As many as 80 per cent players in the payment industry, including Amazon, Paytm and WhatsApp, have complied with the norms for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-senators-writes-to-modi-to-soften-data-localisation-stance-171380">local storage of data</a>, with RBI's deadline coming to close on Monday, sources said.

However, they said some debit/credit companies are yet to comply with data storage norms and have reportedly sought more time.

The Reserve Bank is not contemplating review of its notification on data localisation norms, the sources said.

In April, the central bank had given six months to global payment companies to store transaction data of Indian customers within India.

Although 80 per cent of the players operating in India have complied with the Reserve Bank directive, some global financial technology companies have reportedly sought an extension to the October 15 timeline.

"The RBI will look at things on a case-to-case basis from tomorrow while handling the subject," one of the sources said, without mentioning if the central bank would take action or impose penalties for non-compliance.

Digital payments platform PhonePe said it has informed the Reserve Bank of India of its full compliance with the data localisation mandate to ensure payments data of Indian users is stored within the country.

The central bank's data localisation policy had elicited mixed response from the payment services industry. While some of the prominent domestic payment companies like Paytm and PhonePe have been supportive of the dictum, global players like Google (that offers Google Pay) had argued for free movement of data.

Some international players have appealed for more time for compliance and also asked that they be allowed to mirror the data.

Paytm, which had vociferously supported data localisation, said critical data must not be allowed to go out of the country, not even for processing.

"We have complied to this mandate since day one and have welcomed this initiative right from the beginning. It is important that we do not become mere internet colonies for global companies, and make every organisation accountable towards the security and privacy of data of our fellow countrymen," a Paytm spokesperson said.

US-based messaging platform WhatsApp has already said it has developed a system to store payments-related data in India.

An Amazon spokesperson said "compliance with local laws and regulation is a top priority for us in all the countries we operate in. We continue to work closely with the regulators towards this".

Google is learnt to have agreed to follow the RBI's local data storage norm for payment services but has asked for time until December to ensure compliance, a government source had indicated recently.

Critics of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-wants-to-prohibit-data-localisation-top-trade-official-says-amid-looming-rbi-directive-171256">data localisation</a> argue that the move would have negative effects on the ability of companies to do business in India.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently held a meeting with RBI Deputy Governor BP Kanungo and others to discuss the data localisation norm for global financial technology companies.

IT industry body Nasscom said access to information can be ensured irrespective of location of the data.

"Access can be provided even if the data is stored outside India. It is not clear how this (data localisation mandate) ties in with the overall objective of ensuring enforcement," Nasscom Senior Director and Head Public Policy Ashish Aggarwal said.

Moreover, the instances of problems being faced in accessing data need to be seen in the larger perspective of total number of transactions.

Nasscom has favoured free flow of data, Aggarwal said adding that imposition of conditions that are "onerous and unnecessary" may trigger a retaliatory measures from other countries.

In its April monetary policy review, the RBI had said that in order to ensure better monitoring of payment service operators it was important to have "unfettered supervisory access to data stored with these system providers as also with their service providers/ intermediaries/third party vendors and other entities in the payment ecosystem".

"All system providers shall ensure that the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in a system only in India," it had said.

The RBI had further said that data should include the full end-to-end transaction details, information collected, carried, processed as part of the message, payment instruction.

As many as 80 per cent players in the payment industry, including Amazon, Paytm and WhatsApp, have complied with the norms for local storage of data, with RBI's deadline coming to close on Monday, sources said.

As many as 80 per cent players in the payment industry, including Amazon, Paytm and WhatsApp, have complied with the norms for local storage of data, with RBI's deadline coming to close on Monday, sources said. However, they said some debit/credit companies are yet to comply with data storage norms and have reportedly sought more time. The Reserve Bank is not contemplating review of its notification on data localisation norms, the sources said. In April, the central bank had given six months to global payment companies to store transaction data of Indian customers within India. Although 80 per cent of the players operating in India have complied with the Reserve Bank directive, some global financial technology companies have reportedly sought an extension to the October 15 timeline. "The RBI will look at things on a case-to-case basis from tomorrow while handling the subject," one of the sources said, without mentioning if the central bank would take action or impose penalties for non-compliance. Digital payments platform PhonePe said it has informed the Reserve Bank of India of its full compliance with the data localisation mandate to ensure payments data of Indian users is stored within the country. The central bank's data localisation policy had elicited mixed response from the payment services industry. While some of the prominent domestic payment companies like Paytm and PhonePe have been supportive of the dictum, global players like Google (that offers Google Pay) had argued for free movement of data. Some international players have appealed for more time for compliance and also asked that they be allowed to mirror the data. Paytm, which had vociferously supported data localisation, said critical data must not be allowed to go out of the country, not even for processing. "We have complied to this mandate since day one and have welcomed this initiative right from the beginning. It is important that we do not become mere internet colonies for global companies, and make every organisation accountable towards the security and privacy of data of our fellow countrymen," a Paytm spokesperson said. US-based messaging platform WhatsApp has already said it has developed a system to store payments-related data in India. An Amazon spokesperson said "compliance with local laws and regulation is a top priority for us in all the countries we operate in. We continue to work closely with the regulators towards this". Google is learnt to have agreed to follow the RBI's local data storage norm for payment services but has asked for time until December to ensure compliance, a government source had indicated recently. Critics of data localisation argue that the move would have negative effects on the ability of companies to do business in India. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently held a meeting with RBI Deputy Governor BP Kanungo and others to discuss the data localisation norm for global financial technology companies. IT industry body Nasscom said access to information can be ensured irrespective of location of the data. "Access can be provided even if the data is stored outside India. It is not clear how this (data localisation mandate) ties in with the overall objective of ensuring enforcement," Nasscom Senior Director and Head Public Policy Ashish Aggarwal said. Moreover, the instances of problems being faced in accessing data need to be seen in the larger perspective of total number of transactions. Nasscom has favoured free flow of data, Aggarwal said adding that imposition of conditions that are "onerous and unnecessary" may trigger a retaliatory measures from other countries. In its April monetary policy review, the RBI had said that in order to ensure better monitoring of payment service operators it was important to have "unfettered supervisory access to data stored with these system providers as also with their service providers/ intermediaries/third party vendors and other entities in the payment ecosystem". "All system providers shall ensure that the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in a system only in India," it had said. The RBI had further said that data should include the full end-to-end transaction details, information collected, carried, processed as part of the message, payment instruction.

Google, WhatsApp must comply with India's data localisation policy, says RBI as deadline ends

On a hot morning in India's tourist mecca of Jaipur, an open truck painted in the signature lime-green colours of Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service pulls into a dusty lane, where five men spill out and begin to perform a skit.

The event is part of a major grassroots effort by WhatsApp to battle fake news, which has triggered numerous lynchings in a country where 200 million people use the service, more than anywhere else in the world.

The actors soon draw a crowd as the play unveils how spreading misinformation online can stir up mob violence, especially in the countryside, where caste and religious prejudices run deep.

"Our society is better than theirs and that's why you should hate them," says one, citing one example of an incendiary text circulating on WhatsApp in India. "If you are truly one of us, spread this message." Such texts, pictures and videos aim to sow discord, warns another, as the viewers in the capital of India's western desert state of Rajasthan are then told how to identify forwarded messages and use WhatsApp responsibly.

The drive follows intense government pressure for both Facebook and WhatsApp to fight fake news and rumour-mongering that have led to more than 30 deaths in about 70 lynching attempts since Jan. 2017, data portal IndiaSpend says.

The campaign is not entirely altruistic. It is being run in conjunction with Reliance Jio, the fast-growing telecom carrier controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani that recently made WhatsApp available on its $20 JioPhone.

Instructions on how to install and use the app on the JioPhone, which has connected tens of millions of low-income Indians to the Internet for the first time, are also a part of the 10-city roadshow.

Hundreds of people from WhatsApp and Jio are helping drive the campaign, with some WhatsApp employees having flown in from California, a WhatsApp spokeswoman said in an emailed statement, adding that the company did not reveal financial details. A source familiar with the matter said the costs were mostly being paid by WhatsApp.

POLITICAL HEAT

WhatsApp's efforts to battle fake news in India include a limit on forwarded messages in a market where more users pass around messages, photographs and videos than any other.

It has launched newspaper and radio campaigns and tied up with Delhi-based non-profit Digital Empowerment Foundation to develop a digital literacy curriculum for India.

The company is also training police and law enforcement officials to use WhatsApp in helping them do their jobs.

"Our goal is to drive one of the largest coordinated public education efforts on misinformation to date anywhere in the world," WhatsApp said.

India's technology minister has demanded the company do more, including working out how to trace the origin of "sinister" messages. But WhatsApp says it will not take such steps, which would require it to weaken encryption and other privacy protections. It is not clear how much the public information campaigns will change people's behaviour. But in Jaipur, at least some of the messages seem to be getting through.

"I learnt how to quit a WhatsApp group created by strangers," said Bhawani Singh Rathore, a 35-year-old teacher, who began using the service just months ago and attended.

"And I also learned how to identify a forwarded message and to not send it ahead without checking its accuracy," he told Reuters.

On a hot morning in India's tourist mecca of Jaipur, an open truck painted in the signature lime-green colours of Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service pulls into a dusty lane, where five men spill out and begin to perform a skit.

On a hot morning in India's tourist mecca of Jaipur, an open truck painted in the signature lime-green colours of Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service pulls into a dusty lane, where five men spill out and begin to perform a skit. The event is part of a major grassroots effort by WhatsApp to battle fake news, which has triggered numerous lynchings in a country where 200 million people use the service, more than anywhere else in the world. The actors soon draw a crowd as the play unveils how spreading misinformation online can stir up mob violence, especially in the countryside, where caste and religious prejudices run deep. "Our society is better than theirs and that's why you should hate them," says one, citing one example of an incendiary text circulating on WhatsApp in India. "If you are truly one of us, spread this message." Such texts, pictures and videos aim to sow discord, warns another, as the viewers in the capital of India's western desert state of Rajasthan are then told how to identify forwarded messages and use WhatsApp responsibly. The drive follows intense government pressure for both Facebook and WhatsApp to fight fake news and rumour-mongering that have led to more than 30 deaths in about 70 lynching attempts since Jan. 2017, data portal IndiaSpend says. The campaign is not entirely altruistic. It is being run in conjunction with Reliance Jio, the fast-growing telecom carrier controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani that recently made WhatsApp available on its $20 JioPhone. Instructions on how to install and use the app on the JioPhone, which has connected tens of millions of low-income Indians to the Internet for the first time, are also a part of the 10-city roadshow. Hundreds of people from WhatsApp and Jio are helping drive the campaign, with some WhatsApp employees having flown in from California, a WhatsApp spokeswoman said in an emailed statement, adding that the company did not reveal financial details. A source familiar with the matter said the costs were mostly being paid by WhatsApp. POLITICAL HEAT WhatsApp's efforts to battle fake news in India include a limit on forwarded messages in a market where more users pass around messages, photographs and videos than any other. It has launched newspaper and radio campaigns and tied up with Delhi-based non-profit Digital Empowerment Foundation to develop a digital literacy curriculum for India. The company is also training police and law enforcement officials to use WhatsApp in helping them do their jobs. "Our goal is to drive one of the largest coordinated public education efforts on misinformation to date anywhere in the world," WhatsApp said. India's technology minister has demanded the company do more, including working out how to trace the origin of "sinister" messages. But WhatsApp says it will not take such steps, which would require it to weaken encryption and other privacy protections. It is not clear how much the public information campaigns will change people's behaviour. But in Jaipur, at least some of the messages seem to be getting through. "I learnt how to quit a WhatsApp group created by strangers," said Bhawani Singh Rathore, a 35-year-old teacher, who began using the service just months ago and attended. "And I also learned how to identify a forwarded message and to not send it ahead without checking its accuracy," he told Reuters.

