In the latest news coming in, a WhatsApp Spokesperson told WION "The claim written on Cybernews is based on unsubstantiated screenshots. There is no evidence of a ‘data leak’ from WhatsApp." Watch this video to know more.

WhatsApp denies ‘data leak', says reports are based on 'unsubstantiated' screenshots

WhatsApp may soon let users set voice messages as status updates. The Meta-owned messenger platform currently lets its users share images and videos as status updates with a 24-hour duration cap.&nbsp;

A report by Messenger-watcher WABetaInfo said that the new feature has already been spotted on the iOS beta versions. As per beta versions, users will be able to post voice messages of up to 30 seconds as status updates. The final version of the rollout may be different from its beta avatar at present.&nbsp;

WhatsApp will also allow users to choose what people they want to share voice message status updates with. The visibility will be limited to the people they choose.

In the beta, users will see a new microphone icon in the text box when selecting a new status update. The voice messages will also be end-to-end encrypted. The feature is currently under testing and no release date has been issued by Meta as yet.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/whatsapp-down-for-users-around-the-world-in-biggest-outage-in-recent-history-528164">WhatsApp suffers massive global outage that lasted for more than two hours</a>

Besides Voice Notes, WhatsApp is also testing a new Companion Mode in Android Beta. The feature allows you to link multiple devices to one WhatsApp account. The current limit is four devices per account.

Earlier in November, WhatsApp rolled out the Communities feature to organise various chat groups in larger structures, as well as other features such as bigger group video calls and in-chat polls.

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/how-does-whatsapp-make-money-476819">How does WhatsApp make money?</a>

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The Meta-owned platform now allows chat groups to have up to 1,024 users, much higher than the 256 participants restriction it had until recently.&nbsp;

WhatsApp rivals, including Telegram and Discord, allow thousands of members in group chats.

Other feature releases include 32-person video calling as well as in-chat polls, a common fixture on social media apps, including Meta’s Facebook and Twitter.

(With inputs from agencies)

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WhatsApp may soon let users set voice messages as status updates. The Meta-owned messenger platform currently lets its users share images and videos as status updates with a 24-hour duration cap.

WhatsApp may soon let users set voice messages as status updates. The Meta-owned messenger platform currently lets its users share images and videos as status updates with a 24-hour duration cap. A report by Messenger-watcher WABetaInfo said that the new feature has already been spotted on the iOS beta versions. As per beta versions, users will be able to post voice messages of up to 30 seconds as status updates. The final version of the rollout may be different from its beta avatar at present. WhatsApp will also allow users to choose what people they want to share voice message status updates with. The visibility will be limited to the people they choose. In the beta, users will see a new microphone icon in the text box when selecting a new status update. The voice messages will also be end-to-end encrypted. The feature is currently under testing and no release date has been issued by Meta as yet. ALSO READ | WhatsApp suffers massive global outage that lasted for more than two hours Besides Voice Notes, WhatsApp is also testing a new Companion Mode in Android Beta. The feature allows you to link multiple devices to one WhatsApp account. The current limit is four devices per account. Earlier in November, WhatsApp rolled out the Communities feature to organise various chat groups in larger structures, as well as other features such as bigger group video calls and in-chat polls. WATCH | How does WhatsApp make money? × The Meta-owned platform now allows chat groups to have up to 1,024 users, much higher than the 256 participants restriction it had until recently. WhatsApp rivals, including Telegram and Discord, allow thousands of members in group chats. Other feature releases include 32-person video calling as well as in-chat polls, a common fixture on social media apps, including Meta’s Facebook and Twitter. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WhatsApp may soon let users share voice notes as status updates

A spate of resignations has hit Meta in India with its WhatsApp head Abhijit Bose and Rajiv Agarwal both quitting. Abhijit Bose was head of Indian operations while Agarwal is Director of Public Policy Meta India, have resigned from their positions

World Business Watch: WhatsApp India head Abhijit Bose steps down

A Meta spokesperson said on Tuesday (November 15) that WhatsApp's India head Abhijit Bose and Meta Platforms Inc's public policy director in India Rajiv Aggarwal have resigned from their positions. The news of departure comes in the same week when Meta announced a lay-off of 11,000 workers across the globe.&nbsp;

Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said in a statement: "I want to thank Abhijit Bose for his tremendous contributions as our first head of WhatsApp in India."&nbsp;

"His entrepreneurial drive helped our team deliver new services that have benefited millions of people and businesses. There is so much more WhatsApp can do for India and we're excited to continue helping advance India's digital transformation," Cathcart added.&nbsp;

The charge of Meta India Public Policy has been given to Shivnath Thukral, who currently serves as Director of WhatsApp Public Policy in India.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;How to lay-off proof your finances: 6 ways to manage money after job loss&nbsp;

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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/italy-bans-facial-recognition-tech-use-limited-to-fighting-crime-534265">Italy bans facial recognition tech, restricts use to fighting crime</a>&nbsp;

In a reference to the layoffs, Bose said in a social media post that the week has been a tough one for all teams at WhatsApp.&nbsp;

He said: "Amidst all of this, I just shared some news with our WhatsApp and India teams. It has been planned for a while, but given the events last week, we wanted to hold this back so we could focus on supporting those impacted last week."&nbsp;

He also mentioned that&nbsp;he will be joining "the entrepreneurial world" after a small break.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/steve-jobs-worn-out-sandals-auctioned-for-highest-ever-price-534293">Steve Jobs' worn-out sandals auctioned for 'highest-ever' price</a>&nbsp;

Earlier this month, Ajit Mohan quit as Meta's India head after four years in the job. He joined rival company Snap Inc.&nbsp;

Manesh Mahatme, the head of WhatsApp's India payment business, also quit a couple of months back to join Amazon India.&nbsp;

The spokesperson, however, says that the recent resignations were not part of the mass layoffs.&nbsp;

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A Meta spokesperson said on Tuesday (November 15) that WhatsApp's India head Abhijit Bose and Meta Platforms Inc's public policy director in India Rajiv Aggarwal have resigned from their positions.

A Meta spokesperson said on Tuesday (November 15) that WhatsApp's India head Abhijit Bose and Meta Platforms Inc's public policy director in India Rajiv Aggarwal have resigned from their positions. The news of departure comes in the same week when Meta announced a lay-off of 11,000 workers across the globe. Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said in a statement: "I want to thank Abhijit Bose for his tremendous contributions as our first head of WhatsApp in India." "His entrepreneurial drive helped our team deliver new services that have benefited millions of people and businesses. There is so much more WhatsApp can do for India and we're excited to continue helping advance India's digital transformation," Cathcart added. The charge of Meta India Public Policy has been given to Shivnath Thukral, who currently serves as Director of WhatsApp Public Policy in India. WATCH | How to lay-off proof your finances: 6 ways to manage money after job loss × ALSO READ | Italy bans facial recognition tech, restricts use to fighting crime In a reference to the layoffs, Bose said in a social media post that the week has been a tough one for all teams at WhatsApp. He said: "Amidst all of this, I just shared some news with our WhatsApp and India teams. It has been planned for a while, but given the events last week, we wanted to hold this back so we could focus on supporting those impacted last week." He also mentioned that he will be joining "the entrepreneurial world" after a small break. ALSO READ | Steve Jobs' worn-out sandals auctioned for 'highest-ever' price Earlier this month, Ajit Mohan quit as Meta's India head after four years in the job. He joined rival company Snap Inc. Manesh Mahatme, the head of WhatsApp's India payment business, also quit a couple of months back to join Amazon India. The spokesperson, however, says that the recent resignations were not part of the mass layoffs. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta announces departure of India policy chief Rajiv Aggarwal, Whatsapp India head Abhijit Bose

The launch of WhatsApp's 'communities' feature has been announced by Mark Zuckerberg. As per Meta, communities&nbsp;feature will now be accessible to all users worldwide.

Since its announcement earlier this year, WhatsApp has been testing the Communities feature in several regions. In essence, it functions as a collection of groups, and sending a message to one community will reach every member of every group.&nbsp;

WhatsApp Communities aims to unite local communities, school parents, and employers. In order to arrange group conversations on WhatsApp, users will be able to connect to numerous groups under a single umbrella. To create Communities, the business has collaborated with more than 50 organisations across 15 nations.

How to use Communities?

Users can access the new communities option at either the top of their chats on Android or the bottom of their chats on iOS. From there, users can either add already-existing groups or create a new Community from scratch. Users may quickly switch between accessible groups once they're in a community to acquire the information they need when they need it, and administrators can deliver crucial updates to everyone in the community.

Purpose of Communities&nbsp;

WhatsApp wants to improve the platform's capacity for broadcasting. It states that this will serve as a benchmark for business communications. Even with the new functionality, WhatsApp insists that it provides a high level of privacy and security. End-to-end encryption, according to WhatsApp, will protect messages and data from even the corporation itself.

Apart from Communities, WhatsApp also enhanced three major features.&nbsp;

32-person video calls

The maximum number of participants in a video call on WhatsApp is now 32. The platform will be used more frequently for organisational purposes thanks to this capability. WhatsApp will be able to compete with platforms like Zoom.

WhatsApp Group Size increased to 1024

WhatsApp is increasing the maximum number of users per group. The limit has increased from 512 to 1024. The larger group size will enable WhatsApp to compete with services like Telegram.

WhatsApp Group in-Chat Polls&nbsp;

Additionally, WhatsApp is launching a new method for conducting group polls. Polls can be a useful tool to vote on significant issues within the group, especially as the number of groups is significantly growing and even with Communities.

(with inputs from agencies )

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The launch of WhatsApp's 'communities' feature has been announced by Mark Zuckerberg. As per Meta, communities feature will now be accessible to all users worldwide.

