Do we have an alternative to Facebook as it isn't mending its ways? Should we all just log out of it? Delete accounts. Can we do that? &nbsp;

Many of our apps are linked to it. We chat with our friends, interact with our interest groups, share life events, achievements on Facebook.&nbsp;

Even job openings are shared on Facebook.&nbsp;

Can you do without Facebook, Whatsapp?&nbsp;

Not just these two, can you do without such big tech companies in your life?&nbsp;

The millennials might think it is impossible, those older would say there was a time when there was no social media.&nbsp;

Life was just fine without Facebook but we can't go back to that age and why should we? &nbsp;

WATCH|

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-are-there-alternatives-to-facebook-364918/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It's not like we're riding camels because cars pollute. We have to look for better alternatives, create and support them. We have to ensure they're not just good but also safe. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Perhaps local platforms that don't pry on our private lives. One may say a local platform will limit your connections, not give you the same user experience, and you may be right.&nbsp;

Facebook has nearly three billion users and almost 32% of the world's population. A local platform is unlikely to have even a fraction of it but do we really need an exhaustive friend list?&nbsp;

Have you heard of the Dunbar number? 150 is the Dunbar number. It is said that we can only maintain around 150 connections at once. There are five people in your tighest circle. You have 15 good friends, 50 friends and 150 meaningful contacts.&nbsp;

British anthropologist Robin Dunbar came up with this theory. The researchers he influenced say, the magic number 150 remains true even today in the age of social media. They say the moment your network exceeds 150, it is unlikely to last long or cohere well.&nbsp;

So, local platforms, with not-so-overwhelming number of users, can be alternatives.&nbsp;

You may now say Facebook is more than just making and maintaining friends. Sure, it is and there are alternatives for that too.&nbsp;

Pinterest for interest groups, twitter for your protests and showing off your knowledge can be done on Linkedin along with job hunt.&nbsp;

Not endorsing any platform and just trying to say we do have alternatives to Facebook.&nbsp;

What governments should do is create awareness and let people choose.&nbsp;

Governments should legislate and regulate, talk to people about the importance of safeguarding their data, educate them about how data is misused and how tech monopolies can be dangerous.&nbsp;

Governments can encourage local tech companies by providing grants for innovations.&nbsp;

But start by talking about the problem. In India, when Whatsapp announced its privacy policy. Many people did not realise what the fuss was all about as no one ever spoke to them about data sensitivity.&nbsp;

What we need today is digital education and while we discuss all of this, there is one country that may be having the last laugh. It is China as it has banned Facebook and all major western tech platforms.&nbsp;

China has its own firewall and with big tech becoming a menace, this China model may become attractive to some countries.&nbsp;

When democracy is under threat and events like Capitol Hill happen, China gets to showcase its model of governance as the more effective one. There is no way Beijing will not try to sell its digital model too. It is more profitable than selling dictatorship as China wants to stay ahead of the curve in the 5G race. If it manages to export its firewall, set standards around it, it can make money from patents.&nbsp;

Technology is integral to China's dream of digital dominance. Big tech with all its nuisance may be bringing that dream to life. It is creating a mess in our countries and giving China a chance to have the last laugh.&nbsp;

Do we have an alternative to Facebook as it isn't mending its ways? Should we all just log out of it? Delete accounts. Can we do that? Many of our apps are linked to it.

Do we have an alternative to Facebook as it isn't mending its ways? Should we all just log out of it? Delete accounts. Can we do that? Many of our apps are linked to it. We chat with our friends, interact with our interest groups, share life events, achievements on Facebook. Even job openings are shared on Facebook. Can you do without Facebook, Whatsapp? Not just these two, can you do without such big tech companies in your life? The millennials might think it is impossible, those older would say there was a time when there was no social media. Life was just fine without Facebook but we can't go back to that age and why should we? WATCH| It's not like we're riding camels because cars pollute. We have to look for better alternatives, create and support them. We have to ensure they're not just good but also safe. Perhaps local platforms that don't pry on our private lives. One may say a local platform will limit your connections, not give you the same user experience, and you may be right. Facebook has nearly three billion users and almost 32% of the world's population. A local platform is unlikely to have even a fraction of it but do we really need an exhaustive friend list? Have you heard of the Dunbar number? 150 is the Dunbar number. It is said that we can only maintain around 150 connections at once. There are five people in your tighest circle. You have 15 good friends, 50 friends and 150 meaningful contacts. British anthropologist Robin Dunbar came up with this theory. The researchers he influenced say, the magic number 150 remains true even today in the age of social media. They say the moment your network exceeds 150, it is unlikely to last long or cohere well. So, local platforms, with not-so-overwhelming number of users, can be alternatives. You may now say Facebook is more than just making and maintaining friends. Sure, it is and there are alternatives for that too. Pinterest for interest groups, twitter for your protests and showing off your knowledge can be done on Linkedin along with job hunt. Not endorsing any platform and just trying to say we do have alternatives to Facebook. What governments should do is create awareness and let people choose. Governments should legislate and regulate, talk to people about the importance of safeguarding their data, educate them about how data is misused and how tech monopolies can be dangerous. Governments can encourage local tech companies by providing grants for innovations. But start by talking about the problem. In India, when Whatsapp announced its privacy policy. Many people did not realise what the fuss was all about as no one ever spoke to them about data sensitivity. What we need today is digital education and while we discuss all of this, there is one country that may be having the last laugh. It is China as it has banned Facebook and all major western tech platforms. China has its own firewall and with big tech becoming a menace, this China model may become attractive to some countries. When democracy is under threat and events like Capitol Hill happen, China gets to showcase its model of governance as the more effective one. There is no way Beijing will not try to sell its digital model too. It is more profitable than selling dictatorship as China wants to stay ahead of the curve in the 5G race. If it manages to export its firewall, set standards around it, it can make money from patents. Technology is integral to China's dream of digital dominance. Big tech with all its nuisance may be bringing that dream to life. It is creating a mess in our countries and giving China a chance to have the last laugh.

Can we do without big tech companies?

This comes as no surprise. Popular K-pop boy band BTS has topped the list of 2020 Most Tweeted About Musicians in US list for the fourth consecutive year. A Twitter survey recently rounded up the most trending topics of last year.&nbsp; 
 
Following BTS on the second spot was Kanye West with Beyonce and Drake taking up the third and fourth position.&nbsp; 
 
Coming in fifth, sixth and seventh place respectively were fan-favourite K-Pop groups ATEEZ, NCT and EXO. 
 
Singers Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles and Bad Bunny rounded out the list as the eighth, ninth and tenth most-tweeted-about music stars in the US in 2020. 
 
The year 2020 easily belonged to BTS with the 7 member band topping US charts for weeks. They also released their first English track 'Dynamite' last year which was one of the most heard songs of the year.&nbsp; 
 
BTS hits 'Dynamite', 'ON,' 'Black Swan' and 'Life Goes On' were the top four most tweeted about tracks. Korean boy band GOT7 earned the fifth spot with their smash record 'Breath.' 
 
According to the survey, BTS were the topic of roughly 6.7 billion tweets in 2020. Globally, most tweets about the stars were generated from Twitter users in Indonesia and India, followed by South Korea, the Philippines and the US.&nbsp; 
 
BTS also created history as it became the first K-pop band to earn a Grammy nomination earlier this year in best pop duo/group performance category for their song 'Dynamite'. The ceremony is set to take place on March 14.&nbsp;

This comes as no surprise. Popular K-pop boy band BTS has topped the list of 2020 Most Tweeted About Musicians in US list for the fourth consecutive year. A Twitter survey recently rounded up the most trending topics of last year.

This comes as no surprise. Popular K-pop boy band BTS has topped the list of 2020 Most Tweeted About Musicians in US list for the fourth consecutive year. A Twitter survey recently rounded up the most trending topics of last year. Following BTS on the second spot was Kanye West with Beyonce and Drake taking up the third and fourth position. Coming in fifth, sixth and seventh place respectively were fan-favourite K-Pop groups ATEEZ, NCT and EXO. Singers Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles and Bad Bunny rounded out the list as the eighth, ninth and tenth most-tweeted-about music stars in the US in 2020. The year 2020 easily belonged to BTS with the 7 member band topping US charts for weeks. They also released their first English track 'Dynamite' last year which was one of the most heard songs of the year. BTS hits 'Dynamite', 'ON,' 'Black Swan' and 'Life Goes On' were the top four most tweeted about tracks. Korean boy band GOT7 earned the fifth spot with their smash record 'Breath.' According to the survey, BTS were the topic of roughly 6.7 billion tweets in 2020. Globally, most tweets about the stars were generated from Twitter users in Indonesia and India, followed by South Korea, the Philippines and the US. BTS also created history as it became the first K-pop band to earn a Grammy nomination earlier this year in best pop duo/group performance category for their song 'Dynamite'. The ceremony is set to take place on March 14.

BTS tops Twitter's most tweeted about musician list for the fourth consecutive year 

The White House has been reaching out to social media companies including Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet Inc’s Google about clamping down on COVID misinformation and getting their help to stop it from going viral, a senior administration official said.

President Joe Biden, who has raced to curb the pandemic since taking office, has made inoculating Americans one of his top priorities and called the move “a wartime effort.” But tackling public fear about taking the vaccine has emerged as a major impediment for the administration.

Since the onset of the pandemic, calls from lawmakers asking the companies to tackle the spread of COVID misinformation on their platforms have grown.

The White House’s direct engagement with the companies to mitigate the challenge has not been previously reported. Biden’s chief of staff Ron Klain has previously said the administration will try to work with Silicon Valley on the issue.

“Disinformation that causes vaccine hesitancy is going to be a huge obstacle to getting everyone vaccinated and there are no larger players in that than the social media platforms,” said the source, who has direct knowledge of the White House’s efforts.

“We are talking to them ... so they understand the importance of misinformation and disinformation and how they can get rid of it quickly.”

The Biden White House is especially trying to make sure such material “does not start trending on such platforms and become a broader movement,” the source said.

The source cited the example of the anti-vaccine protests at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in early February, and said the White House wants to stop events like that from happening again.

The protest, organized on Facebook through a page that promotes debunked claims about the coronavirus pandemic, masks and immunization, briefly blocked public access to the stadium - one of the largest vaccination sites in the country, where health authorities are administering more than 8,000 vaccines a day.

The event illustrated the extent to which social media platforms have become a critical organizing tool for movements such as the anti-vaccine drive, that spread misinformation and disinformation.

A growing number of anti-vaccine activists, emboldened by their rising social media following, have helped the movement gain strength in the United States. A report by the Center for Countering Digital Health in July 2020 found social media accounts held by anti-vaxxers have increased their following by at least 7·8 million people since 2019.

The companies have repeatedly vowed to get rid of such material on their platforms but gaps remain in their enforcement efforts.

