Tag: social media

  • ‘Main reason for Imran-Bajwa’s differences is social media’: President Alvi

    ‘Main reason for Imran-Bajwa’s differences is social media’: President Alvi

    President Arif Alvi has offered to mediate between the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    In an interview with BBC Urdu on Thursday, Dr. Alvi said that it is now inevitable that simmering political tension be cooled down and advised political leadership to hold talks with each other.

    “It is my offer to them [political parties] to sit together and then senior leadership can hold talks,” said Dr Alvi.

    The president blamed social media when commenting on the misunderstandings between former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

    Misunderstandings began because of the undue importance given to social media, he reasoned, expressing the belief that the country’s decision-makers “are not able to handle social media properly” and that they should do a better job of it.

    When pressed if the cause of “friction” between former premier and ex-army chief was the appointment of then director-general (DG) of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed, President Alvi said that he would not talk about any specific person or incident.

    “Who was not showing flexibility?” the President asked. “I was asking them to set-aside differences and ignore social media.”

    “People can’t forgive,” he remarked.

    Responding to a question about an extension in tenure offered to the former army chief by Imran Khan, President Alvi said he was not aware of such an offer.

    “This is what I am saying. Remove such misunderstandings by having a dialogue together,” he stressed. “Be it any party, opposition, government or the establishment, I am ready to bring people together.”

    The president said that Khan expressed satisfaction over the appointment of General Asim Munir as the current army chief when Alvi had consulted the PTI chairman. However, he said that he was not playing any role in conducting a dialogue between the current military leadership and Khan.

    He emphasised his offers of negotiations between the government alliance and PTI, saying he had urged them to “sit together”.

    “I am not talking about Imran Khan. I am saying that at least the political parties should negotiate with each other. After that, the major figures of the [political] parties can also meet,” he explained.

  • Elon Musk will step down as Twitter CEO once he finds a ‘foolish enough’ replacement

    Elon Musk will step down as Twitter CEO once he finds a ‘foolish enough’ replacement

    The billionaire Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that he will step down as Twitter’s CEO once he finds a replacement, although he will continue to oversee some crucial departments of the social media network.

    “I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams,” Musk wrote on Twitter.

    Some investors have questioned if Musk is too preoccupied to properly operate his electric vehicle automaker Tesla, in which he is actively involved in production and engineering. Musk’s $44 billion buyout of Twitter in October has been defined by upheaval and controversy.

    After Twitter users chose for him to stand down in a poll that the billionaire started on Sunday night, Musk has now publicly acknowledged leaving his position as the social media platform’s CEO for the first time.

    17.5 million individuals participated in the poll, and 57.5 per cent of them chose “yes.” Musk declared on Sunday that he will follow the outcomes. He has not specified a date for his resignation, and no replacement has been named.

    The survey findings brought to a close a hectic week that saw modifications to Twitter’s privacy policy and the suspension and reactivation of journalist accounts, all of which garnered criticism from news outlets, advocacy groups, and government officials across Europe.

    Musk stated in a Twitter Spaces session that Twitter’s cash flow will achieve break-even in 2023, according to a tweet from Bloomberg on Wednesday.

    Bloomberg claimed that Musk explained the forecast as a result of recent cost-cutting initiatives he has implemented on the social media site.

    Wall Street has been calling on Musk to leave for weeks, and more recently even Tesla supporters have questioned his focus on social media and whether it would be a distraction from operating the EV manufacturer.

    Musk has acknowledged that he has too much on his plate and that he will search for a new CEO of Twitter. But he claimed on Sunday that there was no one in place to take his place and that “no one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive.”

  • Twitter reverses controversial new policy that bans links to other social media platforms

    Twitter reverses controversial new policy that bans links to other social media platforms

    Less than 24 hours after it was first introduced, Twitter removed its controversial new policy that banned links to certain other social media sites on Sunday evening.

    Elon Musk, the platform’s owner, asked Twitter users if they thought he should step down as the platform’s CEO before the development took place. The results of the poll are expected early on Monday.

