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Facebook and Instagram went down for millions of users for a couple of hours in various parts of the world early Friday morning. The outage was the second one in less than a month for the social networking giant.

People took to the online outage detector platform DownDetector as they were welcomed with a "sorry something went wrong" error message from Facebook and Instagram.

The outage appeared to affect Facebook's internal websites as well, noted in a tweet from famed developer Jane Wong.

Even Facebook`s outage dashboard appeared to be having problems.

After a couple of hours, Both Facebook and Instagram were back to normal.

On March 19, Facebook and its family of apps like WhatsApp and Instagram recovered from a major global outage caused by a technical issue.

More than 1 lakh users reported issues with Instagram on online outage tracker DownDetector, and over 25,000 users reported issues with WhatsApp.

Facebook messenger users also experienced issues.

"Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have trouble accessing some Facebook services. We resolved this issue for everyone, and we apologise for any inconvenience," Facebook had said in a statement.

Instagram tweeted: "Some people were having issues with their Instagram accounts earlier, but we`re back now. The issue`s been fixed and we`re sorry for the trouble".

In July last year, millions of users worldwide, including in India, were left clueless when Facebook and its family of apps including WhatsApp and photo-sharing platform Instagram suffered a global outage.

Facebook and Instagram went down for millions of users for a couple of hours in various parts of the world early Friday morning. The outage was the second one in less than a month for the social networking giant.

Facebook and Instagram went down for millions of users for a couple of hours in various parts of the world early Friday morning. The outage was the second one in less than a month for the social networking giant. People took to the online outage detector platform DownDetector as they were welcomed with a "sorry something went wrong" error message from Facebook and Instagram. The outage appeared to affect Facebook's internal websites as well, noted in a tweet from famed developer Jane Wong. Even Facebook`s outage dashboard appeared to be having problems. After a couple of hours, Both Facebook and Instagram were back to normal. On March 19, Facebook and its family of apps like WhatsApp and Instagram recovered from a major global outage caused by a technical issue. More than 1 lakh users reported issues with Instagram on online outage tracker DownDetector, and over 25,000 users reported issues with WhatsApp. Facebook messenger users also experienced issues. "Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have trouble accessing some Facebook services. We resolved this issue for everyone, and we apologise for any inconvenience," Facebook had said in a statement. Instagram tweeted: "Some people were having issues with their Instagram accounts earlier, but we`re back now. The issue`s been fixed and we`re sorry for the trouble". In July last year, millions of users worldwide, including in India, were left clueless when Facebook and its family of apps including WhatsApp and photo-sharing platform Instagram suffered a global outage.

Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp face another global outage in less than a month

Social media giant Twitter on Thursday launched an emoji for the Milk Tea Alliance, a global online pro-democracy movement that has united anti-Beijing campaigners in Hong Kong and Taiwan with protesters in Thailand, Myanmar and beyond.

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🧵Today we are launching an emoji for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilkTeaAlliance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilkTeaAlliance</a>, an online solidarity alliance first started in April 2020 as a Twitter meme which has grown into a global pro-democracy movement led by activists and concerned citizens in 🇭🇰🇹🇭🇹🇼🇲🇲 and around the world.
— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Policy/status/1379982365380911104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Activists welcomed the announcement of the emoji, a white cup set against a background of three colours representing different shades of milk tea in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan, for the first anniversary of the movement.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/milkteaalliance-makes-anti-china-wave-in-thailand-hong-kong-and-taiwan-336367">#MilkTeaAlliance makes anti-China wave in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan</a>

The campaign gained steam at a time when Hong Kong was emerging from months of pro-democracy protests and urban youth in Bangkok and other Thai cities were beginning their own street confrontations with authorities, demanding reform to the country's military-drafted constitution and other rights.

It has since spread to Myanmar -- where tea with condensed milk is a staple breakfast accompaniment -- after a coup ousted the country's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February, sparking a mass uprising.

"To celebrate the first anniversary of the #MilkTeaAlliance, we designed an emoji featuring 3 different types of milk tea colours from regions where the Alliance first formed online," Twitter said on Wednesday.

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To celebrate the first anniversary of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilkTeaAlliance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilkTeaAlliance</a>, we designed an emoji featuring 3 different types of milk tea colours from regions where the Alliance first formed online. It automatically appears when you Tweet any of the hashtags below👇 <a href="https://t.co/QiIBBbKfQc">pic.twitter.com/QiIBBbKfQc</a>
— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Policy/status/1379982377728974848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The image appears in any tweet featuring the hashtag in English, Thai, Korean, and several other Asian languages.

"Always in solidarity, no matter how hard the times," veteran Hong Kong pro-democracy Joshua Wong tweeted in response to the news, using the English and Chinese versions of the hashtag.

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Always in solidarity, no matter how hard the times.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilkTeaAlliance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilkTeaAlliance</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E5%A5%B6%E8%8C%B6%E8%81%AF%E7%9B%9F?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#奶茶聯盟</a>
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshuawongcf/status/1379995523453698051?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The term has been used on Twitter more than 11 million times since last April, the platform said, with usage again spiking after the Myanmar coup

The military regime there has imposed overnight internet shutdowns and blanket mobile data restrictions to try and bring weeks of unrest to heel.

It has also directed local telecom service providers to block access to social media sites, which protesters have skirted by using virtual private networks and foreign SIM cards.

"We strongly believe that having access to the free and #OpenInternet is an essential right and remain a staunch defender and advocate of free expression and condemn #InternetShutdowns," Twitter said in its announcement of the new emoji.

Thursday's move follows similar recognition by Twitter in recent years of the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter social movements, after the respective global campaigns against sexual abuse and in support of racial justice.

.

Social media giant Twitter on Thursday launched an emoji for the Milk Tea Alliance, a global online pro-democracy movement that has united anti-Beijing campaigners in Hong Kong and Taiwan with protesters in Thailand, Myanmar and beyond.

Social media giant Twitter on Thursday launched an emoji for the Milk Tea Alliance, a global online pro-democracy movement that has united anti-Beijing campaigners in Hong Kong and Taiwan with protesters in Thailand, Myanmar and beyond. 🧵Today we are launching an emoji for the #MilkTeaAlliance, an online solidarity alliance first started in April 2020 as a Twitter meme which has grown into a global pro-democracy movement led by activists and concerned citizens in 🇭🇰🇹🇭🇹🇼🇲🇲 and around the world. — Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) April 8, 2021 × Activists welcomed the announcement of the emoji, a white cup set against a background of three colours representing different shades of milk tea in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan, for the first anniversary of the movement. Also read| #MilkTeaAlliance makes anti-China wave in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan The campaign gained steam at a time when Hong Kong was emerging from months of pro-democracy protests and urban youth in Bangkok and other Thai cities were beginning their own street confrontations with authorities, demanding reform to the country's military-drafted constitution and other rights. It has since spread to Myanmar -- where tea with condensed milk is a staple breakfast accompaniment -- after a coup ousted the country's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February, sparking a mass uprising. "To celebrate the first anniversary of the #MilkTeaAlliance, we designed an emoji featuring 3 different types of milk tea colours from regions where the Alliance first formed online," Twitter said on Wednesday. To celebrate the first anniversary of the #MilkTeaAlliance, we designed an emoji featuring 3 different types of milk tea colours from regions where the Alliance first formed online. It automatically appears when you Tweet any of the hashtags below👇 pic.twitter.com/QiIBBbKfQc — Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) April 8, 2021 × The image appears in any tweet featuring the hashtag in English, Thai, Korean, and several other Asian languages. "Always in solidarity, no matter how hard the times," veteran Hong Kong pro-democracy Joshua Wong tweeted in response to the news, using the English and Chinese versions of the hashtag. Always in solidarity, no matter how hard the times.#MilkTeaAlliance #奶茶聯盟 — Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) April 8, 2021 × The term has been used on Twitter more than 11 million times since last April, the platform said, with usage again spiking after the Myanmar coup The military regime there has imposed overnight internet shutdowns and blanket mobile data restrictions to try and bring weeks of unrest to heel. It has also directed local telecom service providers to block access to social media sites, which protesters have skirted by using virtual private networks and foreign SIM cards. "We strongly believe that having access to the free and #OpenInternet is an essential right and remain a staunch defender and advocate of free expression and condemn #InternetShutdowns," Twitter said in its announcement of the new emoji. Thursday's move follows similar recognition by Twitter in recent years of the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter social movements, after the respective global campaigns against sexual abuse and in support of racial justice. .

Twitter launches #MilkTeaAlliance emoji to mark first anniversary of movement

Apple&nbsp;has agreed to pay Chilean consumers $3.4 million in a lawsuit over programmed obsolescence of iPhones, their lawyer said on Wednesday, the first such settlement in Latin America.

Apple&nbsp;is accused of having programmed a limited lifespan into some products to force users to replace their phones sooner than necessary and has previously settled similar cases in the United States and Europe.

In Chile, some 150,000 users of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus and SE sued the US company, claiming their smartphones started underperforming after software updates programmed by&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;before December 21, 2017.

The agreement provides for a registration period for affected clients, who will have to provide proof of their devices' reduced performance, a lawyer for the Odecu consumer body, Juan Sebastian Reyes, told a virtual press conference.

Each client stands to get maximum compensation of $50, which is to be shared if there are more than one claim per serial number, as in the case of second-hand phones.

In December 2017,&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;admitted iOS software was tweaked to slow performance of older iPhones whose battery life was deteriorating.

An outcry forced&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;to upgrade its software and offer steep discounts on battery replacements.

In March 2020,&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over slowed iPhones in the United States, followed in November by another $113 million to settle litigation with more than 30 US states over the same issue.

The company has also settled a case with France's consumer watchdog for 25 million euros ($29.7 million) for failing to tell iPhone users that software updates could slow older devices.

Italy, for its part, has fined&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;and Samsung 10 and five million euros respectively for planned smartphone obsolescence.

Apple has agreed to pay Chilean consumers $3.4 million in a lawsuit over programmed obsolescence of iPhones, their lawyer said on Wednesday, the first such settlement in Latin America.

Apple has agreed to pay Chilean consumers $3.4 million in a lawsuit over programmed obsolescence of iPhones, their lawyer said on Wednesday, the first such settlement in Latin America. Apple is accused of having programmed a limited lifespan into some products to force users to replace their phones sooner than necessary and has previously settled similar cases in the United States and Europe. In Chile, some 150,000 users of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus and SE sued the US company, claiming their smartphones started underperforming after software updates programmed by Apple before December 21, 2017. The agreement provides for a registration period for affected clients, who will have to provide proof of their devices' reduced performance, a lawyer for the Odecu consumer body, Juan Sebastian Reyes, told a virtual press conference. Each client stands to get maximum compensation of $50, which is to be shared if there are more than one claim per serial number, as in the case of second-hand phones. In December 2017, Apple admitted iOS software was tweaked to slow performance of older iPhones whose battery life was deteriorating. An outcry forced Apple to upgrade its software and offer steep discounts on battery replacements. In March 2020, Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over slowed iPhones in the United States, followed in November by another $113 million to settle litigation with more than 30 US states over the same issue. The company has also settled a case with France's consumer watchdog for 25 million euros ($29.7 million) for failing to tell iPhone users that software updates could slow older devices. Italy, for its part, has fined Apple and Samsung 10 and five million euros respectively for planned smartphone obsolescence.

Apple agrees to pay Chilean consumers $3.4 million over iPhone obsolescence

WhatsApp has rolled out a new sticker pack named 'Vaccines for All'&nbsp;as part&nbsp;of the organisation's endeavours towards spreading mindfulness about the COVID-19 vaccine.

These stickers are a mode of allowing users to show their appreciation for healthcare workers around the world. The new sticker pack was created in a joint effort with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

To offer verified information on COVID-19, WhatsApp has also joined forces with more than 150 national, state and local governments, as well as organisations including the WHO and UNICEF.

The COVID-19 helplines created on WhatsApp have also started offering vaccine information and registration. The new `Vaccine for All` sticker pack carries 23 particular stickers to WhatsApp, planned in partnership with the WHO.

The stickers are accessible for download to both Android and iOS users and are pointed toward letting people "express the joy, relief, and hope they feel about the possibilities the COVID-19 vaccines offer".

As COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out across the world, the new sticker pack aims to encourage vaccine uptake and represents hope," said Andy Pattison, Team Lead for Digital Channels at WHO was quoted as saying in a statement.

Alongside the stickers, WhatsApp has also added COVID-19 helplines from different governments and organisations like the WHO, UNICEF, and more since the beginning of the pandemic.

