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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Alaias Bertrand lost 75 pounds by focusing on her health over her appearance.</li><li>She had previously tried a series of fad diets, but they made her obsess over food.</li></ul>Alaias Bertrand lost 75 pounds in three years and has kept the weight off for seven years. After years of failing to hit her <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-lose-weight-and-keep-it-off">weight loss goal</a>, she realized the key to success was in making the journey enjoyable.<br /><br />As a high school freshman, Bertrand, now a 25-year-old content creator and marketer based in Florida, was told by a doctor that she qualified as obese. It came as a shock but prompted her to evaluate her daily habits and decide to lose weight.<br /><br />Growing up, she played a lot of sports, but her diet was poor.<br /><br />"I really didn't have any form of diet or care. I would just eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted," Bertrand told Business Insider. "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ultra-processed-foods-linked-early-death-study-2024-5">Super processed</a>, high carbs and sodium, and most likely also sweets because I'm such a sweet tooth."<br /><br />Bertrand initially tried to lose weight through restrictive diets, including keto and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intermittent-fasting-benefits-and-risks-for-longevity-weight-loss-cancer-2024-4">intermittent fasting</a>, but they made her preoccupied with what she was eating and didn't work long-term.<br /><br />"I feel like I've tried everything under the sun. Nothing was working," she said.<br /><br />Looking back at her habits, Bertrand said it was when she started prioritizing her health over her weight that she naturally started to lose weight.<br /><br />Bertrand shared the three biggest lessons she learned from her <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-lost-75-pounds-making-2-simple-lifestyle-changes-2024-10">weight loss journey</a>.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="Alaias Bertrand stands on a tennis court, holding a tennis racket." height="2048" width="1365" msid="115114923" hostid="261"></div><h2>1) You can't shame yourself into losing weight</h2>When Bertrand was limiting what she ate to lose weight, it was coming from a place of shame, she said. And it didn't work.<br /><br />She didn't like the way her body looked, and she believed she needed to change it to be able to love and accept herself. "When I first started, I thought I honestly hated myself, which it breaks my heart to say, but I really did not have a lot of confidence," she said.<br /><br />Once she started making healthier lifestyle choices, such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/doctors-prescribing-fruit-vegetables-kids-adults-eat-healthier-heart-health-2023-8">eating more fresh produce</a>, she naturally felt better in her body. This made her realize that she never disliked herself but rather the choices she was making.<br /><br />Over time, her adjustments became less about needing to look a certain way and more about feeling a certain way. "I want to feel good in my body. I want to feel confident," she said.<br /><br /><h2>2) Find healthy habits you enjoy</h2>Bertrand learned that finding <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/healthy-habits-fit-throughout-life-personal-trainer-2024-7">healthy habits</a> you enjoy is key to <keyword id="21221996" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-weight-loss" source="keywords">sustainable weight loss</keyword>.<br /><br />Losing weight healthily means leading a <keyword id="19956649" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="healthy-lifestyle" source="keywords">healthy lifestyle</keyword> and being consistent, she said. Picking something for six months and then stopping isn't going to work, which is why, she said, it helps to pick habits you would be happy to do every day.<br /><br />"If you love walking and you're like, I can walk every day for the rest of my life, then do that," she said. "It is going to add so much value into your life, and it doesn't feel like a strain."<br /><br /><h2>3) Find someone to hold you accountable</h2>  <div type="image" title="A group of girls wearing matching sport team T-shirts smile at the camera." height="4032" width="3024" msid="115114929" hostid="261"></div>If you want to lose fat or start eating healthier, find someone to hold you accountable, she said. Friends or a community, as well as a coach or a trainer, are all good options.<br /><br />Adding a social element to your fat loss journey will likely help you stick with it, Bertrand, who was part of her college track and field team, said.<br /><br />In a longitudinal 2015 study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine that analyzed weight data from 1,556 older married or cohabitating couples in England, people with BMI readings considered overweight or obese were more likely to lose weight over a four-year period if they had partners with high BMI readings who lost weight during that time as well.<br /><br /><em>Correction: November 13, 2024 — An earlier version of this story incorrectly described a finding of the JAMA Internal Medicine study. The study's analysis of weight loss was based on measured weight loss, not whether either partner was trying to lose weight. The story was also updated with more context </em>about<em> that finding.</em><br />

A woman who lost 75 pounds shares the 3 biggest lessons she learned about losing weight and keeping it off

<ul><li>Popular YouTuber <keyword id="4077853" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranveer-Allahbadia" source="Orion">Ranveer Allahbadia</keyword>’s YouTube accounts were recently hacked.</li><li>The name of his accounts was changed and all his videos were deleted.</li><li>Here’s what you can do to prevent your account from getting hacked or recover your account if it has already been hacked.</li></ul>The YouTube channels of Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps were recently hacked, resulting in all his videos getting deleted and channels renamed.<br /><br />YouTube then took down those accounts and they were restored today. All the videos on the account have been restored, taking back the accounts to their original state.<br /><br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113724764" title="Samsung Galaxy S24 FE announced with seven years of updates, Exynos 2400e" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><br />While Allahbadia, being a huge YouTuber managed to easily get his accounts restored, not everyone might have the same access or connections. This makes it necessary to know what steps you need to take to protect your account and what you need to do in case your account does get compromised.<br /><br /><h2>How to know if your YouTube account is compromised</h2>The first thing that you need to know is how to identify if your account is compromised. Here’s how you can identify if your YouTube account has been hacked:<br /><br /><strong>Access: </strong>If you are not able to log in to your YouTube account.<br /><br /><strong>Changed profile information:</strong> If your channel name, profile picture, or banner image has been altered, it is a sign that someone unauthorized has access to your account.<br /><br /><strong>Unauthorized videos:</strong> If any video has been uploaded or deleted on your account without you knowing.<br /><br /><strong>Suspicious activity alerts:</strong> If YouTube sends you notifications about unusual login attempts or changes to your account.<br /><br /><h2>How to protect your YouTube account</h2><strong>Use strong and unique passwords:</strong> Use a strong and unique password. Never reuse passwords across different services.<br /><br /><strong>Review Account Permissions:</strong> Check which apps and services have access to your Google Account and revoke permissions for anything you don't recognize or no longer use.<br /><br /><strong>Enable two-factor authentication:</strong> Another step you can take to prevent unathorised access to your account is enabling two-factor authentication on your YouTube account.<br /><br /><strong>Use Passkeys:</strong> For improved security, consider using passkeys which rely on biometric or device-bound authentication methods.<br /><br /><h2>How to recover your YouTube account</h2>If your YouTube account has been hacked, here are some of the steps you can follow to try to recover your account:<br /><br /> <strong>Log Out of All Devices:</strong> If you still have access to your Google account, log out of all devices. Go to the “Manage Devices” section in your account and log out all unfamiliar devices.<br /><br /><strong>Change Your Password:</strong> Update your password immediately. Ensure that the new password is unique, strong, and not used elsewhere.<br /><br /><h2>Contact <keyword id="23341513" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTube-support" source="keywords">YouTube Support</keyword></h2>If you've lost access, follow the below steps:<br /><br /><ul><li>Go to the Google Account Recovery page by clicking<a href="https://accounts.google.com/v3/signin/recoveryidentifier?flowName=GlifWebSignIn"> here</a>.<br /></li><li>Follow the verification process which might require you to verify your identity through multiple methods like phone number, recovery email, or alternative questions.<br /></li><li>Once you have completed the process, reset your password.<br /></li></ul>Once you have regained access, follow the below steps to secure your account,<br /><br /><ul><li>Remove unknown users from your channel.<br /></li><li>If you don’t already have 2FA enabled, now is the time to activate it.<br /></li><li>If any video has been uploaded without your knowledge, immediately delete them.<br /></li></ul> If the account recovery process doesn’t work, you’ll need to contact YouTube support. Visit the YouTube Help Center and search for “Hacked Account.” You’ll find a form to report your hacked account and request help.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-great-indian-festival-sale-2024-best-deals-on-smartphones/articleshow/113731105.cms">Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale 2024 – best deals on smartphones</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/the-amazon-great-indian-festival-2024-best-deals-and-offers/articleshow/113701988.cms">The Amazon Great Indian Festival 2024 – Best deals and offers</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/it-is-cheaper-to-watch-coldplay-perform-in-abu-dhabi-than-to-pay-scalpers-for-mumbai-tickets/articleshow/113665893.cms"><strong>It is cheaper to watch Coldplay perform in Abu Dhabi than to pay scalpers for Mumbai tickets</strong></a><br />

