Twitter Now Needs Users to Sign In to View Tweets Owner Elon Musk Calls it Temporary Emergency Measure

Twitter will now require users to have an account on the social media platform to view tweets, a move that owner Elon Musk on Friday called a "temporary emergency measure". Users who try to view content on the platform will be asked to sign up for an account or log into an existing account to see their favourite tweets.

Spotify Planning to Test Full-Length Music Videos in App

Spotify Technology is reportedly considering adding full-length music videos to its app, which could help the streaming service better compete with Alphabet’s YouTube and ByteDance’s TikTok. The firm is said to have already begun talking to partners about the product.

Meta Now Allows Secure Chat Transfer Between Devices on WhatsApp Using QR Code

Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg on Friday announced a new feature on the platform's instant messaging app, WhatsApp. According to the Meta CEO, users will now be allowed to transfer their chat history between devices conveniently and in a secure way.

Karnataka HC Dismisses Twitter Petition Challenging MeitY's Content Takedown Orders Imposes Rs. 50 Lakh Fine

The High Court of Karnataka on Friday dismissed a petition filed by Twitter, challenging several blocking and take-down orders issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, saying the company's plea was devoid of merits.

WhatsApp Desktop Beta Begins Testing Video Calls With Up to 32 People: Details

WhatsApp Desktop app on Windows is set to get an important upgrade for video calling. The popular chat platform has begun raising the 8-person limit for video calls to 32 people, on the latest WhatsApp beta for Windows update. Here's everything you need to know about the WhatsApp Desktop beta update.

Facebook Instagram to End News Access in Canada Over Incoming Law on Paying Publishers

Facebook and Instagram users in Canada will be blocked from viewing Canadian news soon after parliament-approved legislation requiring internet giants to pay news publishers comes into effect. The legislation, known as the Online News Act, was approved by the Senate upper chamber earlier on Thursday.

Fake Trezor Wallet Suite Tops Apple App Stores Search Results Bitcoiners Exercise Caution

Apple’s App Store has been showing a fake copy of a legitimate crypto wallet app, Trezor. The name of this fake app is ‘Trezor Wallet Suite’. These search results had been emerging for users across the US and the UK.

How to Silence Unknown Callers on WhatsApp for iOS and Android

WhatsApp is making it easier for users to reject unwanted calls. The instant messaging app from Meta now allows to users to silence spam calls from unknown contacts. These calls can also be from numbers not saved in your contact list. The feature was announced earlier last week, and is available on the stable versions of WhatsApp for mobile apps.

WhatsApp for Windows Beta Rolling Out In-App Chat Support Feature for Users: Report

WhatsApp’s ‘Contact Us’ feature will now allow users to get in-app chat support on WhatsApp beta for Windows. The new update will make it possible for WhatsApp beta users to seek assistance from WhatsApp from the ‘Contact Us’ option and receive support in chat in real time.

Explained: Why Are Facebook Instagram Cutting News Access in Canada

Meta Platforms plans to cut off access to news on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada once a new law requiring internet giants to pay news publishers takes effect, arguing news has no economic value to the company and that its users do not use the platform for news. Canada drafted new rules after legacy media companies complained about internet companies el...

Elon Musk Says Twitter Video App for Smart TVs Is Coming as Platform Plans to Focus on Video Content

A Twitter video app for smart TVs is in the social media company's plans, owner Elon Musk said in a tweet on Saturday, a move that would be in line with the company's new plans to focus on growing video content on the platform.

Facebook Instagram to End News Access in Canada Over Incoming Law on Paying Publishers

Facebook and Instagram users in Canada will be blocked from viewing Canadian news soon after parliament-approved legislation requiring internet giants to pay news publishers comes into effect. The legislation, known as the Online News Act, was approved by the Senate upper chamber earlier on Thursday.

Facebook Instagram to End News Access in Canada Over Incoming Law on Paying Publishers

Facebook and Instagram users in Canada will be blocked from viewing Canadian news soon after parliament-approved legislation requiring internet giants to pay news publishers comes into effect. The legislation, known as the Online News Act, was approved by the Senate upper chamber earlier on Thursday.

