Geopolitics in the age of scrolling
There was a time when geopolitics moved through formal rooms. A state issued a statement. A spokesperson read from a prepared text.
The government has extended the deadline for Meta to submit its response on WhatsApp’s proposed username feature by three more days amid concerns over impersonation.
Earlier, the Centre had issued a notice to Meta, seeking a detailed explanation of the proposed feature, raising concerns over its misuse.
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Meta, which owns WhatsApp, was also directed not to roll out the “usernames” feature until the consultation on the matter is over.
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With the latest extension to its deadline, Meta will have to submit its response by July 9.
WhatsApp recently proposed a username reservation feature that is currently under development and being tested. The feature is not yet available to users globally.
Once rolled out, the feature is expected to allow users to reserve unique usernames for their accounts, enabling people to connect by searching for and sharing usernames instead of phone numbers.
Govt to summon Meta officials over Instagram child sexual abuse promotion
In another related developments, the Government will also summon Meta officials over advertisements hosted on Instagram that allegedly promoted child sexual abuse.
According to sources, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw issued the directives after reports claimed that Instagram, the social media platform run by Meta, was running advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse.
The sources said the minister took cognisance of reports that Instagram showcased certain objectionable material promoting child sexual abuse and directed officials to seek a response from Meta.
The ministry will seek an explanation from the US-based technology company regarding how such advertisements appeared on Instagram, one of its social media platforms, and the safeguards in place to prevent the circulation of such content, they said.
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