NEW DELHI : WhatsApp sending ‘final’ alerts for new privacy policy, last date is May 15 According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has started sending in-app alerts to its users informing them about its new terms of service. This alert is only for those who haven’t yet accepted its new terms of service already and it is for both iOS and Android users.This alert is only for those who haven’t yet accepted its new terms of service already and it is for both iOS and Android users.

The website’s screenshot revealed that the company is sending alerts to some of its users again about its privacy policy which will come into effect on May 15 and before that they need to accept the changed terms and conditions.
WhatsApp had already clarified that the chats on the platform will be end-to-end encrypted and it will also become easier to chat with businesses and it is also making it optional for users to opt in to this service.
Popular messaging platform WhatsApp has again initiated in-app alerts to its users across the globe about the change in its Terms of Service (ToS) and privacy policy.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has started sending in-app alerts to its users informing them about its new terms of service. This alert is only for those who haven’t yet accepted its new terms of service already and it is for both iOS and Android users. The website’s screenshot revealed that the company is sending alerts to some of its users again about its privacy policy which will come into effect on May 15 and before that they need to accept the changed terms and conditions.
WhatsApp had already clarified that the chats on the platform will be end-to-end encrypted and it will also become easier to chat with businesses and it is also making it optional for users to opt in to this service.
(Zeenews).

NEW DELHI : Messenger users who followed the link would then be redirected to a fake Facebook Messenger website with a login form, through which cybercriminals harvested users` credentials. According to the intelligence company, scammers used official Facebook logos and shortened link names that resembled the real ones.
The cyber intelligence company has found out that almost 1,000 fake Facebook accounts are distributing links to an allegedly updated version of Facebook Messenger. And Messenger users who followed the link would then be redirected to a fake Facebook Messenger website with a login form, through which cybercriminals harvested users` credentials.
Scammers used official Facebook logos and shortened link names that resembled the real ones. Facebook Messenger has been hit by a large-scale scam campaign that was detected by Group-IB, a global threat hunting, and adversary-centric cyber intelligence company. Group-IB Digital Risk Protection (DRP) analysts have found evidence proving that Messenger users in over 80 countries in Europe, Asia, the MEA region, North and South America might have been affected, the company said in a release.
“By distributing ads promoting an allegedly updated version of Facebook Messenger, cybercriminals harvested users` login credentials,” the company said. The cyber intelligence company has found out that almost 1,000 fake Facebook accounts are distributing links to an allegedly updated version of Facebook Messenger. And Messenger users who followed the link would then be redirected to a fake Facebook Messenger website with a login form, through which cybercriminals harvested users` credentials.
According to the intelligence company, scammers used official Facebook logos and shortened link names that resembled the real ones. Group-IB said that the social media giant itself has nothing to do with the scheme. The scale of the scam has grown substantially over the past several months, the company noted. As of April, the investigative team found 5,600 Facebook posts inviting users to install the fake “latest Messenger update,” Sputnik reported.(Zeenews).

NEW DELHI : India on Thursday asserted that the country has one of the most open regimes for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world, which includes internet companies and digital technology companies.
“We remain open, we continue to welcome FDI in the country including in the area of internet technology. When companies operate here, they have to operate in accordance of regulatory framework of the Government of India,” Srivastava added.

In a massive development on Wednesday, the Centre banned 118 more Chinese Apps including PUBG amid the prolonged standoff with China at the Line of Actual Control. The Apps have been banned in both mobile and non-mobile Internet-enabled devices.
The Centre exuded confidence that this move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. Earlier, the Information and Technology Ministry also banned 47 Apps which were variants or clones of the 59 Chinese-linked Apps banned earlier.
MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava highlighted that foreign companies in India will have to abide by the rules and regulations laid out by the Union Government.
Srivastava, on Thursday, stated that banned apps engaged in activities that are prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity, and security of India. Despite the ban, Srivastava maintained that India continues to welcome FDI, in the area of internet technology, with sole sole condition of operating within the government’s regulatory framework.
Speaking on Centre’s move on banning 118 more Chinese mobile applications on September 2, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava highlighted that these companies have a responsibility.
The MEA Spokesperson said that they have to abide by the rules and regulations issued by the Centre. He added that the activities of these apps were prejudicial to the security of India. Srivastava also stated that India still welcomes all the companies but they have to stick to regulations of the nation.

