This is beyond parties and politics. We need to protect our democracy and social harmony regardless of who’s in power,” she said…reports Asian Lite News
Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday raised the issue of misuse of social media platforms by political proxies in the Lok Sabha.
Taking up the issue during Zero Hour, she urged the government to put an end to systematic influence and interference of Facebook and other social media giants in electoral politics of the world’s largest democracy.
“Global companies like Facebook and Twitter are increasingly being used to shape political narratives by leaders, parties and their proxies.”
“This is beyond parties and politics. We need to protect our democracy and social harmony regardless of who’s in power,” she said.
She alleged that young and old minds are being filled with hate through emotionally charged disinformation, and proxy advertising companies like Facebook are aware of it and are profiting from it.
Reports in various media outlets show a growing nexus between big corporates, social media giants and ruling establishment, the Congress leader stated.
The Congress has raised the issue in the past with Facebook over use of spreading disinformation in the country, she added.
Meta partners Entrepreneurial Nation initiative to upskill startups and SMBs
Last year, Facebook was at the centre of a data leak that affected 533 million accounts and users from 106 countries….reports Asian Lite News
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Meta, Facebook’s parent company, 17 million euros ($18.6 million) for several data breaches that affected up to 30 million users.
The decision followed an inquiry by the DPC into a series of 12 data breach notifications it received in the six-month period between June 7, 2018 and December 4, 2018.
As a result of its inquiry, the DPC found that Meta Platforms infringed Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
“The DPC found that Meta Platforms failed to have in place appropriate technical and organisational measures which would enable it to readily demonstrate the security measures that it implemented in practice to protect EU users’ data, in the context of the 12 personal data breaches,” it said in a statement.
— Data Protection Commission Ireland (@DPCIreland) March 15, 2022
In a statement to TechCrunch late on Wednesday, a Meta spokesperson said: “This fine is about record keeping practices from 2018 that we have since updated, not a failure to protect people’s information. We take our obligations under the GDPR seriously, and will carefully consider this decision as our processes continue to evolve.”
Ireland’s initial draft decision was objected to by two authorities.
While objections to the DPC’s draft decision were raised by two of the European supervisory authorities, consensus was achieved through further engagement between the DPC and the supervisory authorities concerned.
“Accordingly, the DPC’s decision represents the collective views of both the DPC and its counterpart supervisory authorities throughout the EU,” said the Irish consumer watchdog.
Last year, Facebook was at the centre of a data leak that affected 533 million accounts and users from 106 countries.
Unlike many other beauty influencers, Gutierrez, also known as Manny Mua on social media, began his influencer career on Instagram and only later expanded to YouTube…reports Olivia Sarkar
Beauty influencers are gaining ground in the social media world. Fans enjoy seeing their posts and videos to learn new make-up, hairstyle, and product tips. Many influencers have launched beauty brands as a result of their online success.
Huda Kattan (Followers: 50M)
Kattan is an Iraqi-American entrepreneur and make-up artist best known for her brand Huda Beauty, which she co-founded with her sisters Mona and Alya. She shares beauty tips and product information on her Instagram page. These products, according to her bio, have not been tested on animals. Nikkie de Jager (Followers: 15.4M)
The Dutch make-up artist, who announced her transgender identity in January 2020, is one of the most well-known beauty influencers. Her make-up tutorials on YouTube, where she first started posting tutorials, are among the most popular. Her Instagram feed features videos and posts of her experimenting with various looks, make-up tips, and shout-outs to celebrities with whom she has collaborated.
Zoë Sugg (Followers: 9.3M)
Sugg has been an influencer for a little more than a decade, during which time she also launched her own brand, Zoella. The brand’s Instagram account, which has approximately 1.1 million followers, features a variety of posts about make-up, women’s issues, food, and fashion. Sugg’s personal Instagram account is like a diary in which she chronicles her life. Manny Gutierrez (Followers: 4M)
Unlike many other beauty influencers, Gutierrez, also known as Manny Mua on social media, began his influencer career on Instagram and only later expanded to YouTube. He is one of the most popular male influencers on social media. Gutierrez’s influence in the beauty industry led to him becoming Maybelline’s first male ambassador. On his feed, he shares make-up tips, beauty challenges, and product reviews, but his fans also appreciate his sense of humour. Follow him for his glamorous eye looks and amusing video mash-ups.
