18 OTT apps blocked for vulgar content: Here is the complete list of apps and websites blocked today
The Union government banned 18 OTT platforms, 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on Google Play Store, 3 on Apple App Store), and 57 associated social media accounts for disseminating obscene and vulgar content. Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, stressed the responsibility of platforms to avoid promoting obscenity. The decision, made under the Information Technology Act, 2000, involved consultation with relevant government departments and domain experts. Key Points
Economic TimesGoogle apologises to Indian govt over Gemini's inappropriate comment about PM Modi: Story in 5 points
Google has issued an apology to the Indian government over the controversial comments made by its AI platform, Gemini, regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Here's the full story in five points. Key Points
India TodayGoogle apologises to India over Gemini's results on Modi, calls its own AI platform 'unreliable'
Gemini: An explanation was sought from the search giant by the Indian govt in connection with the episode. In response, Google said sorry to the govt and termed its own AI platform 'unreliable'. Key Points
Economic TimesBig Tech Censorship Goes to the Supreme Court
Florida and Texas want government to police free speech on social-media platforms. That never turns out well and it violates the First Amendment. Key Points
mintWhy Meta and Alphabet will have to make deals with Indonesia's news outlets?
Meta platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc. will be required to strike commercial deals with Indonesian news outlets to use their content. Key Points
Hindustan Times
The UK’s Controversial Online Safety Act Is Now Law
The UK government says its Online Safety Act will protect people, particularly children, on the internet. Critics say it’s ineffective against dangerous misinformation and may be a threat to privacy. Key Points
WIREDGovt to meet social media platforms on deepfake issue; immunity will not apply if steps are not taken: IT
IT Minister Vaishnaw has said that the government will soon meet to discuss the deepfake issue. He added that the safe harbour immunity clause will not apply if platforms do not take adequate steps to remove deepfakes. Key Points
Economic TimesThe UK’s Controversial Online Safety Act Is Now Law
The UK government says its Online Safety Act will protect people, particularly children, on the internet. Critics say it’s ineffective against dangerous misinformation and may be a threat to privacy. Key Points
WIREDUS Supreme Court to weigh state laws constraining social media companies
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide the legality of Republican-backed state laws in Texas and Florida that constrain the ability of social media companies to curb content on their platforms that these businesses deem objectionable. Key Points
ReutersHow will European Union's Digital Services Act impact Google, Facebook, TikTok, other major tech companies
Europe's new digital rules for tech giants to take effect this week, aimed at keeping users safe online and stopping the spread of harmful content. European tech companies face new regulations to clean up online content. platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Google must comply or face fines. Key Points
mint
Canada halts Facebook, Instagram ads as Meta ends news availability over new law
Canada passed a law in June requiring platforms like Meta and Alphabet Inc. to negotiate with local publishers for featuring news content. Key Points
Hindustan TimesThe government mustn’t act like India’s net nanny
The Indian I&B minister’s reproach of online entertainment platforms for ‘obscenity’ lacked conviction. This is a market that hasn’t failed. It should be spared undue state intervention Key Points
mintIBDF tells its OTT members to avoid vulgar, abusive content without justification
The DMCRC is part of the Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF), which has been formed by IBDF, and has 10 members, namely JioCinema, SonyLIV, Disney+ Hotstar, and ZEE5, among others. The advisory was sent out after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) raised concerns over the excessive use of profanity, vulgarity, and obscenity in content produced by certain OTT platforms. Key Points
Economic TimesCentre blocks web platforms of offshore crypto apps, including Binance, Kucoin and others
India blocked access to foreign cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance, Kucoin, and OKX, as well as virtual digital asset service providers. The Android versions of these apps are also expected to be removed. Key Points
Economic TimesAustralian regulator calls for new competition laws for digital platforms
Australia's competition watchdog said on Monday new competition laws were required in response to the rapid expansion of digital platforms such as Amazon (AMZN.O), Apple (AAPL.O), Google (GOOGL.O), Meta (META.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) in the country. Key Points
Reuters
Tech firms struggle as Israel-Gaza falsehoods explode
Tech platforms like Facebook and Twitter are struggling to combat the spread of misinformation during the Palestinian-Israeli hostilities. The scale and speed at which false information proliferated online after the recent assault on Israel by Hamas is unprecedented. The lack of content moderation policies, layoffs, and cost-cutting have hampered the platforms' ability to address the issue effectively. Key Points
Economic TimesThe US Supreme Court Doesn’t Understand the Internet
A case before the court is challenging social media platforms’ legal protections. The outcome could be huge for the future of the web. Key Points
WIREDSocial media platforms should be responsible for what they publish: IT Min Ashwini Vaishnaw