YouTube Internally Testing Product for Playing Online Games: Report

YouTube is internally testing a product for playing online games, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing an email sent to employees at parent company Google. The company invited its employees to begin testing the new YouTube product called 'Playables', the report said, adding that games available for testing included titles such as arcade game Stack Bounce.

Meta to Face Legal Action in Malaysia for Failing to Remove 'Undesirable' Posts

Malaysia said on Friday it will take legal action against Facebook parent Meta Platforms for failing to remove "undesirable" posts, the strongest measure the country has taken to date over such content. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration has vowed to curb what it calls provocative posts that touch on race and religion since coming to power in November after...

Meta OpenAI CEO Express Support for EU Regulation on AI

Technology company executives Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman expressed support for government oversight of artificial intelligence after discussions with European Commission Thierry Breton. The commissioner said that he and Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms, were “aligned” on the EU’s regulation of artificial intelligence, which is now in fin...

Byju's Investors Confirm Two Board Members' Resignations

Two top investors in Byju's confirmed on Friday that their representatives had resigned from the board of the once high-flying Indian startup, which has been battling pressure from lenders amid a steep drop in its valuation.

Paytm Signs MoU With Arunachal Pradesh to Create Startup Ecosystem

Paytm Payment Services Limited (PPSL) on Thursday signed an MoU with ArunachalPradesh Innovation and Investment Park (APIIP) to create a startup ecosystem for the youth in the northeastern state, officials said. According to the MoU, Paytm Incubation Centre will provide its product to early-stage startups at a discounted price and offer free credits thro...

TikTok COO Vanessa Pappas Stepping Down From Role After Five Years

TikTok Chief Operating Officer Vanessa Pappas is reportedly stepping down after five years with the short-video company owned by China's ByteDance. In an email to staff, Pappas said they would be taking on an advisory role for the company during the transition.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Tipped to Feature Google Maps Support on Outer Screen: Details

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 may offer support for the Google Maps app on the smartphone's cover screen. This year, Samsung's foldable handset is expected to sport a folder-shaped 3.4-inch screen that will be larger than the 1.9-inch outer display on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 that launched last year.

Facebook Asked to Evaluate Political Violence Promotion on Platform by Parent Metas Oversight Board

Meta's Oversight Board has asked Facebook to evaluate efforts to prevent the promotion of political violence on its platform after it allowed a video calling for violence post the 2022 Brazilian election to stay online.

Facebook Instagram to End News Access in Canada Over Incoming Law on Paying Publishers

Facebook and Instagram users in Canada will be blocked from viewing Canadian news soon after parliament-approved legislation requiring internet giants to pay news publishers comes into effect. The legislation, known as the Online News Act, was approved by the Senate upper chamber earlier on Thursday.

Apple Releases visionOS Developer Tools to Create Apple Vision Pro Applications: Details

Apple has released the visionOS SDK for developers, allowing app creators to build apps for the Apple Vision Pro headset and test how they work in various conditions. The company will also open developer labs across the world to help develop and test apps for the headset.

EU 'Enforcer' Visits Meta Twitter to Check Readiness as New Online Content Rules Loom

The EU commissioner in charge of enforcing Europe's new landmark rules on online content is heading to San Francisco on Thursday to ensure that the big platforms are ready. The two-day visit by Thierry Breton comes just weeks before the European Union's Digital Service Act (DSA) comes into full force for the world's biggest platforms, including Facebook and Instagram,...

Australian Watchdog Says Twitter Top Platform for Online Hate Demands Explanation as Company Faces Fine

An Australian cyber regulator on Thursday said it has demanded Twitter explain its handling of online hate as the microblog has become the country's most complained-about platform since new owner Elon Musk lifted bans on a reported 62,000 accounts.