Shayla Mitchell (Followers: 2.8M)
Mitchell, a trailblazer for people of colour in the world of beauty influencers, uses her Instagram account to share everything she knows and does in the worlds of beauty, fashion, and make-up. Every beauty post she shares exudes an undeniable sense of glitz. Her longer make-up tutorials are available on YouTube.
Nabela Noor (Followers: 2.2M)
Noor is a Bangladeshi-American who is leading a revolutionary shift in preconceived notions of beauty. Noor’s Instagram account contains both beauty secrets and important messages about her advocacy.
Thuy Le (Followers: 1.8M)
Thuy Le began her career as a beauty influencer on Instagram while working part-time at M.A.C. Cosmetics and freelancing as a make-up artist. As her following grew, the London-based influencer began producing YouTube content.
Kiitan Akinniranye (Followers: 785k)
Kiitan, who was born in Nigeria, is now a beauty, travel, and fashion blogger based in Los Angeles. Her blog was where she first gained recognition as an influencer. Her candid discussions about her hair, skin, and personal fears drew readers in. Kittan quickly established herself as a major figure among beauty influencers. Kiitan’s Instagram account features posts about her make-up routine, hair styling tips, and fashion advice.
Meta partners Entrepreneurial Nation initiative to upskill startups and SMBs
Meta actioned 1.4 million content related to adult nudity and sexual activity, 233,600 pieces of content related to bullying and harassment and 1.8 million violent and graphic content, among others….reports Asian Lite News
Meta (formerly Facebook) took down over 11.6 million pieces of content across 13 policies for Facebook and over 3.2 million pieces of content across 12 policies for Instagram in the month of January, the company said on Tuesday.
Between January 1-31, Meta received 911 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism, and responded to 100 per cent of these reports.
“In accordance with the IT Rules 2021, we’ve published our monthly compliance report. We use a combination of Artificial Intelligence, reports from our community and review by our teams to identify and review content against our policies,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.
Meta actioned 1.4 million content related to adult nudity and sexual activity, 233,600 pieces of content related to bullying and harassment and 1.8 million violent and graphic content, among others.
“We measure the number of pieces of content (such as posts, photos, videos or comments) and take action for going against our standards,” said Meta.
In December, Meta took down over 19.3 million pieces of bad content across 13 categories on Facebook and over 2.4 million pieces of such content across 12 categories on photo-sharing platform Instagram in compliance with the new IT Rules 2021.
Meta also received 534 reports for Facebook through the Indian grievance mechanism from December 1-December 31, and responded to all of these reports, spanning from fake profiles to harassment/abusive content and hacked accounts.
Meta had said it is prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetising on its platform anywhere in the world…reports Asian Lite News
Video streaming giant YouTube said that it will temporarily halt the ability of a number of Russian channels, including state-sponsored RT, to monetise their content on the platform, media reports say.
YouTube will also be “significantly limiting” recommendations to those channels, the video streaming giant said in a statement.
According to CNN, the company said the channels are affiliated with recent sanctions, and that it has restricted access to RT and other channels in Ukraine in response to a request from that country’s government.
Earlier on Saturday, Ukraine Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Twitter he contacted YouTube asking the platform to block “the propagandist Russian channels,” and specifically mentioned Russia 24, TASS and RIA Novosti.
The move by YouTube follows the ban announced on Friday by Meta on Russian state media’s ability to run ads and monetise them on Meta’s platform.
Meta had said it is prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetising on its platform anywhere in the world.
The additional steps in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came after the country began to “partially restrict” access to Facebook.
“We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetising on our platform anywhere in the world. We also continue to apply labels to additional Russian state media,” said Nick Clegg, VP Global Affairs at Meta.
