Page 27 - Social Media

From apps to influencers, EC working to increase participation in K'taka

Encouraging the public to use various apps to putting QR codes on voter slips to locate polling booths, the Election Commission is coming out with several initiatives to increase turnout in the coming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka leveraging technology, EC officials said on Tuesday. Voter Helpline, 'Know Your Candidate' and updating details about number of voters in queue and kind of parking facilities available at polling booths and an elaborate booth election management plan are among the other measures being taken. The EC is also collaborating with social media influencers to encourage people to cast their ballot. Celebrities like head coach of Indian cricket team Rahul Dravid, Jnanpith awardee Dr Chandrashekhara Kambar and Paralympian Girish Gowda are the State election icons. The general elections in Karnataka will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7 for its 28 constituencies. Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena told PTI that out of the 58,834 polling booths,

Post to the past: Instagram tests in beta backdated post scheduling feature

Currently available to select users, the post to the past feature on Instagram is accompanied by a calendar icon that suggests scheduling option for backdated posts

Influencer show: How important are social media personalities in elections?

The evolving relation between social media personalities and the political landscape continues to intrigue and challenge the norms of electoral engagement, Aditi Phadnis explains

LS polls: Social media influencers emerge as go-to campaign mediums

As the country gears up for the world's biggest electoral exercise, messaging platforms like WhatsApp and social media influencers have emerged as the go to mediums for political parties to influence voter psychology, ad gurus and political analysts say. In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, political parties are extensively using social media to propagate their achievements and seek support from voters. How Parties Are Wooing Voters? The BJP is trying to engage with the voters by sending them a personalised 'Letter from the Prime Minister' on WhatsApp which has over 500 million active users monthly in India highlighting the achievements of the Narendra Modi government and seeking feedback from voters. The party launched the website 'My First Vote For Modi,' which allows visitors to pledge to vote for Modi and submit a video stating the reason behind their choice. The website also hosts several short videos highlighting the development work done under the NDA government.

US Senator asks social media firms about preparations for polls in India

An influential American Senator on Friday asked the US social media companies as to what preparations they have made for elections in India, where social media platforms, including Meta-owned WhatsApp, have a long track record of amplifying misleading and false content. The letter, written by Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Intelligence and Rules Committees, which has oversight over US elections, comes on the eve of the announcement of elections in India by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The letter by Bennet to the leaders of Alphabet, Meta, TikTok, and X is addressed to seeking information from these companies about their preparations for elections in various countries, including India. The dangers your platforms pose to elections are not new users deployed deepfakes and digitally altered content in previous contests but now, artificial intelligence (AI) models are poised to exacerbate risks to both the democratic process and political stability. The ...

US TikTok creators warn of economic hit if app banned, call it vital space

Alex Pearlman shut the door on dreams of a standup comedy career almost a decade ago, pivoting from the stage to an office cubicle where he worked a customer service job. Then he started posting random jokes and commentary about pop culture and politics on TikTok. Just over 2.5 million followers later, he quit his nine-to-five and recently booked his first nationwide tour. Pearlman is among the many TikTok creators across the U.S. outraged over a bipartisan bill passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app if its China-based owner, ByteDance, doesn't sell its stake. The bill still needs to go through the Senate, where its prospects are unclear. Content creators say a ban would hurt countless people and businesses that rely on TikTok for a significant portion of their income, while also arguing TikTok has become an unrivaled platform for dialogue and community. Pearlman, who lives outside Philadelphia, said TikTok h

Social media is the top source for casual gamers' video game discovery

Over 90 per cent of casual gamers said they typically find gaming content on at least one Meta platform

Over 40% of real-money gamers in India from non-metro regions, says Meta

Highlighting the growing popularity of gaming in India, a study by social media firm Meta said nearly half of casual gamers and 43 per cent of real-money gamers come from non-metro geographies. A study by Meta GWI showed that more than three of four casual and real-money gamers in the country discover new games to play and purchase on social media, and more than 90 per cent of these do so on Meta platforms. "Gaming is a top three vertical for Meta globally and we are particularly seeing our Advantage+ suite of automated ads drive growth for gaming brands," said Arun Srinivas, Director and Head (India), Ads Business, Meta. Srinivas added that gaming is poised to play a leading role in India's techade. The study revealed that 6 in 10 smartphone gamers game daily, and almost 90 per cent of real-money gamers take part in such activities at least weekly. "Nearly half of casual gamers and 43 per cent of real-money gamers come from non-metro geographies," it said. The study observed tha