Twitter Resumes Paying Google Cloud for Services Companies to Explore Deeper Partnership: Report

Twitter has resumed paying Alphabet's Google Cloud for its services, according to a person familiar with the matter. Linda Yaccarino, the social media network's new CEO, helped restore Twitter's relationship with Google, and the two companies will explore a deeper partnership that involves Google's advertising spending on Twitter and its use of the social media compan...

Spotify HiFi Lossless Streaming Will Launch Soon With More Expensive 'Supremium' Subscription Tier: Report

Spotify HiFi will reportedly be launched by the company with support for lossless streaming soon. The new lossless tier will compete with Apple Music and Amazon Music — services that also offer support for lossless audio at no additional cost. Spotify is expected to increase the subscription price for users who want to stream "lossless" audio.

Spotify Rolls Out Redesigned Your Library Now Playing Views on Desktops

Spotify, the music and podcast streaming service, is rolling out a redesigned user interface for desktop users on MacBook and PC globally. The company made the announcement via its blog post on Tuesday. The app has brought a few additions including redesigned Your Library and Now Playing views to align the desktop experience with the mobile app.

Chingari Lays Off 20 Percent of Its Workforce as Part of Organisation Restructuring

Chingari has laid off around 60 employees as part of its restructuring plan, the company said on Tuesday. The short-video-based social media app has laid off only 20 percent of its workforce. The Chingari spokesperson said that the company as part of severance package is offering two months' salary to the impacted employees to assist them during the transition and thr...

Google Acknowledges Android Bug That Incorrectly Showed WhatsApp Accessing Microphone Issues Simple Fix

Google’s Android Developers Twitter account posted about the issue, citing the bug that was affecting the Privacy Dashboard on the platform. Google seems to have addressed the issue and has provided a quick fix.

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI Plans App Store For AI software: Report

OpenAI is reportedly planning to launch a marketplace that will allow developers to sell their AI models built on top of their own AI technology. Aquant and Khan Academy might be interested in offering their ChatGPT-powered AI models on OpenAI's marketplace. It could compete with app stores run by some of the company's customers and technology partners including Sales...

Twitter Employees Sue Social Media Company Claiming It Refuses to Pay 2022 Bonuses Despite Promises

Twitter employees sued the Elon Musk-led company claiming it refuses to pay 2022 bonuses, despite promises that they would be paid out at 50 percent of their target amounts. As per the lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court, Twitter has a cash performance bonus plan that is paid out annually and in the months leading up to Elon Musk’s acquisition of the compan...

WhatsApp Rolls Out 'Silence Unknown Callers' Feature on iOS and Android

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that will silence unknown callers on the platform. The new will prevent calls from unknown contacts from disturbing users, but WhatsApp will still display these calls in the app and notification area. The feature is available for both Android and iOS WhatsApp users.

Reddit Hackers Threaten to Leak 80GB of Data Stolen in Ransomware Attack Over API Changes: Report

Reddit hackers behind a breach of the company in February have threatened to leak 80GB of data stolen from the platform in February. The hacking group wants Reddit to pay a ransom of $4.5 million (roughly Rs. 37 crore) and reverse its controversial API policy changes aimed at third-party apps.

WhatsApp for Windows Beta Rolling Out In-App Chat Support Feature for Users: Report

WhatsApp’s ‘Contact Us’ feature will now allow users to get in-app chat support on WhatsApp beta for Windows. The new update will make it possible for WhatsApp beta users to seek assistance from WhatsApp from the ‘Contact Us’ option and receive support in chat in real time.

Elon Musk Says Twitter Video App for Smart TVs Is Coming as Platform Plans to Focus on Video Content

A Twitter video app for smart TVs is in the social media company's plans, owner Elon Musk said in a tweet on Saturday, a move that would be in line with the company's new plans to focus on growing video content on the platform.

How to Create Instagram Broadcast Channel on Android iOS Device

Instagram parent Meta recently announced about rolling out the Channels features for broadcasting messages. The feature, which has now rolled out globally, was earlier limited to select creators and users. The social media platform started testing the broadcast channels feature in February this year.

