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Igniting a 'gaming-world' war, Apple has decided to block three games of three tech-giants — Microsoft, Facebook and Google — from its App Store.

The list contains&nbsp;Microsoft's Game Pass, Google's Stadia and Facebook's gaming app.

The decision was taken by Apple as the company claims that the three tech-giants did not submit the games individually for review. Apple claimed that their company does not allow apps to feature on their store without a review, and since the companies did not submit individual games for review, Apple decided to block the games that could enable access to these non-reviewed games.

The company issued a statement explaining the reason behind the decision of blocking these games. "Our customers enjoy great apps and games from millions of developers, and gaming services can absolutely&nbsp;launch on the App Store as long as they follow the same set&nbsp;of guidelines applicable to all developers, including submitting games individually for review, and appearing in charts and search.&nbsp;In addition to the App Store, developers can choose to reach&nbsp;all iPhone and iPad users over the web through Safari and other browsers&nbsp;on the App Store."

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg reacted to the news by saying, “Unfortunately, we had to remove gameplay functionality entirely in order to get Apple’s approval on the stand-alone Facebook Gaming app.”

In a Twitter thread, Facebook Gaming announced the launch of&nbsp;standalone Facebook Gaming app. "But for FB game developers and players...we have some bad news. After months of submissions and repeated rejections by Apple, we’ve had to remove instant games entirely from the standalone app," Facebook Gaming tweeted.

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🍏🎮🧵 
 
1/ Well, we have some good news. We’re launching the standalone Facebook Gaming app today on iOS! Download today 👉 <a href="https://t.co/MhNbh3nOwA">https://t.co/MhNbh3nOwA</a> 
 
We know many creators and fans have been waiting a long time for it, so thanks for sitting tight.
— Facebook Gaming (@FacebookGaming) <a href="https://twitter.com/FacebookGaming/status/1291708615015858176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Microsoft, too, issued a statement that read, "Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And it consistently treats gaming apps differently, applying more lenient rules to non-gaming apps even when they include interactive content."

Igniting a 'gaming-world' war, Apple has decided to block three games of three tech-giants — Microsoft, Facebook and Google — from its App Store. The list contains Microsoft's Game Pass, Google's Stadia and Facebook's gaming app.

Igniting a 'gaming-world' war, Apple has decided to block three games of three tech-giants — Microsoft, Facebook and Google — from its App Store. The list contains Microsoft's Game Pass, Google's Stadia and Facebook's gaming app. The decision was taken by Apple as the company claims that the three tech-giants did not submit the games individually for review. Apple claimed that their company does not allow apps to feature on their store without a review, and since the companies did not submit individual games for review, Apple decided to block the games that could enable access to these non-reviewed games. The company issued a statement explaining the reason behind the decision of blocking these games. "Our customers enjoy great apps and games from millions of developers, and gaming services can absolutely launch on the App Store as long as they follow the same set of guidelines applicable to all developers, including submitting games individually for review, and appearing in charts and search. In addition to the App Store, developers can choose to reach all iPhone and iPad users over the web through Safari and other browsers on the App Store." Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg reacted to the news by saying, “Unfortunately, we had to remove gameplay functionality entirely in order to get Apple’s approval on the stand-alone Facebook Gaming app.” In a Twitter thread, Facebook Gaming announced the launch of standalone Facebook Gaming app. "But for FB game developers and players...we have some bad news. After months of submissions and repeated rejections by Apple, we’ve had to remove instant games entirely from the standalone app," Facebook Gaming tweeted. 🍏🎮🧵 1/ Well, we have some good news. We’re launching the standalone Facebook Gaming app today on iOS! Download today 👉 https://t.co/MhNbh3nOwA We know many creators and fans have been waiting a long time for it, so thanks for sitting tight. — Facebook Gaming (@FacebookGaming) August 7, 2020 × Microsoft, too, issued a statement that read, "Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And it consistently treats gaming apps differently, applying more lenient rules to non-gaming apps even when they include interactive content."

Apple blocks games from Microsoft, Google, and Facebook; fight gets Twitter-official

India's plan to regulate "non-personal" data has jolted US tech giants Amazon, Facebook and Google, and a group representing them is preparing to push back against the proposals, according to sources and a letter seen by Reuters.

India's plan to regulate "non-personal" data has jolted US tech giants Amazon, Facebook and Google, and a group representing them is preparing to push back against the proposals, according to sources and a letter seen by Reuters. A government-appointed panel in July recommended setting up a regulator for information that is anonymised or devoid of personal details but critical for companies to build their businesses. The panel proposed a mechanism for firms to share data with other entities - even competitors - saying this would spur the digital ecosystem. The report, if adopted by the government, will form the basis of a new law to regulate such data. But the US-India Business Council (USIBC), part of the US Chamber of Commerce, calls imposed data sharing "anathema" to promoting competition and says this undermines investments made by companies to process and collect such information, according to a draft letter for the Indian government. "USIBC and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are categorically opposed to mandates that require the sharing of proprietary data," says the USIBC's previously unreported letter, which is likely to be completed and submitted in coming weeks to India's information-technology ministry. "It will also be tantamount to confiscation of investors' assets and undermine intellectual property protections." A USIBC spokeswoman had no comment on the draft letter. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce didn't respond to Reuters queries. The head of the panel, Kris Gopalakrishnan, a founder of Indian technology giant Infosys Ltd, said the group will work with the government to review input from the industry. India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Amazon.com Inc, Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google did not respond to requests for comment. The report is open for public comments until Sept. 13. "Forced data sharing" India's plan to regulate non-personal data is the latest irritant for U.S. tech companies that have been battling tighter e-commerce rules and data storage norms that several countries are also developing. New Delhi and Washington are already at odds on such issues, as well as over digital taxes and tariffs. The USIBC draft letter says "forced data sharing" will limit foreign trade and investment in developing countries, and the panel's proposals run against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's calls for U.S. companies to invest in India. The lobby group expresses concern about the panel's recommendation to mandate local storage for non-personal data, describing this as a "dramatic tightening" of India's international data transfer regime. "These are far-reaching concepts that would have a significant impact on the ability of both Indian and multinational firms to do business in India," Washington-headquartered law firm Covington & Burling said in a note prepared for the USIBC, which was also seen by Reuters. The law firm did not respond to a request for comment. The Indian panel has listed research, national security and policymaking among purposes for which such data should be shared. Three sources said tech executives participated in several meetings in recent weeks to discuss concerns over the report.

India data-curb plan 'anathema', US tech giants plan pushback

Chinese tech giant Huawei Huawei said production of its most advanced smartphone chips would stop in September due to US sanctions, causing a "huge loss".

It is running out of processor chips to make smartphones due to US sanctions and will be forced to stop production of its own most advanced chips, a company executive says, in a sign of growing damage to Huawei's business from American pressure.

Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms networking equipment, has become a pivotal issue in the geopolitical standoff between Beijing and Washington, which claims the firm poses a significant cybersecurity threat.

The feud has spread to include the popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok and China-based messaging service WeChat.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/china-cries-foul-as-social-media-giants-crackdown-on-spamouflage-intensifies-318945" hreflang="en">China cries foul as social media giants crackdown on 'spamouflage' intensifies</a>

Washington cut off Huawei's access to US&nbsp;Components and technology including Google's music and other smartphone services last year. Those penalties were tightened in May when the White House barred vendors worldwide from using US technology to produce components for Huawei.

Production of Kirin chips designed by Huawei's own engineers will stop September 15 because they are made by contractors that need US manufacturing technology, said Richard Yu, president of the company's consumer unit. He said Huawei lacks the ability to make its own chips.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-threatens-legal-action-in-us-court-over-trumps-executive-order-318834" hreflang="en">TikTok threatens legal action in US court over Trump's executive order</a>

This is a very big loss for us,&nbsp;Yu said Friday at an industry conference, China Info 100, according to a video recording of his comments posted on multiple websites.

Unfortunately, in the second round of US&nbsp;Sanctions, our chip producers only accepted orders until May 15. Production will close on September 15,&nbsp;Yu said. This year may be the last generation of Huawei Kirin high-end chips.&nbsp;More broadly, Huawei's smartphone production has no chips and no supply,&nbsp;Yu said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-accuses-us-of-political-manipulation-over-tiktok-wechat-ban-318816" hreflang="en">China accuses US of 'political manipulation' over TikTok, WeChat ban</a>

Yu said this year's smartphone sales probably will be lower than 2019's level of 240 million handsets but gave no details. The company didn't immediately respond to questions Saturday.

Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former military engineer, denies accusations it might facilitate Chinese spying. Chinese officials accuse Washington of using national security as an excuse to stop a competitor to US tech industries.

Huawei is a leader among emerging Chinese competitors in telecoms, electric cars, renewable energy and other fields in which the ruling Communist Party hopes China can become a global leader.

Huawei has 180,000 employees and one of the world's biggest research and development budgets at more than $15 billion a year. But, like most global tech brands, it relies on contractors to manufacture its products.

Earlier, Huawei announced its global sales rose 13.1 per cent&nbsp;over a year ago to $65 billion&nbsp;in the first half of 2020. Yu said that was due to strong sales of high-end products but gave no details.

Huawei became the world's top-selling smartphone brand in the three months ending in June, passing rival Samsung for the first time due to strong demand in China, according to Canalys. Sales abroad fell 27 per cent&nbsp;from a year earlier.

Washington also is lobbying European and other allies to exclude Huawei from planned next-generation networks as a security risk. 
In other US-Chinese clashes, TikTok's owner, ByteDance Ltd, is under White House pressure to sell the video app. That is due to fears its access to personal information about millions of American users might be a security risk.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced a ban on unspecified transactions with TikTok and the Chinese owner of WeChat, a popular messaging service.&nbsp;

Chinese tech giant Huawei Huawei said production of its most advanced smartphone chips would stop in September due to US sanctions, causing a "huge loss". It is running out of processor chips to make smartphones due to US sanctions and will be forced to stop production of its own most advanced chips, a company executive says, in a sign of growing damage to Huawei's business from American pressure.