Meta partners Entrepreneurial Nation initiative to upskill startups and SMBs
The Entrepreneurial Nation, a project by the Ministry of Economy, aims to offer support through a series of public-private partnerships…reports Asian Lite News
Meta, in partnership with The Entrepreneurial Nation, announced the launch of ‘Boost with Facebook’ programme for the first time in the UAE, to support the achievement of the initiative’s goal to attract and support startups and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across the country.
The Entrepreneurial Nation, a project by the Ministry of Economy, aims to offer support through a series of public-private partnerships that help entrepreneurs set up their ventures in the UAE and expand them, export their products and tap into digital marketing and sales. Through the initiative, the UAE aims to become home to 20 Unicorns, or startups valued at more than $1 billion, by 2031. The programme encompasses three stages or tracks – the Skill-Up Academy, the Scale-Up programme and the Start-Up track.
Dr. Hassan Alsayegh, Director of SMEs Development at the Ministry of Economy, said, “The partnership with META is in line with our vision to create a support mechanism for the UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. META is a key enabler of SMEs in the UAE, and we look forward to continuing this strong partnership to empower the sector.”
By joining the initiative, Meta is helping with the digitisation of the UAE’s business community and supporting the government in transforming the country as the Entrepreneurial Nation of the world.
The ‘Boost with Facebook’ initiative kicked off with a virtual workshop recently. The session offered training to SMBs on how they can activate their social commerce activities on Meta platforms, for instance, how to create a virtual Storefront with Shops; how to reach the right audience with Personalised Ads; and creative tips to boost profiles on Instagram, among others.
Those who attended the workshop got the chance to learn about The Entrepreneurial Nation initiative and draw inspiration from the success of other UAE small businesses namely Mamalu Kitchen and Project Chaiwala, who have effectively capitalised on the potential of Meta platforms to improve business performance. At the end of the session, SMBs were given an opportunity to connect with Meta experts as part of a live Q&A and seek advice on how to navigate today’s digital-first world.
Azzam Alameddin, Public Policy Director for Middle East, North Africa & Turkey at Meta, commented, “We are excited to be part of The Entrepreneurial Nation initiative through our ‘Boost with Facebook’ programme and upcoming opportunities this year. We have an important role to play, providing the necessary digital skills for startups and small businesses to recover and achieve results online. We are continuing those training efforts in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Economy, helping further boost a burgeoning start-up ecosystem to positively impact socio-economic growth in the UAE.”
SMBs are the backbone of the UAE economy. There are around 350,000 SMBs in the country, accounting for 86 percent of the labour force in the private sector and making up over 60 percent of GDP, according to TDRA. The government has introduced economic support packages to help business owners weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The UAE has also adopted a wide array of measures to create a more attractive environment for foreign investment including revamped visa and residency system,and 100 percent foreign ownership in addition to updating numerous laws and launching initiatives such as the Entrepreneurial Nation.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (India Narrative_IANS)
The opposition political parties have also slammed the government, The latest ordinance will certainly strengthen the institutional strength while also ensure protection from widespread criticism and defamation done by elements….writes Hamza Ameer
The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government has introduced an ordinance, clamping down on social media influencers, vloggers and journalists from spreading fake news against the authorities, state institutions and the military establishment.
Through a presidential ordinance under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance 2022, anyone who is found spreading fake news or criticising the state institutions, can face up to three to five years in jail with limited access to bail.
Law Minister Faroogh Naseem announced the move as pivotal and much needed amendment of laws on cybercrime, stating that no one should be exempted from the effort to eliminate the menace of fake news.
social media
“Media is free to criticize but there should be no fake news,” he said, adding: “Spreading fake news will be a non-bailable offense with up to six months imprisonment.”
The move by the government has been declared as a dangerous overreach and undemocratic.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called the law imposed through presidential ordinance as “undemocratic”.
In a statement, the HRCP condemned government’s attempt to silence the much-needed criticism on the performance of the government and state institutions.
“It will also inevitably be used to clamp down on dissenters and critics of the government and state institutions.”
The decision is also being marked as a deliberate assault against the freedom of expression, which is the basic right of every individual.
