Shortly after the release of their musical collaboration, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-have-you-heard-beyonce-and-ed-sheerans-perfect-duet-yet-25558" target="_blank">Perfect Duet</a>&nbsp;last week, singing sensation Ed Sheeran opened up about his experience of working with Beyonce. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sheeran noted how it wasn&#39;t really easy to get to work with Beyonce.&nbsp;

&quot;I have an email address, that actually changes every week. It (the single) was kind of in the works since May -- obviously she had twins -- and we finished in September,&quot; Sheeran shared.

He also talked about how Beyonce first shared the acoustic version of the song with him saying that she is &quot;taking off all the instruments&quot; from it and asking how he felt about the same. &quot;When we finally worked on it together, it was pretty much a back and forth thing,&quot; he told ET&#39;s Keltie Knight.&nbsp;

&quot;She was out in just one take,&quot; Ed Sheeran exclaimed, noting that Beyonce actually finished the vocals in just a go.&nbsp;

On being asked if he would sing -- or would want to perform at the royal wedding -- he shared the fact that he has had met the royal family and Prince Harry previously. &quot;I would&nbsp;if I have the time this year,&quot; he concluded.&nbsp;

Perfect Duet, the audio version, was published on Ed Sheeran&#39;s official YouTube account on 30th November and has garnered close to&nbsp;23,272,840 views so far.&nbsp;

Ed Sheeran also talked about how Beyonce first shared the acoustic version of Perfect Duet with him

Shortly after the release of their musical collaboration, Perfect Duet last week, singing sensation Ed Sheeran opened up about his experience of working with Beyonce. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sheeran noted how it wasn't really easy to get to work with Beyonce. "I have an email address, that actually changes every week. It (the single) was kind of in the works since May -- obviously she had twins -- and we finished in September," Sheeran shared. He also talked about how Beyonce first shared the acoustic version of the song with him saying that she is "taking off all the instruments" from it and asking how he felt about the same. "When we finally worked on it together, it was pretty much a back and forth thing," he told ET's Keltie Knight. "She was out in just one take," Ed Sheeran exclaimed, noting that Beyonce actually finished the vocals in just a go. On being asked if he would sing -- or would want to perform at the royal wedding -- he shared the fact that he has had met the royal family and Prince Harry previously. "I would if I have the time this year," he concluded. Perfect Duet, the audio version, was published on Ed Sheeran's official YouTube account on 30th November and has garnered close to 23,272,840 views so far.

Beyonce changes her email address every week, revealed Ed Sheeran

Over the weekend users&nbsp;on YouTube found very inappropriate search results for the phrase &quot;how to have&quot;.

The suggestions that followed for the result included &quot;how to have s*x with your kids&quot; and &quot;how to have s*ex with kids in school&quot;, various media report stated.

The matter was first discovered by BuzzFeed.

The US-based digital media company searched the phrase &quot;how to have&quot; on various devices in incognito mode.

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Seeing this sceenshot float around so I just did it myself in incognito mode. This i a VERY troubling YouTube search autocomplete, no? <a href="https://t.co/Nj0IlV4OpU">pic.twitter.com/Nj0IlV4OpU</a>
&mdash; Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) <a href="https://twitter.com/cwarzel/status/934923494692814849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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YouTube admitted to the disturbing search results and described the matter as &quot;profoundly disturbing&quot;.

The video sharing website said it was investigating the matter to find out what caused the results.&nbsp;

In a statement, YouTube spokesperson said: &quot;Earlier today our teams were alerted to this profoundly disturbing autocomplete result and we worked to quickly remove it as soon as we were made aware.&quot; &nbsp;

YouTube also assured that it has changed the way its autofill feature worked after reports of paedophilic phrases emerged.

The suggestions that followed for the result included 'how to have s*x with your kids' and 'how to have s*ex with kids in school', various media report stated

Over the weekend users on YouTube found very inappropriate search results for the phrase "how to have". The suggestions that followed for the result included "how to have s*x with your kids" and "how to have s*ex with kids in school", various media report stated. The matter was first discovered by BuzzFeed. The US-based digital media company searched the phrase "how to have" on various devices in incognito mode. Seeing this sceenshot float around so I just did it myself in incognito mode. This i a VERY troubling YouTube search autocomplete, no? pic.twitter.com/Nj0IlV4OpU — Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) November 26, 2017 × YouTube admitted to the disturbing search results and described the matter as "profoundly disturbing". The video sharing website said it was investigating the matter to find out what caused the results. In a statement, YouTube spokesperson said: "Earlier today our teams were alerted to this profoundly disturbing autocomplete result and we worked to quickly remove it as soon as we were made aware." YouTube also assured that it has changed the way its autofill feature worked after reports of paedophilic phrases emerged.

YouTube autofill for 'how to have' gives disturbing results

In the past few months, Google has been actively keeping a check on YouTube content.&nbsp;The video sharing website had removed several extremist videos from the site.

As part of its new policy, Google aims to keep a check on videos featuring people and groups that have been designated as &quot;terrorists&quot;&nbsp;by the US or British government.&nbsp;

The move comes&nbsp;after the company faced increasing pressure from governments.&nbsp;The new policy will restrict terrorist groups based on the government&#39;s list.

However, the policy will not affect news clips or educational videos about terrorism.&nbsp;

Citing that such content in the website radicalises viewers and results in deadly terror attacks, governments and human right groups have been forcing YouTube to crackdown on extremist videos for a long time.&nbsp;

Earlier the company had announced that &ldquo;inflammatory religious or supremacist content&rdquo; that does not violates its policies would be allowed with warning labels.

Such videos were restricted to any advertisement revenue.&nbsp;

Google General counsel Kent Walker had said in a blog post&nbsp;then calling for a &quot;right balance&quot;&nbsp;between &quot;free expression&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;access to information without promoting extremely offensive viewpoints.&quot;

&nbsp;

As part of its new policy, Google aims to keep a check on videos featuring people and groups that have been designated as terrorists by the US or British government

In the past few months, Google has been actively keeping a check on YouTube content. The video sharing website had removed several extremist videos from the site. As part of its new policy, Google aims to keep a check on videos featuring people and groups that have been designated as "terrorists" by the US or British government. The move comes after the company faced increasing pressure from governments. The new policy will restrict terrorist groups based on the government's list. However, the policy will not affect news clips or educational videos about terrorism. Citing that such content in the website radicalises viewers and results in deadly terror attacks, governments and human right groups have been forcing YouTube to crackdown on extremist videos for a long time. Earlier the company had announced that “inflammatory religious or supremacist content” that does not violates its policies would be allowed with warning labels. Such videos were restricted to any advertisement revenue. Google General counsel Kent Walker had said in a blog post then calling for a "right balance" between "free expression" and "access to information without promoting extremely offensive viewpoints."

Google's new policy to widen control on 'extremist' videos on YouTube

The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University have accused the institute&#39;s administration of restricting&nbsp;content from certain media organisations on YouTube and other news portals on the campus, and of restricting Wifi. The&nbsp;university has, however, denied it.

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JNU administration, headed by RSS man <a href="https://twitter.com/mamidala90?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mamidala90</a>, has censored JNU WiFi. Students can&#39;t access content from AIB, The Wire, NDTV, YouTube videos related to student movements. Keyword search related to Mamata Bannerjee, Rahul Gandhi, Shehla Rashid, Kejriwal, Kanhaiya censored!!!
&mdash; Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehla_Rashid/status/929387628889300994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) called it a &quot;politically motivated move&quot; and alleged, &quot;that all website and video links which have anti-government content have been restricted.&quot; Students demanded an inquiry into complaints that YouTube of several news websites was blocked for a day on the campus and Wi-fi being restored on Saturday night.

Students facing difficulty&nbsp;have also posted a video as proof, showing content filtration on youtube with the restricted&nbsp;university network.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/mamidala90?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mamidala90</a> this is your JNU sir . You have become a censor board. <a href="https://twitter.com/thewire_in?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thewire_in</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ndtv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ndtv</a> blocked by JNU WiFi. JNU presidential debates, protest visit, academic content too blocked.<a href="https://twitter.com/kavita_krishnan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kavita_krishnan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/omprasad_14?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@omprasad_14</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehla_Rashid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Shehla_Rashid</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/the_hindu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@the_hindu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pherozevincent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pherozevincent</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/anantjnusu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@anantjnusu</a> 
Part 1 <a href="https://t.co/rxg5Jpydsh">pic.twitter.com/rxg5Jpydsh</a>
&mdash; N Sai Balaji (@nsaibalaji) <a href="https://twitter.com/nsaibalaji/status/929320145230508032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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However the Rector-III, RP Singh said that there is no change in the URL filtering policy of JNU.