Chinese tech giant Huawei Huawei said production of its most advanced smartphone chips would stop in September due to US sanctions, causing a "huge loss". It is running out of processor chips to make smartphones due to US sanctions and will be forced to stop production of its own most advanced chips, a company executive says, in a sign of growing damage to Huawei's business from American pressure. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms networking equipment, has become a pivotal issue in the geopolitical standoff between Beijing and Washington, which claims the firm poses a significant cybersecurity threat. The feud has spread to include the popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok and China-based messaging service WeChat. Also read: China cries foul as social media giants crackdown on 'spamouflage' intensifies Washington cut off Huawei's access to US Components and technology including Google's music and other smartphone services last year. Those penalties were tightened in May when the White House barred vendors worldwide from using US technology to produce components for Huawei. Production of Kirin chips designed by Huawei's own engineers will stop September 15 because they are made by contractors that need US manufacturing technology, said Richard Yu, president of the company's consumer unit. He said Huawei lacks the ability to make its own chips. Also read: TikTok threatens legal action in US court over Trump's executive order This is a very big loss for us, Yu said Friday at an industry conference, China Info 100, according to a video recording of his comments posted on multiple websites. Unfortunately, in the second round of US Sanctions, our chip producers only accepted orders until May 15. Production will close on September 15, Yu said. This year may be the last generation of Huawei Kirin high-end chips. More broadly, Huawei's smartphone production has no chips and no supply, Yu said. Also read: China accuses US of 'political manipulation' over TikTok, WeChat ban Yu said this year's smartphone sales probably will be lower than 2019's level of 240 million handsets but gave no details. The company didn't immediately respond to questions Saturday. Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former military engineer, denies accusations it might facilitate Chinese spying. Chinese officials accuse Washington of using national security as an excuse to stop a competitor to US tech industries. Huawei is a leader among emerging Chinese competitors in telecoms, electric cars, renewable energy and other fields in which the ruling Communist Party hopes China can become a global leader. Huawei has 180,000 employees and one of the world's biggest research and development budgets at more than $15 billion a year. But, like most global tech brands, it relies on contractors to manufacture its products. Earlier, Huawei announced its global sales rose 13.1 per cent over a year ago to $65 billion in the first half of 2020. Yu said that was due to strong sales of high-end products but gave no details. Huawei became the world's top-selling smartphone brand in the three months ending in June, passing rival Samsung for the first time due to strong demand in China, according to Canalys. Sales abroad fell 27 per cent from a year earlier. Washington also is lobbying European and other allies to exclude Huawei from planned next-generation networks as a security risk. In other US-Chinese clashes, TikTok's owner, ByteDance Ltd, is under White House pressure to sell the video app. That is due to fears its access to personal information about millions of American users might be a security risk. On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced a ban on unspecified transactions with TikTok and the Chinese owner of WeChat, a popular messaging service.

Huawei to halt smartphone chip production due to US sanctions

China has been flying high on its spamouflage dragon, a beast of a network used to spam the online world with camouflaged Chinese propaganda.&nbsp;

But now the monster is being crippled as social media giants are pulling out their ammunition.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/over-2500-youtube-channels-linked-to-china-removed-318656">Over 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China removed</a>

Google has deleted 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China, saying they were part of a coordinated influence campaign.&nbsp;

These channels mostly uploaded spammy, non-political content, but a powerful subset posted political messages.&nbsp;

The network used video footage from Chinese government channels, turning up the volume against Hong Kong protests, praising Chinese President Xi Jinping's response to the pandemic, while criticising US President Donald Trump over riots in the US.

In 2019, US lawmakers sounded the alarm and immediately Google suspended 210 YouTube channels.&nbsp;

Twitter and Facebook too joined in to dismantle China's fake news machine.&nbsp;

However, the spamouflage dragon is making a comeback, rearmed and rejuvenated.&nbsp;

Google says the behaviour is similar to the activity spotted by Twitter.&nbsp;

The Chinese government uses amplifier accounts to boost the core message.&nbsp;

Last month, Twitter deleted over 170,000 accounts, which were all spreading deceptive narratives favourable to the Chinese government.&nbsp;

After Facebook, Twitter has gone a step further to weed out China-sponsored propaganda.&nbsp;

Twitter, this time, has aimed at China's state-backed media.

The handles of People's Daily, CGTN, Xinhua News, China News Service, and Global Times can now be seen with a line: China state-affiliated media.&nbsp;

Twitter said people have the right to know when a media account is affiliated directly or indirectly with a state actor.

The social media giant has also put a label on Lijian Zhao, which describes him as China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson.&nbsp;

Twitter has said that it is going to put labels on senior officials and entities that represent the voice of the state abroad.

This applies to all countries that are permanent members of the UN Security Council.&nbsp;

As expected, China has taken offence.&nbsp;

Global Times says Twitter's decision to label Chinese public figures and media is a political move to satisfy Trump.&nbsp;

CGTN is crying foul too.&nbsp;

China is upset because its media and political accounts will lose the teeth to cause any kind of damage.&nbsp;

Tweets from state-linked media accounts will no longer be shown on the home screen, notifications or search.

It's a docile existence that will put the spamouflage dragon to sleep and China is surely wringing its hands as the US election is less than 100 days away.&nbsp;

China has been flying high on its spamouflage dragon, a beast of a network used to spam the online world with camouflaged Chinese propaganda. But now the monster is being crippled as social media giants are pulling out their ammunition.

China has been flying high on its spamouflage dragon, a beast of a network used to spam the online world with camouflaged Chinese propaganda. But now the monster is being crippled as social media giants are pulling out their ammunition. Also read | Over 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China removed Google has deleted 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China, saying they were part of a coordinated influence campaign. These channels mostly uploaded spammy, non-political content, but a powerful subset posted political messages. The network used video footage from Chinese government channels, turning up the volume against Hong Kong protests, praising Chinese President Xi Jinping's response to the pandemic, while criticising US President Donald Trump over riots in the US. In 2019, US lawmakers sounded the alarm and immediately Google suspended 210 YouTube channels. Twitter and Facebook too joined in to dismantle China's fake news machine. However, the spamouflage dragon is making a comeback, rearmed and rejuvenated. Google says the behaviour is similar to the activity spotted by Twitter. The Chinese government uses amplifier accounts to boost the core message. Last month, Twitter deleted over 170,000 accounts, which were all spreading deceptive narratives favourable to the Chinese government. After Facebook, Twitter has gone a step further to weed out China-sponsored propaganda. Twitter, this time, has aimed at China's state-backed media. The handles of People's Daily, CGTN, Xinhua News, China News Service, and Global Times can now be seen with a line: China state-affiliated media. Twitter said people have the right to know when a media account is affiliated directly or indirectly with a state actor. The social media giant has also put a label on Lijian Zhao, which describes him as China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson. Twitter has said that it is going to put labels on senior officials and entities that represent the voice of the state abroad. This applies to all countries that are permanent members of the UN Security Council. As expected, China has taken offence. Global Times says Twitter's decision to label Chinese public figures and media is a political move to satisfy Trump. CGTN is crying foul too. China is upset because its media and political accounts will lose the teeth to cause any kind of damage. Tweets from state-linked media accounts will no longer be shown on the home screen, notifications or search. It's a docile existence that will put the spamouflage dragon to sleep and China is surely wringing its hands as the US election is less than 100 days away.

China cries foul as social media giants crackdown on 'spamouflage' intensifies

Indonesia had added Facebook, Disney and TikTok to the list of technology companies that will be obligated to pay 10 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on sales to Indonesian customers.

The decision to add these companies in the list was announced in a tax report on Friday morning.

The statement came after last month the country's tax department announced a 10 per cent VAT on sales by technology companies.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/microsoft-planning-to-buy-tiktoks-global-business-reports-318751">Also read:&nbsp;Microsoft planning to buy TikTok's global business: Reports</a>

The decision was made keeping in mind the shift in spending patterns of the&nbsp;270 million residents of Indonesia during the pandemic. This shift has caused financial difficulties for the government, that it aims to get rid of with this new tax plan.

Other organisations that are a part of the list are Amazon Netflix, Spotify, Google, three units of Facebook, Tiktok Pte Ltd, Apple Distribution International Ltd, The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte Ltd, and more of Amazon’s subsidiaries, including its audiobook unit Audible and its voice assistant Alexa.

Under Indonesia’s rules, non-resident foreign firms which sell digital products and services in Indonesia worth at least 600 million rupiah ($41,039.67) a year or which generate yearly traffic from at least 12,000 users will be required to pay the 10% VAT.

The companies added to the list on Friday have not issued a comment on the increase in tax.

The Indonesian government is expecting a huge drop of 13 per cent in its state revenue due to the ongoing pandemic.

Indonesia had added Facebook, Disney and TikTok to the list of technology companies that will be obligated to pay 10 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on sales to Indonesian customers.

Indonesia had added Facebook, Disney and TikTok to the list of technology companies that will be obligated to pay 10 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on sales to Indonesian customers. The decision to add these companies in the list was announced in a tax report on Friday morning. The statement came after last month the country's tax department announced a 10 per cent VAT on sales by technology companies. Also read: Microsoft planning to buy TikTok's global business: Reports The decision was made keeping in mind the shift in spending patterns of the 270 million residents of Indonesia during the pandemic. This shift has caused financial difficulties for the government, that it aims to get rid of with this new tax plan. Other organisations that are a part of the list are Amazon Netflix, Spotify, Google, three units of Facebook, Tiktok Pte Ltd, Apple Distribution International Ltd, The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte Ltd, and more of Amazon’s subsidiaries, including its audiobook unit Audible and its voice assistant Alexa. Under Indonesia’s rules, non-resident foreign firms which sell digital products and services in Indonesia worth at least 600 million rupiah ($41,039.67) a year or which generate yearly traffic from at least 12,000 users will be required to pay the 10% VAT. The companies added to the list on Friday have not issued a comment on the increase in tax. The Indonesian government is expecting a huge drop of 13 per cent in its state revenue due to the ongoing pandemic.

Indonesia asks Facebook, TikTok and Disney to pay 10% VAT: Tax reports

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it recently removed a small network of accounts operating from Romania that had been promoting President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign with stories about his support from conservatives, Black Americans, Christians and followers of the QAnon web of baseless conspiracy theories.