WhatsApp hits the road with skits to stamp out fake news in India

A bug in Facebook's messaging app WhatsApp that allowed hackers to take over users' applications when they attended an incoming call was fixed by Facebook in early October, media report stated.

The bug which was discovered in late August had affected WhatsApp applications on Apple and Android smartphones.

The media also said that the facebook did not respond to reports.

"This is a big deal," Travis Ormandy, a researcher at Google Project Zero which discovered the bug, said on Twitter. "Just ++answering a call from an attacker could completely compromise WhatsApp."

Facebook was recently accused of violating&nbsp;the EU's new privacy law called the General Data Protection Regulation, which came into effect in May.&nbsp;

In the biggest-ever security breach after Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook in late September admitted hackers broke into nearly 50 million users' accounts by stealing their "access tokens" or digital keys.

This allowed them to steal Facebook access tokens which they could then use to take over people's accounts.

The hackers also gained access to personal information from third-party apps and services, like Tinder, Spotify, Airbnb, and Instagram, which allow users to sign up using their Facebook login.

According to Facebook, users’ passwords were not revealed in the data breach, though impacted accounts did have to re-log into the social network on Friday. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A bug in Facebook's messaging app WhatsApp that allowed hackers to take over users' applications when they attended an incoming call was fixed by Facebook in early October, media report stated.

A bug in Facebook's messaging app WhatsApp that allowed hackers to take over users' applications when they attended an incoming call was fixed by Facebook in early October, media report stated. The bug which was discovered in late August had affected WhatsApp applications on Apple and Android smartphones. The media also said that the facebook did not respond to reports. "This is a big deal," Travis Ormandy, a researcher at Google Project Zero which discovered the bug, said on Twitter. "Just ++answering a call from an attacker could completely compromise WhatsApp." Facebook was recently accused of violating the EU's new privacy law called the General Data Protection Regulation, which came into effect in May. In the biggest-ever security breach after Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook in late September admitted hackers broke into nearly 50 million users' accounts by stealing their "access tokens" or digital keys. This allowed them to steal Facebook access tokens which they could then use to take over people's accounts. The hackers also gained access to personal information from third-party apps and services, like Tinder, Spotify, Airbnb, and Instagram, which allow users to sign up using their Facebook login. According to Facebook, users’ passwords were not revealed in the data breach, though impacted accounts did have to re-log into the social network on Friday.

Facebook fixes bug that let hackers hijack users' WhatsApp application

Facebook Inc's WhatsApp said on Tuesday it has built a system that stores payments-related data locally in India, in a bid to comply with a central bank directive that all such data should, within six months, be stored only in the country.

WhatsApp rolled out a test of its payment system in India, its biggest market by users, earlier this year.

"In response to India's payments data circular, we've built a system that stores payments-related data locally in India," WhatsApp said in an emailed statement.

The Reserve Bank in April said all payments data should be stored only in India for "unfettered supervisory access", a decision that has led to intense lobbying by global firms that worry it would cost them millions of dollars.

Facebook Inc's WhatsApp said on Tuesday it has built a system that stores payments-related data locally in India, in a bid to comply with a central bank directive that all such data should, within six months, be stored only in the country.

Facebook Inc's WhatsApp said on Tuesday it has built a system that stores payments-related data locally in India, in a bid to comply with a central bank directive that all such data should, within six months, be stored only in the country. WhatsApp rolled out a test of its payment system in India, its biggest market by users, earlier this year. "In response to India's payments data circular, we've built a system that stores payments-related data locally in India," WhatsApp said in an emailed statement. The Reserve Bank in April said all payments data should be stored only in India for "unfettered supervisory access", a decision that has led to intense lobbying by global firms that worry it would cost them millions of dollars.

WhatsApp builds system to comply with India's payments data storage norms

Seeing the threat of rising terrorism in the country and making an effort to thwart communication between terrorists and their contacts in tempestuous areas, the government has turned its attention towards the cross-platform messaging application named WhatsApp. The home ministry is now investigating as to how it can block the WhatsApp calling service rendered by the application in order to prevent terrorist getting information from their sources. 
 
Officials in the Home Ministry said that many a time whenever there are cross borders firing, terrorists use the WhatsApp calling feature of the application and get in touch with their associates sitting across the border. 
 
This issue was discussed in a meeting held in the North Block chaired by the Union home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday. 
 
"WhatsApp calling and messaging has now become the preferred medium of communication for anti-national forces and we are right now clueless about keeping a tab on it. We need a policy where, when it comes to national security, these apps will be forced to share information with the security agencies," an officer said. 
 
According to the officer, there has been a massive rise in end-to-end cipher using these applications. It means that even if the data traffic is intercepted, they face the challenge of breaking down the cipher to extract information. 
 
Officials in the security apparatus said that it important for the Telecom Ministry and the Home Ministry to formulate a policy under which multinational mediums like Whatsaap, whose headquarters is situated in a different country, come under the eyes of the Indian Laws.&nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
The Home ministry is under pressure as the recent arrest of the terror-related cases showcase that terrorists get information from their sources sitting across the border. This is evident when the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists arrested by the National Investigation Agency(NIA) revealed they were directed from across the border handlers with the help of a Whatsapp call. 
 
The attack in the army camp by Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists killed seven army men. 
 
The NIA has taken the custody of three people arrested by the state police under the allegation of being involved in guiding terrorists which included taking them from the border to the army base camp.

This issue was discussed in a meeting held in the North Block chaired by the Union home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday.

Seeing the threat of rising terrorism in the country and making an effort to thwart communication between terrorists and their contacts in tempestuous areas, the government has turned its attention towards the cross-platform messaging application named WhatsApp. The home ministry is now investigating as to how it can block the WhatsApp calling service rendered by the application in order to prevent terrorist getting information from their sources. Officials in the Home Ministry said that many a time whenever there are cross borders firing, terrorists use the WhatsApp calling feature of the application and get in touch with their associates sitting across the border. This issue was discussed in a meeting held in the North Block chaired by the Union home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday. "WhatsApp calling and messaging has now become the preferred medium of communication for anti-national forces and we are right now clueless about keeping a tab on it. We need a policy where, when it comes to national security, these apps will be forced to share information with the security agencies," an officer said. According to the officer, there has been a massive rise in end-to-end cipher using these applications. It means that even if the data traffic is intercepted, they face the challenge of breaking down the cipher to extract information. Officials in the security apparatus said that it important for the Telecom Ministry and the Home Ministry to formulate a policy under which multinational mediums like Whatsaap, whose headquarters is situated in a different country, come under the eyes of the Indian Laws. The Home ministry is under pressure as the recent arrest of the terror-related cases showcase that terrorists get information from their sources sitting across the border. This is evident when the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists arrested by the National Investigation Agency(NIA) revealed they were directed from across the border handlers with the help of a Whatsapp call. The attack in the army camp by Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists killed seven army men. The NIA has taken the custody of three people arrested by the state police under the allegation of being involved in guiding terrorists which included taking them from the border to the army base camp.

Centre mulls blocking WhatsApp calls in insurgency-affected areas

German car parts supplier Continental on Tuesday said it was banning the use of WhatsApp and Snapchat on work-issued mobile phones "with immediate effect" because of data protection concerns. 
 
The company said such social media apps had "deficiencies" that made it difficult to comply with tough new EU data protection legislation, especially their insistence on having access to a user's contact list. 
 
"Continental is prohibiting its employees from using social media apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat in its global company network, effective immediately," the firm said in a statement. 
 
Some 36,000 employees would be affected by the move, a Continental spokesman told AFP.&nbsp 
 
The company, one of the world's leading makers of car parts, has over 240,000 staff globally. 
 
A key principle of the European Union's new general data protection regulation (GDPR), which came into force on May 25, is that individuals must explicitly grant permission for their data to be used. 
 
But Continental said that by demanding full access to address books, WhatsApp for example had shifted the burden onto the user, essentially expecting them to contact everyone in their phone to let them know their data was being shared.

"We think it is unacceptable to transfer to users the responsibility of complying with data protection laws," said Continental's CEO Elmar Degenhart.

The Hanover-based firm said it stood ready to reverse its decision once the service providers "change the basic settings to ensure that their apps comply with data-protection regulations by default". 
 
The issue of how personal information is used and shared online was given fresh urgency after Facebook earlier this year admitted to a massive privacy breach that allowed a political consultancy linked to US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign to harvest the data of up to 87 million users.

The company said such social media apps had 'deficiencies' that made it difficult to comply with tough new EU data protection legislation, especially their insistence on having access to a user's contact list

German car parts supplier Continental on Tuesday said it was banning the use of WhatsApp and Snapchat on work-issued mobile phones "with immediate effect" because of data protection concerns. The company said such social media apps had "deficiencies" that made it difficult to comply with tough new EU data protection legislation, especially their insistence on having access to a user's contact list. "Continental is prohibiting its employees from using social media apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat in its global company network, effective immediately," the firm said in a statement. Some 36,000 employees would be affected by the move, a Continental spokesman told AFP. The company, one of the world's leading makers of car parts, has over 240,000 staff globally. A key principle of the European Union's new general data protection regulation (GDPR), which came into force on May 25, is that individuals must explicitly grant permission for their data to be used. But Continental said that by demanding full access to address books, WhatsApp for example had shifted the burden onto the user, essentially expecting them to contact everyone in their phone to let them know their data was being shared. "We think it is unacceptable to transfer to users the responsibility of complying with data protection laws," said Continental's CEO Elmar Degenhart. The Hanover-based firm said it stood ready to reverse its decision once the service providers "change the basic settings to ensure that their apps comply with data-protection regulations by default". The issue of how personal information is used and shared online was given fresh urgency after Facebook earlier this year admitted to a massive privacy breach that allowed a political consultancy linked to US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign to harvest the data of up to 87 million users.

