Facebook fines 110 million for lying about WhatsApp purchase

The European Commission (EC) today announced the imposition of a fine of € 110 million on Facebook for providing “incorrect or misleading” information about the purchase of the instant messaging company WhatsApp, an operation to which Brussels gave its approval Good in 2014 and that will not be affected by this sanction.

“It is a proportionate and dissuasive fine,” Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement stressing that such decisions by the Community Executive are a “clear signal” to companies that they must “respect the rules “Of the European Union and provide” accurate information “when they are investigated.

The Commission considers proven that the company Mark Zuckerberg hid at the time of reporting the purchase in 2014 which already had technical developments necessary to link reliable and automatic the way customer data from both social networks, although in the Information sent to Brussels and in a later questionnaire said otherwise.
However, in August 2016 WhatsApp offered in the updates of general conditions and privacy policy of its users the possibility of linking the phone numbers associated with the application to the corresponding profiles on Facebook.

In this context, the Community Executive formally opened a file to Facebook with the sending of a statement of charges in December 2016, in the context of an investigation that is now concluded.
However, Brussels has clarified that this sanction does not affect the purchase operation, which was approved taking into account “a number of different elements” to the ability to link the profiles of users of the two social networks and shuffled in the Scenarios studied to give the green light the hypothesis that they had that technical capacity.
Facebook defends itself
The social network Facebook said that the company acted “in good faith”, has ensured that its “mistakes” were not “intentional” and that it tried to “provide accurate information at any time” to the European Commission.

“We have acted in good faith from the beginning of our interaction with the EC and we have tried to provide accurate information at all times,” a spokesman for the social network said in a statement.

The spokesman added that “mistakes” made in 2014 in the applications sent to the EC “were not intentional” and that “the EC has confirmed that they did not affect the outcome of the evaluation of the acquisition.”

Gmail will allow faster responses with Smart Reply

Google has announced the introduction of Smart Reply in its Gmail application for Android and iOS. Smart Reply is a functionality that suggests to the users answers to the emails that it receives, using technologies of artificial intelligence and automatic learning, thus saving time the time that would be invested in thinking and writing a response.

Smart Reply is able to suggest up to three responses to simple emails, recognizing the message in the received text and generating responses with a natural language at the moment. Also, Smart Reply takes into account each user’s actions, including when he selects or ignores a suggestion, or marks an email as spam, to improve future suggestions.

Smart Reply will also allow the editing of a suggested response to enable users to customize their answers according to their own style, which will also be taken into account to adjust the suggestions that are displayed in the next few times.

So far, Smart Reply has only been available for Inbox and Allo, so this widening of the scope of functionality continues with the trend of incorporating technologies based on artificial intelligence by Google to provide users with solutions to facilitate their tasks. According to the company, this functionality is already used up to 12% of the responses currently sent through Inbox, thus showing its potential.

Smart Reply for Gmail is now available to Android and iOS users globally in English. However Google has already announced that it will introduce this in other languages gradually in the coming weeks.

Instagram continues to introduce more features in its camera

Instagram has been updating its platform little by little and with each change is increasingly resembling another popular social network: Snapchat.

This time Instagram announced new features that match the latest features that the ghost company had previously introduced into the market.


Filters for selfies

Instagram announced the introduction of face filters on the camera , an easy way to turn an ordinary selfie into something fun and entertaining. According to a statement issued by the company, facial filters help users express themselves and have fun conversations with friends.
From math equations to eddies around the head and through hairy koala ears that move and contract, filters can transform selfies into a variety of characters. To see our initial set of eight face filters, simply open the camera and touch the “new face” icon in the lower right corner.

Once the filter menu appears, just tap on the one you prefer and try it out. The filters work with a photo or a video with the front or rear camera – they even work with Boomerang , so you can easily add an unexpected twist to what you share.

When you have finished recording, you can share it through Instagram Direct or add it to the story.

More news on Instagram

The company also announced the addition of a backslash feature where videos are played backwards.

You can also add more context to stories with a new hashtag tag. Simply touch the label icon at the top right of the screen, select and customize the hashtag and then add it to the story. As with the mentions, you can add hashtags using regular text as well. People who are viewing the story will be able to tap the tag or hashtag text to visit the hashtag page and explore related posts.