Many of the 35 Facebook and 88 Instagram accounts posed as Americans, and some managed Trump fan pages, but they ran afoul of the social network’s rules on what it calls coordinated inauthentic behavior. In addition to misleading people about their location, some account holders ran multiple personas with similar names that posted identical content.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-asks-facebook-tiktok-and-disney-to-pay-10-vat-tax-reports-318797">Also read|&nbsp;Indonesia asks Facebook, TikTok and Disney to pay 10% VAT: Tax reports</a>

The network had a small reach, with only 1,600 accounts following the Facebook pages and 7,200 tracking the accounts on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.

Facebook security policy head Nathaniel Gleicher said the company was unable to tell whether the Romanian group was motivated by money, ideology or government directive.

The nonprofit Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensics Research Lab said some pages only shared content from Trump`s page, while others promoted QAnon, which connects various theories around the idea that Trump is secretly waging a war against powerful Democrats who worship the devil and abuse children. The FBI warned last year that QAnon would likely motivate extremists to commit violence.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-employees-to-work-from-home-until-july-2021-get-1000-for-home-offices-318749">Also read|&nbsp;Facebook employees to work from home until July 2021; get $1,000 for home offices</a>

Atlantic Council Lab Director Graham Brookie said there were no clear connections to Trump associates or surrogates, and Gleicher said there were no obvious ties to established commercial players such as companies that sell "likes" and followers.

Facebook previously removed much larger and better-connected networks that supported Trump, including one connected to the Epoch Times, which was founded by supporters of the Falun Gong spiritual movement and often criticizes the government of China.

Facebook said on Thursday it had removed another network that reposted content from the Epoch Times and other Falun Gong media in a follow-up action.

While smaller than the network in the December takedown, the new one had amassed more than 2 million followers by posting on topics including the Hong Kong protests, the coronavirus, and U.S. policy toward China, as well as posting animal pictures.

Other July takedowns dismantled a major operation aimed at politics in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than a million accounts followed pages in the network, which sometimes impersonated political figures.

Facebook said it connected the activity to Congolese political party Force des Patriotes.

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it recently removed a small network of accounts operating from Romania that had been promoting President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign with stories about his support from conservatives, Black Americans, Christians and followers of the QAnon web of baseless conspiracy theories.

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it recently removed a small network of accounts operating from Romania that had been promoting President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign with stories about his support from conservatives, Black Americans, Christians and followers of the QAnon web of baseless conspiracy theories. Many of the 35 Facebook and 88 Instagram accounts posed as Americans, and some managed Trump fan pages, but they ran afoul of the social network’s rules on what it calls coordinated inauthentic behavior. In addition to misleading people about their location, some account holders ran multiple personas with similar names that posted identical content. Also read| Indonesia asks Facebook, TikTok and Disney to pay 10% VAT: Tax reports The network had a small reach, with only 1,600 accounts following the Facebook pages and 7,200 tracking the accounts on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. Facebook security policy head Nathaniel Gleicher said the company was unable to tell whether the Romanian group was motivated by money, ideology or government directive. The nonprofit Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensics Research Lab said some pages only shared content from Trump`s page, while others promoted QAnon, which connects various theories around the idea that Trump is secretly waging a war against powerful Democrats who worship the devil and abuse children. The FBI warned last year that QAnon would likely motivate extremists to commit violence. Also read| Facebook employees to work from home until July 2021; get $1,000 for home offices Atlantic Council Lab Director Graham Brookie said there were no clear connections to Trump associates or surrogates, and Gleicher said there were no obvious ties to established commercial players such as companies that sell "likes" and followers. Facebook previously removed much larger and better-connected networks that supported Trump, including one connected to the Epoch Times, which was founded by supporters of the Falun Gong spiritual movement and often criticizes the government of China. Facebook said on Thursday it had removed another network that reposted content from the Epoch Times and other Falun Gong media in a follow-up action. While smaller than the network in the December takedown, the new one had amassed more than 2 million followers by posting on topics including the Hong Kong protests, the coronavirus, and U.S. policy toward China, as well as posting animal pictures. Other July takedowns dismantled a major operation aimed at politics in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than a million accounts followed pages in the network, which sometimes impersonated political figures. Facebook said it connected the activity to Congolese political party Force des Patriotes.

Facebook removes small pro-Trump network based in Romania

Facebook Inc will allow employees to work from home until July 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak and will give them $1,000 for home office needs, a spokeswoman for the social media giant said on Thursday.

The company joins other big technology firms that have taken similar steps recently.

Late in July, Alphabet Inc's Google said it would allow employees who do not need to be in the office to work from home until the end of June 2021, while Twitter Inc had proposed remote work indefinitely for some of its employees.

"Based on guidance from health and government experts, as well as decisions drawn from our internal discussions about these matters, we are allowing employees to continue voluntarily working from home until July 2021", a Facebook spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.

"In addition, we are giving employees an additional $1,000 for home office needs," it added.

Facebook also said that the company will continue reopening offices in a restricted capacity where government guidance permits and where virus mitigation has taken place for about two months.

However, the company added that it was unlikely many locations will reopen in the United States and Latin America before the end of the year, due to the high number of COVID-19 cases.

Facebook Inc will allow employees to work from home until July 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak and will give them $1,000 for home office needs, a spokeswoman for the social media giant said on Thursday.

Facebook Inc will allow employees to work from home until July 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak and will give them $1,000 for home office needs, a spokeswoman for the social media giant said on Thursday. The company joins other big technology firms that have taken similar steps recently. Late in July, Alphabet Inc's Google said it would allow employees who do not need to be in the office to work from home until the end of June 2021, while Twitter Inc had proposed remote work indefinitely for some of its employees. "Based on guidance from health and government experts, as well as decisions drawn from our internal discussions about these matters, we are allowing employees to continue voluntarily working from home until July 2021", a Facebook spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. "In addition, we are giving employees an additional $1,000 for home office needs," it added. Facebook also said that the company will continue reopening offices in a restricted capacity where government guidance permits and where virus mitigation has taken place for about two months. However, the company added that it was unlikely many locations will reopen in the United States and Latin America before the end of the year, due to the high number of COVID-19 cases.

Facebook employees to work from home until July 2021; get $1,000 for home offices

Google said it has pulled down over 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China in a bid to combat disinformation spread through the video-sharing platform.&nbsp;

The tech giant said in between April and June, the channels were removed "as part of our ongoing investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to China."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-challenges-youtube-with-licensed-music-videos-317383#:~:text=Facebook%20on%20Friday%20added%20licensed,Sebastian%20Yatra%2C%20and%20other%20artists.">Facebook challenges YouTube with licensed music videos</a>

The content was in general "spammy, non-political" in nature, but certain videos also were related to politics, Google said in a quarterly bulletin on disinformation operations.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/youtube-not-liable-for-illegal-copyrighted-works-on-its-platform-eu-court-adviser-says-313759#:~:text=Google%60s%20YouTube%20and%20other,Justice%20adviser%20said%20on%20Thursday.">YouTube not liable for illegal copyrighted works on its platform, EU court adviser says</a>

The Alphabet-owned company did not give information on the name of the channels but said Twitter and social media analytics company Graphika spotted similar activity.

China has so far not commented on the matter and in the past brushed aside any allegations on spreading disinformation campaigns.&nbsp;

The issue of fake news spread by foreign actors has become a major concern for many countries after the 2016 US presidential elections, where a number of accusations were levelled against Russian interference.

Tech giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter have tried to convince countries of the measures they are taking to weed out disinformation and hate-filled propaganda.&nbsp;

The bulletin released also mentioned Iran and Russia in doing similar activities.&nbsp;

Google said it has pulled down over 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China in a bid to combat disinformation spread through the video-sharing platform. The tech giant said in between April and June, the channels were removed "as part of our ongoing investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to China.

Google said it has pulled down over 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China in a bid to combat disinformation spread through the video-sharing platform. The tech giant said in between April and June, the channels were removed "as part of our ongoing investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to China." Also read | Facebook challenges YouTube with licensed music videos The content was in general "spammy, non-political" in nature, but certain videos also were related to politics, Google said in a quarterly bulletin on disinformation operations. Also read | YouTube not liable for illegal copyrighted works on its platform, EU court adviser says The Alphabet-owned company did not give information on the name of the channels but said Twitter and social media analytics company Graphika spotted similar activity. China has so far not commented on the matter and in the past brushed aside any allegations on spreading disinformation campaigns. The issue of fake news spread by foreign actors has become a major concern for many countries after the 2016 US presidential elections, where a number of accusations were levelled against Russian interference. Tech giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter have tried to convince countries of the measures they are taking to weed out disinformation and hate-filled propaganda. The bulletin released also mentioned Iran and Russia in doing similar activities.

Over 2,500 YouTube channels linked to China removed

ByteDance founder and CEO&nbsp;Zhang&nbsp;Yiming&nbsp;is going through the worst phase of his life as his&nbsp;is creations are being banned abroad and&nbsp;is being called a traitor.

With an exit from the American market looking inevitable,&nbsp;told employees on Tuesday there were misunderstandings on Chinese social media about TikTok's situation in the United States and that the company could face more difficulties as anti-Chinese sentiment rose abroad.

Yiming's comments in a letter to ByteDance's Chinese employees came after the company and&nbsp;Zhang&nbsp;were heavily criticised on Chinese social media for entering into talks with Microsoft Corp to sell TikTok's US&nbsp;operations.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-troubled-times-for-tiktoks-founder-app-banned-abroad-slammed-in-china-as-traitor-318192/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"I actually understand (the criticism),"&nbsp;Zhang&nbsp;said in the letter. "People have high expectations of a company founded by a Chinese person which is going global but have little information about it. With lots of grievances towards the U.S. government, they tend to lash out at us with harsh criticism."

Since Monday, some users of China's Twitter-like Weibo have said they would uninstall ByteDance's Chinese short video app Douyin and news aggregator Jinri Toutiao because they believed ByteDance had given in too quickly to Washington.