This company has banned WhatsApp from work phones. Here's why

WhatsApp's 'Black Dot'&nbsp;bug, that recently affected Android devices, is reported to now have spread to iOS 11.3, iOS 11.4 Beta.

Reports emerged when Android device users complained of the messaging application to crash all of a sudden soon after they received a message with a black dot.&nbsp;

According to reports, for iPhone users, the instant messaging application crashes as soon as the message is opened.

It is now being suggested that the black dot is based on a Unicode text bug carrying thousands of hidden characters.&nbsp;

The application fails to operate and crashes as the device tries to read the text but fails due to limited memory and too much data hidden in the message.&nbsp;

Experts suggest ways to avoid the bug from harming your device. One of the ways is to avoid the message from appearing on the screen, a user can send a series of text messages to the sender of the 'Black Dot'&nbsp;message via voice assistance feature and make sure that the message with the bug goes way up in the chat history and therefore not displayed on the screen.&nbsp;

Users can also delete the conversation and try uninstalling the application.

The application fails to operate and crashes as the device tries to read the text but fails due to limited memory

WhatsApp's 'Black Dot' bug, that recently affected Android devices, is reported to now have spread to iOS 11.3, iOS 11.4 Beta. Reports emerged when Android device users complained of the messaging application to crash all of a sudden soon after they received a message with a black dot. According to reports, for iPhone users, the instant messaging application crashes as soon as the message is opened. It is now being suggested that the black dot is based on a Unicode text bug carrying thousands of hidden characters. The application fails to operate and crashes as the device tries to read the text but fails due to limited memory and too much data hidden in the message. Experts suggest ways to avoid the bug from harming your device. One of the ways is to avoid the message from appearing on the screen, a user can send a series of text messages to the sender of the 'Black Dot' message via voice assistance feature and make sure that the message with the bug goes way up in the chat history and therefore not displayed on the screen. Users can also delete the conversation and try uninstalling the application.

Notorious WhatsApp 'Black Dot' bug spreads to iPhone devices

Speculations are rife about who could be the next WhatsApp CEO after former Chief Jan Koum stepped down last week. Reports suggest WhatsApp's Business Executive Neeraj Arora&nbsp;among the shortlisted candidates for the top job.

Jan Koum's exit comes after differences with the parent company over WhatApp's strategy and Facebook's attempts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption, the Washington Post earlier reported.

"It's been almost a decade since Brian and I started WhatsApp, and it's been an amazing journey with some of the best people... But it is time for me to move on," Koum's Facebook post read.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg commented on Koum's post, saying he was grateful for what Koum taught him about encryption, "Those values will always be at the heart of WhatsApp," Zuckerberg added.

In case Arora's elevation materialises, he will join the league of Indian-origin CEOs like Microsoft chief Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Neeraj Arora is an IIT Delhi, ISB graduate who has previously worked with PayTm and Google.

Arora worked as the Corporate Development Manager for three years at Google after which he was elevated to the role of a senior member of the Corporate Development Team where he served for a year. He was one of the Board of Directors at Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led PayTm.&nbsp;

He describes himself as 'Business Guy' on LinkedIn for taking care of WhatsApp's business affairs for close to seven years now.&nbsp;He joined the Facebook-owned company in the year 2011.&nbsp;

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In case Arora's elevation materialises, he will join the league of Indian-origin CEOs like Microsoft chief Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai

Speculations are rife about who could be the next WhatsApp CEO after former Chief Jan Koum stepped down last week. Reports suggest WhatsApp's Business Executive Neeraj Arora among the shortlisted candidates for the top job. Jan Koum's exit comes after differences with the parent company over WhatApp's strategy and Facebook's attempts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption, the Washington Post earlier reported. "It's been almost a decade since Brian and I started WhatsApp, and it's been an amazing journey with some of the best people... But it is time for me to move on," Koum's Facebook post read. Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg commented on Koum's post, saying he was grateful for what Koum taught him about encryption, "Those values will always be at the heart of WhatsApp," Zuckerberg added. In case Arora's elevation materialises, he will join the league of Indian-origin CEOs like Microsoft chief Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Neeraj Arora is an IIT Delhi, ISB graduate who has previously worked with PayTm and Google. Arora worked as the Corporate Development Manager for three years at Google after which he was elevated to the role of a senior member of the Corporate Development Team where he served for a year. He was one of the Board of Directors at Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led PayTm. He describes himself as 'Business Guy' on LinkedIn for taking care of WhatsApp's business affairs for close to seven years now. He joined the Facebook-owned company in the year 2011. ×

'Business Guy' Neeraj Arora could be WhatsApp's next CEO

The co-founder of WhatsApp, a messaging service owned by Facebook Inc with more than 1 billion daily users, said on Monday he was leaving the company, in a loss of one of the strongest advocates for privacy inside Facebook.&nbsp

Jan Koum's plan to exit comes after clashing with the parent company over WhatApp's strategy and Facebook`s attempts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption, the Washington Post earlier reported, citing people familiar with the internal discussions.

"It`s been almost a decade since Brian and I started WhatsApp, and it`s been an amazing journey with some of the best people," Koum, WhatsApp`s chief executive, said in a post on his Facebook page referring to co-founder Brian Acton.

"But it is time for me to move on." He did not give a date for his departure and could not immediately be reached for comment.&nbsp

Acton left the messaging service company in September to start a foundation, after spending eight years with WhatsApp.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg commented on Koum`s post, saying he was grateful for what Koum taught him about encryption "and its ability to take power from centralized systems and put it back in people`s hands. Those values will always be at the heart of WhatsApp."&nbsp

Facebook has battled European regulators over a plan to use WhatsApp user data, including phone numbers, to develop products and target ads. The plan is suspended, but WhatsApp said last week it still wanted to move forward eventually.&nbsp

Stanford alumnus Acton and Ukrainian immigrant Koum co-founded WhatsApp in 2009. Facebook bought WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion in cash and stock.

WhatsApp, a pun on the phrase "What`s up?," grew in popularity in part because its encrypted messages are stored on users` smartphones and not on company servers, making the service more private.&nbsp

Concerns about Facebook`s handling of personal information have grown since the social network`s admission in March that the data of millions of users was wrongly harvested by political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook has taken steps to generate revenue from WhatsApp, which unlike Facebook does not have advertising.&nbsp

WhatsApp`s management has fiercely opposed advertising, saying in 2012 that they did not want to be "just another ad clearinghouse" where the engineering team "spends their day tuning data mining."&nbsp

Instead, WhatsApp charged a $1 annual subscription. It dropped that in 2016, moving towards a plan to charge businesses for specialised accounts.&nbsp

Jan Koum`s plan to exit comes after clashing with the parent company over WhatApp`s strategy and Facebook`s attempts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption, the Washington Post earlier reported

The co-founder of WhatsApp, a messaging service owned by Facebook Inc with more than 1 billion daily users, said on Monday he was leaving the company, in a loss of one of the strongest advocates for privacy inside Facebook. Jan Koum's plan to exit comes after clashing with the parent company over WhatApp's strategy and Facebook`s attempts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption, the Washington Post earlier reported, citing people familiar with the internal discussions. "It`s been almost a decade since Brian and I started WhatsApp, and it`s been an amazing journey with some of the best people," Koum, WhatsApp`s chief executive, said in a post on his Facebook page referring to co-founder Brian Acton. "But it is time for me to move on." He did not give a date for his departure and could not immediately be reached for comment. Acton left the messaging service company in September to start a foundation, after spending eight years with WhatsApp. Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg commented on Koum`s post, saying he was grateful for what Koum taught him about encryption "and its ability to take power from centralized systems and put it back in people`s hands. Those values will always be at the heart of WhatsApp." Facebook has battled European regulators over a plan to use WhatsApp user data, including phone numbers, to develop products and target ads. The plan is suspended, but WhatsApp said last week it still wanted to move forward eventually. Stanford alumnus Acton and Ukrainian immigrant Koum co-founded WhatsApp in 2009. Facebook bought WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion in cash and stock. WhatsApp, a pun on the phrase "What`s up?," grew in popularity in part because its encrypted messages are stored on users` smartphones and not on company servers, making the service more private. Concerns about Facebook`s handling of personal information have grown since the social network`s admission in March that the data of millions of users was wrongly harvested by political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Facebook has taken steps to generate revenue from WhatsApp, which unlike Facebook does not have advertising. WhatsApp`s management has fiercely opposed advertising, saying in 2012 that they did not want to be "just another ad clearinghouse" where the engineering team "spends their day tuning data mining." Instead, WhatsApp charged a $1 annual subscription. It dropped that in 2016, moving towards a plan to charge businesses for specialised accounts.

WhatsApp co-founder to quit in loss of privacy advocate at Facebook

Instant messaging application WhatsApp is raising the lower limit of age to use its services to 16 from 13 in Europe.

The rule is coming ahead of the introduction of new data privacy rules in the EU next month.

WhatsApp will ask European users to confirm they are at least 16 years old when they are prompted to agree on new terms of service and a privacy policy provided by a new WhatsApp Ireland Ltd entity in the next few weeks.

It is not clear how or if the age limit will be checked given the limited data requested and held by the service.

Facebook, which has a separate data policy, is taking a different approach to teens aged between 13 and 15 in order to comply with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law.&nbsp;

It is asking them to nominate a parent or guardian to give permission for them to share information on the platform, otherwise, they will not see a fully personalised version of the social media platform.

But WhatsApp, which had more than 1.5 billion users in January according to Facebook, said in a blog post it was not asking for any new rights to collect personal information in the agreement it has created for the European Union.

“Our goal is simply to explain how we use and protect the limited information we have about you,” it said.&nbsp;

The company also added that they do not share information with Facebook. “We are not currently sharing account information to improve your product and ads experience on Facebook. As we have said in the past, we want to work closely with other Facebook companies in the future and we will keep you updated as we develop our plans,” it said.&nbsp;

WhatsApp, the popular messaging service owned by Facebook Inc, is raising its minimum age from 13 to 16 in Europe to help it comply with new data privacy rules coming into force next month.

