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<keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> banned two million Indian accounts while it received 345 grievance reports between May 15 and June 15, the company said in its maiden monthly compliance report as mandated by the IT rules. The new IT rules require large digital platforms -- with over five million users -- to publish compliance reports every month, mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken. "Our top focus is preventing accounts from sending harmful or unwanted messages at scale. We maintain advanced capabilities to identify these accounts sending a high or abnormal rate of messages and banned two million accounts in India alone from May 15-June 15 attempting this kind of abuse," WhatsApp said on Thursday. WhatsApp clarified that more than 95 per cent of such bans are due to the unauthorised use of automated or bulk messaging (spam). "We expect to publish subsequent editions of the report 30-45 days after the reporting period to allow sufficient time for data collection and validation," WhatsApp said in the report. The Facebook-owned company explained that the number of accounts banned have risen significantly since 2019 as the sophistication of systems has increased, and "so we are catching more accounts even as we believe there are more attempts to send bulk or automated messages". The vast majority of these accounts are banned proactively, without relying on any user reports, it added. About eight million accounts are banned/disabled globally on an average per month. WhatsApp said besides the behavioural signals from accounts, it relies on available "unencrypted information" including user reports, profile photos, group photos and descriptions as well as advanced AI tools and resources to detect and prevent abuse on its platform. In the report, WhatsApp said it had received 345 reports in total, cutting across categories such as ban appeal, account support, product support, safety issues and others. Against this, 63 accounts were "actioned" by WhatsApp during May 15-June 15, 2021. WhatsApp said user reports received by the platform via the grievance <keyword id="11650763" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="channel/s">channel/s</keyword> are evaluated and responded to. Majority of users who reach out to WhatsApp are either aiming to have their account restored following an action to ban them or reaching out for product or account support, it added. 'Accounts Actioned' denotes reports where WhatsApp took remedial action based on the report. Taking action denotes either banning an account or a previously banned account being restored as a result of the complaint. The IT rules -- which came into effect on May 26 -- mandate that significant digital platforms include the number of specific communication links or parts of information they proactively remove by using automated tools. Other platforms like <keyword id="6355629" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword>, Koo and <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> have already submitted their compliance reports. Instagram and <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> have also submitted their reports. The IT rules have been designed to prevent abuse and misuse of digital platforms, and offer users a robust forum for grievance redressal. Under these rules, social media companies will have to take down flagged content within 36 hours, and remove within 24 hours content that is flagged for nudity and pornography. The rules also mandate appointment of three key personnel -- grievance officer, chief compliance officer and nodal officer. These officials need to be residents in India. Non-compliance with the IT rules would result in these platforms losing their intermediary status that provides them immunity from liabilities over any third-party data hosted by them. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tatva-chintan-pharma-chem-ipo-heres-how-to-apply-via-banks-and-apps-like-zerodha-upstox/articleshow/84462586.cms">Tatva Chintan Pharma Chem IPO: Here’s how to apply via banks and apps like Zerodha, Upstox</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/wipro-hires-12000-employees-in-june-quarter-highest-in-decade/articleshow/84445858.cms">Wipro's hiring at highest in a decade to hedge against employees leaving</a>

WhatsApp banned two million Indian accounts during May 15-June 15 period

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> has sued the Indian government over new media regulations, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/exclusive-whatsapp-sues-india-govt-says-new-media-rules-mean-end-privacy-sources-2021-05-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters reported</a>. </li><li>The new rules could compel WhatsApp to break privacy protections and identify users. </li><li>Tensions are building between <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>'s government and social-media platforms.</li></ul>WhatsApp has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government in Delhi's High Court, challenging new regulations that could force it to break privacy protection for users, sources familiar with the matter told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/exclusive-whatsapp-sues-india-govt-says-new-media-rules-mean-end-privacy-sources-2021-05-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a>. The new rules could ultimately require messages to be traced to specific users. The rules would require WhatsApp to identify the "first originator of information" when asked by authorities, which the firm said would mean breaking its end-to-end encryption for both message senders and receivers, sources told Reuters. The new law would only require WhatsApp to identify users credibly accused of wrongdoing. WhatsApp argued this is impossible to do with exposing the identity of other users in a conversation, the sources told Reuters.The lawsuit, first reported by Reuters, said the new rules violated the constitutional right to privacy for more than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-is-reportedly-asking-whatsapp-to-withdraw-policy-change-2021-1?utm_source=facebook.com&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=sf-bi-main&amp;fbclid=IwAR0W2P8A_mDbQsD1nIqj5mjOio17FVofcX-0R9Qdf6DkLACEnwnDiQKe2o8EnwnDiQKe2o8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">400 million WhatsApp users</a> in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>.Sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, Reuters said. India's government <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-moves-the-delhi-high-court-against-indias-new-it-laws-says-report/articleshow/82965251.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">unveiled new rules in February</a> to regulate media companies, which would also require social-media companies to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/exclusive-whatsapp-sues-india-govt-says-new-media-rules-mean-end-privacy-sources-2021-05-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">appoint new local compliance officers.</a> The government gave companies a 90-day window before the rules came into effect on Wednesday. "Civil society and technical experts around the world have consistently argued that a requirement to 'trace' private messages would break end-to-end encryption and lead to real abuse," a WhatsApp spokesperson told Insider in an emailed statement. "WhatsApp is committed to protecting the privacy of people's personal messages and we will continue to do all we can within the laws of India to do so."The legal challenge comes amid escalating tensions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and social-media platforms.Indian police <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/delhi-police-serves-notice-to-twitter-india-visits-office-in-connection-with-covid-toolkit-probe/articleshow/82929756.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">visited Twitter's Delhi offices earlier</a> this week, after the site flagged posts by a ruling party spokesperson as "manipulated media." The country's tech ministry also asked <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-social-media-told-remove-posts-indian-variant-covid-19-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">social media firms to delete the term "Indian variant"</a> from their platforms, referring to the coronavirus variant first identified in India, which spread around the country and overwhelmed its healthcare system.