Ranveer Allahbadia YouTube channel hack – What steps should you take to protect and recover your account?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>You can delete your X account by deactivating it on the X website or mobile app.</li><li>When you deactivate an X account, you have 30 days to reactivate it before permanent deletion.</li></ul><p>Whether you're taking a break from social media or just want to start fresh, sometimes you simply need to get rid of your X, formerly Twitter, account.</p><p>If you're ready to say goodbye to the social media app, you can deactivate your account on the X website or mobile app for iPhone or Android.</p><p>But there's more you should know about deleting X — like protecting your data, unlinking third-party accounts, and reusing your username or email.</p><p>Read our complete guide first if you're thinking about deleting your X account.</p><h2 id="b7ff6b66-c8df-4aa5-ab2a-6caad2717367">How to delete your X account on iPhone or Android</h2><ol><li>Open the X app on your iPhone or Android.</li><li>Tap your profile picture in the top-left corner and select <strong>Settings and Support</strong>.</li><li><p>In the Settings and Support drop-down menu, click <strong>Settings and privacy</strong>.</p><div type="image" title="How to delete X" height="1236" width="1730" msid="115100480" hostid="261" sizebytes="22890"></div></li><li><p>Tap <strong>Your account</strong> at the top of Settings.</p><div type="image" title="How to delete X account" height="1241" width="1738" msid="115100501" hostid="261" sizebytes="50406"></div></li><li><p>Select <strong>Deactivate your account </strong>at the bottom of the page.</p><div type="image" title="How to delete X" height="1239" width="1734" msid="115100505" hostid="261" sizebytes="34626"></div></li><li><p>Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap <strong>Deactivate</strong>.</p><div type="image" title="How to delete X" height="1233" width="1726" msid="115100487" hostid="261" sizebytes="77596"></div></li><li>Enter your password and tap <strong>Deactivate</strong> one last time.</li></ol><div type="image" title="How to delete X" height="1280" width="1792" msid="115100490" hostid="261" sizebytes="16080"></div><h2 id="777541b1-2221-47b2-9b27-338d5eadb229">How to delete your X account on desktop</h2><ol><li>Go to the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/home?lang=en"><u>X website</u></a> and log in to your account.</li><li><p id="777541b1-2221-47b2-9b27-338d5eadb229">In the menu on the left side of the X homepage, click <strong>the three dots in the bottom left corner.</strong></p><div type="image" title="How to delete X desktop" height="1346" width="1884" msid="115100481" hostid="261" sizebytes="58762"></div></li><li><p id="777541b1-2221-47b2-9b27-338d5eadb229">Select <strong>Settings and Support</strong> in the pop-up.</p><div type="image" title="How to delete X desktop" height="1338" width="1873" msid="115100482" hostid="261" sizebytes="63888"></div></li><li><p id="777541b1-2221-47b2-9b27-338d5eadb229">At the top of the Settings menu, click <strong>Your account.</strong></p><div type="image" title="How to delete X desktop" height="1296" width="1814" msid="115100495" hostid="261" sizebytes="56490"></div></li><li><p id="777541b1-2221-47b2-9b27-338d5eadb229">Click <strong>Deactivate your account</strong> at the bottom of the menu.</p><div type="image" title="How to delete X desktop" height="1315" width="1841" msid="115100493" hostid="261" sizebytes="56930"></div></li><li><p id="777541b1-2221-47b2-9b27-338d5eadb229">Click <strong>Deactivate</strong> at the bottom of the page.</p><div type="image" title="How to delete X desktop" height="1303" width="1825" msid="115100502" hostid="261" sizebytes="86736"></div></li><li><p>Enter your password and click the <strong>Deactivate</strong> <strong>button.</strong></p><div type="image" title="How to delete X desktop" height="1339" width="1874" msid="115100497" hostid="261" sizebytes="43198"></div></li></ol><h2 id="a4f6dd93-975b-481c-b70d-7ceae4098988"><strong>How to delete the X app</strong></h2><p id="777541b1-2221-47b2-9b27-338d5eadb229">If you're not ready to delete your X account but want to take a break from the social network, you can delete the app from your device without deleting your entire account.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/how-to-delete-apps-on-iphone"><u>To delete the X app on an iPhone</u></a>, hold your finger down on the app icon and tap <strong>Remove App</strong> at the bottom.</p><div type="image" title="Delete X app" height="664" width="930" msid="115100499" hostid="261" sizebytes="16380"></div><p>A pop-up will appear, and you can click the <strong>Delete App </strong>option to delete the app. Alternatively, to move the app to your App Library, tap <strong>Remove from Home Screen</strong>.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/how-to-delete-apps-on-android"><u>To delete the X app on an Android</u></a>, hold your finger down on the app icon and tap <strong>Uninstall</strong>, or to hide the app, drag and drop it in your app drawer.</p><h2 id="7473785f-ff86-414a-9e66-ebe3652135cb"><strong>How to reuse your username or email on X</strong></h2><p>When you delete your X account, your username is deleted along with it. If you want to reuse your username, then before you deactivate your account, change your username to something you don't mind being deleted.</p><p>You can take the following steps before deactivating your account to preserve your current username or email address for future use.</p><ol><li>Open <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" class="" href="https://x.com/home"><u>X</u></a> in a browser or in the mobile app and log in.</li><li>In a web browser or on mobile, click your profile picture in the upper left corner of the screen.</li><li>Choose the <strong>Settings and privacy</strong> option in the Settings and Support drop-down menu.</li><li><p>In Settings, select <strong>Your account</strong>, and then click the <strong>Account information </strong>option.</p><div type="image" title="Change X account name" height="1233" width="1726" msid="115100489" hostid="261" sizebytes="33990"></div></li><li><p>Click the <strong>gray arrow</strong> next to your username.</p><div type="image" title="Change X account name" height="1233" width="1726" msid="115100503" hostid="261" sizebytes="17222"></div></li><li><p>Update your username in the <strong>New</strong> section.</p><div type="image" title="Name change X account" height="1318" width="1846" msid="115100496" hostid="261" sizebytes="13658"></div></li><li>Click <strong>Done</strong> once completed.</li></ol><h2 id="69c9963c-88e0-47d5-a4ff-c54f869336ed"><strong>Unlink any third-party apps from your account</strong></h2><p>Third-party apps can reactivate your account. To ensure that this does not happen, make sure that you unlink all of your third-party apps from your X account.</p><ol><li>Open <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" class="" href="https://x.com/home"><u>X</u></a> in a browser or in the mobile app and log in.</li><li>In a web browser or on mobile, click your profile picture in the upper left corner of the screen.</li><li><p>Click on the <strong>Security and account access</strong> tab.</p><div type="image" title="Connected apps X" height="1217" width="1703" msid="115100488" hostid="261" sizebytes="50006"></div></li><li><p>Click on the<strong> Apps and sessions</strong> tab.</p><div type="image" title="Connected apps X" height="1222" width="1711" msid="115100483" hostid="261" sizebytes="33978"></div></li><li><p>In the pop-up window, select the <strong>Connected apps</strong> tab.</p><div type="image" title="Connected apps X" height="1274" width="1784" msid="115100485" hostid="261" sizebytes="18410"></div></li><li>You can view all of your connected apps in the list that appears (none will appear if you don't have any apps connected). If you have apps connected, you will be able to select each app and click <strong>Revoke app permissions</strong>.</li></ol><h2 id="8c7976d5-37ad-4f60-9e21-27cad2a75ec9"><strong>How to reactivate an X account</strong></h2><ol><li>Open <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" class="" href="https://x.com/home"><u>X</u></a> in a browser or in the mobile app and log in.</li><li>Log in to your deactivated account.</li><li>An X message will ask you to confirm you want to reactivate.</li><li>Your account will be restored, though it might take a few days for all your tweets and messages to reappear.</li></ol><h2 id="4e35577d-e28a-402f-919a-6250882f650a">Deleting tweets</h2><p id="4e35577d-e28a-402f-919a-6250882f650a">To delete a post, click the three buttons on the top right corner of the tweet and then tap <strong>Delete Post</strong>.</p><div type="image" title="Deleting X post" height="1230" width="1722" msid="115100484" hostid="261" sizebytes="40718"></div><h2 id="f07f78c9-fe9b-4305-859b-658fc18e5b93"><strong>Backups</strong></h2><p>If you're weighing up whether or not you should leave X, you should consider backing up your tweets and other data in case you change your mind.</p><p>Go to <strong>Settings and privacy</strong>, then <strong>Your account</strong>, and click <strong>Download an archive of your data</strong>.</p><div type="image" title="Back up tweets" height="1230" width="1722" msid="115100491" hostid="261" sizebytes="34134"></div><p>Then enter your username and password to request a ZIP file of your account information. You'll get a notification when it is ready to download.</p>

