social media
All social media platforms including Facebook to be unblocked within 2 hours today, Palak says
All social media platforms including Facebook will be unblocked within two hours on Wednesday.
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak confirmed the development.
Palak shared the update following virtual meeting with representatives from Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, joining from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) building in Dhaka's Agargaon this morning.
Earlier on July 18, internet services were disrupted and access to social media platforms were blocked.
Read more: Only Youtube gets back to Palak; Facebook, others have till Wed morning
2 months ago
US calls for full, undisrupted access to internet and social media in Bangladesh
Acknowledging restoration of telecommunications across Bangladesh, the United States has called for a full and undisrupted public access to internet and social media services.
“We’re aware of some restoration of telecommunications across Bangladesh, but we are calling for a full and undisrupted public access to internet and social media services,” Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Vedant Patel told reporters at a regular briefing on July 29.
This will enable people in Bangladesh – including US citizens in the country – to be able to access critical information, he said.
Read more: Mobile internet restored after 10 days
Patel said that they, both in public and private, continue to call for a “lasting and peaceful” resolution to the current situation.
“And we reiterate our unwavering support for the freedom of peaceful assembly,” he said.
2 months ago
No crossing point for 2 months; man lends ladder to passengers for Tk 5, gets arrested
A youth was arrested on Sunday (March 17, 2024) after a video of him went viral on social media where he could be seen lending ladders to bus passengers in exchange of Tk5 on a highway in Narayanganj .
AKM Sharifuddin, In charge of Kanchpur Highway Shimla Police Camp, said they arrested him after watching the viral video.
Risky road crossing had become a common scene in the 3.3 km area for the past two months as there were no crossing points from the long distance route's road to the regional road which is at least 24 minutes walking distance.
With 3 more demises today, death toll from Gazipur gas cylinder blast rises to 6
For the past two months, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) authority has kept the crossing point at Dhaka-bound road from Kanchpur Bridge in Siddhirganj to Kuwait Plaza area closed. As a result, passengers have been crossing roads by jumping the lane's divider.
According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the four-lane Dhaka-bound road from Kanchpur Bridge in Siddhirganj to Kuwait Plaza area was divided into two lanes with high dividers to stop risky road crossing and to ensure long-distance vehicles' direct route to Dhaka.
A gate was kept open in front of the RHD office for the movement of passengers from long-distance lanes to regional lanes, but the RHD authorities closed it two months ago.
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Narayanganj RHD's Executive Engineer Shahana Ferdous said, they tried several times to enforce the movement of bus services in the designated service line with Highway Police, but they failed to enforce it.
7 months ago
‘Sorry for everything you’ve all been through,’ Zuckerberg says to parents of child victims
Sexual predators. Addictive features. Suicide and eating disorders. Unrealistic beauty standards. Bullying. These are just some of the issues young people are dealing with on social media — and children's advocates and lawmakers say companies are not doing enough to protect them.
On Wednesday, the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies went before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at a time when lawmakers and parents are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media on young people’s lives.
The hearing began with recorded testimony from kids and parents who said they or their children were exploited on social media. Throughout the hourslong event, parents who lost children to suicide silently held up pictures of their dead kids.
"They’re responsible for many of the dangers our children face online,” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, who chairs the committee, said in opening remarks. “Their design choices, their failures to adequately invest in trust and safety, their constant pursuit of engagement and profit over basic safety have all put our kids and grandkids at risk.”
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In a heated question and answer session with Mark Zuckerberg, Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley asked the Meta CEO if he has personally compensated any of the victims and their families for what they have been through.
“I don't think so,” Zuckerberg replied.
“There's families of victims here,” Hawley said. “Would you like to apologize to them?”
Zuckerberg stood, turned away from his microphone and the senators, and directly addressed the parents in the gallery.
“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through. No one should go through the things that your families have suffered,” he said, adding that Meta continues to invest and work on “industrywide efforts” to protect children.
But time and time again, children’s advocates and parents have stressed that none of the companies are doing enough.
One of the parents who attended the hearing was Neveen Radwan, whose teenage daughter got sucked in to a “black hole of dangerous content” on TikTok and Instagram after she started looking at videos on healthy eating and exercise at the onset of the COVID lockdowns. She developed anorexia within a few months and nearly died, Radwan recalled.
“Nothing that was said today was different than what we expected,” Radwan said. “It was a lot of promises and a lot of, quite honestly, a lot of talk without them really saying anything. The apology that he made, while it was appreciated, it was a little bit too little, too late, of course.”