Others urged ByteDance to learn from US&nbsp;giant Google, which opted to pull its search engine out of the Chinese market in 2010 after China asked it to censor its search results, rather than selling off its Chinese operations.

Zhang&nbsp;said some people had misunderstood the US&nbsp;situation. He said Washington's goal was not to force a sale of TikTok's US&nbsp;operations through the Committee of Foreign Investment in the US&nbsp;(CFIUS) but to ban the app, and there was a legal process ByteDance had no choice but to follow.

Zhang&nbsp;told staff on Monday in another internal letter that the company had started talks with a tech company so it could continue to offer the TikTok app in the United States.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump initially dismissed the idea of selling TikTok's US&nbsp;operations to Microsoft but changed his mind following pressure from some advisers and many in the Republican party, because banning TikTok could alienate many young voters.

Zhang&nbsp;also told employees that over the last two years, anti-Chinese sentiment had risen in many countries and the company must brace for more difficulties in the current atmosphere.

A powerful inter-agency body in the US, had opened a national security investigation into TikTok back in 2019.&nbsp;This committee looks into the national security implications of foreign investment deals in the US.

The probe was over an acquisition of an American social media app musical-ly which Bytedance had acquired three years ago.

Musical - ly was later merged with TikTok. But, Bytedance didn’t clear the deal with the committee. And, it believes that bytedance must now disinvest the entire american operations.

Trump has set the deadline for&nbsp;Bytedance's departure, that is,&nbsp;September 15 otherwise, TikTok will be banned in America.

After India banned Tiktok, the company is on the verge of getting banned in&nbsp;Australia and Japan.

Hundreds of anonymous users joined in under a post about Zhang’s letter, cursing him as a traitor of China, an American apologist and a coward, among many other labels.

Netizens are angry with the impending sale of TikTok and&nbsp;are cursing him. Armies of angry people began bombarding Zhang on Weibo. Reportedly, their accounts was suspended.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ByteDance CEO has hidden all his Weibo posts from the public, after patriotic netizens called him out for betraying Chinese interest for considering the TikTok US sale. 
 
A sign of this new era of techno-nationalism we are living in: <a href="https://t.co/traepYqUzd">https://t.co/traepYqUzd</a> w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/Colum_M?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Colum_M</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/bylijing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bylijing</a> <a href="https://t.co/76Z4H58EZ3">pic.twitter.com/76Z4H58EZ3</a>
— Zheping Huang (@pingroma) <a href="https://twitter.com/pingroma/status/1290474063073181696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Earlier today, a tweet claimed that all Weibo posts from zhang are now hidden from his profile.

Some of Zhang’s Weibo posts from the early 2010s, which can be seen by some as liberal-leaning, putting the entrepreneur in the rank of “public intellectuals.” The term has in recent years been thought of as derogatory, as internet patriots see the group as ignorant and worshippers of western values.

Now, in the rest of the world that tag is considered as a compliment. But in China, it’s an insult because, Chinese patriots see public intellectuals as ignorant, and worshippers of western values.

Bytedance has not betrayed the homeland. Tiktok is being banned because it cannot compromise on one thing: complete loyalty to the Chinese state&nbsp;and the Communist Party.

In 2018,&nbsp;a meeting was organised by the internal party committee of Bytedance to&nbsp;“implement the spirit of national propaganda”.

Chinese law requires every company to set up party committees within their organizations. They must have three or more members of the communist party. That’s how the Chinese state makes its presence felt in every boardroom of China.

In the past, tiktok has been caught blocking criticism against the Chinese state by censoring videos, posts against the&nbsp;Tiananmen square.

Tiktok has&nbsp;been accused of advancing China’s foreign policy aims. Now, it is being forced to either sell its business, or go offline.

ByteDance founder and CEO Zhang Yiming is going through the worst phase of his life as his is creations are being banned abroad and is being called a traitor. With an exit from the American market looking inevitable, told employees on Tuesday there were misunderstandings on Chinese social media about TikTok's situation in the United States and that the company could face more difficulties as anti-Chinese sentiment rose abroad.

ByteDance founder and CEO Zhang Yiming is going through the worst phase of his life as his is creations are being banned abroad and is being called a traitor. With an exit from the American market looking inevitable, told employees on Tuesday there were misunderstandings on Chinese social media about TikTok's situation in the United States and that the company could face more difficulties as anti-Chinese sentiment rose abroad. Yiming's comments in a letter to ByteDance's Chinese employees came after the company and Zhang were heavily criticised on Chinese social media for entering into talks with Microsoft Corp to sell TikTok's US operations. "I actually understand (the criticism)," Zhang said in the letter. "People have high expectations of a company founded by a Chinese person which is going global but have little information about it. With lots of grievances towards the U.S. government, they tend to lash out at us with harsh criticism." Since Monday, some users of China's Twitter-like Weibo have said they would uninstall ByteDance's Chinese short video app Douyin and news aggregator Jinri Toutiao because they believed ByteDance had given in too quickly to Washington. Others urged ByteDance to learn from US giant Google, which opted to pull its search engine out of the Chinese market in 2010 after China asked it to censor its search results, rather than selling off its Chinese operations. Zhang said some people had misunderstood the US situation. He said Washington's goal was not to force a sale of TikTok's US operations through the Committee of Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) but to ban the app, and there was a legal process ByteDance had no choice but to follow. Zhang told staff on Monday in another internal letter that the company had started talks with a tech company so it could continue to offer the TikTok app in the United States. US President Donald Trump initially dismissed the idea of selling TikTok's US operations to Microsoft but changed his mind following pressure from some advisers and many in the Republican party, because banning TikTok could alienate many young voters. Zhang also told employees that over the last two years, anti-Chinese sentiment had risen in many countries and the company must brace for more difficulties in the current atmosphere. A powerful inter-agency body in the US, had opened a national security investigation into TikTok back in 2019. This committee looks into the national security implications of foreign investment deals in the US. The probe was over an acquisition of an American social media app musical-ly which Bytedance had acquired three years ago. Musical - ly was later merged with TikTok. But, Bytedance didn’t clear the deal with the committee. And, it believes that bytedance must now disinvest the entire american operations. Trump has set the deadline for Bytedance's departure, that is, September 15 otherwise, TikTok will be banned in America. After India banned Tiktok, the company is on the verge of getting banned in Australia and Japan. Hundreds of anonymous users joined in under a post about Zhang’s letter, cursing him as a traitor of China, an American apologist and a coward, among many other labels. Netizens are angry with the impending sale of TikTok and are cursing him. Armies of angry people began bombarding Zhang on Weibo. Reportedly, their accounts was suspended. ByteDance CEO has hidden all his Weibo posts from the public, after patriotic netizens called him out for betraying Chinese interest for considering the TikTok US sale. A sign of this new era of techno-nationalism we are living in: https://t.co/traepYqUzd w/ @Colum_M @bylijing pic.twitter.com/76Z4H58EZ3 — Zheping Huang (@pingroma) August 4, 2020 × Earlier today, a tweet claimed that all Weibo posts from zhang are now hidden from his profile. Some of Zhang’s Weibo posts from the early 2010s, which can be seen by some as liberal-leaning, putting the entrepreneur in the rank of “public intellectuals.” The term has in recent years been thought of as derogatory, as internet patriots see the group as ignorant and worshippers of western values. Now, in the rest of the world that tag is considered as a compliment. But in China, it’s an insult because, Chinese patriots see public intellectuals as ignorant, and worshippers of western values. Bytedance has not betrayed the homeland. Tiktok is being banned because it cannot compromise on one thing: complete loyalty to the Chinese state and the Communist Party. In 2018, a meeting was organised by the internal party committee of Bytedance to “implement the spirit of national propaganda”. Chinese law requires every company to set up party committees within their organizations. They must have three or more members of the communist party. That’s how the Chinese state makes its presence felt in every boardroom of China. In the past, tiktok has been caught blocking criticism against the Chinese state by censoring videos, posts against the Tiananmen square. Tiktok has been accused of advancing China’s foreign policy aims. Now, it is being forced to either sell its business, or go offline.

ByteDance founder defends TikTok's US strategy in staff letter

Coronavirus has forced the whole world to wear a mask to protect themselves from the infectious virus and Japan's robotic startup has come up with an update to the protective gear. Donut Robotics unveiled a new mask called 'C-Mask'. This smart mask will help users connect it with their smartphones so that they could make calls without accessing their phones.

The mask developed by Donut Robotics also includes a speech recognition technology. This will helps people send a text message just by speaking without needing to access their phones at all. But the key objective of this startup was to make a mask that could make interpersonal communication much easier, especially during COVID times when social distancing norms are in place.

The mask is made with plastic and silicone with more pores to the comfort of users.

The mask comes with a special ability, the C Mask will translate Japanese into eight other languages. These languages include &nbsp;Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, English, Spanish, and French. The translation software in the mask was actually created for a robot called Cinnamon.&nbsp;

Cinnamon, was an initiative by the company to provide live translation and speech services for visitors at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, however, the plan could not go ahead due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Users could amplify their voice just in case the person on the receiving end does not hear because of the mask.&nbsp;

The embedded microphone connects to the user's smartphone via Bluetooth, to help conduct voice calls and speech messages.

This mask launch in Japan and 5,000 units will be shipped in September. It will cost around 3,980 Yen ($37).&nbsp;

Coronavirus has forced the whole world to wear a mask to protect themselves from the infectious virus and Japan's robotic startup has come up with an update to the protective gear.

Coronavirus has forced the whole world to wear a mask to protect themselves from the infectious virus and Japan's robotic startup has come up with an update to the protective gear. Donut Robotics unveiled a new mask called 'C-Mask'. This smart mask will help users connect it with their smartphones so that they could make calls without accessing their phones. The mask developed by Donut Robotics also includes a speech recognition technology. This will helps people send a text message just by speaking without needing to access their phones at all. But the key objective of this startup was to make a mask that could make interpersonal communication much easier, especially during COVID times when social distancing norms are in place. The mask is made with plastic and silicone with more pores to the comfort of users. The mask comes with a special ability, the C Mask will translate Japanese into eight other languages. These languages include Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, English, Spanish, and French. The translation software in the mask was actually created for a robot called Cinnamon. Cinnamon, was an initiative by the company to provide live translation and speech services for visitors at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, however, the plan could not go ahead due to the coronavirus pandemic. Users could amplify their voice just in case the person on the receiving end does not hear because of the mask. The embedded microphone connects to the user's smartphone via Bluetooth, to help conduct voice calls and speech messages. This mask launch in Japan and 5,000 units will be shipped in September. It will cost around 3,980 Yen ($37).