On Thursday, Senator Richard Blumenthal criticized the platforms in a tweet for carrying ads that he said funds and promotes “dangerous conspiracy theories, COVID-19 disinformation and malign foreign propaganda.”

A Facebook spokeswoman said that the company has reached out to the White House to offer “any assistance we can provide” and has recently announced a new policy to remove COVID and vaccine misinformation along with pages, groups, and accounts that repeatedly spread such material.

A Twitter spokesman said the company is “in regular communication with the White House on a number of critical issues including COVID-19 misinformation.”

Alphabet Inc’s Google did not comment on engagement with the White House, instead pointing to a company blog on and how it stops misinformation.

The source said the companies “were receptive” as they engaged with the White House. “But it is too soon to say whether or not it translates into lessening the spread of misinformation.”

There will be more details on how the White House is engaging with the social media companies on this issue in the “next ten days or so”, the source added.

The White House has been reaching out to social media companies including Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet Inc’s Google about clamping down on COVID misinformation and getting their help to stop it from going viral, a senior administration official said.

The White House has been reaching out to social media companies including Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet Inc’s Google about clamping down on COVID misinformation and getting their help to stop it from going viral, a senior administration official said. President Joe Biden, who has raced to curb the pandemic since taking office, has made inoculating Americans one of his top priorities and called the move “a wartime effort.” But tackling public fear about taking the vaccine has emerged as a major impediment for the administration. Since the onset of the pandemic, calls from lawmakers asking the companies to tackle the spread of COVID misinformation on their platforms have grown. The White House’s direct engagement with the companies to mitigate the challenge has not been previously reported. Biden’s chief of staff Ron Klain has previously said the administration will try to work with Silicon Valley on the issue. “Disinformation that causes vaccine hesitancy is going to be a huge obstacle to getting everyone vaccinated and there are no larger players in that than the social media platforms,” said the source, who has direct knowledge of the White House’s efforts. “We are talking to them ... so they understand the importance of misinformation and disinformation and how they can get rid of it quickly.” The Biden White House is especially trying to make sure such material “does not start trending on such platforms and become a broader movement,” the source said. The source cited the example of the anti-vaccine protests at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in early February, and said the White House wants to stop events like that from happening again. The protest, organized on Facebook through a page that promotes debunked claims about the coronavirus pandemic, masks and immunization, briefly blocked public access to the stadium - one of the largest vaccination sites in the country, where health authorities are administering more than 8,000 vaccines a day. The event illustrated the extent to which social media platforms have become a critical organizing tool for movements such as the anti-vaccine drive, that spread misinformation and disinformation. A growing number of anti-vaccine activists, emboldened by their rising social media following, have helped the movement gain strength in the United States. A report by the Center for Countering Digital Health in July 2020 found social media accounts held by anti-vaxxers have increased their following by at least 7·8 million people since 2019. The companies have repeatedly vowed to get rid of such material on their platforms but gaps remain in their enforcement efforts. On Thursday, Senator Richard Blumenthal criticized the platforms in a tweet for carrying ads that he said funds and promotes “dangerous conspiracy theories, COVID-19 disinformation and malign foreign propaganda.” A Facebook spokeswoman said that the company has reached out to the White House to offer “any assistance we can provide” and has recently announced a new policy to remove COVID and vaccine misinformation along with pages, groups, and accounts that repeatedly spread such material. A Twitter spokesman said the company is “in regular communication with the White House on a number of critical issues including COVID-19 misinformation.” Alphabet Inc’s Google did not comment on engagement with the White House, instead pointing to a company blog on and how it stops misinformation. The source said the companies “were receptive” as they engaged with the White House. “But it is too soon to say whether or not it translates into lessening the spread of misinformation.” There will be more details on how the White House is engaging with the social media companies on this issue in the “next ten days or so”, the source added.

White House working with Facebook and Twitter to tackle anti-vaxxers

Ehsanullah Ehsan was in prison not only for orchestrating the attack on Malala but also for carrying out the deadly Peshawar Army school terror attack in 2014.

Malala Yousafzai's shooter threatens her on Twitter

China on Thursday&nbsp;defended its use of social networking platforms&nbsp;Twitter and Facebook&nbsp;following a report that it had used its growing media presence to spread disinformation about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When asked about the report, the Foreign Ministry's top spokesperson, Hua Chunying, didn't directly address the allegations about China's role in spreading virus disinformation. However, she called the report ''exaggerated''&nbsp;and said China should have the right to use social media too.

Also read-<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/misinformation-and-shifting-blame-how-china-has-lost-out-on-the-debate-over-coronavirus-287253">Misinformation and shifting blame: How China has lost out on the debate over coronavirus</a>

Earlier, an investigative report in collaboration with the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, found that powerful political figures and allied media in China, as well as the US, Russia and Iran, flooded the globe with disinformation about the virus.

The report, published earlier this week, said that Chinese officials went on the offensive in reaction to a narrative&nbsp;nursed by former US President Donald Trump among others&nbsp;that the virus had been manufactured by China. Experts have largely ruled out that possibility.

Hua, asked about the report at a daily Foreign Ministry briefing, said that some people in Western countries, such as the US don't want to hear China's objective and true voice.

"They are afraid that more people will learn the truth, so that they can no longer spread false information unscrupulously and do whatever they want to mislead and monopolize international public opinion," she said.

China's response, though, was to start spreading rumours that the virus had been created by a US military lab and released during an international competition for military athletes in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the new coronavirus was first detected in late 2019.

The search for the origins of the virus has become highly politicised. Trump sought to pin the blame on China, in part to deflect criticism of his administration's response to the pandemic in the United States.

China, in turn, has played up reports that the virus was circulating outside of the country before the outbreak in Wuhan, suggesting it may have been brought in from elsewhere.

Determining where the virus started is likely to take years of research and may never be known. Most scientists say the most likely scenario is it was first carried by bats in southwest China or neighbouring Southeast Asia, and then spread to another animal before infecting humans.

China on Thursday defended its use of social networking platforms Twitter and Facebook following a report that it had used its growing media presence to spread disinformation about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

China on Thursday defended its use of social networking platforms Twitter and Facebook following a report that it had used its growing media presence to spread disinformation about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked about the report, the Foreign Ministry's top spokesperson, Hua Chunying, didn't directly address the allegations about China's role in spreading virus disinformation. However, she called the report ''exaggerated'' and said China should have the right to use social media too. Also read-Misinformation and shifting blame: How China has lost out on the debate over coronavirus Earlier, an investigative report in collaboration with the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, found that powerful political figures and allied media in China, as well as the US, Russia and Iran, flooded the globe with disinformation about the virus. The report, published earlier this week, said that Chinese officials went on the offensive in reaction to a narrative nursed by former US President Donald Trump among others that the virus had been manufactured by China. Experts have largely ruled out that possibility. Hua, asked about the report at a daily Foreign Ministry briefing, said that some people in Western countries, such as the US don't want to hear China's objective and true voice. "They are afraid that more people will learn the truth, so that they can no longer spread false information unscrupulously and do whatever they want to mislead and monopolize international public opinion," she said. China's response, though, was to start spreading rumours that the virus had been created by a US military lab and released during an international competition for military athletes in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the new coronavirus was first detected in late 2019. The search for the origins of the virus has become highly politicised. Trump sought to pin the blame on China, in part to deflect criticism of his administration's response to the pandemic in the United States. China, in turn, has played up reports that the virus was circulating outside of the country before the outbreak in Wuhan, suggesting it may have been brought in from elsewhere. Determining where the virus started is likely to take years of research and may never be known. Most scientists say the most likely scenario is it was first carried by bats in southwest China or neighbouring Southeast Asia, and then spread to another animal before infecting humans.

China defends use of social networking platforms amid allegations of spreading disinformation

Legendary Caribbean batsman Sir Vivian Richards on Saturday took to Twitter and supported #FreedomForTibet creating a buzz on the internet.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-army-chief-expresses-concern-over-chinas-bri-lauds-ties-with-nepal-and-bangladesh-363263" hreflang="en">Indian army chief expresses concern over China's BRI, lauds ties with Nepal and Bangladesh</a>

Former West Indies batsman said: &nbsp;"“Happy Independence Day, Tibet" Way To Go #FreedomForTibet."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Happy Independence Day, Tibet" Way To Go <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreedomForTibet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreedomForTibet</a>
— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) <a href="https://twitter.com/ivivianrichards/status/1360414640392441857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Some users wondered if his account got hacked while many backed the former cricketer thanking him for tweeting this. Here are some of the reaction after Viv Richard's tweet.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
Has your Twitter account been hacked? I can't believe it 😂
— Ghulam Mohiuddin (@rising_gmd_2171) <a href="https://twitter.com/rising_gmd_2171/status/1360415275439579137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you for tweeting this
— अंकित राज|| (@AnkitSachinRaj) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnkitSachinRaj/status/1360415605363331072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We Indian gave asylum to Tibetians when china invaded. 
But one day we'll return them their homeland by making it free from China occupation 🙏🏻
— Vipul Rai (@vkrai07) <a href="https://twitter.com/vkrai07/status/1360416599421800449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Recently, Lobsang Sangay, the Prime Minister in Exile of Tibet spoke to WION about China's abuses against Tibetans, and the larger role played by India in highlighting these abuses.

Sangay shed light on how India has helped Tibetans, saying that all the institutions that were destroyed in Tibet were rebuilt in India.

"We always accept that India has done the most for Tibetans because the largest number of Tibetans are here, all the monasteries and cultural institutions that were destroyed in Tibet were rebuilt here, and we have revived our civilisation here", he said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tibets-prime-minister-in-exile-unless-you-solve-tibet-peace-with-china-is-unlikely-gravitas-361424/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

But the PM-in-exile added how India can improve its strategy in dealing with the Tibetan crisis.

"India also in some ways gave away Tibet when it was occupied in 1950s, India could have done a bit more... For eg - The media calls it "Indo-China border". When the Chinese troops came to Galwan Valley and crossed the river, and violence ensued, the media, and the intellectuals complained -"Why are they crossing the border, why are they here". But the fact is when you said Tibet is part of China, the Chinese troops will say "Yes, I'm coming to my territory because you say so", Sangay asserted.

He also urged India to not lose the "larger picture". He said the following - "When you have already given up 2.5 million square kilometres of land - almost two-third of India's land size, when you argue about one mountaintop, it sounds so small... India should not lose the larger picture. Historically, it was always a border between Tibet and India".

Legendary Caribbean batsman Sir Vivian Richards on Saturday took to Twitter and supported #FreedomForTibet creating a buzz on the internet. ALSO READ: Indian army chief expresses concern over China's BRI, lauds ties with Nepal and Bangladesh Former West Indies batsman said: "“Happy Independence Day, Tibet" Way To Go #FreedomForTibet.