WhatsApp has sued the Indian government, saying new regulations could require it to break privacy protections for messages

<ul><li>The <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword> is planning to build its own ‘Sarkari’ version of the social messaging app, <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> and the email service, <keyword id="51500" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gmail">Gmail</keyword>. </li><li>Amid geopolitical developments, like the blacklisting of Huawei and the proposed data localisation in India’s Personal Data Protection BIll, the Indian government feels that it must take steps to protect itself. </li><li>The French government also launched its own in-house version of WhatsApp earlier this year called Tchap. </li></ul>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/google-ends-ties-with-huawei-no-more-youtube-gmail-maps-play-store/articleshow/69408135.cms">blacklisting of Huawei</a> by the US administration has the Indian government thinking that third party apps shouldn’t be used for official communication. A senior official told the<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/government-plans-whatsapp-like-app-for-official-communication/articleshow/69966923.cms?from=mdr"> Economic Times</a>, “Tomorrow, if the US finds us unreliable for some reason, all they need to do is ask their companies to slow down networks in India and everything here will come to a standstill. We are vulnerable and we must take steps to cover that.” The government wants to insulate itself from any <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-exports-to-be-affected-most-by-us-withdrawal-of-trade-benefits/articleshow/69631996.cms">geopolitical developments</a> that could leave it vulnerable to global powers in the future. An in-house homegrown communication network would mean that the Indian government would have complete control instead of depending on Facebook when using WhatsApp or Google for Gmail. ‘Sarkari’ WhatsApp The basic idea to have a system in place that can replace <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/WhatsApp-was-hacked-and-attackers-installed-spyware-on-peoples-phones/articleshow/69322108.cms?utm_source=TOInewHP_TILwidget&amp;utm_medium=ABtest&amp;utm_campaign=TOInewHP?utm_source=TOInewHP_TILwidget&amp;utm_medium=ABtest&amp;utm_campaign=TOInewHP">WhatsApp</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/google-is-scanning-your-gmail-inbox-to-keep-a-detailed-list-of-your-purchases-and-theres-no-easy-way-to-erase-it/articleshow/69381296.cms">Gmail</a>. All government communication would occur over this system and all the data will be stored locally. The aim is not to have an alternate system but to bring all official government business onto a secure network. Current employees and government officials will reportedly be discouraged from using WhatsApp and Gmail for any kind of work-related discussions. India’s proposed data localisation clause in the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-personal-data-protection-bill-global-ceo-concerns/articleshow/68389336.cms">Personal Data Protection Bill</a> hasn’t gone down well with the US government. It has ‘red flagged’ the proposal and its guidelines, according to a government official who spoke to ET. “American companies are resisting our efforts of data localisation. These, coupled with the recent ban on Huawei, means the Americans can cripple us anytime they decide to,” he said. End-to-end encryption still vulnerable One could argue that end-to-end encryption of WhatsApp — and other messenger apps like <a href="http://www1.m.businessinsider.in/messaging-app-telegram-has-blocked-78-channels-that-isis-used-to-distribute-propaganda/articleshow/49837577.cms">Telegram</a> or even <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facebook-gave-a-gutsy-defence-of-encryption-but-admitted-it-helps-bad-people-to-do-bad-things/articleshow/64077709.cms">Facebook Messenger</a> — secure the information that’s exchanged on the platforms. But numerous examples already show how even these ‘secure’ networks can be hacked. Just earlier this year, it was found that WhatsApp had become the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/whatsapp-spyware-hack-questioned-by-indian-government/articleshow/69376429.cms">victim of a data breach</a> by an Israeli cyber surveillance company —<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/miscellaneous/meet-the-shadowy-security-firm-from-israel-whose-technology-is-at-the-heart-of-the-massive-whatsapp-hack/slidelist/69331721.cms"> the NSO group</a>. Even the UK's intelligence agency, GCHQ, wanted WhatsApp to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/apple-and-whatsapp-are-trying-to-fight-off-plans-from-british-spies-to-ghost-their-way-into-your-encrypted-messages/articleshow/69581782.cms">install a back door</a> so that they could spy on messages being shared on the app. The proposal was eventually shunned by global tech giants as a ‘serious threat to cyber security’ illustrating how end-to-end encryption might not be enough for government communication, which often includes sensitive information. Earlier this year, the French government embarked on a similar mission to create their own in-house version of WhatsApp — <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.gouv.tchap.a&amp;hl=en_IN">Tchap</a>. All the communication — formal and informal — between French government agencies, employees and authorised non-government players now goes through Tchap’s internal servers. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/whatsapp-fingerprint-messages-to-avoid-encryption-issues-with-indian-government/articleshow/69836927.cms">Indian government has found a way to trace WhatsApp messages without breaking encryption</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/heres-whats-up-with-kimbho-the-indian-messaging-app-that-wants-to-take-on-whatsapp/articleshow/64506716.cms">Here’s what’s up with Kimbho, the Indian messaging app that wants to take on WhatsApp</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/heres-what-whatsapp-india-head-will-take-on-as-it-sets-out-to-establish-its-first-full-country-team/articleshow/66751310.cms">Here's what WhatsApp India head will take on as it sets out to establish its first full country team</a>