But Radwan, whose daughter is now 19 and in college, said she felt a “significant shift” in the energy as she sat through the hearing, listening to the senators grill the social media CEOs in tense exchanges.
“The energy in the room was, very, very palpable. Just by our presence there, I think it was very noticeable how our presence was affecting the senators,” she said.
Hawley continued to press Zuckerberg, asking if he'd take personal responsibility for the harms his company has caused. Zuckerberg stayed on message and repeated that Meta's job is to “build industry-leading tools” and empower parents.
“To make money,” Hawley cut in.
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South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, the top Republican on the Judiciary panel, echoed Durbin's sentiments and said he's prepared to work with Democrats to solve the issue.
“After years of working on this issue with you and others, I’ve come to conclude the following: Social media companies as they’re currently designed and operate are dangerous products," Graham said.
The executives touted existing safety tools on their platforms and the work they’ve done with nonprofits and law enforcement to protect minors.
Snapchat broke ranks ahead of the hearing and is backing a federal bill that would create a legal liability for apps and social platforms that recommend harmful content to minors. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel reiterated the company’s support on Wednesday and asked the industry to back the bill.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said the company is vigilant about enforcing its policy barring children under 13 from using the app. CEO Linda Yaccarino said X, formerly Twitter, doesn’t cater to children.
“We do not have a line of business dedicated to children,” Yaccarino said. She said the company will also support Stop CSAM Act, a federal bill that makes it easier for victims of child exploitation to sue tech companies.
Yet child health advocates say social media companies have failed repeatedly to protect minors.
Profits should not be the primary concern when companies are faced with safety and privacy decisions, said Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of Design It For Us, a youth-led coalition advocating for safer social media. “These companies have had opportunities to do this before they failed to do that. So independent regulation needs to step in.”
Republican and Democratic senators came together in a rare show of agreement throughout the hearing, though it’s not yet clear if this will be enough to pass legislation such as the Kids Online Safety Act, proposed in 2022 by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
“There is pretty clearly a bipartisan consensus that the status quo isn’t working," said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat. “When it comes to how these companies have failed to prioritize the safety of children, there’s clearly a sense of frustration on both sides of the aisle.”
Meta is being sued by dozens of states that say it deliberately designs features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. New Mexico filed a separate lawsuit saying the company has failed to protect them from online predators.
New internal emails between Meta executives released by Blumenthal’s office show Nick Clegg, the company's president of global affairs, and others asking Zuckerberg to hire more people to strengthen "wellbeing across the company” as concerns grew about effects on youth mental health.
“From a policy perspective, this work has become increasingly urgent over recent months. Politicians in the U.S., U.K., E.U. and Australia are publicly and privately expressing concerns about the impact of our products on young people’s mental health,” Clegg wrote in an August 2021 email.
The emails released by Blumenthal’s office don’t appear to include a response, if there was any, from Zuckerberg. In September 2021, The Wall Street Journal released the Facebook Files, its report based on internal documents from whistleblower Frances Haugen, who later testified before the Senate. Clegg followed up on the August email in November with a scaled-down proposal but it does not appear that anything was approved.
“I’ve spoken to many of the parents at the hearing. The harm their children experienced, all that loss of innocent life, is eminently preventable. When Mark says ‘Our job is building the best tools we can,’ that is just not true,” said Arturo Béjar, a former engineering director at the social media giant known for his expertise in curbing online harassment who recently testified before Congress about child safety on Meta’s platforms. “They know how much harm teens are experiencing, yet they won’t commit to reducing it, and most importantly to be transparent about it. They have the infrastructure to do it, the research, the people, it is a matter of prioritization.”
Béjar said the emails and Zuckerberg's testimony show that Meta and its CEO “do not care about the harm teens experience” on their platforms.
“Nick Clegg writes about profound gaps with addiction, self-harm, bullying and harassment to Mark. Mark did not respond, and those gaps are unaddressed today. Clegg asked for 84 engineers of 30,000,” Béjar said. “Children are not his priority.”
Read more: Facebook parent Meta hit with record fine for transferring European user data to US
8 months ago
How to Increase Facebook Reach, Views Organically
Facebook is a crucial platform for businesses with a huge user base. However, there's a lot of content, and it's tough for algorithms to pick the right stuff quickly. Many businesses are competing for space in the news feed, making it hard to reach people naturally. To do well, focusing on attracting visitors is mandatory. Following the tips in this article can help you reach more people on Facebook.
Basic Strategies to Increase Facebook's Reach Organically
Tailor Your Content to Specific Audiences
Recognize the importance of meaningful interactions and adjust your posting approach accordingly. Always consider the specific users your post is targeting. Publish posts that you believe will be genuinely interesting and relevant to your intended audience. Whether or not a post is sponsored, you can target each of your posts on your business page to a specific audience.
