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Tech firms remove social media accounts of a Russian drone factory after an AP investigation
Read full article: Tech firms remove social media accounts of a Russian drone factory after an AP investigationGoogle, Meta and TikTok have removed social media accounts belonging to an industrial plant in Russia’s Tatarstan region aimed at recruiting young foreign women to make drones for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Ukraine bans Telegram messenger app on state-issued devices because of Russian security threat
Read full article: Ukraine bans Telegram messenger app on state-issued devices because of Russian security threatUkraine has banned government officials, military personnel and other defense and critical infrastructure workers from installing the popular Telegram messaging app on state-issued devices.
2 charged with soliciting attacks on minorities, officials and infrastructure on Telegram
Read full article: 2 charged with soliciting attacks on minorities, officials and infrastructure on TelegramTwo people who prosecutors say were motivated by white supremacist ideology have been charged with using the messaging app Telegram to encourage acts of violence against minorities, government officials and critical infrastructure in the United States.
Russian missiles blast Ukrainian military academy and hospital, killing more than 50, officials say
Read full article: Russian missiles blast Ukrainian military academy and hospital, killing more than 50, officials sayUkrainian officials say two Russian ballistic missiles blasted a military academy and nearby hospital in Ukraine, killing more than 50 people and wounding more than 200 others.
France's Macron says giving Telegram CEO Durov French citizenship was a good thing
Read full article: France's Macron says giving Telegram CEO Durov French citizenship was a good thingFrench President Emmanuel Macron is defending his government’s decision to give special fast-track citizenship to Telegram messaging app CEO Pavel Durov.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov's various citizenships add to the mystery of his detention
Read full article: Telegram founder Pavel Durov's various citizenships add to the mystery of his detentionOver more than a decade, the founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram has amassed various different citizenships.
Telegram CEO Durov faces preliminary charges in France of allowing crime on messaging app
Read full article: Telegram CEO Durov faces preliminary charges in France of allowing crime on messaging appFrench authorities have handed Telegram CEO Pavel Durov preliminary charges for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app and barred him from leaving France pending further investigation.
France's Macron says arrest of the head of the Telegram messaging app wasn’t political
Read full article: France's Macron says arrest of the head of the Telegram messaging app wasn’t politicalFrench President Emmanuel Macron says the arrest in France of the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, wasn’t a political move but part of an independent investigation.
French authorities arrest Telegram CEO Pavel Durov at a Paris airport, French media report
Read full article: French authorities arrest Telegram CEO Pavel Durov at a Paris airport, French media reportFrench broadcast media reports say the founder and CEO of the popular messaging service Telegram has been detained at a Paris airport.
At least 4 dead in apartment block collapse following gas explosion in Russia's Ural Mountains
Read full article: At least 4 dead in apartment block collapse following gas explosion in Russia's Ural MountainsEmergency officials say at least four people have died and dozens are feared buried under rubble after an apartment block in Russia's Ural Mountains collapsed following a gas explosion.
Iran's foreign minister accuses US of giving Israel 'green light' to attack consulate in Syria
Read full article: Iran's foreign minister accuses US of giving Israel 'green light' to attack consulate in SyriaIran’s foreign minister has accused the United States of giving Israel the “green light” for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials, including two generals.
Russia’s Belgorod region is under attack again from Ukraine. Why does it keep getting targeted?
Read full article: Russia’s Belgorod region is under attack again from Ukraine. Why does it keep getting targeted?Russia’s Belgorod region has come under increasing Ukrainian attacks this month as the invasion by Moscow grinds into its third year.
Kyiv investigates allegations Russian forces shot surrendering Ukrainian soldiers
Read full article: Kyiv investigates allegations Russian forces shot surrendering Ukrainian soldiersUkrainian officials have launched an investigation into allegations that Russian forces killed surrendering Ukrainian soldiers, after grainy footage on social media appeared to show two uniformed men being shot at close range.
Assad blames Erdogan for violence in Syria and insists on a pullout of Turkish troops
Read full article: Assad blames Erdogan for violence in Syria and insists on a pullout of Turkish troopsSyrian President Bashar Assad has slammed Turkey and blamed Ankara for the uptick in violence in his war-torn country.
