Pakistan says it has asked Facebook to help investigate “blasphemous content” posted on the social network by Pakistanis. Facebook has agreed to send a team to Pakistan to address reservations about content on the social media site, according to the interior ministry. Blasphemy is a highly sensitive and incendiary issue in Pakistan. Critics say blasphemy … Read more
WatsApp users have two options now, the text status as well as the video stories The Snapchatification of everything has resulted in backlash for WhatsApp, prompting it to revive its text Status option while keeping its image-based replacement. The move shows how social apps must quickly react to feedback if they make a false step … Read more
A tweet from McDonald’s verified Twitter account took aim at President Donald Trump on Thursday. The tweet, which has since been deleted, said: “@realDonaldTrump You are actually a disgusting excuse of a President and we would love to have @BarackObama back, also you have tiny hands.” McDonald’s later said its account was “compromised” but has … Read more
The Snapchatification of everything has resulted in backlash for WhatsApp, prompting it to revive its text Status option while keeping its image-based replacement. The move shows how social apps must quickly react to feedback if they make a false step in modernizing to adapt to visual communication. In mid-February, WhatsApp removed the feature that let … Read more
The Snapchatification of everything has resulted in backlash for WhatsApp, prompting it to revive its text Status option while keeping its image-based replacement. The move shows how social apps must quickly react to feedback if they make a false step in modernizing to adapt to visual communication. In mid-February, WhatsApp removed the feature that let … Read more
A diplomatic spat between Turkey, the Netherlands and Germany spread online on Wednesday when a large number of Twitter accounts were hijacked and replaced with anti-Nazi messages in Turkish. The attacks, using the hashtags #Nazialmanya (NaziGermany) or #Nazihollanda (NaziHolland), took over accounts of high-profile CEOs, publishers, government agencies, politicians and also some ordinary Twitter users. … Read more
Social media giants should “do a better job” to protect users from online hate speech, British MPs have said. Executives from Facebook, Twitter and Google were asked by the Home Affairs select committee why they did not police their content more effectively, given the billions they made. They were told they had a “terrible reputation” … Read more
The 2017 advertising revenue forecast for Snap Inc’s Snapchat has been trimmed by $30 million due to higher than expected revenue sharing with its partners, digital marketing firm eMarketer said in its latest ad spending forecast on Tuesday. While that still represents growth of more than 157 percent from last year, it is smaller than … Read more
For some millennial investors, loyalty to one of their favorite apps matters more than financial details in the case of Snap Inc (SNAP. N). The stock of Snapchat’s parent company has been on a roller-coaster ride since its market debut last week, surging more than 70 percent from the initial public offering price in the … Read more
The inventor of the world wide web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has unveiled a plan to tackle data abuse and fake news. In an open letter to mark the web’s 28th anniversary, Sir Tim has set out a five-year strategy amid concerns he has about how the web is being used. Sir Tim said he wants … Read more
Facebook has been criticised for its handling of reports about sexualised images of children on its platform. The chairman of the Commons media committee, Damian Collins, said he had “grave doubts” about the effectiveness of its content moderation systems. Mr Collins’ comments come after the BBC reported dozens of photos to Facebook, but more than … Read more
Facebook clinched victory Tuesday in a German court case brought by a Syrian refugee whose selfie with Chancellor Angela Merkel had made him the target of racist trolls. The court ruled that the US social media giant was not obliged to actively search out and delete defamatory posts, like those that had falsely linked the … Read more
A recent research from the University of Pittsburgh, has warned that social media is making us feel lonely. Who knew that perusing 10, 20 or even 30 riotous Facebook pictures of a colleague’s Saturday night house party – to which you definitely weren’t invited – causes Sunday-long existential angst? Or that Instagram updates of neatly … Read more
A German court was due to rule Tuesday on a dispute between Facebook and a Syrian refugee whose post of a selfie with Chancellor Angela Merkel fuelled fake news linking him to terrorism. Online trolls have repeatedly posted doctored images and wrongful statements that accuse 19-year-old Anas Modamani of having committed Islamist attacks or violent … Read more
Comcast Corp’s NBCUniversal on Friday disclosed it has taken a $500 million stake in Snap, the messaging service which launched its big public offering this week. “This is a significant milestone in our growing partnership with Snap, and we look forward to participating in Snap’s success as an investor and continuing to work closely with … Read more
Instant messaging service Snapchat surged in its debut trade Thursday, jumping more than 40 percent from the level set in the initial public offering Wednesday night. Snap Inc., trading under the ticker “SNAP” on the New York Stock Exchange, was up about 45.4 percent to $24.72 near 1630 GMT, shortly after logging its first trades. … Read more
Snap, owner of messaging app Snapchat, has priced its shares at $17 ahead of Thursday’s listing on the US stock market. The flotation values the business at $24bn, although Snap has never made a profit. It will turn the company’s founders Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy into multi-billionaires. Snapchat, which is especially popular with teenagers, … Read more
As Snapchat’s owner makes its Wall Street debut, the key question for investors is whether the vanishing-message app is on its way to glory or despair. Wildly popular with young smartphone users keen to share messages that don’t linger, Snapchat is alternately viewed in the social media world as a winning bet such as Facebook … Read more
Donald Trump’s temporary immigration ban and the ensuing heightened security procedures for travelers from outside the U. S. have caused a great deal of trouble for visitors to the country. On Sunday, though, things got taken to the next level when the Customs and Border Protection office reportedly claimed its latest victim: 28-year-old Celestine Omin, … Read more
Facebook has begun using artificial intelligence to identify members that may be at risk of killing themselves. The social network has developed algorithms that spot warning signs in users’ posts and the comments their friends leave in response. After confirmation by Facebook’s human review team, the company contacts those thought to be at risk of … Read more