Instant messaging application WhatsApp is raising the lower limit of age to use its services to 16 from 13 in Europe. The rule is coming ahead of the introduction of new data privacy rules in the EU next month. WhatsApp will ask European users to confirm they are at least 16 years old when they are prompted to agree on new terms of service and a privacy policy provided by a new WhatsApp Ireland Ltd entity in the next few weeks. It is not clear how or if the age limit will be checked given the limited data requested and held by the service. Facebook, which has a separate data policy, is taking a different approach to teens aged between 13 and 15 in order to comply with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law. It is asking them to nominate a parent or guardian to give permission for them to share information on the platform, otherwise, they will not see a fully personalised version of the social media platform. But WhatsApp, which had more than 1.5 billion users in January according to Facebook, said in a blog post it was not asking for any new rights to collect personal information in the agreement it has created for the European Union. “Our goal is simply to explain how we use and protect the limited information we have about you,” it said. The company also added that they do not share information with Facebook. “We are not currently sharing account information to improve your product and ads experience on Facebook. As we have said in the past, we want to work closely with other Facebook companies in the future and we will keep you updated as we develop our plans,” it said.

WhatsApp raises minimum age to use the service to 16 in Europe

Facebook-owned WhatsApp today refuted reports that it is keeping track of the messages and said that it collects very little data and every message is end-to-end encrypted. 
 
WhatsApp was responding to concerns by experts that the popular instant messaging service with over 200-million active users in India might not be as secure as being claimed. Questions were also being raised over certain provisions of the user agreement wherein most of its wrongdoings would go un-remedied and un-challenged. 
 
WhatsApp collects very little data and every message is end-to-end encrypted. Contrary to recent comments in the media, we are not keeping track of the friends and family you have messaged, a WhatsApp spokesperson told PTI. 
 
"The privacy and security of our users is incredibly important to WhatsApp. Invite links are an optional feature available to group administrators to be used only with trusted individuals", the spokesperson told PTI in response to a question. 
 
The popular messaging platform, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, has one billion users globally and is one of the most popular mediums of instant messaging in India. 
In the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, WhatsApp has come under attack from critics. 
 
"One-to-one communication between users are encrypted and may be as secure as WhatsApp claims. But the metadata, information about the calls, is likely being mined by the company," Vivek Wadhwa, a top American technology entrepreneur and academic, told PTI a day earlier. 
 
"WhatsApp has admitted that it is sharing information about identity and device information with Facebook, allowing it to do the dirty work in snooping on users", he said. 
 
Wadhwa said that the group chat feature of WhatsApp puts users at greater threat than their postings on Facebook because of the availability of mobile phone numbers.

Noting that almost one-quarter or more of the world's population is using WhatApp for free, eminent New York-based attorney Ravi Batra said that it makes money by harvesting user data and using it in conjunction with others including Facebook. 
 
He further said, "There is an old saying: There is no free lunch. Yet, there is a new brave digital world - that is free to use, and the costs and profit of providing the free services must come from 'mining' the habits and data connected to each user."

WhatsApp was responding to concerns by experts that the popular instant messaging service with over 200-million active users in India might not be as secure as being claimed

Facebook-owned WhatsApp today refuted reports that it is keeping track of the messages and said that it collects very little data and every message is end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp was responding to concerns by experts that the popular instant messaging service with over 200-million active users in India might not be as secure as being claimed. Questions were also being raised over certain provisions of the user agreement wherein most of its wrongdoings would go un-remedied and un-challenged. WhatsApp collects very little data and every message is end-to-end encrypted. Contrary to recent comments in the media, we are not keeping track of the friends and family you have messaged, a WhatsApp spokesperson told PTI. "The privacy and security of our users is incredibly important to WhatsApp. Invite links are an optional feature available to group administrators to be used only with trusted individuals", the spokesperson told PTI in response to a question. The popular messaging platform, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, has one billion users globally and is one of the most popular mediums of instant messaging in India. In the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, WhatsApp has come under attack from critics. "One-to-one communication between users are encrypted and may be as secure as WhatsApp claims. But the metadata, information about the calls, is likely being mined by the company," Vivek Wadhwa, a top American technology entrepreneur and academic, told PTI a day earlier. "WhatsApp has admitted that it is sharing information about identity and device information with Facebook, allowing it to do the dirty work in snooping on users", he said. Wadhwa said that the group chat feature of WhatsApp puts users at greater threat than their postings on Facebook because of the availability of mobile phone numbers. Noting that almost one-quarter or more of the world's population is using WhatApp for free, eminent New York-based attorney Ravi Batra said that it makes money by harvesting user data and using it in conjunction with others including Facebook. He further said, "There is an old saying: There is no free lunch. Yet, there is a new brave digital world - that is free to use, and the costs and profit of providing the free services must come from 'mining' the habits and data connected to each user."

WhatsApp says it collects very little data and every message is end to end encrypted

Social media giant Facebook is planning to launch an&nbsp;unsend a message feature like Whatsapp for Facebook messenger as well.

The new feature will take several months to launch.

Facebook made the announcement after there were reports that Facebook has retracted Facebook messages sent by its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Few other executives of the organization's messages were also reportedly retracted from the recipients' inboxes.

After which the company announced that no more messages of Zuckerberg will be retracted until the features get available for all users.

The retraction of Zuckerburg's messages has reportedly struck many Facebook users as a violation of trust with Facebook.

According to a report by tech blog, 'Techcrunch' users will have an option of sending their messages by setting a specific expiration time of the sent message and the time will run out the message will automatically be the chat thread.

Though this is just an initial plan for the feature. The company may build another way to unsend their messages from the messenger.

Another subsidiary of Facebook, an instant messaging app Whatsapp has this unsend message feature from November 2017.

Whatsapp users can delete their sent texts by going to 'delete for me only' option.

The new feature will take several months to launch

Social media giant Facebook is planning to launch an unsend a message feature like Whatsapp for Facebook messenger as well. The new feature will take several months to launch. Facebook made the announcement after there were reports that Facebook has retracted Facebook messages sent by its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Few other executives of the organization's messages were also reportedly retracted from the recipients' inboxes. After which the company announced that no more messages of Zuckerberg will be retracted until the features get available for all users. The retraction of Zuckerburg's messages has reportedly struck many Facebook users as a violation of trust with Facebook. According to a report by tech blog, 'Techcrunch' users will have an option of sending their messages by setting a specific expiration time of the sent message and the time will run out the message will automatically be the chat thread. Though this is just an initial plan for the feature. The company may build another way to unsend their messages from the messenger. Another subsidiary of Facebook, an instant messaging app Whatsapp has this unsend message feature from November 2017. Whatsapp users can delete their sent texts by going to 'delete for me only' option.

After secretly deleting Zuckerberg's messages, Facebook to launch unsend a message feature for everyone

Putting an end to the reports of another paper leak, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Saturday said that the Class 12 Hindi (Elective) question paper was not leaked.

The CBSE termed the alleged leaked paper that is doing the rounds on social media as 'fake'.

"A fake question paper of Class 12- Hindi (Elective) is being circulated on Social Media platforms like Whatsapp, YouTube etc, it is not the real one," the CBSE said in a statement.

The statement comes hours after students protested outside the CBSE office in New Delhi, claiming that the Hindi paper was also leaked.

The Hindi exam is scheduled to be held on April 2.

Meanwhile, on March 30, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry announced that the re-examination for the Economics paper for Class 12 CBSE students would be held on 25 April and the Class 10 Maths paper, if required, would be conducted only for Delhi-NCR and Haryana in July.

Two cases have been registered and a Special Investigation team by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police has been formed to investigate the paper leaks.

The papers of Class 12 Economics, held on March 26, and Class 10 Maths, held on March 28, were leaked on social media hours before the examination.&nbsp;

Putting an end to the reports of another paper leak, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Saturday said that the Class 12 Hindi (Elective) question paper was not leaked

Putting an end to the reports of another paper leak, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Saturday said that the Class 12 Hindi (Elective) question paper was not leaked. The CBSE termed the alleged leaked paper that is doing the rounds on social media as 'fake'. "A fake question paper of Class 12- Hindi (Elective) is being circulated on Social Media platforms like Whatsapp, YouTube etc, it is not the real one," the CBSE said in a statement. The statement comes hours after students protested outside the CBSE office in New Delhi, claiming that the Hindi paper was also leaked. The Hindi exam is scheduled to be held on April 2. Meanwhile, on March 30, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry announced that the re-examination for the Economics paper for Class 12 CBSE students would be held on 25 April and the Class 10 Maths paper, if required, would be conducted only for Delhi-NCR and Haryana in July. Two cases have been registered and a Special Investigation team by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police has been formed to investigate the paper leaks. The papers of Class 12 Economics, held on March 26, and Class 10 Maths, held on March 28, were leaked on social media hours before the examination.

CBSE quashes Class 12 Hindi paper leak claims

Days after Economics and Maths paper leaks rocked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination, a whistleblower has come forward with the claims that Political Science paper was also made public.

The Economics question paper of class XII and Maths question paper of class X were leaked on social media hours before the examination.

The Economics exam was held on March 26 and Maths on March 28.

Talking to ANI on the condition of anonymity, the man said, "I am 100 per cent sure that Political Science question paper was also leaked.

He had contacted the person through YouTube who was leaking the paper and informed the CBSE about the paper leak on March 17 but no action was taken.

"I had managed to contact the person leaking the paper through YouTube. I alerted CBSE, Prime Minister and police on March 17, but no action was taken," the whistleblower said.

This whistleblower has come forward but the Delhi Police has widened the search for another whistleblower in the CBSE paper leaks case, who, on three occasions, alerted the education board about the leaks.

The whistleblower, according to the police, sent a fax message on March 23 to the CBSE and alleged that a coaching centre was involved in a paper leak.

The concerned person then again on March 26 sent a courier to the Rouse Avenue office of the CBSE.

In the courier, answers of the Class XII Economics question paper were written on four pages.

Apart from it, mobile numbers of four persons were also mentioned who allegedly received these question papers on the WhatsApp groups.

On March 28, the CBSE chairperson received an email at 1:39 am with an attachment of 12 pages in which questions and answers of class X were written.

The mail also appealed to the CBSE to cancel the exams.

However, the examination board did not cancel the exams.

The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged in this regard on March 28 evening.

Till now, the police have come to know that the CBSE question papers were leaked on 10 WhatsApp groups.

