Tag: twitter

  • 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.

  • Elon Musk says he is buying Twitter to ‘help humanity’, not to make more money

    Elon Musk says he is buying Twitter to ‘help humanity’, not to make more money

    Elon Musk intends to collaborate with advertisers as his $44 billion purchase of Twitter is set to close. Musk reiterates that he is acquiring Twitter because it is a pillar of civilization and that doing so will benefit humanity in a statement to advertisers.

    Musk’s appeal reflects concerns that the platform might turn into a swamp of free-for-all commentary once he acquires it and that numerous people with extreme views could have unlimited access to it. With Musk leading Twitter, there is a chance that many advertisers may decide to abandon the platform.

    Musk guarantees in his note that once he buys Twitter, it wo n’t be free for all. It goes without saying that Twitter cannot devolve into a free-for-all hellhole where anything may be spoken without repercussions.

    “In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all,” he tweeted via a note.

    “Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise. To everyone who has partnered with us, I thank you. Let us build something extraordinary together.”

    In the message, Musk highlighted why he is buying Twitter. He says, “The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” he writes. “That is why I bought Twitter. I didn’t do it because it would be easy. I didn’t do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility.”

    It’s the exact explanation Musk initially offered when he first announced his attempt to acquire Twitter for about $44 billion in April of this year. He quickly changed his mind, claiming he was no longer interested in purchasing Twitter because, in his opinion, the platform inflates the number of real, active users.

    Twitter disputed the accusations and sued Musk in court. Later, Musk promised to execute the transaction, and the court ordered him to do so by October 28.

    Elon Musk intends to collaborate with advertisers as his $44 billion purchase of Twitter is set to close. Musk reiterates that he is acquiring Twitter because it is a pillar of civilization and that doing so will benefit humanity in a statement to advertisers.

  • ‘Hold India accountable’: PM Shehbaz, President Alvi expressed solidarity with Kashmiris on Black Day

    ‘Hold India accountable’: PM Shehbaz, President Alvi expressed solidarity with Kashmiris on Black Day

    On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s illegitimate occupation of Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and others have released messages to mark the sombre day.

    “This day is a testament to Kashmiris’ legendary courage and resilience they have shown in standing up to the Indian occupation forces over the last 75 years,” the Prime Minister said in his message shared on Twitter.

    In his tweet, the Premier urged the world to not “turn a blind eye” to human rights abuses in IIOJK.

    Similarly, Dr Arif Alvi called upon the international community to take practical steps to hold India accountable for its “egregious human rights violations in IIOJK”.

    The President reiterated Pakistan’s call for the immediate reversal of the Indian government’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, which stripped the IIOJK of its special status under the Indian constitution.

    In an official message, Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also paid tribute to Kashmiris for rendering sacrifices.

    “October 27 is the darkest day in the history of India which emerged as the worst dictator and colonialist country in the world 75 years ago,” Bilawal was quoted by Radio Pakistan.

    Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman also expressed solidarity with Kashmiri brothers and sisters.

    “The people of Kashmir are still paying the price of this occupation. For the past 75 years, India has been violating the resolutions of the United Nations and oppressing Kashmiris”, the federal minister said in a tweet.

    It should be noted that Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and the world over are observing Black Day today (Thursday). The day will be marked by a complete shutdown and civil curfew by the people in IIOJK.

  • ‘This super 12 is something else’, Twitter reacts to Ireland’s win against England

    ‘This super 12 is something else’, Twitter reacts to Ireland’s win against England

    In a Super 12 match that was hampered by rain on Wednesday, Ireland pulled off the biggest upset of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 so far, defeating the defending champions England by five runs using the Duckworth-Lewis system.

    Set to chase 158, England lost five wickets for 105 runs before the umpires suspended play due to persistent rain, allowing Ireland to pull off an incredible victory as the batting side was five runs off the mark using the D/L method.

    Here is how Twitter is reacting to the match:

  • Pak Vs. Ind: Umpires come under fire for giving no-ball in last over, fans call it cheating

    Pak Vs. Ind: Umpires come under fire for giving no-ball in last over, fans call it cheating

    After India’s thrilling four-wicket victory against Pakistan in a heart-stopping T20 World Cup match, which took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in front of 90,000 exuberant fans on Sunday, fans and experts were left perplexed by a few on-field decisions.

    Virat Kohli led a 160-run chase that proved challenging after India were reduced to 31 for 4 with the score at 82 runs without loss.

    The most crucial gear in India’s T20 machine, Hardik Pandya, scored 40 runs off 37 balls in a 113-run partnership. The pair carried the contest into the decisive over as it was close.

    When Pandya holed out off Mohammed Nawaz’s bowling with 16 needed off the final six balls, Dinesh Karthik faced his first delivery and took a single because the crossover rule was not in effect.

    After some discussion, the on-field umpires ruled that Nawaz’s delectable full-toss, which was hit for a six over square leg with 14 needed off three balls, was a no-ball.

    By that point, Nawaz, the inspiration behind Pakistan’s Super 4 success in the Asia Cup, had lost his composure.

