Fake news row: Social media won't be allowed to abuse polls, says Prasad

Fake News - At a time when the government is engaged in a row with WhatsApp over tracing of fake messages, Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said spread of radical thought through digital means should be addressed by better regulations as well as international cooperation.

Prasad, speaking at the plenary of the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial meeting in Salata, Argentina, on August 23-24, also said that India has taken serious note of reported data misuse of social media platforms and such tools would never be allowed to abuse the election process for extraneous means.

“Use of the cyber medium to spread radical thought is a challenge that needs to be addressed both domestically by better regulations as well as international cooperation,” he said in a statement.

The minister added that the purity of the democratic process should never be compromised and India would take all required steps to deter and punish those who seek to vitiate this process.
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Limited Google Drive space an issue? Whatsapp has some good news for you

Google is making life easy for WhatsApp users as starting this November, 1.5 billion users of this popular instant messaging platform will be able to back up their data on Google Drive without worrying about storage space.

"Starting November 12, 2018, WhatsApp backups will no longer count towards the Google Drive storage quota," WhatsApp said in an update on its FAQ page.

Until now, WhatsApp backup data counted towards the space one had on Google Drive.

According to a report in The Verge on Thursday, unlike other texting apps that store messages on their servers, Facebook-owned WhatsApp requires users to back up their messages to another company's Cloud service to sync chats between phones.

Apple users have their messages stored in iCloud, while Android users have always used Google Drive, it added.

WhatsApp also warned that with the November update, backups that have not been updated in more than one year will be automatically removed from Google Drive storage.

Here's how social media pages are good source for making a quick buck

Those of us even sparsely active on social media must have at some point of scrolling through an ocean of posts come across images of Indian army soldiers, with the caption – “share if you are a true Indian”. The not-so-subtle nudge at our patriotism gets us to do as intended and the post goes viral; rarely do we wonder that the image might have an ulterior motive.

A thriving business
They say sharing is caring and a closed Facebook group by the same name seems to live the thought on a daily basis. The group asks for a government ID proof if you wish to join it and once you’re inside the circle of over 18,000 individuals, you can buy or sell patriotism, misogyny, politics, Bollywood, nationalism and even God.

1. Modi and BJP
With the advent of the internet, social media has become a money-making factory. Facebook is no longer limited to connecting with friends and playing Farmville but a place to easily connect with potential buyers. As more and more people got politically active on Facebook, a silent market emerged.

Ankit Pandey
In a May 2017 article, we chronicled the activities of Pandey – how he made a mint in sleazy and pro-BJP websites that supplied regular content to Facebook pages.
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Blackberry sues Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram over messaging app patents

Canadian multinational company BlackBerry limited on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against social media large facebook, alleging that the platform and its subsidiaries WhatsApp and Instagram infringed on BlackBerry messaging app patents.

BlackBerry claimed that the agency's proprietary and patent-covered messaging product BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), become a cornerstone of contemporary cellular communications.

The agency is now contending that its intellectual assets has been infringed upon through facebook's "using a number of the modern protection, person interface, and capability enhancing capabilities that made BlackBerry's merchandise any such crucial and commercial success in the first area," in step with The Verge.

In December 2016, the former mobile giant bought the rights to layout, manufacture, and sell BlackBerry-branded telephones to chinese language multinational TCL, leaving BlackBerry limited in fee of the latter's software and cell security products.

In middle of a WhatsApp voice call? You can switch to video call instantly

WhatsApp has launched a feature in its beta version that will let users switch to video calls from voice calls at the touch of a button.

According to a report in the Independent, if you are in the middle of a WhatsApp voice call and want to switch to a video call, you just need to tap that button to make the switch.

Tapping the button will send a request to the person on the other side, asking if he or she wants to switch from voice to video.

If the offer is accepted, the call will be switched.

If the offer is declined, the voice call will continue as normal. In the current version of WhatsApp, you need to end a voice call to make a video call.

WhatsApp calls are currently only available in one-on-one conversations but it might be available to group chats in the near future, the report said.

The new feature was spotted by watcher of the popular chat app WABetaInfo, which said that the feature is only available to those who have signed up to the beta version of WhatsApp.

Last month, WABetaInfo reported that WhatsApp mistakenly rolled out the 'Reply Privately' feature in a beta update that would allow users to privately send a message to a participant in a group without anyone else knowing about it.

