The Congress on Wednesday criticized the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government for a stampede at the Sangam during the Maha Kumbh, blaming mismanagement and a focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees for the tragic incident. Rahul Gandhi called for reining in "VIP culture" and improving arrangements for devotees. Congress leaders expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and demanded action to prevent such incidents in the future.
The majority of these calls originate from foreign-based gangsters or their associates, using Voice Over Internet Protocol or international phone numbers, they said.
The notices were served following complaints received by the Nanded district administration of poll campaigning-related posts being circulated on these WhatsApp groups ahead the next week's state assembly elections, he said.
The government is in no mood to buy the privacy and security argument pitched by WhatsApp, whereas the American firm says traceability will undermine end-to-end encryption and the private nature of the app, creating potential for serious abuse.
A study published in the journal Environment and Planning F has revealed that cameras and drones originally intended for conservation activities in Corbett National Park are being misused by local government officials and men to surveil women without consent. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge, found that forest rangers intentionally flew drones over local women to scare them and prevent them from collecting natural resources, despite their legal right to do so. The researchers argue that these technologies, deployed under the guise of wildlife monitoring, are being used to intimidate and exert power over women, invading their privacy and altering their behavior in the forest. This has had a negative impact on women's mental health, with one woman interviewed for the study being killed in a tiger attack.
WhatsApp's ambitious payment services' blueprint in India has been caught in a bind over concerns around authentication and its data storage practices.
In the quest for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', Indian Army has developed and launched a secure messaging application named the 'Secure Application for the Internet (SAI)' that supports an end-to-end secure voice, text and video calling services for Android platform over internet, the Ministry of Defence said in New Delhi on Thursday.
Telegram, the new messaging app, is fast catching up on the popularity charts of many Indians. Himanshu Juneja lists top features of the Russian-made Telegram that beats WhatsApp hands down.
The Facebook-owned company has been under pressure for months now to put in place a mechanism to curb fake messages on its platform.
The company was awaiting clarification from the Reserve Bank of India on data storage before it took a final call on data localisation.
Messages sent through Internet-based messaging service providers such as Whatsapp, Signal, and Telegram, as well as those which are encrypted, are understood to be within the Act's ambit.
Tech and startup industry bodies have again pushed back against calls by telecom operators to bring over-the-top (OTT) services under a licensing regime similar to telcos, and open them up to taxation. Ahead of public consultations on the issue later this week, the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), Nasscom and the US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), among others, have written to the government arguing against such efforts.
The announcement comes amid a rise in domestic violence cases due to the ongoing lockdown. It was found that many women who are victims of domestic violence are more vulnerable during the lockdown period.
The company, which was acquired by social networking giant Facebook in February this year for $19 billion, was founded in 2009 by Ukrainian Jan Koum and American Brian Acton.
Will the Draft UGC Regulations 2025 undermine our universities? Unlikely, notes Professor Mohammad Sajjad, citing how AMU has utilised its exceptional autonomy.
The threat message was received on the Mumbai traffic police helpline and an officer read it around midnight, the official said.
Information and Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, after meeting WhatsApp Head Chris Daniels, said the Facebook-owned messaging app has contributed significantly to India's digital story but it needs to find solutions to deal with "sinister developments" like mob-lynching and revenge porn.
The directions follow a report by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, which has seen a new pattern of transnational cyber-enabled financial fraud and investment scam, impersonating as stockbrokers and company executives.
Andhra Pradesh Police are searching for film director Ram Gopal Varma after he failed to appear for an investigation regarding his alleged offensive social media posts against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and others. Varma's lawyer claimed that the director would cooperate with the investigation via "digital mode" as "digital policing is prevalent all over India now." However, police have stated that Varma was given ample time and has failed to show up for the investigation twice. The police are combing every place where Varma is suspected to be present.
Taking note of the concern by petitioners Karmanya Singh Sareen and Shreya Sethi, the high court wished to examine the issue and asked the concerned authorities to file their reply by September 14.
Police are also roping in fact-checking websites to verify rumours on social media and debunk fake news.
Prohibitory orders banning the assembly of people have been clamped in Nandanagar in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district where tension prevailed over a man allegedly making an obscene gesture towards a teenaged girl, a senior official said on Tuesday.
The rise of the messaging app spells doom for the good old Short Messaging Service.
Gates said that fifty years ago, no 55-person company was bought for $19 billion
'Kiran ma'am, Aamir sir and my lovely audience have given us wings to fly internationally.'
The California-based company has been facing flak recently after about a dozen people were beaten up based on incendiary messages being spread on the app through large groups.
How can a film that has a character declare that secularism is an illness be taken seriously, asks Deepa Gahlot.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers for the fourth consecutive day on Monday questioned the former principal of Kar Medical College, Sandip Ghosh in connection with their probe into the rape and murder of a woman doctor.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Whitefield, Shivakumar on Tuesday confirmed that Bengaluru-based techie Atul Subhash died by suicide in the early hours of December 9 following harassment from his wife and her family.
It is very easy to hack your information as WhatsApp doesn't secure your data.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said it has detected alleged irregularities after it conducted raids in a money laundering case to probe 'black marketing' of tickets for two 'highly anticipated' music concerts by British rock band Coldplay and actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh.
Waack Girls, that captures the moods of Kolkata, follows an oft-used template. So there's not much novelty to look for in the plot, but the actors are excellent, applauds Deepa Gahlot.
Bharti Airtel had planned to charge separately for internet-based voice calls provided by Skype.
India's e-commerce market alone is projected to reach $200 billion by 2026, making it a prime industry for ambitious entrepreneurs, explains rediffGURU Harsh Bharwani.
Bank of America has been hit by a whistleblower complaint that its officials in Asia had shared "non-public information" with investors "before the bank sold hundreds of millions of dollars of stock", reports the Wall Street Journal.
P Rafeeq's comment on the burkha led to his studio being razed.
The family of the 34-year-old techie who allegedly died by suicide in Bengaluru, has demanded justice for him and strict action against his harassers, so that his 'soul can rest in peace'.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday dismissed a fake letter being circulated on social media in connection with the ongoing probe into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.