WhatsApp also said that the administrations in nations including India, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa have begun utilising these helplines to connect citizens to accurate COVID-19 vaccine information and registration.

In India, WhatsApp has cooperated with MyGov to give data related to COVID-19 through a chatbot. The chatbot, called MyGov Corona Helpdesk includes details on COVID-19 vaccines and has surpassed the mark of 30 million users.

WhatsApp has rolled out a new sticker pack named 'Vaccines for All' as part of the organisation's endeavours towards spreading mindfulness about the COVID-19 vaccine.

WhatsApp has rolled out a new sticker pack named 'Vaccines for All' as part of the organisation's endeavours towards spreading mindfulness about the COVID-19 vaccine. These stickers are a mode of allowing users to show their appreciation for healthcare workers around the world. The new sticker pack was created in a joint effort with the World Health Organisation (WHO). To offer verified information on COVID-19, WhatsApp has also joined forces with more than 150 national, state and local governments, as well as organisations including the WHO and UNICEF. The COVID-19 helplines created on WhatsApp have also started offering vaccine information and registration. The new `Vaccine for All` sticker pack carries 23 particular stickers to WhatsApp, planned in partnership with the WHO. The stickers are accessible for download to both Android and iOS users and are pointed toward letting people "express the joy, relief, and hope they feel about the possibilities the COVID-19 vaccines offer". As COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out across the world, the new sticker pack aims to encourage vaccine uptake and represents hope," said Andy Pattison, Team Lead for Digital Channels at WHO was quoted as saying in a statement. Alongside the stickers, WhatsApp has also added COVID-19 helplines from different governments and organisations like the WHO, UNICEF, and more since the beginning of the pandemic. WhatsApp also said that the administrations in nations including India, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa have begun utilising these helplines to connect citizens to accurate COVID-19 vaccine information and registration. In India, WhatsApp has cooperated with MyGov to give data related to COVID-19 through a chatbot. The chatbot, called MyGov Corona Helpdesk includes details on COVID-19 vaccines and has surpassed the mark of 30 million users.

WhatsApp rolls out stickers to spread COVID-19 vaccine awareness: Check out details

A few days after it was revealed that data of over 530 million <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook?page=1">Facebook</a> accounts have been sold online, the social media giant has issued a clarification about the apparent "hack".

Facebook, on Tuesday, said that hackers had not gotten into the system but had "scraped" personal data of nearly half a billion users in 2019 by taking undue advantage of a feature that is designed to help people find friends in their contact list.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/data-of-more-than-500-million-facebook-accounts-posted-online-reports-375213">Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports</a>

"It is important to understand that malicious actors obtained this data not through hacking our systems but by scraping it from our platform prior to September 2019," Facebook product management director Mike Clark said in a post.

"This is another example of the ongoing, adversarial relationship technology companies have with fraudsters who intentionally break platform policies to scrape internet services."

The clarification has come a few days after a tech expert revealed that "all 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter.

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All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. 
 
This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. 
 
I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. <a href="https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3">https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3</a> <a href="https://t.co/nM0Fu4GDY8">pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8</a>
— Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) <a href="https://twitter.com/UnderTheBreach/status/1378314424239460352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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As per reports, the leaked data contained sensitive information such as email address, name, phone number, anniversaries and birthdays, relationship status and more, which has now been posted on an online hackers forum, a cybercrime expert and several media reports claimed.

People can also use&nbsp;Have I Been Pwned online tool&nbsp;to check if their numbers or emails were compromised.

A few days after it was revealed that data of over 530 million Facebook accounts have been sold online, the social media giant has issued a clarification about the apparent "hack".

A few days after it was revealed that data of over 530 million Facebook accounts have been sold online, the social media giant has issued a clarification about the apparent "hack". Facebook, on Tuesday, said that hackers had not gotten into the system but had "scraped" personal data of nearly half a billion users in 2019 by taking undue advantage of a feature that is designed to help people find friends in their contact list. Also read | Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports "It is important to understand that malicious actors obtained this data not through hacking our systems but by scraping it from our platform prior to September 2019," Facebook product management director Mike Clark said in a post. "This is another example of the ongoing, adversarial relationship technology companies have with fraudsters who intentionally break platform policies to scrape internet services." The clarification has come a few days after a tech expert revealed that "all 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter. All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3 pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8 — Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) April 3, 2021 × As per reports, the leaked data contained sensitive information such as email address, name, phone number, anniversaries and birthdays, relationship status and more, which has now been posted on an online hackers forum, a cybercrime expert and several media reports claimed. People can also use Have I Been Pwned online tool to check if their numbers or emails were compromised.

Personal data of 533 million users 'scraped', not hacked: Facebook

In the continuing fight against racism in the tech giant, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/google">Google</a> researcher manager Samy Bengio has resigned from the company, a little after his colleagues questioned diversity in the company.

Bengio has resigned after a couple of his colleagues put down their papers to protest against the firing of artificial intelligence researcher Timnit Gebru. Bengio is the highest-ranking employee to leave the tech giant.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-pity-you-after-timnit-gebru-google-fires-top-ai-researcher-margaret-mitchell-364958">'I pity you': After Timnit Gebru, Google fires top AI researcher Margaret Mitchell</a>

The protest in Google began after firing of Timnit Gebru, who, now, took to Twitter to lend support to her former employee. "This news of Samy’s resignation just reminds me of how easy it is to destroy something &amp; how hard it is to build it. We worked so hard to improve the environment &amp; we were starting to have some success after so much exhaustion. And in one swoop, just like that, gone," Twitter&nbsp;post read.

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This news of Samy’s resignation just reminds me of how easy it is to destroy something &amp; how hard it is to build it. We worked so hard to improve the environment &amp; we were starting to have some success after so much exhaustion. And in one swoop, just like that, gone.
— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) <a href="https://twitter.com/timnitGebru/status/1379621512391626759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Bengio's resignation&nbsp;has come a few months after Margaret Mitchell, a lead artificial intelligence ethics researcher, took to Twitter to announce the termination of her employment with Google.

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I'm fired.
— MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) <a href="https://twitter.com/mmitchell_ai/status/1362885356127801345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"This manager's conduct, we confirmed that there were multiple violations of our code of conduct, as well as of our security policies, which included the exfiltration of confidential business-sensitive documents and private data of other employees," Google was quoted by the news agency AFP.

Google had claimed that Mitchell was involved in illegal activities which were causing danger for the security of the tech giant's data.

However, her termination came a few days after she wrote a letter to the authorities about the unjust firing of her colleague, and Mitchell claims her termination was due to that letter.

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I am concerned about <a href="https://twitter.com/timnitGebru?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@timnitGebru</a> 's firing from Google and its relationship to sexism and discrimination. I wanted to share the email I wrote to Google press the day my access was cut off.<a href="https://t.co/O7JPlqJW8L">https://t.co/O7JPlqJW8L</a>
— MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) <a href="https://twitter.com/mmitchell_ai/status/1357819673455202304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"The firing of Dr. Timnit Gebru is not okay, and the way it was done is not okay. &nbsp;It appears to stem from the same lack of foresight that is at the core of modern technology, and so itself serves as an example of the problem," she wrote in the letter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

She also added that "the firing seems to have been fueled by the same underpinnings of racism and sexism that our AI systems, when in the wrong hands, tend to soak up.”

In the continuing fight against racism in the tech giant, Google researcher manager Samy Bengio has resigned from the company, a little after his colleagues questioned diversity in the company.

In the continuing fight against racism in the tech giant, Google researcher manager Samy Bengio has resigned from the company, a little after his colleagues questioned diversity in the company. Bengio has resigned after a couple of his colleagues put down their papers to protest against the firing of artificial intelligence researcher Timnit Gebru. Bengio is the highest-ranking employee to leave the tech giant. Also read | 'I pity you': After Timnit Gebru, Google fires top AI researcher Margaret Mitchell The protest in Google began after firing of Timnit Gebru, who, now, took to Twitter to lend support to her former employee. "This news of Samy’s resignation just reminds me of how easy it is to destroy something & how hard it is to build it. We worked so hard to improve the environment & we were starting to have some success after so much exhaustion. And in one swoop, just like that, gone," Twitter post read. This news of Samy’s resignation just reminds me of how easy it is to destroy something & how hard it is to build it. We worked so hard to improve the environment & we were starting to have some success after so much exhaustion. And in one swoop, just like that, gone. — Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) April 7, 2021 × Bengio's resignation has come a few months after Margaret Mitchell, a lead artificial intelligence ethics researcher, took to Twitter to announce the termination of her employment with Google. I'm fired. — MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) February 19, 2021 × "This manager's conduct, we confirmed that there were multiple violations of our code of conduct, as well as of our security policies, which included the exfiltration of confidential business-sensitive documents and private data of other employees," Google was quoted by the news agency AFP. Google had claimed that Mitchell was involved in illegal activities which were causing danger for the security of the tech giant's data. However, her termination came a few days after she wrote a letter to the authorities about the unjust firing of her colleague, and Mitchell claims her termination was due to that letter. I am concerned about @timnitGebru 's firing from Google and its relationship to sexism and discrimination. I wanted to share the email I wrote to Google press the day my access was cut off.https://t.co/O7JPlqJW8L — MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) February 5, 2021 × "The firing of Dr. Timnit Gebru is not okay, and the way it was done is not okay. It appears to stem from the same lack of foresight that is at the core of modern technology, and so itself serves as an example of the problem," she wrote in the letter. She also added that "the firing seems to have been fueled by the same underpinnings of racism and sexism that our AI systems, when in the wrong hands, tend to soak up.”

Google AI chief Samy Bengio resigns over colleagues' firing and racial discrimination

Drones are being perceived as the future in all spheres as technology continues to dictate our modes of living. Now, a staggering record was set in China after 3,281 drones took over the skies - displaying a camaraderie unseen before.

The drone show was also inducted in the Guinness World Record directory for using over 3,000 drones to put on a show, or in other words, for using the most number of “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” in the air.

The event took place in Shanghai on March 29, and was undertaken by Genesis, a company owned by Hyundai. The previous record was held by Shenzhen Damoda Intelligent Control Technology for deploying 3,051 drones in September 2020.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/china-may-deploy-drones-on-border-with-india-367257" hreflang="en">China may deploy drones on border with India&nbsp;</a>

Watch the drone show below:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ead2Efblvxk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Just a few days before that, a performance in Russia set the record with 2,200 drones.

Such events are possible by using a choreography software to guide drones into positions and moving them to form certain shapes.&nbsp;They’re also carefully positioned to avert collisions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/china-deploying-en-masse-underwater-drones-in-indian-ocean-says-report-353749" hreflang="en">China deploying 'en masse' underwater drones in Indian Ocean, says report&nbsp;</a>

Intel also held the record briefly when it flew 2,066 drones in California in summer 2018.

Many big companies are using drones not only for advertising but for other purposes that form the core of their work. Some&nbsp;are attempting hands free delivery of goods through drones, including food and parcels.

Drones are being perceived as the future in all spheres as technology continues to dictate our modes of living. Now, a staggering record was set in China after 3,281 drones took over the skies - displaying a camaraderie unseen before.

Drones are being perceived as the future in all spheres as technology continues to dictate our modes of living. Now, a staggering record was set in China after 3,281 drones took over the skies - displaying a camaraderie unseen before. The drone show was also inducted in the Guinness World Record directory for using over 3,000 drones to put on a show, or in other words, for using the most number of “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” in the air. The event took place in Shanghai on March 29, and was undertaken by Genesis, a company owned by Hyundai. The previous record was held by Shenzhen Damoda Intelligent Control Technology for deploying 3,051 drones in September 2020. Also read: China may deploy drones on border with India Watch the drone show below: Just a few days before that, a performance in Russia set the record with 2,200 drones. Such events are possible by using a choreography software to guide drones into positions and moving them to form certain shapes. They’re also carefully positioned to avert collisions. Also read: China deploying 'en masse' underwater drones in Indian Ocean, says report Intel also held the record briefly when it flew 2,066 drones in California in summer 2018. Many big companies are using drones not only for advertising but for other purposes that form the core of their work. Some are attempting hands free delivery of goods through drones, including food and parcels.

Over 3,000 drones take over skies in China setting a world record

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's phone number and other details have been leaked in the recent set of the data leak, alleged a security researcher. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/data-of-more-than-500-million-facebook-accounts-posted-online-reports-375213">Also read | Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports</a> 
 
The Facebook founder’s private information was in the cache released online, which Facebook dismissed as “very old” and likely not a threat to anyone.&nbsp;

A cybersecurity researcher Dave Walker claimed that this data leak also includes the contact detail of Zuckerberg. His data is among the 32 million users (3.2 crores) in the United States whose data is leaked.

