Social Media Watch Thread

[ArjunPandit]

His mother is Malini something, Lutyens liberal journalist type. Not sure about Swamy.

This Koo is unusable on PC browsers. Can't do anything after OTP entry. I keep social software on phone to an absolute minimum, so no chance of joining it till they fix it.

its much better today..

[vijayk]

I work in a bank. Let me give one option to the numbnuts in the IT dept. The remittances from the Indian Ads go through a bank.

One order from Fin Min/RBI to stop the banks remitting to Twitter India is enough.

2nd order, throttle the bandwidth.

3rd strike, ban the app.

Zimble no? All that hawa of hooman rights and Freedumb of exprushion will go out of the window.

Miss Kaul has seen the winds and as a intelligent rat abandoned the free spirited ship.

this is best way to fight these scumbags

Money where you have all the leverage

[vijayk]

cross posting

WhatsApp alternative from national informatics center - Sandes. Its not yet on play store, but you can download the Android/IOS apps from here
https://www.gims.gov.in/dash/dlink

Works quite well. Got employees get a "blue tick" after their supervisors approve their account. They also have a separate "GiEmoji" for typical "Babudom file actions"

The app does all the basic stuff right. Had some feed back, provided and a few minutes back a scientist from NIC messaged back.

Imagine this at scale. Can really transform the way governance is conducted. Do give it a try!

IMHO, more than Koo, this if done right, can transform they way citizens interact amongst themselves and with govt. personnel. Some possibilites, - Integrated payment via UPI, Creating applications, getting updates and updating documents, accessing govt services like pension/ppf etc

This can usher fundamental transformations

[vimal]

I can't get information on Koo's funding model. From some accounts it seems like they are funded by a Chinese startup fund?

[chetak]

I can't get information on Koo's funding model. From some accounts it seems like they are funded by a Chinese startup fund?

very minor holding.

they are being bought out completely and are in the process of exiting entirely.

[Bart S]

Malini Parthasarathy. She and her husband were both high ranking babus and known to be close to Swamy (surprise surprise). How this hotel management grad became a all-in-one defense, strategic affairs, international affairs and politics "expert" i do not know, but i guess in the age of internet and twitter media anyone can be anything. He is routinely invited on Sree Iyer's PGurus youtube channel to rant and fly off the handle against two of his pet peeves - NaMo and BJP, unsurprisingly another preferred guest of PGurus is Su Swamy.

Malini Parathasarthy is part of the family that owns the Hindu and is not connected to AIM in anyway.

His mother is:
https://twitter.com/vsclekha

They are all basically camp followers of Su Swamy (including Sree Iyer) and that explains why they all interview each other half the time and their bizarre outbursts from time to time.

[chetak]

His mother is Malini something, Lutyens liberal journalist type. Not sure about Swamy.

This Koo is unusable on PC browsers. Can't do anything after OTP entry. I keep social software on phone to an absolute minimum, so no chance of joining it till they fix it.

his mother was /is an IAS type on whose face acid was thrown on instructions from jayalalitha.

she was/is living in chennai.

AIM is openly gay.

[mukkan]

glad to see some strong words from government finally

“When it comes to national security, safety and sovereignty, this government can go to any extent as was evident from our action against TikTok,” he said. “We are giving you [Twitter] space to do business in India, not to run its democracy.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/twitter-bl ... 1612932626

At some point, when it crosses red line government should stop over thinking of consequences and take punitive actions to show who is the boss. That's basic strategy of negotiation. If government is too scared of this or that, they will continue to have upper hand. If Indian government was over thinking of consequences, Pokhran or Ballakot would have never happened. Recent actions by Twitter has crossed the red line.

[vimal]

I can't get information on Koo's funding model. From some accounts it seems like they are funded by a Chinese startup fund?

very minor holding.

they are being bought out completely and are in the process of exiting entirely.

Bought out by whom? This is what i find risky about these smaller IT startups, their prime motive is to achieve a certain valuation and then exit asap. What if Twitter buys out these guys? We would have egg on our face all over again.

Also, wish they can change their logo to look less like Twitter clone. Their app is also unstable, features stop working randomly.

[vera_k]

It will invite the wrath of US fining Indian companies operating there or holding back H1bs etc. Everytime EU mulled digital services tax, US has threatened them with tariffs.

Wrong analogy. The EU levied large fines on Microsoft and Google, which were paid. They also made changes to the the business to avoid further fines.

The US currently has issues where fake news is permitted as free speech protected under the constitution. I anticipate some changes will be forthcoming to close the loopholes.

[Vayutuvan]

The EU levied large fines on Microsoft and Google, which were paid. They also made changes to the the business to avoid further fines.