The opposition political parties have also slammed the government, questioning it for using the presidential ordinance and termed the new ordinance as “draconian”.
“The amendment is not about protecting the vulnerable from cyber predations – quite the opposite,” said Senator Sherry Rehman, a senior leader of the opposition political party Pakistan People Party (PPP).
The government has in the past come under the critical lens of analysts, journalists, social media influencers and the opposition parties, who have questioned the capabilities and competency of the government in policy making.
Moreover, the powerful military establishment of the country has also at times, come under criticism of supporting the government, even when the country continues to suffer because of what they called, failed policies and false promises of Prime Minister Khan.
The latest ordinance will certainly strengthen the institutional strength while also ensure protection from widespread criticism and defamation done by elements, who at times use fake news as their reliable source of information.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has beaten the likes of the president of the United States Joe Biden, and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, to prove his popularity quotient globally. In other news, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recalled the late Lata Mangeshkar with gratitude for her role in the 1971 war…writes Joyeeta Basu.
News in brief from South Asia
India
Global Leader Approval List 2022: PM Modi tops list: Prime Minister Modi has proved his popularity quotient globally. Modi has ranked at the top of the Global Leader Approval List 2022, leaving behind several prominent leaders, reports DNA News.
Lata Mangeshkar death: Legendary singer receives full State Honours: Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away yesterday, was cremated with full State honours in Mumbai, with several top government officials, including the Prime Minister and celebrities in attendance, reports DNA News.
Procession carrying mortal remains of Lata Mangeshkar (Credit: Pallav Paliwal)
Charanjit Channi is Congress’s CM pick for Punjab: Charanjit Singh Channi is Congress’s Chief Ministerial candidate in Punjab, Rahul Gandhi said, days before the assembly elections in the state, reports NDTV.
62,000 applications, 67 successful pitches: Startups are bagging funding on ‘Shark Tank India’: Shark Tank India has been a hit in its debut season. The show has had phenomenal success with both popularity and empowering the startup ecosystem. So far, 67 startups have bagged Rs 41.98 crore funding in the first season which went on for 30 episodes, reports DNA News.
Financial news
Finance Minister to discuss aviation fuel’s inclusion in GST regime with States: The government will take up the inclusion of Aviation Turbine Fuel in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system before the GST Council, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday, reports The Hindu.
Pakistan
Pakistani dissidents in UK on ‘hitlist’: Pakistani dissidents exiled in Britain have been advised by the Counter Terrorism Police to maintain a low profile as their lives are at risk for criticising the Pakistani military, reports AsianLite News.
PoK rejects Kashmir Solidarity Day, observes Fraud Day: The people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir have condemned Pakistan for observing February 5 as Kashmir Solidarity Day and on the contrary marked it as “Fraud Day”, reports Asian Lite News.
Bangladesh
Prime Minister reminisces Lata Mangeshkar’s role in 1971 war: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Lata Mangeshkar’s demise has created a “great void in the subcontinent’s musical arena”, as she recalled her with gratitude for her role in the Liberation War of 1971 against Pakistan, reports NDTV.
Afghanistan
‘Over 1 million fled Afghanistan in 4 months’: More than one million Afghans have migrated over the past four months and most of them have crossed border areas into Iran and Pakistan, reports Asian Lite News.
On a lighter note…
Film fraternity mourns Lata Mangeshkar: Tributes poured in for the late singer who had a career spanning over seven decades. The 92-year-old Mangeshkar sang an estimated 30,000 songs in 36 Indian languages, and the film fraternity paid their respects to her all through the day, reports the Hindustan Times.
Sara Ali Khan is a busy bee: After the release of Atrangi Re, Sara Ali Khan has swiftly moved on to her next project, Gaslight, andhas a yet-untitled film with Laxman Utekar in the pipeline. A source said that Sara has been hopping from one city to the other non-stop, to fulfil her commitments, reports Mid-Day.
Sara Ali Khan
Dia Mirza savours precious time with son Avyaan amid greenery, says ‘this is everything’: Dia Mirza is enjoying her time with her son, Avyaan Azaad Rekhi. The actor shared two lovely pictures with him from their time in the garden, reports the Hindustan Times.