How to delete your X account permanently in 7 steps

<ul><li><keyword id="19900288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Instagram" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Instagram" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Instagram">Instagram</keyword> has announced <keyword id="23207859" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Teen-Accounts" source="keywords">Teen Accounts</keyword>, a new feature aimed at offering more control to parents.</li><li>The new feature will restrict how children can use Instagram, allowing parents more supervision.</li><li>The Teen Account feature will apply to users below 18 years of age.</li></ul>In a bid to offer parents more control over how their teenage children use social media, Meta-owned image sharing platform Instagram has announced Teen Accounts.<br /><br />The social media platform, which has a significant user base among teenagers, is implementing these changes to foster a safer and more positive online environment, offering “peace of mind” for both parents and children.<br /><br />Instagram will automatically place teenagers into the new Teen Accounts and teenagers under 16 years will need a parent’s permission to change any of these settings.<br /><br />Teen accounts are set to private by default, limiting interactions with unknown adults and filtering out potentially harmful content. Instagram also provides educational resources to help teenagers navigate the digital world responsibly.<br /><br />Teenagers will also get access to a new feature that will allow them to select topics they want to see more of in Explore and their recommendations, preventing unwanted content from popping up in their feeds.<br /><br /><h2><keyword id="23216323" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Instagram-teen-account" source="Orion">Instagram Teen Account</keyword> features</h2><h3>Private accounts</h3>Teenagers will placed into private accounts by default and they will have to accept new followers and people who don’t follow them will not be able to see their content or interact with them.<br /><h3><br /><keyword id="23216322" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="messaging-restrictions" source="keywords">Messaging restrictions</keyword></h3>Teens will be placed in the strictest messaging settings, so they can only be messaged by people they follow or are already connected to, preventing unwanted or unknown people from contacting them.<br /><br /><h3>Sensitive content restrictions</h3>Teens will automatically be placed into the most restrictive setting of Instagram’s sensitive content control, which limits the type of sensitive content teens see in places like Explore and Reels.<br /><br /><h3>Time limit reminders</h3>Teens will get notifications telling them to stop using the app after 60 minutes each day.<br /><br /><h3><keyword id="23216321" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sleep-mode" source="keywords">Sleep mode</keyword></h3>Sleep mode will be turned on between 10 PM and 7 AM, which will mute notifications overnight and send auto replies to messages.<br /><br /><h3>Limited interactions</h3>Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow. Instagram will also turn on the most restrictive version of the app’s anti-bullying feature, Hidden Words so that offensive words and phrases will be filtered out of teens’ comments and message requests.<br /><br /><h3>How to change settings in the Instagram Teen Account?</h3>Teenagers under 16 years will need their parent’s permission to use less protective settings. To get permission, teens will need to set up parental supervision on Instagram. If parents want more oversight over their older teen’s (16+) experiences, they simply have to turn on parental supervision. Then, they can approve any changes to these settings, irrespective of their teen’s age.<br /><br />Once supervision is established, parents can approve and deny their teens’ requests to change settings or allow teens to manage their settings themselves. Soon, parents will also be able to change these settings directly to be more protective.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-great-indian-festival-sale-to-begin-on-september-27/articleshow/113445238.cms">Amazon Great Indian Festival sale to begin on September 27</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/triumph-speed-t4-launched-in-india-with-a-price-tag-of-2-17-lakh/slidelist/113429766.cms">Triumph Speed T4 launched in India with a price tag of ₹2.17 lakh</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-neo-vs-nothing-phone-2a-which-phone-should-you-buy-under-25000/slidelist/113417314.cms"><strong>Motorola Edge 50 Neo vs Nothing Phone (2a) – Which phone should you buy under ₹25,000?</strong></a><br />