Cambodia's leader returns to Facebook weeks after an acrimonious breakup with the platform
Read full article: Cambodia's leader returns to Facebook weeks after an acrimonious breakup with the platformCambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's Facebook account has been reactivated, three weeks after he announced he was forsaking the social media giant in favor of posting on the Telegram messaging app.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen had been a huge Facebook fan. Now he's threatening to ban it
Read full article: Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen had been a huge Facebook fan. Now he's threatening to ban itCambodia’s long-serving, tough-talking leader, Hun Sen, says he is considering banning Facebook in his country, largely because he is fed up with the abuse he receives on it from his political foes abroad.
Oversight board recommends Facebook suspend Cambodian premier's account for violent language
Read full article: Oversight board recommends Facebook suspend Cambodian premier's account for violent languageA quasi-independent review board is recommending that Facebook temporarily suspend the social media accounts of Cambodia's prime minister.
Malaysia says it will take legal action against Meta over harmful content on Facebook
Read full article: Malaysia says it will take legal action against Meta over harmful content on FacebookMalaysia’s government says it will take legal action against Facebook's parent company, Meta Platforms, for failing to remove undesirable and harmful content from its social media platform.
Telegram app back on in Brazil after judge lifts suspension
Read full article: Telegram app back on in Brazil after judge lifts suspensionInternet providers and wireless carriers in Brazil have stopped blocking Telegram after a federal judge partially revised a ruling suspending the social media app over its failure to surrender data on neo-Nazi activity.
Telegram CEO claims complying with Brazil order impossible
Read full article: Telegram CEO claims complying with Brazil order impossibleTelegram’s CEO says the company will appeal a Brazilian judge’s decision to block access to the social media platform in Brazil for failing to hand over data on neo-Nazi activity.
Brazil judge orders temporary suspension of Telegram
Read full article: Brazil judge orders temporary suspension of TelegramA federal judge in Brazil on Wednesday ordered a temporary suspension of messaging app Telegram, citing the social media platform’s alleged failure to provide all information Federal Police requested on neo-Nazi chat groups.
Germany slaps messaging app Telegram with $5 million fine
Read full article: Germany slaps messaging app Telegram with $5 million fineGermany has announced that it is issuing fines of 5.125 million euros ($5 million) against the operators of the messagging app Telegram for failing to comply with German law.
Ethiopia's Tigray forces say Eritreans widen war offensive
Read full article: Ethiopia's Tigray forces say Eritreans widen war offensiveEthiopia’s Tigray rebels say Eritrea has extended its offensive into their region, as diplomats scramble to convene peace talks to resolve the almost two-year-long conflict.
Propaganda, fake videos of Ukraine invasion bombard users
Read full article: Propaganda, fake videos of Ukraine invasion bombard usersTikTok videos, propagandized headlines and tweets being shared on smartphones and screens around the globe are confusing millions about the reality of how Russia's invasion of Ukraine is unfolding on the ground.
Videos hint at Russian information war targeting Ukraine
Read full article: Videos hint at Russian information war targeting UkraineMetadata from two videos posted by Russia-backed separatists announcing an immediate evacuation of women, children and the elderly from Ukraine’s tense border regions shows the files were created two days ago, The Associated Press has confirmed.
Belarus mother imprisoned for 'unsanctioned mass gatherings'
Read full article: Belarus mother imprisoned for 'unsanctioned mass gatherings'The leading human rights group in Belarus says a court has sentenced a neighborhood activist to four years in prison for creating an “extremist group” on the messaging app Telegram.
Germany seeks to fine operators of Telegram messenger app
Read full article: Germany seeks to fine operators of Telegram messenger appGerman authorities have launched proceedings against Telegram that could see the messenger app’s operators fined for failing to abide by laws requiring social media sites to police their users’ actions.