The launch of WhatsApp's 'communities' feature has been announced by Mark Zuckerberg. As per Meta, communities feature will now be accessible to all users worldwide. Since its announcement earlier this year, WhatsApp has been testing the Communities feature in several regions. In essence, it functions as a collection of groups, and sending a message to one community will reach every member of every group. WhatsApp Communities aims to unite local communities, school parents, and employers. In order to arrange group conversations on WhatsApp, users will be able to connect to numerous groups under a single umbrella. To create Communities, the business has collaborated with more than 50 organisations across 15 nations. How to use Communities? Users can access the new communities option at either the top of their chats on Android or the bottom of their chats on iOS. From there, users can either add already-existing groups or create a new Community from scratch. Users may quickly switch between accessible groups once they're in a community to acquire the information they need when they need it, and administrators can deliver crucial updates to everyone in the community. Purpose of Communities WhatsApp wants to improve the platform's capacity for broadcasting. It states that this will serve as a benchmark for business communications. Even with the new functionality, WhatsApp insists that it provides a high level of privacy and security. End-to-end encryption, according to WhatsApp, will protect messages and data from even the corporation itself. Apart from Communities, WhatsApp also enhanced three major features. 32-person video calls The maximum number of participants in a video call on WhatsApp is now 32. The platform will be used more frequently for organisational purposes thanks to this capability. WhatsApp will be able to compete with platforms like Zoom. WhatsApp Group Size increased to 1024 WhatsApp is increasing the maximum number of users per group. The limit has increased from 512 to 1024. The larger group size will enable WhatsApp to compete with services like Telegram. WhatsApp Group in-Chat Polls Additionally, WhatsApp is launching a new method for conducting group polls. Polls can be a useful tool to vote on significant issues within the group, especially as the number of groups is significantly growing and even with Communities. (with inputs from agencies )

WhatsApp launches 'communities', upgrades video calls, increases group size

The Meta-owned company, Whatsapp,&nbsp;recently announced that it has banned nearly 2.6 million accounts in the month of September using its abuse detection approach. It further added that nearly 800K users were banned before any reports from users.&nbsp;

These accounts were banned between September 1, 2022, to September 31, 2022. The company further added that it received complaints for 666 accounts out of which 495 were for ban appeal, and it banned 23 of the accounts.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/whatsapp-will-soon-stop-you-from-taking-screenshots-of-media-sent-as-view-once-523498">Also read |&nbsp;WhatsApp will soon stop you from taking screenshots of media sent as view once</a>

The company explained its abuse detection approach which operates at three stages: at the time of registering your account, second&nbsp;while messaging and third&nbsp;in response to any negative feedback (user block or report)&nbsp;received, TOI reported.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;WhatsApp down globally in the longest outage ever

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A spokesperson for the company said that in accordance with the IT Rules 2021, it had published a report which revealed the details of user complaints and also actions taken by Whatsapp along with some preventive measures to avoid the use of abusive language on the platform.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/whatsapp-suspends-24-million-indian-accounts-in-july-monthly-report-512392">Also read |&nbsp;WhatsApp suspended 2.4 million Indian accounts in July: Monthly report</a>

As per Whatsapp's FAQ page,&nbsp;whenever you report a user, the company&nbsp;receives the last five messages including videos and images sent by the reported users and they won't be notified.&nbsp;

The company said that in the past few years, it has invested in AI and other technology areas including data scientists to keep its platform safe and secure for its users.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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The Meta-owned company, Whatsapp, recently announced that it has banned nearly 2.6 million accounts in the month of September using its abuse detection approach.

The Meta-owned company, Whatsapp, recently announced that it has banned nearly 2.6 million accounts in the month of September using its abuse detection approach. It further added that nearly 800K users were banned before any reports from users. These accounts were banned between September 1, 2022, to September 31, 2022. The company further added that it received complaints for 666 accounts out of which 495 were for ban appeal, and it banned 23 of the accounts. Also read | WhatsApp will soon stop you from taking screenshots of media sent as view once The company explained its abuse detection approach which operates at three stages: at the time of registering your account, second while messaging and third in response to any negative feedback (user block or report) received, TOI reported. Watch | WhatsApp down globally in the longest outage ever A spokesperson for the company said that in accordance with the IT Rules 2021, it had published a report which revealed the details of user complaints and also actions taken by Whatsapp along with some preventive measures to avoid the use of abusive language on the platform. Also read | WhatsApp suspended 2.4 million Indian accounts in July: Monthly report As per Whatsapp's FAQ page, whenever you report a user, the company receives the last five messages including videos and images sent by the reported users and they won't be notified. The company said that in the past few years, it has invested in AI and other technology areas including data scientists to keep its platform safe and secure for its users. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

WhatsApp banned 2.6 million Indian accounts in September: Monthly Report 

Messaging service WhatsApp has&nbsp;not been working since 12:07 PM (IST) on Tuesday and the operations resumed after more than two hours. According to Indian Express, the outage was confirmed by the online tool Down Detector, and by 1 PM (IST), the website had thousands of complaints from users living in India.&nbsp;

Similar reports were also coming from various parts of the world with Twitter users from the United Kingdom, Turkey and Italy also taking to other social media platforms to report the outage.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-third-of-users-regularly-get-their-news-from-tiktok-claims-new-study-528120" hreflang="en">One-third of users regularly get their news from TikTok, claims new study</a>

In the UK, BBC reported that the app was completely not working for some of the users.&nbsp;

According to BBC, the majority of users reported that they were unable to send or receive messages on the app but there were some cases where the app got stuck or it kept crashing.&nbsp;

"We're aware that some people are currently having trouble sending messages and we're working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible," said a spokesperson of the parent company Meta.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kohinoor-churchill-and-ashish-nehra-rishi-sunaks-appointment-as-new-uk-pm-sparks-meme-fest-528138" hreflang="en">Kohinoor, Churchill and Ashish Nehra: Rishi Sunak's appointment as new UK PM sparks meme fest</a>

According to Reuters, a similar situation was also reported in France.&nbsp;

“WhatsApp stopped working for many users across France on Tuesday, with around 9,540 problems registered in the last 24 hours about the Meta Platforms owned service on the Downdetector.”&nbsp;

Messaging service WhatsApp has not been working since 12:07 PM (IST) on Tuesday and the operations resumed after more than two hours. According to Indian Express, the outage was confirmed by the online tool Down Detector, and by 1 PM (IST), the website had thousands of complaints from users living in India.

Messaging service WhatsApp has not been working since 12:07 PM (IST) on Tuesday and the operations resumed after more than two hours. According to Indian Express, the outage was confirmed by the online tool Down Detector, and by 1 PM (IST), the website had thousands of complaints from users living in India. Similar reports were also coming from various parts of the world with Twitter users from the United Kingdom, Turkey and Italy also taking to other social media platforms to report the outage. Also read | One-third of users regularly get their news from TikTok, claims new study In the UK, BBC reported that the app was completely not working for some of the users. According to BBC, the majority of users reported that they were unable to send or receive messages on the app but there were some cases where the app got stuck or it kept crashing. "We're aware that some people are currently having trouble sending messages and we're working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible," said a spokesperson of the parent company Meta. Also read | Kohinoor, Churchill and Ashish Nehra: Rishi Sunak's appointment as new UK PM sparks meme fest According to Reuters, a similar situation was also reported in France. “WhatsApp stopped working for many users across France on Tuesday, with around 9,540 problems registered in the last 24 hours about the Meta Platforms owned service on the Downdetector.”

WhatsApp suffers massive global outage that lasted for more than two hours

Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp faced problems with thousands of users complaining of outages on Twitter. The services were restored for some users after the unexplained disruption that lasted over an hour.

WhatsApp down globally  in the longest outage ever

WhatsApp is reportedly blocking users from taking screenshots of 'view once messages' or recording screens. With new feature, if the user tries to take screenshots of the 'view once' messages and videos, the recorded image will be black.

WhatsApp disables screenshots for 'view once' messages and videos

WhatsApp is working to make its "View Once" sharing feature safer by introducing elements that won't allow the recipient to take screenshots or record videos. The feature where the user can share photos and videos that expire in the recipient’s inbox once they view the media files was released last year. However, it still let people keep records of the files.

WhatsApp’s iOS beta code 22.21.0.71, as reported by WABetaInfo, will prevent the recipient from making any kind of record of the pictures and other media files. The platform has been trying to make the platform safer and increase the privacy for the users.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-announces-whatsapp-chat-transfer-from-ios-to-android-possible-now-488448">Meta announces Whatsapp chat transfer from Android to iOS possible now</a>

Once the new feature is rolled out for WhatsApp users, a notification saying "Screenshot Blocked" or "Screen Recording Blocked" will pop up if someone tries to take a screenshot or record media sent as "View Once".

The update aims to ensure that everything shared through View Once is only available once to the recipient, as intended by the feature.&nbsp;

View Once feature was introduced to let users send photos and videos they wish to share but do not want the recipient to keep a record of. However, people picked up on a flaw and started taking screenshots and recording videos of the sent media.&nbsp;

People obviously weren't happy with it and had been asking WhatsApp to do something about it. The latest update will address this concern and let people share content without the fear of&nbsp;it being saved by the other person.&nbsp;

Security and privacy have been a major concern among users and the company has been trying to work on them.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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WhatsApp is working to make its "View Once" sharing feature safer by introducing elements that won't allow the recipient to take screenshots or record videos. The feature where the user can share photos and videos that expire in the recipient’s inbox once they view the media files was released last year.