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There is no change in the URL filtering policy of JNU.
&mdash; Rana Pratap (@rpsingh_jnu) <a href="https://twitter.com/rpsingh_jnu/status/929340115708547072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Content related to former JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar, politicians Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamta Banerjee and other members of opposition parties is showing no results.

&quot;We are redirected to a page that says we are trying to access &#39;adult content.&#39; We cannot even access YouTube videos of previous presidential debates at JNU&quot;, said Geeta Kumari, the president of the JNU Students&#39;s union. reported by Hindustan Times

Many students took to social media and wrote Facebook posts condemning the move by the administration.

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Shocking. In a university, where freedom of thought and speech should be encouraged, JNU admin censors media <a href="https://t.co/nHjFFN10ap">https://t.co/nHjFFN10ap</a>
&mdash; Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah) <a href="https://twitter.com/bombaywallah/status/929394205583167489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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JNU has always been the centre&nbsp;of student controversies in the past. Students have been voicing diverse opinions, standing up for fundamental rights and political awareness.&nbsp;

The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University have accused the institute's administration of restricting YouTube, Wifi and content from certain media organisations on the campus, but the university has denied it

The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University have accused the institute's administration of restricting content from certain media organisations on YouTube and other news portals on the campus, and of restricting Wifi. The university has, however, denied it. JNU administration, headed by RSS man @mamidala90, has censored JNU WiFi. Students can't access content from AIB, The Wire, NDTV, YouTube videos related to student movements. Keyword search related to Mamata Bannerjee, Rahul Gandhi, Shehla Rashid, Kejriwal, Kanhaiya censored!!! — Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) November 11, 2017 × The JNU Students Union (JNUSU) called it a "politically motivated move" and alleged, "that all website and video links which have anti-government content have been restricted." Students demanded an inquiry into complaints that YouTube of several news websites was blocked for a day on the campus and Wi-fi being restored on Saturday night. Students facing difficulty have also posted a video as proof, showing content filtration on youtube with the restricted university network. @mamidala90 this is your JNU sir . You have become a censor board. @thewire_in @ndtv blocked by JNU WiFi. JNU presidential debates, protest visit, academic content too blocked.@kavita_krishnan @omprasad_14 @Shehla_Rashid @the_hindu @pherozevincent @anantjnusu Part 1 pic.twitter.com/rxg5Jpydsh — N Sai Balaji (@nsaibalaji) November 11, 2017 × However the Rector-III, RP Singh said that there is no change in the URL filtering policy of JNU. There is no change in the URL filtering policy of JNU. — Rana Pratap (@rpsingh_jnu) November 11, 2017 × Content related to former JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar, politicians Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamta Banerjee and other members of opposition parties is showing no results. "We are redirected to a page that says we are trying to access 'adult content.' We cannot even access YouTube videos of previous presidential debates at JNU", said Geeta Kumari, the president of the JNU Students's union. reported by Hindustan Times Many students took to social media and wrote Facebook posts condemning the move by the administration. × Shocking. In a university, where freedom of thought and speech should be encouraged, JNU admin censors media https://t.co/nHjFFN10ap — Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah) November 11, 2017 × JNU has always been the centre of student controversies in the past. Students have been voicing diverse opinions, standing up for fundamental rights and political awareness.

JNU blocks YouTube, news portals, allege students

Iran&#39;s oldest social media <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/new-communication-minster-of-iran-to-get-services-of-twitter-unblocked-in-the-country-19315">website cloob.com launched nearly twelve years ago </a>has decided to shut down after a long battle with the country&#39;s censors.

The website which was launched<a href="http://www.wionews.com/life-fun/iranian-actor-will-shun-oscars-to-protest-trumps-muslim-immigrant-ban-11740"> in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/life-fun/iranian-actor-will-shun-oscars-to-protest-trumps-muslim-immigrant-ban-11740">January,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/life-fun/iranian-actor-will-shun-oscars-to-protest-trumps-muslim-immigrant-ban-11740"> 2005 in Farsi(Persian) at its height&nbsp;commanded 1 </a>million pageviews with Iranians busy blogging and chatting on the site.

The site even had an online video and photo sharing service. &nbsp;

&quot;Cloob.com was entirely blocked three times and the last time it took 28 days to unblock it,&quot; said company director Mohammad Javad Shakouri Moghadam in a blog post.&nbsp;

The website was able to fill the vacuum left by social media site Orkut after the government banned it, after several run-ins with the Iranian government cloob founder Moghadam decided to shut Iran&#39;s popular site.

However, sites such as Instagram are not banned and have boomed in Iran, while Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov&#39;s messaging service &quot;Telegram&quot; has nearly 25 million users in the country.

&quot;Cloob was one of the top three services in Iran but its flourishing tree has withered,&quot; said Shakouri.&nbsp;

&quot;These days, some have started to... sue the new wave of content creators such as Aparat(a cloob product) and other services -- a source of domestic content creation which would definitely be of benefit to our country and culture,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;

President Hassan Rouhani was re-elected in May promising to soften social restrictions.&nbsp;He appointed Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi, to head the communications portfolio.&nbsp;

Jahromi had said that negotiations were underway to lift a ban on Twitter, though no progress has since been announced.&nbsp;

In 2013, the Iranian government had blocked YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus in a huge Internet crackdown.&nbsp;

The website was able to fill the vacuum left by social media site Orkut after the government banned it

Iran's oldest social media website cloob.com launched nearly twelve years ago has decided to shut down after a long battle with the country's censors. The website which was launched in January, 2005 in Farsi(Persian) at its height commanded 1 million pageviews with Iranians busy blogging and chatting on the site. The site even had an online video and photo sharing service. "Cloob.com was entirely blocked three times and the last time it took 28 days to unblock it," said company director Mohammad Javad Shakouri Moghadam in a blog post. The website was able to fill the vacuum left by social media site Orkut after the government banned it, after several run-ins with the Iranian government cloob founder Moghadam decided to shut Iran's popular site. However, sites such as Instagram are not banned and have boomed in Iran, while Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov's messaging service "Telegram" has nearly 25 million users in the country. "Cloob was one of the top three services in Iran but its flourishing tree has withered," said Shakouri. "These days, some have started to... sue the new wave of content creators such as Aparat(a cloob product) and other services -- a source of domestic content creation which would definitely be of benefit to our country and culture," he told AFP. President Hassan Rouhani was re-elected in May promising to soften social restrictions. He appointed Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi, to head the communications portfolio. Jahromi had said that negotiations were underway to lift a ban on Twitter, though no progress has since been announced. In 2013, the Iranian government had blocked YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus in a huge Internet crackdown.

Iran's oldest social media site decides to shut over government censorship

&nbsp;Facebook launched its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-focus-what-is-facebook-watch-4439">Watch video </a>service to US&nbsp;users on Thursday with plans to allow people to submit shows, as the No. 1 social media network vies with Alphabet&#39;s YouTube for advertising revenue.

Advertisers are shifting more of their budgets from television to online as viewers have migrated to watching shows on smartphones and tablets.

On Watch, which Facebook began testing earlier this month, users can see hundreds of shows from the likes of Vox, Buzzfeed, Discovery Communications Inc, A&amp;E Networks, Walt Disney ABC, as well as live sports like Major League Baseball.

Americans spend more than 73 minutes a day watching digital video, up more than 7 per cent from last year, according to eMarketer data. TV watching has dropped 2 per cent from last year to 244 minutes a day, a trend that is expected to continue.

Facebook is initially paying some content creators for shows to drive interest. The company is paying $10,000-$35,000 for shorter form shows and up to $250,000 for longer shows, sources told Reuters in May.

The company declined to comment on how much it was spending on shows.

Facebook does not intend to make buying content a core piece of its strategy, Dan Rose, vice president of partnerships at Facebook, told Reuters.

&quot;We are not focused on acquiring exclusive rights,&quot; he said. &quot;The idea is to seed this with good content.&quot;

Facebook plans to eventually open the platform to everyone to submit shows for approval and share 55 per cent of ad revenue, Rose said.

The company is testing how ads will work within the shows, he added.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/now-connect-to-people-while-watching-videos-on-facebook-watch-18805">Watch</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/now-connect-to-people-while-watching-videos-on-facebook-watch-18805"> should help Facebook </a>solidify its position alongside YouTube, the leader in the digital video space, for advertisers, said Paul Verna, a senior analyst with eMarketer.

Facebook said Watch is more personal and community-oriented than competitors. For example, it can suggest shows based on a user&#39;s interests and friends can share their thoughts as they watch a video.