The Indian government wants to build its own WhatsApp for official communication

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> is threatening to jail <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> and <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> employees, The Wall Street Journal reported.</li><li>The threats are to pressure the tech companies to give up data related to the farmers protests.</li><li>Indian farmers have been protesting since late 2020 after the country passed agriculture reforms. </li></ul>India is reportedly threatening to jail <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword>, Twitter, and Facebook employees to pressure the firms into sharing data related to the farmers protests.Sources told <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/india-threatens-jail-for-facebook-whatsapp-and-twitter-employees-11614964542?mod=business_minor_pos4">The Wall Street Journal</a> the tech companies had been reluctant to provide India with the user data it requested. Indian farmers have staged a mass protest - among the largest in history - since late last year to demand the government repeal legislation that allowed farmers to sell directly to private buyers instead of selling to the government. Farmers argue selling to private buyers would <a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-farmers-protest-explained-1ccbf48d76a55a1061f40d9a1e951314">drive down prices</a> because the government guarantees a minimum price on all goods.Prime Minister Narendra <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> pushed for the farming laws to modernize Indian agriculture, but the widespread protest has riled a key voting bloc. The tense protest has resulted in violence, arrests, and the government's decision to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55872480">cut internet for farmers</a>.The Indian government wrote letters to Facebook and Twitter citing specific employees in the country who risk jail time if the firms don't comply, per The Journal.Tech firms and the Indian government have clashed on multiple occasions during the demonstration. Twitter restricted, and later <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/01/twitter-restricts-over-a-dozen-high-profile-accounts-in-india-following-legal-demand/">quietly restored</a>, the accounts of journalists and activists sharing information about the protest. The firm then said it suspended <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-takes-down-accounts-india-farmers-protests-modi-pressure-2021-2">up to 500 accounts</a> flagged by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology."I politely remind the companies, whether it is Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or WhatsApp or anyone, they are free to work in India, do business, but they need to respect the Indian Constitution," Ravi Shankar, the justice and technology minister, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-twitters-india-standoff-dragged-in-journalists-and-activists-2021-2">told India's parliament</a>.Last year, Facebook invested a record <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-jio-investment-poised-to-transform-indian-economy-2020-4">$5.7 billion</a> in the Indian telecommunications firm Jio, an move that could extend its reach into the world's second most populous country. India has more Facebook users than any other country, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/22/tech/facebook-india-hate-speech/index.html">CNN</a>.Facebook and Twitter did not provide additional comment to Insider.

India has reportedly threatened to jail Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp employees if the firms don't give up data regarding the farmers protests

<ul><li>Several <keyword id="860150" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTubers" source="Orion">YouTubers</keyword> have taken to Twitter to highlight the series of strikes they have faced over the last month.</li><li>People aware of the matter suggest that there were always instances of extortion on <keyword id="10879" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTube" source="Orion">YouTube</keyword>, but this time it is more organised.</li><li>YouTube follows a strict copyright infringement policy and suspends the account after three proven strikes.</li></ul>YouTube is trying to reduce the number of copyright violations on its platform, but the folks are trying to use the stricter norms to harass original content creators to the point that it has turned into a tool of extortion. Sachin Saxena was shocked. He was bound to be. In June this year, YouTube sent him a copyright violation notice (known as strikes on the platform) on one of the videos he made from scratch — from scripting to shooting and even editing. It has been four years since Saxena has been creating explainers related to technology and new-age businesses on YouTube. The video platform has really enabled him to create a stable source of income, while doing what he loves. Like anyone else would, he thought it would have been a mere misunderstanding and decided to approach the claimant in order to clear the air. But things took a turn for the worst. No, it was no misunderstanding. It was one of those blackmailing cases he had infamously heard about from his peers. US-based search giant Google’s video streaming platform YouTube has been very particular about copyright violations and has proactively taken steps to remove any such content that infringes on the rights of content creators. However, the approach has come to bite several small-time YouTubers on the back, as it has turned out to be a convenient tool for extortion. The person, Darshan Deewana Official aka Munna Singh or whoever you want them to be, sought $200 in exchange for removing the strike against Saxena. The alleged extortionist also threatened to issue more copyright strikes against the Uttar Pradesh-based <keyword id="2803176" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTuber" source="Orion">YouTuber</keyword> in case he fails to make the said payment. But Saxena had done nothing wrong, apparently. So why should he pay to prove ownership over his own content? He decided to follow all due diligence and filed a counter notification (counter strike) claiming his ownership. But it wasn’t going to be an easy path. The alleged extortionist did exactly as he had said and issued four more strikes against Saxena over the next couple of days. These four strikes were issued over 11 videos, meaning there were a total of 11 copyright infringement cases concentrated in 4 strikes. Once again, Sachin filed a counter strike case against all these violations using Google’s pre-set form, but his request was rejected the first time. <div type="image" title="Graphic 1: The great Indian YouTube extortion — 101 on how criminals are making money off YouTubers" msid="84495019" hostid="261"></div> He decided to give it another shot. He reached out to YouTube directly over email. He shared all the proof of ownership of the content, which he earlier couldn’t as YouTube’s <keyword id="11141113" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="copyright-strike" source="Orion">copyright strike</keyword> or counter notification application mechanism/form do not allow any attachments or links apart from the flagged video itself. This time his request was accepted. Upon investigation, Business Insider found out that Sachin wasn’t the only one suffering from such fake copyright strikes. A simple Twitter search gave us a deeper look into the spread of such copyright strikes. While Saxena may have been able to sail past this successfully, many haven’t been able to do so and their accounts have been suspended. <div type="image" title="graphic 2: The great Indian YouTube extortion — 101 on how criminals are making money off YouTubers" msid="84494586" hostid="261"></div> All these copyright strikes may not be “fake” as claimed in the screenshots above, but it is an awful coincidence that so many small-time YouTubers, who had enough subscribers to be earning through the platform, are receiving such request from different accounts. But it is also true that YouTube does not require any documentation to file a strike, in this case a series of strikes, against anyone. So, anyone, without even a YouTube account, can flag your content as stolen. This is not the first time YouTube’s copyright strike mechanism has been used to extort money out of content creators. This policy has been exploited both in India and abroad. However, this time it is much more organised. Apart from the above-mentioned email ID, there have also been other IDs involved in this giving this ‘series of copyright strikes’. It was certainly not the first time that Darshan Deewana had reached out to young YouTubers either. We also came across two separate instances, where a series of copyright strikes was issued by this person and a ransom was demanded. <div type="image" title="Graphic 3: The great Indian YouTube extortion — 101 on how criminals are making money off YouTubers" msid="84487017" hostid="261"></div> One of the YouTubers has also taken a legal route against this account holder. <div type="image" title="Graphic 4: The great Indian YouTube extortion — 101 on how criminals are making money off YouTubers" msid="84487026" hostid="261"></div> While Saxena managed to get all these copyright strikes removed against him without paying, many have not been able to do so. One of the YouTubers, who paid this Darshan Deewana, said that his name would be removed from a list of YouTubers the extortionist had and no one would bother them again. “I decided to pay them so they don’t bother me again. I don’t want to go through this again,” the YouTuber added. Upon further investigation, Business Insider was able to create a chain of these “fake” copyright claims issued by Darshan Deewana end-to-end. The copyright strike would be issued by a “Munna Singh” registered with an email address of “Darshan Deewana Official”. Darshan would ask the YouTubers to transfer the ransom on a PhonePe account registered with another number. The number was listed as WhatsApp Business, with another email starting with “nirash”. <div type="image" title="Graphic 5: The great Indian YouTube extortion — 101 on how criminals are making money off YouTubers" msid="84494745" hostid="261"></div> Business Insider reached out to Darshan Deewana and Nirash, but hasn’t received a response till publishing time. Why will YouTubers not reach out to YouTube directly? YouTube is not unaware of such instances and has set up a proper procedure in place to counter any copyright infringement claims filed by someone. However, it may be difficult for some to remove such strikes. <div type="Youtube" id="Bv4CvzyAkV0" title="Copyright in YouTube Studio: Addressing Copyright Claims with New Tools, Filters and More" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Bv4CvzyAkV0/mqdefault.jpg"></div> There are two ways to file these counter-notification. First, file the counter copyright notification directly through a web form. Secondly, email YouTube at &lt;<a href="mailto:copyright@youtube.com">copyright@youtube.com</a>&gt;. Many YouTubers have highlighted that their counter notifications were rejected in the first attempt. Flagging the issues over email has a higher chance of approval. "YouTube's copyright removal process complies with the applicable law. We strive to be fair to our users and protect their freedom of expression while also respecting the legal rights of copyright owners. Based on a copyright claim raised by a copyright owner or an agent authorised to act on their behalf, users have the option to file a <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2807684?hl=en">counter-notification</a> when they believe their content has been removed as a result of a mistake or misidentification of the content, including fair use. The process further requires the claimant to provide evidence that they have initiated a court action within a specified timeline. In the event of any misuse of our process, we take it seriously and overturn removal decisions where we find evidence that a removal request was submitted without considering exceptions to copyright law such as fair use, fair dealing or other exceptions," the YouTube’s spokesperson told Business Insider over an email. <div type="image" title="The great Indian YouTube extortion — 101 on how criminals are making money off YouTubers" msid="84494853" hostid="261"></div> Another key thing to note here is that YouTube, in its policies, mentions that they don’t mediate copyright claims. It is left to the parties involved to decide. It is not up to YouTube who “owns the rights” to content. Despite the availability of an elaborate mechanism, few YouTubers do not want to risk getting their accounts suspended. If by any chance YouTube finds the claimant’s claims to be accurate — true or not —, these YouTubers will have to either settle in court or out of it. That is going to cost them more money and time. But why is this issue important? With the growth of the digital economy, India has become one of the most prominent markets not only in terms of customer base, but also in terms of creators. Only 16 Indian content creators had more than 1 million subscribers in 2014, but the community has touched over 1,200 such creators in 2019. According to a digital marketing blog Digital Uncovered <a href="https://digitaluncovered.com/rise-indian-content-creators/">report</a>, about 2,500 Indian creators on YouTube cross 1,000 subscriber milestones every day. Overall, YouTube has at least <a href="https://www.omnicoreagency.com/youtube-statistics/">225 million</a> active users in India — that's more than 7 times the entire population of Canada. The rise of such extortion cases can not only have a major impact on the livelihood of YouTubers, but also on YouTube itself. The instances highlighted in this report are largely from Tier 2 regions of India, but are not limited there. Several reports in the past have highlighted such incidents in the US as well, but the cases continue to exist despite this. For people like Saxena, it is a question of livelihood. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/iron-man-vijay-shekhar-sharma-put-his-own-money-on-the-line-to-launch-paytm/articleshow/84468805.cms">‘Iron Man’ Vijay Shekhar Sharma put his own money on the line to launch Paytm — and ten years later the company is ready to go public</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/the-political-flip-flops-of-superstar-rajinikanth-over-the-last-three-decades/articleshow/84463947.cms">The political flip-flops of Superstar Rajinikanth over the last three decades</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/infosys-is-worried-about-losing-its-it-talent-to-indias-unicorns/articleshow/84411946.cms">Infosys has a new headache — India’s unicorn boom</a>