WhatsApp is working to make its "View Once" sharing feature safer by introducing elements that won't allow the recipient to take screenshots or record videos. The feature where the user can share photos and videos that expire in the recipient’s inbox once they view the media files was released last year. However, it still let people keep records of the files. WhatsApp’s iOS beta code 22.21.0.71, as reported by WABetaInfo, will prevent the recipient from making any kind of record of the pictures and other media files. The platform has been trying to make the platform safer and increase the privacy for the users. Also Read | Meta announces Whatsapp chat transfer from Android to iOS possible now Once the new feature is rolled out for WhatsApp users, a notification saying "Screenshot Blocked" or "Screen Recording Blocked" will pop up if someone tries to take a screenshot or record media sent as "View Once". The update aims to ensure that everything shared through View Once is only available once to the recipient, as intended by the feature. View Once feature was introduced to let users send photos and videos they wish to share but do not want the recipient to keep a record of. However, people picked up on a flaw and started taking screenshots and recording videos of the sent media. People obviously weren't happy with it and had been asking WhatsApp to do something about it. The latest update will address this concern and let people share content without the fear of it being saved by the other person. Security and privacy have been a major concern among users and the company has been trying to work on them. (With inputs from agencies)

WhatsApp will soon stop you from taking screenshots of media sent as view once

As the Iranian government has imposed restrictions on internet access in the backdrop of protests across the country over the death a 22 years old woman in the custody of morality police, the Joe Biden administration on Friday issued guidance to relax sanctions on its internet services in the west Asian country.

As the Iranian government has imposed restrictions on internet access in the backdrop of protests across the country over the death a 22 years old woman in the custody of morality police, the Joe Biden administration on Friday issued guidance to relax sanctions on its internet services in the west Asian country. Reportedly, the US treasury department relaxed the internet rules despite the US still having a plethora of sanctions imposed on Iran. “As courageous Iranians take to the streets to protest the death of Mahsa Amini, the United States is redoubling its support for the free flow of information to the Iranian people,” said deputy treasury secretary Wally Adeyemo “With these changes, we are helping the Iranian people be better equipped to counter the government’s efforts to surveil and censor them,” he further added. As reported by WION, earlier this week, the Iranian regime, anticipating the spread of protests had restricted access to the internet as well as social media sites such as Instagram and WhatsApp, the last two remaining social networks in the country. Read more: Iran restricts access to Instagram amid intensifying protests Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported a "nation-scale loss of connectivity" on network providers in Iran. London-based NetBlocks said that WhatsApp's servers were disrupted on multiple internet providers just hours after Instagram was blocked. Internet access is often curbed in Iran to stop protesters from posting videos on social media. In 2019, the government shut down the internet for about a week to stifle fuel protests which turned political, sparking the bloodiest crackdown in the 40-year history of the Islamic Republic. Last week's death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for "unsuitable attire", has unleashed anger over issues including freedom in the Islamic Republic and an economy reeling from sanctions. WATCH | Why are women in Iran protesting against Hijab? × The anti-government protests are not expected to pose an immediate threat to Iran's clerical rulers, who have security forces which have put down one protest after another in recent years, analysts say. But the protests have clearly made the authorities nervous. Women, who have played a prominent role, have challenged the country's Islamic dress code, waving and burning their veils. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US relaxes internet sanctions to help Iranian protesters connect, share info

In the most recent scandal to hit the tarnished force, two London Police officers were found guilty on Wednesday of posting "grossly offensive" comments on a WhatsApp group, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).&nbsp;

The posts were made in a group chat where former police officer Wayne Couzens was also present. Couzens was sentenced to life in prison last year for the rape and murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard.&nbsp;

Joel Borders, a former officer, 45, and constable Jonathon Cobban, 35, were found accountable for posting the abusive remarks on a public communications network.&nbsp;

The guys, who wore facemasks and helmets as they left court, will be sentenced on November 2.

William Neville, a 34-year-old active police officer, was found not guilty of all charges.&nbsp;

The defendants claimed that their texts from 2019 were just "banter" and disputed that they were highly insulting.&nbsp;

Racist remarks and jokes about raping a female coworker and tasering animals, kids, and persons with disabilities were among them.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exclusive-pak-fm-says-will-look-at-all-options-when-asked-about-resuming-trade-with-india-518492">Exclusive: Pak FM says will look at all available options on resuming trade with India</a>

At the City Of London Magistrates' Court hearing, Judge Sarah Turnock referred to the communications as "abhorrent," "misogynistic," and "aggressive."

After being reported to the Independent Office for Police Conduct by the Metropolitan Police Service, the trial began in March.&nbsp;

Following several issues, notably Couzens' conviction, which led Met head, Cressida Dick, to leave in February, the service is now in crisis.&nbsp;

Since then, Couzens has been accused of six further offences of indecent exposure.&nbsp;

For exchanging photos of two sisters' murder scenes from June of last year on WhatsApp, two London police officers were sentenced to almost three years in prison in December.

(with inputs from agencies) 
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In the most recent scandal to hit the tarnished force, two London Police officers were found guilty on Wednesday of posting "grossly offensive" comments on a WhatsApp group, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

In the most recent scandal to hit the tarnished force, two London Police officers were found guilty on Wednesday of posting "grossly offensive" comments on a WhatsApp group, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The posts were made in a group chat where former police officer Wayne Couzens was also present. Couzens was sentenced to life in prison last year for the rape and murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard. Joel Borders, a former officer, 45, and constable Jonathon Cobban, 35, were found accountable for posting the abusive remarks on a public communications network. The guys, who wore facemasks and helmets as they left court, will be sentenced on November 2. William Neville, a 34-year-old active police officer, was found not guilty of all charges. The defendants claimed that their texts from 2019 were just "banter" and disputed that they were highly insulting. Racist remarks and jokes about raping a female coworker and tasering animals, kids, and persons with disabilities were among them. Also Read: Exclusive: Pak FM says will look at all available options on resuming trade with India At the City Of London Magistrates' Court hearing, Judge Sarah Turnock referred to the communications as "abhorrent," "misogynistic," and "aggressive." After being reported to the Independent Office for Police Conduct by the Metropolitan Police Service, the trial began in March. Following several issues, notably Couzens' conviction, which led Met head, Cressida Dick, to leave in February, the service is now in crisis. Since then, Couzens has been accused of six further offences of indecent exposure. For exchanging photos of two sisters' murder scenes from June of last year on WhatsApp, two London police officers were sentenced to almost three years in prison in December. (with inputs from agencies)

London policemen convicted for sending 'grossly offensive' chat in WhatsApp group

Iran on Wednesday (September 21) curbed access to WhatsApp and Instgram. The platforms are two of the last remaining social networks in the country. The move to curb access to social media platforms has been taken amid protests over death of a woman in police custody

Last week's death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for "unsuitable attire", has unleashed anger over issues including freedom in the Islamic Republic and an economy reeling from sanctions.

Internet watchdog NetBlocks reporte a "nation-scale loss of connectivity" on network providers in Iran. London-based NetBlocks said that WhatsApps server were disrupted on multiple internet providers just hours after Instagram was blocked.

The group's data shows a near-total disruption to internet service in parts of Kurdistan province in west Iran since Monday, while the capital city of Tehran and other parts of the country have also faced disruptions since Friday when protests first broke out.&nbsp;

Two residents in Tehran and southern Iran said they could only send text and not pictures on WhatsApp and that Instagram appeared to be completely blocked.

Internet access is often curbed in Iran to stop protesters to post videos on social media.

In 2019, the government shut down the internet for about a week to help stifle fuel protests which turned political, sparking the bloodiest crackdown in the 40-year history of the Islamic Republic.

Protests have been particularly intense in Kurdistan where Iran's Revolutionary Guards has a history of suppressing unrest. &nbsp; &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Iran on Wednesday (September 21) curbed access to WhatsApp and Instgram. The platforms are two of the last remaining social networks in the country. The move to curb access to social media platforms has been taken amid protests over death of a woman in police custody Last week's death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for "unsuitable attire", has unleashed anger over issues including freedom in the Islamic Republic and an economy reeling from sanctions.

Iran on Wednesday (September 21) curbed access to WhatsApp and Instgram. The platforms are two of the last remaining social networks in the country. The move to curb access to social media platforms has been taken amid protests over death of a woman in police custody Last week's death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for "unsuitable attire", has unleashed anger over issues including freedom in the Islamic Republic and an economy reeling from sanctions. Internet watchdog NetBlocks reporte a "nation-scale loss of connectivity" on network providers in Iran. London-based NetBlocks said that WhatsApps server were disrupted on multiple internet providers just hours after Instagram was blocked. The group's data shows a near-total disruption to internet service in parts of Kurdistan province in west Iran since Monday, while the capital city of Tehran and other parts of the country have also faced disruptions since Friday when protests first broke out. Two residents in Tehran and southern Iran said they could only send text and not pictures on WhatsApp and that Instagram appeared to be completely blocked. Internet access is often curbed in Iran to stop protesters to post videos on social media. In 2019, the government shut down the internet for about a week to help stifle fuel protests which turned political, sparking the bloodiest crackdown in the 40-year history of the Islamic Republic. Protests have been particularly intense in Kurdistan where Iran's Revolutionary Guards has a history of suppressing unrest. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Iran restricts access to Instagram amid intensifying protests

WhatsApp suspended over 2.30 million bad accounts in India&nbsp;in July, the highest so far this year. The Meta-owned company said late on Thursday (September 1) that they have banned the accounts following the IT Rules 2021.

Of the total, 1.42 million accounts were "proactively banned" before any reports from users.&nbsp;

A company spokesperson said, "In accordance with the IT Rules 2021, we've published our report for the month of July 2022. As captured in the latest monthly report, WhatsApp banned over 2.3 million accounts (2,387,000) in the month of July."&nbsp;

In India, IT laws and regulations have made it mandatory for digital platforms to publish compliance reports every month.