India's Telecom and IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, emphasized that social media platforms must take responsibility for the content they publish. He mentioned the need to strengthen moderation processes and ensure safe internet navigation for users. The Ministry of Electronics and IT is developing rules to hold social media firms more accountable and remove blanket immunity for unlawful content. Key Points
Economic TimesMIB asks state chief secretaries to impose ban on outdoor media online betting ads
The letter follows similar advisories issued by the MIB against advertisements run by online betting and gambling platforms on TV, print, and digital media, including social media intermediaries like Google, Facebook, and Twitter. In his letter to the chief secretaries dated May 2, MIB secretary Apurva Chandra noted that online betting and gambling ads have been curbed in mainstream print, electronics, and digital media. Key Points
Economic Times5 tips to choose the right upskilling course for yourself
Upskilling has become essential to stay relevant and future-proof your job as new technologies shape workplace trends. To choose the right upskilling course, start by deciding which skill you want to learn, whether to grow in your current domain or move to a different career field. Consider multiple online learning platforms, compare the price, flexibility, and quality of the course, check the online reviews and ratings, and look for the certificate before signing up. Key Points
Economic Times
MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar flays Sachin Tendulkar’s deepfake video
In the video, Tendulkar is seen promoting the app saying his daughter Sara uses it to make daily gains to the tune of Rs 1.8 lakh by predicting the outcome of the game. Key Points
Economic TimesSport continues to be a catalyst for protest
In an ideal scenario, sports and politics would remain separate, but societal divisions increasingly draw sports into the realm of social activism. Athletes and spectators use sporting platforms to convey their views globally. Key Points
Economic TimesMeta and Snap must detail child protection measures by Dec. 1, EU says
Facebook owner Meta platforms (META.O) and social media company Snap (SNAP.N) have been given a Dec. 1 deadline by the EU to give more information on how they protect children from illegal and harmful content, the European Commission said on Friday. Key Points
ReutersDozens of America’s states sue Meta claiming its social platforms are addictive and harming children’s mental health
Dozens of US states, including California and New York, are suing Meta platforms Inc. for harming young people’s mental health and contributing the youth mental health crisis by knowingly designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. Key Points
The Tribune IndiaSouth Africa to probe Meta, Google competition with news publishers
South Africa's Competition Commission will investigate whether digital platforms like Meta (META.O) and Google (GOOGL.O) were unfairly competing with news publishers by using their content to generate ad revenue, it said on Tuesday. Key Points
Reuters/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/G47X3SGFNBOLDFMRQB35H36LSI.jpg)
Canada to stop ads on Facebook, but sees path to settle dispute
The Canadian government will stop spending some C$10 million ($7.5 million) per year on Facebook and Instagram ads amid a dispute over a new law on paying online news publishers that the Meta-owned platforms have opposed, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said on Wednesday. Key Points
ReutersCentre takes action against top e-commerce platforms for selling seat belt alarm stopper clips
Rule 138 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 makes it mandatory to wear seat belts. However, online sales of such items that compromise passengers’ safety by stopping the alarm beep when not wearing seat belts can be unsafe and dangerous to the life & safety of consumers. Key Points
FirstpostThe Disinformation Warning Coming From the Edge of Europe
Moldova is facing a tide of disinformation unprecedented in complexity and aggression, the head of a new center meant to combat it tells WIRED. And platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Telegram and YouTube could do more. Key Points
WIREDTanla platforms to consider dividend soon, scrip trading at a dividend yield of 1.29%
Tanla Platforms, a mid-size firm, closed on Thursday with a market valuation of ₹8,424.89 Cr. Key Points
mintVerizon announces Netflix, Max streaming bundle for customers
Verizon Communications (VZ.N) said on Monday it would offer streaming subscriptions to Netflix (NFLX.O) and Warner Bros Discovery-owned (WBD.O) Max platforms as a bundle to its customers. Key Points
Reuters/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/KQOQYPOTLROXFHDBB45N6MFJ5Q.jpg)
EU industry chief warns Alphabet CEO on tech rules compliance after Hamas attack
EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Friday warned Alphabet (GOOGL.O) Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai to adhere to EU tech rules after the spread of disinformation on YouTube following Hamas' attacks in Israel, the latest company to be rebuked. Key Points
ReutersOTTs may not bankroll films with a poor box office show
The proportion of the revenue generated through the sale of digital rights in total revenue of films increased to around 21% in 2022 from nearly 10% in 2019. On the other hand, the share of revenue through the sale of television broadcast rights fell to 5.8% in 2022 from over 11% in 2019. Key Points
Economic TimesIs this the end of binge-watching?
Streaming platforms in India are releasing new series in batches, with weeks or months between releases, rather than all at once for binge-watching. Proponents of the staggered approach say it helps build and maintain audience engagement over time for a show. Also, streaming platforms have adopted this strategy to retain subscribers and spread out expenses. Key Points
Economic Times