Here is how Indian YouTubers are becoming victims to extortion

<ul><li>People are choosing to stay home this year for Holi amid fear of coronavirus.</li><li>You can still celebrate the festival by tapping into live streams and using Holi stickers on WhatsApp, Hike and other social networking platforms.</li><li>Games like Teen Patti Gold and PUBG have also added Holi-themed features.</li></ul>Amid fears of coronavirus and the tense environment created by India’s new citizenship laws, not everyone is in the mood to step out of the house to celebrate Holi, the Indian festival of colours. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind announced their plans to stay away from Holi celebrations due to the this year because of the coronavirus threat. All over the country, people are taking precautions and avoiding when it comes to mass gatherings. The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to leave your house in order to celebrate Holi. Everything that makes the festival fun — like chilling with friends, splashing throwing colours at each other, and playing games — can be done online. 
	


<div type="image" title="holi2_edited" msid="74546307" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Holi celebrations in Vrindhavan&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>
 Participating in the biggest Holi celebrations across India The biggest Holi celebrations in India are hosted in Uttar Pradesh. You can tune in for what’s happening by tapping into the live stream by <a href="https://vrindavan.tv/">Vrindavan TV.</a> 
	<div type="image" title="holamohalla_edited" msid="74546400" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Hola Mohalla preparations at Anandpur Sahib&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>