In July, WhatsApp India received 574 complaint reports and the records "actioned" were 27. In the previous month, internet-based instant messaging restricted over 22 lakh accounts with bad records.&nbsp;

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The social media platform said that several accounts were banned after complaints received through the company's grievances channel and the tools and resources it uses to detect such offences.&nbsp;

The company spokesperson, "WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services. Over the years, we have consistently invested in Artificial Intelligence and other state-of-the-art technology, data scientists and experts, and processes, in order to keep our users safe on our platform."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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WhatsApp suspended over 2.30 million bad accounts in India in July, the highest so far this year. The Meta-owned company said late on Thursday (September 1) that they have banned the accounts following the IT Rules 2021.

WhatsApp suspended over 2.30 million bad accounts in India in July, the highest so far this year. The Meta-owned company said late on Thursday (September 1) that they have banned the accounts following the IT Rules 2021. Of the total, 1.42 million accounts were "proactively banned" before any reports from users. A company spokesperson said, "In accordance with the IT Rules 2021, we've published our report for the month of July 2022. As captured in the latest monthly report, WhatsApp banned over 2.3 million accounts (2,387,000) in the month of July." In India, IT laws and regulations have made it mandatory for digital platforms to publish compliance reports every month. In July, WhatsApp India received 574 complaint reports and the records "actioned" were 27. In the previous month, internet-based instant messaging restricted over 22 lakh accounts with bad records. WATCH | Microsoft-Activision merger: 'Deal must be investigated in depth', UK regulator × The social media platform said that several accounts were banned after complaints received through the company's grievances channel and the tools and resources it uses to detect such offences. The company spokesperson, "WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services. Over the years, we have consistently invested in Artificial Intelligence and other state-of-the-art technology, data scientists and experts, and processes, in order to keep our users safe on our platform." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WhatsApp suspended 2.4 million Indian accounts in July: Monthly report

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has come down heavily on the banking giants of the country. Reportedly, the regulatory body has imposed a collective fine of over $1 billion on JP Morgan Chase & Co and Bank of America.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has come down heavily on the banking giants of the country. Reportedly, the regulatory body has imposed a collective fine of over $1 billion on JP Morgan Chase & Co and Bank of America. The fines were imposed after SEC began probing the bank's record-keeping practices and found that the employees were using unauthorised messaging tools such as WhatsApp and email to exchange vital information. According to SEC officials, it was the failure of the two banking behemoths to preserve the conversations on the unapproved messaging apps that prompted the fine as it violated federal securities law. This is not the first time that American banks have been given a rap on the knuckle by the financial regulators over the use of personal devices. Read More: Shares tumble, dollar advances as inflation-busting interest rate hikes trigger recession According to a Reuters report, a subsidiary of JP Morgan Chase & Co was caught in a similar manner last year and forced to cough out $200 million in fines. Apart from SEC, it was Commodity Futures Trading Commission that levied the fine on the bank. Meanwhile, Bank of America, in its second quarter earning report, has already set aside a sum of $200 million to deal with the previous offences. However, the bank might have to increase the amount in light of the new fine. Similarly, British bank Barclays in July stated that it had reached an agreement with the regulators to settle the case by paying $200 million in fines. Deutsche Bank, Gldman Sachs, Credit Suisse Group and Citi are the other affenders that have had to pay fines to the regulators. Why American banks keep flouting the rule? Despite the federal laws explicitly banning the use of personal devices to communicate with clients, American Banks are routinely found flouting the rules. Read more: US refuses to release $7bn frozen funds to Afghanistan, but commits to $150mn aid packages In the aftermath of the pandemic, the problem has only exacerbated as most bank employees have become privy to the use of communication tools such as Zoom, and Skype, amongst myriad other tools. In most cases, it is the natural reflex of employees to use personal channels to communicate. However, some use the back channels as it allows them to circumvent archiving top-secret, market-moving information. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US banking giants fined $1 billion for using unapproved apps including WhatsApp

We keep warning you about online scams. In this video, we alert you about frauds that could rob you of your hard-earned money and trick you into sharing personal data. What's more worrisome is that all of it is happening on apps that we use on a daily basis. Watch this report and find out how you can protect yourself & your data in the digital world.

Tech It Out: Watch out for online scams on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram

A new scheme by hackers to trick people has been developed, and this time it includes your electricity bill.

In most cities, the electricity board will send out a message to subscribers reminding them to pay their electricity bills on time. People have, however, recently reported receiving WhatsApp messages telling them to pay their electricity bill or their electricity connection will be suspended. Even a tech-savvy person could be persuaded by the message to pay right away without giving it a second thought.

According to Twitter users, the notification informing customers to pay their electricity bill is typically issued via SMS or WhatsApp.

A scammer-owned phone number can be found in the message. The con artist convinces the user, who is frantically dialling the number, that they must pay for the electricity or risk having their electricity cut off. Most incidences of electricity&nbsp;scams have been recorded by con artists in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Odisha, among other cities.

Also read |&nbsp;<meta charset="utf-8" /><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/whatsapp-to-soon-allow-users-to-hide-phone-number-from-specific-groups-505178">WhatsApp to soon allow users to hide phone number from specific groups</a>

The message says, “Dear Consumer Your Electricity power will be disconnected. Tonight at 9.30 pm from electricity office. because your previous month bill was not update. Please immediately contact with our electricity officer 8260303942 Thank you.” It is sent from a random phone number which does not belong to any of the electricity boards. Now if you notice clearly the message is not sent by an authorized source. When you get a message from say the BSES Delhi, the phone number is replaced by “BSES DL”.

The message's use of language should raise another warning sign. The sentences are incorrectly constructed. The writing is really chaotic throughout. It is obvious that the message does not adhere to correct syntax. There are erroneous full stops and a complete lack of understanding of capital letters and small-cap characters.

People have been warned by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell to be aware of such mails that are delivered with the obvious goal of deceiving innocent people . Most people who have actually forgotten to pay their electricity bill are most likely to fall for the message since it is worrisome.

(With inputs from agencies)

A new scheme by hackers to trick people has been developed, and this time it includes your electricity bill. In most cities, the electricity board will send out a message to subscribers reminding them to pay their electricity bills on time.

A new scheme by hackers to trick people has been developed, and this time it includes your electricity bill. In most cities, the electricity board will send out a message to subscribers reminding them to pay their electricity bills on time. People have, however, recently reported receiving WhatsApp messages telling them to pay their electricity bill or their electricity connection will be suspended. Even a tech-savvy person could be persuaded by the message to pay right away without giving it a second thought. According to Twitter users, the notification informing customers to pay their electricity bill is typically issued via SMS or WhatsApp. A scammer-owned phone number can be found in the message. The con artist convinces the user, who is frantically dialling the number, that they must pay for the electricity or risk having their electricity cut off. Most incidences of electricity scams have been recorded by con artists in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Odisha, among other cities. Also read | WhatsApp to soon allow users to hide phone number from specific groups The message says, “Dear Consumer Your Electricity power will be disconnected. Tonight at 9.30 pm from electricity office. because your previous month bill was not update. Please immediately contact with our electricity officer 8260303942 Thank you.” It is sent from a random phone number which does not belong to any of the electricity boards. Now if you notice clearly the message is not sent by an authorized source. When you get a message from say the BSES Delhi, the phone number is replaced by “BSES DL”. The message's use of language should raise another warning sign. The sentences are incorrectly constructed. The writing is really chaotic throughout. It is obvious that the message does not adhere to correct syntax. There are erroneous full stops and a complete lack of understanding of capital letters and small-cap characters. People have been warned by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell to be aware of such mails that are delivered with the obvious goal of deceiving innocent people . Most people who have actually forgotten to pay their electricity bill are most likely to fall for the message since it is worrisome. (With inputs from agencies)

Scam alert for electricity bills: Watch out for WhatsApp messages that ask you to pay your bill

WhatsApp users will soon be able hide their phone numbers from selected groups with the help of a new feature in the app. According to WABetaInfo, the feature will be added to the app as part of the beta update on Android 2.22.17.23 and although it is a hidden option, the users will be able to activate it by following a few steps. The report claimed that after the beta update, the users will be provided with an option to turn off ‘phone number’ sharing in the WhatsApp Group settings.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-solves-mystery-of-spaghetti-like-object-found-on-surface-of-mars-505156" hreflang="en">NASA solves mystery of 'spaghetti-like' object found on surface of Mars</a>

This will be a part of the “Communities” feature which will soon be launched by WhatsApp. The company has been working on it for quite some time and they have said that the trial runs should start by the end of 2022. According to the official statement, the feature will be a ‘directory of groups’ which will help any user to “run a community of their own with diverse groups”.

However, with the access to groups getting easier, the new feature will allow the users to control their privacy settings and decide whether they want to share their numbers on the group or not.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-casper-the-ghostly-octopus-discovered-in-waters-off-hawaii-is-likely-new-specie-505115" hreflang="en">WATCH | Casper, the ghostly octopus discovered in waters off Hawaii is likely new species</a>

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that WhatsApp will have three new privacy features.

&nbsp;“New privacy features coming to WhatsApp: exit group chats without notifying everyone, control who can see when you’re online, and prevent screenshots on view once messages. We’ll keep building new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations,” he said on Tuesday according to WABetaInfo.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE -

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WhatsApp users will soon be able hide their phone numbers from selected groups with the help of a new feature in the app. According to WABetaInfo, the feature will be added to the app as part of the beta update on Android 2.