Meta Restores Facebook Instagram WhatsApp After Outage Reports From Several Users

Meta Platforms said on Friday services on its social media apps Facebook and Instagram were restored, more than two hours after an outage that affected thousands of users. At one point, nearly 20,000 users in total said they were having trouble accessing Facebook and Instagram and Meta's messaging service WhatsApp.

Twitter to Focus on Video Creator and Commerce Partnerships Says CEO Yaccarino

Twitter plans to focus on video, creator and commerce partnerships to revitalise the social media company's business beyond digital advertising, according to an investor presentation by owner Elon Musk and new Chief Executive Linda Yaccarino. The presentation was Yaccarino's first time addressing the company's investors, the source said.

Meta Rolls Back Policy to Curb COVID-19 Misinformation on Facebook Instagram

Meta Platforms said on Friday a policy that was put in place to curb the spread of misinformation related to COVID-19 on Facebook and Instagram would no longer be in effect globally. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter came under immense pressure to tackle misinformation related to the pandemic, including false claims about vaccines, prompting them to ...

Reddit Says 80 Percent Top Subreddits Open After Blackout Over API Pricing Protest

Reddit said that most of the company’s communities were operating as normal — four days after a protest that shut down thousands of its online forums in protest over its plans to raise fees. In a blog post-Thursday, the company said that 80 percent of its top subreddits, or digital message boards, are currently open. The post was Reddit’s first since June 9. 

Salman Khan Starrer 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan' Coming to Zee5 on June 23

Zee5 will offer Salman Khan starrer Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan for streaming from June 23 onwards. The film was released theatrically in April 2023, and is directed by Farhad Samji, with Pooja Hegde starring in the film alongside Khan.

LinkedIn Working on Video Advertising Product to Target Streaming Platform Users

LinkedIn said on Thursday it was working on a video advertising product that would allow marketers to target users of the professional networking site while they watch content on streaming services. This comes after LinkedIn introduced AI features to help advertisers write ad content, part of a strategy to expand its ads business

WhatsApp Web Rolling Out Call Back Alert for Beta Users to Prevent Unanswered Calls from Going Unnoticed

WhatsApp is reportedly adding a visual tap button next to missed call alerts on WhatsApp web in a beta update, so that no calls initiated on the platform go unnoticed. As soon as the users would tap on the call back icon, it would reportedly let them return the calls instantly, whether they are voice or video calls.

WhatsApp Reportedly Testing Multi-Account Feature For Android Beta Users

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature for Android users. A multi-account feature was spotted on the latest WhatsApp Business beta version for Android. This will allow users to access multiple WhatsApp accounts from the same device.

Government's Relationship With Social Media Platforms Is Through Compliance of Law and Rules: MoS IT

The government's relationship with any social media platform is simply through the prism of compliance of law and rules, and therefore there is nothing personal or adversarial against one platform or the other, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said. The platforms have to respect the Indian laws, the Minister of State for IT and Electronics asserted.

Arunachal Police Launches Mobile App for Reporting Emergencies Avail Services

Arunachal police have introduced a mobile app. The new ‘Arunpol’ application has an emergency feature through which one can easily reach out to a police station in a time of crisis. It can be used to avail of a range of services such as tenant verifications and clearance certification.

Truecaller Reintroduces Call Recording on iOS Android for Premium Subscribers: Details

Truecaller is reintroducing support for call recording on iOS and Android via its popular caller identification app. The feature will be accessible to Premium subscribers, along with access to an AI-backed feature for transcripts of all recorded calls. Call recording on iOS and Android will also roll out to users in India soon, according to Truecaller.

TikTok to Invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia Says CEO

ByteDance's TikTok is planning to invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia over the next few years, the company's CEO Shou Zi Chew confirmed on Thursday. Southeast Asia is one of the company's biggest markets in terms of user numbers. But the platform has yet to translate the large user base into a major e-commerce revenue source as it faces fierce competition fro...