Legendary Caribbean batsman Sir Vivian Richards on Saturday took to Twitter and supported #FreedomForTibet creating a buzz on the internet. ALSO READ: Indian army chief expresses concern over China's BRI, lauds ties with Nepal and Bangladesh Former West Indies batsman said: "“Happy Independence Day, Tibet" Way To Go #FreedomForTibet." “Happy Independence Day, Tibet" Way To Go #FreedomForTibet — Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) February 13, 2021 × Some users wondered if his account got hacked while many backed the former cricketer thanking him for tweeting this. Here are some of the reaction after Viv Richard's tweet. Has your Twitter account been hacked? I can't believe it 😂 — Ghulam Mohiuddin (@rising_gmd_2171) February 13, 2021 × Thank you for tweeting this — अंकित राज|| (@AnkitSachinRaj) February 13, 2021 × We Indian gave asylum to Tibetians when china invaded. But one day we'll return them their homeland by making it free from China occupation 🙏🏻 — Vipul Rai (@vkrai07) February 13, 2021 × Recently, Lobsang Sangay, the Prime Minister in Exile of Tibet spoke to WION about China's abuses against Tibetans, and the larger role played by India in highlighting these abuses. Sangay shed light on how India has helped Tibetans, saying that all the institutions that were destroyed in Tibet were rebuilt in India. "We always accept that India has done the most for Tibetans because the largest number of Tibetans are here, all the monasteries and cultural institutions that were destroyed in Tibet were rebuilt here, and we have revived our civilisation here", he said. × But the PM-in-exile added how India can improve its strategy in dealing with the Tibetan crisis. "India also in some ways gave away Tibet when it was occupied in 1950s, India could have done a bit more... For eg - The media calls it "Indo-China border". When the Chinese troops came to Galwan Valley and crossed the river, and violence ensued, the media, and the intellectuals complained -"Why are they crossing the border, why are they here". But the fact is when you said Tibet is part of China, the Chinese troops will say "Yes, I'm coming to my territory because you say so", Sangay asserted. He also urged India to not lose the "larger picture". He said the following - "When you have already given up 2.5 million square kilometres of land - almost two-third of India's land size, when you argue about one mountaintop, it sounds so small... India should not lose the larger picture. Historically, it was always a border between Tibet and India".

'Way to go': Batting legend Vivian Richards bats for #FreedomForTibet

Now after the series of sharp exchanges with the Indian government, the microblogging platform Twitter has blocked most of the accounts that were listed by India set to have fueled the violence on the country's Republic Day.

Twitter vs Government: Twitter blocks most of the accounts listed by India

Former US President Donald Trump will not be permitted to be back on Twitter, even though he again runs for office and victory, the company's chief financial officer said.

Twitter CFO confirms permanent ban against US Former President Donald Trump

After Twitter refused to fully comply to the Indian Govt's order. New Delhi is readying draft rules to regulate all social media platforms. Meanwhile, Govt officials are promoting an Indian alternative to Twitter.

Gravitas: Indian Govt to regulate Social Media platforms

Twitter on Wednesday said that ban on former US President Donald Trump was permanent and it did not matter whether he ran for the post of president again. A senior executive of Twitter stressed that if anyone was removed from platform, Twitter did not allow him to come back. Twitter's Chief Financial Officer Ned Segel said this while he was being interviewed on CNBC.

He was asked whether Donald Trump's Twitter privileges could be restored if he came back to power.

“The way our policies work, when you’re removed from the platform, you’re removed from the platform,” Segal was quoted as saying.

“Whether you’re a commentator, you’re a CFO, or you are a former or current public official. Remember, our policies are designed to make sure that people are not inciting violence, and if anybody does that, we have to remove them from the service and our policies don’t allow people to come back,” he added during his interview on CNBC.

US Senate is holding trial for Donald Trump impeachment. Trump is the only American president to be impeached twice.&nbsp;

A prolific tweeter, Trump faced criticism during his presidency for what was called policy-making on Twitter. His tweets were often at odds with public stance taken by departments of his own administration.

The breaking point came when Trump supporters attacked US Capitol building on January 6. Trump was criticised for not making appeals for calm hours after the violence began. He was soon permanently banned by Twitter, Facebook and many other social media platforms.

Twitter on Wednesday said that ban on former US President Donald Trump was permanent and it did not matter whether he ran for the post of president again. A senior executive of Twitter stressed that if anyone was removed from platform, Twitter did not allow him to come back.

Twitter on Wednesday said that ban on former US President Donald Trump was permanent and it did not matter whether he ran for the post of president again. A senior executive of Twitter stressed that if anyone was removed from platform, Twitter did not allow him to come back. Twitter's Chief Financial Officer Ned Segel said this while he was being interviewed on CNBC. He was asked whether Donald Trump's Twitter privileges could be restored if he came back to power. “The way our policies work, when you’re removed from the platform, you’re removed from the platform,” Segal was quoted as saying. “Whether you’re a commentator, you’re a CFO, or you are a former or current public official. Remember, our policies are designed to make sure that people are not inciting violence, and if anybody does that, we have to remove them from the service and our policies don’t allow people to come back,” he added during his interview on CNBC. US Senate is holding trial for Donald Trump impeachment. Trump is the only American president to be impeached twice. A prolific tweeter, Trump faced criticism during his presidency for what was called policy-making on Twitter. His tweets were often at odds with public stance taken by departments of his own administration. The breaking point came when Trump supporters attacked US Capitol building on January 6. Trump was criticised for not making appeals for calm hours after the violence began. He was soon permanently banned by Twitter, Facebook and many other social media platforms.

Twitter: Trump ban permanent, no matter if he runs for president again

Indian IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad slams twitter from the Rajya Sabha ( Upper House of Parliament) today. He says that the Indian govt respects the power of social media but can't accept the double standards. 'Do Business, make money but you have to follow and respect the Indian laws', he added.

'Different standards for Capitol hill and R-Day violence', India's IT Minister takes on Twitter

The made-in-India Koo app is set to get rid of its Chinese investor as social media users have started raising questions over the app's Beijing connection.

The app has, in a matter of few days, gained considerable traction&nbsp;as ministers are moving on to the desi microblogging platform. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-grown-koo-to-get-rid-of-chinese-connection-app-co-founder-confirms-362903">Also read | Indian Twitter-like micro-blogging platform Koo witnesses surge in popularity</a>

Koo was founded in March 2020 by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka. It was one of the winners of Aatmanirbhar App challenge 2020.

Koo co-founder Aprameya, to this end, tweeted to confirm that Chinese investor Shunwei Capital, a small stakeholder of the company at present, will soon leave the app, and that its respective stakes are being bought by other companies.

"Koo is an India registered company with Indian founders. Raised earlier capital 2.5 years ago. Latest funds for Bombinate Technologies is led by a truly Indian investor 3one4 capital. Shunwei (single digit shareholder) which had invested in our Vokal journey will be exiting fully," he posted on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Koo is an India registered company with Indian founders. Raised earlier capital 2.5 years ago. Latest funds for Bombinate Technologies is led by a truly Indian investor 3one4 capital. Shunwei (single digit shareholder) which had invested in our Vokal journey will be exiting fully
— Aprameya R (@aprameya) <a href="https://twitter.com/aprameya/status/1359501894779953158?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The increased promotion of Koo came about as India and San Francisco-headquartered Twitter engaged in a face-off over the latter's "inaction" to take action against account "inciting genocide". Koo got a shot in the arm as some government departments, including the ministry of electronics and information technology, opened their accounts on it, and remained active ever since.

To this end, a Chinese investor on board stood to harm the image of the homegrown app. To fight it, however, Koo managed to raise about ₹30 crore fund from investors.

The new app saw a huge load in the past few days in what is being called as 'Koo coup'.&nbsp;"We have got more love than we expected. Our systems are facing more load than ever. Thank you for placing your trust in us. Our team is working on overdrive to fix it. We request your patience and support through this time," Aprameya tweeted.

The made-in-India Koo app is set to get rid of its Chinese investor as social media users have started raising questions over the app's Beijing connection. The app has, in a matter of few days, gained considerable traction as ministers are moving on to the desi microblogging platform.

The made-in-India Koo app is set to get rid of its Chinese investor as social media users have started raising questions over the app's Beijing connection. The app has, in a matter of few days, gained considerable traction as ministers are moving on to the desi microblogging platform. Also read | Indian Twitter-like micro-blogging platform Koo witnesses surge in popularity Koo was founded in March 2020 by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka. It was one of the winners of Aatmanirbhar App challenge 2020. Koo co-founder Aprameya, to this end, tweeted to confirm that Chinese investor Shunwei Capital, a small stakeholder of the company at present, will soon leave the app, and that its respective stakes are being bought by other companies. "Koo is an India registered company with Indian founders. Raised earlier capital 2.5 years ago. Latest funds for Bombinate Technologies is led by a truly Indian investor 3one4 capital. Shunwei (single digit shareholder) which had invested in our Vokal journey will be exiting fully," he posted on Twitter. Koo is an India registered company with Indian founders. Raised earlier capital 2.5 years ago. Latest funds for Bombinate Technologies is led by a truly Indian investor 3one4 capital. Shunwei (single digit shareholder) which had invested in our Vokal journey will be exiting fully — Aprameya R (@aprameya) February 10, 2021 × The increased promotion of Koo came about as India and San Francisco-headquartered Twitter engaged in a face-off over the latter's "inaction" to take action against account "inciting genocide". Koo got a shot in the arm as some government departments, including the ministry of electronics and information technology, opened their accounts on it, and remained active ever since. To this end, a Chinese investor on board stood to harm the image of the homegrown app. To fight it, however, Koo managed to raise about ₹30 crore fund from investors. The new app saw a huge load in the past few days in what is being called as 'Koo coup'. "We have got more love than we expected. Our systems are facing more load than ever. Thank you for placing your trust in us. Our team is working on overdrive to fix it. We request your patience and support through this time," Aprameya tweeted.

India-grown 'Koo' to get rid of Chinese connection, app co-founder confirms

Twitter on Wednesday said that it has suspended more than 500 accounts in response to orders by the Indian government.&nbsp;

In an extensive statement 'to set the record straight', the social media giant said, "We took a range of enforcement actions — including permanent suspension in certain cases — against more than 500 accounts escalated across all Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology orders for clear violations of Twitter’s Rules."&nbsp;

Indian Government had sent two orders--one on January 31 and another on February 4 for blocking 257 and 1,178 accounts respectively in the backdrop of farmers' protests. The orders pointed out that these accounts were trying to trend genocide and many of them were backed by the Pakistan-Khalistani combo that could play mischief amid the protests.&nbsp;

Other than suspending accounts, Twitter took 'steps to reduce the visibility of the hashtags containing harmful content' and withheld accounts under 'country withheld content policy', which means these accounts will be available outside of India.&nbsp;

Twitter had informed the Indian government about its actions on Wednesday itself even as engagement between the two continues. The action comes even as the tiff between the two sides has been escalating, with the Indian govt willing to exercises penal provisions under section 69A of the Indian IT act. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, Twitter said it has not taken any actions on accounts of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians since, "we believe, would violate their fundamental right to free expression under Indian law." Elaborating, "We will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve."&nbsp;

Twitter, which had in the past blocked 500 accounts, has suspended 500 accounts that were engaged in 'clear examples of platform manipulation and spam'.