“India has one of the most open regimes for FDI in the world, this includes internet companies and digital technology companies. However, they have a responsibility to abide by rules and regulations issued by Govt of India. Activities of these apps were prejudicial to the security of India…we still welcome all the companies but they have to stick to regulations of India,” he said.
India has banned PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik, PUBG MOBILE LITE, WeChat Work and WeChat mobile apps. The decision to this effect was taken by the Information and Technology Ministry.
The PUBG game now has more than 600 million downloads and 50 million active players globally, not including the Chinese mainland where a rebranded version of the game is called `Game for Peace`. PUBG has millions of users, especially young, in India.
“The apps have been banned as they are engaged in activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order,” a statement from the IT Ministry had said.
“This move will safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety, security and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace,” the statement had added.
Speaking on the border tension between India and China, the MEA spokesperson said, “China unilaterally changed the situation…ground commanders are holding discussions…either side should not take any provocative action….these actions by China disturbed the peace in the area…
The Indian side is firmly committed to resolving issues through dialogue…It is clear that the situation we witnessed over the past four months is a direct result of the actions taken by China that sought to unilaterally change status quo.”
On Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Russia, he said, “He (Singh) will meet Russian Defence Minister. No information about other meetings.” On External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar visit to Russia, he said, “EAM will go for the September 10 meeting. His arrangements have not been finalised yet. Will let you know once his schedule is finalised.”
On the inland waterway between India and Bangladesh, he said, “We have a protocol for this…which was signed in 1972…under this…2019-20 around 305 million metric ton cargo was transported. With the signing of the second addendum to the protocol (for trade & transit), the number of routes rises to 10. Significant is Sonamura to Daudkandi route which connects Tripura to national waterways via Bangladesh. The trial run has commenced from Daudkandi & would conclude at Sonamura on Sept 5.”
(With Agency Inputs ).

NEW DELHI : Days after nine individuals linked to Khalistani outfits were declared as terrorists, the government on Sunday announced that 40 websites belonging to Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an outlawed organisation, have been blocked for supporting secessionist activities. The US-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) is a pro-Khalistan terrorist group.

“Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an unlawful organisation under the UAPA, 1967, launched a campaign for registering supporters for its cause. On recommendation of MHA, MEITY has issued orders under Sec. 69 A of the I.T. Act, 2000, for blocking 40 websites of SFJ,” a home ministry spokesperson said.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) is the nodal authority for monitoring the cyber space in India. Last year, the home ministry had banned the SFJ for its alleged anti-national activities.
The SFJ had pushed for Sikh Referendum 2020 as part of its separatist agenda.It openly espouses the cause of Khalistan and in that process challenges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, another official said.
On July 1, the home ministry had declared nine individuals linked to separatist Khalistani outfits, including four based in Pakistan, as designated terrorists under the provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The individuals belonged to various terrorist organisations. Among them were Wadhawa Singh Babbar, chief of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI); Lakhbir Singh, who heads International Sikh Youth Federation; Ranjeet Singh, chief of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZB) and Paramjit Singh, who leads Khalistan Commando Force. All these four are Pakistan-based.
The home ministry had said these nine individuals were operating from Pakistan and other foreign soil and were involved in various acts of terrorism.
“They have been relentless in their nefarious efforts of destabilising the country, by trying to revive militancy in Punjab through their anti-national activities and through their support to and involvement in the Khalistan movement,” it had said.(pti).

NEW DELHI : An Indian ban on dozens of Chinese apps has possibly derailed a $1 billion India expansion plan of China’s ByteDance, while also sparking an uproar from users of its popular TikTok video app.
TikTok was removed from Google and Apple app stores in the country after the Centre said on Monday night that it was among the 59 apps which it believed posed a “threat to sovereignty and integrity”. The government order didn’t name China, or cite the border clashes.
The government order didn’t name China, or cite the border clashes. App analytics firm Sensor Tower said all the 59 apps named were of Chinese origin, including Tencent’s WeChat and Alibaba’s UC Browser.
“If this is not rolled back, these companies would be constrained to cut back their operations in India, potentially resulting in a loss of employment,” said a lawyer who advises a Chinese company whose app has been banned in India.