For example, fans of the exercise program &quot;CrossFit&quot; can watch and share commentary on live CrossFit events streamed on Facebook while chatting in groups, Rose said.

Similarly, fans of Spanish soccer can watch and chat online about &quot;Hala Madrid,&quot; a show about Real Madrid.

&quot;We think our unique opportunity is around a community and engaging with people on topics they love to talk about,&quot; said Rose.

Advertisers are shifting more of their budgets from television to online as viewers have migrated to watching shows on smartphones and tablets

Facebook launched its Watch video service to US users on Thursday with plans to allow people to submit shows, as the No. 1 social media network vies with Alphabet's YouTube for advertising revenue. Advertisers are shifting more of their budgets from television to online as viewers have migrated to watching shows on smartphones and tablets. On Watch, which Facebook began testing earlier this month, users can see hundreds of shows from the likes of Vox, Buzzfeed, Discovery Communications Inc, A&E Networks, Walt Disney ABC, as well as live sports like Major League Baseball. Americans spend more than 73 minutes a day watching digital video, up more than 7 per cent from last year, according to eMarketer data. TV watching has dropped 2 per cent from last year to 244 minutes a day, a trend that is expected to continue. Facebook is initially paying some content creators for shows to drive interest. The company is paying $10,000-$35,000 for shorter form shows and up to $250,000 for longer shows, sources told Reuters in May. The company declined to comment on how much it was spending on shows. Facebook does not intend to make buying content a core piece of its strategy, Dan Rose, vice president of partnerships at Facebook, told Reuters. "We are not focused on acquiring exclusive rights," he said. "The idea is to seed this with good content." Facebook plans to eventually open the platform to everyone to submit shows for approval and share 55 per cent of ad revenue, Rose said. The company is testing how ads will work within the shows, he added. Watch should help Facebook solidify its position alongside YouTube, the leader in the digital video space, for advertisers, said Paul Verna, a senior analyst with eMarketer. Facebook said Watch is more personal and community-oriented than competitors. For example, it can suggest shows based on a user's interests and friends can share their thoughts as they watch a video. For example, fans of the exercise program "CrossFit" can watch and share commentary on live CrossFit events streamed on Facebook while chatting in groups, Rose said. Similarly, fans of Spanish soccer can watch and chat online about "Hala Madrid," a show about Real Madrid. "We think our unique opportunity is around a community and engaging with people on topics they love to talk about," said Rose.

Facebook's Watch goes up against YouTube for ad dollars

Social media giants Facebook, Google&#39;s YouTube, Twitter, and Microsoft are forming a global working group to combine their efforts to remove terrorist content from their platforms.

Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, the companies said they would share technical solutions for removing terrorist content, commission research to inform their counter-speech efforts and work more with counter-terrorism experts.

&quot;The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism will formalise and structure existing and future areas of collaboration between our companies and foster cooperation with smaller tech companies, civil society groups and academics, governments and supra-national bodies such as the EU and the UN,&quot; the companies said in a statement.

The move comes on the heels of last week&#39;s call from European heads of state for tech firms to establish an industry forum and develop new technology and tools to improve the automatic detection and removal of extremist content. The political pressure on the companies has raised the prospect of new legislation at EU level, but so far only Germany has proposed a law fining social media networks up to 50 million euros ($56 million) if they fail to remove hateful postings quickly. The lower house of the German parliament is expected to vote on the law this week.

The companies will seek to improve technical work such as a database created in December to share unique digital fingerprints they automatically assign to videos or photos of extremist content. They will also exchange best practices on content detection techniques using machine learning as well as define &#39;standard transparency reporting methods for terrorist content removals.&#39;

Earlier this month Facebook opened up about its efforts to remove terrorism content in response to criticism from politicians that tech giants are not doing enough to stop militant groups using their platforms for propaganda and recruiting. Google announced additional measures to identify and remove terrorist or violent extremist content on its video-sharing platform YouTube shortly thereafter. Twitter suspended 376,890 accounts for violations related to the promotion of terrorism in the second half of 2016 and will share further updates on its efforts to combat violent extremism on its platform in its next Transparency Report.

The social media firms said they would work with smaller companies to help them tackle extremist content and organisations such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies to work on ways to counter online extremism and hate. All four companies have initiatives to counter online hate speech and will use the forum to improve their efforts and train civil society organisations engaged in similar work.

The companies said they will share technical solutions for removing terrorist content, commission research to inform their counter-speech efforts and work more with counter-terrorism experts

Social media giants Facebook, Google's YouTube, Twitter, and Microsoft are forming a global working group to combine their efforts to remove terrorist content from their platforms. Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, the companies said they would share technical solutions for removing terrorist content, commission research to inform their counter-speech efforts and work more with counter-terrorism experts. "The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism will formalise and structure existing and future areas of collaboration between our companies and foster cooperation with smaller tech companies, civil society groups and academics, governments and supra-national bodies such as the EU and the UN," the companies said in a statement. The move comes on the heels of last week's call from European heads of state for tech firms to establish an industry forum and develop new technology and tools to improve the automatic detection and removal of extremist content. The political pressure on the companies has raised the prospect of new legislation at EU level, but so far only Germany has proposed a law fining social media networks up to 50 million euros ($56 million) if they fail to remove hateful postings quickly. The lower house of the German parliament is expected to vote on the law this week. The companies will seek to improve technical work such as a database created in December to share unique digital fingerprints they automatically assign to videos or photos of extremist content. They will also exchange best practices on content detection techniques using machine learning as well as define 'standard transparency reporting methods for terrorist content removals.' Earlier this month Facebook opened up about its efforts to remove terrorism content in response to criticism from politicians that tech giants are not doing enough to stop militant groups using their platforms for propaganda and recruiting. Google announced additional measures to identify and remove terrorist or violent extremist content on its video-sharing platform YouTube shortly thereafter. Twitter suspended 376,890 accounts for violations related to the promotion of terrorism in the second half of 2016 and will share further updates on its efforts to combat violent extremism on its platform in its next Transparency Report. The social media firms said they would work with smaller companies to help them tackle extremist content and organisations such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies to work on ways to counter online extremism and hate. All four companies have initiatives to counter online hate speech and will use the forum to improve their efforts and train civil society organisations engaged in similar work.

Social media giants step up joint fight against extremist content

In the wake of the recent terror attack in London on Saturday night, British Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement wherein she mentioned different ways that need to be adopted to counter terrorism. Emphasising on the need to overhaul strategies to combat extremism, May held tech companies partly responsible for providing extremists a &ldquo;safe space&rdquo; to grow.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/london-bridge-attack-facebook-twitter-aim-to-clean-terrorist-content-16431">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/london-bridge-attack-facebook-twitter-aim-to-clean-terrorist-content-16431">Read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/london-bridge-attack-facebook-twitter-aim-to-clean-terrorist-content-16431">&nbsp;Facebook, Twitter aim to clean &#39;terrorist content&#39;</a>

&ldquo;We cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed. Yet that is precisely what the internet, and the big companies that provide internet-based services provide,&rdquo; said May in a statement on the London Bridge terror attack.

It is true that extremist groups are using the web to recruit members, spread hate and extremist propaganda, send coded messages and coordinate attacks, but it wouldn&rsquo;t be right to condemn internet companies for the same as these companies, seemingly, are doing a fair job to take down any content or accounts that are involved in terrorist activities and/or encourage support for terrorism.

Facebook, for instance, has been using a mix of tech and humans to prevent the spread of extremist content on the website. &quot;Using a combination of technology and human review, we work aggressively to remove terrorist content from our platform as soon as we become aware of it,&rdquo; said Simon Milner, director of policy at Facebook in an emailed statement.

&ldquo;And if we become aware of an emergency involving imminent harm to someone&#39;s safety, we notify law enforcement,&rdquo; added Milner.

Twitter, on the other hand, <a href="https://transparency.twitter.com/en/gov-tos-reports.html">suspended a total of 3,76,890 accounts</a> for promoting terrorism between July-Dec 2016. According to the company, 3/4th of the accounts taken down were discovered with the help of Twitter&#39;s internal, proprietary spam-fighting tools, while only the two per cent of those were suspended in the reported time after government requests.

Not only Facebook and Twitter, Google has also been playing an active role to fight terrorism on its multiple platforms. For instance, YouTube doesn&rsquo;t encourage the spread of hateful content and immediately removes any content that aims to incite violence. Its software further prevents the video from being reposted. In 2015 alone, YouTube removed 92 million videos for violation of its policies through a mix of user flagging and its own spam-detection technology. However, videos that were taken down for terrorism or hate speech violations happened to be 1 per cent of them.