Twitter on Wednesday said that it has suspended more than 500 accounts in response to orders by the Indian government. In an extensive statement 'to set the record straight', the social media giant said, "We took a range of enforcement actions — including permanent suspension in certain cases — against more than 500 accounts escalated across all Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology orders for clear violations of Twitter’s Rules.

Twitter on Wednesday said that it has suspended more than 500 accounts in response to orders by the Indian government. In an extensive statement 'to set the record straight', the social media giant said, "We took a range of enforcement actions — including permanent suspension in certain cases — against more than 500 accounts escalated across all Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology orders for clear violations of Twitter’s Rules." Indian Government had sent two orders--one on January 31 and another on February 4 for blocking 257 and 1,178 accounts respectively in the backdrop of farmers' protests. The orders pointed out that these accounts were trying to trend genocide and many of them were backed by the Pakistan-Khalistani combo that could play mischief amid the protests. Other than suspending accounts, Twitter took 'steps to reduce the visibility of the hashtags containing harmful content' and withheld accounts under 'country withheld content policy', which means these accounts will be available outside of India. Twitter had informed the Indian government about its actions on Wednesday itself even as engagement between the two continues. The action comes even as the tiff between the two sides has been escalating, with the Indian govt willing to exercises penal provisions under section 69A of the Indian IT act. Meanwhile, Twitter said it has not taken any actions on accounts of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians since, "we believe, would violate their fundamental right to free expression under Indian law." Elaborating, "We will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve." Twitter, which had in the past blocked 500 accounts, has suspended 500 accounts that were engaged in 'clear examples of platform manipulation and spam'.

Twitter suspends 500 accounts in response to Indian govt orders

Indian social-media app Koo is witnessing a surge in popularity, fuelled by politicians and others flocking to it after US&nbsp;rival&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;Inc refused to follow a government order to block certain content on its platform.

Twitter&nbsp;has locked horns with New Delhi this month over the order to remove more than 1,100 accounts and posts which the government says are spreading misinformation about farmer protests against new agricultural laws.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/more-than-500-accounts-suspended-by-twitter-on-indian-govts-request-362634/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Indian officials last week demanded that Twitter block hundreds of users that have tweeted on demonstrations against proposed new agriculture laws, saying they were a "grave threat to public order".

India slammed international celebrities on Wednesday for making comments in support of protesting farmers as inaccurate and irresponsible and said vested interest groups were trying to build opinion against the country.

US&nbsp;singer&nbsp;Rihanna, climate change activist Greta Thunberg and US&nbsp;lawyer and activist Meena Harris, the niece of Vice-President Kamala Harris, made comments on social media regarding the farmers protest.

"Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken," the Indian foreign ministry said.

The Electronics and IT ministry&nbsp;tweeted a link to its profile on rival Indian social network platform&nbsp;Koo. Some local personalities including Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal have opened&nbsp;Koo&nbsp;accounts.

Koo said downloads had surged 10-fold in the past two days to over 3 million. Meanwhile, #kooapp was the top&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;trend in India on Wednesday with nearly 21,000 posts, followed by #BanTwitter.

What is Koo?

Koo is a&nbsp;Twitter-like microblogging platform which allows users to post multimedia content, including audio clips. A text post is restricted to 400 characters and the service supports six Indian languages, including English.

Like&nbsp;Twitter, Koo's logo is a bird, though yellow in colour. It allows users to use hashtags (#) or the "@" symbol for mentions. The app also allows users to 're-koo', Koo's version of a retweet and chat instead of a direct message.

How did it start?

Koo was founded by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, both MBA, or business management, graduates. The duo are also the founders of Vokal, an audio-video knowledge-sharing platform similar to Quora.

The app was launched in March 2020 and won a government award for driving tech innovation. It raised more than $4 million in funding last week from new and existing investors including venture capital firms Accel and 3one4 Capital.

Who is on Koo?

For years,&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;has been a major public communication tool for the Indian government. But several ministries and high-profile figures, including Bollywood actors, have also gradually begun using Koo in recent months. The technology ministry and trade minister Piyush Goyal joined this month.

Koo is however still dwarfed by&nbsp;Twitter, which had 17.5 million users in India as of last month, its third-highest user base after the United States and Japan, according to German database firm Statista.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is yet to join Koo, spoke about the app last year in his monthly radio address. "It's called Koo," he said. "In this, we can place our opinion and interact in our mother tongue through text, video or audio."

What its founders say?

The sudden increase in Koo's popularity can be compared in some respects to the surge in the use of digital payments apps in India following a ban on high-value currency notes in late 2016, Koo's co-founder Bidawatka said.

"You could say this is something similar, because a certain event happened and lot of people want to move here... There is a surge at an unexpected time and lots of people are talking about us."

Radhakrishna posted a hiring alert for engineers on LinkedIn on Wednesday.

&nbsp;

Indian social-media app Koo is witnessing a surge in popularity, fuelled by politicians and others flocking to it after US rival Twitter Inc refused to follow a government order to block certain content on its platform.

Indian social-media app Koo is witnessing a surge in popularity, fuelled by politicians and others flocking to it after US rival Twitter Inc refused to follow a government order to block certain content on its platform. Twitter has locked horns with New Delhi this month over the order to remove more than 1,100 accounts and posts which the government says are spreading misinformation about farmer protests against new agricultural laws. Indian officials last week demanded that Twitter block hundreds of users that have tweeted on demonstrations against proposed new agriculture laws, saying they were a "grave threat to public order". India slammed international celebrities on Wednesday for making comments in support of protesting farmers as inaccurate and irresponsible and said vested interest groups were trying to build opinion against the country. US singer Rihanna, climate change activist Greta Thunberg and US lawyer and activist Meena Harris, the niece of Vice-President Kamala Harris, made comments on social media regarding the farmers protest. "Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken," the Indian foreign ministry said. The Electronics and IT ministry tweeted a link to its profile on rival Indian social network platform Koo. Some local personalities including Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal have opened Koo accounts. Koo said downloads had surged 10-fold in the past two days to over 3 million. Meanwhile, #kooapp was the top Twitter trend in India on Wednesday with nearly 21,000 posts, followed by #BanTwitter. What is Koo? Koo is a Twitter-like microblogging platform which allows users to post multimedia content, including audio clips. A text post is restricted to 400 characters and the service supports six Indian languages, including English. Like Twitter, Koo's logo is a bird, though yellow in colour. It allows users to use hashtags (#) or the "@" symbol for mentions. The app also allows users to 're-koo', Koo's version of a retweet and chat instead of a direct message. How did it start? Koo was founded by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, both MBA, or business management, graduates. The duo are also the founders of Vokal, an audio-video knowledge-sharing platform similar to Quora. The app was launched in March 2020 and won a government award for driving tech innovation. It raised more than $4 million in funding last week from new and existing investors including venture capital firms Accel and 3one4 Capital. Who is on Koo? For years, Twitter has been a major public communication tool for the Indian government. But several ministries and high-profile figures, including Bollywood actors, have also gradually begun using Koo in recent months. The technology ministry and trade minister Piyush Goyal joined this month. Koo is however still dwarfed by Twitter, which had 17.5 million users in India as of last month, its third-highest user base after the United States and Japan, according to German database firm Statista. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is yet to join Koo, spoke about the app last year in his monthly radio address. "It's called Koo," he said. "In this, we can place our opinion and interact in our mother tongue through text, video or audio." What its founders say? The sudden increase in Koo's popularity can be compared in some respects to the surge in the use of digital payments apps in India following a ban on high-value currency notes in late 2016, Koo's co-founder Bidawatka said. "You could say this is something similar, because a certain event happened and lot of people want to move here... There is a surge at an unexpected time and lots of people are talking about us." Radhakrishna posted a hiring alert for engineers on LinkedIn on Wednesday.

Indian Twitter-like micro-blogging platform Koo witnesses surge in popularity

Twitter seems to be challenging the Indian govt. It is yet to comply to govt's order of blocking 1,178 Anti-India accounts. A Twitter official says, 'the tweets must continue to flow'.

Gravitas: Is Twitter challenging Indian govt?

Twitter has permanently suspended more than 500 accounts in response to the Indian government's request to remove for allegedly spreading misinformation in connection with agricultural reforms and farmers protest.

More than 500 accounts suspended by Twitter on Indian govt's request

A day after India asked <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/farmers-protests-indian-government-asks-twitter-to-remove-over-1000-pak-khalistan-accounts-362074">Twitter </a>to remove over a 1000 accounts for allegedly spreading misinformation in connection with the farmers' protest, Twitter has now reached out to the Indian IT minister for formal dialogue.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-govt-asks-twitter-to-block-1178-more-accounts-362175/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The social media giant added that the safety of its employees is its top priority. It has also said that the open and free exchange of information has a positive global impact and that the tweets must continue to flow.

"Safety of our employees is a top priority for us at Twitter. we continue to be engaged with the government of India from a position of respect and have reached out to the honourable minister, ministry of electronics and information technology for a formal dialogue,'' the company said.

Twitter has acknowledged getting the non-compliance notice from the government, however, so far, Twitter has outrightly refused to comply with the government's directives.

The Indian government had asked Twitter to take down 1,178 listed handles that have Pakistani and Khalistani users.

A day after India asked Twitter to remove over a 1000 accounts for allegedly spreading misinformation in connection with the farmers' protest, Twitter has now reached out to the Indian IT minister for formal dialogue.

A day after India asked Twitter to remove over a 1000 accounts for allegedly spreading misinformation in connection with the farmers' protest, Twitter has now reached out to the Indian IT minister for formal dialogue. Watch: The social media giant added that the safety of its employees is its top priority. It has also said that the open and free exchange of information has a positive global impact and that the tweets must continue to flow. "Safety of our employees is a top priority for us at Twitter. we continue to be engaged with the government of India from a position of respect and have reached out to the honourable minister, ministry of electronics and information technology for a formal dialogue,'' the company said. Twitter has acknowledged getting the non-compliance notice from the government, however, so far, Twitter has outrightly refused to comply with the government's directives. The Indian government had asked Twitter to take down 1,178 listed handles that have Pakistani and Khalistani users.

Twitter reaches out to India for formal dialogue

A new connotation to the abbreviation FDI has recently been devised in India -- from Foreign Direct Investment, it has become Foreign Destructive Ideology.

And this India has been receiving a lot -- of late. At least this was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion as he addressed the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of India's Parliament.