The US currently has issues where fake news is permitted as free speech protected under the constitution. I anticipate some changes will be forthcoming to close the loopholes.

Exactly. When MS tried to argue that IE is part and parcel of Windows, EU did not budge and made them unbundle so that Netscape could compete in the browser space. is a different story that Netscape folded. It was due to the arrogance of one of the founders - Marc Andreessen.

[Vayutuvan]

While the fight is being picked by the Twitter that can be sacrificed, GoI should not forget other behemoths that are not coming out in the open so far. Like Google.

As you correctly pointed out, youtube is the biggy that needs to be reigned in. May be we can start making Vimeo popular to start with and then get our own Youtube clone.

[chetak]

very minor holding.

they are being bought out completely and are in the process of exiting entirely.

Bought out by whom? This is what i find risky about these smaller IT startups, their prime motive is to achieve a certain valuation and then exit asap. What if Twitter buys out these guys? We would have egg on our face all over again.

Also, wish they can change their logo to look less like Twitter clone. Their app is also unstable, features stop working randomly.

saw some interview where the guy said that the company would remain in Indian hands.

If I can unearth any further details, I will post it here.



here you go



Koo has a Chinese investor who is exiting, says founder Aprameya Radhakrishna

Aprameya Radhakrishna, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Koo, said Shunwei Capital was a very small stakeholder in the company and its stake would be bought by other investors.


MONEYCONTROL NEWS FEBRUARY 10, 2021 / 08:30 PM IST

Founded in March 2020 by Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, Koo can be used to express views and opinions on various topics much like Twitter.

Founded in March 2020 by Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, Koo can be used to express views and opinions on various topics much like Twitter.

Home-grown micro-blogging app Koo has a Chinese investor Shunwei Capital on board who is on its way out, Aprameya Radhakrishna, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Koo, told CNBC TV18 in an interview on February 10.

“Shunwei had invested in the earlier brand Vokal. We have pivoted our business and focused on Koo, they are on their way out. They are being bought out by other people. We are a truly Atmanirbhar Bharat app,” Radhakrishna said.

“Shunwei Capital is a very small stakeholder in the company right now which will get bought out. They are in the process of exiting,” he added.

Interestingly, he took to Twitter to confirm that Koo is an India registered company with Indian founders.

"Koo is an India registered company with Indian founders. Raised earlier capital 2.5 years ago. Latest funds for Bombinate Technologies is led by a truly Indian investor 3one4 capital. Shunwei (single digit shareholder) which had invested in our Vokal journey will be exiting fully," he tweeted.

Koo is an India registered company with Indian founders. Raised earlier capital 2.5 years ago. Latest funds for Bombinate Technologies is led by a truly Indian investor 3one4 capital. Shunwei (single digit shareholder) which had invested in our Vokal journey will be exiting fully


— Aprameya R (@aprameya) February 10, 2021

Besides the Chinese investor, Koo also counts investors such as Infosys veteran Mohandas Pai's 3one4 Capital, Kalaari Capital and Blume Ventures, among others, on its cap table. It has raised around $4.1 million so far.

A bunch of Union ministers recently flocked to the local app after the government's intense row with Twitter.

Founded in March 2020 by Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, Koo can be used to express views and opinions on various topics much like Twitter.

Growth was fuelled soon after it won Aatmanirbhar App Innovation Challenge held by the government in August 2020. The app claims to have around 3 million downloads.

[vimal]

Sonia Falerio has another Pissful being hurt in India sob story in Time magazine.

[Thakur_B]

Now that Twitter has submitted a reply that banning accounts will violate freedom of speech for tweeters, GoI should further tighten the vice by asking for explanation for every account banned by twitter. Give them enough rope to hang themselves.

[RajaRudra]

What if Donald Trump join Koo. Its a good window now for Koo to really make it big. Let's see

[sooraj]

Deleted video of THE STRING . Rathee | Greta thunberg (exposed)

[chetak]

[darshan]

GoI should lay down framework for any deletion and user rights. Companies like Google are notorious when it comes to harassing by taking over and deleting your accounts without any explanation. Or in many cases they just label it with inappropriate content detected and then user would naturally just give up the fight.

Get these companies to spend money to comply with no auto deletion, transparency, human appeals, user's right to data, etc.

Even people like this aren't spared for trying to connect anything to indic: https://youtu.be/qQqy4qcC6Co

IIRC, chandel was never able to recover his original channel with his own videos with his face in it.

A biased algorithm at YouTube can easily allow money circulation in legal and white manners.