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Regarding the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FacebookLeak?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FacebookLeak</a>, of the 533M people in the leak - the irony is that Mark Zuckerberg is regrettably included in the leak as well. 
 
If journalists are struggling to get a statement from <a href="https://twitter.com/Facebook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@facebook</a>, maybe just give him a call, from the tel in the leak? 📞😂<a href="https://twitter.com/GazTheJourno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GazTheJourno</a> <a href="https://t.co/lrqlwzFMjU">pic.twitter.com/lrqlwzFMjU</a>
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"All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter.

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All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. 
 
This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. 
 
I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. <a href="https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3">https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3</a> <a href="https://t.co/nM0Fu4GDY8">pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8</a>
— Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) <a href="https://twitter.com/UnderTheBreach/status/1378314424239460352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Data of over 553 million (53 crores) Facebook users were available in a hacking forum since January. It was found that the hacker made available data that included details like phone numbers and other personal data for free.&nbsp;

This data breach includes details of users from around 106 countries, including India. It is reported that data of 11 million users in the United Kingdom and six million users in India are found in this set of data leak. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's phone number and other details have been leaked in the recent set of the data leak, alleged a security researcher. Also read | Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports The Facebook founder’s private information was in the cache released online, which Facebook dismissed as “very old” and likely not a threat to anyone.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's phone number and other details have been leaked in the recent set of the data leak, alleged a security researcher. Also read | Data of more than 500 million Facebook accounts posted online: Reports The Facebook founder’s private information was in the cache released online, which Facebook dismissed as “very old” and likely not a threat to anyone. A cybersecurity researcher Dave Walker claimed that this data leak also includes the contact detail of Zuckerberg. His data is among the 32 million users (3.2 crores) in the United States whose data is leaked. Regarding the #FacebookLeak, of the 533M people in the leak - the irony is that Mark Zuckerberg is regrettably included in the leak as well. If journalists are struggling to get a statement from @facebook, maybe just give him a call, from the tel in the leak? 📞😂@GazTheJourno pic.twitter.com/lrqlwzFMjU — Dave Walker (@Daviey) April 3, 2021 × "All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free," Alon Gal, chief technology officer at the Hudson Rock cybercrime intelligence firm, said Saturday on Twitter. All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked. I have yet to see Facebook acknowledging this absolute negligence of your data. https://t.co/ysGCPZm5U3 pic.twitter.com/nM0Fu4GDY8 — Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) April 3, 2021 × Data of over 553 million (53 crores) Facebook users were available in a hacking forum since January. It was found that the hacker made available data that included details like phone numbers and other personal data for free. This data breach includes details of users from around 106 countries, including India. It is reported that data of 11 million users in the United Kingdom and six million users in India are found in this set of data leak. (With inputs from agencies)

Mark Zuckerberg’s private phone number goes online in Facebook hack

Google on Monday won a major victory in a long-running copyright battle with Oracle. The US Supreme Court handed Google the win by saying that its use of Oracle's software code to build the Andriod operating system didn't violate federal copyright law.

The judges overturned a lower court's ruling that said Google's use of the software code was not fair under US law.

Oracle and Google, two California-based technology giants with combined annual revenues of more than $175 billion, have been feuding since Oracle sued for copyright infringement in 2010 in San Francisco federal court.

Google had appealed a 2018 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington reviving the suit.

The ruling spares Google of a potentially massive damages verdict. Oracle had been seeking more than $8 billion, but renewed estimates went as high as $20 billion to $30 billion, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

Oracle's lawsuit accused Google of plagiarizing its Java software by copying 11,330 lines of computer code as well as the way it is organized, to create Android and reap billions of dollars in revenue. Android, for which developers have created millions of applications, now powers more than 70% of the world's mobile devices.

Google said it did not copy a computer program but rather used elements of Java's software code needed to operate a computer program or platform. Federal copyright law does not protect mere "methods of operation."

The companies also disputed whether Google made fair use of Oracle's software code, making it permissible under the copyright law.

(With Reuters inputs) 
&nbsp;

Google on Monday won a major victory in a long-running copyright battle with Oracle. The US Supreme Court handed Google the win by saying that its use of Oracle's software code to build the Andriod operating system didn't violate federal copyright law.

Google on Monday won a major victory in a long-running copyright battle with Oracle. The US Supreme Court handed Google the win by saying that its use of Oracle's software code to build the Andriod operating system didn't violate federal copyright law. The judges overturned a lower court's ruling that said Google's use of the software code was not fair under US law. Oracle and Google, two California-based technology giants with combined annual revenues of more than $175 billion, have been feuding since Oracle sued for copyright infringement in 2010 in San Francisco federal court. Google had appealed a 2018 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington reviving the suit. The ruling spares Google of a potentially massive damages verdict. Oracle had been seeking more than $8 billion, but renewed estimates went as high as $20 billion to $30 billion, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. Oracle's lawsuit accused Google of plagiarizing its Java software by copying 11,330 lines of computer code as well as the way it is organized, to create Android and reap billions of dollars in revenue. Android, for which developers have created millions of applications, now powers more than 70% of the world's mobile devices. Google said it did not copy a computer program but rather used elements of Java's software code needed to operate a computer program or platform. Federal copyright law does not protect mere "methods of operation." The companies also disputed whether Google made fair use of Oracle's software code, making it permissible under the copyright law. (With Reuters inputs)

Google scores victory over Oracle in US Supreme Court

LG Electronics Inc on Monday announced that it would end the production and sales of its smartphone division which has run into losses over the last few years.

The South Korean company had earlier claimed that the company was open to all options after recording six years of losses in its smartphone business. The current loss is estimated at $4.5 billion.

Earlier, the company was expected to sell a portion of its smartphone business to Vingroup, a Vietnamese company but talks stalled due to differences in terms, Reuters reported.

In the first half of 2013, LG was the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer - just behind Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc, after becoming known for its ultra-wide angle cameras.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/samsung-heir-jailed-for-25-years-over-bribery-357426" hreflang="en">Samsung heir jailed for 2.5 years over bribery</a>

But owing to software and hardware issues - combined with slower rollout of software updates, the company began losing its hold on the market.

LG's global share is currently only 2 per cent. While Samsung shipped over 256 million phones last year, LG shipped only 23 million, as per data from Counterpoint.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/samsung-stops-including-chargers-with-phones-after-mocking-apple-for-the-same-348380" hreflang="en">Samsung stops including chargers with phones after mocking Apple for the same</a>

Even then, LG is ranked as the number 3 brand in North America and number 5 in South America.

The company's smartphone division is one of its smallest, accounting for just 7.4 per cent revenue in the fourth quarter.

Now, the company will employ its mobile technology for use in home appliance business and vehicle components business. In 2020, the company had launched a joint venture with Magna International Inc to make key components for electric cars.

LG Electronics Inc on Monday announced that it would end the production and sales of its smartphone division which has run into losses over the last few years. The South Korean company had earlier claimed that the company was open to all options after recording six years of losses in its smartphone business.

LG Electronics Inc on Monday announced that it would end the production and sales of its smartphone division which has run into losses over the last few years. The South Korean company had earlier claimed that the company was open to all options after recording six years of losses in its smartphone business. The current loss is estimated at $4.5 billion. Earlier, the company was expected to sell a portion of its smartphone business to Vingroup, a Vietnamese company but talks stalled due to differences in terms, Reuters reported. In the first half of 2013, LG was the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer - just behind Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc, after becoming known for its ultra-wide angle cameras. Also read: Samsung heir jailed for 2.5 years over bribery But owing to software and hardware issues - combined with slower rollout of software updates, the company began losing its hold on the market. LG's global share is currently only 2 per cent. While Samsung shipped over 256 million phones last year, LG shipped only 23 million, as per data from Counterpoint. Also read: Samsung stops including chargers with phones after mocking Apple for the same Even then, LG is ranked as the number 3 brand in North America and number 5 in South America. The company's smartphone division is one of its smallest, accounting for just 7.4 per cent revenue in the fourth quarter. Now, the company will employ its mobile technology for use in home appliance business and vehicle components business. In 2020, the company had launched a joint venture with Magna International Inc to make key components for electric cars.

LG to end production of its loss-incurring smartphone business

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday said it has won a deal to sell the US&nbsp;Army augmented reality headsets based on its HoloLens product and backed by Azure cloud computing services.

The contract could be worth up to $21.88 billion over 10 years, a Microsoft spokesman said.

Over the past two years, Microsoft has worked with the Army on the prototyping phase of what is called the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, or IVAS. The company said on Wednesday that the Army had moved into the production phase of the project.

In a blog post, Microsoft&nbsp;Technical Fellow Alex Kipman said the headsets are designed to deliver "enhanced situational awareness, enabling information sharing and decision-making in a variety of scenarios."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pentagon-releases-new-policies-allowing-transgender-people-to-serve-in-military-374706/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The headsets will be manufactured in the United States, a Microsoft spokesman told Reuters.Microsoft was also in line to win the $10 billion JEDI cloud computing contract with the Pentagon, but the contract remains in dispute in a lawsuit filed by Amazon.com Inc. Pentagon officials told U.S. lawmakers in February that the Defense Department may jettison the contract if the dispute lingers in the courts.

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We would much rather Microsoft used today to stand up for Transgender people everywhere on Transgender Day of Visibility, instead of building weapons of war. <a href="https://t.co/kHZycRhpvM">https://t.co/kHZycRhpvM</a>
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After Microsoft announced a $480 million contract in 2018 to supply prototypes to the Army, at least 94 workers petitioned the company to cancel the deal and stop developing "any and all weapons&nbsp;technologies."&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the workers' group said on Twitter, "We would much rather Microsoft used today to stand up for Transgender people everywhere on Transgender Day of Visibility, instead of building weapons of war."

(With inputs from Agencies)

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday said it has won a deal to sell the US Army augmented reality headsets based on its HoloLens product and backed by Azure cloud computing services.

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday said it has won a deal to sell the US Army augmented reality headsets based on its HoloLens product and backed by Azure cloud computing services. The contract could be worth up to $21.88 billion over 10 years, a Microsoft spokesman said. Over the past two years, Microsoft has worked with the Army on the prototyping phase of what is called the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, or IVAS. The company said on Wednesday that the Army had moved into the production phase of the project. In a blog post, Microsoft Technical Fellow Alex Kipman said the headsets are designed to deliver "enhanced situational awareness, enabling information sharing and decision-making in a variety of scenarios." The headsets will be manufactured in the United States, a Microsoft spokesman told Reuters.Microsoft was also in line to win the $10 billion JEDI cloud computing contract with the Pentagon, but the contract remains in dispute in a lawsuit filed by Amazon.com Inc. Pentagon officials told U.S. lawmakers in February that the Defense Department may jettison the contract if the dispute lingers in the courts. We would much rather Microsoft used today to stand up for Transgender people everywhere on Transgender Day of Visibility, instead of building weapons of war. https://t.co/kHZycRhpvM — Microsoft Workers 4 Good (@MsWorkers4) April 1, 2021 × After Microsoft announced a $480 million contract in 2018 to supply prototypes to the Army, at least 94 workers petitioned the company to cancel the deal and stop developing "any and all weapons technologies." On Wednesday, the workers' group said on Twitter, "We would much rather Microsoft used today to stand up for Transgender people everywhere on Transgender Day of Visibility, instead of building weapons of war." (With inputs from Agencies)

Microsoft wins $21.9 billion deal to sell AR headsets to US Army

Photo-sharing application Instagram has launched another feature inspired by TikTok. Instagram Reels already mimics TikTok in several ways, and now, it's getting one more feature from the popular video app: duets.

As per The Verge, Instagram has now launched a video feature called Reels Remix. The feature is similar in nature to the popular TikTok feature called Duet.

This new feature would let users upload a video next to another user's video. The feature was introduced by TikTok and is quite famous among creators who share dance and music videos.

To remix a reel, tap the three-dot menu on a reel and select "Remix this Reel." From there, you can record your reel or upload pre-recorded footage.

There is also a volume control option available in the new feature. You can also control the volume for the original audio or your recorded audio, and add a voiceover, along with other editing functions.

Only new reels will have remixes enabled automatically, but if you already have a reel that you want people to be able to remix, you can manually turn that on by tapping that three-dot menu on your own video and selecting "Enable Remixing." If you want to turn off remixing on all your reels, you can do so via your broader profile settings.