He took a direct aim at foreign forces attempting to influence India, and the 'foreign destructive ideology' being deployed to harm the country. He said that Indians must safeguard themselves from it.

The prime minister's remarks come in the backdrop of the farmer protests, just days after the 'Greta leaks'.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg recently shared a document on her Twitter profile, a tool-kit rather and a very detailed one.

It was for people across the world on how to contribute to undermine the farm laws passed by the Indian Parliament.

Some say the fact that the prime minister himself had to raise it should be a cause of worry. The statement also comes after reports -- that Pakistan is trying to hijack the farmer protests on the social media. Mostly on Twitter.

The Government of India has identified at least 1,178 Twitter accounts. These accounts are allegedly amplifying misinformation about the farmer protests.

The list comprises accounts belonging to Khalistani sympathisers operating on Pakistani soil. It also includes automated chatbots that are pushing their agenda.

The government says these accounts are a threat to public order, and has asked Twitter to block them.

Last we checked, Twitter was yet to to comply with the government order. &nbsp;A Twitter spokesperson has issued a statement saying, "If the content violates Twitter's rules, the content will be removed from the service. If it is determined to be illegal in a particular jurisdiction but not in violation of Twitter rules, we may withold access to the content in the location only."

And that's only a part of the Twitter story. Here's the second one -- this one is about the tweets that support India and the government's stand.

The government of the state of Maharashtra wants to investigate such tweets.

This state is led by a party called the Shiv Sena which also happens to be a former ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Now, the Shiv Sena government in Maharasthra wants to investigate if Indian celebrities were under pressure to tweet in favour of the Indian government on the farmers protests.

Anil Deshmukh, the home minister of Maharashtra, has said the state intelligence department would investigate the matter, highlighting how tweets issued by some celebrities were similar.

This may be the first such case of tweets favouring a policy being probed. The controversy is set to get bigger.

What can we say? Indian Twitter beats Alice's Wonderland.

A new connotation to the abbreviation FDI has recently been devised in India -- from Foreign Direct Investment, it has become Foreign Destructive Ideology. And this India has been receiving a lot -- of late.

A new connotation to the abbreviation FDI has recently been devised in India -- from Foreign Direct Investment, it has become Foreign Destructive Ideology. And this India has been receiving a lot -- of late. At least this was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion as he addressed the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of India's Parliament. He took a direct aim at foreign forces attempting to influence India, and the 'foreign destructive ideology' being deployed to harm the country. He said that Indians must safeguard themselves from it. The prime minister's remarks come in the backdrop of the farmer protests, just days after the 'Greta leaks'. Climate activist Greta Thunberg recently shared a document on her Twitter profile, a tool-kit rather and a very detailed one. It was for people across the world on how to contribute to undermine the farm laws passed by the Indian Parliament. Some say the fact that the prime minister himself had to raise it should be a cause of worry. The statement also comes after reports -- that Pakistan is trying to hijack the farmer protests on the social media. Mostly on Twitter. The Government of India has identified at least 1,178 Twitter accounts. These accounts are allegedly amplifying misinformation about the farmer protests. The list comprises accounts belonging to Khalistani sympathisers operating on Pakistani soil. It also includes automated chatbots that are pushing their agenda. The government says these accounts are a threat to public order, and has asked Twitter to block them. Last we checked, Twitter was yet to to comply with the government order. A Twitter spokesperson has issued a statement saying, "If the content violates Twitter's rules, the content will be removed from the service. If it is determined to be illegal in a particular jurisdiction but not in violation of Twitter rules, we may withold access to the content in the location only." And that's only a part of the Twitter story. Here's the second one -- this one is about the tweets that support India and the government's stand. The government of the state of Maharashtra wants to investigate such tweets. This state is led by a party called the Shiv Sena which also happens to be a former ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Now, the Shiv Sena government in Maharasthra wants to investigate if Indian celebrities were under pressure to tweet in favour of the Indian government on the farmers protests. Anil Deshmukh, the home minister of Maharashtra, has said the state intelligence department would investigate the matter, highlighting how tweets issued by some celebrities were similar. This may be the first such case of tweets favouring a policy being probed. The controversy is set to get bigger. What can we say? Indian Twitter beats Alice's Wonderland.

Indian Twitter beats Alice's Wonderland. Here's how

The Indian government has asked Twitter to remove 1,178 Pakistani-Khalistani accounts spreading misinformation in the backdrop of the farmers' protests. The list was shared on February 4, and Twitter is yet to comply with the order.&nbsp;

Sources told WION: "Many of these accounts were also automated bots that were used for sharing and amplifying misinformation and provocative contents on farmers protests."

It is the second time in the last two weeks that the Indian government has pointed out the issues related to certain accounts. On January 31 also India's Electronics and IT ministry had sent a list of 257 accounts which the home ministry had listed for trying to trend genocide vis-a-vis the protests. While Twitter had acted on them by withholding them, but hours later it unblocked them. An irked IT ministry had sent another notice to the social media giant which is yet to be implemented.&nbsp;

The Indian government is also concerned over Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey liking "several tweets made by foreign-based celebrities in support of farmer protests" which Indian government sources said, "raises questions about Twitter’s neutrality".

The Indian government has asked Twitter to remove 1,178 Pakistani-Khalistani accounts spreading misinformation in the backdrop of the farmers' protests. The list was shared on February 4, and Twitter is yet to comply with the order.

The Indian government has asked Twitter to remove 1,178 Pakistani-Khalistani accounts spreading misinformation in the backdrop of the farmers' protests. The list was shared on February 4, and Twitter is yet to comply with the order. Sources told WION: "Many of these accounts were also automated bots that were used for sharing and amplifying misinformation and provocative contents on farmers protests." It is the second time in the last two weeks that the Indian government has pointed out the issues related to certain accounts. On January 31 also India's Electronics and IT ministry had sent a list of 257 accounts which the home ministry had listed for trying to trend genocide vis-a-vis the protests. While Twitter had acted on them by withholding them, but hours later it unblocked them. An irked IT ministry had sent another notice to the social media giant which is yet to be implemented. The Indian government is also concerned over Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey liking "several tweets made by foreign-based celebrities in support of farmer protests" which Indian government sources said, "raises questions about Twitter’s neutrality".

Farmers protests: Indian government asks Twitter to remove over 1,000 Pak-Khalistan accounts

In a fresh notice, the Indian Govt asks Twitter Inc to block 1.178 more accounts that could probably have 'Khalistani' links.

Indian govt asks Twitter to block 1,178 more accounts

Private social audio app&nbsp;Clubhouse&nbsp;is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US&nbsp;app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics.

Clubhouse&nbsp;built a following among venture capitalists and startup founders gossiping in its audio-only chatrooms following its launch last March as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world.

Western social media apps including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are banned in China, where the local internet is tightly censored to weed out content that could undermine the ruling communist party.

The&nbsp;Clubhouse&nbsp;app, launched in early 2020, saw explosive growth in user numbers earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform.

Its chat rooms are only accessible via invites from current members, and as of Sunday, invites to the platform were selling for between 50-400 yuan ($7.73 - $69.59) on popular Chinese e-commerce sites.

Reuters directly observed several Chinese-language 'club' conversations where thousands of users listened to wide-ranging audio discussions covering topics including Xinjiang detention camps, Taiwan independence and Hong Kong's National Security Law.

China's cyber authorities have become increasingly strict in recent years, widening the scope of apps, media outlets and social media sites banned in the country.

While&nbsp;Clubhouse&nbsp;remains uncensored, it is only available on iOS devices and is unavailable in the local Apple app store, both major barriers for its widespread use in China.

Mainland Chinese users can access the app by modifying the location of their app store.

It's unclear why the app remains unblocked in China, though some foreign social sites with small Chinese followings manage to operate under the radar of censors, including 8kun, a central hub for QAnon followers.

In one club chat centred on Hong Kong politics, activists, journalists and artists discussed former US&nbsp;president Trump and his support base in the former colony.

Another popular Chinese language club on the site as of Saturday involved a rare open exchange between netizens in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong over heightened political tensions in the region.

The discussion became a hot topic on China's own Twitter-like social media site Weibo on Saturday.

"I don't know how long this environment can last", said one user in a popular Weibo post that was liked over 65,000 times. "But I will definitely remember this moment in Internet history."

Private social audio app Clubhouse is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics.

Private social audio app Clubhouse is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics. Clubhouse built a following among venture capitalists and startup founders gossiping in its audio-only chatrooms following its launch last March as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world. Western social media apps including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are banned in China, where the local internet is tightly censored to weed out content that could undermine the ruling communist party. The Clubhouse app, launched in early 2020, saw explosive growth in user numbers earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform. Its chat rooms are only accessible via invites from current members, and as of Sunday, invites to the platform were selling for between 50-400 yuan ($7.73 - $69.59) on popular Chinese e-commerce sites. Reuters directly observed several Chinese-language 'club' conversations where thousands of users listened to wide-ranging audio discussions covering topics including Xinjiang detention camps, Taiwan independence and Hong Kong's National Security Law. China's cyber authorities have become increasingly strict in recent years, widening the scope of apps, media outlets and social media sites banned in the country. While Clubhouse remains uncensored, it is only available on iOS devices and is unavailable in the local Apple app store, both major barriers for its widespread use in China. Mainland Chinese users can access the app by modifying the location of their app store. It's unclear why the app remains unblocked in China, though some foreign social sites with small Chinese followings manage to operate under the radar of censors, including 8kun, a central hub for QAnon followers. In one club chat centred on Hong Kong politics, activists, journalists and artists discussed former US president Trump and his support base in the former colony. Another popular Chinese language club on the site as of Saturday involved a rare open exchange between netizens in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong over heightened political tensions in the region. The discussion became a hot topic on China's own Twitter-like social media site Weibo on Saturday. "I don't know how long this environment can last", said one user in a popular Weibo post that was liked over 65,000 times. "But I will definitely remember this moment in Internet history."