Japanese robotic startup launches 'C Mask' that helps you talk in 8 unique languages

Computer engineers in Chicago have developed a tool to protect one's online photos from facial recognition.

In an attempt to foil facial recognition&nbsp;technologies, the&nbsp;researchers from the University of Chicago have&nbsp;has developed a tool that disguises photos with pixel-level changes that confuse facial recognition systems.

The tool called&nbsp;Fawkes, named after Guy&nbsp;Fawkes,&nbsp;the software was made available to developers on the researchers' website last month.

It has been downloaded more than 50,000 times after a&nbsp;free app version&nbsp;was introduced for non-coders.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-could-face-a-fine-of-upto-250-million-for-unauthorised-usage-of-user-data-318080" hreflang="en">Twitter could face a fine of upto $250 million for unauthorised usage of user data</a>

In the researchers' parlance,&nbsp;Fawkes "cloaks" an image by subtly altering some of the features that facial recognition systems depend on when they construct a person's face print.

The tool and be a broadside if it is deployed&nbsp;against facial recognition systems, poisoning the accuracy of the data sets they gather from the Web.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/spanish-pizzeria-takes-social-distancing-to-another-level-with-new-mobile-application-318064" hreflang="en">Spanish pizzeria takes social distancing to another level with new mobile application!</a>

Dr Ben Zhao, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago,&nbsp;said "Our goal is to make Clearview go away."

Many tech companies use&nbsp;scrapes&nbsp;billions of online photos to build tools for police to reveal a person's identity. This includes the infacial&nbsp;recognition&nbsp;technology company Clearview AI.

The New York-based company bills itself as a tool for law enforcement, scraping the internet for publicly available photos and using&nbsp;facial&nbsp;recognition&nbsp;to identify potential suspects and victims.

Critics raised concerns earlier this year about the lack of consent of those searched and the potential for misuse of the service, leading to a joint investigation launched in February into the company by the privacy commissioners of British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and the federal government.

The company is under investigation in Britain, Canada, and Australia&nbsp;where Clearview said it would no longer offer its&nbsp;facial&nbsp;recognition&nbsp;services.

Computer engineers in Chicago have developed a tool to protect one's online photos from facial recognition. In an attempt to foil facial recognition technologies, the researchers from the University of Chicago have has developed a tool that disguises photos with pixel-level changes that confuse facial recognition systems.

Computer engineers in Chicago have developed a tool to protect one's online photos from facial recognition. In an attempt to foil facial recognition technologies, the researchers from the University of Chicago have has developed a tool that disguises photos with pixel-level changes that confuse facial recognition systems. The tool called Fawkes, named after Guy Fawkes, the software was made available to developers on the researchers' website last month. It has been downloaded more than 50,000 times after a free app version was introduced for non-coders. Also read: Twitter could face a fine of upto $250 million for unauthorised usage of user data In the researchers' parlance, Fawkes "cloaks" an image by subtly altering some of the features that facial recognition systems depend on when they construct a person's face print. The tool and be a broadside if it is deployed against facial recognition systems, poisoning the accuracy of the data sets they gather from the Web. Also read: Spanish pizzeria takes social distancing to another level with new mobile application! Dr Ben Zhao, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago, said "Our goal is to make Clearview go away." Many tech companies use scrapes billions of online photos to build tools for police to reveal a person's identity. This includes the infacial recognition technology company Clearview AI. The New York-based company bills itself as a tool for law enforcement, scraping the internet for publicly available photos and using facial recognition to identify potential suspects and victims. Critics raised concerns earlier this year about the lack of consent of those searched and the potential for misuse of the service, leading to a joint investigation launched in February into the company by the privacy commissioners of British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and the federal government. The company is under investigation in Britain, Canada, and Australia where Clearview said it would no longer offer its facial recognition services.

Engineers develop tool called 'Fawkes' to protect online photos from facial recognition

In a series of bad news for Twitter, the company could face a fine of over $250 million in the United States.

The company will have to pay US authorities for its unauthorised use of phone numbers and email addressed in order to increase the reach of advertisements.

Information compromised?

When authorities discovered the information leak, the Federal Trade Commission lodged a formal complaint against the company. On July 28, the FTC wrote that Twitter had used data promised to be used for security and safety purposes for targeting advertisement campaigning. “Data provided for safety and security purposes for targeted advertising during periods between 2013 and 2019”, it read.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/australian-envoy-continues-to-win-twitter-battle-against-chinese-ambassador-317934" hreflang="en">Australian envoy continues to win Twitter battle against Chinese ambassador</a>

Owing to this complaint, Twitter stands to lose between $150-$250 million.

Last year in October, Twitter admitted to have “inadvertently” used personal details like mobile phone numbers and email addressed for targeted advertisements. Upon joining, Twitter guarantees users that this data will only be used for security purposes.

No more private usage

Information such an email IDs and phone numbers are generally used to ensure security of the account, and for completing two-factor authentication.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/us-teenager-arrested-for-masterminding-massive-twitter-hack-317389" hreflang="en">US teenager arrested for masterminding massive Twitter hack</a>

Earlier, the FTC had lodged a formal complained against Facebook, and reached a $5 billion settlement in the aftermath, which marked the largest ever fine in the commission’s history. Facebook too, had been mishandling personal user data.

In 2020, Twitter reported revenues of over $638 million. In a time when millions have lost employment due to the economic slowdown triggered by coronavirus, tech companies have been inducting record amounts of profits.

In a series of bad news for Twitter, the company could face a fine of over $250 million in the United States. The company will have to pay US authorities for its unauthorised use of phone numbers and email addressed in order to increase the reach of advertisements.

In a series of bad news for Twitter, the company could face a fine of over $250 million in the United States. The company will have to pay US authorities for its unauthorised use of phone numbers and email addressed in order to increase the reach of advertisements. Information compromised? When authorities discovered the information leak, the Federal Trade Commission lodged a formal complaint against the company. On July 28, the FTC wrote that Twitter had used data promised to be used for security and safety purposes for targeting advertisement campaigning. “Data provided for safety and security purposes for targeted advertising during periods between 2013 and 2019”, it read. Also read: Australian envoy continues to win Twitter battle against Chinese ambassador Owing to this complaint, Twitter stands to lose between $150-$250 million. Last year in October, Twitter admitted to have “inadvertently” used personal details like mobile phone numbers and email addressed for targeted advertisements. Upon joining, Twitter guarantees users that this data will only be used for security purposes. No more private usage Information such an email IDs and phone numbers are generally used to ensure security of the account, and for completing two-factor authentication. Also read: US teenager arrested for masterminding massive Twitter hack Earlier, the FTC had lodged a formal complained against Facebook, and reached a $5 billion settlement in the aftermath, which marked the largest ever fine in the commission’s history. Facebook too, had been mishandling personal user data. In 2020, Twitter reported revenues of over $638 million. In a time when millions have lost employment due to the economic slowdown triggered by coronavirus, tech companies have been inducting record amounts of profits.

Twitter could face a fine of upto $250 million for unauthorised usage of user data

Spain is playing with new ways to counter the direct implications of COVID-19.&nbsp;

Public places like restaurants and malls remain at the highest risk of enabling coronavirus infection and causing new clusters to create.

A Spanish restaurant just came up with the perfect fix. The restaurant has come up with new ways to minimise contact among waiters and staff, which will effectively reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.

All about the funk!

Located in the country's northeastern Mediterranean coast, the the restaurant, called "Funky Pizza" has come up with a mobile application called "Funky Pay", which has been integrated in the restaurant's ordering system.

This means your server will no longer need to physically engage with you at all.

<h6><img alt="An employee using the &quot;Funky Pay&quot; app informs clients that their order is ready, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="610559bf-c9bb-45d1-b327-02924e2354cf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-5_10.jpg" /> 
An employee using the "Funky Pay" app informs clients that their order is ready, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020. | Reuters</h6>

 
The restaurant, situated in Palafrugell in Costa Brava is very popular with tourists. The best part of this move, is perhaps that the waiter does not bring the food to your table. The app has been specifically designed to cater to social distancing needs given the trying times.

"Through this system we have tried to keep physical distance with our clients, which is what people are looking for during COVID," restaurant owner Carlos Manich told Reuters.

Literally zero contact!

To make management of orders easier, the staff tracks the orders through screens behind the bar. Coronavirus has changed life for all of us, and this restaurant is no different - it has become table service only, and has made it mandatory for people to wear face masks at all times when away from tables.

<h6><img alt="Employees pick up the pizzas near an IPad with the &quot;Funky Pay&quot; app, which helps tracking orders of clients and where, with a system of colours, clients can see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="df80ac36-fe7f-478e-b896-524964429253" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-6_9.jpg" /> 
Employees pick up the pizzas near an IPad with the "Funky Pay" app, which helps tracking orders of clients and where, with a system of colours, clients can see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020. | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

"The application is very user-friendly ... and you can also track your order and see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving," Claudia Medina, 26, who was eating at the restaurant told Reuters.

Of course, not everyone agreed.&nbsp;"I think we lose the feeling with the waiter, for example when you order you can't ask about different preferences or quantities," said another patron&nbsp;Javier Comas, 26.

Spain is playing with new ways to counter the direct implications of COVID-19. Public places like restaurants and malls remain at the highest risk of enabling coronavirus infection and causing new clusters to create.