The feature appeared and was subsequently dropped from the beta version of the app, watcher of the popular chat app @WABetaInfo said, confirming that the developers wrongly enabled the feature.

WABetaInfo also leaked the details of the features that WhatsApp was developing for web and desktop, including tap to unblock and a picture-in-picture (PIP) mode.
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Report says you can get Aadhaar details for Rs 500; UIDAI denies breach

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has denied the media report published in The Tribune titled "Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details" and has said that it is a case of misreporting.

The UIDAI assured that there has not been any Aadhaar data breach. The Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the UIDAI said that UIDAI has given the said search facility for the purpose of grievance redressal to the designated personnel and state government officials to help residents only by entering their Aadhaar number/EID.

The UIDAI maintains complete log and traceability of the facility and any misuse can be traced and appropriate action taken.

The reported case appears to be an instance of misuse of the grievance redressal search facility. As UIDAI maintains a complete log and traceability of the facility, the legal action including lodging of FIR against the persons involved in the instant case is being done.

The UIDAI reiterates that the grievance redressal search facility gives only limited access to the name and other details and has no access to biometric details. UIDAI reassures that there has not been any data breach of the biometric database which remains fully safe and secure with the highest encryption at UIDAI and a mere display of demographic information cannot be misused without biometrics.

Further, the Aadhaar number is not a secret number. It is to be shared with authorized agencies whenever an Aadhaar holder wishes to avail certain service or benefit of government welfare scheme/s or other services. But that does not mean that the proper use of Aadhaar number poses a security or financial threat.

FB launches 'click-to-WhatsApp' feature for businesses to reach users

If you are an advertiser on Facebook, you now have a bigger audience to cater to as Facebook has launched a click-to-WhatsApp button on its platform that will let advertisers connect with over one billion WhatsApp users.

Facebook that has over two billion users confirmed this to TechCrunch on Friday that it is rolling out the feature gradually, starting with North and South America, Africa, Australia and most of Asia.

"Many people already use WhatsApp to communicate with small businesses. It's a fast, convenient way to stay in touch," Pancham Gajjar, Product Marketing Manager, Facebook, was quoted as saying.

"By adding a click-to-WhatsApp button to Facebook ads, businesses can now make it even easier for people to learn about their products, set up an appointment or use their service," he added.

Facebook said that over a million Pages currently include WhatsApp numbers in their posts.

To make the new feature work, reported Adweek, businesses that have WhatsApp numbers can add 'send message' buttons with the WhatsApp logo to their Facebook ads and those ads will only be delivered to users who have WhatsApp installed on their smartphones.

People must add businesses' WhatsApp numbers to their contacts to initiate conversations.

Once they do it, the messaging app opens with a default message expressing interest, which can be edited by users before being sent.

The feature is similar to the click-to-Messenger button that Facebook introduced in its ads in November last year.

The click-to-Messenger ads debuted on Instagram in May this year.

Facebook said that over a million Facebook pages currently include WhatsApp numbers in their posts.

To make the new feature work, businesses that have WhatsApp numbers can add 'send message' buttons with the WhatsApp logo to their Facebook ads and those ads will only be delivered to Facebook users who have WhatsApp installed on their phones.

WhatsApp set to launch standalone app for businesses soon

As businesses widely use WhatsApp to communicate with their customers, particularly in Asia, the Facebook-owned service appears all set to launch a brand new app for them.

In a new FAQ published on its site, WhatsApp has revealed more details about the upcoming Business accounts like how to identify verified Business accounts from non-verified ones.

"While chatting with businesses, you can check your contact's profile to see which type of account they're using. A verified account has a green checkmark badge in its profile," WhatsApp wrote in the FAQ.

A Business account with a green checkmark badge in its profile is verified as an authentic brand by WhatsApp.

"A business account with a gray question mark badge in its profile means the account is using the WhatsApp Business app but hasn't been confirmed nor verified by WhatsApp," the company said.

The much talked-about WhatsApp for business app is currently being tested by a private group of testers and the company will introduce it as 'WhatsApp Business' -- a standalone app.

Its description available on Play Store read: "As a test partner for 'WhatsApp Business', you have early access to a wide range of new features that we've built with you in mind. As you experiment with what this new app has to offer, please share your experiences with us so that we can improve the product."

It's out: WhatsApp officially rolls out 'Delete for Everyone' feature

WhatsApp on Tuesday announced it has officially rolled out its most anticipated feature 'Delete for Everyone' that allows its over one billion users revoke their messages in case they sent those to a wrong person or a group.