Chinese users flocking to US chat app Clubhouse to evade censors

US under President Joe Biden may soon revoke the designation of Houthis in Yemen as terrorists. Donald Trump administration had given the terror tag on the very last day in power. Meanwhile Twitter has condemned Myanmar's move to block the platform. China's Tianwen-1 probe has snapped first images of Mars. Read this and more in WION's morning news brief.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-revoke-terrorist-designation-of-houthis-in-yemen-361678">US to revoke terrorist designation of Houthis in Yemen</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-revoke-terrorist-designation-of-houthis-in-yemen-361678"><img alt="Joe Biden" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b113557d-6a70-472f-8e8a-67ddd95ed051" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Biden_5.JPG" /></a> 
 
The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of its people in need.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/twitter-condemns-myanmars-move-to-block-access-to-platform-361680">Twitter condemns Myanmar's move to block access to platform</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/twitter-condemns-myanmars-move-to-block-access-to-platform-361680"><img alt="Twitter" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="174d34e8-d395-4680-a543-fbebaeeb47c7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Twitter_0.JPG" /></a> 
 
After the coup in Myanmar, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have been blocked

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-should-not-receive-intelligence-briefings-joe-biden-feels-361686">Donald Trump should not receive intelligence briefings, Joe Biden feels</a>

<img alt="Donald Trump" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1f607eb9-13c5-42a7-b13b-27a64ebbc79e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Trump_12.JPG" /> 
 
When asked what was his concern about Trump getting the intelligence briefings, Biden said that he would "rather not speculate out loud"

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pure-anti-semitism-israels-netanyahu-slams-icc-decision-and-says-will-fight-it-361677">'Pure anti-semitism': Israel's Netanyahu slams ICC decision and says will fight it</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pure-anti-semitism-israels-netanyahu-slams-icc-decision-and-says-will-fight-it-361677"><img alt="Netanyahu" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ffe232b0-4219-469d-919f-6115f0a7a4a5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Netanyahu.JPG" /></a> 
 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the ICC as a 'political body' while the United States said it had 'serious concerns' over the decision

<a href="World Health Organization says China granted it 'full access' for COVID-19 origin probe in Wuhan">World Health Organization says China granted it 'full access' for COVID-19 origin probe in Wuhan</a>

<img alt="WHO" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="379cc6a3-9e39-483f-9b2e-1dfd9783946f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WHO_1.JPG" />

The visit by the WHO team took months to negotiate after China only agreed to it amid massive international pressure at the World Health Assembly meeting last May, and Beijing has continued to deny calls for a strictly independent investigation

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mars-ahead-chinas-tianwen-1-probe-snaps-first-photo-of-red-planet-361679C">Mars ahead! China's Tianwen-1 probe snaps first photo of red planet</a>

<img alt="Mars" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8c36516a-ed03-4a2e-acbc-d6de4f7fcdb0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Mars.JPG" /> 
 
The five-tonne Tianwen-1 includes a Mars orbiter, a lander and a rover that will study the planet's soil

Gravitas: The story of Alexei Navalny

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-story-of-alexei-navalny-361674/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

US under President Joe Biden may soon revoke the designation of Houthis in Yemen as terrorists. Donald Trump administration had given the terror tag on the very last day in power.

US under President Joe Biden may soon revoke the designation of Houthis in Yemen as terrorists. Donald Trump administration had given the terror tag on the very last day in power. Meanwhile Twitter has condemned Myanmar's move to block the platform. China's Tianwen-1 probe has snapped first images of Mars. Read this and more in WION's morning news brief. US to revoke terrorist designation of Houthis in Yemen The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of its people in need. Twitter condemns Myanmar's move to block access to platform After the coup in Myanmar, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have been blocked Donald Trump should not receive intelligence briefings, Joe Biden feels When asked what was his concern about Trump getting the intelligence briefings, Biden said that he would "rather not speculate out loud" 'Pure anti-semitism': Israel's Netanyahu slams ICC decision and says will fight it Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the ICC as a 'political body' while the United States said it had 'serious concerns' over the decision World Health Organization says China granted it 'full access' for COVID-19 origin probe in Wuhan The visit by the WHO team took months to negotiate after China only agreed to it amid massive international pressure at the World Health Assembly meeting last May, and Beijing has continued to deny calls for a strictly independent investigation Mars ahead! China's Tianwen-1 probe snaps first photo of red planet The five-tonne Tianwen-1 includes a Mars orbiter, a lander and a rover that will study the planet's soil Gravitas: The story of Alexei Navalny ×

Morning news brief: US to revoke Houthi terror tag, Twitter fumes at Myanmar, more

Twitter condemned Myanmar's move of blocking access to the platform. Myanmar is currently witnessing a crackdown on social media that has seen popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram getting blocked. This has come just days after a coup that has seen Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders imprisoned.

"It undermines the public conversation and the rights of people to make their voices heard," &nbsp;said Twitter on the decision to block the social media platform.

"We will continue to advocate to end destructive government-led shutdowns."

Telenor, one of the country's main telecoms providers, earlier confirmed that authorities had ordered a blockade to Twitter and Instagram "until further notice" on Friday.

Facebook was the first platform that saw issues on Wednesday, and by Thursday, Myanmar users had flocked to Twitter to spread a hashtag campaign against the military putsch with millions of mentions.

But around 10 pm local time (1530 GMT), on Friday they saw their Twitter acccess curtailed, with some saying it could not be used even with a VPN service.&nbsp;

Not able to meet Suu Kyi, says lawyer

Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer has said that he is not able to meet her. Veteran lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said that Suu Kyi and ousted Myanmar President Win Myint were being kept at their homes.

"We expect justice from the judge, but it is not certain. We hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Of course, we want unconditional release as they have not broken the law," veteran lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters in the capital, Naypyidaw.

(With agency inputs)

Twitter condemned Myanmar's move of blocking access to the platform. Myanmar is currently witnessing a crackdown on social media that has seen popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram getting blocked.

Twitter condemned Myanmar's move of blocking access to the platform. Myanmar is currently witnessing a crackdown on social media that has seen popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram getting blocked. This has come just days after a coup that has seen Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders imprisoned. "It undermines the public conversation and the rights of people to make their voices heard," said Twitter on the decision to block the social media platform. "We will continue to advocate to end destructive government-led shutdowns." Telenor, one of the country's main telecoms providers, earlier confirmed that authorities had ordered a blockade to Twitter and Instagram "until further notice" on Friday. Facebook was the first platform that saw issues on Wednesday, and by Thursday, Myanmar users had flocked to Twitter to spread a hashtag campaign against the military putsch with millions of mentions. But around 10 pm local time (1530 GMT), on Friday they saw their Twitter acccess curtailed, with some saying it could not be used even with a VPN service. Not able to meet Suu Kyi, says lawyer Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer has said that he is not able to meet her. Veteran lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said that Suu Kyi and ousted Myanmar President Win Myint were being kept at their homes. "We expect justice from the judge, but it is not certain. We hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Of course, we want unconditional release as they have not broken the law," veteran lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters in the capital, Naypyidaw. (With agency inputs)

Twitter condemns Myanmar's move to block access to platform

Myanmar lost access to Twitter on Friday night, the latest move to stifle dissent as the military widened an internet ban days after a coup that has drawn global condemnation and the threat of new sanctions. &nbsp;

De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained Monday and ousted from power, returning the country to military rule after a 10-year dalliance with democracy.&nbsp;

Facebook was the first platform that saw issues on Wednesday, and by Thursday, Myanmar users had flocked to Twitter to spread a hashtag campaign against the military putsch with millions of mentions.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-police-step-up-arrests-as-anti-coup-protests-grow-361588" hreflang="en">Myanmar police step up arrests as anti-coup protests grow</a>

But around 10 pm local time (1530 GMT), they saw their Twitter acccess curtailed, with some saying it could not be used even with a VPN service.&nbsp;

"Twitter is now being restricted in #Myanmar on multiple network providers," said NetBlocks, which monitors internet outages around the world.&nbsp;

It also confirmed that other Facebook products -- Whatsapp and Instagram -- were facing disruptions.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/protests-erupt-in-myanmar-as-teachers-students-defy-military-rule-361521" hreflang="en">Protests erupt in Myanmar as teachers, students defy military rule</a>

According to a Ministry of Transport and Communications document seen by AFP but not verified, Twitter and Instagram were used to "spread incitement and false news... causing misunderstanding among the public".&nbsp;

"For the sake of the public and stability of the country, Instagram and Twitter will be temporarily blocked until further notice from February 5," it said.&nbsp;

Friday also saw around 200 teachers and students protest at a Myanmar university — the largest show of public dissent within the country so far.

Displaying the three-finger salute borrowed from Thailand's democracy movements, the protesters sang a popular revolutionary song.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-coup-unsc-expresses-concern-calls-for-aung-san-suu-kyis-release-361431" hreflang="en">Myanmar coup: UNSC expresses concern, calls for Aung San Suu Kyi's release</a>

"We have to resist this dictatorship," lecturer Win Win Maw told AFP.

"If all civil servants participate in this movement, it's not easy to operate this government system."

Hours before the rally, Win Htein, a key aide of Suu Kyi, was arrested at his daughter's house, said Kyi Toe, press officer for her National League for Democracy party.

The 79-year-old NLD stalwart, considered Suu Kyi's right-hand man, has spent long stretches in detention for campaigning against military rule.

Speaking to local media ahead of his arrest, Win Htein called on people in the country to "oppose (the coup) as much as they can".

While Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since she was detained on Monday, Kyi Toe said she's currrently "under house arrest" in Naypyidaw, the country's capital, and was "in good health".&nbsp;

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Yangon-based group that monitors political arrests in Myanmar, more than 130 officials and lawmakers have been detained.&nbsp;

'Hope broken'

With Facebook stifled on Wednesday, many people had moved to Twitter in recent days or started using VPN services to bypass the blockade.

After the Twitter restriction Friday, hashtags like #WeNeedDemocracy and #FreedomFromFear -- based on a famous quote by Suu Kyi -- started trending.&nbsp;

A so-called Civil Disobedience Movement has gathered pace online, calling on the public to voice opposition every night by banging pots and clanging cymbals to show their anger.

"I feel our hope is broken by the military after they seized power," said food vendor Thazin Oo, whose mobile phone case has a photo of Suu Kyi.&nbsp;

Police in Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, detained more than 20 people for banging pots and pans. They were sentenced Friday to seven days in prison for violating a public disorder law.

Another four university students from Mandalay were charged Friday for protesting at a small rally the day before without permission and breaking coronavirus rules.&nbsp;

As they were escorted out of court in chains, they flashed a defiant three-finger salute to the waiting media.&nbsp;

In Naypyidaw, dozens of employees from several government ministries posed for group photographs wearing red ribbons and flashing the democracy symbol.

Some 300 MPs also held a virtual meeting Friday to convene an unofficial "parliament committee" in defiance of military rule, according to the NLD.&nbsp;

'Refrain from violence'

The coup has drawn condemnation globally.

On Thursday, US President Biden reiterated his call for the generals to reverse course.

"The Burmese military should relinquish power they have seized, release the advocates and activists and officials they have detained, lift the restrictions in telecommunications, and refrain from violence," he said.

His National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also said the White House was "looking at specific targeted sanctions" on military-linked entities.

The UN Security Council took a softer line, voicing "deep concern" -- a step down from a draft Tuesday that had condemned the coup.

Diplomats said veto-wielding China and Russia, Myanmar's main supporters at the UN, had asked for more time Tuesday to finesse the council's response.

There have been calls on multinational companies working with Myanmar's military-linked businesses to cut ties as a way to pressure the generals.