 You can even catch the annual <keyword id="2751667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Warrior-Holi">Warrior Holi</keyword>, or Hola Mohalla, taking place in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOOL-P5Dcks">Anandpur Sahib</a> in Punjab online. Nihangs — Sikh warriors who claim to be descendants of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Gobind Singh — perform physical feats and participate in mock battles using real weapons. Getting everyone together One of the biggest pulls of Holi is getting to celebrate the festival with friends and family. One way to undercut the threat of coronavirus and still be in touch is to hop online and get on a video call. WhatsApp, Skype, and Google Hangouts are only some of the options on the table that allow for multiple people on a single one video call. 
	<div type="image" title="holihike" msid="74546457" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;New stickers introduced on Hike for Holi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 You also use social networking apps like Hike and TikTok to share the sentiment of Holi without stepping out. Both introduced new Holi-themed stickers and filters last week. On TikTok, #HappHoli2020 is currently trending. Multiplayer-gaming PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile is celebrating Holi in its own way. Players can earn items in-game by collecting gulal. The more tasks you complete, the more gulal you have in your kitty, and the more items you can redeem — including outfits, Holi-themed skin for you DP28, and a gulal trail as you jump from the plane. <div type="image" title="holipubg" msid="74546524" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Holi offers on PUBG&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 If PUBG isn’t your cup of tea, you can always go old-school with <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2015/03/11/moonfrog-labs/">Teen Patti Gold</a> — a mobile game based on a three-card poker that’s popular in India. The developers just added a new feature that allows players to haul dye and throw paint at one another across the table while playing the game. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-cast-a-shadow-on-holi-traders-report-fewer-customers/articleshow/74505796.cms">Coronavirus cast a shadow on Holi, traders report fewer customers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-may-make-holi-colours-costlier-by-50-this-year/articleshow/74473922.cms">Coronavirus may make Holi colours costlier by 50% this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/vrindavan-will-stay-away-from-holi-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/articleshow/74505820.cms">Vrindavan will stay away from Holi amid coronavirus outbreak</a>

Holi goes online as coronavirus fears keep people at home

New Delhi, Apr 21 () Facebook is working with eight independent third-party fact-checking entities, covering 11 Indian languages, to identify misinformation around COVID-19, its India Managing Director Ajit Mohan said. Besides, the social media giant is also imparting training to local governments and emergency health organisations on designing impactful health campaigns and accurate messaging with special focus on coronavirus. "We are deeply committed to being an ally for India as the country fights the Coronavirus outbreak and addresses extraordinary challenges on both the healthcare and economic fronts," Mohan said in a blogpost. He added that the company is focussed on connecting people to accurate information from health experts, curb misinformation and support local communities and businesses. "We have 8 independent third-party fact-checking partners covering 11 Indian languages as well as English. On Facebook and Instagram, we reduce the distribution of content that these partners label as false," he said. Mohan added that if users still see this content appear on their news feed, it attaches a label warning of misinformation along with a link to a fact-checked article. Facebook is also enabling greater collaboration between its fact-checkers and official state and national government in its efforts to notify the public of misinformation. Internet companies like Facebook, Google and ShareChat have stepped up efforts to tackle the spread of rumours and fake news on their platforms amid the coronavirus pandemic that has seen cases rise to almost 19,000 and claimed over 600 lives in the country. Mohan said Facebook's teams are also imparting training to local governments and emergency health organisations, given the increasing need to get timely and accurate information to local communities. "We have so far trained the Union Health Ministry, state units of the National Health Mission, State Governments of Kerala, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Odisha," he said. Mohan added that the company is also making efforts to ensure some of these states use the power of the platform to amplify their efforts through ad credits, as well as strategic marketing support for a scaled coronavirus response. It has also banned advertisements and commerce listings for masks, hand sanitiser, surface disinfecting wipes and coronavirus testing kits in order to help protect against inflated prices and predatory behaviour. "And if we see people selling these products in organic posts on Facebook or Instagram, we remove them. We have also banned ads and commerce listings that imply a product guarantees a cure or prevents people from contracting the Coronavirus," Mohan said. In India, the company is running a coronavirus information centre on Facebook and a WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub. WhatsApp also has partnerships with the Centre and state governments, while Messenger has a partnership with MyGov India and Health Ministry. SR RVK

Facebook working with 8 third-party fact checkers to flag misinformation around COVID-19