WhatsApp users will soon be able hide their phone numbers from selected groups with the help of a new feature in the app. According to WABetaInfo, the feature will be added to the app as part of the beta update on Android 2.22.17.23 and although it is a hidden option, the users will be able to activate it by following a few steps. The report claimed that after the beta update, the users will be provided with an option to turn off ‘phone number’ sharing in the WhatsApp Group settings. Also read | NASA solves mystery of 'spaghetti-like' object found on surface of Mars This will be a part of the “Communities” feature which will soon be launched by WhatsApp. The company has been working on it for quite some time and they have said that the trial runs should start by the end of 2022. According to the official statement, the feature will be a ‘directory of groups’ which will help any user to “run a community of their own with diverse groups”. However, with the access to groups getting easier, the new feature will allow the users to control their privacy settings and decide whether they want to share their numbers on the group or not. Also read | WATCH | Casper, the ghostly octopus discovered in waters off Hawaii is likely new species Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that WhatsApp will have three new privacy features. “New privacy features coming to WhatsApp: exit group chats without notifying everyone, control who can see when you’re online, and prevent screenshots on view once messages. We’ll keep building new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations,” he said on Tuesday according to WABetaInfo. WATCH WION LIVE HERE -

WhatsApp to soon allow users to hide phone number from specific groups

Two tech firms in Russia are in the soup now for not following domestic laws on data privacy. A Russian court has found that meta platforms including WhatsApp and Snapchat for not saving data of Russian users within countries boundaries.

Russia: Moscow district court fines WhatsApp, Snapchat over breaching data law

Meta&nbsp;Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messenger and Snapchat owner Snap Inc have been sued by a Russian court for alleged failure to store local users’ data within the Russian territory.

On Thursday, Moscow's Tagansky District Court fined WhatsApp million rubles ($300,000), and Snapchat 1 million rubles ($16,600), according to TASS news agency.

This is the second time WhatsApp has been punished for failing to comply with the data localisation norms. Last August, the Meta-owned messaging platform was fined 4 mln rubles ($54,040) for refusal to localise Russian users’ data.

Under the Russian law on personal data, Russian and foreign companies are obliged to store personal information of Russian citizens on the country’s territory only, even if they are not physically present in Russia as their operations are aimed at the country’s territory.

The latest punitive action comes at a time when Russia has restricted access to Meta's Facebook and Instagram, as well as Twitter, after Moscow’s invasion on Ukraine began.

Critics said the move was part of Russia’s plan to exert greater control over information flows and counter the narrative thrown by the western media.

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has also been blocked in Russia for years after a court found it violated the local data storage rule, which was passed in 2015.

Other tech giants like Apple was also fined 2 million rubles (about $34,000) earlier this month over the data storage issue. Airbnb,&nbsp;Pinterest&nbsp;and the video streaming service Twitch were fined the same amount last month.

In March, Instagram and Facebook were banned in Russia after their parent company — Meta — was labelled “extremist” by the authorities.&nbsp;

These actions have bolstered Russia to develop and promote homegrown applications as an alternative to the US-based social media platforms.

The government has been providing income tax breaks and preferential loans for homegrown IT companies, and employees can get their military service deferred. Politicians are also encouraging users to switch to domestic providers.

According to Reuters, RuTube was downloaded about 1.4 million times on Russia’s App Store and&nbsp;Google&nbsp;Play in the 40 days after Russia invaded Ukraine, up more than 2,000 per cent on the previous period, according to data analytics firm Sensor Tower.

A Facebook-like site, VKontakte, which already had a massive presence in the Russian market, saw a 14 per cent jump in active users in March, with social networks Telegram and OK also experiencing 23 per cent and 6 per cent growth respectively, according&nbsp;to monitor Brand Analytics.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Meta Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messenger and Snapchat owner Snap Inc have been sued by a Russian court for alleged failure to store local users’ data within the Russian territory.

Meta Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messenger and Snapchat owner Snap Inc have been sued by a Russian court for alleged failure to store local users’ data within the Russian territory. On Thursday, Moscow's Tagansky District Court fined WhatsApp million rubles ($300,000), and Snapchat 1 million rubles ($16,600), according to TASS news agency. This is the second time WhatsApp has been punished for failing to comply with the data localisation norms. Last August, the Meta-owned messaging platform was fined 4 mln rubles ($54,040) for refusal to localise Russian users’ data. Under the Russian law on personal data, Russian and foreign companies are obliged to store personal information of Russian citizens on the country’s territory only, even if they are not physically present in Russia as their operations are aimed at the country’s territory. The latest punitive action comes at a time when Russia has restricted access to Meta's Facebook and Instagram, as well as Twitter, after Moscow’s invasion on Ukraine began. Critics said the move was part of Russia’s plan to exert greater control over information flows and counter the narrative thrown by the western media. Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has also been blocked in Russia for years after a court found it violated the local data storage rule, which was passed in 2015. Other tech giants like Apple was also fined 2 million rubles (about $34,000) earlier this month over the data storage issue. Airbnb, Pinterest and the video streaming service Twitch were fined the same amount last month. In March, Instagram and Facebook were banned in Russia after their parent company — Meta — was labelled “extremist” by the authorities. These actions have bolstered Russia to develop and promote homegrown applications as an alternative to the US-based social media platforms. The government has been providing income tax breaks and preferential loans for homegrown IT companies, and employees can get their military service deferred. Politicians are also encouraging users to switch to domestic providers. According to Reuters, RuTube was downloaded about 1.4 million times on Russia’s App Store and Google Play in the 40 days after Russia invaded Ukraine, up more than 2,000 per cent on the previous period, according to data analytics firm Sensor Tower. A Facebook-like site, VKontakte, which already had a massive presence in the Russian market, saw a 14 per cent jump in active users in March, with social networks Telegram and OK also experiencing 23 per cent and 6 per cent growth respectively, according to monitor Brand Analytics. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Russian court penalises WhatsApp, Snapchat over data law violations

On Feb. 2, when Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, its finance chief identified higher mobile data costs as a unique obstacle slowing growth in India, its biggest market.

On the same day, the US&nbsp;tech group posted the findings of its own research into Facebook's business in India on an internal employee forum. The study, conducted over the two years to the end of 2021, identified different problems.

Many women have shunned the male-dominated social network because they're worried about their safety and privacy, according to the Meta research, which hasn't been previously reported.

"Concerns about content safety and unwanted contact impede women's FB use," said the study, reviewed by Reuters, as it detailed the platform's main challenges.

"Meta cannot succeed in India while leaving women behind."

Other obstacles included nudity content, the perceived complexity of its app design, local language and literacy barriers and a lack of appeal among internet users seeking video content, according to the research, which was based on surveys of tens of thousands of people as well as internal user data.

Facebook's growth began plateauing last year, when it added a few million users in the space of six months in the country of about 1.4 billion people, significantly lagging sister apps WhatsApp and Instagram, according to the report, which noted: "FB has grown more slowly than the internet and other apps."

A Meta spokesperson, contacted about the study, said the company regularly invested in internal research to better understand the value its products provide and help identify ways to improve.

"But it's misleading to characterize 7-month-old research as an accurate or comprehensive representation of the state of our business in India," they added.

Nonetheless, the main Indian issues detailed in the research were not cited by Meta's chief financial officer, Dave Wehner, on a Feb. 2 call&nbsp;with analysts to discuss results for the final quarter of 2021.

Wehner said Facebook's user growth in Asia-Pacific and some other areas was hit by competition, plus comparison with prior quarters when COVID resurgences aided user engagement. He identified higher mobile data costs as a "unique" headwind for India.

Asked why the obstacles to growth identified by Wehner were different from those identified in the research, the spokesperson pointed to a Meta filing in April, during its first-quarter earnings, where it said Facebook users in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam represented the top three sources of growth in daily active users in March versus a year before.

Facebook's fortunes in India have broad implications for Meta, which has lost about half of its value this year amid a broader tech sell-off and faces scrutiny from investors and analysts who fear its growth in potentially high-growth developing markets is starting to wane.

"India contains more FB users than any other country," said the research, which pegged the number at almost 450 million as of November, after rapid growth over much of the past decade.

"Teams across the company should explicitly consider their strategic position and growth opportunities in India. Outcomes in India could drive global results."

FAMILY DOESN'T ALLOW FB

The internal study, a "high-level overview of the growth trends" in India, was detailed in a presentation meant to help Facebook's researchers and product teams. It said that a key problem Facebook had tried to fix for years in India, with limited success, was related to "gender imbalance".

Men accounted for 75% of Facebook's monthly active users in India last year. That compared with 62% of internet users more broadly in early 2020, the researchers found.

"While there is a gender imbalance in internet use across India, the imbalance among Facebook users is even more pronounced," said the study, adding that online safety concerns and societal pressures were among reasons deterring women from the platform.

The researchers found that 79% of female Facebook users had "expressed concern about content/photo misuse", while 20-30% of overall users were estimated to have seen nudity on the platform within the last seven days in the largely conservative country.

India ranked highest globally on the latter metric; around 10% of users surveyed in the United States and Brazil said they had seen nudity in the past week, for example, and under 20% in Indonesia, according to a survey conducted in August 2021.

"Negative content is more prevalent in India than other countries," said the internal report.

Family disapproval – "Family doesn't allow FB" - was a major reason cited by women for not using Facebook, the study found.

The Meta spokesperson said the online gender imbalance was an industry-wide problem and not specific to its platforms.

They said that since 2016, Meta had quadrupled the size of the global team working on safety and security to over 40,000, and that between January and April this year, more than 97% of adult nudity and sexual activity content was removed before someone reported it.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

Depicting struggles of women users, one research slide showed a picture of an Indian woman walking on a street wearing a saree with which she covered her head and face, a tradition common in many parts of India.

Next to this image was the account of a woman who said she had received 367 friend requests from strangers, with a string of comments on photos like "very beautiful", "where do you live", "you look good".

The comments stopped after she used the "locked profile" feature, according to the woman cited, referring to an option Facebook introduced in 2020 in India allowing users to restrict viewing of pictures and posts to non-friends.