Spain is playing with new ways to counter the direct implications of COVID-19. Public places like restaurants and malls remain at the highest risk of enabling coronavirus infection and causing new clusters to create. A Spanish restaurant just came up with the perfect fix. The restaurant has come up with new ways to minimise contact among waiters and staff, which will effectively reduce the risk of coronavirus infections. All about the funk! Located in the country's northeastern Mediterranean coast, the the restaurant, called "Funky Pizza" has come up with a mobile application called "Funky Pay", which has been integrated in the restaurant's ordering system. This means your server will no longer need to physically engage with you at all. An employee using the "Funky Pay" app informs clients that their order is ready, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020. | Reuters The restaurant, situated in Palafrugell in Costa Brava is very popular with tourists. The best part of this move, is perhaps that the waiter does not bring the food to your table. The app has been specifically designed to cater to social distancing needs given the trying times. "Through this system we have tried to keep physical distance with our clients, which is what people are looking for during COVID," restaurant owner Carlos Manich told Reuters. Literally zero contact! To make management of orders easier, the staff tracks the orders through screens behind the bar. Coronavirus has changed life for all of us, and this restaurant is no different - it has become table service only, and has made it mandatory for people to wear face masks at all times when away from tables. Employees pick up the pizzas near an IPad with the "Funky Pay" app, which helps tracking orders of clients and where, with a system of colours, clients can see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving, at Funky Pizza restaurant, where the app replaces waiters, in Palafrugell, near Girona, Costa Brava, Spain July 31, 2020. | Reuters "The application is very user-friendly ... and you can also track your order and see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving," Claudia Medina, 26, who was eating at the restaurant told Reuters. Of course, not everyone agreed. "I think we lose the feeling with the waiter, for example when you order you can't ask about different preferences or quantities," said another patron Javier Comas, 26.

Spanish pizzeria takes social distancing to another level with new mobile application!

China said today that it has put chips for mobile devices that receive signals from the Beidou navigation system has been put in&nbsp;mass production.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-chinas-beidou-geo-tracker-satellite-will-take-on-us-owned-gps-307986">Also Read:&nbsp;How China's Beidou geo-tracker satellite will take on US-owned GPS</a>

China had successfully launched the Beidou satellite two months ago which several experts view as a direct challenge to the US-owned Global Positioning System (GPS) including Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo.

Beidou known as "Big Dipper" in Mandarin had gone into operation in 2012 with its second-generation navigation satellite coving Asia-Pacific. The Beidou satellite has secure communication network of the Chinese military.

According to some experts, Beidou has better bandwidth and accuracy compared to the GPS system as it has allowed the Chinese scientists to work on the weaknesses of the GPS system since the Chinese satellite network came much later.

Beidou's network is already being accessed by at least 120 nations with several linked to China's ambitious Belt and Road initiative(BRI). Pakistan which is has a major stakeholder in the BRI project had signed the Beidou deal in 2013.

Last year, Beidou reportedly accounted for 70 per cent of mobile phones including Huawei with increasing civilian application in taxis and buses and metrological prediction.

China's BDStar Navigation Co has been tasked with making the chips that receive Beidou signals.

&nbsp;

China said today that it has put chips for mobile devices that receive signals from the Beidou navigation system has been put in mass production. Also Read: How China's Beidou geo-tracker satellite will take on US-owned GPS China had successfully launched the Beidou satellite two months ago which several experts view as a direct challenge to the US-owned Global Positioning System (GPS) including Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo.

China said today that it has put chips for mobile devices that receive signals from the Beidou navigation system has been put in mass production. Also Read: How China's Beidou geo-tracker satellite will take on US-owned GPS China had successfully launched the Beidou satellite two months ago which several experts view as a direct challenge to the US-owned Global Positioning System (GPS) including Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo. Beidou known as "Big Dipper" in Mandarin had gone into operation in 2012 with its second-generation navigation satellite coving Asia-Pacific. The Beidou satellite has secure communication network of the Chinese military. According to some experts, Beidou has better bandwidth and accuracy compared to the GPS system as it has allowed the Chinese scientists to work on the weaknesses of the GPS system since the Chinese satellite network came much later. Beidou's network is already being accessed by at least 120 nations with several linked to China's ambitious Belt and Road initiative(BRI). Pakistan which is has a major stakeholder in the BRI project had signed the Beidou deal in 2013. Last year, Beidou reportedly accounted for 70 per cent of mobile phones including Huawei with increasing civilian application in taxis and buses and metrological prediction. China's BDStar Navigation Co has been tasked with making the chips that receive Beidou signals.

Chips for devices using Beidou navigation system put in mass production in China

The founder of Bytedance, which owns social media giant TikTok, said Monday his teams were working around-the-clock "for the best outcome" as talks on the sale of its US operation to Microsoft continue, Chinese media reported.

The founder of Bytedance, which owns social media giant TikTok, said Monday his teams were working around-the-clock "for the best outcome" as talks on the sale of its US operation to Microsoft continue, Chinese media reported. TikTok, popular in the United States and widely used by young people who create, share and watch short videos on the platform -- is the latest target in a wide-ranging trade war between Beijing and Washington. Also read: TikTok owners may relocate to London from Beijing, Sun newspaper claims The US government has said the Chinese-owned company is a national security threat -- allegations that TikTok denies. "In the current environment, we faced the real possibility of a forced sale of TikTok's US business... or an executive order banning the app," ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming wrote in a message to all the company's staff, tech news outlet Pandaily reported. "While we encounter mounting complexities across the geopolitical landscape and significant external pressure, our response teams have been working around-the-clock and giving up their weekends over the past few weeks to ensure the best possible outcome". Microsoft said Sunday it would continue talks to buy the US operations of TikTok, which has an estimated one billion users worldwide. The tech giant added it aimed to wrap up discussions "no later than September 15." Also read | Microsoft confirms exploring buying TikTok in US after Trump and Nadella talk President Donald Trump said last week he would ban the app, but since appears to have backed away from the threat, which caused great concern for US users -- particularly content creators who make money on the platform. Many have posted links to their Instagram or YouTube accounts to avoid losing followers if the platform is ultimately blocked. Zhang said he disagreed with forcing TikTok to offload its US service. "We have always been committed to ensuring user data security, as well as the platform neutrality and transparency," he said. "Given the current circumstances, we must also confront the CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) decision and the executive order of the President of the United States, without giving up exploring any possibilities."

'Real possibility of forced sale of TikTok's US business': Founder Zhang Yiming

Corporate amid pandemic: Top 6 companies working from home until 2021 or permanently

Facebook condemned Saturday what it called an "extreme" ruling by a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordering it to block the accounts of 12 high-profile allies of President Jair Bolsonaro, which it vowed to appeal.

Brazil's Supreme Court is overseeing an investigation into allegations that members of the far-right president's inner circle ran a social media campaign to discredit the court, as well as slander and threaten its judges.

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A spokesperson for Facebook said the order was "extreme" and threatens "freedom of expression outside of Brazil's jurisdiction", but said the company has agreed to the order.

"Given the threat of criminal liability to a local employee, at this point we see no other alternative than complying with the decision by blocking the accounts globally, while we appeal to the Supreme Court," the spokesperson said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaros-poll-numbers-rise-in-brazil-despite-controversial-virus-handling-315855">Bolsonaro's poll numbers rise in Brazil despite controversial virus handling</a>

Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ruled on Thursday that Facebook and Twitter failed to comply with orders to block the accounts because they were only blocked within Brazil, but remained accessible with foreign IP addresses.

On Friday, he ruled that Facebook must pay a $367,710&nbsp;fine for not complying and face further daily fines of 100,000 reais per day if it does not block the accounts in question globally.

Before the fine was announced, Facebook said on Friday that it would appeal the decision. The world's largest social network said it respects the laws of countries where it operates, but that "Brazilian law recognizes the limits of its jurisdiction."

The judge's fine only addressed Facebook's non-compliance. It was not clear whether Twitter would face a similar fine.

The judge originally decided in May to block 16 Twitter accounts and 12 Facebook accounts of Bolsonaro supporters who have been linked to a probe into the spreading of fake news during Brazil's 2018 election.

The accounts were blocked due to allegations that they violated laws on hate speech.

Facebook condemned Saturday what it called an "extreme" ruling by a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordering it to block the accounts of 12 high-profile allies of President Jair Bolsonaro, which it vowed to appeal.

Facebook condemned Saturday what it called an "extreme" ruling by a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordering it to block the accounts of 12 high-profile allies of President Jair Bolsonaro, which it vowed to appeal. Brazil's Supreme Court is overseeing an investigation into allegations that members of the far-right president's inner circle ran a social media campaign to discredit the court, as well as slander and threaten its judges. Also read: Facebook agrees to pay $650M to settle facial recognition lawsuit A spokesperson for Facebook said the order was "extreme" and threatens "freedom of expression outside of Brazil's jurisdiction", but said the company has agreed to the order. "Given the threat of criminal liability to a local employee, at this point we see no other alternative than complying with the decision by blocking the accounts globally, while we appeal to the Supreme Court," the spokesperson said. Also read: Bolsonaro's poll numbers rise in Brazil despite controversial virus handling Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ruled on Thursday that Facebook and Twitter failed to comply with orders to block the accounts because they were only blocked within Brazil, but remained accessible with foreign IP addresses. On Friday, he ruled that Facebook must pay a $367,710 fine for not complying and face further daily fines of 100,000 reais per day if it does not block the accounts in question globally. Before the fine was announced, Facebook said on Friday that it would appeal the decision. The world's largest social network said it respects the laws of countries where it operates, but that "Brazilian law recognizes the limits of its jurisdiction." The judge's fine only addressed Facebook's non-compliance. It was not clear whether Twitter would face a similar fine. The judge originally decided in May to block 16 Twitter accounts and 12 Facebook accounts of Bolsonaro supporters who have been linked to a probe into the spreading of fake news during Brazil's 2018 election. The accounts were blocked due to allegations that they violated laws on hate speech.

Facebook slams 'extreme' ruling blocking Bolsonaro allies

Microsoft Corp is in talks to buy ByteDance-owned TikTok, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing a source. The discussions between Microsoft and TikTok were first reported earlier on Friday by FOX Business, the Times said.