Twitter Sued for Over $250 Million by Music Publishers for Copyright Infringement

Music publishers in the US filed a lawsuit against Twitter on Wednesday, claiming the social media platform has violated copyright law by allowing users to post music without a license. Members of the National Music Publishers' Association are seeking more than $250 million (roughly Rs. 2,055 crore) in damages for the alleged infringement of nearly 1,700 copyrights.

US Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Protect TikTok Users Data From Being Misused

A bipartisan group of six senators and two members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday introduced legislation to protect Americans’ data from being used by US adversaries. The bill is the latest in a series of proposals aimed at addressing concerns about the data of Americans using foreign-owned social media apps like TikTok.

Reddit Communities Go Dark as Thousands of Subreddits Protest New Policy: Here's Why

Several Reddit communities dedicated to topics ranging from Apple to gaming and music locked out their users on Monday in protest against the company's plan to charge for access to its data. The Apollo app has said the exorbitant fees have "made it impossible" to continue offering the service.

Gmail's 'Help Me Write' Feature is Now Available to Enrolled Testers on Android iOS: Report

At Google I/O 2023 unveiled several artificial intelligence (AI) tools including Help Me Write for Gmail and Google Docs. The company has earlier announced to roll out the feature to Google Workspace users soon. Now the feature has reportedly been made available in Gmail for Android and iOS for Workspace Labs testers.

WhatsApp Video Messages Feature Spotted in Testing on Latest iOS Android Beta Versions: Report

WhatsApp video messages feature is being tested on the latest iOS and Android beta versions. The new video message feature was spotted by a feature tracker and will let you quickly record and send a brief 60-second clip with your smartphone's camera.

Meta Chief Scientist Says ChatGPT-Like AI Technology a Dead End

The chief scientist for Facebook owner Meta on Tuesday said that generative AI, the technology behind ChatGPT, was already at a dead end. "Today AI and machine learning really sucks. Humans have common sense, machines don't," Yann LeCun told reporters at a Meta launch event in Paris.

Spotify Fined $5 Million by Swedish Privacy Body for Breaching EU Data Rules

Music streaming giant Spotify was on Tuesday fined $5.4 million (roughly Rs. 40 crore) for not properly informing users on how data it collected on them was being used, Swedish authorities said. The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection's (IMY) said it had reviewed "how Spotify handles customers' right of access to their personal data." 

Twitter Was Threatened With Shutdown in India, Turkey and Nigeria, Says Founder Jack Dorsey

Twitter was threatened with shut down in India, Nigeria and Turkey unless it complied with orders to restrict accounts, with India wanting to curb journalists' and protesters' use of the social media platform, co-founder Jack Dorsey said on Monday.

WhatsApp Testing Channel Notifier Feature for Beta Users in New Version Update

WhatsApp is reportedly working to introduce a new feature with the rolling out of version 2.23.12.20. The new feature is currently available to users subscribed to the Google Play Beta Program, and could reach the messaging app’s global users in the coming weeks. This new feature is reportedly called the ‘Channel Notifier’.

COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients' Personal Data Leaked in Alleged Data Breach via Telegram: Report

The personal data of COVID-19 vaccine recipients in India was reportedly leaked online via a Telegram. Details of an alleged data breach surfaced on Twitter on Monday, and the leaked data also includes the personal information on several politicians and journalists. The bot appears to have been taken offline after the reports of the leaked data emerged.

Twitter Refuses to Pay Google Cloud Bills Ahead of Contract Renewal: Report

Twitter has refused to pay its Google Cloud bills as its contract comes up for renewal this month, which could result in the social media company's trust and safety teams being crippled, Platformer reported on Saturday.

How to Get Blue Tick on Instagram and Facebook Accounts in India

Meta announced to extend verified services to India on June 7. It will allow users to get verified badges in the country for their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Users will be able to purchase Meta Verified which will provide them a blue tick and certain additional features. Meta Verified is a subscription-based service.