Control Your Posting Frequency
The frequency of your Facebook posts is a crucial factor. Aim to post as often as possible while maintaining quality content. It's essential to keep your Facebook page active to foster growth. Avoid over-posting, as it can become annoying, and don't post so infrequently that your audience forgets about you. Hubspot's research suggests that for pages with fewer than 10,000 fans, engagement per post drops by 50% if you post more than once per day. Consider a guideline of one post per day or up to five posts per week.
Read more: How to Prevent Facebook Hacking: Security measures from Mobile, Desktop
Encourage Audience Interaction
Publish content that sparks conversations among your audience. Facebook's algorithm takes note when a post generates a lot of discussion among a user's friends and may prioritize such posts. Content that people want to share and discuss with their friends holds value.
Time Your Posts for Maximum Impact
The recency of a post is crucial, as the newest posts appear at the top of users' news feeds. To maximize visibility and engagement, schedule your posts to coincide with your audience's online activity. According to Coschedule, the best times to post are between 1-4 pm, with specific time slots based on each weekday. Keep in mind that these times may vary depending on your followers' behavior patterns. You can use Hootsuite to obtain custom recommendations for the best posting times.
Share Longer Videos
Facebook's algorithm prioritizes videos based on watch time and completion rates. Focus on creating videos that capture your audience's attention and keep them engaged for longer durations, preferably over three minutes. Additionally, native videos receive a boost in reach.
Read more: How to Earn Money from Facebook
Leverage Your Top Advocates
Facebook prioritizes posts from person to person over those from pages to a person. Encourage your employees to post about your brand, as their content carries more credibility and authority with the algorithm due to their personal connections. Sharing your brand's posts on your personal timeline can also help improve visibility.
Avoid Engagement Baiting
Steer clear of engagement-baiting tactics, which involve creating posts designed to artificially boost engagement through likes, shares, comments, and other actions. These tactics can result in lower visibility, as Facebook demotes such posts. Examples include asking for reactions, comments, shares, tags, or votes.
Read more: How Do Social Media Influencers Make Money?
1 year ago
HC asks BTRC to remove Tarique's speeches from social media; judges leave courtroom amid pro-BNP lawyers’ loud protests
The High Court today (August 28, 2023) directed Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to remove all speeches and video content of BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman from social media platforms.
Justice Md. Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Khairul Alam passed the order.
However, the courtroom witnessed a chaotic scene as pro-BNP lawyers were loudly protesting the order.
At one point, Justice Md. Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Khairul Alam left the courtroom amid the cacophony. Pro-BNP lawyers were shouting “shame, shame” while the justices were leaving the courtroom.
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As of 2 pm, the justices did not return to the courtroom.
Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Law Affairs Secretary of BNP, said that a no confidence appeal against the bench had been submitted to the Chief Justice.
The origin of this case traces back to 2015 when Nasreen Siddiqui Lina, a lawyer of the Supreme Court, filed a petition seeking a ban on Tarique Rahman’s videos on social media.
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On January 7, 2015, during the hearing of the writ petition, a bench headed by Justice Qazi Reza-ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Saifur Rahman issued an interim order alongside a ruling. The order inquired why instruction will not be given for prohibiting the publishing of Tariq Rahman's speeches.
Multiple government officials and media figures, including the Information Secretary, Home Secretary, Law Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Director General of BTV, Chairman of BTRC, Chief News Editor of Ekushey TV, Editor of Kaler Kontho, and Tarique Rahman himself were made respondents.
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After an interval of eight and a half years, Kamrul Islam, a lawyer representing the writ petition, sought a hearing on August 2.
On August 8, as the case was being heard, a confrontation erupted between pro-AL and pro-BNP lawyers.
1 year ago
‘Your leader studied up to class 8, I completed class 7’: Hero Alom on BNP leader Rizvi calling him ‘uneducated’
Ashraful Alom, popularly known as “Hero Alom”, on Saturday (August 5, 2023) took to social media to condemn BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi’s comments on his “education.”
In a video, BNP leader Rizvi is heard saying: “A crazy and half-educated person like Hero Alom is contesting elections these days.”
Hero Alom published a video on his social media account, criticizing Rizvi’s comments.
Also read: Man arrested for making death threat to Hero Alom
The social media content creator said: “I do not want to speak against anyone. But this is very sad. I have seen the video of BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi calling me crazy. He has also questioned my educational qualifications.”