[Kaivalya]

Here are Jack Dorseys lies called out :

https://swarajyamag.com/ideas/twitters-jack-dorsey-is-a-consummate-hypocrite-if-not-an-outright-liar


First, India’s free speech laws are not absolute, and have several clauses that allow its curtailment. So, a government which wants to deactivate hashtags that allege that a genocide is being planned cannot be said to be acting outside the broad spirit of the law. Of course, Dorsey can go to the courts to confirm his reading of Indian free speech laws, but prima facie he cannot be right.
Moreover, it is far from certain that an intermediary like Twitter can exercise the same censorship functions as a news publication. If Dorsey does not claim to be a publication, he must comply with the government’s directions before challenging it in court.
Even otherwise, he may be misinformed about Indian law. In India, the government bans some forms of content, such as websites that carry *****. You can’t also publish wrong maps of India without courting jail. Elsewhere, all this may be waved through as part of free speech or expression, but not in India. So, no, Twitter is not playing by Indian law. That is lie No 1, or half-truth No 1.
Second, Dorsey’s statement suggests that he gives a free pass to politicians and activists, and news media and journalists. What a joke, coming from the man who deplatformed a sitting US President just last month. Either Dorsey believes that Donald Trump does not qualify as a politician, or he believes that he has the right to censor some politicians whom he dislikes. That’s lie No 2.
Third, Dorsey seems to suggest that some categories of users on his platform, including journalists, are special. This is nonsense. Every citizen, whether a journalist or a politician or activist, has the same right to free speech as anyone else. So, if someone is publishing inflammatory material, he can be banned as much as any ordinary citizen doing so.

[vijayk]

Aprameya R
@aprameya
·
Feb 10
Koo is an India registered company with Indian founders. Raised earlier capital 2.5 years ago. Latest funds for Bombinate Technologies is led by a truly Indian investor 3one4 capital. Shunwei (single digit shareholder) which had invested in our Vokal journey will be exiting

[m_saini]

Lucasfilm Calls Gina Carano Social Media Posts “Abhorrent”; Actress No Longer Employed By ‘Mandalorian’ Studio

The actress shared a TikTok post comparing the current divided political climate in the U.S. to Nazi Germany.

“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views,” she wrote.

The hashtag #FireGinaCarano begin trending, with those on social media tagging Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau, Disney, Disney+, Star Wars and Lucasfilm.

While I have no love for bimbos like Gina, this highlights that FoE doesn't extend to everything even in khanland. Also highlights that if you want holly(bolly)tards to stop sticking their noses where they don't belong, you need to go after their money through studios that employ them.

In India, Gina would've said sowwie, shed some corcodile tears and everything would've been back to naarmal.

[AkshaySG]

What if Donald Trump join Koo. Its a good window now for Koo to really make it big. Let's see

Thanks but no thanks.. Let that idiot and crazy followers stay away from Koo

Would bring nothing but a whole bunch of Qanon conspiracy nuts... You should have seen the stuff they were writing on Parler (their attempt at a separate SM)

I don't understand this obsession of the Indian RW to align itself with Donald and the R's.... Does us no good apart from further destroying our image. Modi is a far more sophisticated, accomplished, knowledgeable and professional leader than DT so let's just let him be the leading voice in the room

[asgkhan]

Amreeki R/W are all bible thumping, pagan hating, conspiracists. No thanks. Lets keep the India wing safe from these loonies.

[Ambar]

Still no luck receiving OTP from KooApp, hope they sort out these niggles soon.

[darshan]

Ramping up cloud infrastructure will be bit of a pain at the moment's notice in India. GoI should start encouraging cloud infrastructure to allow some Indian company to tackle big ones. Definitely there needs to be a policy to not allow any chinese investment. They can invest without any access to company management or employees. Certainly can't be at any location physically. no chinese period at any startup of importance.

[chetak]

this option is very much open to India too.


Turkey slaps advertising ban on Twitter with new social media law

Turkey has hit Twitter, Pinterest and Periscope with advertising bans after they failed to follow Facebook and appoint a local representative to take down contentious posts under a new media law published on Tuesday.

Under the law, which critics say stifles dissent, social media companies that do not appoint such representatives are liable for a series of penalties, including the move by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) to impose advertising bans.

The latest decision in the country’s Official Gazette said the bans went into effect from Tuesday. Twitter, its live-streaming app Periscope, and image-sharing app Pinterest were not immediately available for comment.

The new law allows authorities to remove content from platforms, rather than blocking access as they did in the past. This has raised concerns as people have turned to online platforms in the past years since Ankara tightened its grip on mainstream media after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan survived a coup attempt in 2016.

In previous months, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter faced millions of dollars in fines in Turkey for not complying. Companies that do not abide by the law will ultimately have their bandwidth slashed, essentially blocking access.