    Twitter deleted the tweet that listed the competing websites users will not be allowed to tweet links to, including Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Truth Social, in response to a significant backlash against the policy.

    Additionally, it removed a tweet thread from its @TwitterSupport account that had earlier in the day announced the policy.

    Another official Twitter account, @TwitterSafety, is now running a poll asking users whether the platform should “have a policy preventing the creation of or use of existing accounts for the main purpose of advertising other social media platforms.” That poll is set to conclude Monday at 9 pm Eastern time.

  • Twitter will soon delete 1.5 billion inactive accounts to free up name space

    Twitter will soon delete 1.5 billion inactive accounts to free up name space

    Twitter is preparing to delete 1.5 billion inactive accounts to free up dormant profiles and user names on the social media platform.

    Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, stated that the suspensions would free up the “name space” of inactive profiles. He also stated that the accounts that would be erased were “obvious” since they had “no tweets” and “no log in for years.”

    Some Twitter users have expressed dissatisfaction with defunct accounts having interesting and appealing usernames that were captured during Twitter’s formative years.

    In the second quarter of 2022, Twitter counted 237.8 million of its users as “monetisable daily active users,” a measure that suggests they’re active on the platform and are being shown advertisements.

    Musk has already committed to deleting dormant Twitter accounts. He said in November that accounts that had been idle for 15 years would be deleted.

    How long an account may remain dormant before being marked for deletion is unknown at this time. Musk announced in October that accounts that had been inactive for more than a year would potentially be in danger.

    According to statistics from Apptopia, Twitter usage appears to have increased in the weeks after Musk’s takeover. In the first week of November, Twitter saw its highest daily active user count ever.

  • ‘Don’t even know Bipasha Basu’: Armeena Rana hits out at trolls for remarks on her pregnancy shoot

    ‘Don’t even know Bipasha Basu’: Armeena Rana hits out at trolls for remarks on her pregnancy shoot

    Actor Armeena Rana Khan faced flak for being “too western” in her maternity shoot, a netizen even accused her of plagiarising Bipasha Basu’s pregnancy shoot. However, the Janaan star clapped back at haters.

    Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover announce pregnancy, shares maternity photoshoot pics - CINEMA - CINE NEWS | Kerala Kaumudi Online

    While sharing a screenshot from the comment section of her maternity shoot picture, Khan showed how she shut a troll for being a “hypocrite” for wanting her to confide to his perfect ‘desi woman’ standard. “Troll me all you want, I don’t care and will never care,” she wrote reiterating that it’s her online space and she shares all updates with her fans and well-wishers and not with haters.

    She went on to share the brutal comments she has received on the post. A person commented on how her maternity shoot looked like a “Hollywood copy” and that women shouldn’t copy the “Kafir (sinners)” to feel empowered. “Hey ladies, Don’t be like Fatima. She’s a hypocrite,” wrote Khan.

    Triggered by the negative comments, Khan put up a PSA for everyone following her. “Next up, I will talk about my delivery and all of the details when it happens. [This is] my space, not yours,” she wrote in a series of Instagram Stories. “If I haven’t triggered you religious fanatics enough yet, watch this space.”

    She also went on to encourage other women to share their experiences of motherhood, and otherwise and claim their space after a fan congratulated her for finding the strength to do the same. “Claim your space, ladies. Motherhood and all its aspects are indeed beautiful. We should discuss our experiences. Let’s lift the ‘shame’ which isn’t even Islamic by the way, but has more to do with misogyny and our oppressive culture,” Khan exclaimed.

    Khan, on a roll, pointed out the lack of logic in a certain troll’s comment who insisted on her to feel “shameful because she’s a Muslim woman.” She said, “When you see a pregnant woman in public on the streets, do you wear those horse blinkers or do you avert your eyes? I doubt you do either. It all depends on how filthy your mind is,” she concluded her series of posts.

    The Daldal star

    Armeena was last seen in Mohabbatien Chahatein costarring Junaid Khan and Hira Mani.