Instagram launched Reels in India in July 2020. The Facebook-owned application came up with a short video feature after TikTok, which was hugely popular in India, was banned by the government.

The photo-sharing platform introduced Reels with a similar format but did not launch a standalone app for it. The feature is available within the app. Instagram has added a Reels button to the home screen and even ensured the videos made the cut for its global Lite app.

Photo-sharing application Instagram has launched another feature inspired by TikTok. Instagram Reels already mimics TikTok in several ways, and now, it's getting one more feature from the popular video app: duets.

Photo-sharing application Instagram has launched another feature inspired by TikTok. Instagram Reels already mimics TikTok in several ways, and now, it's getting one more feature from the popular video app: duets. As per The Verge, Instagram has now launched a video feature called Reels Remix. The feature is similar in nature to the popular TikTok feature called Duet. This new feature would let users upload a video next to another user's video. The feature was introduced by TikTok and is quite famous among creators who share dance and music videos. To remix a reel, tap the three-dot menu on a reel and select "Remix this Reel." From there, you can record your reel or upload pre-recorded footage. There is also a volume control option available in the new feature. You can also control the volume for the original audio or your recorded audio, and add a voiceover, along with other editing functions. Only new reels will have remixes enabled automatically, but if you already have a reel that you want people to be able to remix, you can manually turn that on by tapping that three-dot menu on your own video and selecting "Enable Remixing." If you want to turn off remixing on all your reels, you can do so via your broader profile settings. Instagram launched Reels in India in July 2020. The Facebook-owned application came up with a short video feature after TikTok, which was hugely popular in India, was banned by the government. The photo-sharing platform introduced Reels with a similar format but did not launch a standalone app for it. The feature is available within the app. Instagram has added a Reels button to the home screen and even ensured the videos made the cut for its global Lite app.

Instagram launches TikTok Duet style feature called Reels Remix

American tech giant Apple is facing yet another lawsuit, this time for its fragile display cables in the MacBook Pro 2016 model. 
 
The court has ruled that Apple knowingly sold Macbooks with defective displays to consumers, the media reported.

The US Judge said that Apple would have been alerted about the issue in pre-release testing.

The court agreed that testing of the laptops before their release would have informed Apple engineers regarding the issue. So, the company sold the laptops despite knowing about the defect.

The judgment came in a class-action lawsuit over the MacBook Pro "stage light" fault, in which the backlight takes on the appearance of stage lighting at the bottom of the screen before failing completely, 9to5Mac reported on Thursday.

Apple introduced its controversial MacBook Pro redesign in 2016.

"The court finds that the allegations of pre-release testing in combination with the allegations of substantial customer complaints are sufficient to show that Apple had exclusive knowledge of the alleged defect," said US District Judge Edward Davila.

It was called the "stage light" issue because of how the cable damage would produce dark spots on the screen.

Apple had created a 'Display Backlight Service Programme` to address the issue in the 13-inch model but the plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that the company "continued to sell 15-inch models that it knew were prone to this fault, without warning consumers".

The lawsuit also accused Apple of deleting official Apple support community posts complaining about the issue.

This is the second case pertaining to MacBooks.

Another judge in the US state of California has also certified the class-action suit against Apple for its fragile butterfly keyboard design.

A group of MacBook users in 2018 filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple for the controversial butterfly keyboards, alleging that the new design failed when even tiny particles of dust accumulated around the switches.

Apple has now launched new MacBook Pro series with Magic Keyboard, which is now available across Apple`s laptop lineup, touted as "the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook."

(With inputs from agencies)

American tech giant Apple is facing yet another lawsuit, this time for its fragile display cables in the MacBook Pro 2016 model. The court has ruled that Apple knowingly sold Macbooks with defective displays to consumers, the media reported.

American tech giant Apple is facing yet another lawsuit, this time for its fragile display cables in the MacBook Pro 2016 model. The court has ruled that Apple knowingly sold Macbooks with defective displays to consumers, the media reported. The US Judge said that Apple would have been alerted about the issue in pre-release testing. The court agreed that testing of the laptops before their release would have informed Apple engineers regarding the issue. So, the company sold the laptops despite knowing about the defect. The judgment came in a class-action lawsuit over the MacBook Pro "stage light" fault, in which the backlight takes on the appearance of stage lighting at the bottom of the screen before failing completely, 9to5Mac reported on Thursday. Apple introduced its controversial MacBook Pro redesign in 2016. "The court finds that the allegations of pre-release testing in combination with the allegations of substantial customer complaints are sufficient to show that Apple had exclusive knowledge of the alleged defect," said US District Judge Edward Davila. It was called the "stage light" issue because of how the cable damage would produce dark spots on the screen. Apple had created a 'Display Backlight Service Programme` to address the issue in the 13-inch model but the plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that the company "continued to sell 15-inch models that it knew were prone to this fault, without warning consumers". The lawsuit also accused Apple of deleting official Apple support community posts complaining about the issue. This is the second case pertaining to MacBooks. Another judge in the US state of California has also certified the class-action suit against Apple for its fragile butterfly keyboard design. A group of MacBook users in 2018 filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple for the controversial butterfly keyboards, alleging that the new design failed when even tiny particles of dust accumulated around the switches. Apple has now launched new MacBook Pro series with Magic Keyboard, which is now available across Apple`s laptop lineup, touted as "the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook." (With inputs from agencies)

US judge says Apple knew it was selling defective MacBook displays

Alphabet Inc`s Google has reached licensing deals with over 600 news outlets around the world and is seeing a "huge increase" in users requesting more content from specific publications as part of a new program, it said on Wednesday.

The update comes as big internet service providers including Facebook Inc have been locked in bitter disputes over fair compensation to publishers.

Google is continuing to negotiate with additional publishers, including in the Unites States, to spend $1 billion for what it calls News Showcase.

The program through 2023 is Google`s biggest effort to invest in an industry that blames tech giants for siphoning its advertising revenue. Combined, Facebook and Google control over half of the digital advertising market.

Google is exercising little oversight over publishers` use of the money.

"The intention of our payment is to help make it easier for publishers to be able to participate in the program," Brad Bender, a vice president at Google overseeing News

Showcase, told Reuters. "But ultimately it`s in service of creating this more sustainable future for news."

But Google`s hesitance to hold publishers accountable for generating business results with the funds leaves questions about whether the media industry will at last turn a corner after several attempts by tech companies to provide support and improve its outlook.

"It`s not up to us to tell a news publisher how to run their business," Google said.

Bender expressed optimism, though, about News Showcase steering publishers toward a brighter future and said the company would support the program beyond the initial $1 billion.

"We`re committed to being part of the solution," he said.

Publishers from a dozen countries have agreed to license content, Google plans to say in a blog post on Wednesday. Users can see the content in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Germany and Britain, with Italy joining Wednesday.

In February, Google said "well over" 500 publishers had signed deals.

Google`s lone requirement for funding recipients is that they provide a specified amount of content per day, Bender said. The funding helps publishers staff journalists to arrange the content, known as panels, which are then featured in Google`s News and Discover apps, Bender said.

Users can "follow" publishers to get more panels from them. Publishers including The Financial Times and The Canberra Times collectively are generating 7,000 panels per day and users have registered 200,000 follows, Google plans to announce.

The option to select more content from some publishers had existed in Google`s News tool earlier, but follows from News Showcase panels in the countries where they are available now represent a double-digit percentage of all follows, Google said.

Over time, Google hopes publishers can turn followers into paying subscribers or get a sales boost from increased viewership of ad-supported content.

Reuters has reported fees for individual publishers in France range from as large as $1.3 million for newspaper Le Monde to $13,741 for local publisher La Voix de la Haute Marne.

Google declined to comment on commercial terms in France or elsewhere.

Bender acknowledged Google in designing the new program had not consulted with unions and other organizations representing journalists, many of which in the United States have criticized private equity funds for buying media companies, slashing costs and weakening content.

Ensuring that Google`s funding grows newsrooms and not owners` pocketbooks is a conversation journalists` groups should have with publishers, Google said.

Google, like with other news-related features, said it has no plans to generate revenue from News Showcase.

Alphabet Inc`s Google has reached licensing deals with over 600 news outlets around the world and is seeing a "huge increase" in users requesting more content from specific publications as part of a new program, it said on Wednesday.

Alphabet Inc`s Google has reached licensing deals with over 600 news outlets around the world and is seeing a "huge increase" in users requesting more content from specific publications as part of a new program, it said on Wednesday. The update comes as big internet service providers including Facebook Inc have been locked in bitter disputes over fair compensation to publishers. Google is continuing to negotiate with additional publishers, including in the Unites States, to spend $1 billion for what it calls News Showcase. The program through 2023 is Google`s biggest effort to invest in an industry that blames tech giants for siphoning its advertising revenue. Combined, Facebook and Google control over half of the digital advertising market. Google is exercising little oversight over publishers` use of the money. "The intention of our payment is to help make it easier for publishers to be able to participate in the program," Brad Bender, a vice president at Google overseeing News Showcase, told Reuters. "But ultimately it`s in service of creating this more sustainable future for news." But Google`s hesitance to hold publishers accountable for generating business results with the funds leaves questions about whether the media industry will at last turn a corner after several attempts by tech companies to provide support and improve its outlook. "It`s not up to us to tell a news publisher how to run their business," Google said. Bender expressed optimism, though, about News Showcase steering publishers toward a brighter future and said the company would support the program beyond the initial $1 billion. "We`re committed to being part of the solution," he said. Publishers from a dozen countries have agreed to license content, Google plans to say in a blog post on Wednesday. Users can see the content in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Germany and Britain, with Italy joining Wednesday. In February, Google said "well over" 500 publishers had signed deals. Google`s lone requirement for funding recipients is that they provide a specified amount of content per day, Bender said. The funding helps publishers staff journalists to arrange the content, known as panels, which are then featured in Google`s News and Discover apps, Bender said. Users can "follow" publishers to get more panels from them. Publishers including The Financial Times and The Canberra Times collectively are generating 7,000 panels per day and users have registered 200,000 follows, Google plans to announce. The option to select more content from some publishers had existed in Google`s News tool earlier, but follows from News Showcase panels in the countries where they are available now represent a double-digit percentage of all follows, Google said. Over time, Google hopes publishers can turn followers into paying subscribers or get a sales boost from increased viewership of ad-supported content. Reuters has reported fees for individual publishers in France range from as large as $1.3 million for newspaper Le Monde to $13,741 for local publisher La Voix de la Haute Marne. Google declined to comment on commercial terms in France or elsewhere. Bender acknowledged Google in designing the new program had not consulted with unions and other organizations representing journalists, many of which in the United States have criticized private equity funds for buying media companies, slashing costs and weakening content. Ensuring that Google`s funding grows newsrooms and not owners` pocketbooks is a conversation journalists` groups should have with publishers, Google said. Google, like with other news-related features, said it has no plans to generate revenue from News Showcase.

Google says 'not up to us' to dictate how news companies spend its $1 billion

Google is not celebrating April Fools' day for the second straight year in view of the coronavirus pandemic, an internal email has confirmed.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/these-tech-firms-mark-april-fools-day-for-a-different-reason-374781/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In an internal email, Marvin Chow, Google's VP of global marketing, said that the tech giant will continue the "pause" of April 1's pranks this year as "much of the world" is still facing "serious challenges" due to Covid-19, Business Insider reported.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-says-not-up-to-us-to-dictate-how-news-companies-spend-its-1-billion-374665">Google says 'not up to us' to dictate how news companies spend its $1 billion</a>

"As you will remember, last year we made the decision to pause our longstanding Google tradition of celebrating April Fools' Day, out of respect for all those fighting Covid-19. With much of the world still grappling with serious challenges, we feel we should again pause the jokes for April Fools' Day this year. Like we did last year, we should continue to find appropriate ways to bring moments of joy to our users throughout the year (e.g. Doodles, easter eggs, etc.)," the message further said.&nbsp;

The report said that Google executives sent out an internal email to managers in March in which they urged them to "pause the jokes" due to the coronavirus disruption the last year. &nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-maps-to-suggest-more-eco-friendly-routes-374459">Google Maps to suggest more 'eco-friendly' routes</a>

Recently, Google collaborated with the Indian health ministry and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to provide accurate and science-based information related to Covid-19.&nbsp;

Google is not celebrating April Fools' day for the second straight year in view of the coronavirus pandemic, an internal email has confirmed. Watch | In an internal email, Marvin Chow, Google's VP of global marketing, said that the tech giant will continue the "pause" of April 1's pranks this year as "much of the world" is still facing "serious challenges" due to Covid-19, Business Insider reported.