Instagram will force teenagers to have a private account, enable sleep mode after 10 PM

<keyword id="19897919" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-media" source="keywords">Social media</keyword> platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook have established safeguards to combat <keyword id="23571068" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bot-accounts" source="keywords">bot accounts</keyword>, including policies and technical mechanisms. However, the effectiveness of these measures is increasingly being questioned as AI-driven bots evolve and find ways to bypass restrictions.<br /><h2>AI bot evolution</h2>While <keyword id="21559036" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="AI-bots" source="keywords">AI bots</keyword> can serve legitimate purposes like marketing and customer service, some are designed to manipulate public discussions, incite hate speech, and spread <keyword id="19933162" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="misinformation" source="keywords">misinformation</keyword>. Research from the University of Notre Dame investigated the bot policies of platforms like LinkedIn, <keyword id="19932634" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tiktok" source="keywords">TikTok</keyword>, and X, testing how well these platforms enforced their rules. The findings were troubling.<br /><br />"Despite what their policy says or the technical bot mechanisms they have, it was very easy to get a bot up and working on X. They aren't effectively enforcing their policies," said Paul Brenner, a Director at Notre Dame.<br /><br />Even interns, who had only a high school-level education and minimal training, were able to launch the test bots using technology that is readily available to the public, Brenner explained. Their bots were created using commonly-available AI tools such as <keyword id="19918823" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OpenAI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="OpenAI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="OpenAI">OpenAI</keyword>'s GPT-4o and DALL-E 3, and the tests were run on LinkedIn, Mastodon, Reddit, TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram and Threads.<br />      <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114283439" title="Security threats to AI models are giving rise to a new crop of startups" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>As per the tests, none of these platforms had sufficient safeguards to keep the bots out. Researchers successfully published benign test posts from bots across all platforms, with X and Reddit posing minimal challenges. While <keyword id="19911549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="meta" source="keywords">Meta</keyword> platforms proved somewhat more challenging due to stronger enforcement mechanisms, they ultimately could still be bypassed — even by relatively inexperienced folk.<br /><h2>Why does it matter?</h2>In India — and the rest of the world, for that matter — the rise of AI-driven bots has significant implications for public discourse, particularly in the political arena. Research has indicated that a substantial portion of misinformation circulating during electoral periods can often be traced back to automated accounts. Many experts emphasise that the pervasive influence of these accounts can negatively shape public perception and discussion, and is often used to target certain sensitive groups and stoke communal tension.<br /><br />As platforms struggle to keep pace with the evolving tactics of malicious bots, the need for stronger regulations becomes increasingly evident. Considering that AI is evolving at a rapid pace that makes it supremely difficult to tell bots apart from real human accounts — even for the tech-savvy — Brenner argues for US legislation that mandates platforms to identify human versus bot accounts. Similar measures are needed in India, where the lack of accountability for social media platforms allows harmful bot activity to proliferate.<br /><h2>What needs to be done?</h2>Addressing the bot problem requires a multitude of different solutions. For starters, enhanced technology, such as more sophisticated AI detection systems, could help platforms identify and mitigate bot activity more effectively. Recent advancements in machine learning are paving the way for tools that can better analyse user behavior and detect anomalies that indicate bot activity.<br />      <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114250696" title="AI labs are fragmenting because of ego clashes and commercial pressures. It&amp;#39;s about to drive a wave of new startups." mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, it is almost just as necessary to educate users about identifying bots and understanding online discourse. To platforms can implement user-friendly tools that highlight potentially automated accounts, empowering users to make more informed decisions about whom to engage with.<br /><br />Legislation could also play a pivotal role in shaping how social media platforms handle bot accounts. By requiring transparency about bot activity and holding companies accountable for enforcement, policymakers can create an environment where genuine discourse thrives and misinformation is curtailed. In India, the proposed <keyword id="19955205" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital-India-Act" source="keywords">Digital India Act</keyword> could be an avenue for strengthening regulations around <keyword id="19979951" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-platforms" source="keywords">digital platforms</keyword> and enhancing user safety.<br /><br />While platforms like X and Facebook have made strides in developing detection methods, the sophistication of AI-driven bots continues to outpace current safeguards. This situation requires urgent attention from both tech companies and policymakers to ensure a safer social media environment.<br /><br />The findings of this research has been published on a pre-print server and can be accessed <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.18931">here</a>.<br />

Even high school interns were able to use common AI tools to bypass security and launch bots on X, Facebook and other social media: report