The Economics question paper of class XII and Maths question paper of class X were leaked on social media hours before the examination

Days after Economics and Maths paper leaks rocked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination, a whistleblower has come forward with the claims that Political Science paper was also made public. The Economics question paper of class XII and Maths question paper of class X were leaked on social media hours before the examination. The Economics exam was held on March 26 and Maths on March 28. Talking to ANI on the condition of anonymity, the man said, "I am 100 per cent sure that Political Science question paper was also leaked. He had contacted the person through YouTube who was leaking the paper and informed the CBSE about the paper leak on March 17 but no action was taken. "I had managed to contact the person leaking the paper through YouTube. I alerted CBSE, Prime Minister and police on March 17, but no action was taken," the whistleblower said. This whistleblower has come forward but the Delhi Police has widened the search for another whistleblower in the CBSE paper leaks case, who, on three occasions, alerted the education board about the leaks. The whistleblower, according to the police, sent a fax message on March 23 to the CBSE and alleged that a coaching centre was involved in a paper leak. The concerned person then again on March 26 sent a courier to the Rouse Avenue office of the CBSE. In the courier, answers of the Class XII Economics question paper were written on four pages. Apart from it, mobile numbers of four persons were also mentioned who allegedly received these question papers on the WhatsApp groups. On March 28, the CBSE chairperson received an email at 1:39 am with an attachment of 12 pages in which questions and answers of class X were written. The mail also appealed to the CBSE to cancel the exams. However, the examination board did not cancel the exams. The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged in this regard on March 28 evening. Till now, the police have come to know that the CBSE question papers were leaked on 10 WhatsApp groups.

CBSE Political Science paper was also leaked, says a whistleblower

Android users can now link their bank account to their WhatsApp and facilitate online payments. Android beta users will have a WhatsApp Payments option that can be enabled.

Users will be asked to link their bank account with the WhatsApp account and will also get an option to scan QR codes for payments.&nbsp;

WhatsApp's 2.18.79 Android version lets you link your bank account to your WhatsApp after verifying the mobile number via an SMS.&nbsp;

The Scan QR Code option -- available on WhatsApp version 2.18.93 -- will enable users to make payments by scanning QR codes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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The service can be accessed by going to Settings > Payments. (WION)
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To access the feature you need to make sure that your Android device has the latest version of the application installed. The service can be accessed by going to Settings > Payments.&nbsp;

The Facebook-owned instant messaging application first launched its payment service option in February this year for select Android and iPhone devices.&nbsp;&nbsp;

WhatsApp's 2.18.79 Android version lets you link your bank account to your WhatsApp account after verifying the mobile number via an SMS

Android users can now link their bank account to their WhatsApp and facilitate online payments. Android beta users will have a WhatsApp Payments option that can be enabled. Users will be asked to link their bank account with the WhatsApp account and will also get an option to scan QR codes for payments. WhatsApp's 2.18.79 Android version lets you link your bank account to your WhatsApp after verifying the mobile number via an SMS. The Scan QR Code option -- available on WhatsApp version 2.18.93 -- will enable users to make payments by scanning QR codes. The service can be accessed by going to Settings > Payments. (WION) × To access the feature you need to make sure that your Android device has the latest version of the application installed. The service can be accessed by going to Settings > Payments. The Facebook-owned instant messaging application first launched its payment service option in February this year for select Android and iPhone devices.

You can now use WhatsApp to make payments

Amid rising speculations of social media giant Facebook`s involvement in the alleged misuse of users` private data, WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton took to Twitter asking everyone to delete Facebook.&nbsp;

Acton, whose product was bought by Facebook in 2014 for a whopping $16 billion, took to the microblogging platform and said &quot;It is time. #deletefacebook&quot; after concerns were flagged on data privacy in the wake of revelations about Cambridge Analytica`s alleged misuse of user data.

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It is time. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/deletefacebook?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#deletefacebook</a>
&mdash; Brian Acton (@brianacton) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianacton/status/976231995846963201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The rise of false news and the disclosure recently that scores of Facebook user profiles had been harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a voter-profiling company that worked on the United States President Donald Trump`s 2016 election campaign, are key issues which have emerged.&nbsp;

This has resulted in a significant plunge in the company`s shares over the last five days.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Cambridge Analytica on Tuesday suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix, amid a furore over the access it gained to private information on more than 50 million Facebook users.&nbsp;

Brian Acton said 'It is time. #deletefacebook' after concerns were flagged on data privacy

Amid rising speculations of social media giant Facebook`s involvement in the alleged misuse of users` private data, WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton took to Twitter asking everyone to delete Facebook. Acton, whose product was bought by Facebook in 2014 for a whopping $16 billion, took to the microblogging platform and said "It is time. #deletefacebook" after concerns were flagged on data privacy in the wake of revelations about Cambridge Analytica`s alleged misuse of user data. It is time. #deletefacebook — Brian Acton (@brianacton) March 20, 2018 × The rise of false news and the disclosure recently that scores of Facebook user profiles had been harvested by Cambridge Analytica, a voter-profiling company that worked on the United States President Donald Trump`s 2016 election campaign, are key issues which have emerged. This has resulted in a significant plunge in the company`s shares over the last five days. Meanwhile, Cambridge Analytica on Tuesday suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix, amid a furore over the access it gained to private information on more than 50 million Facebook users.

It's time to delete Facebook, says WhatsApp co-founder

Denying earlier reports of class 12 Accountancy paper leak, CBSE said that there has been no leakage of the question paper.

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There has been no leakage of the question paper. All the seals have been found intact at all the exam centres: CBSE
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/974196320314511360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&#39;All the seals have been found intact at all the exam centers&#39;, the board added.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/class-12-accountancy-question-paper-leaked-manish-sisodia-orders-inquiry-35904">Class 12 accountancy question paper allegedly leaked; Manish Sisodia orders inquiry</a>

CBSE further clarified that at the local level &quot;some miscreants have tried to play mischief by circulating messages through Whatsapp to disturb the sanctity of examinations.&quot;

However, CBSE had lodged an FIR and decided to take a strict action against such activities.

On Wednesday evening&nbsp;the Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also tweeted that &#39;&#39;he had received complaints regarding class 12 CBSE accountancy paper leak.&#39;&#39;

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Received complaints about the Class 12 CBSE Accountancy paper being leaked. Have asked officers of Directorate of Education to investigate and lodge a complaint with CBSE. 
Swift action must be taken, so that hard-working students don&#39;t suffer due to negligence of CBSE.
&mdash; Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) <a href="https://twitter.com/msisodia/status/974169816222355456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Following the complaint, Sisodia said that he had ordered an inquiry into the matter

&quot;Asked officers of Directorate of Education to investigate and lodge a complaint with CBSE,&#39;&#39; Sisodia said.

&quot;Swift action must be taken, so that hard-working students don&#39;t suffer due to the negligence of CBSE&quot;, he added.

Sisodia&#39;s statement came after reports of class 12 accountancy question paper allegedly getting leaked on Whatsapp and other social media platform on Thursday.

CBSE committee has also initiated an investigation into the matter.

Though cancellation of the exam was demanded, but no report of exam cancellation or the paper being nullified has yet been officially announced.

&nbsp;

CBSE further clarified that at the local level 'some miscreants have tried to play mischief by circulating messages through Whatsapp to disturb the sanctity of examinations'

Denying earlier reports of class 12 Accountancy paper leak, CBSE said that there has been no leakage of the question paper. There has been no leakage of the question paper. All the seals have been found intact at all the exam centres: CBSE — ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2018 × 'All the seals have been found intact at all the exam centers', the board added. Also read: Class 12 accountancy question paper allegedly leaked; Manish Sisodia orders inquiry CBSE further clarified that at the local level "some miscreants have tried to play mischief by circulating messages through Whatsapp to disturb the sanctity of examinations." However, CBSE had lodged an FIR and decided to take a strict action against such activities. On Wednesday evening the Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also tweeted that ''he had received complaints regarding class 12 CBSE accountancy paper leak.'' Received complaints about the Class 12 CBSE Accountancy paper being leaked. Have asked officers of Directorate of Education to investigate and lodge a complaint with CBSE. Swift action must be taken, so that hard-working students don't suffer due to negligence of CBSE. — Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) March 15, 2018 × Following the complaint, Sisodia said that he had ordered an inquiry into the matter "Asked officers of Directorate of Education to investigate and lodge a complaint with CBSE,'' Sisodia said. "Swift action must be taken, so that hard-working students don't suffer due to the negligence of CBSE", he added. Sisodia's statement came after reports of class 12 accountancy question paper allegedly getting leaked on Whatsapp and other social media platform on Thursday. CBSE committee has also initiated an investigation into the matter. Though cancellation of the exam was demanded, but no report of exam cancellation or the paper being nullified has yet been officially announced.

CBSE denies paper leak reports, says 'all the seals have been found intact at all the exam centers'

Days after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested one of the five administrators of a WhatsApp group that was allegedly involved in circulating child pornographic content, the agency revealed that the group has many as 119 members from 40 countries.&nbsp;

&quot;The maximum members in the WhatsApp group were from India with 66, from Pakistan 56 and USA had the least with 29. While the forensic examination of electronic gadgets is being done by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC(T)) in Trivandrum,&quot; the agency said.

&quot;A case has also been registered against all the five administrators of the WhatsApp group under section under Section 67B (Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in the sexually explicit act). While searches are being carried out in Delhi, Noida and Uttar Pradesh`s Kanauj town,&quot; CBI further added.

The agency stated that members of the group hail from countries like Brazil, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, USA and China.

During the searches, the CBI recovered mobile phones, laptops, hard disks and other digital devices.

CBI arrested one of the administrators of a WhatsApp group circulating child pornography messages on February 22.&nbsp;

Nikhil Verma, one of the administrators of the WhatsApp group, was arrested while a case was registered against 5 group admins and nearly hundred members of the WhatsApp group.&nbsp;

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CBI registers case against 5 people (group admins) &amp; 114 members of a WhatsApp group for circulating child pornography messages. CBI conducting searches at three locations in Delhi, UP &amp; Maharashtra.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/966641799287762945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The WhatsApp group is reported to be in existence for nearly a couple of years. One of the administrators, Nikhil Verma is identified as a 20-year-old commerce graduate from Kanauj, Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

Members of the group hail from countries like Brazil, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, USA and China

Days after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested one of the five administrators of a WhatsApp group that was allegedly involved in circulating child pornographic content, the agency revealed that the group has many as 119 members from 40 countries. "The maximum members in the WhatsApp group were from India with 66, from Pakistan 56 and USA had the least with 29. While the forensic examination of electronic gadgets is being done by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC(T)) in Trivandrum," the agency said. "A case has also been registered against all the five administrators of the WhatsApp group under section under Section 67B (Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in the sexually explicit act). While searches are being carried out in Delhi, Noida and Uttar Pradesh`s Kanauj town," CBI further added. The agency stated that members of the group hail from countries like Brazil, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, USA and China. During the searches, the CBI recovered mobile phones, laptops, hard disks and other digital devices. CBI arrested one of the administrators of a WhatsApp group circulating child pornography messages on February 22. Nikhil Verma, one of the administrators of the WhatsApp group, was arrested while a case was registered against 5 group admins and nearly hundred members of the WhatsApp group. CBI registers case against 5 people (group admins) & 114 members of a WhatsApp group for circulating child pornography messages. CBI conducting searches at three locations in Delhi, UP & Maharashtra. — ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2018 × The WhatsApp group is reported to be in existence for nearly a couple of years. One of the administrators, Nikhil Verma is identified as a 20-year-old commerce graduate from Kanauj, Uttar Pradesh.