Google is not celebrating April Fools' day for the second straight year in view of the coronavirus pandemic, an internal email has confirmed. Watch | In an internal email, Marvin Chow, Google's VP of global marketing, said that the tech giant will continue the "pause" of April 1's pranks this year as "much of the world" is still facing "serious challenges" due to Covid-19, Business Insider reported. Also read | Google says 'not up to us' to dictate how news companies spend its $1 billion "As you will remember, last year we made the decision to pause our longstanding Google tradition of celebrating April Fools' Day, out of respect for all those fighting Covid-19. With much of the world still grappling with serious challenges, we feel we should again pause the jokes for April Fools' Day this year. Like we did last year, we should continue to find appropriate ways to bring moments of joy to our users throughout the year (e.g. Doodles, easter eggs, etc.)," the message further said. The report said that Google executives sent out an internal email to managers in March in which they urged them to "pause the jokes" due to the coronavirus disruption the last year. Also read | Google Maps to suggest more 'eco-friendly' routes Recently, Google collaborated with the Indian health ministry and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to provide accurate and science-based information related to Covid-19.

Google not celebrating April Fools' day

On Thursday, my colleague Kevin Roose sold a crypto token of a newspaper column for more than a half-million dollars. (For charity!) Someone paid $69 million for a digital file of a collage that anyone can view online.

This is part of the mania of the moment in nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, and they are an example of people rushing to judgment about basically anything new and novel.

I have some straight talk: The proliferation of NFTs will probably not be the world-changing revolution that its proponents claim. And it’s probably not an entirely absurd bubble, either. As with other emerging technologies, there is a good idea in there somewhere if we slow down and resist the hype.

Allow me to explain to normal humans what’s happening: NFTs are essentially a way to transform a digital good that can be endlessly copied into something one of a kind. When someone buys an NFT, what they’re effectively getting is the knowledge of owning an official version of a cat with a Pop-Tart body, a song, a video clip of a basketball dunk or another virtual thing. The records of ownership are maintained on a blockchain.

Perhaps you find this confusing or silly. Push that aside for a minute.

Mostly, my beef about NFTs is how people, particularly those who live and breathe technology, talk about them and other emerging companies or concepts, including the blockchain, the audio chat room Clubhouse and ultrafast trains.

Almost immediately, people sort themselves into camps to declare that THIS WILL CHANGE THE WORLD or IT'S TOTAL CODSWALLOP THAT WILL RUIN EVERYTHING. We would all benefit from more breath and less breathlessness.

In life, most things are neither glorious revolutions nor doom. And behind most novel ideas is often the possibility of something useful. The trouble is that hyperbole and greed often make it hard to sort the glimmers of promise from the horse manure. So let’s take a step back.

The purported big idea behind NFTs — as Kevin and Charlie Warzel, my colleague in Opinion, each explained this week — is to tackle a problem that the internet created. With sites such as YouTube and TikTok, anyone now has the power to make music, a piece of writing, entertainment or another creative work and be noticed. But the internet has not really fulfilled the promise of enabling the masses to make a good living from what they love.

NFTs and the related concept of the blockchain hold the promise to, in part, give people ways to make their work more valuable by creating scarcity. There is promise in letting creators rely less on middlemen such as social media companies, art dealers and streaming music companies.

Will any of this work? I don’t know. Run screaming from anyone who has a definitive answer either way. Basically, everyone should listen to wise and measured Anil Dash, a veteran of the tech industry who accidentally helped invent the concept behind NFTs and is both furious about the hucksters swarming them and believes that there’s a there there.

That said, NFTs will probably not fix the broken economics of streaming music or tear down the power structures of the journalism and art worlds. Sorry to be a broken record, but technology is not magic. Likewise, cryptocurrencies are probably not an effective fix for unaffordable housing. A complicated and expensive train may not be the best solution for global warming and our car addiction.

So, are NFTs a bubble inflated by unusual financial conditions and our brains turning to goo in the pandemic? Definitely. Are they pointless Beanie Babies for rich tech bros who are ruining the planet with all the energy required to create the digital tokens? Not entirely, no.

Maybe they are somewhere in between. And that’s fine.

On Thursday, my colleague Kevin Roose sold a crypto token of a newspaper column for more than a half-million dollars. (For charity!) Someone paid $69 million for a digital file of a collage that anyone can view online.

On Thursday, my colleague Kevin Roose sold a crypto token of a newspaper column for more than a half-million dollars. (For charity!) Someone paid $69 million for a digital file of a collage that anyone can view online. This is part of the mania of the moment in nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, and they are an example of people rushing to judgment about basically anything new and novel. I have some straight talk: The proliferation of NFTs will probably not be the world-changing revolution that its proponents claim. And it’s probably not an entirely absurd bubble, either. As with other emerging technologies, there is a good idea in there somewhere if we slow down and resist the hype. Allow me to explain to normal humans what’s happening: NFTs are essentially a way to transform a digital good that can be endlessly copied into something one of a kind. When someone buys an NFT, what they’re effectively getting is the knowledge of owning an official version of a cat with a Pop-Tart body, a song, a video clip of a basketball dunk or another virtual thing. The records of ownership are maintained on a blockchain. Perhaps you find this confusing or silly. Push that aside for a minute. Mostly, my beef about NFTs is how people, particularly those who live and breathe technology, talk about them and other emerging companies or concepts, including the blockchain, the audio chat room Clubhouse and ultrafast trains. Almost immediately, people sort themselves into camps to declare that THIS WILL CHANGE THE WORLD or IT'S TOTAL CODSWALLOP THAT WILL RUIN EVERYTHING. We would all benefit from more breath and less breathlessness. In life, most things are neither glorious revolutions nor doom. And behind most novel ideas is often the possibility of something useful. The trouble is that hyperbole and greed often make it hard to sort the glimmers of promise from the horse manure. So let’s take a step back. The purported big idea behind NFTs — as Kevin and Charlie Warzel, my colleague in Opinion, each explained this week — is to tackle a problem that the internet created. With sites such as YouTube and TikTok, anyone now has the power to make music, a piece of writing, entertainment or another creative work and be noticed. But the internet has not really fulfilled the promise of enabling the masses to make a good living from what they love. NFTs and the related concept of the blockchain hold the promise to, in part, give people ways to make their work more valuable by creating scarcity. There is promise in letting creators rely less on middlemen such as social media companies, art dealers and streaming music companies. Will any of this work? I don’t know. Run screaming from anyone who has a definitive answer either way. Basically, everyone should listen to wise and measured Anil Dash, a veteran of the tech industry who accidentally helped invent the concept behind NFTs and is both furious about the hucksters swarming them and believes that there’s a there there. That said, NFTs will probably not fix the broken economics of streaming music or tear down the power structures of the journalism and art worlds. Sorry to be a broken record, but technology is not magic. Likewise, cryptocurrencies are probably not an effective fix for unaffordable housing. A complicated and expensive train may not be the best solution for global warming and our car addiction. So, are NFTs a bubble inflated by unusual financial conditions and our brains turning to goo in the pandemic? Definitely. Are they pointless Beanie Babies for rich tech bros who are ruining the planet with all the energy required to create the digital tokens? Not entirely, no. Maybe they are somewhere in between. And that’s fine.

NFTs are neither miracles nor scams

After Instagram, social media platform, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook">Facebook</a>, has also rolled out the feature of turning off comments on posts.

The social media giant announced on Wednesday that every user — including celebrities, politicians, brands and news outlets — will also be able to switch off comments on their posts.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/us-lawmakers-press-big-tech-for-internal-research-on-kids-mental-health-374497" hreflang="en">US lawmakers press Big Tech for internal research on kids' mental health</a>

Users can now control the audience interaction, including who can view the posts, tagged audience's interaction and commenting rights for friends and users.

This new feature has come after an Australian ruling that concluded that the news media companies are liable for the defamatory comments posted by users on Facebook pages.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/global-outage-of-facebook-services-including-whatsapp-causes-mayhem-on-twitter-371849" hreflang="en">Global outage of Facebook services including WhatsApp causes mayhem on Twitter</a>

The ruling had found that social media companies are responsible to&nbsp;pre-moderate comments before them getting published. However, earlier there was no feature or resource to do so.

This feature will now give control to Facebook to moderate comments posted on their profiles.

Twitter, too, had recently rolled in a similar feature which allows authors to limit who can reply to the tweets.

After Instagram, social media platform, Facebook, has also rolled out the feature of turning off comments on posts. The social media giant announced on Wednesday that every user — including celebrities, politicians, brands and news outlets — will also be able to switch off comments on their posts.

After Instagram, social media platform, Facebook, has also rolled out the feature of turning off comments on posts. The social media giant announced on Wednesday that every user — including celebrities, politicians, brands and news outlets — will also be able to switch off comments on their posts. Also read | US lawmakers press Big Tech for internal research on kids' mental health Users can now control the audience interaction, including who can view the posts, tagged audience's interaction and commenting rights for friends and users. This new feature has come after an Australian ruling that concluded that the news media companies are liable for the defamatory comments posted by users on Facebook pages. Also read | Global outage of Facebook services including WhatsApp causes mayhem on Twitter The ruling had found that social media companies are responsible to pre-moderate comments before them getting published. However, earlier there was no feature or resource to do so. This feature will now give control to Facebook to moderate comments posted on their profiles. Twitter, too, had recently rolled in a similar feature which allows authors to limit who can reply to the tweets.

Facebook rolls out feature to turn off comments on posts

The coronavirus pandemic has had an adverse impact on shopping across the globe.

The restrictions imposed on shopping and safety concerns raised by health authorities during the pandemic has forced several people to&nbsp;embrace e-commerce.

As most of the world emerges from lockdowns, the way we shop is also changing. Post pandemic, most people are consciously avoiding paying&nbsp;through cash.

Customers are&nbsp;making the most of technology and paying digitally through apps.

In Russia, shoppers are increasingly purchasing goods with just a turn of their heads as they embrace&nbsp;facial payment technology. It&nbsp;has been launched in multiple supermarkets and&nbsp;cafes in Moscow, where customers can avail 20 per cent discount on its use.

The new technology is the future of shopping as it does not require even QR codes for payment. Customers simply need to download the app and&nbsp;enter their&nbsp;biometric information.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-future-of-shopping-374366">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-future-of-shopping-374366/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The uptake of this technology is promising.&nbsp;The X-5 group,&nbsp;Russia's leading food retailer&nbsp;was the first to come up with this technology.

Earlier this month, it joined forces with Russia's state giant Sberbank to roll out this technology in 52 of its supermarkets inspiring smaller stores to do the same.

According to&nbsp;Mikhail Kucherenkov,&nbsp;head of the X-5 group innovation lab,&nbsp;"There are currently more than 5,500 self-checkouts equipped with the facial recognition module. We're planning a rollout throughout the entire country in the near future. "

How does the technology really work?

Facial recognition is a biometric technology used to identify an individual.

A facial image&nbsp;technique makes it possible to authenticate one's identity or&nbsp;check if an individual is who he or she claims to be.

A person's face is compared to an existing image in a database which in return helps to identify the individual. Every little detail is taken into consideration.

The base of the ears,&nbsp;the distance between the two pupils,&nbsp;the shape of the nose, eyebrows and mouth, even the skin grain.

Originally this method was used to fight crime but now -- it is being used to access bank accounts and&nbsp;social media platforms.

Privacy concerns

With rising popularity,&nbsp;there are also growing security and&nbsp;privacy concerns.

In&nbsp;countries without personal freedoms,&nbsp;where governments have&nbsp;no limits to the use of technology,&nbsp;facial recognition could be used to spy upon&nbsp;the citizens.

Ultimately facial recognition data gets stored in servers, and as with any other computer system, it is vulnerable to hackers who&nbsp;can use the data to commit identity fraud.

There is a lack of regulation and no consistent legal framework for its use and limits. Nobody knows what businesses adopting facial recognition are doing.

The coronavirus pandemic has had an adverse impact on shopping across the globe. The restrictions imposed on shopping and safety concerns raised by health authorities during the pandemic has forced several people to embrace e-commerce.