By June 2021, the feature had been adopted by 34% of women users in India, said the internal report, but more work was needed, with "bold product changes", to address the problem of low uptake of Facebook among women.

Facebook has faced criticism globally from online safety campaigners for not doing enough to safeguard women from bullying or harassment. In 2019, the platform said it had a team of people focusing "just on making sure we are keeping women safe", using technology tools to remove content deemed unsafe.

The Meta spokesperson said it had launched a Women's Safety Hub and other privacy features such as a profanity filter to help female users in India stay safe online. Since 2021, more than 45% of Facebook Groups in India related to entrepreneurship have been created by women, Meta added.

WHATSAPP GRABS CROWN

Facebook's growth in India began to level off last year, according to the internal research. The platform's main appeal has been to connect with friends and family, but non-Facebook users were primarily now using the internet to see pictures and videos, the research noted.

Its annualised growth rate based on May-October 2021 showed it was adding just 6.6 million users per year, versus WhatsApp's 71 million and Instagram's 128 million, according to one internal slide that illustrated the slowdown graphically.

By November, Facebook's user base in India was 447 million strong, lagging its Meta sister apps. WhatsApp - which Facebook acquired in 2014 - had 563 million Indian users. Instagram, bought in 2012, had 309 million.

The slowdown stands in contrast to Facebook's strong expansion in past years. In 2014, the platform had fewer than 100 million users in India, a number that doubled by 2017, the research said.

The Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the user numbers, saying it didn't disclose country-specific data. They said the company was "definitely increasing the prominence of video" on Facebook.

Lower-educated users are another group that is underrepresented on Facebook, according to the research. The platform faced challenges in meeting demand for content in India's many local languages, while many people cited the app's complexity and lack of tutorials as deterrents.

Between 2017 and 2020, India's monthly online users as a share of the population doubled, boosted by cheaper data plans, but the share of internet users who reported they used Facebook declined during that period, the study found.

"India is now the country with more Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram accounts than any other country in the world," said an internal post accompanying the report. "But continued growth in India faces many challenges."

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On Feb. 2, when Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, its finance chief identified higher mobile data costs as a unique obstacle slowing growth in India, its biggest market.

On Feb. 2, when Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, its finance chief identified higher mobile data costs as a unique obstacle slowing growth in India, its biggest market. On the same day, the US tech group posted the findings of its own research into Facebook's business in India on an internal employee forum. The study, conducted over the two years to the end of 2021, identified different problems. Many women have shunned the male-dominated social network because they're worried about their safety and privacy, according to the Meta research, which hasn't been previously reported. "Concerns about content safety and unwanted contact impede women's FB use," said the study, reviewed by Reuters, as it detailed the platform's main challenges. "Meta cannot succeed in India while leaving women behind." Other obstacles included nudity content, the perceived complexity of its app design, local language and literacy barriers and a lack of appeal among internet users seeking video content, according to the research, which was based on surveys of tens of thousands of people as well as internal user data. Facebook's growth began plateauing last year, when it added a few million users in the space of six months in the country of about 1.4 billion people, significantly lagging sister apps WhatsApp and Instagram, according to the report, which noted: "FB has grown more slowly than the internet and other apps." A Meta spokesperson, contacted about the study, said the company regularly invested in internal research to better understand the value its products provide and help identify ways to improve. "But it's misleading to characterize 7-month-old research as an accurate or comprehensive representation of the state of our business in India," they added. Nonetheless, the main Indian issues detailed in the research were not cited by Meta's chief financial officer, Dave Wehner, on a Feb. 2 call with analysts to discuss results for the final quarter of 2021. Wehner said Facebook's user growth in Asia-Pacific and some other areas was hit by competition, plus comparison with prior quarters when COVID resurgences aided user engagement. He identified higher mobile data costs as a "unique" headwind for India. Asked why the obstacles to growth identified by Wehner were different from those identified in the research, the spokesperson pointed to a Meta filing in April, during its first-quarter earnings, where it said Facebook users in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam represented the top three sources of growth in daily active users in March versus a year before. Facebook's fortunes in India have broad implications for Meta, which has lost about half of its value this year amid a broader tech sell-off and faces scrutiny from investors and analysts who fear its growth in potentially high-growth developing markets is starting to wane. "India contains more FB users than any other country," said the research, which pegged the number at almost 450 million as of November, after rapid growth over much of the past decade. "Teams across the company should explicitly consider their strategic position and growth opportunities in India. Outcomes in India could drive global results." FAMILY DOESN'T ALLOW FB The internal study, a "high-level overview of the growth trends" in India, was detailed in a presentation meant to help Facebook's researchers and product teams. It said that a key problem Facebook had tried to fix for years in India, with limited success, was related to "gender imbalance". Men accounted for 75% of Facebook's monthly active users in India last year. That compared with 62% of internet users more broadly in early 2020, the researchers found. "While there is a gender imbalance in internet use across India, the imbalance among Facebook users is even more pronounced," said the study, adding that online safety concerns and societal pressures were among reasons deterring women from the platform. The researchers found that 79% of female Facebook users had "expressed concern about content/photo misuse", while 20-30% of overall users were estimated to have seen nudity on the platform within the last seven days in the largely conservative country. India ranked highest globally on the latter metric; around 10% of users surveyed in the United States and Brazil said they had seen nudity in the past week, for example, and under 20% in Indonesia, according to a survey conducted in August 2021. "Negative content is more prevalent in India than other countries," said the internal report. Family disapproval – "Family doesn't allow FB" - was a major reason cited by women for not using Facebook, the study found. The Meta spokesperson said the online gender imbalance was an industry-wide problem and not specific to its platforms. They said that since 2016, Meta had quadrupled the size of the global team working on safety and security to over 40,000, and that between January and April this year, more than 97% of adult nudity and sexual activity content was removed before someone reported it. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Depicting struggles of women users, one research slide showed a picture of an Indian woman walking on a street wearing a saree with which she covered her head and face, a tradition common in many parts of India. Next to this image was the account of a woman who said she had received 367 friend requests from strangers, with a string of comments on photos like "very beautiful", "where do you live", "you look good". The comments stopped after she used the "locked profile" feature, according to the woman cited, referring to an option Facebook introduced in 2020 in India allowing users to restrict viewing of pictures and posts to non-friends. By June 2021, the feature had been adopted by 34% of women users in India, said the internal report, but more work was needed, with "bold product changes", to address the problem of low uptake of Facebook among women. Facebook has faced criticism globally from online safety campaigners for not doing enough to safeguard women from bullying or harassment. In 2019, the platform said it had a team of people focusing "just on making sure we are keeping women safe", using technology tools to remove content deemed unsafe. The Meta spokesperson said it had launched a Women's Safety Hub and other privacy features such as a profanity filter to help female users in India stay safe online. Since 2021, more than 45% of Facebook Groups in India related to entrepreneurship have been created by women, Meta added. WHATSAPP GRABS CROWN Facebook's growth in India began to level off last year, according to the internal research. The platform's main appeal has been to connect with friends and family, but non-Facebook users were primarily now using the internet to see pictures and videos, the research noted. Its annualised growth rate based on May-October 2021 showed it was adding just 6.6 million users per year, versus WhatsApp's 71 million and Instagram's 128 million, according to one internal slide that illustrated the slowdown graphically. By November, Facebook's user base in India was 447 million strong, lagging its Meta sister apps. WhatsApp - which Facebook acquired in 2014 - had 563 million Indian users. Instagram, bought in 2012, had 309 million. The slowdown stands in contrast to Facebook's strong expansion in past years. In 2014, the platform had fewer than 100 million users in India, a number that doubled by 2017, the research said. The Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the user numbers, saying it didn't disclose country-specific data. They said the company was "definitely increasing the prominence of video" on Facebook. Lower-educated users are another group that is underrepresented on Facebook, according to the research. The platform faced challenges in meeting demand for content in India's many local languages, while many people cited the app's complexity and lack of tutorials as deterrents. Between 2017 and 2020, India's monthly online users as a share of the population doubled, boosted by cheaper data plans, but the share of internet users who reported they used Facebook declined during that period, the study found. "India is now the country with more Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram accounts than any other country in the world," said an internal post accompanying the report. "But continued growth in India faces many challenges." You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Facebook's growth woes in India: too much nudity, not enough women

Meta Platforms Inc on Monday announced that Instagram is getting a payment feature that will allow users to buy from small businesses through direct messages.

Meta, which is the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, said that users of the photo-sharing app will be able to track the order and ask the business any follow-up questions in that same chat thread.

The company added that users can add customisations if required and place the order in the chat itself.

In a bid to expand its e-commerce offerings, Meta has introduced several new features that use its payment service Meta Pay to complete purchases.

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As a way for people to find and buy products on Facebook and Instagram, Meta launched Shops in 2020.

Accused of prioritising extremist content in a bid to attract users' attention, Meta recently released its first annual report on its efforts to protect human rights.

After releasing its report, the Silicon Valley giant said, "The report explains how our Data Policy, our Law Enforcement Response Team, and our due diligence assessments work together to protect people from unlawful or overbroad government surveillance."

Following the bombshell revelations made by whistleblower Francis Haugen through leaked internal documents, Meta is trying to combat misinformation and improve content moderation.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Meta Platforms Inc on Monday announced that Instagram is getting a payment feature that will allow users to buy from small businesses through direct messages. Meta, which is the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, said that users of the photo-sharing app will be able to track the order and ask the business any follow-up questions in that same chat thread.