WhatsApp child porn racket: CBI says 119 members from 40 countries involved

SEBI on Friday asked HDFC Bank to identify individuals, including bank officials responsible for the leakage of its financial results, as the markets regulator has found inadequate controls at the lender as &#39;prima facie&#39; reason for the leak.

In the high-profile leakage case where sensitive financial details of various companies, including HDFC Bank, got leaked on WhatsApp before their formal announcement, SEBI virtually censured the top private sector lender and asked it to strengthen the systems and controls to check any such leak in future.

&quot;HDFC Bank shall strengthen its processes/ systems/ controls forthwith to ensure that such instances of leakage of unpublished price sensitive information do not recur in future,&quot; the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said in an order.

SEBI has also directed the bank to submit a report on the present systems and controls and how they have been strengthened, who are the persons responsible for monitoring such systems and the periodicity of monitoring.

&quot;HDFC Bank shall conduct an internal inquiry into the leakage of unpublished price sensitive information relating to its financial figures including NPA (non-performing asset) results and take appropriate action against those responsible for the same, in accordance with law,&quot; SEBI said.

HDFC Bank has to complete the inquiry within three months and file a report to SEBI within seven days thereafter, the regulator said.&nbsp;

In the high-profile leakage case where sensitive financial details of various companies, including HDFC Bank, got leaked on WhatsApp before their formal announcement, SEBI virtually censured the top private sector lender and asked it to strengthen the systems and controls to check any such leak

SEBI on Friday asked HDFC Bank to identify individuals, including bank officials responsible for the leakage of its financial results, as the markets regulator has found inadequate controls at the lender as 'prima facie' reason for the leak. In the high-profile leakage case where sensitive financial details of various companies, including HDFC Bank, got leaked on WhatsApp before their formal announcement, SEBI virtually censured the top private sector lender and asked it to strengthen the systems and controls to check any such leak in future. "HDFC Bank shall strengthen its processes/ systems/ controls forthwith to ensure that such instances of leakage of unpublished price sensitive information do not recur in future," the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said in an order. SEBI has also directed the bank to submit a report on the present systems and controls and how they have been strengthened, who are the persons responsible for monitoring such systems and the periodicity of monitoring. "HDFC Bank shall conduct an internal inquiry into the leakage of unpublished price sensitive information relating to its financial figures including NPA (non-performing asset) results and take appropriate action against those responsible for the same, in accordance with law," SEBI said. HDFC Bank has to complete the inquiry within three months and file a report to SEBI within seven days thereafter, the regulator said.

Whatsapp leak: SEBI asks HDFC Bank to probe matter

A Kashmiri man whose video of a death-defying stunt went viral, on Wednesday&nbsp;apologised&nbsp;for performing such a&nbsp;dangerous stunt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Terming his&nbsp;stunt stupid, the youth identified as Aadil, apologised to everyone who commented and shared his video.

&quot;I don&#39;t know how to explain that how much I feel ashamed at this time. I&#39;m appealing all the people plz plz forgive me and I wouldn&#39;t repeat it again,&quot; he added,

Aadil further asked for forgiveness from police and requested to not send him to prison.

Aadil from Bijbehara from South of Kashmir performed a dangerous stunt in which he was lying on a railway track with his face down and was approached by a train in high speed coming directly&nbsp;at him.

The train&nbsp;passes over him completely leaving Aadil without any harm.

The Aadil can be seen celebrating after the stunt in a video recorded by an unidentified person.

The incident&nbsp;raised security concerns in the valley and people asked for immediate action on&nbsp;Aadil and whoever was involved in the incident.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah also shared his video saying &quot;I can&rsquo;t believe the stupidity of these young men.&quot;

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There is something drastically wrong with this sort of adventure seeking. I can&rsquo;t believe the stupidity of these young men. <a href="https://t.co/83lLWanozR">pic.twitter.com/83lLWanozR</a>
&mdash; Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmarAbdullah/status/955791718216953856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Many Whatsapp group administrators also urged group members not to share the video as it will encourage more teens to do the same in the name of adventure and thrill.

Identified as Aadil, the youth apologised to everyone who commented and shared his video

A Kashmiri man whose video of a death-defying stunt went viral, on Wednesday apologised for performing such a dangerous stunt. Terming his stunt stupid, the youth identified as Aadil, apologised to everyone who commented and shared his video. "I don't know how to explain that how much I feel ashamed at this time. I'm appealing all the people plz plz forgive me and I wouldn't repeat it again," he added, Aadil further asked for forgiveness from police and requested to not send him to prison. Aadil from Bijbehara from South of Kashmir performed a dangerous stunt in which he was lying on a railway track with his face down and was approached by a train in high speed coming directly at him. The train passes over him completely leaving Aadil without any harm. The Aadil can be seen celebrating after the stunt in a video recorded by an unidentified person. The incident raised security concerns in the valley and people asked for immediate action on Aadil and whoever was involved in the incident. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah also shared his video saying "I can’t believe the stupidity of these young men." There is something drastically wrong with this sort of adventure seeking. I can’t believe the stupidity of these young men. pic.twitter.com/83lLWanozR — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 23, 2018 × Many Whatsapp group administrators also urged group members not to share the video as it will encourage more teens to do the same in the name of adventure and thrill.

Watch: Kashmiri youth apologises for death-defying train stunt that went viral

Popular messaging platform WhatsApp today unveiled a new &#39;WhatsApp Business&#39; app, aimed at small and medium enterprises.

The free-to-download Android app will make it easier for companies to connect with customers, as well as its 1.3 billion users to chat with businesses, WhatsApp said in a statement.

WhatsApp Business is available today and free to download on Google Play in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the UK and the US, it added.

The app will be rolled out around the world in the coming weeks, it said.

Over 80 per cent of small businesses in India and Brazil said WhatsApp helped them both communicate with customers and grow their business, the Facebook-owned company said citing reports.

India is home to over 200 million WhatsApp users. It has more than one billion users globally.

Using the business app, SMEs can help customers with useful information such as a business description, email or store addresses and website.

They will also be able to review simple metrics like the number of messages read to see what&#39;s working, the statement said.&nbsp;

India is home to over 200 million WhatsApp users

Popular messaging platform WhatsApp today unveiled a new 'WhatsApp Business' app, aimed at small and medium enterprises. The free-to-download Android app will make it easier for companies to connect with customers, as well as its 1.3 billion users to chat with businesses, WhatsApp said in a statement. WhatsApp Business is available today and free to download on Google Play in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the UK and the US, it added. The app will be rolled out around the world in the coming weeks, it said. Over 80 per cent of small businesses in India and Brazil said WhatsApp helped them both communicate with customers and grow their business, the Facebook-owned company said citing reports. India is home to over 200 million WhatsApp users. It has more than one billion users globally. Using the business app, SMEs can help customers with useful information such as a business description, email or store addresses and website. They will also be able to review simple metrics like the number of messages read to see what's working, the statement said.

WhatsApp launches 'Business' app for small, medium enterprises

WhatsApp rolls out its YouTube integration feature for iPhone users.

The Facebook-owned messaging application was planning to introduce the YouTube support feature for a long time.&nbsp;

The &#39;Picture-in-Picture&#39; YouTube feature can be accessed after installing the latest WhatsApp version --v2.18.11-- on an iPhone.&nbsp;

The feature enables a user to view YouTube content in the chat interface without opening the YouTube app or a browser window.

Users will be able to play, pause or access YouTube content in fullscreen right from within the chat interface.&nbsp;

The YouTube video continues to play even when the chat is exited or if a person switches between multiple chats.&nbsp;

It must be noted that only those videos can be viewed which a user receives from other contacts on WhatsApp.

YouTube videos shared with others cannot be watched within&nbsp;WhatsApp&#39;s interface.

The feature was earlier made available to BETA users and is now accessible to iPhone users.

There is no information on when will the feature be rolled out on other operating systems.&nbsp;

To access the 'Picture-in-Picture' YouTube feature, users need to install the latest version of WhatsApp -- v2.18.11

WhatsApp rolls out its YouTube integration feature for iPhone users. The Facebook-owned messaging application was planning to introduce the YouTube support feature for a long time. The 'Picture-in-Picture' YouTube feature can be accessed after installing the latest WhatsApp version --v2.18.11-- on an iPhone. The feature enables a user to view YouTube content in the chat interface without opening the YouTube app or a browser window. Users will be able to play, pause or access YouTube content in fullscreen right from within the chat interface. The YouTube video continues to play even when the chat is exited or if a person switches between multiple chats. It must be noted that only those videos can be viewed which a user receives from other contacts on WhatsApp. YouTube videos shared with others cannot be watched within WhatsApp's interface. The feature was earlier made available to BETA users and is now accessible to iPhone users. There is no information on when will the feature be rolled out on other operating systems.

Now, iPhone users can watch YouTube videos on WhatsApp

Whistleblower Edward Snowden spoke out in support of the Tribune journalist who did an investigative piece of people who reportedly easily accessed private Aadhaar data on WhatsApp.

Snowden said that the journalist deserves an award, not an investigation.&nbsp;

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The journalists exposing the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aadhaar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aadhaar</a> breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called <a href="https://twitter.com/UIDAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UIDAI</a>. <a href="https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2">https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2</a>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/950490382990790656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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UIDAI has constantly denied reports of any Aadhaar data breach and called it &quot;misreporting.&quot;

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uidai-files-fir-against-a-reporter-of-an-english-daily-28769">FIR was filed by Unique Identification Authority of India,</a> against the reporter Rachna Khaira after she did an investigative article exposing how Aadhaar details were being sold for a particular amount as low&nbsp;as Rs 500 on a Whatsapp group.

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GwFkOxK2pLM" width="770"></iframe>

In the past, Snowden had said that Aadhaar database conceived by the Indian government could be &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/edward-snowden-on-aadhaar-no-matter-the-laws-the-result-is-abuse-28613">misused and abused.</a>&quot;

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It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. <a href="https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f">https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f</a>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/949057892069523459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Edward Snowden is famously known for leaking classified information that exposed massive surveillance operation run by the CIA and&nbsp;has currently taken asylum in Russia.

Meanwhile, Ravi Shankar Prasad, electronics and Information technology minister also addressed the&nbsp;situation and clarified that the government is fully committed to the freedom of the press.