The coronavirus pandemic has had an adverse impact on shopping across the globe. The restrictions imposed on shopping and safety concerns raised by health authorities during the pandemic has forced several people to embrace e-commerce. As most of the world emerges from lockdowns, the way we shop is also changing. Post pandemic, most people are consciously avoiding paying through cash. Customers are making the most of technology and paying digitally through apps. In Russia, shoppers are increasingly purchasing goods with just a turn of their heads as they embrace facial payment technology. It has been launched in multiple supermarkets and cafes in Moscow, where customers can avail 20 per cent discount on its use. The new technology is the future of shopping as it does not require even QR codes for payment. Customers simply need to download the app and enter their biometric information. Watch | The uptake of this technology is promising. The X-5 group, Russia's leading food retailer was the first to come up with this technology. Earlier this month, it joined forces with Russia's state giant Sberbank to roll out this technology in 52 of its supermarkets inspiring smaller stores to do the same. According to Mikhail Kucherenkov, head of the X-5 group innovation lab, "There are currently more than 5,500 self-checkouts equipped with the facial recognition module. We're planning a rollout throughout the entire country in the near future. " How does the technology really work? Facial recognition is a biometric technology used to identify an individual. A facial image technique makes it possible to authenticate one's identity or check if an individual is who he or she claims to be. A person's face is compared to an existing image in a database which in return helps to identify the individual. Every little detail is taken into consideration. The base of the ears, the distance between the two pupils, the shape of the nose, eyebrows and mouth, even the skin grain. Originally this method was used to fight crime but now -- it is being used to access bank accounts and social media platforms. Privacy concerns With rising popularity, there are also growing security and privacy concerns. In countries without personal freedoms, where governments have no limits to the use of technology, facial recognition could be used to spy upon the citizens. Ultimately facial recognition data gets stored in servers, and as with any other computer system, it is vulnerable to hackers who can use the data to commit identity fraud. There is a lack of regulation and no consistent legal framework for its use and limits. Nobody knows what businesses adopting facial recognition are doing.

Smile-to-pay: Shoppers turn to facial payment technology

Facebook&nbsp;Inc said it was taking steps to combat hate speech and misinformation in India as part of its efforts to curb spread of misinformation during elections in four Indian states.

"We recognise that there are certain types of content, such as hate speech, that could lead to imminent, offline harm...To decrease the risk of problematic content going viral in these states and potentially inciting violence ahead of or during the election, we will significantly reduce the distribution of content that our proactive detection technology identifies as likely hate speech or violence and incitement," it added.

Facebook&nbsp;has been under fire globally for alleged lapses in controlling hate speech. In the United States, the social media giant put a months-long freeze on political, electoral and social ads to crack down on misinformation and abuses around the November&nbsp;3 presidential elections.

Facebook has drawn flak in the past for its handling of hate speech on the platform in the country. India is among the biggest markets for Facebook and its group companies, WhatsApp and Instagram. According to government data, India has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 41 crore Facebook users, and 21 crore users of Instagram.

The US-based company said it has invested significantly in proactive detection technology to help identify violating content more quickly.

In its blog, Facebook said based on lessons it has learned from past elections in India and globally, it is taking steps to enhance civic engagement, combat hate speech, limit misinformation and remove voter suppression amid elections across Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.

"To decrease the risk of problematic content going viral in these states and potentially inciting violence ahead of or during the election, we will significantly reduce the distribution of content that our proactive detection technology identifies as likely hate speech or violence and incitement,"&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;said.

It has also designed Election Day reminders to give voters accurate information and encourage them to share it with friends on&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;and WhatsApp, the company said.

In 2019, led by industry body IAMAI, Facebook had set up a high priority channel with the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to receive content-related escalations.

The company also works with third-party fact-checkers around the world, including eight partners in India, to provide people with additional context about the content they're seeing on Facebook.

In addition to English, these eight partners fact-check in 11 Indian languages including Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam and Assamese.

When a fact-checker rates a story as false, such content is labelled and shown lower in News Feed, significantly reducing its distribution.

This stops its spread and reduces the number of people who see it, Facebook said.&nbsp;

Facebook Inc said it was taking steps to combat hate speech and misinformation in India as part of its efforts to curb spread of misinformation during elections in four Indian states.

Facebook Inc said it was taking steps to combat hate speech and misinformation in India as part of its efforts to curb spread of misinformation during elections in four Indian states. "We recognise that there are certain types of content, such as hate speech, that could lead to imminent, offline harm...To decrease the risk of problematic content going viral in these states and potentially inciting violence ahead of or during the election, we will significantly reduce the distribution of content that our proactive detection technology identifies as likely hate speech or violence and incitement," it added. Facebook has been under fire globally for alleged lapses in controlling hate speech. In the United States, the social media giant put a months-long freeze on political, electoral and social ads to crack down on misinformation and abuses around the November 3 presidential elections. Facebook has drawn flak in the past for its handling of hate speech on the platform in the country. India is among the biggest markets for Facebook and its group companies, WhatsApp and Instagram. According to government data, India has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 41 crore Facebook users, and 21 crore users of Instagram. The US-based company said it has invested significantly in proactive detection technology to help identify violating content more quickly. In its blog, Facebook said based on lessons it has learned from past elections in India and globally, it is taking steps to enhance civic engagement, combat hate speech, limit misinformation and remove voter suppression amid elections across Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. "To decrease the risk of problematic content going viral in these states and potentially inciting violence ahead of or during the election, we will significantly reduce the distribution of content that our proactive detection technology identifies as likely hate speech or violence and incitement," Facebook said. It has also designed Election Day reminders to give voters accurate information and encourage them to share it with friends on Facebook and WhatsApp, the company said. In 2019, led by industry body IAMAI, Facebook had set up a high priority channel with the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to receive content-related escalations. The company also works with third-party fact-checkers around the world, including eight partners in India, to provide people with additional context about the content they're seeing on Facebook. In addition to English, these eight partners fact-check in 11 Indian languages including Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam and Assamese. When a fact-checker rates a story as false, such content is labelled and shown lower in News Feed, significantly reducing its distribution. This stops its spread and reduces the number of people who see it, Facebook said.

Facebook to curb hate speech amid elections in Indian states

Alphabet unit Google will contribute 25 million euros ($29.3 million) to the newly set up European Media and Information Fund to combat fake news, the company said on Wednesday, amid criticism tech giants are not doing enough to debunk online disinformation.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the US election last year spurred a massive spike in misinformation, with some blaming social media for not being more proactive in tackling the issue while regulators have indicated they may take action via heavy-handed restrictions.

The European Media and Information Fund, launched by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the European University Institute last week, aims to enlist researchers, fact-checkers, not-for-profits and other public interest-oriented bodies to help in the fight against fake news.

"While navigating the uncertainty and challenges of the last year, it has proven more important than ever for people to access accurate information, and sort facts from fiction," Matt Brittin, head of Google's EMEA Business &amp; Operations, said in a blog post.

The fund has a duration of five years. The European Digital Media Observatory, which is a European Commission project set up last year and whose members include fact-checkers and academic researchers, will evaluate and select the projects.

Alphabet unit Google will contribute 25 million euros ($29.3 million) to the newly set up European Media and Information Fund to combat fake news, the company said on Wednesday, amid criticism tech giants are not doing enough to debunk online disinformation.

Alphabet unit Google will contribute 25 million euros ($29.3 million) to the newly set up European Media and Information Fund to combat fake news, the company said on Wednesday, amid criticism tech giants are not doing enough to debunk online disinformation. The COVID-19 pandemic and the US election last year spurred a massive spike in misinformation, with some blaming social media for not being more proactive in tackling the issue while regulators have indicated they may take action via heavy-handed restrictions. The European Media and Information Fund, launched by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the European University Institute last week, aims to enlist researchers, fact-checkers, not-for-profits and other public interest-oriented bodies to help in the fight against fake news. "While navigating the uncertainty and challenges of the last year, it has proven more important than ever for people to access accurate information, and sort facts from fiction," Matt Brittin, head of Google's EMEA Business & Operations, said in a blog post. The fund has a duration of five years. The European Digital Media Observatory, which is a European Commission project set up last year and whose members include fact-checkers and academic researchers, will evaluate and select the projects.

Google to contribute $29 million to new European Union fund to fight fake news

Four Republican U.S. lawmakers requested on Tuesday that Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google turn over any studies they have done on how their services affect children’s mental health.

The request follows a joint hearing last week of two House Energy and Commerce subcommittees at which the companies’ chief executives discussed their content moderation practices in the wake of the siege on the Capitol in January.

Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the committee’s ranking Republican, had asked the CEOs at the hearing whether their companies had conducted internal research concerning children’s mental health.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg said he believed the company had, while Twitter’s Jack Dorsey said he did not believe so. Google’s Sundar Pichai said the company consulted with outside experts and invested “a lot of time and effort in these areas.”

In letters to the companies on Tuesday, McMorris Rodgers asked for copies of any relevant research or internal communications as well as information on any contractors and partners involved. They also requested any research the companies had done about how competitors’ products affect mental wellness of people under 18 years old.

The requests also cover Google’s YouTube Kids service and Facebook’s Instagram, which is developing a version for people under 13 years old.

The other lawmakers who signed the letter were ranking Republicans on various subcommittees, including Robert Latta, Gus Bilirakis and Morgan Griffith.

They asked for the companies to respond by April 16.

Four Republican U.S. lawmakers requested on Tuesday that Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google turn over any studies they have done on how their services affect children’s mental health.

Four Republican U.S. lawmakers requested on Tuesday that Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google turn over any studies they have done on how their services affect children’s mental health. The request follows a joint hearing last week of two House Energy and Commerce subcommittees at which the companies’ chief executives discussed their content moderation practices in the wake of the siege on the Capitol in January. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the committee’s ranking Republican, had asked the CEOs at the hearing whether their companies had conducted internal research concerning children’s mental health. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg said he believed the company had, while Twitter’s Jack Dorsey said he did not believe so. Google’s Sundar Pichai said the company consulted with outside experts and invested “a lot of time and effort in these areas.” In letters to the companies on Tuesday, McMorris Rodgers asked for copies of any relevant research or internal communications as well as information on any contractors and partners involved. They also requested any research the companies had done about how competitors’ products affect mental wellness of people under 18 years old. The requests also cover Google’s YouTube Kids service and Facebook’s Instagram, which is developing a version for people under 13 years old. The other lawmakers who signed the letter were ranking Republicans on various subcommittees, including Robert Latta, Gus Bilirakis and Morgan Griffith. They asked for the companies to respond by April 16.

US lawmakers press Big Tech for internal research on kids' mental health

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/google">Google</a> Maps has announced a new feature in which the drivers will be guided through the most eco-friendly path.

The app will now show the routes after estimating which path generates the lowest carbon emissions on the basis of traffic, slopes and other factors.

This feature will be launched later this year in the US initially and will then be followed by a launch of this feature in other countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-collects-data-in-incognito-mode-consumers-allege-in-lawsuit-370408" hreflang="en">Google collects data in incognito mode, consumers allege in lawsuit</a>

Google has decided to put in more efforts in its commitment to help combat climate change in its day-to-day happenings and through its most commonly used apps and features.

This feature will be set on automatic mode and unless the drivers opt out of it, Google will only show the most eco-friendly route.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/colour-coded-google-to-redesign-search-for-better-user-experience-359236" hreflang="en">Colour coded: Google to redesign 'search' for better user experience</a>

These routes will be more eco-friendly but will take almost the same time to reach the destination. Google will also offer alternate routes and will let users choose the route based on emissions.

"What we are seeing is for around half of routes, we are able to find an option more eco-friendly with minimal or no time-cost tradeoff," Russell Dicker, a director of product at Google said.

Google has assured that the calculation of emissions is done by testing across different types of vehicles and road types and takes insights from the US government's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asian-americans-and-blacks-experienced-increased-online-harassment-in-2020-survey-372852" hreflang="en">Asian Americans and Blacks experienced increased online harassment in 2020: Survey</a>

This decision has been taken after a study at California State University concluded that people were more inclined to consider carbon emissions while selecting a route.

Google will also be warning drivers travelling through low emissions zones where some vehicles are restricted in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The Maps will also now be bringing the toggle option for car, bikes, and other transport options under one section soon.

Google Maps has announced a new feature in which the drivers will be guided through the most eco-friendly path. The app will now show the routes after estimating which path generates the lowest carbon emissions on the basis of traffic, slopes and other factors.