<div type="image" title="For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire" height="900" width="1200" msid="114064202" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />Once upon a time, there thrived a wild, wild land. Here, it was all about super high monetary stakes, lightning-fast trade deals, and bucketloads of money shifting hands every single second. This wilderness lured millions of individuals with the promise of super duper high returns. But, at what cost?<br />Welcome to the unforgiving, ultra-risky wild west of <keyword id="19991165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-equity-markets" source="keywords">Indian equity markets</keyword> called the <keyword id="145718" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Futures-and-Options" source="Orion">futures and options</keyword>. <br /><br />Here, everyone seems to just fly right through the bright red-flagged warnings of financial risks to earn even a fraction of these promised returns. Most burn themselves in the process, but carry on nevertheless, as if nothing ever happened.<br /><br /><h2>Chasing the cloudy profits</h2>The data conclusively proves that every 9 out of 10 individuals only lost their hard-earned money in this land. But hey, what do the numbers know? Some hide their losses out of shame, some out of fear. The proponents, meanwhile, proudly boast unusually high returns on their investments, some open social media channels while others encourage their friends and family to take the plunge.<br /><br />Naturally, news of this unstoppable and humongous en-masse migration to the F&amp;O (futures and options) town has reached sheriff <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, galvanising them into action. After all, it was time to put a leash on this madness and save the common man. The inhabitants of this town doubled in the last 2 years, from 51 lakh in FY22 to 96 lakh in FY24—99.8% of whom were small and mid-income traders.<br /><br />But profits? Well, that's a different, rather completely absent story. <br /><br /><h2>Que Sera Sera, much?</h2>A recent report by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) that studied profits and losses made by traders in the equity derivatives segment between FY22-24 exposed the mad mania of futures and options trading in India, especially since the pandemic. <br /><br />Per the report, 91.1% of individual traders, or about 73 lakh traders had only lost money trading in futures and options in FY24. Between FY 22-24, over 1 crore traders, or about 92.8% of individual traders, had lost Rs 2 lakh each.<br /><br />But once bitten, twice shy? Well, not in this case. More than 75% of individuals, who had only made losses trading in F&amp;O in FY22 and FY23, continued to trade vigorously in FY24 as well, without any changes in the bottom line, which remained deep in red and negative. <br /><br />So, then all these traders must be uber-rich, with tons of cash and not much care to spare? Nope. 76% of traders in the F&amp;O space in FY24 had an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh. 2 years ago, their share stood at 71%.<br /><br />And their choice of poison? Options! In FY24, 60% of traders made losses trading in futures, but a whopping 91.5% burnt their funds trading in options.<br /><br />Mind you, futures are riskier than options. With futures, which require significant capital investment, the buyer and seller both are contractually bound to adhere to the pre-determined strike price of the futures or options contract, irrespective of whether the prevailing prices are higher or lower (and thus, resulting in losses for either the buyer or seller). <br /><br />With options, since this adherence ain't necessary, individuals end up taking debt to take highly leveraged positions while trading here. <br /><br /><h2>Scale of the explosion</h2>Anyone who trades even infrequently will tell you that a demat account is the mitochondria or powerhouse of the trading cell. <br /><br />As of August 2024, India had over 17.1 crore <keyword id="20957284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="demat-accounts" source="keywords">demat accounts</keyword>, which are a prerequisite for trading in the markets. India is the 9th biggest country in the world, in terms of total demat accounts. <br /><br />Did you know that our demat accounts are at par with the entire population of Bangladesh? Talk about scale! Just 4 years ago, in March 2020, this number was a mere 4 crore.<br /><br />Naturally, the total F&amp;O turnover on both <keyword id="20004725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NSE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NSE">NSE</keyword> and BSE has hit the roof, and also broken it. As of October 4, 2024, the total futures and options turnover on NSE stood at a massive Rs 4,78,27,27,750.30 crore. Good luck counting the thousands! <br /><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><strong>Year <br /><br /></strong></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><strong>Total Turnover (Both Futures and Options) (In Rs Crore)</strong><br /><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2020-21<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">64,36,03,951.51<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2021-22<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,69,52,33,134.47<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2022-23<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3,82,23,26,468.06<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2023-24<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,99,27,67,152.43<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table><em>Source : NSE</em><br /><br />Another metric that underlines the meteoric growth of trading in India is the collection of STT or <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Securities-Transaction-Tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword>. As of September 2024, India's STT mop-up had gone past Rs 26,000 crore. <br /><br />Traders have to pay STT whenever they buy or sell any security in the market. So, more trading brings in more STT, and hence, more revenue for the government, so they're not really complaining. <br /><br />After all, this is certainly what they'd call enviable growth. As of August 2023, our STT collection stood at about Rs 21,599 crores. And in FY20-21, India's STT collection had been Rs 16,000 crore. If only our salaries also managed to grow at this rate! <br /><br /><h2>So, what's happening?</h2>Two things. One, it's the big bulls who are raking in all the moolah. And it's the younger lot (those aged under 30) who are propping them up for this. <br /><br />In FY24, 43% of individual traders in the market were less than 30 years of age. In just one year, this number has swelled by 12 percentage points from just 31% of individual traders.<br /><br />But who says ageing is bad? Wrinkles and silver hair seemingly have a propensity of incurring lesser losses in the market. In FY24, only 79% of traders aged above 60 years made losses, as compared to 93% of those aged below 30. <br /><br />Small and mid-income traders, which make up 98% of the total trader base, witnessed average losses per person of Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh in FY24 in futures and options, respectively. <br /><br />The winner here? Clearly, the big bulls, who declared an annual income of over Rs 1 crore, ended up with average profits of Rs 96,000 per person this year.<br /><br /><h2>What’s the sheriff up to?</h2>The government has finally swung into action, hiking the STT rate for F&amp;O during this year’s budget.<br /><br />Effective October 1, 2024, the STT on futures stands at 0.02%, up from 0.0125%. For options, it was upped to 0.1% versus 0.0625% previously. Small margins, but huge impact oncoming. <br /><br />Says Puneet Sharma- CEO and Fund Manager at Whitespace Alpha, “SEBI aims to enhance market stability while safeguarding investor interests, reflecting the regulator's intent to balance risk management with market participation”. <br /><br />But this might come with its own share of challenges, too. “Stricter norms around leverage, transparency, and capital adequacy could limit the ability of investors to determine their own risk appetite, thereby stifling innovation in trading strategies. Over-regulation in an environment that thrives on strategic flexibility and creativity could dampen the market’s dynamism, affecting India's competitiveness in the global derivatives landscape”, he observes.<br /><br />SEBI recently came out with a set of guidelines that aim to thwart <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">retail investors</keyword>' participation in futures and options and hinder them from taking undue risks.<br /><br />Here's a quick recap of what's to come for the residents of the F&amp;O town<br /><br /><em>Margin Requirements</em>: To battle the high volatility and chaos which is generally seen on expiry days(i.e the last mandated date, post which an option becomes invalid), SEBI will put in place an extreme loss margin (ELM) of 2% for all open short options on the day of expiry.<br /><br />Translation? Traders will need to pony up more cash upfront, leaving them with fewer funds to take on risky bets.<br /><br /><em>It ain't a choice:</em> No more of one expiry every single day! Going ahead, an exchange like BSE or NSE will just be able to offer weekly expiries, that too, only on one benchmark index, as opposed to an entire buffet it currently offers. At present, NSE offers weekly options contracts for its financial index, bank and midcap indices. But say goodbye to this, and hello to derivatives on only 1 index per exchange. <br /><br /><em>Raising the bar</em>: Effective November 30, 2024, the minimum contract value for index derivatives will be upped to Rs 15 lakh, from the present Rs 5-10 lakh. The hope is that by making it ultra-expensive to enter these trades, investors will be dissuaded from taking on risky trades.<br /><br /><em>Pay upfront</em>: Starting February 2025, those trading in options will have to pay the entire options premium upfront, even before their trades are executed. This is because options generally carry very high leverage, and paying a significant sum upfront can force traders to think twice.<br /><br /><em>Invigilation Pro Max</em>: Starting April 1 2025, to make sure that the number of positions for equity index derivatives does not slyly slip over the mandated limit, especially on expiry days when trade volumes are huge, the exchanges will have to take a minimum of 4 position snapshots randomly. <br /><br />The question is, will these injections of sobriety be enough to calm down the steroid-fed bull of the futures and options market in India? Well, only time and market turnover will tell!<br /><br />For more insights into the financial markets and business news, stay tuned to our site and social media handles. And don’t forget to subscribe to Business Insider India’s newsletters for your weekly dose of Simply Put!<br /><br /><em>Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.</em><br /><br />