  • TikTok is willing to open offices in Pakistan: IT minister

    TikTok is willing to open offices in Pakistan: IT minister

    Federal Information Technology (IT) Minister Syed Aminul Haque stated on Wednesday that popular social media platform TikTok is interested in opening offices in Islamabad after discussions were successful. He also hinted that another significant social media platform was also open to coming to the country.

    On Wednesday, he made this statement while speaking at an event in Islamabad.

    He noted that the government wanted social media businesses to establish offices in the nation and stated that TikTok was one with which effective negotiations had taken place. The platform may soon establish headquarters in Islamabad, he added.

    TikTok does not belong to a group of regional social media sites that have resisted government attempts in recent years to exert more direct control over what is posted on the site.

    He made a suggestion that a significant social media site that is a part of the collective has stated a willingness to establish offices in Pakistan.

  • Twitter offices close as hundreds of workers resign, #RIPTwitter trends

    Twitter offices close as hundreds of workers resign, #RIPTwitter trends

    Twitter has announced that its office buildings will be temporarily closed, effective immediately and that the offices will reopen on Monday, November 21.

    Twitter employees were informed regarding the closure in a letter, but the company withheld an explanation for this.

    The statement comes as there are rumours that several employees were leaving after the new owner, Elon Musk, told them to sign up for “long hours at high intensity” or quit.

    Mr Musk stated that those who didn’t sign up by Thursday, November 17 would receive three months’ worth of severance money.

    The corporation said earlier this month that it will be laying off almost 50 per cent of its workers.

    The news that Twitter had temporarily closed its offices today coincided with indications that several employees had already left in protest at Mr Musk’s new contract terms.

    To announce their departure from the company, employees have begun tweeting using the hashtag #LoveWhereYouWorked and a saluting emoji.

    One former Twitter employee who wished to remain anonymous told BBC: “I think when the dust clears today, there’s probably going to be less than 2,000 people left.”

    They added that everyone in their team had been terminated.

    “The manager of that team, his manager was terminated. And then that manager’s manager was terminated. The person above that was one of the execs terminated on the first day. So there’s nobody left in that chain of command.”

    Around 7,500 people worked for Twitter before Elon Musk took over. Thousands of contract workers were also reportedly employed by the company, the majority of whom are believed to have been let go.

    Another person claimed that despite being ready to put in long hours, they had quit their job.

    “I didn’t want to work for someone who threatened us over email multiple times about only ‘exceptional tweeps should work here’ when I was already working 60-70 hours weekly,” they said.

    The richest person in the world acquired Twitter last month in a $44 billion deal, becoming the company’s CEO in the process.

    In response to a query on worries that Twitter was set to shut down after the notification about the closure of Twitter’s offices was sent, Mr Musk tweeted: “The best people are staying, so I’m not super worried”.

  • Social media hater? You could go to prison for seven years

    Social media hater? You could go to prison for seven years

    The federal cabinet has approved an amendment seeking seven-year imprisonment for those who spread hateful content on social media.

    Under the amendment, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been authorised to take action against such people. The final approval of the amendment will be taken by Parliament.

    However, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah decided to consult journalists and other stakeholders on the amendment. The minister said that if the amendment leads to restrictions on people’s freedom of expression, then the government will withdraw the bill

    The interior minister also stressed that if the bill is against the freedom of expression then “we won’t pass it”.

    Sanaullah said people’s private lives are being affected due to social media which is a “serious matter”.

    He further added that the issue is an important one, therefore, the government is hoping that the amendments will not create hurdles in the way of people’s right to freedom of expression.

    Earlier this year, during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tenure, President Arif Alvi approved an ordinance of a similar nature proposing amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016. It proposed a five-year sentence for criticising state institutions, including the Pakistan Army and judiciary on electronic media

    At the time, Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared the ordinance “unconstitutional” and directed the federal government to probe abuse of the law and submit a report. The law also faced backlash from the media fraternity.

  • Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover and what it means for you

    Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover and what it means for you

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has finally closed the $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter.

    The “Chief Twit” allegedly fired Twitter’s senior executives, including its CEO Parag Agrawal and its head of legal policy Vijaya Gadde, on Thursday after closing the $44 billion deal.

    The takeover may bring significant changes to Twitter. The indicators have gotten stronger since the senior management was fired on the first day. Musk has previously made various allusions to the possibility of changing the online platform.

    This might not be good news if you use Twitter and value your online privacy. The platform has struggled with privacy and security issues for years, and it has been slow to put any potential fixes into action. As a result, it’s possible that everything you’ve ever done or said on Twitter, whether it was in public or private, including your direct messages, belongs to one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, a man notorious for being unpredictable, childish, and even vengeful.

    Additionally, it is now owned by a man who wanted to fire 75 per cent of the company’s employees, which might further jeopardise Twitter’s security.

    Noman Javed, an electrical engineer from Lahore, Pakistan, who has been using Twitter since 2010, said that given how immature and erratic Musk has always been, “anything is possible” on the social networking site. Musk has previously stated numerous times that he wants to support free expression and allow people to write anything; although this may sound positive, it can also be risky. As if everyone can tweet anything they want without worrying about being blocked or experiencing any negative effects.

    Javed anticipates that there may be increased disputes and debates on the platform, particularly between Indian and Pakistani users who regularly argue over a variety of topics, including sports and religion.

    According to TIME, when Musk commenced the takeover in April, he wrote CEO Agrawal, “I have a tonne of ideas.”

    Musk lists the preservation of “free expression” on Twitter as one of his key concerns. One of the primary advocates for removing Trump from the platform, Vijaya Gadde’s dismissal is regarded as the first step in that direction.

    After the attacks on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, Trump was taken from the podium. A few other right-wing speakers were banned from the stage for promoting false information and divisive ideas.

    In a survey Musk conducted in March, he found that 74 per cent of users wanted an “edit” feature. The edit button has already begun to undergo testing on Twitter, but it has not yet been made available everywhere.

    Musk has spoken out against the pervasive use of bots on Twitter. Musk said in September that 90% of the replies on his tweets are automated. Even Agrawal was targeted with the assertion that eight out of ten Twitter accounts are bogus.

    He might take action in the coming days based on bots and phoney accounts. However, a Scottish digital university called CodeClan claims that if Musk bans bots, he might lose as many as 13.5 million followers.

    According to Bloomberg, in April, Musk reportedly disclosed to the banks his plans to create features to increase business revenue, including novel ways to monetize tweets that contain significant information or go viral.

    He suggested ideas including charging a fee when a third-party website wants to reference or incorporate a tweet from a verified person or organisation.

    A UCLA adjunct professor named Robert McCann claims that Musk’s public criticism of Twitter and its leadership has caused a “significant erosion of trust” on the website.

    Employee morale can suffer, and it might “spook” potential customers. Additionally, due to the restructuring at the very top, more employees may voluntarily quit the company after the purchase.

    In an open letter to advertisers published on Thursday, billionaire Elon Musk said he wouldn’t allow Twitter to devolve into a “free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.” His apparent goal was to allay users’ and advertisers’ concerns the day before his $44 billion acquisition.

  • Ab teacher ki baari: Teacher gets suspended for taking naps during class hours

    Ab teacher ki baari: Teacher gets suspended for taking naps during class hours

    The Sindh Education and Literacy Department has suspended a primary school teacher in Sabu Kartio who was captured sleeping on camera during class hours.

    Sindh Elementary Education Department took notice of the occurrence and suspended him for sleeping in the class rather than teaching the students.

    The teacher, named Imtiaz Ali, can be seen in the pictures sleeping on chairs and on benches. The pictures went viral on social media and led to his suspension.

    The teacher was appointed at the Government Boys Primary School.

    Shortly after the pictures, he was immediately suspended by the District Education Officer and put on a suspension allowance.