Google Maps has announced a new feature in which the drivers will be guided through the most eco-friendly path. The app will now show the routes after estimating which path generates the lowest carbon emissions on the basis of traffic, slopes and other factors. This feature will be launched later this year in the US initially and will then be followed by a launch of this feature in other countries. Also read | Google collects data in incognito mode, consumers allege in lawsuit Google has decided to put in more efforts in its commitment to help combat climate change in its day-to-day happenings and through its most commonly used apps and features. This feature will be set on automatic mode and unless the drivers opt out of it, Google will only show the most eco-friendly route. Also read | Colour coded: Google to redesign 'search' for better user experience These routes will be more eco-friendly but will take almost the same time to reach the destination. Google will also offer alternate routes and will let users choose the route based on emissions. "What we are seeing is for around half of routes, we are able to find an option more eco-friendly with minimal or no time-cost tradeoff," Russell Dicker, a director of product at Google said. Google has assured that the calculation of emissions is done by testing across different types of vehicles and road types and takes insights from the US government's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). Also read | Asian Americans and Blacks experienced increased online harassment in 2020: Survey This decision has been taken after a study at California State University concluded that people were more inclined to consider carbon emissions while selecting a route. Google will also be warning drivers travelling through low emissions zones where some vehicles are restricted in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The Maps will also now be bringing the toggle option for car, bikes, and other transport options under one section soon.

Google Maps to suggest more 'eco-friendly' routes

Amazon is the world's biggest online market. It is now facing fire for exploiting its workers. Some shocking details have emerged on the working conditions at Amazon. The delivery drivers have to consent to surveillance or they could be fired.

The workers are forced to urinate in bottles. Because they don't get access to bathrooms. The company is denying all this. But its story isn't adding up.

Cameras powered by artificial intelligence to snoop on them, no bathrooms, bottles to urinate, and bags to defecate in. Usually, hostages or prisoners live through such conditions. But in the US, Amazon drivers are living through this nightmare.

It began with a tweet from a lawmaker.

Mark Pocan pointed out that Amazon workers are being forced to urinate in bottles at work. Amazon's denial was swift.

In a tweet, the company declared, "You don't really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us."

Amazon should have thought twice before putting out that tweet. Because it didn't take much time for a reporter to dig out images of those bottles.

A report revealed how Amazon drivers deliver up to 300 packages a day on a 10-hour shift.

If they take too long they can be written up and fired.

Amazon denied all these claims in public. It said this never happens. But Amazon's internal documents show it happens and the company knows all about it. A confidential document, posted by an online publication lists the "violations and defects" of Amazon employees.

Public urination and public defecation are listed under unprofessional behaviour.

A letter from a logistics area manager complains about the discovery of unsanitary bags from drivers.

To make matters worse, the workers are now being subjected to surveillance. Reports say Amazon delivery drivers now have to consent to AI surveillance in their vans.

Cameras are being installed to track drivers. Under the new rules, Amazon can collect photos to verify the identity of drivers along with the location of the vehicle and driver movements. They can record potential traffic violations. Even detect if the driver is distracted or drowsy.

For one of the drivers, named Vic, the surveillance proved to be too much. He narrated his ordeal to a news agency.

He described how Amazon first began surveillance of the driver by tracking his route. Then Amazon demanded pictures at the beginning of each shift. After the arrival of AI cameras, Vic decided to leave his job.

Some tweets don't age well. Amazon is learning it the hard way. Its denial of exhausting and exploitative working conditions has led to a PR fiasco.

Amazon is the world's biggest online market. It is now facing fire for exploiting its workers. Some shocking details have emerged on the working conditions at Amazon.

Amazon is the world's biggest online market. It is now facing fire for exploiting its workers. Some shocking details have emerged on the working conditions at Amazon. The delivery drivers have to consent to surveillance or they could be fired. The workers are forced to urinate in bottles. Because they don't get access to bathrooms. The company is denying all this. But its story isn't adding up. Cameras powered by artificial intelligence to snoop on them, no bathrooms, bottles to urinate, and bags to defecate in. Usually, hostages or prisoners live through such conditions. But in the US, Amazon drivers are living through this nightmare. It began with a tweet from a lawmaker. Mark Pocan pointed out that Amazon workers are being forced to urinate in bottles at work. Amazon's denial was swift. In a tweet, the company declared, "You don't really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us." Amazon should have thought twice before putting out that tweet. Because it didn't take much time for a reporter to dig out images of those bottles. A report revealed how Amazon drivers deliver up to 300 packages a day on a 10-hour shift. If they take too long they can be written up and fired. Amazon denied all these claims in public. It said this never happens. But Amazon's internal documents show it happens and the company knows all about it. A confidential document, posted by an online publication lists the "violations and defects" of Amazon employees. Public urination and public defecation are listed under unprofessional behaviour. A letter from a logistics area manager complains about the discovery of unsanitary bags from drivers. To make matters worse, the workers are now being subjected to surveillance. Reports say Amazon delivery drivers now have to consent to AI surveillance in their vans. Cameras are being installed to track drivers. Under the new rules, Amazon can collect photos to verify the identity of drivers along with the location of the vehicle and driver movements. They can record potential traffic violations. Even detect if the driver is distracted or drowsy. For one of the drivers, named Vic, the surveillance proved to be too much. He narrated his ordeal to a news agency. He described how Amazon first began surveillance of the driver by tracking his route. Then Amazon demanded pictures at the beginning of each shift. After the arrival of AI cameras, Vic decided to leave his job. Some tweets don't age well. Amazon is learning it the hard way. Its denial of exhausting and exploitative working conditions has led to a PR fiasco.

Some tweets don't age well, Amazon is getting the taste of this

Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei Technologies Co has suspended downloads of sportswear brands Nike and Adidas from its app store amid the Xinjiang cotton controversy.

Anger with Nike Inc and Adidas erupted on Chinese social media late on Wednesday after China's netizens spotted a statement from the former&nbsp;saying it was "concerned" about reports of forced labour in Xinjiang and that it does not use cotton from the region.

Topics around the Nike statement were among the highest trending on China's Twitter-like social media Weibo on Thursday, and the social media backlash had a wider fallout.

Since then, although the Chinese government has not singled out any particular company, a nationwide consumer boycott against foreign brands -- including H&amp;M, Nike, Adidas and Burberry -- has swept the country.

To this end, on Monday morning, Nike and Adidas apps on Huawei’s app store were not available to download.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-nike-faces-social-media-storm-in-china-over-xinjiang-statement-372985">Also read |&nbsp;Nike faces social media storm in China over Xinjiang statement</a>

As of Monday, however, the brands could still be found on major Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, JD.com and Pinduoduo. And consumer demand continued to be on the higher side.

The brands’ social media accounts are still accessible, along with the Chinese version of its website.

Swedish retailer H&amp;M was one of the hardest-hit brands in the Xinjiang boycott. A number of major Chinese tech firms have erased the clothing company’s virtual presence from their platforms.

The social media fallout comes as relations between the United States and China have deteriorated in recent years.

In the latest development, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada on Monday imposed sanctions on Chinese officials for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. China retaliated with sanctions on European lawmakers and institutions.

(with inputs)

Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei Technologies Co has suspended downloads of sportswear brands Nike and Adidas from its app store amid the Xinjiang cotton controversy.

Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei Technologies Co has suspended downloads of sportswear brands Nike and Adidas from its app store amid the Xinjiang cotton controversy. Anger with Nike Inc and Adidas erupted on Chinese social media late on Wednesday after China's netizens spotted a statement from the former saying it was "concerned" about reports of forced labour in Xinjiang and that it does not use cotton from the region. Topics around the Nike statement were among the highest trending on China's Twitter-like social media Weibo on Thursday, and the social media backlash had a wider fallout. Since then, although the Chinese government has not singled out any particular company, a nationwide consumer boycott against foreign brands -- including H&M, Nike, Adidas and Burberry -- has swept the country. To this end, on Monday morning, Nike and Adidas apps on Huawei’s app store were not available to download. Also read | Nike faces social media storm in China over Xinjiang statement As of Monday, however, the brands could still be found on major Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, JD.com and Pinduoduo. And consumer demand continued to be on the higher side. The brands’ social media accounts are still accessible, along with the Chinese version of its website. Swedish retailer H&M was one of the hardest-hit brands in the Xinjiang boycott. A number of major Chinese tech firms have erased the clothing company’s virtual presence from their platforms. The social media fallout comes as relations between the United States and China have deteriorated in recent years. In the latest development, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada on Monday imposed sanctions on Chinese officials for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. China retaliated with sanctions on European lawmakers and institutions. (with inputs)

Huawei removes Nike and Adidas from its app store amid Xinjiang row

Facebook said on Monday it planned two new undersea cables to connect Singapore, Indonesia and North America in a project with Google and regional telecommunication companies to boost internet connection capacity between the regions.

"Named Echo and Bifrost, those will be the first two cables to go through a new diverse route crossing the Java Sea and they will increase overall subsea capacity in the trans-pacific by about 70 per cent," Facebook Vice President of Network Investments, Kevin Salvadori said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-google-ceos-suggest-ways-to-reform-key-internet-law-372984" hreflang="en">Facebook, Google CEOs suggest ways to reform key internet law</a>

The cables, according to the executive, will be the first to directly connect North America to some of the main parts of Indonesia and will increase connectivity for the central and eastern provinces of the world's fourth most populous country.

Salvadori said "Echo" is being built in partnership with Alphabet's Google and Indonesian telecommunications' company XL Axiata and should be completed by 2023.

Bifrost, which is being done in partnership with Telin, a subsidiary of Indonesia's Telkom, and Singaporean conglomerate Keppel is due to be completed by 2024.

The two cables, which will need regulatory approval, follow previous investments by Facebook to build up connectivity in Indonesia, one of its top five markets globally.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/hacktivism-adding-to-woes-of-cybersecurity-at-alarming-rate-373454" hreflang="en">'Hacktivism' adding to woes of cybersecurity at alarming rate</a>

While 73 per cent&nbsp;of Indonesia's population of 270 million are online, the majority access the web through mobile data, with less than 10 per cent using a broadband connection, according to a 2020 survey by the Indonesian Internet Providers Association.

Swathes of the country, remain without any internet access.

Facebook said last year it would deploy 3,000 km (1,8641 miles) of fibre in Indonesia across twenty cities in addition to a previous deal to develop public Wi-Fi hot spots.

Aside from the Southeast Asian cables, Facebook was continuing with its broader subsea plans in Asia and globally, including with the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN), Salvadori said.

"We are working with partners and regulators to meet all of the concerns that people have, and we look forward to that cable being a valuable, productive transpacific cable going forward in the near future," he said.

The 12,800 km PLCN, which is being funded by Facebook and Alphabet, had met U.S government resistance over plans for a Hong Kong conduit. It was originally intended to link the United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

Facebook said earlier this month it would drop efforts to connect the cable between California and Hong Kong due to "ongoing concerns from the U.S. government about direct communication links between the United States and Hong Kong".

Facebook said on Monday it planned two new undersea cables to connect Singapore, Indonesia and North America in a project with Google and regional telecommunication companies to boost internet connection capacity between the regions.

Facebook said on Monday it planned two new undersea cables to connect Singapore, Indonesia and North America in a project with Google and regional telecommunication companies to boost internet connection capacity between the regions. "Named Echo and Bifrost, those will be the first two cables to go through a new diverse route crossing the Java Sea and they will increase overall subsea capacity in the trans-pacific by about 70 per cent," Facebook Vice President of Network Investments, Kevin Salvadori said. Also read| Facebook, Google CEOs suggest ways to reform key internet law The cables, according to the executive, will be the first to directly connect North America to some of the main parts of Indonesia and will increase connectivity for the central and eastern provinces of the world's fourth most populous country. Salvadori said "Echo" is being built in partnership with Alphabet's Google and Indonesian telecommunications' company XL Axiata and should be completed by 2023. Bifrost, which is being done in partnership with Telin, a subsidiary of Indonesia's Telkom, and Singaporean conglomerate Keppel is due to be completed by 2024. The two cables, which will need regulatory approval, follow previous investments by Facebook to build up connectivity in Indonesia, one of its top five markets globally. Also read| 'Hacktivism' adding to woes of cybersecurity at alarming rate While 73 per cent of Indonesia's population of 270 million are online, the majority access the web through mobile data, with less than 10 per cent using a broadband connection, according to a 2020 survey by the Indonesian Internet Providers Association. Swathes of the country, remain without any internet access. Facebook said last year it would deploy 3,000 km (1,8641 miles) of fibre in Indonesia across twenty cities in addition to a previous deal to develop public Wi-Fi hot spots. Aside from the Southeast Asian cables, Facebook was continuing with its broader subsea plans in Asia and globally, including with the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN), Salvadori said. "We are working with partners and regulators to meet all of the concerns that people have, and we look forward to that cable being a valuable, productive transpacific cable going forward in the near future," he said. The 12,800 km PLCN, which is being funded by Facebook and Alphabet, had met U.S government resistance over plans for a Hong Kong conduit. It was originally intended to link the United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Facebook said earlier this month it would drop efforts to connect the cable between California and Hong Kong due to "ongoing concerns from the U.S. government about direct communication links between the United States and Hong Kong".