SIMPLY PUT: SEBI is on a mission to take on the wild, wild west of futures and options in India. Here’s why, what, and how

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> purchased <keyword id="19959118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Twitter" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> with a pledge to make it a bastion for <keyword id="20481495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="free-speech" source="keywords">free speech</keyword>.</li><li>Musk quickly reinstated some previously suspended accounts, like for Alex Jones and Donald Trump.</li></ul>A new "transparency report" from <keyword id="19959117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="X" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="X" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="X">X</keyword> might surprise anyone who has heard its owner, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>, talk about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/free-speech-elon-musk-wants-would-be-terrible-2023-12">the importance of free speech</a>.<br /><br />Before Musk bought Twitter in 2022, the social media site would release a report twice a year detailing statistics on data requests, copyright notices, user reports of violations, and suspensions. The "transparency reports" were typically 50 pages long or more.<br /><br />Three years after Musk took control of the company and rebranded it X, it has finally released a new transparency report. And the results are surprising.<br /><br />Under Musk's leadership, X has suspended over four times as many accounts in the first half of 2024 — 5.3 million — as Twitter ever did during similar periods. According to its transparency reports at the time, Twitter suspended almost 873,000 accounts in the last half of 2019. That number grew to about 1.3 million <keyword id="23342823" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="account-suspensions" source="keywords">account suspensions</keyword> in the latter half of 2021.<br /><br />The recent suspensions were related to child safety, abuse or harassment, and misleading identities, according to X.<br /><br />A spokesperson for X did not immediately respond to questions regarding the surge in suspended accounts.<br /><br />While he has reinstated some prominent accounts previously suspended by Twitter, like former President Donald Trump's and Infowars' <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-jones-infowars-free-speech-systems-auction-sandy-hook-bankruptcy-2024-9">Alex Jones</a>, Musk has newly suspended others, like the account of a student who <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/man-who-tracks-elon-musk-private-jet-permanently-banned-twitter-2022-12">tracked his private jet flights</a>.<br /><br />On Thursday, X also suspended journalist Ken Klippenstein's account after he published a 271-page dossier on JD Vance, Trump's running mate in the 2024 election. An X spokesperson told CNN that Klippenstein's suspension was triggered because it included the candidate's home address and part of his Social Security number.<br /><br />Musk <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-donald-trump-feud-relationship-timeline-2022-7">endorsed Trump</a> and has been rumored to be in the running for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-cabinet-election-x-2024-9">cabinet position</a> should Trump ultimately win. <br /><br />Though he has branded himself a free-speech absolutist, Musk has repeatedly capitulated to government demands to moderate the platform more heavily. After months of refusing to comply with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-brazil-free-speech-battle-over-2024-9">a Supreme Court order in Brazil</a> to remove accounts it deemed dangerous to its democracy, for instance, X finally acquiesced last week after hefty fines and a nationwide ban. Musk has also agreed to government requests for account takedowns in Turkey and India.<br /><br />Musk axed much of Twitter's staff after his purchase, including the trust and safety employees who <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/x-social-media-misinformation-swamping-fake-news-trust-safety-2023-10">dealt with misinformation</a> and other content moderation issues on the platform. A recent survey found <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-sentiment-trust-big-tech-2024-9">X to be the least trustworthy</a> tech company.<br /><br />

Elon Musk talks a lot about free speech. But account suspensions on X have skyrocketed.