In fact, companies including Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and YouTube last year joined hands to help curb extremist content online. They teamed up to create a shared industry database of unique digital fingerprints for images and videos that support extremist organisations. Those digital fingerprints come to the companies&#39; help for identifying extremist content so that it can be easily removed.

Cyberspace regulation

Not only May held tech companies responsible for the growing extremism online, but she also expressed the need &ldquo;to work with allied democratic governments to reach international agreements that regulate cyberspace to prevent the spread of extremist and terrorism planning.&quot; While it is believed that May&rsquo;s recent remark suggesting the need to regulate the internet and encryption could aggravate problems further.

Explaining why this wouldn&rsquo;t be a right move to opt for cyberspace regulation, privacy advocacy organisation <a href="https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2017/the-london-attacks">Open Rights Group said</a>, &ldquo;This could be a very risky approach. If successful, Theresa May could push these vile networks into even darker corners of the web, where they will be even harder to observe.&rdquo;

&ldquo;While governments and companies should take sensible measures to stop abuse, attempts to control the Internet is not the simple solution that Theresa May is claiming,&rdquo; added British non-profit.

The government, on the other hand, finds encrypted data to be of threat to national security. It has been long arguing that companies should provide investigators with the backdoor access to the encrypted information. But privacy advocates have been suggesting that by forcing tech companies to share encrypted data wouldn&rsquo;t protect national security.

Weakening encryption wouldn&rsquo;t guarantee people&rsquo;s safety, says cyber security expert Richard Forno. Terrorists in such cases may develop their own cyber channels, Forno hinted at a likely possibility. &quot;The bad guys are not constrained by the law. That&#39;s why they&#39;re bad guys,&rdquo; he added.

Also, building backdoor entries into encryption could make data, which include personal and confidential details, more prone to hacking.

No wonder, tech companies like Facebook and Google are behaving responsibly and putting in their efforts to prevent the spread of extremist content, without compromising on the user privacy, but the bigger question is that is it solely the tech companies&#39; job to police the internet?

Will the Internet censorship help curb the terrorism? We don&rsquo;t believe so.

(WION)

British Prime Minister Theresa May held tech companies partly responsible for providing extremists a ?safe space? to grow.

In the wake of the recent terror attack in London on Saturday night, British Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement wherein she mentioned different ways that need to be adopted to counter terrorism. Emphasising on the need to overhaul strategies to combat extremism, May held tech companies partly responsible for providing extremists a “safe space” to grow. Also Read: Facebook, Twitter aim to clean 'terrorist content' “We cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed. Yet that is precisely what the internet, and the big companies that provide internet-based services provide,” said May in a statement on the London Bridge terror attack. It is true that extremist groups are using the web to recruit members, spread hate and extremist propaganda, send coded messages and coordinate attacks, but it wouldn’t be right to condemn internet companies for the same as these companies, seemingly, are doing a fair job to take down any content or accounts that are involved in terrorist activities and/or encourage support for terrorism. Facebook, for instance, has been using a mix of tech and humans to prevent the spread of extremist content on the website. "Using a combination of technology and human review, we work aggressively to remove terrorist content from our platform as soon as we become aware of it,” said Simon Milner, director of policy at Facebook in an emailed statement. “And if we become aware of an emergency involving imminent harm to someone's safety, we notify law enforcement,” added Milner. Twitter, on the other hand, suspended a total of 3,76,890 accounts for promoting terrorism between July-Dec 2016. According to the company, 3/4th of the accounts taken down were discovered with the help of Twitter's internal, proprietary spam-fighting tools, while only the two per cent of those were suspended in the reported time after government requests. Not only Facebook and Twitter, Google has also been playing an active role to fight terrorism on its multiple platforms. For instance, YouTube doesn’t encourage the spread of hateful content and immediately removes any content that aims to incite violence. Its software further prevents the video from being reposted. In 2015 alone, YouTube removed 92 million videos for violation of its policies through a mix of user flagging and its own spam-detection technology. However, videos that were taken down for terrorism or hate speech violations happened to be 1 per cent of them. In fact, companies including Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and YouTube last year joined hands to help curb extremist content online. They teamed up to create a shared industry database of unique digital fingerprints for images and videos that support extremist organisations. Those digital fingerprints come to the companies' help for identifying extremist content so that it can be easily removed. Cyberspace regulation Not only May held tech companies responsible for the growing extremism online, but she also expressed the need “to work with allied democratic governments to reach international agreements that regulate cyberspace to prevent the spread of extremist and terrorism planning." While it is believed that May’s recent remark suggesting the need to regulate the internet and encryption could aggravate problems further. Explaining why this wouldn’t be a right move to opt for cyberspace regulation, privacy advocacy organisation Open Rights Group said, “This could be a very risky approach. If successful, Theresa May could push these vile networks into even darker corners of the web, where they will be even harder to observe.” “While governments and companies should take sensible measures to stop abuse, attempts to control the Internet is not the simple solution that Theresa May is claiming,” added British non-profit. The government, on the other hand, finds encrypted data to be of threat to national security. It has been long arguing that companies should provide investigators with the backdoor access to the encrypted information. But privacy advocates have been suggesting that by forcing tech companies to share encrypted data wouldn’t protect national security. Weakening encryption wouldn’t guarantee people’s safety, says cyber security expert Richard Forno. Terrorists in such cases may develop their own cyber channels, Forno hinted at a likely possibility. "The bad guys are not constrained by the law. That's why they're bad guys,” he added. Also, building backdoor entries into encryption could make data, which include personal and confidential details, more prone to hacking. No wonder, tech companies like Facebook and Google are behaving responsibly and putting in their efforts to prevent the spread of extremist content, without compromising on the user privacy, but the bigger question is that is it solely the tech companies' job to police the internet? Will the Internet censorship help curb the terrorism? We don’t believe so. (WION)

Terrorism on web: Why it's not fair to condemn tech companies and regulate cyberspace

US wireless carriers Verizon Communications and AT&amp;T said they have suspended digital advertising on Google&#39;s YouTube and other advertising platforms not related to search over concerns that their ads may have run next to extremist videos.

Verizon and AT&amp;T joined a list of well-known British brands such as retailer Marks and Spencer Group deserting Alphabet&#39;s Google. Google is under fire in Europe from politicians and brands angered by ads appearing alongside videos on its YouTube platform carrying homophobic or anti-Semitic messages.

Google on Tuesday vowed an overhaul of its practices. The company must act swiftly to ensure that more advertisers do not pile on, analysts say.

As advertisers revolt, the search giant faces both a short-term loss of revenue and a long-term danger that companies will lose faith in the automated placement of ads upon which Google has built its empire, said analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research.

&quot;The bigger risk is this seems to be a backlash against programmatic advertising in general,&quot; Dawson said. &quot;There&#39;s this worry that you no longer have control over where ads appear.&quot;

AT&amp;T is removing ads from the non-search inventory on Google because its &quot;ads may have appeared alongside YouTube content promoting terrorism and hate,&quot; the company wrote in an email.

Verizon said it had suspended all digital advertising not related to search after saying earlier on Wednesday that it had only suspended advertising on Google&#39;s non-search platforms. It took the action after its ads were appearing on &quot;non-sanctioned websites,&quot; a spokeswoman wrote in an email.

&quot;We are working with all of our digital advertising partners to understand the weak links so we can prevent this from happening in the future,&quot; the spokeswoman said.

Google declined to comment on individual customers but said it has begun a review of its advertising policies. The news that AT&amp;T and Verizon were suspending Google ads was first reported by Britain&#39;s Times newspaper.

Other big brands, such as Mondelez International Inc , were keeping an eye on the situation. While Mondelez has not seen evidence that its ads have appeared alongside inappropriate content, it is in &ldquo;constant discussion with both Google and YouTube and will be monitoring the issue closely,&rdquo; a spokeswoman said.

YouTube has been a key driver of growth for Google as its traditional business of search advertising matures. Google&rsquo;s net ad revenue worldwide from YouTube was $5.58 billion last year, according to New York-based research firm eMarketer. It is expected to hit $7 billion in 2017, according to a forecast by eMarketer made before the recent controversy.

One question many people are asking is whether advertisers will reallocate the marketing dollars they have devoted to YouTube to other platforms, said Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research. Wieser, however, thinks that if the boycott is widespread enough, no one else will benefit.

&ldquo;If you know all of your competitors are reducing their spending too, then you don&rsquo;t need to spend more,&rdquo; he said. 
Google must walk a fine line between giving advertisers more control and alienating the massive community of content creators who have made the site a top destination for coveted young viewers. 
 