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Govt. is fully committed to freedom of Press as well as to maintaining security &amp; sanctity of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aadhaar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aadhaar</a> for India&#39;s development. FIR is against unknown. I&#39;ve suggested <a href="https://twitter.com/UIDAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UIDAI</a> to request Tribune &amp; it&#39;s journalist to give all assistance to police in investigating real offenders.
&mdash; Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad/status/950275919855304705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Edward Snowden spoke out in support of the tribune journalist who did an investigative piece of normal people easily accessing private Aadhaar data on WhatsApp

Whistleblower Edward Snowden spoke out in support of the Tribune journalist who did an investigative piece of people who reportedly easily accessed private Aadhaar data on WhatsApp. Snowden said that the journalist deserves an award, not an investigation. The journalists exposing the #Aadhaar breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called @UIDAI. https://t.co/xyewbK2WO2 — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 8, 2018 × UIDAI has constantly denied reports of any Aadhaar data breach and called it "misreporting." The FIR was filed by Unique Identification Authority of India, against the reporter Rachna Khaira after she did an investigative article exposing how Aadhaar details were being sold for a particular amount as low as Rs 500 on a Whatsapp group. In the past, Snowden had said that Aadhaar database conceived by the Indian government could be "misused and abused." It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 4, 2018 × Edward Snowden is famously known for leaking classified information that exposed massive surveillance operation run by the CIA and has currently taken asylum in Russia. Meanwhile, Ravi Shankar Prasad, electronics and Information technology minister also addressed the situation and clarified that the government is fully committed to the freedom of the press. Govt. is fully committed to freedom of Press as well as to maintaining security & sanctity of #Aadhaar for India's development. FIR is against unknown. I've suggested @UIDAI to request Tribune & it's journalist to give all assistance to police in investigating real offenders. — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) January 8, 2018 ×

Journalist who exposed flaws in UIDAI should be awarded, not investigated: Edward Snowden

Now your WhatsApp messages are not so safe with a Spanish court ruling on Sunday that&nbsp;parents and guardians can monitor social media use by children and read their WhatsApp messages.

In the ruling, the European&nbsp;court has put the rights and responsibilities of parents over their children above privacy laws.&nbsp;

The court in the northern Spanish city of Pontevedra was quoted:&nbsp;&ldquo;The development of social networks, as well as WhatsApp, requires attention and vigilance of the parents to preserve the indemnity of minors.&quot;

As reported by a&nbsp;digital news website, a divorced father of two in Spain won the right to read his children&#39;s&nbsp;WhatsApp messages as a result of this ruling.&nbsp;

Earlier the man was facing the charge of breaching the privacy right of his daughter after he read her WhatsApp chats.

The man was sued by his ex-wife, according to the report.&nbsp;

She told a leading local daily, &quot;Both my kids told me that their father took them to their bedrooms and went over my daughter&rsquo;s conversations with them.&rdquo;

A lower court in the region earlier backed the mother saying that reading WhatsApp conversations of their daughter by her former husband amounted to breaching the children&rsquo;s right to privacy, an offence that carries a sentence of up to four years in prison as well as a fine.

Judges in the higher Pontevedra court, however, ruled that ultimately both parents had a greater right &ldquo;to watch over&rdquo; their children.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Use of social networks by minors ?requires attention and vigilance of the parents", rules court

Now your WhatsApp messages are not so safe with a Spanish court ruling on Sunday that parents and guardians can monitor social media use by children and read their WhatsApp messages. In the ruling, the European court has put the rights and responsibilities of parents over their children above privacy laws. The court in the northern Spanish city of Pontevedra was quoted: “The development of social networks, as well as WhatsApp, requires attention and vigilance of the parents to preserve the indemnity of minors." As reported by a digital news website, a divorced father of two in Spain won the right to read his children's WhatsApp messages as a result of this ruling. Earlier the man was facing the charge of breaching the privacy right of his daughter after he read her WhatsApp chats. The man was sued by his ex-wife, according to the report. She told a leading local daily, "Both my kids told me that their father took them to their bedrooms and went over my daughter’s conversations with them.” A lower court in the region earlier backed the mother saying that reading WhatsApp conversations of their daughter by her former husband amounted to breaching the children’s right to privacy, an offence that carries a sentence of up to four years in prison as well as a fine. Judges in the higher Pontevedra court, however, ruled that ultimately both parents had a greater right “to watch over” their children.

Parents allowed to read their kids' Whatsapp messages, Spanish court rules

WhatsApp will stop working for a number of smartphones in the new year 2018.

The messaging app has ended updates for a number of smartphones.&nbsp;

The communication app will stop functioning on Blackberry OS, Blackberry 10 and other outdated platforms after the end of this year.&nbsp;

The feature will also not work on Windows Phone 8.0 and iPhone 7.&nbsp;

Although Nokia S40 handset had got an extension for using the messaging app last year, the Facebook-owned giant has withdrawn its support from the handset for the coming year.&nbsp;

Devices running on older version of Android 2.3.7(Gingerbread) will have access to the messaging app until February 1, 2020.

The messaging app had withdrawn its access from Nokia Symbian S60 in June 2017.&nbsp;

WhatsApp had already stopped supporting iOS 6, Android 2.1 and Android 2.2 in December 2016.

The messaging app has ended updates for a number of smartphones

WhatsApp will stop working for a number of smartphones in the new year 2018. The messaging app has ended updates for a number of smartphones. The communication app will stop functioning on Blackberry OS, Blackberry 10 and other outdated platforms after the end of this year. The feature will also not work on Windows Phone 8.0 and iPhone 7. Although Nokia S40 handset had got an extension for using the messaging app last year, the Facebook-owned giant has withdrawn its support from the handset for the coming year. Devices running on older version of Android 2.3.7(Gingerbread) will have access to the messaging app until February 1, 2020. The messaging app had withdrawn its access from Nokia Symbian S60 in June 2017. WhatsApp had already stopped supporting iOS 6, Android 2.1 and Android 2.2 in December 2016.

WhatsApp to discontinue services for several smartphones from 2018

In a move to simplify its platform the popular photosharing app, Instagram,&nbsp;has introduced two new features.&nbsp;

The new feature will provide users with a simplified search technique by following hashtags.&nbsp;

They can now follow hashtags in addition to other people&#39;s account.

Users will be able to track the topic of their interest by following a hashtag. Two tabs will appear after the users search for a topic. One of the tab will include the list of people related to the topic, while the other will have related hashtags.&nbsp;

The users can follow any hashtag page from the available list after which they will get to see top feeds and stories related to the hashtag.&nbsp;

Not showing every piece of information tagged with the&nbsp;hashtag, the app will use an algorithm to provide content to the user that he has engaged&nbsp;with the most.

Besides this, it&nbsp;has also introduced another feature which will show the photos liked by user&#39;s friend on the&nbsp;newsfeed.&nbsp;

It will help in the easy discovery of new content in the news feed.&nbsp;

Also, the stories bar will feature the latest story related to the hashtag.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Users will be able to track the topic of their interest by following a hashtag. Two tabs will appear after the users search for a topic. One of the tab will include the list of people related to the topic, while the other will have related hashtags

In a move to simplify its platform the popular photosharing app, Instagram, has introduced two new features. The new feature will provide users with a simplified search technique by following hashtags. They can now follow hashtags in addition to other people's account. Users will be able to track the topic of their interest by following a hashtag. Two tabs will appear after the users search for a topic. One of the tab will include the list of people related to the topic, while the other will have related hashtags. The users can follow any hashtag page from the available list after which they will get to see top feeds and stories related to the hashtag. Not showing every piece of information tagged with the hashtag, the app will use an algorithm to provide content to the user that he has engaged with the most. Besides this, it has also introduced another feature which will show the photos liked by user's friend on the newsfeed. It will help in the easy discovery of new content in the news feed. Also, the stories bar will feature the latest story related to the hashtag.

Now, follow hashtags on Instagram

Tap to unblock and private replies in groups, among others are the some the features that the&nbsp;WhatsApp is testing for its over one billion users.&nbsp;

In the latest WhatsApp Android Beta version, spotted by the popular fan website WABetaInfo, &quot;when you want to select a contact from the Contact List, you can easily chat to blocked contacts simply unblocking them using the new action: tap and hold the cell to unblock and send a message&quot;.

The Private Replies feature will let users reply privately to a person within a group. One need not leave the group to reply someone with the addition of this feature.

In Group Info, WhatsApp has added a new shortcut called Invite via link, very similar to the option you can find in the iOS app.

&quot;This is visible only to administrators,&quot; the website said.

&quot;In future, you will also be able to shake your device while you are in a chat to report something wrong to WhatsApp!,&quot; the website added.

This action will open the Contact Us section, where your logs can be sent to WhatsApp to help them to investigate.

In an iOS update, WhatsApp is also working on an option that will allow users to make a group call.

As businesses widely use WhatsApp to communicate with their customers, particularly in Asia, the Facebook-owned service also appears set to launch a brand new app for them.

In a new FAQ published on its site, WhatsApp revealed more details about the upcoming Business accounts like how to identify verified Business accounts from non-verified ones.

&quot;While chatting with businesses, you can check your contact`s profile to see which type of account they`re using. A verified account has a green checkmark badge in its profile,&quot; WhatsApp wrote in the FAQ.

The much-talked-about WhatsApp for the business app is currently being tested by a private group of testers and the company will introduce it as WhatsApp Business` a standalone app.

The Private Replies feature will let users reply privately to a person within a group. With this feature, you need not leave the group to reply someone.

Tap to unblock and private replies in groups, among others are the some the features that the WhatsApp is testing for its over one billion users. In the latest WhatsApp Android Beta version, spotted by the popular fan website WABetaInfo, "when you want to select a contact from the Contact List, you can easily chat to blocked contacts simply unblocking them using the new action: tap and hold the cell to unblock and send a message". The Private Replies feature will let users reply privately to a person within a group. One need not leave the group to reply someone with the addition of this feature. In Group Info, WhatsApp has added a new shortcut called Invite via link, very similar to the option you can find in the iOS app. "This is visible only to administrators," the website said. "In future, you will also be able to shake your device while you are in a chat to report something wrong to WhatsApp!," the website added. This action will open the Contact Us section, where your logs can be sent to WhatsApp to help them to investigate. In an iOS update, WhatsApp is also working on an option that will allow users to make a group call. As businesses widely use WhatsApp to communicate with their customers, particularly in Asia, the Facebook-owned service also appears set to launch a brand new app for them. In a new FAQ published on its site, WhatsApp revealed more details about the upcoming Business accounts like how to identify verified Business accounts from non-verified ones. "While chatting with businesses, you can check your contact`s profile to see which type of account they`re using. A verified account has a green checkmark badge in its profile," WhatsApp wrote in the FAQ. The much-talked-about WhatsApp for the business app is currently being tested by a private group of testers and the company will introduce it as WhatsApp Business` a standalone app.