Microsoft Corp is in talks to buy ByteDance-owned TikTok, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing a source. The discussions between Microsoft and TikTok were first reported earlier on Friday by FOX Business, the Times said. China's ByteDance has agreed to divest the US operations of TikTok completely in a bid to save a deal with the White House, after President Donald Trump said on Friday he had decided to ban the popular short-video app, Reuters report said quoting two people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. US officials have said TikTok under its Chinese parent poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles. ByteDance's concession will test whether Trump's threat to ban TikTok is a negotiating tactic or whether he is intent on cracking down on a social media app that has up to 80 million daily active users in the United States. Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One late on Friday that he would issue an order for TikTok to be banned in the United States as early as Saturday. ByteDance was previously seeking to keep a minority stake in the US business of TikTok, which the White House had rejected. Under the new proposed deal, ByteDance would exit completely and Microsoft Corp would take over TikTok in the United States, the sources said. Some ByteDance investors that are based in the United States may be given the opportunity to take minority stakes in the business, the sources added. About 70% of ByteDance's outside investors come from the United States. The White House declined to comment on whether Trump would accept ByteDance's concession, according to Reuters. Under ByteDance's new proposal, Microsoft will be in charge of protecting all US user data, the sources said. The plan allows for another US company other than Microsoft to take over TikTok in the United States, the sources added. As relations between the United States and China deteriorate over trade, Hong Kong’s autonomy, cyber security and the spread of the novel coronavirus, TikTok has emerged as a flashpoint in the dispute between the world’s two largest economies.

Microsoft in talks to buy ByteDance-owned TikTok: Report

Apple Inc removed 29,800 apps from its Chinese app store on Saturday, including more than 26,000 games, according to data from research firm Qimai. The takedowns come amid a crackdown on unlicensed games by Chinese authorities.

Apple Inc removed 29,800 apps from its Chinese app store on Saturday, including more than 26,000 games, according to data from research firm Qimai. The takedowns come amid a crackdown on unlicensed games by Chinese authorities. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Also read: As Apple eyes shift to India from China, smartphone manufacturing to get major boost Earlier this year Apple gave game publishers an end-of-June deadline to submit a government-issued licence number enabling users to make in-app purchases. China's Android app stores have long complied with those regulations. It is not clear why Apple is enforcing them strictly this year. The smartphone maker removed more than 2,500 titles from its app store over the first week of July. Games affected by the sweep included titles from Zynga and Supercell, research firm SensorTower reported at the time. The Chinese government has long sought to enforce stricter regulations on its gaming industry to remove sensitive content. Also read: Apple supplier Foxconn to invest $1 billion in India: Sources The approval process for games looking to enable in-app purchases is long and complicated, hurting all but the largest game developers, industry insiders say. "This affects small- and mid-sized developers' incomes the most, but due to the difficulties of acquiring a business licence, it's devastating to the whole iOS game industry in China," said Todd Kuhns, marketing manager for AppInChina, a firm that helps overseas companies distribute their apps.

Apple removes thousands of game apps from China store: Research firm

Apple Inc's Taiwan contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp have applied for India's $6.65 billion scheme to boost local smartphone manufacturing, the country's tech minister said on Saturday.

The production-linked incentive (PLI) plan offers companies cash incentives on additional sales of devices made locally over five years, with 2019-2020 as the base year. India hopes it will help turn the country into a global smartphone export hub like neighbouring China.

Apple already assembles some its smartphones, including the iPhone 11, via Foxconn and Wistron's local unit in two southern Indian states.

Also read- <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-supplier-foxconn-to-invest-1-billion-in-india-sources-312563">Apple supplier Foxconn to invest $1 billion in India: Sources</a>

Pegatron, one of Apple's top suppliers, has yet to open a plant in India, but is in talks with various states to set up operations, according to sources.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has also applied for PLIs, technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told a news conference.

Samsung runs what it calls the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturing plant on the outskirts of the Indian capital, New Delhi. It also exports devices made at the plant.

Lava, which once also assembled some models for China's Lenovo, was among the Indian companies which had applied for the scheme, Prasad added.

India's smartphone sector is a bright spot in the South Asian nation's economy, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on local manufacturing in a bid to create jobs.

With more than 1 billion wireless subscribers and roughly 350 million users still on basic phones, India offers huge room for growth to smartphone makers.

Its labour, which is cheaper than China's, also allows companies to produce or assemble at lower costs. And companies are ramping up.

Foxconn said it plans to invest up to $1 billion to expand a factory in Tamil Nadu state where it assembles iPhones, sources told Reuters last month.

Apple Inc's Taiwan contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp have applied for India's $6.65 billion scheme to boost local smartphone manufacturing, the country's tech minister said on Saturday.

Apple Inc's Taiwan contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp have applied for India's $6.65 billion scheme to boost local smartphone manufacturing, the country's tech minister said on Saturday. The production-linked incentive (PLI) plan offers companies cash incentives on additional sales of devices made locally over five years, with 2019-2020 as the base year. India hopes it will help turn the country into a global smartphone export hub like neighbouring China. Apple already assembles some its smartphones, including the iPhone 11, via Foxconn and Wistron's local unit in two southern Indian states. Also read- Apple supplier Foxconn to invest $1 billion in India: Sources Pegatron, one of Apple's top suppliers, has yet to open a plant in India, but is in talks with various states to set up operations, according to sources. South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has also applied for PLIs, technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told a news conference. Samsung runs what it calls the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturing plant on the outskirts of the Indian capital, New Delhi. It also exports devices made at the plant. Lava, which once also assembled some models for China's Lenovo, was among the Indian companies which had applied for the scheme, Prasad added. India's smartphone sector is a bright spot in the South Asian nation's economy, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on local manufacturing in a bid to create jobs. With more than 1 billion wireless subscribers and roughly 350 million users still on basic phones, India offers huge room for growth to smartphone makers. Its labour, which is cheaper than China's, also allows companies to produce or assemble at lower costs. And companies are ramping up. Foxconn said it plans to invest up to $1 billion to expand a factory in Tamil Nadu state where it assembles iPhones, sources told Reuters last month.

Apple's Taiwan suppliers, Samsung apply for India's smartphone scheme

Facebook on Friday added licensed music videos to the social network in the US, challenging YouTube for the attention of online audiences.

Facebook said users will be able to "come together" around official music videos, with the promise of premier content from J. Balvin, Karol G, Sebastian Yatra, and other artists.

"With official music videos on Facebook, we’re creating new social experiences that are about more than just watching the video," music business development vice president Tamara Hrivnak and entertainment vice president Vijaye Raji said in an online post.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-unveils-law-forcing-google-facebook-to-pay-for-news-317157">Also read:&nbsp;Australia unveils law forcing Google, Facebook to pay for news</a>

"We'll continue working with our music partners to build unique social experiences and bring music into the ways people connect and share."

The Facebook "music experience" was already available in India and Thailand, but is making its US debut this weekend, according to Hrivnak and Raji.

The roster of US partners included Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and BMG.

Google-owned video-sharing service YouTube boasts more than 2 billion monthly users, many of those people tuning into music videos.

Subscriptions to YouTube premium content such as music have been climbing, according to recent earnings reports by parent-company Alphabet.

Interest in streamed entertainment has surged during the pandemic, as people staying home to avoid the virus turn to the internet for music, films and television.

Facebook on Friday added licensed music videos to the social network in the US, challenging YouTube for the attention of online audiences. Facebook said users will be able to "come together" around official music videos, with the promise of premier content from J.

Facebook on Friday added licensed music videos to the social network in the US, challenging YouTube for the attention of online audiences. Facebook said users will be able to "come together" around official music videos, with the promise of premier content from J. Balvin, Karol G, Sebastian Yatra, and other artists. "With official music videos on Facebook, we’re creating new social experiences that are about more than just watching the video," music business development vice president Tamara Hrivnak and entertainment vice president Vijaye Raji said in an online post. Also read: Australia unveils law forcing Google, Facebook to pay for news "We'll continue working with our music partners to build unique social experiences and bring music into the ways people connect and share." The Facebook "music experience" was already available in India and Thailand, but is making its US debut this weekend, according to Hrivnak and Raji. The roster of US partners included Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and BMG. Google-owned video-sharing service YouTube boasts more than 2 billion monthly users, many of those people tuning into music videos. Subscriptions to YouTube premium content such as music have been climbing, according to recent earnings reports by parent-company Alphabet. Interest in streamed entertainment has surged during the pandemic, as people staying home to avoid the virus turn to the internet for music, films and television.

Facebook challenges YouTube with licensed music videos

Facebook Inc raised its settlement offer by $100 million to $650 million related to a lawsuit that claimed it illegally collected and stored biometric data for millions of users without their consent.

The social media giant reached a $550 million settlement in January regarding the same lawsuit, which started in 2015, when Illinois users accused the company of violating the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act in collecting biometric data.

This comes after a federal judge balked at the original proposal on the grounds it did not adequately punish Facebook.

The settlement covers any Facebook user in Illinois whose picture appeared on the site after 2011.

The lawsuit came about as a result of a state law in Illinois, which obliges companies to get permission before using facial recognition technology on their customers.

The final Facebook settlement is likely to be approved later this year, meaning Illinois residents will be poised to collect a payout in 2021.

According to the new document, those users can each expect to receive between $200 and $400 depending on how many people file a claim.

Facebook Inc raised its settlement offer by $100 million to $650 million related to a lawsuit that claimed it illegally collected and stored biometric data for millions of users without their consent.

Facebook Inc raised its settlement offer by $100 million to $650 million related to a lawsuit that claimed it illegally collected and stored biometric data for millions of users without their consent. The social media giant reached a $550 million settlement in January regarding the same lawsuit, which started in 2015, when Illinois users accused the company of violating the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act in collecting biometric data. This comes after a federal judge balked at the original proposal on the grounds it did not adequately punish Facebook. The settlement covers any Facebook user in Illinois whose picture appeared on the site after 2011. The lawsuit came about as a result of a state law in Illinois, which obliges companies to get permission before using facial recognition technology on their customers. The final Facebook settlement is likely to be approved later this year, meaning Illinois residents will be poised to collect a payout in 2021. According to the new document, those users can each expect to receive between $200 and $400 depending on how many people file a claim.