"Starting today you can now delete messages you sent by mistake a" whether to one person or an entire group," WhatsApp said in a statement.

Here's how it works.
Tap and hold on the message, choose "Delete," and then "Delete for everyone."
You have seven minutes to delete the message after it's sent.
This feature is rolling out for users around the world on the latest versions of iPhone, Android, Windows Phone as well as desktop.
"Both you and the message recipient must be using the latest version of WhatsApp for the message to be successfully deleted," WhatsApp said.
WhatsApp was working on this feature for almost a year.
You can now delete messages for everyone or just for yourself.
"Deleting messages for everyone allows you to delete specific messages you have sent to either a group or an individual chat. This is particularly useful if you sent a message to the wrong chat or if the message you sent contains a mistake," WhatsApp said in its FAQ.
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WhatsApp's 'Delete for All' feature for photos, text, GIFs: Learn to use it

Are you guilty of ever sending a text message to a person it wasn't meant for? These mistakes are followed by embarrassment and waste of the receiver's time. The moment you hit enter, you are met with this sinking feeling of doom, knowing that you can't revoke the message. WhatsApp, however, has now come up with a feature that may come to your rescue. Starting today, iOS, Android and Windows phone users can recall the wrongly sent messages or messages that are mistakenly sent to the other chats, through WhatsApp's newly developed feature. According to wabetainfo.com, the messaging application owned by social media giant Facebook had been working on this feature since 2016.

Delete for All feature
The Delete for Everyone feature works for any message type in WhatsApp: text messages, images, videos, GIFs, voice messages, stickers (in future), contact cards, files, locations, quoted messages and status replies.

WhatsApp's Delete for Everyone feature doesn't work for in every circumstance:
— Message contained in a quoted message cannot be revoked
— Users can delete messages sent in a Broadcast List
— Messages can be recalled only within 5 minutes of time frame
— The feature works only if both sender and receiver are using the updated version of WhatsApp
— The feature does not work for Symbian OS

Learn to use this feature

WhatsApp brings real-time location-sharing feature: Here is how it works

Sharing live location has its advantages as: It allows you to keep your family and friends informed about your location in real time. The feature has been available for a while on Google Maps, and Facebook Messenger brought it earlier this year. Now, the widely used instant messenger WhatsApp is rolling out the same feature for its users across the globe.

The live location-sharing feature is gradually rolling out with the latest app update through the Google Play store for Android and App Store for iOS devices. It allows you to share live location with a group or specific person within your WhatsApp contact’s list. Also, the location sharing feature is end-to-end encrypted which means the data are not stored anywhere on WhatsApp servers, so these cannot be viewed, tampered with, used or monitored by anyone else.

WhatsApp live location sharing featureWhatsApp live location sharing feature Photo: WhatsApp BlogHere is how to share your location in real time:

Step 1: Open a chat window with the person or group you want to share your location with.
Step 2: Under "Location" in the attach button, you will find a new option called "Share Live Location."
Step 3:  Choose for how long you want to share and tap send.
Step 4: Each person in the chat will be able to see your real-time location on a map. And, if more than one person shares their Live Location in the group, all locations will be visible on the same map.

You can choose to stop sharing at any time or let the Live Location timer simply expire.

WhatsApp for business is here; eyes monetisation through standalone app

The much-talked-about WhatsApp for business application is being tested by a private group of testers and the company will introduce it as "WhatsApp Business" -- a standalone app.

Its description available on Play Store read: "As a test partner for 'WhatsApp Business', you have early access to a wide range of new features that we've built with you in mind. As you experiment with what this new app has to offer, please share your experiences with us so that we can improve the product."

Facebook intends to earn some of the money it spent while acquiring WhatsApp and the new standalone app would charge businesses in future, The Wall Street Journal said late on Friday.

"We do intend on charging businesses in the future. We don't have the details of monetisation figured out," WhatsApp's Chief Operating Officer Matt Idema was quoted as saying.

"WhatsApp Business" is different from the regular WhatsApp.

The logo of the app has been changed from the calling symbol to "B" inside the green conversation bubble.

However, after downloading, the app looks the same as WhatsApp, barring the title bar that says "WhatsApp Business".

The app has interesting features such as auto responses, creating a business profile, chat migration and analytics.

According to reports, businesses are widely using WhatsApp to communicate with their customers, particularly in Asia.