These updates are available as part of Instagram version 10.21 for iOS on the Apple App Store and for Android on Google Play.

Your Keys to a best digital strategy

The digital world means endless possibilities in all aspects of a business. From how suppliers are contacted, through internal processes and leading to the distribution processes, to the sale and promotion of products and services, the digital revolution has transformed almost everything in its path, opening the doors for an exponential jump In the creation, innovation and efficiency of the processes.

Despite its impact in all areas, it is precisely in the processes facing the client where the possibilities generated by communication and information technologies are more evident, and where having a clear and accurate digital strategy becomes vital. In this context, the marketing area has the challenging task of responding to the changes in the communication channels, which are increasing daily, and of facing the constant changes in consumption patterns that the digital universe introduces.

That is when digital marketing must come into play, to seek to integrate digital media into marketing strategies, sales, communication and advertising companies. Creating a successful digital marketing strategy is a complex and broad task given the number of channels, the diversity of alternatives and the current dynamism of the markets.

Keys to a digital strategy
However, it is possible to list a set of key aspects for a good digital marketing strategy:

Analysis of the product and target market

This is a prime task for any marketing strategy, but sometimes it is not taken seriously enough. To penetrate a market, it is necessary to position and promote the product or service properly, and not having enough information about the market may end up making you lose the chances of having a successful strategy with a really good product. The digital world opens access to a universe of information that will allow establishing benchmarks, knowing the sales behavior of the sector, receiving advice, discovering practical cases and approaching customers to know their preferences and habits.

Set clear goals

Once you have a good knowledge of the product and the characteristics of the market where you intend to penetrate, the next step is to establish a series of precise and quantifiable objectives so that you do not lose your way at any time and you can measure the results. From general to specific objectives, these should collect realistic expectations of what is expected from sales, market capturing, covered channels and other relevant information from the physical world and cyberspace.

Establish and track specialized metrics

Having a set of Key Performance Indicators (or KPIs ) is a vital point to follow up on the objectives set. The digitalization of the processes allows to quantify a good part of the activities that were previously complicated or even impossible to measure; Makes it possible to have a great amount of information that will allow to know if a strategy is correct or if changes must be introduced about it.

Determine the financial viability of the strategy

Knowing clearly the necessary budget and being able to project the ROI of each designed strategy is indispensable to achieve the viability of the same, not only from the perspective of the goals set, but ensuring that every cent invested generate the appropriate return to justify the expenditure.

Fully address social networks

The current penetration of social networks make them a direct channel with customers , on a personal level. Social networks have contributed to increasingly break down the barriers that have traditionally existed between brands and consumers, allowing interaction in real time and as equals. The intelligent management of social networks is vital, while allowing you to be closer to the customer and listen to their concerns and needs.

Keep abreast of new trends

Markets have always been shifting, but in the digital age the changes occur almost daily. The dynamism of the digital world is such that the platforms that today are indisputable leaders barely existed a decade ago, and those who dominated at the time, may no longer exist. To think that the same strategy will continue to work is always short-sighted behavior that can generate a strong backward movement if one is not able to cope with changes in a timely manner.

Beyond the listed issues, the world of digital marketing is based on having a 360-degree view of what is happening in the environment and acting proactively and creatively to adapt to changes. Therefore, having the most appropriate techniques and knowledge for the design, implementation, measurement and monitoring of a digital marketing plan will become increasingly important, not only as a factor that will allow differentiation and growth of organizations, but also Could become an element that ends up being key for the survival of the companies in the present markets.

Cloudflare is warned about leaking personal data on the internet

Cloudflare has revealed that over the past 5 months its website protection services have inadvertently leaked private information over the internet.

The flaw, nicknamed “Cloudbleed,” was discovered by Tavis Ormandy, a vulnerability researcher for Google Project Zero, who has been described by experts as “the worst leaked private data in history.

While there is no indication that hackers exploited the vulnerability, the Google engineer says he was able to collect usernames, passwords, and a host of other private information on key search engines.

 

” Complete messages from a well-known chat service,  (…) Private messages from leading dating sites, online password manager data, adult site data and hotel reservations,” Ormandy published.

The security bug would have affected 3,400 sites worldwide, including services such as Uber, Fitbit and OKCupid. However, due to security risks involved in the situation, only the search engines were notified.