One likely path forward for Google is to tighten controls on which videos are eligible for advertising, perhaps by the channel&#39;s track record or number of viewers, said Dawson. But any such restrictions risk hurting artists with small followings.

&quot;Google is caught between a rock and a hard place here between its creators and its advertisers,&quot; Dawson said.

(Reuters)

Google is under fire for showing ads of different brands alongside YouTube videos carrying homophobic or anti-semitic messages

US wireless carriers Verizon Communications and AT&T said they have suspended digital advertising on Google's YouTube and other advertising platforms not related to search over concerns that their ads may have run next to extremist videos. Verizon and AT&T joined a list of well-known British brands such as retailer Marks and Spencer Group deserting Alphabet's Google. Google is under fire in Europe from politicians and brands angered by ads appearing alongside videos on its YouTube platform carrying homophobic or anti-Semitic messages. Google on Tuesday vowed an overhaul of its practices. The company must act swiftly to ensure that more advertisers do not pile on, analysts say. As advertisers revolt, the search giant faces both a short-term loss of revenue and a long-term danger that companies will lose faith in the automated placement of ads upon which Google has built its empire, said analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research. "The bigger risk is this seems to be a backlash against programmatic advertising in general," Dawson said. "There's this worry that you no longer have control over where ads appear." AT&T is removing ads from the non-search inventory on Google because its "ads may have appeared alongside YouTube content promoting terrorism and hate," the company wrote in an email. Verizon said it had suspended all digital advertising not related to search after saying earlier on Wednesday that it had only suspended advertising on Google's non-search platforms. It took the action after its ads were appearing on "non-sanctioned websites," a spokeswoman wrote in an email. "We are working with all of our digital advertising partners to understand the weak links so we can prevent this from happening in the future," the spokeswoman said. Google declined to comment on individual customers but said it has begun a review of its advertising policies. The news that AT&T and Verizon were suspending Google ads was first reported by Britain's Times newspaper. Other big brands, such as Mondelez International Inc , were keeping an eye on the situation. While Mondelez has not seen evidence that its ads have appeared alongside inappropriate content, it is in “constant discussion with both Google and YouTube and will be monitoring the issue closely,” a spokeswoman said. YouTube has been a key driver of growth for Google as its traditional business of search advertising matures. Google’s net ad revenue worldwide from YouTube was $5.58 billion last year, according to New York-based research firm eMarketer. It is expected to hit $7 billion in 2017, according to a forecast by eMarketer made before the recent controversy. One question many people are asking is whether advertisers will reallocate the marketing dollars they have devoted to YouTube to other platforms, said Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research. Wieser, however, thinks that if the boycott is widespread enough, no one else will benefit. “If you know all of your competitors are reducing their spending too, then you don’t need to spend more,” he said. Google must walk a fine line between giving advertisers more control and alienating the massive community of content creators who have made the site a top destination for coveted young viewers. One likely path forward for Google is to tighten controls on which videos are eligible for advertising, perhaps by the channel's track record or number of viewers, said Dawson. But any such restrictions risk hurting artists with small followings. "Google is caught between a rock and a hard place here between its creators and its advertisers," Dawson said. (Reuters)

Verizon, AT&T suspend ads from Google over offensive videos

Aiming to improve video-watching experience, Google has introduced a new app - Uptime - which lets users watch videos with friends and family.

Initially released for iOS, the app is <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uptime-watch-videos-together/id1165602747?ls=1&amp;mt=8">available to download for free</a>. Currently, Uptime is an invite-only app.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Say hello to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Uptime?src=hash">#Uptime</a>! Share and watch videos together. Download now from the App Store <a href="https://t.co/Bwo7e4xCgy">https://t.co/Bwo7e4xCgy</a>. 
Use invite code: PIZZA <a href="https://t.co/w9MzqwCibi">pic.twitter.com/w9MzqwCibi</a>
&mdash; Uptime (@uptimeApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/uptimeApp/status/840689484400214016">March 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&ldquo;Uptime is a place to share and watch videos together with friends. Easily share your favourite YouTube video and bring friends together to watch, chat, and have fun,&rdquo; describes the company.

Users can make comments or react with emoji while viewing a video on Uptime, and those reactions will be displayed to other users watching the video.

The app, currently doesn&rsquo;t let users record video or stream live. It only lets users share YouTube videos. It is believed that the the app is more compatible with videos shot in portrait.

Uptime is a brainchild of Area 120, Google&rsquo;s internal incubator.

(WION)

Initially released for iOS, the new video app is available to download for free

Aiming to improve video-watching experience, Google has introduced a new app - Uptime - which lets users watch videos with friends and family. Initially released for iOS, the app is available to download for free. Currently, Uptime is an invite-only app. Say hello to #Uptime! Share and watch videos together. Download now from the App Store https://t.co/Bwo7e4xCgy. Use invite code: PIZZA pic.twitter.com/w9MzqwCibi — Uptime (@uptimeApp) March 11, 2017 × “Uptime is a place to share and watch videos together with friends. Easily share your favourite YouTube video and bring friends together to watch, chat, and have fun,” describes the company. Users can make comments or react with emoji while viewing a video on Uptime, and those reactions will be displayed to other users watching the video. The app, currently doesn’t let users record video or stream live. It only lets users share YouTube videos. It is believed that the the app is more compatible with videos shot in portrait. Uptime is a brainchild of Area 120, Google’s internal incubator. (WION)

Google launches new app to let you watch YouTube videos with your friends

In a direct challenge by the Google-owned network to traditional cable and pay TV, YouTube has unveiled a streaming television service offering bundles of live channels.

YouTube TV is tailored for younger generations seeking news, films and more programs without subscribing to cable or satellite service, according to YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki.

The new service will allow subscribers in US markets to get access on any connected device to networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, along with &quot;sports networks and dozens of popular cable networks,&quot; according to YouTube.

Set to launch in coming months, YouTube TV will cost $35 monthly, with six user accounts allowed per subscriber, positioning itself to compete against so-called &quot;skinny bundles&quot; from Dish Network&#39;s Sling TV and AT&amp;T&#39;s DirecTV Now.

&quot;YouTube TV is designed specifically for the needs of a new generation of TV fans who want to watch what they want, when they want, how they want without commitment,&quot; Wojcicki said during a press briefing streamed from YouTube offices in Southern California.

YouTube TV will also combine user-created content from the Google-owned online video sharing service, with delivery customized for viewing screens from smartphones to big-screen televisions.

The service will launch first in major US markets where local television content can be provided, with YouTube working to quickly expand availability, according to Wojcicki.

YouTube TV will also allow limitless recording of shows on servers hosted in the internet cloud, so they can be saved for streamed viewing when convenient.

YouTube TV will be accessible on internet-linked mobile devices, and can be streamed to television screens using Google Chromecast.

YouTube certainly has the online video muscle to push a television service, but will also need focus, according to analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group.

&quot;At the end of the day, I think this is going to come down to Google&#39;s ability to maintain attention,&quot; Enderle said of YouTube TV&#39;s prospects.

&quot;Which is huge, because it seems at times that Google has the attention span of a 4-year-old on sugar.&quot;

TV channels changing

The complexity of licensing content from television or film studios has been a longtime bane for online streaming services that want to provide popular content while avoiding accusations of piracy.

&quot;We&#39;ve been on a 10 year journey with all the content providers, from being sued by quite a few around the world to embracing fingerprinting technology,&quot; YouTube chief business officer Robert Kyncl said.

&quot;We&#39;ve evolved our relationships with media companies all around the world to incredibly constructive ones.&quot; YouTube a while back implemented technology that &quot;fingerprints&quot; copyrighted shows or films so software can automatically identify unauthorized uploads to the service.

YouTube TV is also making its debut as the television industry sees a trend toward &quot;skinny bundles&quot; in which people opt for preferred selections of channels instead of paying big fees to cable providers for myriad channels, many of which they don&#39;t really want.

The pending mega-merger of AT&amp;T and Time Warner has been billed by the head of the US telecommunications giant as a way to &quot;make a different kind of competitor in the ecosystem.&quot;

At a prestigious WSJD Live conference in California late last year, AT&amp;T chief executive Randall Stephenson said that a goal of the merger is to create a competitor to cable service, and depicted a not-to-distant future in which set-top boxes are obsolete because viewers get their content directly from the internet.

He buttressed his point by highlighting a new AT&amp;T DirecTV Now streaming service in the US that costs $35 monthly, comes with unlimited streaming to mobile devices, and boasts more than 100 channels.

Along with its free videos, YouTube has a Red subscription service priced at $10 monthly. Netflix and Amazon Prime are ramping up how much they spend on original shows, investing billions of dollars in content.