“I have the right to contest in elections. Nowhere in the law does it say that you have to have certain educational qualifications or that you have to look good.”
Referring to the BNP leader’s comment on his education, Hero Alom said, “I have been called uneducated… You will find an option to write ‘self-taught’ on the nomination paper.”
Also read: Karwanbazar pick-up owners’ association president arrested over attack on Hero Alom: Police
“By calling me uneducated, you’re also calling yourself uneducated. Because, the leader of your party, BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaled Zia, completed education up to class 8. I have studied up to class 7,” he added.
Hero Alom also criticized BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for his comments that, according to him, was belittling.
He said, “Mirza Fakhrul has said ‘people like Hero Alom’ also contests elections, which is belittling. His words imply that I can be ridiculed.”
“Many Awami League leaders, Jatiya Party leaders, politicians, and intellectuals talk about me in a derogatory way as well,” he added.
Hero Alom urged politicians not to demean him.
Also read: Amnesty International condemns attack on Hero Alom
Hero Alom has recently been in focus of political discussion after being assaulted while leaving a polling station in the Banani area during the Dhaka-17 by-election last month.
He contested in the election as an independent candidate.
The physical assault on Hero Alom was strongly condemned by political parties as well as diplomats station in Dhaka, and human rights organizations.
1 year ago
Internet stunned by Russian cat as tall as a four-year-old child
A cat's size is making headlines on social media. Yulina Minina, who lives in Russia's Belgorod area, has the feline as a pet.
The woman continues to post videos of her enormous cat, which she claims is the size of her four-year-old daughter, Anechka, reports NDTV.
Also read: Voices raised against cruelty towards DU campus cats
In the most recent video, the cat is shown standing on its hind legs and reaching for the door handle. Minina stated that the cat named Kefir is a Maine Coon, one of the biggest domesticated cat breeds.
Kefir the cat is seen running outdoors after unlocking the door to stretch its long limbs in the sun before relaxing in the yard in the video. Other films and photographs show Minina, her four-year-old daughter, and Kefir having fun at home.
In one charming video, the duo can be seen resting on the sofa while the child watches cartoon, the report also said.
Also read: Cats strut their stuff on the ramp for first time
"Beautiful, beautiful baby. Wow! Our pets are better than many people. They deserve our love and deep care. Pretty baby I will say prayers to keep you in God's care," one user commented on her Instagram post.
"That cat eats better than a 4 year old Ukrainian girl," said another. "I'm in love with this guy," said another user.
Also read: First of its kind: Cat Show held in Barishal
Maine Coons are domesticated cats that originated in the state of Maine in the United States. They are one of the oldest indigenous breeds in North America and are known for their size, added the report.
1 year ago
Preventing propaganda: CEC, Facebook delegation to hold meeting on Aug 3
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal will hold a meeting with a Facebook delegation on Thursday (August 3, 2023), on preventing propaganda on social media.
The meeting will be held at Election Commission building in Dhaka’s Agargaon at 11 am tomorrow.
Read: Dialogue among political parties needed to resolve crisis: CEC tells US Ambassador
When contacted, Election Commission (EC) Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath said, the Facebook delegation sought time for the meeting.
Asked about the reason behind the meeting, he said, “The national election is approaching. With that in mind, there can be a discussion on how to prevent propaganda on social media.”
Read: US to send pre-election assessment and monitoring team in early Oct: Peter Haas
Three officials from Facebook's Singapore office will meet the CEC. The delegation will be led by head of public policy for Bangladesh at Facebook's parent company Meta, Ruzan Sarwar, the EC official said.
1 year ago
Police constable suspended over beating street child in CTG
Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) suspended a police constable for allegedly beating up a street child for stealing a gas lighter on Sunday (June 11, 2023).
The suspended police was identified as Md Shawkat, a constable of CMP traffic division.
The incident took place around 11 am on Sunday (June 11) at a shop near the police box in Tiger Pass area under Kotwali police station of the city.
Read: 89 sued over police-Jubo Dal activists clash in Cumilla
Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Krishna Pada Roy came to know about the incident after a 30-second video footage of the incident went viral on social media. Later, the CMP commissioner ordered the suspension of the policeman.
Earlier, in the video that went viral on social media, that constable Shawkat was seen entering the shop and slapping the child randomly. At that time, he had a cigarette in his mouth.
Read: 10 held over police-Jubo Dal activists clash in Cumilla
Journalist Abu Sayed Mohammad Tamanna told UNB, "I saw a teenager being beaten up by a policeman for stealing a gas light. If I hadn't protested, he would have killed the boy. The police should be humane.”
1 year ago