch | A monthly subscription fee would be charged for access to such content. Also read | Twitter won't bow to pressure over abuse of Premier League stars Users and investors for long have been asking the social media giant to launch a subscription-based model. Content creators and YouTubers use tools like Patreon, Substack and OnlyFans to collect money from their users. "Exploring audience funding opportunities like Super Follows will allow creators and publishers to be directly supported by their audience and will incentivize them to continue creating content that their audience loves," Twitter said in a statement. The feature is yet to be launched, but the company plans to launch it in the coming months. Twitter will also be launching "Revue" and "Twitter Spaces". "Twitter Spaces," a feature similar to Clubhouse will allow users to participate in audio conversations. The feature is in private beta testing, meaning it is yet to be launched for users.

Twitter announces 'Super Follow' feature that will ask users pay for content

<p>The US state of Texas is currently witnessing a winter storm, knocking out electricity in most parts of the state.&nbsp; Electricity returned to the state on Friday after Texans experienced almost 2,00,000 power outages over the last week.</p>

<p>But woes for Texans don't seem to over just yet. Turns out, people in the state are now receiving exorbitant electricity bills in the aftermath of outages. Many Texans took to Twitter to share the electricity bills they have been receiving recently. Many received bills as high as $17,000.</p>

<p>WFAA - a local broadcaster shared screenshots of a man named Ty Williams receiving an electricity bill for over $17,000. The man in question claims to have three electric metres in his residence, including one for his home, one for his guest house, and another for his office. Last month, the total bill he had received was $660.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Some Texas electricity customers saw the price of a kilowatt hour go from 12 cents to $9 in the past week, leading to bills in the thousands. Yikes. 😱 <a href="https://t.co/r486zYn6D7">pic.twitter.com/r486zYn6D7</a></p>
— Phil Taylor (@pstni) <a href="https://twitter.com/pstni/status/1363643760882688006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Williams told WFAA that "there is absolutely no way" for anyone to pay that much amount for electricity bills, and that "it makes no sense".</p>

<p>Users on Twitter are trying to understand how the bills reached such a high in such a short time. The price of a kilowatt per hour went from 12 cents to $9 in the last week, making the bills run into thousands.</p>

<p>According to local media reports, Williams is on a variable-rate plan with Griddy, a local electricity provider.</p>

<p>The company is facing a lot of criticism for its handling of the crisis, for it has reportedly trying to avoid sending such hefty bills to customers by urging them to leave and pursue a fixed-rate plan with other providers of electricity in the area.<br />
<br />
The exorbitant amounts of bills have shocked many Texans and have left many wondering if they'd require loans to pay off the amount.</p>

<p>Here are a few of the reactions on Twitter:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Texas got a lot of nerve putting people in deadly situations with no electricity in freezing temps during a pandemic AND charging them hundreds &amp; thousands more on their electric bill. <a href="https://t.co/o2yutmiNsO">pic.twitter.com/o2yutmiNsO</a></p>
— I Choose Violence (@Brick_Outhouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brick_Outhouse/status/1363283606488162312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I really do NOT understand how the electricity bills work in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Texas</a>. If I received a bill for $10,000 from DTE, I would have a cow! How the Hell does that even work? Are you supposed to take out a loan to pay for your electricity? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TexasBlackout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TexasBlackout</a> <a href="https://t.co/FZ9RgqiocO">pic.twitter.com/FZ9RgqiocO</a></p>
— CyndiMich Formerly @Cyn190 (@cyndi_mich) <a href="https://twitter.com/cyndi_mich/status/1363567304257245184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Advice to anyone in Texas who has automatic debit set up for paying electricity bill.<br />
<br />
Change it NOW.</p>
— Lila (@LbudisaLila) <a href="https://twitter.com/LbudisaLila/status/1363357707298873345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Texas if your power not on, make sure that electricity bill reflects it!</p>
— Jasmen🤍 (@JasmenSimone) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasmenSimone/status/1361745276009070599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hey Rafael, did you receive a $10K electricity bill while you work against pandemic relief for Texas?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HoustonStrong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HoustonStrong</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericanRescuePlan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericanRescuePlan</a> <a href="https://t.co/TkFsYRtNO9">https://t.co/TkFsYRtNO9</a> <a href="https://t.co/J5KuzrquAo">pic.twitter.com/J5KuzrquAo</a></p>
— (((Tam))) #SeditionHasConsequences #ONEV1 Z31 (@Tam_Resist) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tam_Resist/status/1363531544439193603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">i’m still blown away that the state of texas has gone all the way texas and told america “we got our own generator” and the damn thing basically crapped out and look at em now.</p>
— bomani (@bomani_jones) <a href="https://twitter.com/bomani_jones/status/1362408628540633093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The US state of Texas is currently witnessing a winter storm, knocking out electricity in most parts of the state. Electricity returned to the state on Friday after Texans experienced almost 2,00,000 power outages over the last week.