Spotify Announces Testing Offline Mix Playlist, May Compete With YouTube in Coming Days

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced that the app is officially testing an offline playlist dictated by the users' recently played favourites. The company first spoke about an offline mix playlist in 2020 but nothing tangible came of it immediately. Several users claimed on social media to already have access to the feature.

Netflix, Amazon, JioCinema-Backed Group Protests New Tobacco Warning Rules in India

An Indian group representing Netflix, Amazon and Disney has told the government its new tobacco warning rules are impossible to implement for streaming giants and will impinge on content creators' freedom of expression, a letter seen by Reuters showed. As part of India's anti-tobacco drive, the health ministry last month ordered streaming platforms to insert static he...

Netflix Sees Jump in Daily Sign-Ups in US After Password-Sharing Crackdown, Says Data

Daily US sign-ups for Netflix have jumped in the first few days after the streaming giant's password-sharing crackdown came into effect on May 23, data from research firm Antenna showed. Looking for new ways to make money in a saturating market and a tough economy, Netflix moved to regulate the sharing of account passwords with friends and family — a drastic turnaro...

Reddit's New API Policy Forces Third Party Apps Like Apollo, Sync, RIF, More to Shut Down

Reddit will implement a new API policy on July 1 that would charge excessive fees to developers of third-party apps for the website, thereby resulting in the shutdown of popular applications such as Reddit is Fun (RIF), Sync for Reddit, Apollo, and ReddPlanet.

Amazon Signs Agreement With ICAR to Help Farmers Enrolled Under Kisan Store

Amazon India on Friday signed an agreement with the government's premier agri-research body ICAR to guide farmers enrolled on its 'Kisan store' on scientific cultivation of different crops and help them achieve optimum yield and income. Under the MoU, Amazon and ICAR will collaborate to extend the latest and most precise agriculture practice that have been developed b...

Google Photos Can Now Tag People Even if They Aren’t Facing the Camera: Report

Google Photos has a new trick up its sleeves for tagging people in a photo. It turns out that the photos app, that mainly functions as a gallery app on most Android phones, can automatically tag people when they aren’t facing the camera in a photo. A user spotted how Photos has started tagging people in a scene even if their backs are facing the camera.

In Apple We Trust … With More and More Personal Data

At its World Wide Developers Conference this week, the company announced new products that would process more personal information about consumers than ever before, from retinal scans to mental health data. But privacy advocates this week were like mimes in a library — completely silent.

Apple, Epic Games Request US Appeals Court to Reconsider Its Antitrust Ruling

Apple and Fortnite maker Epic Games on Wednesday both asked a US appeals court to reconsider its April ruling in an antitrust case that could force Apple to change payment practices in its App Store. Apple and Epic, in separate court filings, mounted challenges to a ruling by a three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

WWDC 2023 Recap: Apple Vision Pro Unveiled Alongside New Macs and Upcoming Software Updates

Apple on Monday announced the launch of the Apple Vision Pro at WWDC 2023, marking the arrival of its first mixed reality headset. A new 15-inch MacBook Air model, Mac Studio and Mac Pro — all powered by Apple's M2 chips, were also announced. During this year's WWDC keynote event, the company unveiled several new features coming to iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, ...

Google Meet Picture-in-Picture Feature Gets Several New Improvements: All Details

Apple has introduced the latest operating system—watchOS 10 at WWDC on June 6. The latest watchOS update comes with several new upgrades like the redesigned apps, and a new Smart Stack to display relevant widgets among others. With the new upgrades, Apple Watch Ultra’s hardware-exclusive Wayfinder face gets the ability to turn on the night mode on the watch.

Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok Face Action Over EU Crypto Advertising Complaint: Details

Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter have been targeted in a new complaint by the BEUC, and these online platforms could face action over the facilitation of misleading advertisements of crypto assets. In May, the EU adopted the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA), a comprehensive set of rules to regulate crypto assets.