Facebook ties up with Google for project to lay down new undersea cables

OAKLAND, Calif. — Google tried to copy Amazon’s playbook to become the shopping hub of the internet, with little success. Now it is trying something different: the anti-Amazon strategy.

Google is trying to present itself as a cheaper and less restrictive option for independent sellers. And it is focused on driving traffic to sellers’ sites, not selling its own version of products as Amazon does.

In the last year, Google eliminated fees for merchants and allowed sellers to list their wares in its search results for free. It is also trying to make it easier for small, independent shops to upload their inventory of products to appear in search results and buy ads on Google by teaming up with Shopify, which powers online stores for 1.7 million merchants who sell directly to consumers.

But like Google’s many attempts during its two-decade quest to compete with Amazon, this one shows little sign of working. Google has nothing as alluring as the $295 billion that passed through Amazon’s third-party marketplace in 2020. The amount of goods people buy on Google is “very small” by comparison — probably around $1 billion, said Juozas Kaziukenas, founder of Marketplace Pulse, a research company.

Amazon is a fixture in the lives of many Americans. It has usurped Google as the starting point for shoppers and has become equally essential for marketers. Amazon’s global advertising business grew 30% to $17.6 billion in 2020, trailing only Google and Facebook in the United States.

But as the pandemic has forced many stores to go online, it has created a new opening for Google to woo sellers who feel uneasy about building their businesses on Amazon.

Christina Stang, 33, opened Fritzy’s Roller Skate Shop near Pacific Beach in San Diego last March. Shelter-in-place orders forced her to set up an online storefront on Shopify.

She got lucky. She was sitting on a huge supply of skates when demand surged as skating videos became popular on TikTok during the pandemic.

She linked her Shopify account to Google’s retail software and started buying so-called smart shopping ads. Working within an allotted budget, Google’s algorithms pick where to place ads and what products to feature. In 2020, she spent $1,800 on the ads, which were viewed 3.6 million times and led to $247,000 in sales, she said.

She considered selling her products on Amazon’s marketplace, but she worried what Amazon’s fees would mean for her already-thin profit margins. She also liked that Google redirected people to her carefully curated website rather than keeping them inside its own store as Amazon does.

“I could sell on Amazon and not make any real money but have a bigger online presence,” Stang said. “It didn’t seem like a great idea.”

Recently, however, she has experienced one of the drawbacks of being stuck in the middle of the partnership between Google and Shopify. Her shop has been unable to list any products since January because Google suspended her account. It said her shipping costs appeared more expensive on Google than on her Shopify-powered website, even though they were no different.

Shopify told her that it was a Google issue. Google’s customer service representatives recommended that she hire a web designer. She continues to manage without Google, but it has tainted her largely positive experience.

“This has completely cut me off at the knees,” she said. “I’m a small business, and I don’t have hundreds or thousands of dollars to resolve this.”

Sellers often complain about Amazon’s fees — which can account for one-quarter of every sale, not including the cost of advertising — and the pressure to spend more to succeed. Merchants on Amazon do not have a direct relationship with their customers, limiting their ability to communicate with them and to generate future business. And because everything is contained within the Amazon world, it is harder to create a unique look and feel that express a brand’s identity the way companies can on their own websites.

But since 2002, when it started a price comparison site called Froogle, a confusing play on the word “frugal” that required a rebranding five years later, Google has struggled to chart a cohesive vision for its shopping experience.

It tried to challenge Amazon directly by piloting its own same-day delivery service, but it shuttered the project as costs ballooned. It tried to forge partnerships with traditional retail giants, only to see the alliances wilt from a lack of sales. It built its own marketplace to make it easier for shoppers to buy the things they find on Google but was not able to break consumers from their Amazon habit.

Last year, Google brought in Bill Ready, a former chief operating officer at PayPal, to fill a new senior position and spearhead an overhaul of its shopping strategy.

Around the time of his hiring, Sundar Pichai, Google’s chief executive, warned senior executives that the new approach could mean a short-term crimp in advertising revenue, according to two people familiar with the conversations, who requested anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss them publicly. He asked teams to support the e-commerce push because it was a company priority.

When the pandemic spurred huge demand for online shopping, Google eliminated fees, allowing retailers to list products for free and walking back a 2012 decision to allow only advertisers to display goods on its shopping site.

Three months after hiring Ready, Google said the free listings would show up on its main search results. Then Google said customers could buy products directly from merchants on Google with no commissions. It also said Google would open its platform to third parties like Shopify and PayPal so that sellers could continue to use their existing tools to manage inventory and orders and processing payments.

The partnership with Shopify was especially meaningful because hundreds of thousands of small businesses have flocked to the software platform during the pandemic. About 9% of U.S. online shopping sales took place on storefronts powered by Shopify as of October, according to research firm eMarketer. That was up from 6% the prior year and second only to Amazon’s share of 37%.

Harley Finkelstein, Shopify’s president, said Google and Shopify were developing new ways for merchants to sell through Google services, such as experiments to allow customers to buy items directly on YouTube and to display what products stores are carrying in Google Maps.

Ready walked a fine line when it came to Amazon, which is a big buyer of ads on Google, but he made it clear he believed Amazon’s dominance in e-commerce posed a threat to other merchants.

“Nobody wants to live in a world where there is only one place to buy something, and retailers don’t want to be dependent on gatekeepers,” he said in an interview.

Google said it had increased the number of sellers appearing in its results by 80% in 2020, with the most significant growth coming from small and midsize businesses. And existing retailers are listing more products.

Overstock.com, a seller of discount furniture and home bedding, said it had paid to list products on Google in the past. But now that listings are free, Overstock is adding low-margin products, too.

“When all shopping starts and stops at Amazon, that’s bad for the industry,” said Jonathan E. Johnson, Overstock’s chief executive. “It’s nice to have another 800-pound tech gorilla in this space.”

What remains unclear is whether increasing the number of merchants and listings on Google will ultimately change online shopping habits.

BACtrack, a maker of breathalyzers, has more than doubled its advertising spending on Amazon in the last two years because that is where the customers are, it said, while it has spent 6% less advertising its products on Google.

“It seems like more and more people are skipping Google and going straight to Amazon,” said Keith Nothacker, chief executive of BACtrack.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Google tried to copy Amazon’s playbook to become the shopping hub of the internet, with little success. Now it is trying something different: the anti-Amazon strategy.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Google tried to copy Amazon’s playbook to become the shopping hub of the internet, with little success. Now it is trying something different: the anti-Amazon strategy. Google is trying to present itself as a cheaper and less restrictive option for independent sellers. And it is focused on driving traffic to sellers’ sites, not selling its own version of products as Amazon does. In the last year, Google eliminated fees for merchants and allowed sellers to list their wares in its search results for free. It is also trying to make it easier for small, independent shops to upload their inventory of products to appear in search results and buy ads on Google by teaming up with Shopify, which powers online stores for 1.7 million merchants who sell directly to consumers. But like Google’s many attempts during its two-decade quest to compete with Amazon, this one shows little sign of working. Google has nothing as alluring as the $295 billion that passed through Amazon’s third-party marketplace in 2020. The amount of goods people buy on Google is “very small” by comparison — probably around $1 billion, said Juozas Kaziukenas, founder of Marketplace Pulse, a research company. Amazon is a fixture in the lives of many Americans. It has usurped Google as the starting point for shoppers and has become equally essential for marketers. Amazon’s global advertising business grew 30% to $17.6 billion in 2020, trailing only Google and Facebook in the United States. But as the pandemic has forced many stores to go online, it has created a new opening for Google to woo sellers who feel uneasy about building their businesses on Amazon. Christina Stang, 33, opened Fritzy’s Roller Skate Shop near Pacific Beach in San Diego last March. Shelter-in-place orders forced her to set up an online storefront on Shopify. She got lucky. She was sitting on a huge supply of skates when demand surged as skating videos became popular on TikTok during the pandemic. She linked her Shopify account to Google’s retail software and started buying so-called smart shopping ads. Working within an allotted budget, Google’s algorithms pick where to place ads and what products to feature. In 2020, she spent $1,800 on the ads, which were viewed 3.6 million times and led to $247,000 in sales, she said. She considered selling her products on Amazon’s marketplace, but she worried what Amazon’s fees would mean for her already-thin profit margins. She also liked that Google redirected people to her carefully curated website rather than keeping them inside its own store as Amazon does. “I could sell on Amazon and not make any real money but have a bigger online presence,” Stang said. “It didn’t seem like a great idea.” Recently, however, she has experienced one of the drawbacks of being stuck in the middle of the partnership between Google and Shopify. Her shop has been unable to list any products since January because Google suspended her account. It said her shipping costs appeared more expensive on Google than on her Shopify-powered website, even though they were no different. Shopify told her that it was a Google issue. Google’s customer service representatives recommended that she hire a web designer. She continues to manage without Google, but it has tainted her largely positive experience. “This has completely cut me off at the knees,” she said. “I’m a small business, and I don’t have hundreds or thousands of dollars to resolve this.” Sellers often complain about Amazon’s fees — which can account for one-quarter of every sale, not including the cost of advertising — and the pressure to spend more to succeed. Merchants on Amazon do not have a direct relationship with their customers, limiting their ability to communicate with them and to generate future business. And because everything is contained within the Amazon world, it is harder to create a unique look and feel that express a brand’s identity the way companies can on their own websites. But since 2002, when it started a price comparison site called Froogle, a confusing play on the word “frugal” that required a rebranding five years later, Google has struggled to chart a cohesive vision for its shopping experience. It tried to challenge Amazon directly by piloting its own same-day delivery service, but it shuttered the project as costs ballooned. It tried to forge partnerships with traditional retail giants, only to see the alliances wilt from a lack of sales. It built its own marketplace to make it easier for shoppers to buy the things they find on Google but was not able to break consumers from their Amazon habit. Last year, Google brought in Bill Ready, a former chief operating officer at PayPal, to fill a new senior position and spearhead an overhaul of its shopping strategy. Around the time of his hiring, Sundar Pichai, Google’s chief executive, warned senior executives that the new approach could mean a short-term crimp in advertising revenue, according to two people familiar with the conversations, who requested anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss them publicly. He asked teams to support the e-commerce push because it was a company priority. When the pandemic spurred huge demand for online shopping, Google eliminated fees, allowing retailers to list products for free and walking back a 2012 decision to allow only advertisers to display goods on its shopping site. Three months after hiring Ready, Google said the free listings would show up on its main search results. Then Google said customers could buy products directly from merchants on Google with no commissions. It also said Google would open its platform to third parties like Shopify and PayPal so that sellers could continue to use their existing tools to manage inventory and orders and processing payments. The partnership with Shopify was especially meaningful because hundreds of thousands of small businesses have flocked to the software platform during the pandemic. About 9% of U.S. online shopping sales took place on storefronts powered by Shopify as of October, according to research firm eMarketer. That was up from 6% the prior year and second only to Amazon’s share of 37%. Harley Finkelstein, Shopify’s president, said Google and Shopify were developing new ways for merchants to sell through Google services, such as experiments to allow customers to buy items directly on YouTube and to display what products stores are carrying in Google Maps. Ready walked a fine line when it came to Amazon, which is a big buyer of ads on Google, but he made it clear he believed Amazon’s dominance in e-commerce posed a threat to other merchants. “Nobody wants to live in a world where there is only one place to buy something, and retailers don’t want to be dependent on gatekeepers,” he said in an interview. Google said it had increased the number of sellers appearing in its results by 80% in 2020, with the most significant growth coming from small and midsize businesses. And existing retailers are listing more products. Overstock.com, a seller of discount furniture and home bedding, said it had paid to list products on Google in the past. But now that listings are free, Overstock is adding low-margin products, too. “When all shopping starts and stops at Amazon, that’s bad for the industry,” said Jonathan E. Johnson, Overstock’s chief executive. “It’s nice to have another 800-pound tech gorilla in this space.” What remains unclear is whether increasing the number of merchants and listings on Google will ultimately change online shopping habits. BACtrack, a maker of breathalyzers, has more than doubled its advertising spending on Amazon in the last two years because that is where the customers are, it said, while it has spent 6% less advertising its products on Google. “It seems like more and more people are skipping Google and going straight to Amazon,” said Keith Nothacker, chief executive of BACtrack.

Google aims to be the anti-Amazon of e-commerce. It has a long way to go

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