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s second coronavirus wave has overwhelmed hospitals.</li><li>But the government is focused on censoring discussion of its failures on <keyword id="6354632" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="social-media">social media</keyword>.</li><li>A new law threatens social media employees with prison if firms don't comply with takedown orders.</li></ul>For countless Indians, <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> has been a way to track down medical supplies for friends and family sick with <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, as a second wave overwhelmed hospitals.But when one man appealed for oxygen for <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-56894757">his sick grandfather</a> in April, he was arrested and charged with spreading misinformation. Authorities in Uttar Pradesh, where the man lived, claimed there was no shortage, dismissing "rumors and propaganda on social media."One head of an NGO in New Delhi, who asked for anonymity for fear of reprisal, told Insider he was called by police and told to shut down a Telegram channel he was running to procure medical supplies for those in need.Authorities have been going after the platforms themselves too. Earlier this week, police went to Twitter's offices in Delhi after the company labelled tweets by ministers from Prime Minister Narendra <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword>'s ruling <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> party as <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tweets-posted-by-five-more-bjp-politicians-tagged-as-manipulated-media/articleshow/82850940.cms">"manipulated media."</a><div type="image" title="Tweet manipulated media BJP member" height="1084" width="1084" msid="83062766" hostid="261"></div>They are also clamping down on more trivial matters. Last week, the government <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/india-asks-social-media-firms-remove-reference-indian-variant-coronavirus-2021-05-21/">ordered</a> <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> and Twitter to remove references to the "Indian variant" of coronavirus - despite the fact the government itself was happy to call<a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1712312"> another variant "South African."</a>Indian authorities' attempts to censor criticism have become more pronounced in recent months.A flashpoint came during anti-government farmers' protests in January, when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-twitters-india-standoff-dragged-in-journalists-and-activists-2021-2">Twitter refused a government request to permanently ban accounts on free speech grounds</a>.At that time, COVID-19 cases were low and ministers encouraged people to resume normal life. But a more severe second wave struck. Earlier in May, the country set a global record for cases recorded in one day - 414,188 - and its seven-day average of daily cases is still more than 200,000, more than double the peak of the first wave in September.<div type="image" title="India COVID daily cases May 28" height="2400" width="3400" msid="83062768" hostid="261"></div>Ministers have been condemned for not only failing to prepare for second wave, but allowing and even staging mass gatherings. In late April, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook were asked to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-asks-twitter-take-down-some-tweets-critical-its-covid-19-handling-2021-04-24/">censor dozens of tweets and posts</a> that criticized such failures.This week, the standoff is coming to a head. A new law came into force Wednesday that threatens tech companies and their employees with prosecution and potentially imprisonment if they don't comply with takedown orders within 36 hours.Twitter issued a statement Thursday condemning "intimidation tactics" against their employees and the new rules' "potential threat to freedom of expression."The statement vowed to continue a "constructive dialogue with the Indian Government" but added: "We plan to advocate for changes to elements of these regulations that inhibit free, open public conversation."Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have been refuges for dissent in India. <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/INDIA-2020-HUMAN-RIGHTS-REPORT.pdf">A US State Department report</a> noted in March that Indian government officials were "involved in silencing or intimidating critical media outlets" through physical attacks, pressuring owners, as well as targeting sponsors and "encouraging frivolous lawsuits."Raman Jit Singh Chima, the Asia Policy Director at Access Now, a non-profit promoting digital civil rights, said the government's actions were creating a "chilling impact on free speech."He added the repressive action tended to happen "when they think they are under pressure or come under more online criticism."Pratik Sinha, who founded one of India's leading fact-checking platforms, AltNews, said the government had been content to leave social media alone before the farmers' protests, when it was enjoying praise and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-indias-farming-protests-didnt-become-covid-superspreader-events-2021-2">India appeared to have avoided a COVID-19 disaster</a>.<div type="image" title="Indian Farmers Protests" height="3322" width="4983" msid="83062773" hostid="261"></div>But Sinha said: "As soon as the narrative changed, people started using the very medium that has benefitted the ruling party for such a long time to voice their discontent ... they don't want these critical voices to come out." "These are clearly diversion tactics that the government is adopting in the middle of a pandemic."Samir Jain, policy director at digital rights think-tank the Center for Democracy and Technology, said threats of imprisonment were akin to "hostage provisions."He added the new rules would "only empower the government to escalate its attempts to stifle legitimate speech and further imperil the future of online free expression in India."Facebook and <keyword id="6355629" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword> have both issued carefully-worded statements in response to the new rules, in contrast to Twitter's strongly-worded response.Google said it would "ensure that we're combating illegal content in an effective and fair way, and in order to comply with local laws in the jurisdictions that we operate in."A Facebook spokesperson told Insider that the company would "comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government."<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/25/whatsapp-sues-india-government/">WhatsApp, which belongs to Facebook, is suing the government</a>, saying the rules would allow authorities to trace the source of messages, a violation of the app's end-to-end encryption.Senior BJP member of parliament and former party vice-president Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, whose tweet was among those labelled "manipulated media" by Twitter, told Insider in a statement: "The refusal and reluctance of social media platforms to abide by the rules and regulations made applicable by the government is inexplicable.""Law of the land is supreme and nobody can disregard India's constitution," he added."Besides, the opaqueness of their algorithms and lack of transparency in their decision making makes their case of taking a unilateral decision of flagging some Tweets totally undemocratic."India is a robust and institutionalized democracy and the Government cannot allow any company to take us for granted."AltNews's Sinha said the government could not continue to suppress its failures over the pandemic."People are grieving. There's anger," he added. "You can't just suppress anger, it's bound to come out."

Social media was a lifeline for Indians as COVID-19 overwhelmed hospitals. But the government wants to censor it.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Aaron Bernstein/Reuters</div></div></div><ul><li>The Indian government is threatening to take legal action against WhatsApp following a string of lynchings sparked by hoaxes and misinformation spread virally through the app. </li><li>There have been at least 20 lynchings in the last two months.</li><li>The Facebook-owned messaging app has altered its app to flag forwarded messages, which makes it clear when information is coming from another source. But WhatsApp's security features means the company cannot simply monitor messages for hoaxes.</li></ul> 25 men were arrested in India on Sunday, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/15/india-police-arrest-25-people-after-latest-whatsapp-mob-lynching-child-kidnapping-rumours">after a 2,000-person mob killed a 27-year-old man</a> over baseless rumors that he was a child kidnapper. The deadly incident was the latest in a flood of deadly lynchings across the country sparked by hoaxes on social media - and now the Indian government is threatening WhatsApp with legal action over them. <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/343723-india-issues-fresh-warning-to-whatsapp-over-lynching-deaths">AFP reports that the Indian government has now publicly warned that it may take action against WhatsApp over the issue</a>, with the information technology ministry issuing a harshly-worded statement on Thursday."Rampant circulation of irresponsible messages in large volumes on their platform have not been addressed adequately by WhatsApp," says the statement. "When rumours and fake news get propagated by mischief-mongers, the medium used for such propagation cannot evade responsibility and accountability.""If (WhatsApp) remain mute spectators they are liable to be treated as abettors and thereafter face consequent legal action."The Facebook-owned messaging app has come under intense scrutiny in recent months over hoaxes and disinformation circulating on its platform, leading to sometimes deadly mob violence. There have reportedly been at least 20 lynchings in the last two months caused by child abduction allegations, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/15/india-police-arrest-25-people-after-latest-whatsapp-mob-lynching-child-kidnapping-rumours">according to The Guardian</a>.WhatsApp's messages are end-to-end encrypted for security, meaning the company cannot monitor users' messages for misinformation or deliberate hoaxes the way Facebook can on its Messenger app. The company is taking some steps to try and tackle the issue, including flagging messages that have been forwarded, to make it clear that the sender isn't the original author of the post. It has also taken out full-page newspaper ads to warn about these hoaxes. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/foil-surfboard-motor-electric-water-hydrofoil-2018-6">The eFoil surfboard lets you fly above the water</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

India threatens WhatsApp with legal action after hoaxes on the app led to lynchings

Many instances in the past have proved that young India loves to raise the red flag. And when it’s about an issue, which is severely harmful for the interest of many, it’s obvious that people will come forward. With Indian Internet users voicing their support for net neutrality in the country, the telecom regulator has received more than 1.5 lakh emails over the weekend . 
 
In the last few hours, at nearly 10 emails a minute, the pace of such emails have touched record speed flooding the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's inbox. 
 "This is completely unprecedented. We thought we'll get about 15,000 emails in 10 days," Kiran Jonnalagadda, one of people behind the campaign told the ET. Earlier, the telecom regulator had sought views from the public on regulating 'over the top' service providers like <keyword id="790242" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="WhatsApp">Whatsapp</keyword> and <keyword id="6377887" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Skype">Skype</keyword>. 
 