Sony last year expanded its PlayStation Vue internet-based television service to the entire US market, with an aimed of luring consumers away from cable subscriptions.

The PlayStation Vue offers streamlined &quot;bundles&quot; for as little as $30 a month without long-term contracts. 
&quot;The difficult part about getting cord-cutters is getting all the channels they want,&quot; Enderle said, referring to video viewers who sever cable services in favour of watching content on the internet.

&quot;Global distribution is a nightmare; the cable companies have the networks pretty locked up right now.&quot;

(AFP)

Set to launch in coming months, YouTube TV will cost $35 monthly

In a direct challenge by the Google-owned network to traditional cable and pay TV, YouTube has unveiled a streaming television service offering bundles of live channels. YouTube TV is tailored for younger generations seeking news, films and more programs without subscribing to cable or satellite service, according to YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki. The new service will allow subscribers in US markets to get access on any connected device to networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, along with "sports networks and dozens of popular cable networks," according to YouTube. Set to launch in coming months, YouTube TV will cost $35 monthly, with six user accounts allowed per subscriber, positioning itself to compete against so-called "skinny bundles" from Dish Network's Sling TV and AT&T's DirecTV Now. "YouTube TV is designed specifically for the needs of a new generation of TV fans who want to watch what they want, when they want, how they want without commitment," Wojcicki said during a press briefing streamed from YouTube offices in Southern California. YouTube TV will also combine user-created content from the Google-owned online video sharing service, with delivery customized for viewing screens from smartphones to big-screen televisions. The service will launch first in major US markets where local television content can be provided, with YouTube working to quickly expand availability, according to Wojcicki. YouTube TV will also allow limitless recording of shows on servers hosted in the internet cloud, so they can be saved for streamed viewing when convenient. YouTube TV will be accessible on internet-linked mobile devices, and can be streamed to television screens using Google Chromecast. YouTube certainly has the online video muscle to push a television service, but will also need focus, according to analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group. "At the end of the day, I think this is going to come down to Google's ability to maintain attention," Enderle said of YouTube TV's prospects. "Which is huge, because it seems at times that Google has the attention span of a 4-year-old on sugar." TV channels changing The complexity of licensing content from television or film studios has been a longtime bane for online streaming services that want to provide popular content while avoiding accusations of piracy. "We've been on a 10 year journey with all the content providers, from being sued by quite a few around the world to embracing fingerprinting technology," YouTube chief business officer Robert Kyncl said. "We've evolved our relationships with media companies all around the world to incredibly constructive ones." YouTube a while back implemented technology that "fingerprints" copyrighted shows or films so software can automatically identify unauthorized uploads to the service. YouTube TV is also making its debut as the television industry sees a trend toward "skinny bundles" in which people opt for preferred selections of channels instead of paying big fees to cable providers for myriad channels, many of which they don't really want. The pending mega-merger of AT&T and Time Warner has been billed by the head of the US telecommunications giant as a way to "make a different kind of competitor in the ecosystem." At a prestigious WSJD Live conference in California late last year, AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson said that a goal of the merger is to create a competitor to cable service, and depicted a not-to-distant future in which set-top boxes are obsolete because viewers get their content directly from the internet. He buttressed his point by highlighting a new AT&T DirecTV Now streaming service in the US that costs $35 monthly, comes with unlimited streaming to mobile devices, and boasts more than 100 channels. Along with its free videos, YouTube has a Red subscription service priced at $10 monthly. Netflix and Amazon Prime are ramping up how much they spend on original shows, investing billions of dollars in content. Sony last year expanded its PlayStation Vue internet-based television service to the entire US market, with an aimed of luring consumers away from cable subscriptions. The PlayStation Vue offers streamlined "bundles" for as little as $30 a month without long-term contracts. "The difficult part about getting cord-cutters is getting all the channels they want," Enderle said, referring to video viewers who sever cable services in favour of watching content on the internet. "Global distribution is a nightmare; the cable companies have the networks pretty locked up right now." (AFP)

YouTube TV: Google challenges cable TV with its new streaming service

Alphabet Inc&#39;s&nbsp;YouTube will launch a live TV YouTube on Tuesday unveiled a streaming television service offering bundles of live channels, in a direct challenge by the Google-owned network to traditional cable and pay TV.

YouTube TV was tailored for younger generations seeking news, films and more programs without subscribing to cable or satellite service, according to YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki.

The new service will allow subscribers in US markets to get access on any connected device to networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, along with &quot;sports networks and dozens of popular cable networks,&quot; according to YouTube.

Set to launch in the coming months, YouTube TV will cost $35 monthly, with six user accounts allowed per subscriber, positioning itself to compete against so-called &quot;skinny bundles&quot; from Dish Network&#39;s Sling TV and AT&amp;T&#39;s DirecTV Now.

&quot;YouTube TV is designed specifically for the needs of a new generation of TV fans who want to watch what they want, when they want, how they want without commitment,&quot; &nbsp;Wojcicki said during a press briefing streamed from YouTube offices in Southern California.

YouTube TV will also combine user-created content from the Google-owned online video sharing service, with delivery customised for viewing screens from smartphones to big-screen televisions.

The service will launch first in major US markets where local television content can be provided, with YouTube working to quickly expand availability, according to Wojcicki.

YouTube TV will also allow limitless recording of shows, so they can be saved for viewing when convenient., YouTube Chief Executive Susan Wojcicki said on Tuesday.

The service, called YouTube TV, will cost $35 a month for six accounts, Wojcicki told reporters at an event at YouTube&#39;s production space in Los Angeles.

(AFP)

The service will launch in the next few months and offers the four major US broadcast networks plus cable channels

Alphabet Inc's YouTube will launch a live TV YouTube on Tuesday unveiled a streaming television service offering bundles of live channels, in a direct challenge by the Google-owned network to traditional cable and pay TV. YouTube TV was tailored for younger generations seeking news, films and more programs without subscribing to cable or satellite service, according to YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki. The new service will allow subscribers in US markets to get access on any connected device to networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, along with "sports networks and dozens of popular cable networks," according to YouTube. Set to launch in the coming months, YouTube TV will cost $35 monthly, with six user accounts allowed per subscriber, positioning itself to compete against so-called "skinny bundles" from Dish Network's Sling TV and AT&T's DirecTV Now. "YouTube TV is designed specifically for the needs of a new generation of TV fans who want to watch what they want, when they want, how they want without commitment," Wojcicki said during a press briefing streamed from YouTube offices in Southern California. YouTube TV will also combine user-created content from the Google-owned online video sharing service, with delivery customised for viewing screens from smartphones to big-screen televisions. The service will launch first in major US markets where local television content can be provided, with YouTube working to quickly expand availability, according to Wojcicki. YouTube TV will also allow limitless recording of shows, so they can be saved for viewing when convenient., YouTube Chief Executive Susan Wojcicki said on Tuesday. The service, called YouTube TV, will cost $35 a month for six accounts, Wojcicki told reporters at an event at YouTube's production space in Los Angeles. (AFP)

YouTube unveils $35 per month live TV service

Taking on Facebook Live, Alphabet&#39;s YouTube has rolled out a new feature that allows YouTube users with more than 10,000 subscribers to live stream from mobile devices. YouTube will roll out the new feature for other contributors soon.

&quot;Mobile live streaming has been built directly into the YouTube mobile app. All you have to do to start streaming is open YouTube, hit the capture button, and you&rsquo;re live,&quot; says YouTube in a blog post.

Streamed videos will have all the same features as regular YouTube videos. They can be searched for, found via recommendations or playlists, and protected from unauthorised use.
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Besides, YouTube has also launched Super Chat, another new feature that allows users to highlight their messages for a fee. The Super Chat feature lets any fan watching a live stream stand out from the crowd and get the creator&#39;s attention by purchasing chat messages that are highlighted in bright colours and stay pinned to the top of the chat window for up to five hours.

This new monetisation tool (available to creators in more than 20 countries and viewers in more than 40 countries) will help creators earn revenue from live streaming. &quot;Super Chat is like paying for that front-row seat in the digital age,&quot; says YouTube.

Live video is becoming a highly competitive feature on social platforms, with companies competing to stream major sports events and exclusive videos from high-profile events such as the Oscar and Grammy awards shows.

While YouTube started supporting live streaming on its website since 2011, Facebook Live, which offers streaming video in real time, was launched in 2015.