[vijayk]

विनोद शर्मा @vinod_sharma
Yes, once the PM moves to Koo, he will likely use Twitter only for greetings and messages to world leaders.
Koo will become preferred platform for meaningful exchanges, social, ideological, political, among Indians. This could compel others too to listen in/engage on Koo.

Minhaz Merchant
@MinhazMerchant Feb 10
These intellectually challenged politicians don’t know the power of 2. Twitter for global reach. Koo for broader local penetration. Best of both worlds. Not either/or.

[mukkan]

Twitter complies with govt request, blocks 97% handles
The breakthrough in the deadlock came after IT secretary..
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ind ... 871588.cms

[uddu]

Twitter complies with govt request, blocks 97% handles
The breakthrough in the deadlock came after IT secretary..
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ind ... 871588.cms

This is not compliance. Until 100%, you could not call it compliance.

[vera_k]

Twitter vs India

An important distinction in India is that the order came from a government ministry — not a court. Twitter is saying that India’s demands to block accounts or remove posts didn’t come through the regular rule of law.

The European Union’s proposed Digital Services Act is quite sophisticated legislation on this.

[mukkan]

Just like investment for roads and other infrastructure, government needs to ramp up investment and also encourage private companies also to invest by giving tax holidays and other incentives. Physical infrastructure can be easily made in 6 months to 1 year but software will take longer.

Ramping up cloud infrastructure will be bit of a pain at the moment's notice in India. GoI should start encouraging cloud infrastructure to allow some Indian company to tackle big ones. Definitely there needs to be a policy to not allow any chinese investment. They can invest without any access to company management or employees. Certainly can't be at any location physically. no chinese period at any startup of importance.

[RajaRudra]

What if Donald Trump join Koo. Its a good window now for Koo to really make it big. Let's see

Thanks but no thanks.. Let that idiot and crazy followers stay away from Koo

Would bring nothing but a whole bunch of Qanon conspiracy nuts... You should have seen the stuff they were writing on Parler (their attempt at a separate SM)

I don't understand this obsession of the Indian RW to align itself with Donald and the R's.... Does us no good apart from further destroying our image. Modi is a far more sophisticated, accomplished, knowledgeable and professional leader than DT so let's just let him be the leading voice in the room

I am not obsessed with Trump. All i thought of it as a good move to mop up the big chunk of users in USA and that will be good for the financials of Koo and will be utilized for broader infra update (for koo).

[chetak]

ditto for India

this is not a difficult concept to grasp, even for jack on crack and twitter, both from the great democracy of the US or even any other big tech companies from there

[darshan]

Twitter is something that can be sacrificed or is past its use as a weapon. However, one should not forget the other big weapons.

Twitter continues purge of conservative voices, permanently bans journalist group Project Veritas for exposing Big Tech corruption
https://www.opindia.com/2021/02/twitter ... t-veritas/

Not only Twitter but there are many US corporations that have no chinese presence but comply with chinese laws but ignore Indian laws while profiting from India. GoI should open investigations against these corporations.

As Twitter talks tall about FoE in India, read how its board had ‘expert’ close to China and how it possibly led to censorship
https://www.opindia.com/2021/02/twitter ... ensorship/

[bharathp]

Twitter vs India

An important distinction in India is that the order came from a government ministry — not a court. Twitter is saying that India’s demands to block accounts or remove posts didn’t come through the regular rule of law.

The European Union’s proposed Digital Services Act is quite sophisticated legislation on this.

that logic applies backwards too. twitter cannot delete/deplatform folks without a court order.

[darshan]

Nothing but losses. If this is not the definition of a weapon then not sure what is. All have nice stories about how they came about in existence like terrorists do.

Twitter reports $1.14 billion loss in 2020, sees recovery in the fourth quarter
https://www.opindia.com/2021/02/twitter ... year-2020/

[darshan]

Sleazy also funds soft core artist rihanna.

Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey have partnered on a new bitcoin endowment and are now looking for board members
https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter ... ent-2021-2
Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey on Thursday announced a partnership with Jay-Z to start a bitcoin endowment, which will be focused on developing the cryptocurrency in India and Africa.
....

[vera_k]

that logic applies backwards too. twitter cannot delete/deplatform folks without a court order.

That may make sense, but there's no law or regulation requiring that. Twitter is not a government, so its actions are not held to the same standard.

[Suraj]

Twitter vs India

An important distinction in India is that the order came from a government ministry — not a court. Twitter is saying that India’s demands to block accounts or remove posts didn’t come through the regular rule of law.

The European Union’s proposed Digital Services Act is quite sophisticated legislation on this.

An order coming from the Executive arm of Government is not 'regular rule of law' ? These numpties don't appear to know what 'Executive' means.