WhatsApp to introduce tap to unblock, reply privately in groups soon

As more and more businesses turn to social media to educate customers and target audience with respect to their product or service, WhatsApp recently published a blog giving out more information about its brand new application designed especially for business accounts.&nbsp;

&quot;Over 1 billion people use WhatsApp every day to stay connected with their family and friends, and over time, more people are using the app to communicate with businesses they care about too. In the coming months, we&#39;ll be testing new features that aim to solve some of these challenges and make it easier for people to communicate with the businesses they want to reach on WhatsApp,&quot; mentions WhatsApp&#39;s official blog.&nbsp;

A business account will be identified as the one created by using the official WhatsApp Business application. The logo will remain the remain, with a minor change that will replace the call logo at the centre of the green dialogue bubble with a &#39;B&#39;.

While a business account will sport a grey question mark badge in its profile, a confirmed account will have a grey checkmark badge.&nbsp;

A business account will get confirmed only after WhatsApp confirms the phone number associated with the account with the number linked to the business. A verified account, on the other hand, will feature a green checkmark badge in its profile right after WhatsApp confirms that an authentic brand owns the business account.&nbsp;

&quot;We also provide you with the tools you need to control your experience with businesses. You can block business accounts and report them as spam at any time, right within the chat,&quot; as mentioned on WhatsApp&#39;s blog.&nbsp;

The much-awaited WhatsApp Business app is currently being tested by a private group of testers.

WhatsApp is expected to roll out the standalone business app shortly.&nbsp;

The much-awaited WhatsApp Business app is currently being tested by a private group of testers

As more and more businesses turn to social media to educate customers and target audience with respect to their product or service, WhatsApp recently published a blog giving out more information about its brand new application designed especially for business accounts. "Over 1 billion people use WhatsApp every day to stay connected with their family and friends, and over time, more people are using the app to communicate with businesses they care about too. In the coming months, we'll be testing new features that aim to solve some of these challenges and make it easier for people to communicate with the businesses they want to reach on WhatsApp," mentions WhatsApp's official blog. A business account will be identified as the one created by using the official WhatsApp Business application. The logo will remain the remain, with a minor change that will replace the call logo at the centre of the green dialogue bubble with a 'B'. While a business account will sport a grey question mark badge in its profile, a confirmed account will have a grey checkmark badge. A business account will get confirmed only after WhatsApp confirms the phone number associated with the account with the number linked to the business. A verified account, on the other hand, will feature a green checkmark badge in its profile right after WhatsApp confirms that an authentic brand owns the business account. "We also provide you with the tools you need to control your experience with businesses. You can block business accounts and report them as spam at any time, right within the chat," as mentioned on WhatsApp's blog. The much-awaited WhatsApp Business app is currently being tested by a private group of testers. WhatsApp is expected to roll out the standalone business app shortly.

WhatsApp to roll out a standalone Business app soon; features officially revealed

Facebook Inc&#39;s Instagram said on Thursday it was testing a standalone messaging app called Direct, making it the company&#39;s third chat tool alongside its hugely popular WhatsApp and Messenger.

The move is similar to what Facebook did with its private messaging feature in 2014.

&quot;With hundreds of millions of people using Instagram Direct, today we&#39;re announcing a test of a standalone Direct app. It&#39;s fast, visual and super fun. Only in six countries to start but can&#39;t wait for you all to try it.&quot; Instagram&#39;s vice president of product, Kevin Weil, said in a tweet.

The Instagram Direct app will be available starting Thursday on Android and iOS in Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and Uruguay, according to technology news website the Verge.&nbsp;

The move is similar to what Facebook did with its private messaging feature in 2014

Facebook Inc's Instagram said on Thursday it was testing a standalone messaging app called Direct, making it the company's third chat tool alongside its hugely popular WhatsApp and Messenger. The move is similar to what Facebook did with its private messaging feature in 2014. "With hundreds of millions of people using Instagram Direct, today we're announcing a test of a standalone Direct app. It's fast, visual and super fun. Only in six countries to start but can't wait for you all to try it." Instagram's vice president of product, Kevin Weil, said in a tweet. The Instagram Direct app will be available starting Thursday on Android and iOS in Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and Uruguay, according to technology news website the Verge.

Instagram testing standalone Direct messaging app

Afghanistan`s telecoms regulator wrote to internet service providers this week ordering them to block the messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram but it was not immediately clear whether they had complied.

Use of social media and mobile instant messaging services has exploded in Afghanistan over recent years. Social media users and civil rights groups reacted with outrage to initial reports of the move and the letter sent by telecoms regulator ATRA was widely shared on social media.

&nbsp;Some media reports, citing unidentified sources, said the move had been ordered by the National Directorate for Security to thwart the use of the encrypted messaging services by the Taliban and other insurgent groups.

It was not immediately possible to confirm the reports.

The acting minister for telecommunications, Shahzad Aryobee, posted a message on Facebook saying that the telecoms regulator had been ordered to put a gradual block on the services to improve their functioning after complaints had been received.

&quot;The government is committed to freedom of speech and knows that it is a basic civil right for our people,&quot; he wrote.

The letter by telecoms regulator ATRA, dated Nov. 1 and signed by an official of the regulator, directed internet companies to block Telegram and Facebook Inc`s WhatsApp services &quot;without delay&quot; for a period of 20 days.

However, the service worked normally this week and still appeared to be working normally on Saturday on both state-owned operator Salaam and private service providers.

On Friday, there were reports of interruptions but it was not clear whether they were caused by a deliberate shutdown or by the unrelated issues with WhatsApp services that were experienced in several countries.

Mobile phone services have been one of the big success stories in Afghanistan since the Taliban were ousted from power by a U.S.-led campaign in 2001, but there are also frequent complaints from users about quality and coverage.

WhatsApp and similar services, including Facebook Messenger and Viber, are widely used by Afghan politicians and members of the government as well as by the Taliban, which has a sophisticated social media operation of its own.

The movement`s main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, wrote to reporters this week giving his Viber number &quot;in case WhatsApp is not working&quot;.

Afghanistan`s telecoms regulator wrote to internet service providers this week ordering them to block the messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram but it was not immediately clear whether they had complied.

Afghanistan`s telecoms regulator wrote to internet service providers this week ordering them to block the messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram but it was not immediately clear whether they had complied. Use of social media and mobile instant messaging services has exploded in Afghanistan over recent years. Social media users and civil rights groups reacted with outrage to initial reports of the move and the letter sent by telecoms regulator ATRA was widely shared on social media. Some media reports, citing unidentified sources, said the move had been ordered by the National Directorate for Security to thwart the use of the encrypted messaging services by the Taliban and other insurgent groups. It was not immediately possible to confirm the reports. The acting minister for telecommunications, Shahzad Aryobee, posted a message on Facebook saying that the telecoms regulator had been ordered to put a gradual block on the services to improve their functioning after complaints had been received. "The government is committed to freedom of speech and knows that it is a basic civil right for our people," he wrote. The letter by telecoms regulator ATRA, dated Nov. 1 and signed by an official of the regulator, directed internet companies to block Telegram and Facebook Inc`s WhatsApp services "without delay" for a period of 20 days. However, the service worked normally this week and still appeared to be working normally on Saturday on both state-owned operator Salaam and private service providers. On Friday, there were reports of interruptions but it was not clear whether they were caused by a deliberate shutdown or by the unrelated issues with WhatsApp services that were experienced in several countries. Mobile phone services have been one of the big success stories in Afghanistan since the Taliban were ousted from power by a U.S.-led campaign in 2001, but there are also frequent complaints from users about quality and coverage. WhatsApp and similar services, including Facebook Messenger and Viber, are widely used by Afghan politicians and members of the government as well as by the Taliban, which has a sophisticated social media operation of its own. The movement`s main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, wrote to reporters this week giving his Viber number "in case WhatsApp is not working".

Afghanistan moves to block WhatsApp, Telegram messaging services

Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp went down for nearly an hour&nbsp;on Friday afternoon with users unable to access it across India,&nbsp;UK and the world, media reports said.

Reports said the messaging app was&nbsp;experiencing server problems.&nbsp;

Indian users also experienced problems in sending messages.

Several users complained&nbsp;about messages&nbsp;getting blocked.&nbsp;

The app is now back in action.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Earlier today, WhatsApp users globally had trouble accessing the app for about an hour. This issue has been fixed and we apologise for the inconvenience,&quot; WhatsApp said in a statement.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
?? Retweet If you can see &quot;Checking for new messages&quot; n <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatsApp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatsApp</a> now ?? Still not working ??
&mdash; Happy Sharing By Dks (@Dksview) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dksview/status/926370592378335233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2017</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">&times;</a></div>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
WhatsApp? <a href="https://t.co/AlYJtsMUbY">pic.twitter.com/AlYJtsMUbY</a>
&mdash; Hasrizal (@iamhasrizal) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamhasrizal/status/926370413155844096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Whatsapp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Whatsapp</a> is down. This must be the lord tellin me to go moonwalk into DMs. <a href="https://t.co/b7dxPxzyLU">pic.twitter.com/b7dxPxzyLU</a>
&mdash; Benny Black (@blixxack) <a href="https://twitter.com/blixxack/status/926370367505084421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Because WhatsApp is down, sharing it here <a href="https://t.co/ZhhjoKb7gy">pic.twitter.com/ZhhjoKb7gy</a>
&mdash; Gappistan Radio (@GappistanRadio) <a href="https://twitter.com/GappistanRadio/status/926370341110267905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Reports said the messaging app is experiencing server problems.

Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp went down for nearly an hour on Friday afternoon with users unable to access it across India, UK and the world, media reports said. Reports said the messaging app was experiencing server problems. Indian users also experienced problems in sending messages. Several users complained about messages getting blocked. The app is now back in action. “Earlier today, WhatsApp users globally had trouble accessing the app for about an hour. This issue has been fixed and we apologise for the inconvenience," WhatsApp said in a statement. ?? Retweet If you can see "Checking for new messages" n #WhatsApp now ?? Still not working ?? — Happy Sharing By Dks (@Dksview) November 3, 2017 × WhatsApp? pic.twitter.com/AlYJtsMUbY — Hasrizal (@iamhasrizal) November 3, 2017 × #Whatsapp is down. This must be the lord tellin me to go moonwalk into DMs. pic.twitter.com/b7dxPxzyLU — Benny Black (@blixxack) November 3, 2017 × Because WhatsApp is down, sharing it here pic.twitter.com/ZhhjoKb7gy — Gappistan Radio (@GappistanRadio) November 3, 2017 ×

WhatsApp down briefly in India, UK and other parts of the world

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