Meta Platforms Inc on Monday announced that Instagram is getting a payment feature that will allow users to buy from small businesses through direct messages. Meta, which is the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, said that users of the photo-sharing app will be able to track the order and ask the business any follow-up questions in that same chat thread. The company added that users can add customisations if required and place the order in the chat itself. In a bid to expand its e-commerce offerings, Meta has introduced several new features that use its payment service Meta Pay to complete purchases. × As a way for people to find and buy products on Facebook and Instagram, Meta launched Shops in 2020. Accused of prioritising extremist content in a bid to attract users' attention, Meta recently released its first annual report on its efforts to protect human rights. After releasing its report, the Silicon Valley giant said, "The report explains how our Data Policy, our Law Enforcement Response Team, and our due diligence assessments work together to protect people from unlawful or overbroad government surveillance." Following the bombshell revelations made by whistleblower Francis Haugen through leaked internal documents, Meta is trying to combat misinformation and improve content moderation. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Meta Platforms introduces new feature on Instagram, users can shop directly in chats

As per WABetaInfo, WhatsApp now plans to update 'Delete for Everyone' feature. The update is initially rolled out to Beta for iOS 22.15.0.73 users. The feature allowed user to delete a text, audio or a video after 1 hour 8 minutes and 16 seconds of sending it.

Tech in Trend: WhatsApp may soon update its 'Delete for Everyone' feature

'Hey' is perhaps a word that has come to assume a common everyday greeting across cultures. With digital lingo being increasingly getting mixed with pure business talk in pandemic times, almost no one takes offence when greeted with a friendly 'hey'. But perhaps there are some who justify the use of the word 'almost' in the last sentence. To each their own of course but is 'hey' offensive? Well, this boss thinks so.

A reddit user by the name Shreyas has posted an interesting WhatsApp conversation in which his boss loses his...cool... due to just a 'hey'.

The convesration, as posted by Shreyas, starts with his boss asking him about completion of a test.

'Hey', says Shreyas as he begins to reply. But little did he know that the three-letter word had awakened an angry giant deep in the recesses of the boss's mind.

In a typo-ridden reply, the boss says,

"Hi Shreyas, my name is Sandeep. Please don't you (use) the word "hey". It is offensive for me"

The boss wasn't done. In two quick messages, he forbids Shreyas from using words 'dude', 'man', 'chap', 'chick' and advises him to stick to 'hi' or 'hey there'.

If you receive such a reply calling the word 'offensive', you are bound to do a facepalm.

But Shreyas politely holds the fort.

He says that since the conversation was taking place on his personal number on WhatsApp (not on LinkedIn or on e-mail) he chose to greet him in the way he did.

Mr Boss then attempts to enlightens Shreyas that WhatsApp was not a personal mode of communication anymore and even proceeds to subtly threaten hi.

Yikes!

Read the full conversation, the screenshot of which has been posted by Shreyas.

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What do you think? Is 'hey' offensive to you?

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'Hey' is perhaps a word that has come to assume a common everyday greeting across cultures. With digital lingo being increasingly getting mixed with pure business talk in pandemic times, almost no one takes offence when greeted with a friendly 'hey'.

'Hey' is perhaps a word that has come to assume a common everyday greeting across cultures. With digital lingo being increasingly getting mixed with pure business talk in pandemic times, almost no one takes offence when greeted with a friendly 'hey'. But perhaps there are some who justify the use of the word 'almost' in the last sentence. To each their own of course but is 'hey' offensive? Well, this boss thinks so. A reddit user by the name Shreyas has posted an interesting WhatsApp conversation in which his boss loses his...cool... due to just a 'hey'. The convesration, as posted by Shreyas, starts with his boss asking him about completion of a test. 'Hey', says Shreyas as he begins to reply. But little did he know that the three-letter word had awakened an angry giant deep in the recesses of the boss's mind. In a typo-ridden reply, the boss says, "Hi Shreyas, my name is Sandeep. Please don't you (use) the word "hey". It is offensive for me" The boss wasn't done. In two quick messages, he forbids Shreyas from using words 'dude', 'man', 'chap', 'chick' and advises him to stick to 'hi' or 'hey there'. If you receive such a reply calling the word 'offensive', you are bound to do a facepalm. But Shreyas politely holds the fort. He says that since the conversation was taking place on his personal number on WhatsApp (not on LinkedIn or on e-mail) he chose to greet him in the way he did. Mr Boss then attempts to enlightens Shreyas that WhatsApp was not a personal mode of communication anymore and even proceeds to subtly threaten hi. Yikes! Read the full conversation, the screenshot of which has been posted by Shreyas. What do you think? Is 'hey' offensive to you? You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Facepalm alert? A 'hey' on WhatsApp makes boss yell at employee

Over the last few weeks, WhatsApp rolled out quite a few interesting features that we think many of you might not be aware of. Let's look at them.

Did you know about these new WhatsApp features?

Meta announced on Tuesday that Whatsapp is beta testing a new feature that would allow Android users to transfer Whatsapp chat history to iOS. Earlier you could either move to the same type of phone, such as Android to Android or move to a different type of phone, such as iPhone to Android.

Making the announcement, Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the ‘ability to securely switch between phones’ is now being added to WhatsApp.

If you’re moving to a different type of phone you can keep your account information including your profile photo, about, individual chats, group chats, and settings.

To transfer chat history, after you have selected the "Move data from Android" option, your new iPhone will look for the Move to iOS app on your older device and create a peer-to-peer connection.&nbsp;

Here, you will be able to choose the apps, files, contacts and more to bring over to your iPhone, and starting today the option for WhatsApp will join that list.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-ukraine-bids-farewell-to-its-war-heroes-488400">In pics: Ukraine bids farewell to its war heroes</a>

The time taken for the transfer will depend on the amount of content you have.&nbsp;

Users can only transfer data from devices with Android version 5.0 and above to iPhones with iOS 15.5 or above. WhatsApp must be updated to the latest version on the Android device and both phones must be connected to a power source and connected on the same WiFi network.

Whatsapp introduced the feature to transfer chat backup from iOS to Android last year.

(with inputs from agencies)

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Meta announced on Tuesday that Whatsapp is beta testing a new feature that would allow Android users to transfer Whatsapp chat history to iOS. Earlier you could either move to the same type of phone, such as Android to Android or move to a different type of phone, such as iPhone to Android.

Meta announced on Tuesday that Whatsapp is beta testing a new feature that would allow Android users to transfer Whatsapp chat history to iOS. Earlier you could either move to the same type of phone, such as Android to Android or move to a different type of phone, such as iPhone to Android. Making the announcement, Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the ‘ability to securely switch between phones’ is now being added to WhatsApp. If you’re moving to a different type of phone you can keep your account information including your profile photo, about, individual chats, group chats, and settings. To transfer chat history, after you have selected the "Move data from Android" option, your new iPhone will look for the Move to iOS app on your older device and create a peer-to-peer connection. Here, you will be able to choose the apps, files, contacts and more to bring over to your iPhone, and starting today the option for WhatsApp will join that list. Also Read: In pics: Ukraine bids farewell to its war heroes The time taken for the transfer will depend on the amount of content you have. Users can only transfer data from devices with Android version 5.0 and above to iPhones with iOS 15.5 or above. WhatsApp must be updated to the latest version on the Android device and both phones must be connected to a power source and connected on the same WiFi network. Whatsapp introduced the feature to transfer chat backup from iOS to Android last year. (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta announces Whatsapp chat transfer from Android to iOS possible now

Online platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Tiktok will be required to register and open offices in Nigeria and appoint contact persons with the government, draft regulations from the information technology development agency show.

The code of practice for "interactive computer service&nbsp;platforms/internet intermediaries" was meant to curb online abuse, including disinformation and misinformation, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said in the regulations posted on its website.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nigeria-massacre-gunmen-kills-at-least-50-people-at-catholic-church-485403">Nigeria massacre: Gunmen kill at least 50 people at Catholic church</a>

A statement from the agency's spokesperson dated June 13 said the regulations were developed with input from Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google and TikTok, among others.

The&nbsp;platforms&nbsp;are popular in&nbsp;Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with more than 200 million people.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Nigeria Church Massacre

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NIDTA said the&nbsp;platforms&nbsp;would be&nbsp;required to provide to users or authorised government agencies relevant information, including for purposing of preserving security and public order.

They would also have to file annual reports to NITDA with the number of registered users in&nbsp;Nigeria, number of complaints received, and content taken down due to disinformation and misinformation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/monkeypox-9-dead-in-congo-first-death-in-nigeria-in-2022-483734">Monkeypox: 9 dead in Congo, first death in Nigeria in 2022</a>

Nigeria&nbsp;earlier this year lifted a ban on Twitter saying the United States based company had agreed to set up a&nbsp;local&nbsp;office among other agreements with authorities.

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Online platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Tiktok will be required to register and open offices in Nigeria and appoint contact persons with the government, draft regulations from the information technology development agency show.

Online platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Tiktok will be required to register and open offices in Nigeria and appoint contact persons with the government, draft regulations from the information technology development agency show. The code of practice for "interactive computer service platforms/internet intermediaries" was meant to curb online abuse, including disinformation and misinformation, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said in the regulations posted on its website. Also read | Nigeria massacre: Gunmen kill at least 50 people at Catholic church A statement from the agency's spokesperson dated June 13 said the regulations were developed with input from Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google and TikTok, among others. The platforms are popular in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with more than 200 million people. Watch | Gravitas: Nigeria Church Massacre NIDTA said the platforms would be required to provide to users or authorised government agencies relevant information, including for purposing of preserving security and public order. They would also have to file annual reports to NITDA with the number of registered users in Nigeria, number of complaints received, and content taken down due to disinformation and misinformation. Also read | Monkeypox: 9 dead in Congo, first death in Nigeria in 2022 Nigeria earlier this year lifted a ban on Twitter saying the United States based company had agreed to set up a local office among other agreements with authorities. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Nigeria to require social media platforms to open local offices

Wriddhiman Saha hasn't had the best of times off the field in the recent past. Firstly, he made a lot of noise following his spat with journalist Boria Majumdar, which&nbsp;led to the latter's two-year suspension by the BCCI. Now, the veteran Indian keeper-batter's relations with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) have turned&nbsp;from bad to worse.