<div type="image" title="Are Indians depositing less money in banks, or more in mutual funds? Turns out, it&amp;#39;s neither of those." msid="113663806" hostid="261" sizebytes="1121785"></div><br />Over the past few months, there’s been a lot of brouhaha about the lagging pace of <keyword id="20202062" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bank-deposits" source="keywords">bank deposits</keyword> in India. Simply put, the rate at which Indians are depositing their hard-earned money in banks has been falling constantly, and some blame the increasing financialisation of <keyword id="20751315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="household-savings" source="keywords">household savings</keyword> in the country or the rising preference of Indians towards <keyword id="19929240" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-funds" source="keywords">mutual funds</keyword> and shares. <br /><br />So, the hypothesis is that people are choosing to invest more in mutual funds and the Indian <keyword id="19949641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-markets" source="keywords">equity markets</keyword> through direct investments, IPOs, or NFOs, the money flowing into Indian banks in the form of deposits is slowing down. But is that really the case? <br /><br /><h2>A crisis or a phase?</h2><keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="RBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="RBI">RBI</keyword> data suggested that for the quarter ended June 2024, bank deposits grew at 11.7%. On the other hand, credit growth has outpaced this at 15%. This means that the outflow from banks as loans is far greater than the inflow into them in the form of deposits in Q1 of FY 2024-25.<br /><br />The situation largely saw cut-copy-paste in the first week of September as well, with loans registering a 13.3% YoY growth during the period, while deposits rose only 11.1%. This gap has only been widening for the last 3 years. <br /><br />Since deposits are how banks gather assets to further lend and earn interest income as a consequence, even a slight dip could set the alarm bells ringing for banks, and rightfully so. <br />And truth be told, mutual funds are indeed taking on bank deposits in a big way. Per a report by Franklin Templeton, in August 2024, the AUM (assets under management) of Indian mutual funds, or the total funds managed by them, stood at 31.3% of total bank deposits in the country, up from 24.20% during the year-ago period. As of August 2024, the AUM of mutual funds stood at Rs 66.17 lakh crore, an all-time high.<br /><br />But all said and done, is this really the reason why the rate of bank deposits is falling behind? SBI has dismissed this to be a “statistical myth”, and experts point out that since equity and fund houses also keep the cash in their respective bank accounts, there’s no cause for concern. <br /><br />So, is financialization really to be blamed for the trailing tempo of deposits? Or is something else happening behind the scenes? We take a closer look:<br /><br /><h2>First, are household deposits really slowing down? And is that a cause of concern?</h2>Data from Motilal Oswal suggests the contrary. Deposits grew by around 10.4% between March 2020 and August 2024. Data from RBI also highlights that as of August 9, 2024, bank deposits witnessed a YoY growth of 10.8%. The loan-to-deposit ratio for the retail segment, which indicates what percentage of its total deposits the banks lend out as loans, has stayed at 77.5%, above the 77% mark for the tenth straight month.<br /><br /><div type="image" title="Yes, household deposits (as % of total deposits) have dipped, but the drop is far from significant" msid="113663882" hostid="261" sizebytes="306706"></div><br />Also, we can’t forego the fact that the share of Indian households in bank deposits has indeed slowed down. However, data from Axis AMC shows that the dip is marginal—from 63% in 2022 to 62% in 2023 and 61% in 2024. What has slowed down even more considerably is the share of government deposits in the aggregate bank deposits, which has dipped from 14% in 2018 to 9% in 2024. So, it's not just household deposits, you see. <br /><br />Moreover, as of March 2024, the collective CASA ratio (current and <keyword id="114757" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings-account" source="Orion">savings account</keyword> deposits) of all commercial banks in India stood at 41.00%, down from 43.1% in March 2023 and 45.2% in March 2022, marking a nearly 5% point decline over the past year, while still staying over the 10-year average of 39.2%. This implies that Indian banks are relying more on higher-cost funds (savings accounts), which can limit their profitability. <br /><br /><h2>What is this financialisation of savings we are talking about?</h2>Then again, there is no doubt about the growing affinity of Indians towards mutual funds and stock markets. Recent data from CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) highlights that India’s net direct tax collection surged by around 22%, driven exclusively by the significant uptick in the collection of Securities Transaction Tax (STT), which doubled to Rs 26,154 crore, from Rs 13,352 crore in the year-ago period.<br /><br />Why does this matter? STT is levied when you buy or sell equity shares on stock exchanges, sell <keyword id="6361918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-mutual-funds" source="Orion">equity mutual funds</keyword>, and trade in futures and options in the equity segment. Such taxes, including the multiple other taxes in equity market investments, are considered as leakages as the money moves out of the economy into government coffers.<br /><br />Data from a ValueQuest report explains that over the last 20 years, the markets have handsomely rewarded the investors, generating over $900 billion in incremental value for them. This is the major driver behind the dramatic rise in investment flowing towards the equity markets.<br /><br />There’s further proof of this budding romance, if you check the demat pudding. The number of demat accounts, which are a primary requisite for participating in the stock markets, also burgeoned by 42.3 lakh in August 2024, taking India’s total tally of demat accounts beyond 17 crore. To put this in perspective, this is almost equivalent to the population of just 8 nations in the world, including China, the US, Brazil and more. <br /><br />Vivek Iyer, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat thinks it's rather important, as well. “Financialisation of household savings in India is an indication of deepening capital markets in the market, especially from a retail investor standpoint. Bank deposits with a modest rate of return are no longer the only option for savings for investors. Investors today have more avenues for wealth creation in the form of public capital markets, which have democratized wealth creation and provided equality of opportunity to retail investors”, he says. <br /><br />Yes, Indians are investing more and more in the markets, and in mutual funds. But is it a sin to look out for inflation-beating returns, which the stock markets offer, and vanilla bank deposits don't? After all, the allure of 12-13% annual returns offered by <keyword id="45369" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equities" source="Orion">equities</keyword> can certainly pale the stability offered by good old deposits, which generally do not go beyond 9% when it comes to annual returns.<br /><br />But all of this is not what is behind the slowdown. India is still a toddler in the school of savings financialization, with less than 10% of the population holding a demat account, and less than 5% of us saving in equities. That's a drop in the ocean of deposits, far inadequate to trigger a tsunami. <br /><br /><h2>Tell me why lagging deposits have nothing to do with Indians investing more in mutual funds!</h2>Says Shweta Rajani, Head - Mutual Funds, Anand Rathi Wealth Limited, “Households' equity holdings composition grew from 11.1% in FY 23 to 14.7% in FY 24. This trend reflects a growing awareness of investment options, empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures. Despite this transition towards equities, banks still hold a significant share of household financial savings—33.5% in FY24 compared to 34.9% in FY23”.<br /><br />Also, household savings and their subsequent financialization do not have much to do with deposit creation, which is entirely made by banks. What actually drives increased deposits is credit growth or increased lending. When interest rates are eased, people tend to borrow more and spend more, which circulates more money in the economy. <br /><br />For the past 4 years, RBI has been tightening the screws on interest rates, which raises the cost of borrowings, and makes it more expensive to take loans, putting a dampener on credit growth, but effectively curbing inflationary pressures. <br /><br />The last time RBI cut the repo rate by 40 basis points was back in May 2020, 4 years ago. The lag in <keyword id="19998084" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="deposit-growth" source="keywords">deposit growth</keyword> we’re witnessing is almost 3 years old. Coincidence much, or just good old economics at work?<br /><br />But with the Fed recently setting a rate cut precedent by slashing 50 bps off its interest rate, RBI is expected to follow suit in the next MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) meeting, scheduled for November 2024. <br /><br />A rate cut would ease the aforementioned high cost of borrowing, and increase loan-taking for corporates and institutional investors, thereby stoking consumption in the economy. And then, deposit creation in banks is likely to return to its former glory. <br /><br />If not, then that would be a curious case to unravel! But that worry is for another day.<br /><br /><em><i>Do you have insights or personal experience to share on your personal finances or money? Contact us at </i><i><a target="_blank" class="c-link" href="mailto:businessinsider@timesinternet.in">businessinsider@timesinternet.in</a></i></em><i><em>.</em></i><br />