Japanese beer giant Kirin -- long under scrutiny over its ties to Myanmar's army-owned breweries -- said Friday it was terminating a joint venture with a military-owned conglomerate.

Myanmar lost access to Twitter on Friday night, the latest move to stifle dissent as the military widened an internet ban days after a coup that has drawn global condemnation and the threat of new sanctions.

Myanmar lost access to Twitter on Friday night, the latest move to stifle dissent as the military widened an internet ban days after a coup that has drawn global condemnation and the threat of new sanctions. De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained Monday and ousted from power, returning the country to military rule after a 10-year dalliance with democracy. Facebook was the first platform that saw issues on Wednesday, and by Thursday, Myanmar users had flocked to Twitter to spread a hashtag campaign against the military putsch with millions of mentions. Also read| Myanmar police step up arrests as anti-coup protests grow But around 10 pm local time (1530 GMT), they saw their Twitter acccess curtailed, with some saying it could not be used even with a VPN service. "Twitter is now being restricted in #Myanmar on multiple network providers," said NetBlocks, which monitors internet outages around the world. It also confirmed that other Facebook products -- Whatsapp and Instagram -- were facing disruptions. Also read| Protests erupt in Myanmar as teachers, students defy military rule According to a Ministry of Transport and Communications document seen by AFP but not verified, Twitter and Instagram were used to "spread incitement and false news... causing misunderstanding among the public". "For the sake of the public and stability of the country, Instagram and Twitter will be temporarily blocked until further notice from February 5," it said. Friday also saw around 200 teachers and students protest at a Myanmar university — the largest show of public dissent within the country so far. Displaying the three-finger salute borrowed from Thailand's democracy movements, the protesters sang a popular revolutionary song. Also read| Myanmar coup: UNSC expresses concern, calls for Aung San Suu Kyi's release "We have to resist this dictatorship," lecturer Win Win Maw told AFP. "If all civil servants participate in this movement, it's not easy to operate this government system." Hours before the rally, Win Htein, a key aide of Suu Kyi, was arrested at his daughter's house, said Kyi Toe, press officer for her National League for Democracy party. The 79-year-old NLD stalwart, considered Suu Kyi's right-hand man, has spent long stretches in detention for campaigning against military rule. Speaking to local media ahead of his arrest, Win Htein called on people in the country to "oppose (the coup) as much as they can". While Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since she was detained on Monday, Kyi Toe said she's currrently "under house arrest" in Naypyidaw, the country's capital, and was "in good health". According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Yangon-based group that monitors political arrests in Myanmar, more than 130 officials and lawmakers have been detained. 'Hope broken' With Facebook stifled on Wednesday, many people had moved to Twitter in recent days or started using VPN services to bypass the blockade. After the Twitter restriction Friday, hashtags like #WeNeedDemocracy and #FreedomFromFear -- based on a famous quote by Suu Kyi -- started trending. A so-called Civil Disobedience Movement has gathered pace online, calling on the public to voice opposition every night by banging pots and clanging cymbals to show their anger. "I feel our hope is broken by the military after they seized power," said food vendor Thazin Oo, whose mobile phone case has a photo of Suu Kyi. Police in Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, detained more than 20 people for banging pots and pans. They were sentenced Friday to seven days in prison for violating a public disorder law. Another four university students from Mandalay were charged Friday for protesting at a small rally the day before without permission and breaking coronavirus rules. As they were escorted out of court in chains, they flashed a defiant three-finger salute to the waiting media. In Naypyidaw, dozens of employees from several government ministries posed for group photographs wearing red ribbons and flashing the democracy symbol. Some 300 MPs also held a virtual meeting Friday to convene an unofficial "parliament committee" in defiance of military rule, according to the NLD. 'Refrain from violence' The coup has drawn condemnation globally. On Thursday, US President Biden reiterated his call for the generals to reverse course. "The Burmese military should relinquish power they have seized, release the advocates and activists and officials they have detained, lift the restrictions in telecommunications, and refrain from violence," he said. His National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also said the White House was "looking at specific targeted sanctions" on military-linked entities. The UN Security Council took a softer line, voicing "deep concern" -- a step down from a draft Tuesday that had condemned the coup. Diplomats said veto-wielding China and Russia, Myanmar's main supporters at the UN, had asked for more time Tuesday to finesse the council's response. There have been calls on multinational companies working with Myanmar's military-linked businesses to cut ties as a way to pressure the generals. Japanese beer giant Kirin -- long under scrutiny over its ties to Myanmar's army-owned breweries -- said Friday it was terminating a joint venture with a military-owned conglomerate.

Myanmar restricts Twitter as outrage over coup grows

In order to help the micro-blogging platform with data processing and analytics based on machine learning tools, Google has signed a multi-year deal with Twitter.&nbsp;

In 2018, Twitter decided to work with Google Cloud to move cold data storage and its flexible compute Hadoop clusters to Google Cloud Platform (GCP), to enable the company enhance the experience and productivity of its engineering teams working with its data platform.&nbsp;

In a statement, Twitter CTO Parag Agrawal on Thursday said, "Our initial partnership with Google Cloud has been successful and enabled us to enhance the productivity of our engineering teams."&nbsp;

"Building on this relationship and Google's technologies will allow us to learn more from our data, move faster and serve more relevant content to the people who use our service every day," he added.&nbsp;

The Hadoop compute system is the core of Twitter's data platform, and Twitter runs multiple large Hadoop clusters that are among the biggest in the world.&nbsp;

The migration will enable faster capacity provisioning, increased flexibility, access to a broader ecosystem of tools and services, improvements to security and enhanced disaster recovery capabilities.&nbsp;

In an earlier statement, Agrawal said, "Architecturally, we will also be able to separate compute and storage for this class of Hadoop workloads, which has a number of long-term scaling and operational benefits."&nbsp;

Google Cloud Platform's data solutions and trusted infrastructure will provide Twitter with the technical flexibility and consistency that its platform requires.&nbsp;

In order to help the micro-blogging platform with data processing and analytics based on machine learning tools, Google has signed a multi-year deal with Twitter.

In order to help the micro-blogging platform with data processing and analytics based on machine learning tools, Google has signed a multi-year deal with Twitter. In 2018, Twitter decided to work with Google Cloud to move cold data storage and its flexible compute Hadoop clusters to Google Cloud Platform (GCP), to enable the company enhance the experience and productivity of its engineering teams working with its data platform. In a statement, Twitter CTO Parag Agrawal on Thursday said, "Our initial partnership with Google Cloud has been successful and enabled us to enhance the productivity of our engineering teams." "Building on this relationship and Google's technologies will allow us to learn more from our data, move faster and serve more relevant content to the people who use our service every day," he added. The Hadoop compute system is the core of Twitter's data platform, and Twitter runs multiple large Hadoop clusters that are among the biggest in the world. The migration will enable faster capacity provisioning, increased flexibility, access to a broader ecosystem of tools and services, improvements to security and enhanced disaster recovery capabilities. In an earlier statement, Agrawal said, "Architecturally, we will also be able to separate compute and storage for this class of Hadoop workloads, which has a number of long-term scaling and operational benefits." Google Cloud Platform's data solutions and trusted infrastructure will provide Twitter with the technical flexibility and consistency that its platform requires.

Google Cloud signs mega deal with Twitter

The Chief Executive of Twitter, Jack Dorsey on Thursday "liked" a Tweet asking for an emoji for the hashtag #FarmersProtests, akin to what Twitter usually does with trending global events.

The company has custom emojis that are automatically registered in a Tweet after mentioning a hashtag. These include #BlackLivesMatter and #EndSars.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Now is as a good time as ever for <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Twitter</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/jack?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jack</a> to add a Twitter emoji to the massive <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FarmersProtests?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FarmersProtests</a> in India -- like they did for historic international protests like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EndSars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EndSars</a>.
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) <a href="https://twitter.com/KarenAttiah/status/1357001222327304192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Currently, farmers are protesting across North India against agricultural reforms put forward by the central government.

Global superstar Rihanna caused a stir on social media when she Tweeted out in support of the protests, asking "why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest".

Climate activist Greta Thunberg also Tweeted in support of the protests, which drew flak from prominent figures in India.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I still <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandWithFarmers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandWithFarmers</a> and support their peaceful protest. 
No amount of hate, threats or violations of human rights will ever change that. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FarmersProtest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FarmersProtest</a>
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1357282507616645122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The government has referred to these statements as interference in India's internal matters. 
 
Dorsey liked a Tweet which said the following - &nbsp;"Now is as a good time as ever for @Twitter and @Jack to add a Twitter emoji to the massive #FarmersProtests in India - as they did for historic international protests like #BlackLivesMatter and #EndSars".

Protesters have been asking the government to withdraw the three farm laws for months. According to farmers, the reforms would hamper their earnings and also jeopardise the&nbsp;minimum price guarantee.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-amount-of-hate-threats-will-greta-thunberg-after-delhi-police-books-creators-of-her-toolkit-361400" hreflang="en">'No amount of hate, threats will..': Greta Thunberg after Delhi Police books creators of her 'toolkit'</a>

The government suggested halting the laws for one-and-a-half-years and then revisiting them - a move that has been rejected by the protesters.

Even on Thursday, Thunberg put out another tweet in support of the farmers, saying - "I still #StandWithFarmers and support their peaceful protest. 
No amount of hate, threats or violations of human rights will ever change that. #FarmersProtest".

The External Affairs Ministry had said on Wednesday that protests by farmer unions against new farm laws must be seen in the context of India`s democratic ethos and polity, and the efforts of the government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse.&nbsp;

It had said that the temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible.&nbsp;

"Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken," the ministry said.

The Chief Executive of Twitter, Jack Dorsey on Thursday "liked" a Tweet asking for an emoji for the hashtag #FarmersProtests, akin to what Twitter usually does with trending global events.

The Chief Executive of Twitter, Jack Dorsey on Thursday "liked" a Tweet asking for an emoji for the hashtag #FarmersProtests, akin to what Twitter usually does with trending global events. The company has custom emojis that are automatically registered in a Tweet after mentioning a hashtag. These include #BlackLivesMatter and #EndSars. Now is as a good time as ever for @Twitter and @Jack to add a Twitter emoji to the massive #FarmersProtests in India -- like they did for historic international protests like #BlackLivesMatter and #EndSars. — Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) February 3, 2021 × Currently, farmers are protesting across North India against agricultural reforms put forward by the central government. Global superstar Rihanna caused a stir on social media when she Tweeted out in support of the protests, asking "why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest". Climate activist Greta Thunberg also Tweeted in support of the protests, which drew flak from prominent figures in India. I still #StandWithFarmers and support their peaceful protest. No amount of hate, threats or violations of human rights will ever change that. #FarmersProtest — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 4, 2021 × The government has referred to these statements as interference in India's internal matters. Dorsey liked a Tweet which said the following - "Now is as a good time as ever for @Twitter and @Jack to add a Twitter emoji to the massive #FarmersProtests in India - as they did for historic international protests like #BlackLivesMatter and #EndSars". Protesters have been asking the government to withdraw the three farm laws for months. According to farmers, the reforms would hamper their earnings and also jeopardise the minimum price guarantee. Also read: 'No amount of hate, threats will..': Greta Thunberg after Delhi Police books creators of her 'toolkit' The government suggested halting the laws for one-and-a-half-years and then revisiting them - a move that has been rejected by the protesters. Even on Thursday, Thunberg put out another tweet in support of the farmers, saying - "I still #StandWithFarmers and support their peaceful protest. No amount of hate, threats or violations of human rights will ever change that. #FarmersProtest". The External Affairs Ministry had said on Wednesday that protests by farmer unions against new farm laws must be seen in the context of India`s democratic ethos and polity, and the efforts of the government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse. It had said that the temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible. "Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken," the ministry said.