It all started when Saha refused to turn up for Bengal after being dropped from India's Test squad in February. Later, he also refused to appear in the&nbsp;knockout matches of the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 edition. While CAB Secretary&nbsp;Avishek Dalmiya had earlier informed that he was set to reach out to Saha, however, he&nbsp;decided against it. Now, the matter has escalated further as the cricket board might send the Bengal veteran player a No Objection Certificate so that he can pursue his domestic career elsewhere.&nbsp;

With regard to the NoC, a CAB official told the Indian Express, "What to do? If he is that stubborn, we have to give him. But nobody should try to arm-twist the state association, as it is bigger than any individual."

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IT HAS ALL GONE DOWNHILL

When Saha had decided to skip&nbsp;playing for Bengal after his ouster from the Indian team, the decision wasn't well-received by the&nbsp;CAB's joint-secretary Debabrata Das.&nbsp;"Tell me, why should Wriddhi [Saha] not play in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal?" Das was quoted in the&nbsp;Sangbad Pratidin&nbsp;early this year. "He is not in the Indian team, why should he not play for Bengal? Then we have to assume that he feels no responsibility towards Bengal. In the past, too, there have been many occasions when he has refused to play for Bengal. When we have spoken to him, he has given all sorts of excuses and skipped games. Sometimes it's body ache, sometimes he has a pain in his leg."&nbsp;

However, Saha's wife revealed that the 'excuses' jibe left Saha 'hurt', prompting him to consider skipping the knockouts as well. While Cricinfo reports that an effort was made by Dalmiya to make Saha understand that Das' comments weren't exactly a criticism, it didn't help bridge the gap. Amid all this, now a report&nbsp;in IE further reveals that the 37-year-old has&nbsp;left Bengal's WhatsApp group.&nbsp;

It looks like it is curtains for Saha's 15-year-long association with Bengal, for a side&nbsp;where he made his debut back in 2007 and has played 122 First-Class and 102 List-A matches.

For the unversed, the Ranji quarter-finals will commence on June 6 and the tournament finale will kick off on June 22.

Wriddhiman Saha hasn't had the best of times off the field in the recent past. Firstly, he made a lot of noise following his spat with journalist Boria Majumdar, which led to the latter's two-year suspension by the BCCI.

Wriddhiman Saha hasn't had the best of times off the field in the recent past. Firstly, he made a lot of noise following his spat with journalist Boria Majumdar, which led to the latter's two-year suspension by the BCCI. Now, the veteran Indian keeper-batter's relations with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) have turned from bad to worse. It all started when Saha refused to turn up for Bengal after being dropped from India's Test squad in February. Later, he also refused to appear in the knockout matches of the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 edition. While CAB Secretary Avishek Dalmiya had earlier informed that he was set to reach out to Saha, however, he decided against it. Now, the matter has escalated further as the cricket board might send the Bengal veteran player a No Objection Certificate so that he can pursue his domestic career elsewhere. With regard to the NoC, a CAB official told the Indian Express, "What to do? If he is that stubborn, we have to give him. But nobody should try to arm-twist the state association, as it is bigger than any individual." ALSO READ | India vs SA T20Is: Shikhar Dhawan was informed about his omission by coach Rahul Dravid - Report IT HAS ALL GONE DOWNHILL When Saha had decided to skip playing for Bengal after his ouster from the Indian team, the decision wasn't well-received by the CAB's joint-secretary Debabrata Das. "Tell me, why should Wriddhi [Saha] not play in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal?" Das was quoted in the Sangbad Pratidin early this year. "He is not in the Indian team, why should he not play for Bengal? Then we have to assume that he feels no responsibility towards Bengal. In the past, too, there have been many occasions when he has refused to play for Bengal. When we have spoken to him, he has given all sorts of excuses and skipped games. Sometimes it's body ache, sometimes he has a pain in his leg." However, Saha's wife revealed that the 'excuses' jibe left Saha 'hurt', prompting him to consider skipping the knockouts as well. While Cricinfo reports that an effort was made by Dalmiya to make Saha understand that Das' comments weren't exactly a criticism, it didn't help bridge the gap. Amid all this, now a report in IE further reveals that the 37-year-old has left Bengal's WhatsApp group. It looks like it is curtains for Saha's 15-year-long association with Bengal, for a side where he made his debut back in 2007 and has played 122 First-Class and 102 List-A matches. For the unversed, the Ranji quarter-finals will commence on June 6 and the tournament finale will kick off on June 22.

Wriddhiman Saha vs CAB row: Veteran keeper exits Bengal WhatsApp group as chaos amplifies

Have you ever felt like editing a text just after you’ve sent it on WhatsApp? Well, WhatsApp is coming up with a feature that will let you edit sent texts. Users will soon be able to fix typos and errors in sent messages.

WhatsApp: You may soon be able to edit sent text. See how

Although Twitter does not yet have an edit button, WhatsApp is expected to implement one in the near future. In the beta version of the software, the messaging app was testing the edit button. WhatsApp currently lacks a specific editing feature. A text may only be removed once it has been sent. However, a planned feature may make it possible to amend texts after they have been sent.

Wabetainfo, a website that keeps track of all WhatsApp-related news, noticed the functionality. WhatsApp has made significant changes to the way we communicate with one another. After the release of the feature to react to messages, WhatsApp will soon allow users to amend messages after they have been sent. WhatsApp is said to have started development on the function five years ago, but it was quickly abandoned once it was reported on Twitter. However, WhatsApp has finally considered working on the edit feature again after a five-year absence.

A screenshot of the editing feature that is currently being developed has been posted by Wabetainfo. When you pick a message you've sent, you'll see a separate editing option, as shown in the screenshot. Users will be able to edit their messages in addition to copying and forwarding them. Even after you've sent your message, you can use the edit button to correct any typos or spelling errors. Users can only delete messages under the current setup. It is not possible to delete or amend it once it has been sent.

Watch | How does WhatsApp make money?

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"Probably there won’t be an edit history to check previous versions of edited messages, but since this feature is under development, their plans may change before releasing the feature. In addition, details about the time window to let people edit their messages are unknown at the moment, but we will immediately let you know when there is news," Wabetainfo report said.

The functionality was being tested on WhatsApp beta for Android, but according to the article, WhatsApp is working on introducing the feature to WhatsApp beta for iOS and Desktop as well, with more specifics to come later. However, because this feature is still in development, it is impossible to say when it will be ready for a stable upgrade, although WhatsApp may begin rolling it out to more beta users shortly.

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Although Twitter does not yet have an edit button, WhatsApp is expected to implement one in the near future. In the beta version of the software, the messaging app was testing the edit button.

Although Twitter does not yet have an edit button, WhatsApp is expected to implement one in the near future. In the beta version of the software, the messaging app was testing the edit button. WhatsApp currently lacks a specific editing feature. A text may only be removed once it has been sent. However, a planned feature may make it possible to amend texts after they have been sent. Wabetainfo, a website that keeps track of all WhatsApp-related news, noticed the functionality. WhatsApp has made significant changes to the way we communicate with one another. After the release of the feature to react to messages, WhatsApp will soon allow users to amend messages after they have been sent. WhatsApp is said to have started development on the function five years ago, but it was quickly abandoned once it was reported on Twitter. However, WhatsApp has finally considered working on the edit feature again after a five-year absence. A screenshot of the editing feature that is currently being developed has been posted by Wabetainfo. When you pick a message you've sent, you'll see a separate editing option, as shown in the screenshot. Users will be able to edit their messages in addition to copying and forwarding them. Even after you've sent your message, you can use the edit button to correct any typos or spelling errors. Users can only delete messages under the current setup. It is not possible to delete or amend it once it has been sent. Watch | How does WhatsApp make money? "Probably there won’t be an edit history to check previous versions of edited messages, but since this feature is under development, their plans may change before releasing the feature. In addition, details about the time window to let people edit their messages are unknown at the moment, but we will immediately let you know when there is news," Wabetainfo report said. The functionality was being tested on WhatsApp beta for Android, but according to the article, WhatsApp is working on introducing the feature to WhatsApp beta for iOS and Desktop as well, with more specifics to come later. However, because this feature is still in development, it is impossible to say when it will be ready for a stable upgrade, although WhatsApp may begin rolling it out to more beta users shortly. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WhatsApp may soon let you edit already sent text messages

With an aim to attract business using the application, WhatsApp is introducing free cloud-based API services, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced during an event on Thursday (May 19).

With an aim to attract business using the application, WhatsApp is introducing free cloud-based API services, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced during an event on Thursday (May 19). While speaking during the event, Zuckerberg said that the move would mean "any business or developer can easily access our service, build directly on top of WhatsApp to customize their experience." Zuckerberg further added that they can "speed up their response time to customers by using our secure WhatsApp Cloud API hosted by Meta." What is cloud-based API? A Cloud Application programming interface (API) is a software interface that facilitates the developers to link cloud computing services together. Data and functionality of one computer program can be made available for other programs to use with the help of APIs. It is used to connect software components across a network. ALSO READ | Elon Musk was accused of sexual misconduct and paid $250,000 to cover up: Report WhatsApp API Importantly, WhatsApp already has an API or a type of software interface. It is for businesses to connect their systems and engage in customer service chats on the service. It generates revenue for Meta. On Thursday, WhatsApp also said it was planning to provide optional paid features as part of a new premium service for users of its specialized business app. Notably, it is geared at small businesses. ALSO READ | $44 billion Twitter purchase will not go ahead without clarity on fake, spam accounts: Elon Musk (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WhatsApp to launch cloud-based API, premium features to attract business users

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