Simply Put: A Deposit Dilemma — What's the fuss about a crisis in Indian bank deposits? Are mutual fund investments to blame?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hackers are breaking into some Ticketmaster users' accounts and transferring tickets to themselves.</li><li>Two concertgoers said it was shocking but they got their tickets back in time to attend their shows.</li></ul><p>In September, Vashti-Jasmine McKenzie noticed an event had mysteriously vanished from her Google Calendar. It was a reminder for an Usher concert in Dallas on October 5, synced with her Ticketmaster account.</p><p>McKenzie opened her email to a shock: The night before, a stranger had broken into her account, accessed McKenzie's two tickets, which she had paid $550 for, and transferred them out of her account.</p><p>"If this happened in real life, if somebody stuck me up, it would be like they were robbing me," said McKenzie, a 42-year-old conference manager. </p><p>McKenzie, a music fan who said she spent an estimated $10,000 on shows in 2024, ultimately got her tickets back and went to the show but remains critical of Ticketmaster.</p><p>McKenzie isn't the only concertgoer who's suddenly been left ticketless. Similar incidents have been reported in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/concert-tickets-disappear-from-ticketmaster-customer-account/3546153/">Los Angeles,</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/have-you-bought-tickets-thru-ticketmaster-recently-check-your-account-and-make-sure-theyre-still-there">Nashville</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy__VrjV-hA">Charlotte, North Carolina</a>. The playbook is typically the same: Ticketmaster customers purchase tickets to see their favorite artists, only to later receive an email saying their tickets were transferred out of their online wallets by an unknown hacker — and quickly claimed.</p><p>These kinds of scams are just the latest in a series of headaches for the ticketing giant. Following a data breach earlier this year and pointed criticisms from major stars like Taylor Swift, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced in May that it filed an antitrust <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-fiasco-doj-lawsuit-2024-5">lawsuit against Live Nation, </a><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-fiasco-doj-lawsuit-2024-5">Ticketmaster's parent company</a>, alleging that the company's "conduct is anti-competitive and illegal." Live Nation, worth about $28 billion as of November 8, has a tight grip on the live-entertainment industry. The DOJ said in its complaint that "through Ticketmaster, Live Nation controls roughly 80% or more of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts and a growing share of ticket resales in the secondary market."</p><p>In response, Live Nation said the DOJ's lawsuit would fail to address fans' issues with ticket prices and their ability to purchase them.</p><p>Still, experiencing the ticket-transfer scam firsthand has led McKenzie and at least one other customer to fear their purchases aren't secure.</p><p>In October, Mika City, a 28-year-old data analyst from Grand Prairie, Texas, spent $400 on two tickets to the rapper Don Toliver's show in Houston. Two days after she purchased them, she received a 6:08 a.m. email from Ticketmaster saying that her tickets were being transferred to someone named "Floyd George."</p><p>Just 39 seconds later, she received another email: "Floyd George" had accepted the ticket transfer, and the tickets had been removed from her account.</p><p>All of that happened before City had even woken up — and despite the fact that she thought she had secured her account in June by changing her password.</p><p>City was also able to recover her stolen tickets through Ticketmaster and attend the show, but she added that the experience was stressful.</p><p>"I am still scared right now that it'll happen again," City told BI.</p><p>Even though Ticketmaster reinstated McKenzie's and City's tickets in time for their concerts, after Business Insider reached out for comment, the company refunded both of them for the original cost of their tickets. It did not respond to BI's other questions about account hacks and customer security.</p><p>A Live Nation executive <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-stubhub-eras-tour-ticket-thefts-2024/">told CBS News</a>, however, that the company limited transfers for Taylor Swift tickets to 72 hours prior to concerts, following online ticket thefts specifically targeting the Eras Tour. In some cases, Ticketmaster has also required two-factor authentication for ticketholders to make transfers. The Live Nation executive recommended Ticketmaster account holders have a unique password not used for any other platforms.</p><h2 id="37246d48-b4a5-40d5-8df9-aed7a1aa046d"><strong>Getting tickets back can be a harrowing experience</strong></h2><p>After she realized the Usher tickets had been transferred out of her account, McKenzie said she called Ticketmaster and reported the incident to its fraud department but didn't immediately hear back.</p><p>Two days after her call, the tickets reappeared in her account — with the same seats and at no extra charge. But it was enough to scare McKenzie about what would've happened if she hadn't caught the calendar switch-up.</p><p>At the Usher concert, McKenzie added, she saw two women learn in real time that they were victims of a similar scam.<strong> </strong>They opened the Ticketmaster wallet on their phones at an entrance gate only to find they were gone, she said.</p><p>City got her tickets back one day after they were transferred out of her account, a week before the concert. She said she called repeatedly to get through to Ticketmaster's fraud department, which told her that her case would be treated as high priority because of how soon her event was.</p><p>For good measure, she also filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau about her tickets being stolen, as well as a dispute with her bank. The BBB forwarded the complaint to Ticketmaster, according to screenshots of the online exchange City shared with BI. The company responded through the BBB a day after City had already<strong> </strong>recovered her tickets, saying that it would escalate her case.</p><p>She figured she would have to rebuy tickets, she added, so was surprised and pleased when Ticketmaster reinstated the tickets.</p><p>"I was so shocked, because everybody else that I've seen has said it's taken forever, or they never got them back," City said.</p><h2 id="2ebc9e46-2f82-427e-97ca-26a6453af137"><strong>Ticketmaster's recent troubles</strong></h2><p>In May, Live Nation said it was investigating a data breach that affected some users who had bought tickets in North America. The leaked information may have included customers' emails, phone numbers, encrypted credit cards, and other personal information, Ticketmaster said in a statement.</p><p>The company said at the time that password information wasn't a part of the data breach and that customers' accounts were safe.</p><p>Fans and artists alike have complained about how hard it is to buy tickets in the first place.</p><p>In November 2022, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-reaction-to-ticketmaster-eras-tour-debacle-2022-11">Taylor Swift publicly addressed Ticketmaster</a> after it announced that it was canceling the general sale for her Eras Tour after it exhausted its inventory during the presale.</p><p>"It's truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them," Swift wrote in a statement posted to Instagram.</p><div type="image" title="a person holds up a sign that says just say no, and the word ticketmaster with a line drawn through it, outside the us capitol" height="4590" width="6885" msid="115111815" hostid="261" sizebytes="708392"></div><p>Last month, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ticketmaster-oasis-reunion-ticket-sales-uk-authorities-investigating-2024-9">Oasis fans in the United Kingdom were up in arms with Ticketmaster</a> after noticing a surge in ticket prices for the long-awaited reunion tour due to the company's model of adjusting prices based on demand. Outrage was so pronounced that a government antitrust regulator in the UK is looking into the company's practices.</p><p>For now, many fans are stuck using Ticketmaster to see their favorite performers even if some worry about the security of their purchases.</p><p>City told BI that even after getting her tickets back, she was still worried they would disappear from her account, even after changing her password again to protect them.</p><p>"If I didn't have to buy from Ticketmaster, I wouldn't," she said.</p>

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