The e-mail campaign to protect net neutrality began on Saturday around 3 pm through Savetheinternet.in website. A video created by popular standup comedy group All India Bakchod (AIB) also pushed many users to sign up for the campaign. 
 
The video was shared thousands of times within a short period on Facebook. Because of the unusually high number of shares, the social network mistook it for spam and took it off people's timelines. It was soon restored after many users complained. 
 
 
Net neutrality, or the notion that Internet service providers must treat all traffic as equal, became a topic of heated discussion after TRAI floated a consultation paper on "Regulatory Framework for Over-the-Top (OTT) Services" seeking comments from stakeholders. 
 Last week, telecom provider <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> launched Airtel Zero, a scheme through which companies can pay Airtel and have users browse their service free of data charges. The practice of allowing apps to be free of data charges to the consumer is called ‘zero rating’ in telecom parlance. 
 
By paying to be on Airtel Zero, companies can make sure that their users get free access to their service, while smaller players are at a disadvantage. Airtel has said that zero rating does not violate net neutrality as it lowers the cost of access and it is "non-discriminatory". 
 Many startups are staunchly opposed to breaking net neutrality. "It creates a class system all over again, this time, for people with money," Sai Srinivas Kiran, <keyword id="5645" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="CEO">CEO</keyword> of Tewee, a hardware startup for video streaming told the financial daily. 
 Many politicians like Tathagata Satpathy, Derek O'Brien and <keyword id="205969" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rajeev-Chandrasekhar">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword> have also taken up the issue. In December 2014, Airtel had also tried to introduce a plan to charge Internet telephony companies like Skype and Whatsapp a higher tariff. However, the telecom operator withdrew the plan after public outrage.

​It's 1.5 lakh net neutralists vs Airtel,  Vodafone, Idea

The upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection <keyword id="19032" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bill" source="Orion">Bill</keyword> will drive "deep behavioural changes" among those platforms in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> that have for long exploited or misused personal data, <keyword id="6357801" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="union" source="Orion">Union</keyword> minister <keyword id="205969" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rajeev-chandrasekhar" source="Orion">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword> has asserted. In an interview to PTI, the minister of state for IT and electronics also sought to allay concerns around the issue of government-appointed fact check body, saying the move is not about censorship at all, rather it gives the Centre an opportunity to clarify and respond to any <keyword id="535763" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="misinformation" source="Orion">misinformation</keyword> related to it, something that is critical in a democracy. Misinformation, he said, is not to be confused with right to free speech. The minister noted that misinformation tends to travel 10-15 times faster, and reaches an audience 20-50 times more, than truth. He emphasised that it is absolutely critical that in a democracy if someone says something false about the government, to create hatred, to incite violence, or to just create mistrust, "the government must have an opportunity to say no, this is not true". "So there is no censorship, there no restriction on free speech. This is simply about saying what is patently false, is patently false. And that is certainly not to be confused or deliberately distorted to imply that this is a crackdown on free speech," Chandrasekhar said. The minister's comment assumes significance as the decision to notify an entity that will flag false information posted online pertaining to the government has raised concerns in some quarters on whether it gives government absolute powers. "I think there is some misunderstanding about what it is we are trying to do," the minister said when asked about the issue. "Misinformation is expressly an area that has already been prescribed in the rules as an area that platforms have to do significant work in moderating misinformation if they are to enjoy Section 79 protection. It is already mandated in the rules of October 2022," he said. Rather, the fact check unit aims to help platforms in identifying false content posted about the government. "It is not an opinion. It is not about saying that we will create another narrative about the government," Chandrasekhar added. On the digital personal data protection (DPDP) bill, which will be introduced in the coming session of <keyword id="6354721" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="parliament" source="Orion">Parliament</keyword>, the minister said the draft legislation has undergone a lot of consultation and is designed as "a truly world class piece of legislation". "I have absolutely no doubt that the DPDP Bill will create deep behavioural changes among platforms in India who have for long exploited and misused personal data," the minister said. At the same time, those who have played fair will not get affected, and will continue to do the right thing, he observed. "Those who have done it (misused data), tracked consumers, used cookies they certainly will have to go though deep behavioural change... Those who are already doing it right, have nothing to fear. But those who have, in a sense, lived off this model of exploitation will certainly have to reconsider," minister said. He expressed hope that the bill will come up in the Monsoon session of Parliament. The draft bill - which has seen an overhaul after its withdrawal in August last year - details the citizen's rights on personal data, with provisions that makes entities handling personal data accountable for managing it with safety and security in a responsible manner. "The purpose of this bill is to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises the right of individuals to protect their personal data, the need to process personal data for lawful purposes and for other incidental purposes," an explanatory note of the draft bill said. The proposed data protection legislation allows the transfer and storage of personal data in some countries while raising the penalty for violations. The proposed legislation stipulates consent before collecting personal data and provides for stiff penalties of as much as Rs 500 crore on persons and companies that fail to prevent data breaches including accidental disclosures, sharing, altering or destroying personal data. On being asked about Meta being fined a record-breaking USD 1.3 billion recently by European Union regulators for violating EU privacy laws, and whether India too can look at large financial deterrants for Big Tech for non-compliance of laws, the Minister said idea is not about competing with the EU on size of penalties. "I don't think we are in the business of competing with the EU in terms of the size of the penalty, but the formulation of penalties in this Bill is sufficient to incentivise every data fiduciary or any platform to behave correctly, to follow the law, and do the right thing," he said. The days when platform could exploit the data of consumers is fast coming to an end, he said, adding there are many powers under the bill that have been given to the Indian consumer to interrogate, search, check what data the platforms have. "...and I think certainly it's a balance of protecting the consumer rights, as well as continuing to allow innovation and investments," the minister said. On WhatsApp spam call issue, Chandrasekhar said that the government has called out to WhatsApp and other messenger companies about the problem and emphasised that it is unacceptable. "They have responded with alacrity and responded very quickly. They are searching out many solutions. We have also asked them to give to us what are the overseas telecom carriers from where these originate, so that we can talk to BSNL, and to our own <keyword id="150664" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="telecom-department" source="Orion">Telecom Department</keyword> to make sure that these carriers are also warned that there is unlawful activities originating from their networks, and that if that continues, we may have to look at some kind of a discussion of whether those networks will be allowed to terminate in India as well," he said. The government and players are not adversaries, rather they work in partnership, he said, adding that a safe and trusted internet for 1.2 billion consumers "is good for business, government, and for citizens". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-dominates-smartwatch-market-accounts-for-over-a-quarter-of-global-sales-in-q1-2023/articleshow/100522354.cms">India dominates smartwatch market, accounts for over a quarter of global sales in Q1 2023</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/2000-note-withdrawal-how-to-exchange-notes-is-it-a-legal-tender-and-other-questions-answered/articleshow/100412941.cms">₹2,000 note withdrawal – How to exchange them, is it a legal tender and other questions answered</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-scooters-and-bikes-may-get-costlier-as-government-looks-to-revamp-the-fame-ii-scheme/articleshow/100321089.cms">Electric two wheelers may get costlier as government looks to revamp the FAME-II scheme</a>