China’s foreign ministry said it was “strongly concerned” about India’s decision, adding that India had a “responsibility to uphold the legitimate legal rights of investors including the Chinese companies.”
App analytics firm Sensor Tower said all the 59 apps named were of Chinese origin, including Tencent’s WeChat and Alibaba’s UC Browser. “If this is not rolled back, these companies would be constrained to cut back their operations in India, potentially resulting in a loss of employment,” said a lawyer who advises a Chinese company whose app has been banned.
China’s foreign ministry said it was “strongly concerned” about India’s decision, adding that India had a “responsibility to uphold the legitimate legal rights of investors including the Chinese companies.”
The biggest casualty of the move appears to be ByteDance, which has since last year hired several senior executives and laid out plans to invest $1 billion in India. India is TikTok’s top growth market and accounts for 30% of its 2 billion downloads worldwide.
TikTok said in a statement said it did not comment on the fate of its expansion plan. Following the ban order, many TikTok users posted videos expressing their displeasure with the ban.

One user @omkarsharma988 posted a video in which he throws utensils to the ground, hits a chair and weeps, with a Hindi song playing “You’ve left me, how will I live now?” The video had been liked 218,000 times, as the app still functions on phones on which it is already downloaded.
When TikTok was banned briefly last year after a court said the app encouraged pornography, the company told the Supreme Court the ban cost it roughly $15 million a month. Several Indian lawyers said chances of a success through a legal challenge this time were slim given the government had invoked national security concerns, meaning the Chinese companies can only hope to lobby to reverse the decision.

“From a legal perspective it (the ban) is sound because grounds like national security are difficult to challenge,” said Santosh Pai of Link Legal, which advises Chinese companies.The ban has also left Tencent disappointed, which has apps on the market and is also a major investor in Indian startups, two sources aware of the company’s concerns told Reuters.

The central government in April mandated screening of incoming investments from countries like China, hitting the likes of Tencent. While its WeChat messaging app is not that popular in India, the company fears the government could impose a ban later on the mobile version of its blockbuster game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, said one of the sources.

Tencent declined to comment. Two games of China-based firms, “Mobile Legends” and “Clash of Kings”, were among those banned on Monday. Sensor Tower said the 59 banned apps recorded roughly 4.9 billion downloads in India since January 2014.
(With Inputs from media Reports).

MINNEAPOLIS: Google chief Sundar Pichai sundar pichai has showed solidarity with the African-American community in the United States amid widespread protests over the on-camera death of an unarmed black man in police custody, and said those feeling grief, anger, sadness and fear are “not alone”.
He has showed solidarity with the African-American community in the United States amid widespread protests over the on-camera death of an unarmed black man in police custody, and said those feeling grief, anger, sadness and fear are “not alone”.
He also unveiled on Twitter a black ribbon on Google and YouTube home pages, which, he said, represents his company’s support for racial equality. “Today on US Google & YouTube homepages we share our support for racial equality in solidarity with the Black community and in memory of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery & others who don’t have a voice. For those feeling grief, anger, sadness & fear, you are not alone,” he tweeted.

A video of a handcuffed black man – George Floyd- dying while a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for more than five minutes sparked a furor in the US over police treatment of African-Americans last week. Officer Derek Chauvin, who was seen kneeling on the victim in the video, was sacked and charged with third-degree murder.
Peaceful protests, seeking a harsher charge for the officer and the arrests of the police personnel present at the spot, soon snowballed into violence. Curfews were imposed on major US cities as clashes over police brutality erupted across America with demonstrators ignoring warnings from President Donald Trump that his government would stop the violent protests “cold.”
Minneapolis, the epicenter of the unrest, was gripped by a fifth consecutive night of violence on Saturday with police in riot gear firing tear gas and stun grenades at protesters venting fury at the death of George Floyd.
Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta were among two dozen cities ordering people to stay indoors overnight as more states called in National Guard soldiers to help control the civil unrest not seen in the United States for years.
Twitter, which hid some of the tweets on the violence by President Donald Trump on Saturday, today changed its display picture’s colour to black and its description to #BlackLivesMatter.
(With inputs from AFP).