Instagram 'Most Important Platform' for Paedophiles Spreading Child Sex Abuse Content: WSJ, Stanford University

Instagram is reportedly the "most important" platform utilised by paedophile networks to promote and sell content showing child sexual abuse. A report by the Wall Street Journal and Stanford University shows that features like recommendation algorithms and direct messaging reportedly help connect buyers and sellers of content showing child sexual abuse on Instagram.

WhatsApp Rolls Out New 'Channels' Feature That Lets Organisations Broadcast Updates to Followers

WhatsApp on Thursday began letting select organisations try a new feature called "Channels" that lets them broadcast to followers on the popular, Meta-owned messaging service. The debut comes as an array of agencies and organisations grow disenchanted with Elon Musk-owned Twitter in the face of fees, performance problems, and dramatically scaled-back content moderatio...

Meta Verified Introduced in India for Mobile Apps for Rs. 699 per Month

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has started verified service in India at a monthly subscription price of Rs. 699 for mobile apps, the company said on Wednesday. Meta is planning to roll out verified service on the web in the coming months at a subscription price of Rs. 599 per month.  

Twitter Blue Extends Timeline for Subscribers to Edit Published Tweets to 60 Minutes: Details

Starting Wednesday, June 7, Twitter Blue subscribers will have an hour to edit already posted tweets, a window that was restricted to only 30 minutes since the feature’s launch in October 2022. The edit option for tweets was amongst the most requested features from Twitter users even when Jack Dorsey served as the CEO of the social networking company he founded in 2...

Google Pay Enables Aadhaar-Based Authentication for UPI Activation Without Debit Cards: How it Works

Google Pay is rolling out support for Aadhaar-based authentication for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) activation, allowing users to set up their UPI PIN without a debit card. The company says that users' Aadhaar card numbers will not be stored while validating details of users signing up for UPI on Google Pay.

WhatsApp Starts Testing Ability to Transfer 'HD Quality' Photos on Latest iOS, Android Beta Versions

WhatsApp has released new iOS and Android beta updates of its app that unlock the ability to transfer HD quality photos. Currently, the feature is available for a limited number of beta users on both platforms. WhatsApp is expected to be make the feature available to all users in the coming weeks.

Instagram AI Chatbots Spotted in Development, May Allow Users to Choose From 30 Personalities

Instagram might be working on a chatbot feature that answers users' queries, provides advice, and helps them writes messages. Users may also be allowed to choose from a range of "personalities" while interacting with these AI chatbots on Instagram, according to details shared by a developer.

Reddit Lays Off 5 Percent of Its Workforce, Will Reduce Planned Hiring for 2023

Reddit said on Tuesday it is laying off about 5 percent of its workforce, or 90 employees, joining a list of technology companies that have been cutting jobs across corporate America.

Apple Updates Safari With New Privacy Features, Adds Group Password and Passkey Sharing

Apple on Monday announced new updates to its Safari browser at WWDC 2023. The browser will soon lock Private Browsing windows, strip tracking code from URLs, let users share passwords and passkeys to groups safely, and block trackers more effectively, according to the company.

Google Launches Passkey Support for Workspace and Google Cloud Accounts

Google made Passkeys available for personal Google Accounts as an additional sign-in option on Monday. With the latest open beta launch, more than 9 million organisations can allow their users to sign in to Google Workspace and Google Cloud accounts using their phone or computer’s authentication systems.

Microsoft 365 Services Back Up After Hours of Outage That Affected Thousands

Microsoft said on Monday that it had restored its online services after an outage affected thousands of users of its 365 software suite, including Teams and Outlook, for more than two hours. "We have resolved an issue preventing users from accessing some of our services," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Apple Vision Pro With EyeSight, Eye and Voice Controls and Discrete Battery Pack Launched: Details

Apple Vision Pro was launched on Monday at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The device is also equipped with multiple sensors and cameras and supports both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies.

SBI Said to Use AI/ML Extensively in Operations: All Details

SBI on Monday said it has proposed to enhance the use of business analytics and AI/ML in decision-making and operations by deploying NextGen Data Warehouse and Data Lake and exploring new partnerships with fintechs and NBFCs for co-lending.