Data protection bill to drive deep behavioural changes for platforms exploiting data: Chandrasekhar

<ul><li>88% of the <keyword id="7964423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fake-customer-care" source="Orion">fake customer care</keyword> numbers were distributed via Facebook advertisements. </li><li>Entities in the banking and finance sectors were the primary targets of impersonation. </li><li>There have been instances where a customer lost as much as ₹16 lakh due to a <keyword id="6912356" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="fake-customer-care-number" source="Orion">fake customer care number</keyword>, <keyword id="6269615" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="cloudsek" source="Orion">CloudSEK</keyword> said.</li></ul>When we face any difficulty regarding a product or service, we tend to automatically reach out to the customer service department for a resolution. However, fake customer service calling numbers set up by fraudsters to deceive customers are thriving, as per a report by CloudSEK, an AI company that predicts cyberthreats. XVigil’s (CloudSEK’s risk monitoring platform) Fake Customer Care module has flagged 31,179 such fraudulent numbers, with many of them having been active for over 2 years. The findings show that about 56% (i.e. 17,285) of these were Indian numbers, while the rest were non-Indian. Further, 80% of the Indian numbers were found to be valid and still operational. Analysis of the content present on the source domains associated with each number also showed that entities in the banking and finance sectors (39.4%) were the primary targets of impersonation, followed by those in the telecommunication(31.2%) and healthcare sectors(9.9%). This is an apt modern-day phishing technique, which builds around the trust created in solving customer queries and deceives people into revealing sensitive information, allowing the fraudsters to steal user data. In its report, CloudSEK researchers have analysed a sample of around 20,000 Indian mobile numbers used by fraudsters to run such customer care scams. It found that none of the major telecom carriers, which have vast network connectivity, have been spared by scammers. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Social media channels: Scamsters’ vehicle of choice" comment="subhead" text="Social media channels: Scamsters’ vehicle of choice">Social media channels: Scamsters’ vehicle of choice</cmsannotation> Such fake numbers are disseminated predominantly by social media channels. About 88% (15,271) of the fake customer care numbers were distributed via Facebook advertisements, posts, profiles, and pages. Out of the remaining 12% of the numbers, Twitter emerged as the most popular distribution medium, accounting for 6.2% of the total traffic. Twitter was followed by Google. Despite Facebook claiming to have taken down close to 2 billion fake accounts per quarter, scammers continue to flood Facebook with fake profiles and pages. Social media continues to be the preferred medium for scammers to trick people because it allows them to reach a large user base in a short period. To create an impression of authenticity, scammers frequently include a brief introduction and links to their social media accounts or posts alongside the counterfeit customer support numbers. However, a closer examination of these links reveals that they typically lead users to fake domains and fraudulent Whatsapp or Telegram accounts; and sometimes even the email addresses are fake. Scammers leverage social media accounts to lure customers to call on fake customer numbers, visit phishing sites and send emails from their personal accounts, thus compromising their email IDs. The unwary users search for customer care numbers and may end up calling a fake customer care number. When customers call these fake call centres, the scamsters use this opportunity to retrieve financial information, OTP, etc., from aggrieved customers via social engineering methods – which refers to techniques used illegitimately to manipulate people to perform certain actions or reveal specific information. Generally, scammers try to leverage impersonation and the fear factor to collect money from the victims. Thereafter, the threat actors gain access to the victim’s bank account and purchase gift cards, etc, or transfer the amount to another account. There have been instances where a customer lost as much as ₹16 lakh due to a wrong google search leading to a fake customer care number, CloudSEK said. Fake customer care numbers have been thriving under the cyber radar purely because people tend to be ignorant while engaging with customer care numbers.

You Searched For "indian flag for whatsapp dp" and got 12 results

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It's 1.5 lakh net neutralists vs Airtel, Vodafone, Idea

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You Searched For "indian flag for whatsapp dp" and got 12 results

WhatsApp banned two million Indian accounts during May 15-June 15 period

PTI

WhatsApp has sued the Indian government, saying new regulations could require it to break privacy protections for messages

Anna Cooban

The Indian government wants to build its own WhatsApp for official communication

Prabhjote Gill

India has reportedly threatened to jail Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp employees if the firms don't give up data regarding the farmers protests

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Here is how Indian YouTubers are becoming victims to extortion

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Holi goes online as coronavirus fears keep people at home

Prabhjote Gill

Facebook working with 8 third-party fact checkers to flag misinformation around COVID-19

PTI

Social media was a lifeline for Indians as COVID-19 overwhelmed hospitals. But the government wants to censor it.

Shubham Agarwal

India threatens WhatsApp with legal action after hoaxes on the app led to lynchings

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​It's 1.5 lakh net neutralists vs Airtel, Vodafone, Idea

BI India Bureau

Data protection bill to drive deep behavioural changes for platforms exploiting data: Chandrasekhar

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Callers beware! Over 31,000 fake customer care numbers are out there to scam you

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It's 1.5 lakh net neutralists vs Airtel, Vodafone, Idea