NEW DELHI : India-born CEO Satya Nadella has voiced confidence that the company will come out of the crisis “pretty strong”.
In an interview to CNBC on Tuesday, Nadella, however, said the big question would be whether the demand holds up in the US and Europe and other developed markets badly hit by the pandemic.

We feel good about how we are able to meet the demands of work from home kits. On the supply side we are getting back on rails, Nadella said when asked whether Microsoft would be able to deliver later this year certain products, like the new Surface devices and a revamped Xbox gaming console, it had promised before the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The question now would be getting the products done and the launch. We are mostly going to focus on quality as well the situation in terms of demand and more importantly safety for the people,” he said.
However, the company in a statement last month, said it would not be able to reach its revenue guidance range for the quarter for the division of the business that contains Windows. Several other companies have followed in taking down guidance.Altogether, though, the company is holding up, Nadella, who is Microsoft’s third CEO, said.
“It is a healthy company in terms of financial strength. We have a great balance sheet, we are a very diverse business, we have a mix of annuity, non-annuity, that is also stronger than even the last time we even went into the financial crisis, he said.
I feel confident we’ll come out of this, frankly, pretty strong, Nadella said. He said the company’s cloud infrastructure and services have been holding up under increased demand.
If this was a previous generation of data centre architectures or software architectures, I don’t think we would have been able to deal with this crisis as effectively as we have been able to, he said.
“We feel good about how we are able to meet the demands of work from home kits. On the supply side we are getting back on rails,” Nadella said when asked whether Microsoft would be able to deliver later this year certain products, like the new Surface devices and a revamped Xbox gaming console, it had promised before the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The question now would be getting the products done and the launch. We are mostly going to focus on quality as well the situation in terms of demand and more importantly safety for the people,” he said.
Nadella, who has been working from home since the coronavirus outbreak in the US, said that he shares an office with his daughters and they’ve been helping him set up his desk
Previously, he said, I used to always work from my bed.

Microsoft, who was one of the initial companies to advise work from home to its people, said the company would follow public-health guidance in every country where it operates when it comes to bringing employees back to facilities.
He said he supports any sort of fiscal stimulus from the US government. I think the government is doing the right thing, which is, they’re focused on the employees who are most impacted and the industries that are most impacted, and small businesses, Nadella said.
Because those are the parts of the economy that are bearing the burden of this quarantine and staying at home, he said.
(CNBC With Agency Inputs )

NEW DELHI : Environmentalist RK Pachauri, a former TERI chief under whose chairmanship the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, died on Thursday after a prolonged cardiac ailment. He was 79.

Pachauri had been admitted to the Escorts Heart Institute in the national capital on Tuesday. In a statement, his family said Pachauri underwent a major heart surgery before succumbing to his deteriorating health at 8 pm on Thursday.Pachauri passed away at his residence in the national capital with wife, daughter and son by his side.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) expressed grief over the passing away of its founding director.“TERI is what it is today because of Dr Pachauri’s untiring perseverance. He played a pivotal role in making us a leading organisation in the sustainability space,” said Mathur who succeeded him in 2015.
In 2015, Pachauri was accused of allegedly sexually harassing a woman colleague after which he had to quit the post at TERI. A district court in October 2018 had framed molestation charges against Pachauri who had repeatedly denied the allegations levelled against him.
During the hearings, Pachauri had sought a speedy trial saying he and his family were suffering from hardship since 2015, when an FIR was lodged in the matter. After the FIR was lodged in February 2015, he was given anticipatory bail the next month.
In October 2007, Pachauri collected the Nobel peace prize as head of the UN’s IPCC, jointly with former US Vice President Al Gore.
\Pachauri won the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008, the third- and second-highest civilian awards of India. The 79-year-old environmentalist had earlier undergone an open heart surgery at the same hospital after suffering a stroke in Mexico last July.
Nitin Desai, chairman of TERI, described Dr Pachauri’s contribution to global sustainable development as “unparalleled”. “His leadership of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change laid the ground for climate change conversations today,” he said.

However, the world-renowned environmentalist’s excellence in his field was overshadowed by a sexual harassment scandal involving a former woman colleague that culminated in his resignation from the prestigious institute in 2015. A Delhi court framed molestation charges against him in October 2018.