    Ravichandran Ashwin hit the most significant boundary of his career after Nawaz bowled a wide and Karthik was stumped by a quick-thinking Mohammed Rizwan.

    The umpire’s decision to grant three byes rather than declare a dead ball after Kohli was bowled on a free hit left the spectators with a bitter taste.

    It should be noted that ICC rules and regulations permit runs on a dismissal off a free hit. Only after it is firmly placed in the bowler’s or wicketkeeper’s hands does the ball officially cease to exist.

    Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg tweeted: “Why was no ball not reviewed, then how can it not be a dead ball when Kohli was bowled on a free hit.”

    Fans criticised it as cheating, while some threw the law book at the umpires. Here are some tweets:

    https://twitter.com/dadu_charger/status/1584157853644120064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1584157853644120064%7Ctwgr%5Ebb3d2eb969eeab1446a962b758d6a65419401606%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.freepressjournal.in%2Fsports%2Find-vs-pak-umpires-come-under-fire-for-giving-no-ball-in-final-over-fans-call-it-cheating

    Additionally, there were tweets stating that commentator Nasser Hussain commented that “Umpires made some weird decision in favour of India today, but maybe we should keep quiet and not upset the ICC and BCCI,” which triggered another controversy on Twitter and angered fans even more.

    After some time, Nasser clarified, saying that he had not said anything like that and that the fake quotes should be deleted.

  • Aamir, Sonakshi, Karan: 7 Bollywood celebrities quit ‘toxic’ Twitter

    Aamir, Sonakshi, Karan: 7 Bollywood celebrities quit ‘toxic’ Twitter

    Multiple A-list Bollywood celebrities use social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter to interact with their fans on a regular basis. However most of them have been disturbed due to massive trolling and negative comments by anonymous netizens.

    Every now and then, netizens are seen writing abusive and toxic comments under their posts. This month, renowned filmmaker Karan Johar quit Twitter. Earlier, celebs like Aamir Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and others too had deactivated their Twitter accounts.

    Here’s a list of celebrities who decided to quit the micro-blogging site in the past:

    Karan Johar

    On October 10, Karan Johar posted his last tweet and announced that he is quitting Twitter. He has been facing a lot of trolling online. His chat show, Koffee with Karan 7 grabbed a lot of attention like always but this time, people were seen targeting him for constantly mentioning mommy-to-be Alia Bhatt’s name throughout the season. During the finale episode, Karan went on to reveal that even Alia pointed out the same thing and asked him to not mention her. In his last tweet, Karan said that he is leaving Twitter to ‘make space for more positive energies’. His tweet read, “Making space for more positive energies only and this is step one towards that. Goodbye Twitter!”

    Picture Courtesy: Karan Johar Twitter

    Sonakshi Sinha

    In 2020, Sonakshi announced her decision to leave Twitter to ‘stay away from negativity’. She quit the platform after Sushant Singh Rajput’s sudden demise. The actress took to Instagram and shared the update with her fans. Her post read, “The first step to protecting your sanity is to stay away from negativity. And nowhere more of that than Twitter these days. Chalo I’m off– deactivating my account. Bye guys, peace out. Aag lage basti mein… mein apni masti mein! Bye Twitter.”

    Aamir Khan

    In 2021, after celebrating his birthday, Aamir shared a note with his fans to update them about his decision to leave social media. He revealed that he wanted to focus on work and keep himself dedicated to his art. Before exiting, Aamir wrote, “Hey guys, thank you so much for all the love and warmth on my birthday. My heart is full. In other news, this is going to be my last post on social media. Considering that I am SO active anyway. I have decided to drop the pretence. We will continue to communicate as we did before. In addition, AKP has created its official channel! So future updates on me and my films can be found there. Here’s the official handle! @akppl_official. Lots of love, always. a.”

    Saqib Saleem

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    Saqib also decided to leave Twitter and cited ‘bullying and lack of kindness’ as the main reasons. He shared a long note with his fans and thanked them for their love. A part of his note read, “Hey Twitter, when we met for the first time, you were a lovely. A great platform to express feelings, gather knowledge and understand many different points of view. But, of late you seem to have gotten lost in all the hate everyone is so ready to throw at each other, a place of bullies, a place where abusing people is a normal code of conduct. These last few days have forced me to realise that I don’t need this kind of energy in my life, where I wake up to hatred, where kindness is lost. It has made me realise that I need to surround myself with people, things, content and vibes that reflect who I want to be and how I want to feel; energies are contagious!”

    Shashank Khaitan

    Varun Dhawan and director Shashank Khaitan to reunite for Karan Johar's 'Rannbhoomi'

    Dhadak director Shashank Khaitan also quit the platform after Sushant’s demise in 2020. Amid the nepotism debate, he called Twitter a ‘breeding ground for hate and negativity’. His post read, “Done with twitter… just a breeding ground for hate and negativity… very sad that a platform so powerful, could not be used to create a better world… praying for peace and love always… deactivating my account now…”

    Zaheer Iqbal

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    Zaheer Iqbal made his Bollywood debut alongside Pranutan Bahl in Notebook and Salman Khan backed the film. He also bid goodbye to Twitter without revealing any particular reason. The actor is rumoured to be dating Sonakshi. 