Facebook agrees to pay $650M to settle facial recognition lawsuit

Social media giant Twitter on Friday explained how Bitcoin scammers hijacked celebrity accounts of&nbsp;Barack Obama, Jeff Bezos and Kim Kardashian&nbsp;two weeks ago.

The tech firm revealed that&nbsp;hackers responsible for the&nbsp;recent high-profile breach used&nbsp;a&nbsp;phone to fool the social media company's employees into giving them access.

They used the technique of "spear-phishing" to attack, which&nbsp;is a practice of sending emails ostensibly from a known or trusted sender in order to induce targeted individuals to reveal confidential information.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-unveils-law-forcing-google-facebook-to-pay-for-news-317157" hreflang="en">Australia unveils law forcing Google, Facebook to pay for news</a>

Attackers also targeted specific employees who had access to account support tools,&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/an-update-on-our-security-incident.html">Twitter</a>&nbsp;said, adding that it restricted access to its internal tools and systems ever since the incident occurred.

Hackers had accessed&nbsp;Twitter's internal systems on July 15 to hijack some of the platform's top voices including US&nbsp;presidential candidate Joe Biden, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, former US&nbsp;President Barack Obama and billionaire Elon Musk and used them to solicit digital currency.

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Publicly available blockchain records show the apparent scammers received more than $100,000 worth of cryptocurrency.

The hackers targeted 130 accounts. They managed to tweet from 45 accounts, access the direct message inboxes of 36, and download the Twitter data from seven. Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has said his inbox was among those accessed.

Twitter didn't provide any more information about how the attack was carried out, saying it would provide a more detailed report later, given the ongoing law enforcement investigation. The company has previously said the incident was a coordinated social engineering attack&nbsp;that targeted some of its employees with access to internal systems and tools.

Social media giant Twitter on Friday explained how Bitcoin scammers hijacked celebrity accounts of Barack Obama, Jeff Bezos and Kim Kardashian two weeks ago. The tech firm revealed that hackers responsible for the recent high-profile breach used a phone to fool the social media company's employees into giving them access.

Social media giant Twitter on Friday explained how Bitcoin scammers hijacked celebrity accounts of Barack Obama, Jeff Bezos and Kim Kardashian two weeks ago. The tech firm revealed that hackers responsible for the recent high-profile breach used a phone to fool the social media company's employees into giving them access. They used the technique of "spear-phishing" to attack, which is a practice of sending emails ostensibly from a known or trusted sender in order to induce targeted individuals to reveal confidential information. Also read: Australia unveils law forcing Google, Facebook to pay for news Attackers also targeted specific employees who had access to account support tools, Twitter said, adding that it restricted access to its internal tools and systems ever since the incident occurred. Hackers had accessed Twitter's internal systems on July 15 to hijack some of the platform's top voices including US presidential candidate Joe Biden, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, former US President Barack Obama and billionaire Elon Musk and used them to solicit digital currency. Also read: Amazon takes on SpaceX, set to invest $10 billion in satellite broadband plan Publicly available blockchain records show the apparent scammers received more than $100,000 worth of cryptocurrency. The hackers targeted 130 accounts. They managed to tweet from 45 accounts, access the direct message inboxes of 36, and download the Twitter data from seven. Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has said his inbox was among those accessed. Twitter didn't provide any more information about how the attack was carried out, saying it would provide a more detailed report later, given the ongoing law enforcement investigation. The company has previously said the incident was a coordinated social engineering attack that targeted some of its employees with access to internal systems and tools.

Twitter reveals how Bitcoin scammers hijacked celebrity accounts

To maintain gender balance, Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc, has announced that the company will be hiring more women this year.

This announcement has come in specifically for the tech teams. It was observed by company experts that while the company has 32.9 per cent women workers in their team, the tech team only had 16.1 per cent women.

The decision was announced in Snap Inc's first annual diversity report.

Snap Inc is aiming to improve its staggering gender balance within its tech team. The report claimed that the social media giant is aiming to double the number of women employees in tech roles by the year 2023.

"We are determined to do what it takes to improve these numbers, because behind the numbers are real people," the report stated.

In addition to this, Snap Inc will also be hiring more people from the minority groups&nbsp;to give them equal opportunities and to make sure that the company helps everyone grow and not discriminate. Snap aims to increase the number of underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities in the United States by 2025.

This move has been welcomed and has received positive feedback by people of the United States.

To maintain gender balance, Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc, has announced that the company will be hiring more women this year. This announcement has come in specifically for the tech teams.

To maintain gender balance, Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc, has announced that the company will be hiring more women this year. This announcement has come in specifically for the tech teams. It was observed by company experts that while the company has 32.9 per cent women workers in their team, the tech team only had 16.1 per cent women. The decision was announced in Snap Inc's first annual diversity report. Snap Inc is aiming to improve its staggering gender balance within its tech team. The report claimed that the social media giant is aiming to double the number of women employees in tech roles by the year 2023. "We are determined to do what it takes to improve these numbers, because behind the numbers are real people," the report stated. In addition to this, Snap Inc will also be hiring more people from the minority groups to give them equal opportunities and to make sure that the company helps everyone grow and not discriminate. Snap aims to increase the number of underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities in the United States by 2025. This move has been welcomed and has received positive feedback by people of the United States.

Snap to hire more women and minorities in tech teams

China's Huawei has overtaken Samsung to become the number-one smartphone seller worldwide in the second quarter, industry tracker Canalys said Thursday.

Huawei shipped 55.8 million devices in the April-June period, trumping Samsung's 53.7 million, according to data from research firm Canalys.

The Chinese company has felt the heat of US sanctions that have disrupted its business overseas, but the latest numbers show its rising dominance in its home market.

The findings marked the first quarter in nine years that a company other than Samsung or Apple has led the market, Canalys said.

More than 70 per cent of Huawei smartphones are now sold in the country, where Samsung has a very small share of the market.

Samsung said on Thursday it expects smartphone demand to pick up in the second half of the year.

Huawei -- the world's top producer of telecoms networking equipment -- has become a pivotal issue in the geopolitical standoff between Beijing and Washington, which claims the firm poses a significant cybersecurity threat.&nbsp;

Washington has essentially barred Huawei from the US market and waged a global campaign to isolate the company.

The British government bowed to growing US pressure and pledged earlier this month to remove Huawei from its 5G network by 2027.

Australia and Japan have also taken steps to block or restrict the Chinese company's participation in their 5G rollouts, and European telecoms operators including Norway's Telenor and Sweden's Telia have passed over Huawei as a supplier.

The US has also requested the extradition of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on fraud charges, further damaging relations between China and Canada, where she is under house arrest.

Meng, the Chinese telecom giant's chief financial officer, was arrested on a US warrant in December 2018 during a stopover in Vancouver and has been fighting extradition ever since.

(with inputs from agencies)

China's Huawei has overtaken Samsung to become the number-one smartphone seller worldwide in the second quarter, industry tracker Canalys said Thursday. Huawei shipped 55.

China's Huawei has overtaken Samsung to become the number-one smartphone seller worldwide in the second quarter, industry tracker Canalys said Thursday. Huawei shipped 55.8 million devices in the April-June period, trumping Samsung's 53.7 million, according to data from research firm Canalys. The Chinese company has felt the heat of US sanctions that have disrupted its business overseas, but the latest numbers show its rising dominance in its home market. The findings marked the first quarter in nine years that a company other than Samsung or Apple has led the market, Canalys said. More than 70 per cent of Huawei smartphones are now sold in the country, where Samsung has a very small share of the market. Samsung said on Thursday it expects smartphone demand to pick up in the second half of the year. Huawei -- the world's top producer of telecoms networking equipment -- has become a pivotal issue in the geopolitical standoff between Beijing and Washington, which claims the firm poses a significant cybersecurity threat. Washington has essentially barred Huawei from the US market and waged a global campaign to isolate the company. The British government bowed to growing US pressure and pledged earlier this month to remove Huawei from its 5G network by 2027. Australia and Japan have also taken steps to block or restrict the Chinese company's participation in their 5G rollouts, and European telecoms operators including Norway's Telenor and Sweden's Telia have passed over Huawei as a supplier. The US has also requested the extradition of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on fraud charges, further damaging relations between China and Canada, where she is under house arrest. Meng, the Chinese telecom giant's chief financial officer, was arrested on a US warrant in December 2018 during a stopover in Vancouver and has been fighting extradition ever since. (with inputs from agencies)

China's Huawei overtakes Samsung as top smartphone seller

The European Union imposed its first ever sanctions against alleged cyber attackers on Thursday, targeting Russian and Chinese individuals and a specialist unit of Moscow's GRU military intelligence agency.

The member states said measures would be taken against six individuals and three entities involved in various actions, including the attempt to hack into the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Thousands of Russian and Chinese-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm about the new coronavirus, disrupting global efforts to fight the epidemic according to&nbsp;Fernando Arias,&nbsp;the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The accounts, run by humans, not bots, post at similar times in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French and can be linked back to Russian proxies, or carry similar messages to Chinese-backed outlets like Xinhua and&nbsp;Russian-backed outlets such as RT and Sputnik, he added.

The disinformation campaign was identified by US monitors in mid-January after Chinese officials announced a third death from the new coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

The European Union imposed its first ever sanctions against alleged cyber attackers on Thursday, targeting Russian and Chinese individuals and a specialist unit of Moscow's GRU military intelligence agency.

The European Union imposed its first ever sanctions against alleged cyber attackers on Thursday, targeting Russian and Chinese individuals and a specialist unit of Moscow's GRU military intelligence agency. The member states said measures would be taken against six individuals and three entities involved in various actions, including the attempt to hack into the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Thousands of Russian and Chinese-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm about the new coronavirus, disrupting global efforts to fight the epidemic according to Fernando Arias, the head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The accounts, run by humans, not bots, post at similar times in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French and can be linked back to Russian proxies, or carry similar messages to Chinese-backed outlets like Xinhua and Russian-backed outlets such as RT and Sputnik, he added. The disinformation campaign was identified by US monitors in mid-January after Chinese officials announced a third death from the new coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

EU slaps sanctions on Russian and Chinese 'cyber attackers'

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