Jack Dorsey likes Tweet asking for emoji to complement #FarmersProtest

An offline&nbsp;messaging app called Bridgefy was downloaded more than 600,000 times in a few hours in Myanmar after the country's military seized power on Monday and temporarily disrupted internet traffic.

Bridgefy, which a&nbsp;Mexico-based startup,&nbsp;gained popularity during Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests in 2020, tweeted that it hoped people in Myanmar would find its app "useful during tough times."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We're grateful to share that the Bridgefy App was downloaded more than 600,000 times in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Myanmar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Myanmar</a> today, in just a few hours. Hopefully, people will find it helpful during tough times. Please stay safe!
— Bridgefy (@bridgefy) <a href="https://twitter.com/bridgefy/status/1356383496999219202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Myanmar&nbsp;was plunged back into direct military rule when soldiers detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders in a series of dawn raids on Monday, ending the country's brief experiment with democracy.

Suu Kyi, who has not been seen in public since the coup, won a huge landslide with her National League for Democracy (NLD) last November but the military -- whose favoured parties received a drubbing declared the polls were fraudulent.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/myanmar-army-chief-military-ouster-was-was-inevitable-360972/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Army chief Min Aung Hlaing appointed himself head of a new cabinet stacked with former and current generals, justifying his coup on Tuesday as the "inevitable" result of civilian leaders failure to heed the army's fraud warnings.

The military declared a one-year state of emergency and said it would hold new elections once their allegations of voter irregularities were addressed and investigated.

The move stunned&nbsp;Myanmar, a country left impoverished by decades of junta misrule before it began taking steps towards a more democratic and civilian-led government ten years ago.

After the country's democratically elected leaders were arrested, phone and internet connections were disrupted in the main city Yangon and the capital Naypyitaw and some other parts of the country.

Communications had been restored by late Monday but, in social media posts&nbsp;activists in Myanmar encouraged the download of Bridgefy as a solution to possible further shutdowns.

Bridgefy, whose backers include Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and which has also been used at anti-government rallies in Thailand, is one of several apps based on Bluetooth that use mesh networks to allow users to communicate without internet connections.

They have gained popularity globally, especially in countries which have a history of imposing restrictions on social media platforms and internet providers - though security experts say they can be penetrated, exposing users to surveillance risks.

A similar app, Firechat,&nbsp;uses wireless mesh networking to enable smartphones to connect via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi&nbsp;without an internet connection by connecting peer-to-peer. It has been used in protests in Iran and Iraq.

An offline messaging app called Bridgefy was downloaded more than 600,000 times in a few hours in Myanmar after the country's military seized power on Monday and temporarily disrupted internet traffic.

An offline messaging app called Bridgefy was downloaded more than 600,000 times in a few hours in Myanmar after the country's military seized power on Monday and temporarily disrupted internet traffic. Bridgefy, which a Mexico-based startup, gained popularity during Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests in 2020, tweeted that it hoped people in Myanmar would find its app "useful during tough times." We're grateful to share that the Bridgefy App was downloaded more than 600,000 times in #Myanmar today, in just a few hours. Hopefully, people will find it helpful during tough times. Please stay safe! — Bridgefy (@bridgefy) February 1, 2021 × Myanmar was plunged back into direct military rule when soldiers detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders in a series of dawn raids on Monday, ending the country's brief experiment with democracy. Suu Kyi, who has not been seen in public since the coup, won a huge landslide with her National League for Democracy (NLD) last November but the military -- whose favoured parties received a drubbing declared the polls were fraudulent. Army chief Min Aung Hlaing appointed himself head of a new cabinet stacked with former and current generals, justifying his coup on Tuesday as the "inevitable" result of civilian leaders failure to heed the army's fraud warnings. The military declared a one-year state of emergency and said it would hold new elections once their allegations of voter irregularities were addressed and investigated. The move stunned Myanmar, a country left impoverished by decades of junta misrule before it began taking steps towards a more democratic and civilian-led government ten years ago. After the country's democratically elected leaders were arrested, phone and internet connections were disrupted in the main city Yangon and the capital Naypyitaw and some other parts of the country. Communications had been restored by late Monday but, in social media posts activists in Myanmar encouraged the download of Bridgefy as a solution to possible further shutdowns. Bridgefy, whose backers include Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and which has also been used at anti-government rallies in Thailand, is one of several apps based on Bluetooth that use mesh networks to allow users to communicate without internet connections. They have gained popularity globally, especially in countries which have a history of imposing restrictions on social media platforms and internet providers - though security experts say they can be penetrated, exposing users to surveillance risks. A similar app, Firechat, uses wireless mesh networking to enable smartphones to connect via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi without an internet connection by connecting peer-to-peer. It has been used in protests in Iran and Iraq.

Bridgefy: 600,000 people download offline message app in hours after Myanmar coup

The Government of India has come out heavily on micro-blogging platform Twitter. Indian govt has issued the notice for unblocking 250 accounts despite specific order.

Indian govt sends notice to Twitter for unblocking accounts despite specific order

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that he was taking a break from Twitter.

"Off Twitter for a while," Musk tweeted to his 44.8 million followers, but gave no further details.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Off Twitter for a while
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1356524205374918659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Musk, who recently surpassed Jeff Bezos to become the world's richest man, is an active Twitter user.&nbsp;

He has a following of over 44 million on the microblogging platform, where his posts range from memes to updates about Tesla and SpaceX and interactions with fans.&nbsp;

The last time Musk announced he was stepping away from Twitter was in June - he stayed away for two days.&nbsp;

In 2019, he said he was quitting the social media site only to return three days later.

Musk, who helms the electric carmaker Tesla Inc and rocket startup SpaceX, did not elaborate on the message and has not tweeted since.

He had tweeted about Etsy Inc last week helping propel the online retailer's stock to a record high. Similarly, Musk's most recent take on bitcoin and dogecoin, has boosted the value of the cryptocurrencies.

(With inputs from agencies)

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that he was taking a break from Twitter. "Off Twitter for a while," Musk tweeted to his 44.8 million followers, but gave no further details.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that he was taking a break from Twitter. "Off Twitter for a while," Musk tweeted to his 44.8 million followers, but gave no further details. Off Twitter for a while — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2021 × Musk, who recently surpassed Jeff Bezos to become the world's richest man, is an active Twitter user. He has a following of over 44 million on the microblogging platform, where his posts range from memes to updates about Tesla and SpaceX and interactions with fans. The last time Musk announced he was stepping away from Twitter was in June - he stayed away for two days. In 2019, he said he was quitting the social media site only to return three days later. Musk, who helms the electric carmaker Tesla Inc and rocket startup SpaceX, did not elaborate on the message and has not tweeted since. He had tweeted about Etsy Inc last week helping propel the online retailer's stock to a record high. Similarly, Musk's most recent take on bitcoin and dogecoin, has boosted the value of the cryptocurrencies. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Off for a while’: Elon Musk says taking break from Twitter

The United Nations Security Council has failed to agree on a joint statement condemning Myanmar Military’s Coup after China blocked the statement as a veto-holding permanent member of the council.

The Myanmar military Monday seized power in a coup and declared a state of emergency in the country for a year. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/bridgefy-600000-people-download-offline-message-app-in-hours-after-myanmar-coup-361000">Bridgefy: 600,000 people download offline message app in hours after Myanmar coup</a>

The Security Council was negotiating a possible statement, drafted by Britain, that would condemn the coup, call for the military to respect the rule of law and human rights, and immediately release those unlawfully detained, diplomats said. Such statements have to be agreed by consensus. 
 
Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained along with other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, as the military declared void their landslide victory at the polls.

Yesterday, Chinese state media, who rolled out the euphemisms to avoid calling a coup a coup had said that military takeover in Myanmar and detention of Aung San Suu Kyi was "a major cabinet reshuffle".

Myanmar is also a vital piece of Beijing's huge Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

President Xi Jinping visited the country last January, and promised to support the Myanmar government on a development path "suited to its own national conditions".

The Myanmar military has justified its seizure of power by alleging widespread fraud in elections held three months ago that the NLD won in a landslide. It has imposed a state of emergency for a year, and claimed it would then hold fresh elections.

The last Security Council meeting on Myanmar was in September and was also behind closed doors.

Its last joint declaration on the country was adopted in 2018.

(With inputs from agencies)

The United Nations Security Council has failed to agree on a joint statement condemning Myanmar Military’s Coup after China blocked the statement as a veto-holding permanent member of the council.

The United Nations Security Council has failed to agree on a joint statement condemning Myanmar Military’s Coup after China blocked the statement as a veto-holding permanent member of the council. The Myanmar military Monday seized power in a coup and declared a state of emergency in the country for a year. Bridgefy: 600,000 people download offline message app in hours after Myanmar coup The Security Council was negotiating a possible statement, drafted by Britain, that would condemn the coup, call for the military to respect the rule of law and human rights, and immediately release those unlawfully detained, diplomats said. Such statements have to be agreed by consensus. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained along with other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, as the military declared void their landslide victory at the polls. Yesterday, Chinese state media, who rolled out the euphemisms to avoid calling a coup a coup had said that military takeover in Myanmar and detention of Aung San Suu Kyi was "a major cabinet reshuffle". Myanmar is also a vital piece of Beijing's huge Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. President Xi Jinping visited the country last January, and promised to support the Myanmar government on a development path "suited to its own national conditions". The Myanmar military has justified its seizure of power by alleging widespread fraud in elections held three months ago that the NLD won in a landslide. It has imposed a state of emergency for a year, and claimed it would then hold fresh elections. The last Security Council meeting on Myanmar was in September and was also behind closed doors. Its last joint declaration on the country was adopted in 2018. (With inputs from agencies)

China blocks UN Security Council statement condemning Myanmar coup

twitter

Twitter, News on Twitter, stories on Twitter, articles on Twitter, Twitter stories at Wion, Twitter news, Twitter latest news