    Aayush Sharma

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    Salman’s brother-in-law Aayush Sharma also decided to leave Twitter due to negativity. He took to Instagram and wrote, “280 characters are less to define a human being. But 280 characters are more than enough to spread fake news, hatred and negativity. Didn’t sign up for this nasty herd mentality. Khuda hafiz.”

  • Azam Swati sent to jail on judicial remand for tweeting against Gen Bajwa

    A local court in Islamabad on Monday has sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati to jail on judicial remand in a case involving “controversial tweets” against Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    During the hearing, Swati’s lawyer Babar Awan told the court that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was praying for the recovery of the tweet sent by Swati. He also claimed before the court that the senator had an injury on one of his fingers and had a fracture as well.

    On the other hand, the prosecutor requested the court that a three-day physical remand of the senator be approved. But the court rejected the request and instead sent Swati to jail on judicial remand

    Azam Swati in custody: Court rejects FIA request, extends one-day physical remand instead of eight days

    A district and sessions court on Saturday extended the physical remand of Swati for one day. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had requested an eight-day extension.

    On October 13, Swati was arrested in the early hours of the morning for tweeting against General Bajwa. According to Swati, he was tortured by the investigation agency while in custody.

    Earlier in the day, when the hearing began, the Senator was presented in the court after a delay.

    During the hearing, FIA officials, along with their eight-day remand request, presented the record of Swati’s “controversial tweets” in the court.

    Giving the reason for the extension, Special Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi said that the FIA has to recover the said Twitter account’s password. He also informed the court that Swati wasn’t cooperating in the interrogation.

    Moreover, he said: “The said tweet is not the only tweet as Azam Swati has posted such tweets earlier as well.” He added that the FIA has records of the planned tweets from Swati’s official account.

    PTI’s lawyer Babar Awan also presented arguments, maintaining that the defence admits that Swati did post the tweet in question but there was legal cover.

    Awan said that he had told the senator to not say anything now. “If you want to check anything, check his [Swati’s] wounds,” he added.

  • Man threatens to murder Maryam Nawaz if Khan gets arrested

    Man threatens to murder Maryam Nawaz if Khan gets arrested

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry posted a video on his Twitter handle in which a man can be heard giving threatening remarks about the PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz who is currently in London.

    He said that he has told his family that he would murder Maryam if Khan was illegally arrested.

    The man said that he would prefer to remain a worker and did not want any post in the party. However, he said that he would not like anything illegal done to Imran Khan.

    Surprisingly, when the man was passing these remarks, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri was sitting there, smiling.

    Talal Chaudhry took to Twitter to blame Khan for the threats. “After losing by-elections in NA-108, where Imran Khan himself was a candidate, they are issuing threats now.”

    Chaudhry also urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and police to take action against the threats.

  • PM Shehbaz talks with Palestinian President in Arabic

    PM Shehbaz talks with Palestinian President in Arabic

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif—who is currently in Kazakhstan—interacted with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Arabic at the sidelines of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit.

    In the brief talk, PM Shehbaz said that he is extremely grateful for the country’s help during the flood crisis in Pakistan. To which the Palestinian president said, “Pakistan is our home and Pakistanis are our brothers and sisters”.

    The PM also assured Abbas that Pakistan will continue to raise its voice in the support of Palestine.

    The video is gaining attention, leaving viewers amazed at the Prime Minister’s proficiency in Arabic.

    Earlier, The Current reached out to PM’s Focal Person on Digital Media, Muhammad Abubakar Umer, to confirm exactly how many languages can the premier speak.

    He said that the premier is fluent in German, Arabic and English along with Punjabi and Urdu. According to him, PM Shehbaz can speak basic level Turkish, Chinese, Russian, Pashtu and Sindhi.

    The focal person revealed that PM Shehbaz learned Arabic formally while in exile during former President General Pervez Musharraf’s era. To our surprise, we also got to know that the premier holds a diploma in Arabic.

    Exclusive: You will not believe how many languages PM Shehbaz Sharif can speak

    PM Shehbaz has been the talk of the town since a video went viral in which he can be heard speaking in German with a family.

    In the video, shared by the Government of Pakistan, the PM was talking to a German family in their own language. The family was rescued during floods in Swat. Twitter was stunned at the Premier’s fluency in the language.

    After the video went viral, social media started speculation that Shehbaz Sharif might know more languages.

    According to Abubakar, PM Shehbaz knows a total of ten languages.

    “He learned Chinese and Turkish during his tenure as Chief Minister (CM) Punjab from 2013 to 2018 as at the time he had to engage with Chinese and Turkish officials for China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” said Abubakar.

    He learned German and Russian during the 1970s and 80s for his business dealings. “At the time, he was not in government”, said Abubakar.

    Abubakar also revealed that before going to any foreign country PM Shehbaz hires an instructor who informs him about the cultural aspects of the country, how people greet each other and what social norms are appreciated there.