WhatsApp may soon allow you to withdraw sent messages

Have you faced a situation when you sent a message to someone by mistake on WhatsApp and then regretted? Instant messaging services can be tricky – while they allow you to express yourself freely and instantly, they can also lead to embarrassment. Well, you need not worry anymore. A new WhatsApp feature might now let you recall an uncomfortable message. The popular messaging app is rumoured to soon roll out the much-anticipated ‘delete for everyone’ feature, for both the Android and iOS platforms.

According to tweets by WABetaInfo, a fan site that tests new WhatsApp features, the instant messaging service, which has over 1.2 billion monthly active users, is finally testing this feature and will remotely enable it soon.

What is this feature all about?

Technically, the new 'Delete for Everyone' feature will let users ‘unsend’ messages. You will have five minutes from the time when you sent the message to delete it – only if the message is not opened.

At present, WhatsApp, available in 50 languages, including 10 Indian, shows a single tick when the message is sent successfully and a double tick when it is delivered. This might change soon with this new WhatsApp feature, reportedly under testing.
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Supreme Court asks WhatsApp, Facebook to file affidavit on user data

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed social media service providers WhatsApp and Facebook to file an affidavit in four weeks stating what data they were gathering about millions of users and whether they were sharing it with any third-party entity.

The Bench, presided by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, issued the directive in view of the recent nine-judge bench judgment that upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental one.

The apex court also issued a notice to Google on a new petition alleging that the search engine had violated the right to privacy. The court stated that after receiving the affidavits, it would decide what order could be passed. The next date of hearing is November 28.

The central government told the court at the start of arguments that a committee headed by former SC judge B N Srikrishna was studying the implications of privacy rights in the social media and internet.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta asked the court to wait for its comprehensive report before passing any order. The issue of privacy in the electronic media, he argued, was complex and not judicially manageable.
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Facebook to monetise WhatsApp, launch new features for businesses

Facebook Inc is gearing up to make money from WhatsApp, the messaging service used by more than a billion people every day, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

WhatsApp will be testing new features to make it easier for people to communicate with businesses they want to reach on WhatsApp, the messaging service said on a blog post.

“We’re building and testing new tools via a free WhatsApp Business app for small companies and an enterprise solution for bigger companies operating at a large scale with a global base of customers, like airlines, e-commerce sites, and banks,” according to the blog post.

WhatsApp has already started a pilot program that would feature a green badge next to a business contact, indicating that the business was verified by the messaging service.

"We do intend on charging businesses in the future," Chief Operating Officer Matt Idema told the Journal in an interview.

Reuters had reported in March that a potential revenue source for WhatsApp was to charge businesses that want to contact customers, citing company documents.

Started in 2009, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for an eye-popping $22 billion in 2014. While WhatsApp had little revenue at the time of the deal, the purchase price was slightly more than the market value of Sony Corp.
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WhatsApp buys into Modi's vision, to launch digital payments in India first

Instant messaging app WhatsApp, owned by Facebook Inc, is mulling a foray into digital payment services in India, its first such offering globally, and has advertised to hire a digital transactions lead in the country.

A WhatsApp move into digital payments in India, its biggest market that is home to 200 million of its billion plus global users, would replicate similar moves by messaging apps like Tencent Holdings Ltd's WeChat in China.

WhatsApp is working to launch person-to-person payments in India in the next six months, news website The Ken reported earlier on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.

A job advertisement on WhatsApp's website said it was looking for a candidate with a technical and financial background - who understands India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the BHIM payments app that enable money transfers and merchant payments using mobile numbers - to be its digital transactions lead for the country.

"India is an important country for WhatsApp, and we're understanding how we can contribute more to the vision of Digital India," a WhatsApp spokesman said, referring to a flagship government programme that aims to boost the use of Internet-based services in the country.

"We're exploring how we might work with companies that share this vision and continuing to listen closely to feedback from our users," the spokesman said, declining to elaborate further.

Digital transactions in India have surged after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shock ban of certain high-value banknotes in November that accounted for more than 80 per cent of the country's currency in circulation at the time.

In February, WhatsApp's co-founder, Brian Acton, had told local media that the app was in early stages of investigating digital payments in the country and that he had talked to the Indian government about the matter.

Just last week, Swedish communications app Truecaller, which has a large user base in India, started a mobile payment service in the country based on the UPI platform. (READ MORE)