Paytm UPI App Records 35 Percent YoY Merchant Growth to Rs. 2.65 Lakh Crore in April-May 2023

Paytm on Monday announced its business operating performance and that its consumer engagement on the Paytm Super App has seen an average Monthly Transacting Users (MTU) for the two months ended May 2023 at 9.2 crore, registering a growth of 24 percent year-on-year.

Twitter Hires Former NBCUniversal Executive Joe Benarroch to Handle Business Operations

Former NBCUniversal executive Joe Benarroch will join Twitter on Monday, in a role focusing on business operations. He said that he was looking forward to working with the company's team to "build Twitter 2.0 together."

Facebook Acted on Over 27 Million Pieces of Content in India for Guideline Violations in April

Social media giant Meta's Facebook took action against 41 percent of complaints it received from users and Instagram acted against over 54 percent of grievances raised by users in April 2023, according to the company's latest India Monthly Report.

Kaspersky Finds Cybersecurity Threat That Targets iPhone Users via Malicious iMessage Attachment

Prominent cybersecurity and anti-virus firm Kaspersky has discovered a new cyberattack threat that targets iPhone models running older versions of iOS via iMessage application. The malware, found when the company was monitoring its own Wi-Fi network for mobile devices, infects the phone via a received iMessage, which contains a malicious attachment.

Twitter's Head of Brand Safety and Ad Quality to Leave Company: Details

Twitter's head of brand safety and ad quality, AJ Brown, has decided to leave the company, according to a source familiar with the matter on Friday, the second safety leader to depart in a matter of days.

Apple WWDC 2023: Here's What We Are Excited About

In this week’s orbital we discuss all the rumours with regards to the hardware and software announcements expected to happen at the upcoming Apple WWDC 2023. While hardware launches aren’t exactly guaranteed, there are plenty of rumours and leaks that hint that Apple will announce several new products alongside related announcements about its numerous operating sy...

WhatsApp Resumes Beta Testing Group Profile Icons on Android, Some Testers Get Updates Tab on iOS: Report

WhatsApp is testing a feature that shows profile icons next to messages on group chats. The feature has made its way back to a beta release, shortly after the functionality was disabled. WhatsApp is rolling out the first version of its Updates tab for beta testers on iOS and working on visual improvements like a redesigned emoji keyboard to new Material You-style togg...

Meta to Test Limiting Viewing, Sharing News Content on Facebook and Instagram in Canada

Meta Platforms on Thursday said it will begin tests on its social media websites Facebook and Instagram that will limit some users and publishers from viewing or sharing some news content in Canada.

Twitter's Head of Trust and Safety Ella Irwin Says She Has Resigned

Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, told Reuters on Thursday that she has resigned from the social media company, which has faced criticism for lax protections against harmful content since billionaire Elon Musk acquired it in October.

Google’s Wear OS Adding New Spotify, Notes Tiles Along With Wallet Support for Transit Cards: All the Details

Google announced that it will be adding new tiles on WearOS-powered devices bringing additional functionality for those who use these apps. The updates that were first announced at Google’s recent I/O 2023 developer event will be rolling out in the next few weeks and should make accessing and glancing through information from these apps easier.

WhatsApp Launches New Global Security Centre Page With 10 Indian Languages

WhatsApp launched a new global 'Security Center' page which will be available in English and 10 Indian languages. It will inform users about the layers of privacy that WhatsApp provides and lists some top tips to give users more control over their accounts, including two-step verification, scams, and identifying fake accounts, among others.

US FTC Says Amazon Ring Violated Customer Privacy, Announces $5.8-Million Settlement

US Federal Trade Commission said in a court filing on Wednesday that Amazon's Ring doorbell camera unit spied for months on female customers in 2017 with cameras placed in bedrooms and bathrooms and announced a $5.8 million (roughly Rs. 47 crore) settlement with the company over privacy violations.