After the bug fix – which took 6 days to be stalled – Cloudflare says it has warned by Google, Bing and Yahoo to delete all traces of private information.

The country blocked the internet & Social media for English speakers

Bamenda is known for its moderate climate, its location among green hills & nature. It is also one of the few cities in Cameroon where English is spoken.

But for months it has been the center of an idiomatic conflict. At least 10 protesters have been killed, schools and shops are closed, streets are deserted and activists using the internet from other regions raising a voices for this city #BringBackOurInternet has been a top trend on their Social medias.

Earlier this year – Jan. 18 – the Cameroonian government issued a controversial order aimed at telecommunication companies in the country: blocking the Internet in Anglophone areas (the Northwest Region and the Southwest Region).

This is the first time the network has been censored in the country. And the measure aims to prevent those affected (about five million people) from using social networks and messaging applications like WhatsApp.

With the restriction of access to the network, the authorities sent text messages to the population, warning that they are exposed to long prison sentences if they spread “false information” through social networks.

Just one day before the censorship, several group leaders were arrested who protested peacefully against the compulsion of French in schools and in the courts, which they consider a marginalization towards those who do not speak the language.

Idiomatic Conflict

Bamenda, the capital of the English-speaking Northwest Region – whose official language is a vestige of its colonial past, first the domination of the Germans and after the British empire – coexists between disputes with the French-speaking majority of the rest of the country.

And the same thing happens in Buea, the capital of the Southwest Region, where much of the country’s digital economy is located, an area that is popularly known as “Silicon Mountain

English-speaking citizens complain that they are discriminated against and excluded from employment.
They also protest because certain official documents are issued only in French and because the legal system is limited to the use of that language.

The language conflict has been increased in recent years by some English-speaking political groups that advocate for the independence of the region.

Although in the African nation more than 200 languages ​​are spoken, the inheritance of colonial Cameroon, which became independent in the early 1960s, is official bilingualism (French and English) that has been tried to promote in schools, althoughIn reality only 20% of the population speak the Anglo-Saxon language . Several cameruns protested on Twitter and on other platforms against the government measure.

Google funds a $4 million to US immigration organizations

Google has started to step against Trumps administration. In response to President Trump’s executive order banning the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, which claims to harm US security interests and reputation, Google has announced a $ 4 million cash fund.

US immigration organizations

“The money will be donated to four organizations: the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Immigration Legal Resource Center (ILRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees / UN Referee Agency (UNHR), “the company told TechCrunch.

The search engine google explained that half of the funds come directly from the company and the other half comes from donations made by its employees. So far, Google has donated more than $ 16 million to refer humanitarian cases since 2015.

 

Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google have all protested against Trump’s immigration veto. Google co-founder Sergey Brin, was seen taking part in a protest in San Francisco this weekend.

Apple will manufacture its iPhone in India

There are still so much population on earth where the smartphones have not reached yet. And manufacturers still have a great opportunity to grow. India is one of them which has a great potential to grow any business. Its a big country with a large population of over 1,200 million, where Apple will start making its iPhone from this year.

This week we have got the last financial statement of Apple. Tim Cook , the CEO repeated once again that India is a country where they should grow their business properly and launch their production locally. Today we know that Apple will manufacture its phone there, confirmed from the Ministry of Technology and Information of the Government of Karnataka, state in southern India.

READ: Stop blogspot blog redirection to country specefic URL
READ : iPhone7: charging is really slow

The iphone manufaturing plant will be in Bangalore, India, a city with almost 6 million inhabitants, Banglore is also considered as india’s own “Silicon Valley”, where there are many of the technology companies of the country .

More than 750 million smartphone expected in India, by 2020

For manufacturing, they will partner with the Taiwanese of Wistron Corp. Apple has clear vision on its mind that the company must has to grow in a country where apple’s smartphones represent only 2% of the market. In the Indian field stands Samsung smartphones and other Chinese manufacturers, but growth expectations are spectacular: it is estimated that more than 750 million smartphones will go in india’s market by the end of 2020.

With this scenario, Tim Cook (CEO of Apple) take positions in India, where 30% of all the components they use should be manufactured domestically, boosting the job oppurtinities and overall economy in that area. Good luck Apple !

WordPress and WHMCS integration by i-Plugins
Drive more attention to your most important website content