The saffron party is also enrolling social media ‘Yodha’ (warrior) to spread the achievements of the Pushkar Singh Dhami government and defuse propaganda of opposition parties in the state…reports Asian Lite News
Amid restriction by Election Commission on rallies and roadshows, the BJP is using different social media platforms in Uttarakhand to reach out to maximum voters before polling day. Apart from constituency specific groups on social media, the Uttarakhand BJP is also using its pages of district and block units on different social media platforms to reach out to voters.
It is learnt that the BJP has made over 10,000 WhatsApp groups in the state and other social media platforms like telegram. The party also actively uses its district and block units on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to reach out to people.
Amid restriction of public rallies and roadshows, the BJP is also holding virtual rallies in three to four assembly constituencies every day.
“Every day we are organising virtual rallies in three to four assembly constituencies. We have set up a studio in Dehradun from where senior leaders and one of our candidates address voters of a particular constituency. A link is sent to all the voters of that particular assembly seat on their mobile phones to join the rally,” Uttarakhand IT department convener Shekhar Verma said.
Polls
The saffron party is also enrolling social media ‘Yodha’ (warrior) to spread the achievements of the Pushkar Singh Dhami government and defuse propaganda of opposition parties in the state. The BJP has launched a campaign ‘Dev Bhoomi ke Digital Yodha’ to enrol volunteers and made an appeal to youth to join the campaign to become cyber ‘yodha’.
Polling for the 70-member Uttarakhand assembly will be held on February 14 and counting of votes will be held on March 10. The ruling BJP is leaving no stone unturned to retain power in the state. The BJP has set a target of winning over 60 seats. In the last assembly polls in 2017, the BJP won 57 seats.
The prince’s Instagram and Facebook pages appeared still to be open, though the Instagram was set to private…reports Asian Lite News
His accuser Victoria Giuffre has said that she had sex with the prince while aged 17 after meeting him through the late US financer and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein…reports Asian Lite News
Queen Elizabeth II’s second son Prince Andrew has deactivated his social media accounts, users said Wednesday, as he faces a US civil case for sexual assault.
Andrew’s official Twitter account @TheDukeOfYork now opens with a message saying “This account doesn’t exist”.
His YouTube account also comes up with an error message and a picture of a monkey.
The prince’s Instagram and Facebook pages appeared still to be open, though the Instagram was set to private.
The Daily Mail cited a source close to the 61-year-old prince as saying these accounts have also been removed and are no longer live.
This comes after announcements last week that the prince has ceased using his HRH, or His Royal Highness, title, and has also given up honorary military titles bestowed by the Queen.
The move effectively removes him from official royal life.
His accuser Victoria Giuffre has said that she had sex with the prince while aged 17 after meeting him through the late US financer and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The prince denies the allegations but lost a bid to dismiss the civil suit.
Andrew withdrew from public life as a royal in 2019 after a widely ridiculed BBC interview where he sought to vindicate himself of the accusation that he sexually assaulted a minor.
Since then he has been occasionally photographed driving or riding around the Queen’s private estate in eastern England, Sandringham.
He did not appear in the official wedding photographs when his daughter Beatrice got married in 2020.
In other signs of social ostracism, the York Racecourse in northern England has announced it is renaming an event called The Duke of York Stakes — even though this refers to an earlier bearer of the title.
And a police station in Devon in southern England has removed a plaque saying it was opened by the Duke of York, citing a complaint from a member of the public, the BBC reported this week.
Armed forces minister James Heappey on Wednesday said Andrew had kept “horrifically ill-advised” company, and the US case would overshadow celebrations later this year for his mother’s 70 years on the throne.
The decision to strip former Royal Navy helicopter pilot Andrew of his honorary military titles was reportedly made by the Queen and senior members of the royal family.
His nephew, second-in-line to the throne Prince William was asked by a reporter on Wednesday if he supported his uncle, during a visit to a London museum.
But William made no response. William’s father, Prince Charles, ignored a similar question last week.