Twitter started allowing live broadcasts from its mobile app last year.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

Streamed videos will have all the same features as regular YouTube videos

Taking on Facebook Live, Alphabet's YouTube has rolled out a new feature that allows YouTube users with more than 10,000 subscribers to live stream from mobile devices. YouTube will roll out the new feature for other contributors soon. "Mobile live streaming has been built directly into the YouTube mobile app. All you have to do to start streaming is open YouTube, hit the capture button, and you’re live," says YouTube in a blog post. Streamed videos will have all the same features as regular YouTube videos. They can be searched for, found via recommendations or playlists, and protected from unauthorised use. Besides, YouTube has also launched Super Chat, another new feature that allows users to highlight their messages for a fee. The Super Chat feature lets any fan watching a live stream stand out from the crowd and get the creator's attention by purchasing chat messages that are highlighted in bright colours and stay pinned to the top of the chat window for up to five hours. This new monetisation tool (available to creators in more than 20 countries and viewers in more than 40 countries) will help creators earn revenue from live streaming. "Super Chat is like paying for that front-row seat in the digital age," says YouTube. Live video is becoming a highly competitive feature on social platforms, with companies competing to stream major sports events and exclusive videos from high-profile events such as the Oscar and Grammy awards shows. While YouTube started supporting live streaming on its website since 2011, Facebook Live, which offers streaming video in real time, was launched in 2015. Twitter started allowing live broadcasts from its mobile app last year. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

YouTube now lets users live stream from mobile

An Indian soldier, who had released four clips on YouTube complaining about the poor quality of food being served to them in the army canteen, is being mentally tortured and has been placed under arrest, according to his wife.

Tej Bahadur&#39;s videos had gone viral in December when he bemoaned the poor quality and quantity of food, leaving the Indian army red-faced in the public.

The Indian army, on the other hand, told ANI that Bahadur was not arrested but an inquiry had found him &quot;guilty&quot; and recommended &quot;disciplinary action&quot; against him.

But Bahadur&#39;s wife Sharmila claimed he was first forced to retire but later his retirement request was scrapped and then was detained by the army.

&quot;He (Bahadur) called up to say that he was asked to retire, but his retirement was also cancelled within one hour, and he was later arrested,&quot; the wife alleged, adding that he waiting for her husband to return home on January 31.

&quot;He managed to call up today using someone else&#39;s phone (to call me). He was being threatened and mentally tortured,&quot; the wife further claimed.

Bahadur&#39;s videos on YouTube was taken well in the upper echelons of the Indian army.

Bipin Rawat, who assumed the army reins on December 31, 2016, had told soldiers days later&nbsp;that they should contact him &quot;directly&quot;&nbsp;if they were unsatisfied&nbsp;with the internal redressal system.

&quot;You are violating rules by your act and you could be punished for that,&quot; he said on January 15.

The army also said that Bahadur was court-martialled in 2010 for indiscipline but was allowed to stay on humanitarian grounds.

The Indian government had also taken a dim view of the whole episode. An interior ministry inquiry report suggested that there was no &quot;widespread discontent&quot; among the soldiers about the quality of food being served to them.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from ANI)

The army, however, has denied the allegations but added that an inquiry has found the soldier 'guilty' and will face 'disciplinary action'

An Indian soldier, who had released four clips on YouTube complaining about the poor quality of food being served to them in the army canteen, is being mentally tortured and has been placed under arrest, according to his wife. Tej Bahadur's videos had gone viral in December when he bemoaned the poor quality and quantity of food, leaving the Indian army red-faced in the public. The Indian army, on the other hand, told ANI that Bahadur was not arrested but an inquiry had found him "guilty" and recommended "disciplinary action" against him. But Bahadur's wife Sharmila claimed he was first forced to retire but later his retirement request was scrapped and then was detained by the army. "He (Bahadur) called up to say that he was asked to retire, but his retirement was also cancelled within one hour, and he was later arrested," the wife alleged, adding that he waiting for her husband to return home on January 31. "He managed to call up today using someone else's phone (to call me). He was being threatened and mentally tortured," the wife further claimed. Bahadur's videos on YouTube was taken well in the upper echelons of the Indian army. Bipin Rawat, who assumed the army reins on December 31, 2016, had told soldiers days later that they should contact him "directly" if they were unsatisfied with the internal redressal system. "You are violating rules by your act and you could be punished for that," he said on January 15. The army also said that Bahadur was court-martialled in 2010 for indiscipline but was allowed to stay on humanitarian grounds. The Indian government had also taken a dim view of the whole episode. An interior ministry inquiry report suggested that there was no "widespread discontent" among the soldiers about the quality of food being served to them. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Soldier who complained of bad food in army canteen put 'under arrest', says wife

Video-sharing giant, YouTube, &nbsp;has hired legendary music executive &nbsp;Lyor Cohen &nbsp;in a bid to &quot;strenghten its relationships with the music industry&quot;, &nbsp;Reuters reported today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Former Warner Music Group executive Lyor Cohen, who has been an experience of more than 30 years in the industy, will head the music business of &nbsp;Google&#39;s video streaming service. &nbsp;Most recently, he served as &nbsp;the chief executive and co-founder of the 300 Entertainment record label, which currently includes prominent hip-hop artists such as Fetty Wap, Young Thug and Rich the Kid, according to Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;Lyor is a lion of the music industry,&quot; YouTube&#39;s chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl was quoted as saying in the media reports.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;From Rush to Def Jam to Island Def Jam to WMG then 300, he has consistently been a pioneer, charting the course for where music is heading. As we enter the growth era of the music industry, Lyor is in a position to make a&nbsp;tremendous difference in accelerating that growth in a fair way for everyone. We are thrilled to welcome him to YouTube.&quot;

&nbsp;

In a letter to the YouTube employees, Cohen told the employees that he would look to help the music community &quot;embrace the technological shifts we&#39;re seeing in music today so we can help take the confusion and distrust out of the equation&quot;, Reuters reports.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Cohen recently served as the chief executive and co-founder of the 300 Entertainment record label which includes prominent hip-hop artists

Video-sharing giant, YouTube, has hired legendary music executive Lyor Cohen in a bid to "strenghten its relationships with the music industry", Reuters reported today. Former Warner Music Group executive Lyor Cohen, who has been an experience of more than 30 years in the industy, will head the music business of Google's video streaming service. Most recently, he served as the chief executive and co-founder of the 300 Entertainment record label, which currently includes prominent hip-hop artists such as Fetty Wap, Young Thug and Rich the Kid, according to Reuters. “Lyor is a lion of the music industry," YouTube's chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl was quoted as saying in the media reports. "From Rush to Def Jam to Island Def Jam to WMG then 300, he has consistently been a pioneer, charting the course for where music is heading. As we enter the growth era of the music industry, Lyor is in a position to make a tremendous difference in accelerating that growth in a fair way for everyone. We are thrilled to welcome him to YouTube." In a letter to the YouTube employees, Cohen told the employees that he would look to help the music community "embrace the technological shifts we're seeing in music today so we can help take the confusion and distrust out of the equation", Reuters reports. (WION)

YouTube hires veteran music executive Lyor Cohen as music head

New proposals around copyright law to shake up how online news and entertainment is paid for in Europe were unveiled by European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker in Strasbourg today. &nbsp; 
 
The reform plan aims to bring a fair fight to American video-sharing website,YouTube. 
 
&quot;I want journalists, publishers and authors to be paid fairly for their work, whether it is made in studios or living rooms, whether it is disseminated offline or online, whether it is published via a copying machine or commercially hyperlinked on the web,&quot; Juncker said as he gave his annual State of the Union speech.&nbsp; 
 
Pop stars such as Coldplay and Lady Gaga will hail part of the plan. 
 
The overhaul is meant to bring European copyright law up to date with the digital age to make the world&#39;s largest trading bloc more competitive in a tough global field. 
 
One major change would force internet portals such as Google or Reddit to pay newspaper publishers a licence fee when using small extracts or snippets of news content - most notably on Google News or Huffington Post. 
 
&quot;The commission&#39;s plan to create a copyright for news publishers in Europe is a significant and historic step,&quot; said Carlo Perrone, head of the European Newspaper Publishers&#39; Association. 
 
But, not everyone was happy with the reform plans. 
 
Filmmakers and start-up investors see it as a threat to European innovation and a wrong-headed favour to powerful media groups. 
 
Opponents say this idea punishes smaller publishers and is highly ineffective, as proven when both Germany and Spain created similar systems with neither case producing the badly needed life support to starved newspapers. 
 
&quot;How we share and use the news is in danger. (This plan) won&#39;t lead to more income for news sites, let alone journalists,&quot; said MEP Daniel Dalton, a conservative from Britain. 
 
The commission is also asking that video platforms, such as YouTube or even Facebook, use technology that can track violations of copyright and shut them down. 
 