WhatsApp growth slumps as rivals Signal, Telegram rise
Read full article: WhatsApp growth slumps as rivals Signal, Telegram riseFILE - This Friday, March 10, 2017, file photo shows the WhatsApp communications app on a smartphone, in New York. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)OAKLAND, Calif. – Encrypted messaging apps Signal and Telegram are seeing huge upticks in downloads from Apple and Google’s app stores. Mobile app analytics firm Sensor Tower said Wednesday that Signal saw 17.8 million app downloads on Apple and Google during the week of Jan. 5 to Jan. 12. WhatsApp, meanwhile, saw downloads shrink to 10.6 million, down from 12.7 million the week before. In that same period Telegram has seen about 755.2 million installations and WhatsApp a whopping 5.6 billion — almost eight times as many as Telegram.
Cybersecurity expert explains why encrypted messaging apps might not offer as much protection as you think
Read full article: Cybersecurity expert explains why encrypted messaging apps might not offer as much protection as you thinkBoth Signal and Telegram offer encryption services. The idea behind using an app with encryption capabilities is to keep prying eyes and ears from seeing and hearing your conversations. “If you don’t properly vet the people you’re sending your message to, then you’re defeating the point of encryption,” Hamer said. A Sensor Tower representative told Business Insider that “Signal saw approximately 7.5 million installs globally from across the App Store and Google Play” from Wednesday to Sunday. CNBC reports that “Telegram saw 5.6 million downloads globally” during the same time frame, according to Apptopia.
Iran executes exiled journalist who encouraged 2017 protests
Read full article: Iran executes exiled journalist who encouraged 2017 protestsTEHRAN – Iran on Saturday executed an exiled journalist over his online work that helped inspire nationwide economic protests in 2017, a little more than a year after authorities tricked him into traveling to Iraq where he was abducted. Kidnapping and executing Zam, who lived in Paris under what Iran described as French government protection, likely will further chill an already-scattered Iranian opposition across the West. The initial spark for the 2017 protests was a sudden jump in food prices. The 2017 protests reportedly saw some 5,000 people detained and 25 killed. Zam himself had fled Iran after the 2009 protests, heading first to Malaysia and then to France.
Thai authorities seek to censor coverage of student protests
Read full article: Thai authorities seek to censor coverage of student protestsThai authorities worked Monday to stem a growing tide of protests calling for the prime minister to resign by threatening to censor news coverage, raiding a publishing house and attempting to block the Telegram messaging app used by demonstrators. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)BANGKOK – Thai authorities worked Monday to stem a growing tide of protests calling for the prime minister to resign by threatening to censor news coverage, raiding a publishing house and attempting to block the Telegram messaging app used by demonstrators. Police also searched the office of a publishing house that handles books by Thai and foreign scholars with sometimes controversial perspectives. At least one local cable TV provider, however, has been censoring international news broadcasts during their segments on the Thai protests. Despite the spread of protests outside the capital, Prayuth, the prime minister, told reporters the state of emergency will remain only in Bangkok for now.
Facebook, others, block govt requests on Hong Kong user data
Read full article: Facebook, others, block govt requests on Hong Kong user data(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)HONG KONG Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram will deny law enforcement requests for user data in Hong Kong as they assess the impact of a new national security law enacted last week. The legislation criminalizes some pro-democracy slogans like the widely used Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time, which the Hong Kong government has deemed has separatist connotations. That framework gives Hong Kong and its people freedoms not found in mainland China, such as unrestricted internet access. Spokesman Mike Ravdonikas said Monday that Telegram understands the importance of protecting the right to privacy of our Hong Kong users. Telegram has been used broadly to spread pro-democracy messages and information about the protests in Hong Kong. That retreat has extended to the streets of Hong Kong as well.
Iran journalist who fueled 2017 protests sentenced to death
Read full article: Iran journalist who fueled 2017 protests sentenced to deathIn this June 2, 2020 photo, journalist Ruhollah Zam speaks during his trial at the Revolutionary Court, in Tehran, Iran. The judiciary spokesman, Gholamhossein Esmaili, announced Tuesday, June 30, 2020 that Zam, a journalist whose online work helped inspire the 2017 economic protests and who returned from exile to Tehran was sentenced to death. (Ali Shirband/Mizan News Agency via AP)TEHRAN Iran sentenced a once-exiled journalist to death over his online work that helped inspire nationwide economic protests that began at the end of 2017, authorities said Tuesday. The initial spark for the 2017 protests was a sudden jump in food prices. The 2017 protests reportedly saw some 5,000 people detained and 25 killed.