The US state of Texas is currently witnessing a winter storm, knocking out electricity in most parts of the state. Electricity returned to the state on Friday after Texans experienced almost 2,00,000 power outages over the last week. But woes for Texans don't seem to over just yet. Turns out, people in the state are now receiving exorbitant electricity bills in the aftermath of outages. Many Texans took to Twitter to share the electricity bills they have been receiving recently. Many received bills as high as $17,000. WFAA - a local broadcaster shared screenshots of a man named Ty Williams receiving an electricity bill for over $17,000. The man in question claims to have three electric metres in his residence, including one for his home, one for his guest house, and another for his office. Last month, the total bill he had received was $660. Some Texas electricity customers saw the price of a kilowatt hour go from 12 cents to $9 in the past week, leading to bills in the thousands. Yikes. 😱 pic.twitter.com/r486zYn6D7 — Phil Taylor (@pstni) February 22, 2021 × Williams told WFAA that "there is absolutely no way" for anyone to pay that much amount for electricity bills, and that "it makes no sense". Users on Twitter are trying to understand how the bills reached such a high in such a short time. The price of a kilowatt per hour went from 12 cents to $9 in the last week, making the bills run into thousands. According to local media reports, Williams is on a variable-rate plan with Griddy, a local electricity provider. The company is facing a lot of criticism for its handling of the crisis, for it has reportedly trying to avoid sending such hefty bills to customers by urging them to leave and pursue a fixed-rate plan with other providers of electricity in the area. The exorbitant amounts of bills have shocked many Texans and have left many wondering if they'd require loans to pay off the amount. Here are a few of the reactions on Twitter: Texas got a lot of nerve putting people in deadly situations with no electricity in freezing temps during a pandemic AND charging them hundreds & thousands more on their electric bill. pic.twitter.com/o2yutmiNsO — I Choose Violence (@Brick_Outhouse) February 21, 2021 × I really do NOT understand how the electricity bills work in #Texas. If I received a bill for $10,000 from DTE, I would have a cow! How the Hell does that even work? Are you supposed to take out a loan to pay for your electricity? #TexasBlackout pic.twitter.com/FZ9RgqiocO — CyndiMich Formerly @Cyn190 (@cyndi_mich) February 21, 2021 × Advice to anyone in Texas who has automatic debit set up for paying electricity bill. Change it NOW. — Lila (@LbudisaLila) February 21, 2021 × Texas if your power not on, make sure that electricity bill reflects it! — Jasmen🤍 (@JasmenSimone) February 16, 2021 × Hey Rafael, did you receive a $10K electricity bill while you work against pandemic relief for Texas?#HoustonStrong #AmericanRescuePlan https://t.co/TkFsYRtNO9 pic.twitter.com/J5KuzrquAo — (((Tam))) #SeditionHasConsequences #ONEV1 Z31 (@Tam_Resist) February 21, 2021 × i’m still blown away that the state of texas has gone all the way texas and told america “we got our own generator” and the damn thing basically crapped out and look at em now. — bomani (@bomani_jones) February 18, 2021 ×

Twitter reacts to Texans being charged upto $17,000 for electricity amid outages

<p>Popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter recently disabled and banned several accounts of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> supporters as they were accused of inciting violence and spreading misinformation.</p>

<p>However, while Trump decided to knock the doors of the friendly and local news channels to broadcast his thoughts, his supporters have also found slternate social media platforms to yell out their thoughts to the world.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-offered-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-ride-back-home-on-air-force-one-report-365311" hreflang="en">Trump offered North Korea's Kim Jong Un ride back home on Air Force One: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>Platforms such as Gab, MeWe, Telegram, Discord and a few more have now replaced popular social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Messenger and such.</p>

<p>"The most extreme Trump supporters were already on alternative platforms," Nick Backovic, a researcher at Logically.AI, a company specialising in digital disinformation. "The fact that Facebook and Twitter took so long to (ban them) allowed influencers to rebuild conversation and groups almost seamlessly."</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-to-appear-for-first-post-white-house-speech-in-cpac-365129" hreflang="en">Donald Trump to appear for first post-White House speech in CPAC</a></strong></p>

<p>After the US Capitol riots, carried out by Trump's supporters on January 06, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter took down pages and accounts of several armed groups an movements such as Oath Keepers.</p>

<p>Facebook shut down nearly 900 accounts and Twitter blocked 70,000 accounts related t conspiraycy group QAnon and such.</p>

<p>"Deplatforming works," said Jim Steyer, president of the organization Common Sense Media. "Now that you look at Trump not being on Twitter, he lost his big speaker, his amplification microphone to the world."</p>


Popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter recently disabled and banned several accounts of Donald Trump supporters as they were accused of inciting violence and spreading misinformation.

Popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter recently disabled and banned several accounts of Donald Trump supporters as they were accused of inciting violence and spreading misinformation. However, while Trump decided to knock the doors of the friendly and local news channels to broadcast his thoughts, his supporters have also found slternate social media platforms to yell out their thoughts to the world. Also read| Trump offered North Korea's Kim Jong Un ride back home on Air Force One: Report Platforms such as Gab, MeWe, Telegram, Discord and a few more have now replaced popular social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Messenger and such. "The most extreme Trump supporters were already on alternative platforms," Nick Backovic, a researcher at Logically.AI, a company specialising in digital disinformation. "The fact that Facebook and Twitter took so long to (ban them) allowed influencers to rebuild conversation and groups almost seamlessly." Also read| Donald Trump to appear for first post-White House speech in CPAC After the US Capitol riots, carried out by Trump's supporters on January 06, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter took down pages and accounts of several armed groups an movements such as Oath Keepers. Facebook shut down nearly 900 accounts and Twitter blocked 70,000 accounts related t conspiraycy group QAnon and such. "Deplatforming works," said Jim Steyer, president of the organization Common Sense Media. "Now that you look at Trump not being on Twitter, he lost his big speaker, his amplification microphone to the world."

Trump supporters find solace in alternate apps after Twitter and Facebook ban

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