Cracking down on YouTube is a key demand of some of the world&#39;s biggest music artists who said in a letter to Juncker last June that YouTube was stealing value from streaming services, such as Spotify. 
 
The last time the European Union radically overhauled its copyright laws was in 2001, long before Spotify and YouTube existed. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

The change would force internet portals such as Google to pay newspaper publishers a licence fee when using small extracts of news content

New proposals around copyright law to shake up how online news and entertainment is paid for in Europe were unveiled by European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker in Strasbourg today. The reform plan aims to bring a fair fight to American video-sharing website,YouTube. "I want journalists, publishers and authors to be paid fairly for their work, whether it is made in studios or living rooms, whether it is disseminated offline or online, whether it is published via a copying machine or commercially hyperlinked on the web," Juncker said as he gave his annual State of the Union speech. Pop stars such as Coldplay and Lady Gaga will hail part of the plan. The overhaul is meant to bring European copyright law up to date with the digital age to make the world's largest trading bloc more competitive in a tough global field. One major change would force internet portals such as Google or Reddit to pay newspaper publishers a licence fee when using small extracts or snippets of news content - most notably on Google News or Huffington Post. "The commission's plan to create a copyright for news publishers in Europe is a significant and historic step," said Carlo Perrone, head of the European Newspaper Publishers' Association. But, not everyone was happy with the reform plans. Filmmakers and start-up investors see it as a threat to European innovation and a wrong-headed favour to powerful media groups. Opponents say this idea punishes smaller publishers and is highly ineffective, as proven when both Germany and Spain created similar systems with neither case producing the badly needed life support to starved newspapers. "How we share and use the news is in danger. (This plan) won't lead to more income for news sites, let alone journalists," said MEP Daniel Dalton, a conservative from Britain. The commission is also asking that video platforms, such as YouTube or even Facebook, use technology that can track violations of copyright and shut them down. Cracking down on YouTube is a key demand of some of the world's biggest music artists who said in a letter to Juncker last June that YouTube was stealing value from streaming services, such as Spotify. The last time the European Union radically overhauled its copyright laws was in 2001, long before Spotify and YouTube existed. (WION with inputs from AFP)

EU's Juncker unveils radical copyright reform

Microsoft said in May that it was providing funding to a computer scientist to develop a technology that could identify terrorist content

Some of the web's biggest destinations for watching videos have quietly started using automation to remove extremist content from their sites, according to two people familiar with the process. The move is a major step forward for internet companies that are eager to eradicate violent propaganda from their sites and are under pressure to do so from governments around the world as attacks by extremists proliferate, from Syria to Belgium and the United States. YouTube and Facebook are among the sites deploying systems to block or rapidly take down Islamic State videos and other similar material, the sources said. The technology was originally developed to identify and remove copyright-protected content on video sites. It looks for "hashes," a type of unique digital fingerprint that internet companies automatically assign to specific videos, allowing all content with matching fingerprints to be removed rapidly. Such a system would catch attempts to repost content already identified as unacceptable, but would not automatically block videos that have not been seen before. The companies would not confirm that they are using the method or talk about how it might be employed, but numerous people familiar with the technology said that posted videos could be checked against a database of banned content to identify new postings of, say, a beheading or a lecture inciting violence. The two sources would not discuss how much human work goes into reviewing videos identified as matches or near-matches by the technology. They also would not say how videos in the databases were initially identified as extremist. Use of the new technology is likely to be refined over time as internet companies continue to discuss the issue internally and with competitors and other interested parties. In late April, amid pressure from US President Barack Obama and other US and European leaders concerned about online radicalisation, internet companies including Alphabet Inc`s YouTube, Twitter Inc , Facebook Inc and CloudFlare held a call to discuss options, including a content-blocking system put forward by the private Counter Extremism Project, according to one person on the call and three who were briefed on what was discussed. The discussions underscored the central but difficult role some of the world's most influential companies now play in addressing issues such as terrorism, free speech and the lines between government and corporate authority. None of the companies at this point has embraced the anti-extremist group's system, and they have typically been wary of outside intervention in how their sites should be policed. “It’s a little bit different than copyright or child pornography, where things are very clearly illegal,” said Seamus Hughes, deputy director of George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. Extremist content exists on a spectrum, Hughes said, and different web companies draw the line in different places. Most have relied until now mainly on users to flag content that violates their terms of service, and many still do. Flagged material is then individually reviewed by human editors who delete postings found to be in violation. The companies now using automation are not publicly discussing it, two sources said, in part out of concern that terrorists might learn how to manipulate their systems or that repressive regimes might insist the technology be used to censor opponents. “There's no upside in these companies talking about it,” said Matthew Prince, chief executive of content distribution company CloudFlare. “Why would they brag about censorship?” The two people familiar with the still-evolving industry practise confirmed it to Reuters after the Counter Extremism Project publicly described its content-blocking system for the first time last week and urged the big internet companies to adopt it. WARY OF OUTSIDE SOLUTION The April call was led by Facebook's head of global policy management, Monika Bickert, sources with knowledge of the call said. On it, Facebook presented options for discussion, according to one participant, including the one proposed by the non-profit Counter Extremism Project. The anti-extremism group was founded by, among others, Frances Townsend, who advised former president George W. Bush on homeland security, and Mark Wallace, who was deputy campaign manager for the Bush 2004 re-election campaign. Three sources with knowledge of the April call said that companies expressed wariness of letting an outside group decide what defined unacceptable content. Other alternatives raised on the call included establishing a new industry-controlled nonprofit or expanding an existing industry-controlled nonprofit. All the options discussed involved hashing technology. The model for an industry-funded organisation might be the nonprofit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which identifies known child pornography images using a system known as PhotoDNA. The system is licensed for free by Microsoft Corp . Microsoft announced in May it was providing funding and technical support to Dartmouth College computer scientist Hany Farid, who works with the Counter Extremism Project and helped develop PhotoDNA, "to develop a technology to help stakeholders identify copies of patently terrorist content." Facebook’s Bickert agreed with some of the concerns voiced during the call about the Counter Extremism Project`s proposal, two people familiar with the events said. She declined to comment publicly on the call or on Facebook's efforts, except to note in a statement that Facebook is “exploring with others in industry ways we can collaboratively work to remove content that violates our policies against terrorism.” In recent weeks, one source said, Facebook has sent out a survey to other companies soliciting their opinions on different options for industry collaboration on the issue. William Fitzgerald, a spokesman for Alphabet`s Google unit, which owns YouTube, also declined to comment on the call or about the company's automated efforts to police content. A Twitter spokesman said the company was still evaluating the Counter Extremism Project`s proposal and had "not yet taken a position." A former Google employee said people there had long debated what else besides thwarting copyright violations or sharing revenue with creators the company should do with its Content ID system. Google`s system for content-matching is older and far more sophisticated than Facebook`s, according to people familiar with both. Lisa Monaco, senior adviser to the US president on counterterrorism, said in a statement that the White House welcomed initiatives that seek to help companies “better respond to the threat posed by terrorists’ activities online. (Reuters

Google, Facebook quietly move toward automatic blocking of extremist videos

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft have unveiled a code of conduct with the European Commission that pledges to combat online hate speech.

In a press release, the EU Commissioners for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality pointed out the need for increased monitoring following the spate of terror attacks that have rocked Europe. 
 
&quot;The recent terror attacks have reminded us of the urgent need to address illegal online hate speech,&quot; said Vera Jourova in a statement.

&quot;Social media is unfortunately one of the tools that terrorist groups use to radicalize young people, and racists use to spread violence and hatred. This agreement is an important step forward to ensure that the internet remains a place of free and democratic expression, where European values and laws are respected.&quot;

The code of conduct outlines a raft of measures the IT companies have agreed to respect, including the commitment to remove illegal hate speech in less than 24 hours after being notified.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube & Microsoft have signed an agreement to battle hate speech online.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft have unveiled a code of conduct with the European Commission that pledges to combat online hate speech. In a press release, the EU Commissioners for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality pointed out the need for increased monitoring following the spate of terror attacks that have rocked Europe. "The recent terror attacks have reminded us of the urgent need to address illegal online hate speech," said Vera Jourova in a statement. "Social media is unfortunately one of the tools that terrorist groups use to radicalize young people, and racists use to spread violence and hatred. This agreement is an important step forward to ensure that the internet remains a place of free and democratic expression, where European values and laws are respected." The code of conduct outlines a raft of measures the IT companies have agreed to respect, including the commitment to remove illegal hate speech in less than 24 hours after being notified.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube & Microsoft join hands to fight hate speech

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