Mumbai baker makes blue-colour Spider-Man biryani, watch viral video here

Mumbai-based baker prepared a blue-colour 'Spider-Man' biryani. The video has gone viral but the internet users are not happy

US lawmakers cite India as they vote on bill to regulate TikTok ownership

US lawmakers on Wednesday cited the bold move by India to ban TikTok four years ago as they voted in support of legislation about the Chinese app. In a major bipartisan move, the House of Representatives passed by 352 to 65 votes the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act co-authored by Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, and Congressman Mike Gallaghe from the Republican party. The bill, which seeks to control the ownership of foreign apps like TikTok in the US, now heads to the Senate for it to be sent to the White House for the President to sign it into law. Several lawmakers referred to the decision taken by India in 2020 to ban the app. In 2020, India banned 59 Chinese-created apps, including TikTok, emphasising their priority to defend India's national security, said the office of Congressman Greg Murphy in a statement. Lack of transparency from TikTok executives and their unwillingness to protect user privacy and ...

US passes bill that would lead to TikTok ban if Chinese owner doesn't sell

The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn't sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company's current ownership structure is a national security threat. The bill, passed by a vote of 352-65, now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear. TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. The lawmakers contend that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok's consumers in the US any time it wants. The worry stems from a set of Chinese national security laws that compel organisations to assist with intelligence gathering. We have given TikTok a clear choice, said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. Separate from your parent company ByteDance, which is beholden to the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party), and remain operational in the United States, o

Reddit launches long-awaited IPO, targets up to $6.4 billion valuation

The company, along with some of its existing investors, is targeting a sale of about 22 million shares, priced between $31 and $34 each, to raise up to $748 million

X's long-form videos will soon be available on smart TVs: Elon Musk

"Coming soon," Musk said in a brief response on X to a user's posting that the platform's long-form videos could be watched directly on smart TVs

Norms against deepfakes and misinformation after elections: Vaishnaw

The government asked digital platforms to provide technical and business process solutions to prevent and weed out misinformation that can potentially harm society and democracy, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said. He added that a well-thought legal structure against deepfakes and misinformation will be finalised after the elections. With poll season in India up ahead, digital platforms have upped election integrity efforts over the past weeks, while the government, through advisories and missives, has conveyed its zero tolerance for deepfakes and misinformation circulating on social media and other platforms. "...Misinformation in a vibrant and diverse democracy like ours, can really be very harmful. It can be harmful for society, for democracy, for the electoral process, and it can really impact our future and harmony of the society in a big way. "...So, we have been very categorical in our discussions with the platforms...they have taken many steps, they are continuously .

X could soon receive payment licenses in New York, California: Elon Musk

Since acquiring the company formerly known as Twitter in 2022, the billionaire has sought to turn it into an 'everything app' like Tencent's dominant WeChat app in China

X planning to remove likes and reposts from content, says Elon Musk

Elon Musk talked about decluttering the content on X, formerly Twitter

CCPA warns celebrities, influencers to refrain from promoting gambling

Concerned over rising instances of advertisements related to betting and gambling, consumer watchdog CCPA on Wednesday issued an advisory warning celebrities and influencers to refrain from promoting such illegal activities. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) warned all stakeholders that stringent action would be taken for endorsements of illegal activities, including betting and gambling. "In response to increasing instances of advertisements promoting illegal activities such as betting and gambling, the CCPA has issued a comprehensive advisory," an official statement said. The advisory, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, has emphasised the prohibition of advertising, promotion, and endorsement of unlawful activities that are prohibited under various laws. "Betting and gambling are strictly prohibited under the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and are considered illegal in the majority of regions across the country. Despite this, online betting platforms

Mark Zuckerberg's net worth drops $2.7 bn after Facebook, Instagram outages

Mark Zuckerberg's net worth took a hit of 2.2 per cent to stand at $176 billion. However, the 39-year-old tech mogul remained the world's fourth richest person on the Bloomberg's list

Lawmakers seek to force ByteDance to divest TikTok or face ban in US

"Applications like TikTok that are controlled by foreign adversaries pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security," the lawmakers said in a fact sheet

Facebook, Instagram down for thousands of users across globe: Reports

The disruptions started around 10:00 am ET, with more than 300,000 reports of outages for Facebook and about 40,000 reports for Instagram, according to the website