Iran arrests eight for ‘un-Islamic’ Instagram modelling
Source: BBC Iran has arrested eight people working for online modelling agencies deemed to be “un-Islamic”, the prosecutor of Tehran’s cybercrimes court has said. The arrests are part of […]
Naz Shah suspended by Labour party amid antisemitism row
Source: The Guardian Heather Stewart Political editor Jeremy Corbyn has caved in to pressure and suspended Naz Shah, the Bradford West MP, over remarks she made about Israel on Facebook. Shortly before he faced David Cameron in the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon Corbyn had issued a statement saying […]
Does French cinema also have a problem with race?
Omar Sy, the star of “Chocolat.” Photo: AFP Published: 18 Apr 2016 A new movie about the life of France’s first black celebrity is challenging audiences to consider whether Hollywood’s notorious diversity problem is also an issue in France. Born in Cuba to African slaves, Rafael Padilla battled racism to […]
When we mourn the passing of Prince but not 500 migrants, we have to ask: have we lost all sense of perspective?
Could not one of those dead children among the five hundred souls on the sinking Mediterranean boat become a ‘superstar’? Robert Fisk @indyvoices Has something gone adrift within the moral […]
Social media cries foul over Twitter’s new China boss
Source: BBC By Stephen McDonell So Twitter now has a managing director in China – a Chinese woman who used to be in the military – and online activists on […]
Twitter’s role in modern warfare
Source: BBC Virtual warfare is being waged on social networks with the majority of users unaware that nations and militant groups alike are targeting their hearts and minds. Modern conflicts […]
Anonymous may have just released Donald Trump’s personal info
Source: TNW News Earlier this week we brought you news that Anonymous was planning to launch “total war” on Donald Trump. Today, the hacktivist’s fired the opening salvo. The group followed through on earlier threats by posting extensive personal information about Trump — including a social security number, home address, birth certificate and […]
Joel Osteen denies Twitter rumors of Trump endorsement
Source: USA Today HOUSTON — A Texas megapastor is under fire for \comments he made about Donald Trump during a book tour six months ago. On Twitter, some people have said Joel Osteen, the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, has endorsed the Republican presidential candidate. Church officials say it’s simply […]
Anonymous claims Twitter is shutting accounts which target the IS group
Source: BBC Online activists targeting so-called Islamic State on social media say Twitter has suspended accounts which were being used to harass the terrorist group. An Anonymous hacker made the […]
Egyptian student agrees to leave US after Trump comment
Source: BBC A student pilot from Egypt has agreed to leave the US after posting on Facebook that the world would thank him if he killed Donald Trump. Emadeldin Elsayed, […]
Why Twitter Is Struggling, According to One Power User
Source: Time Twitter can be lonely and confusing—especially for new arrivals Yesterday, New Statesman deputy editor Helen Lewis offered a lengthy rumination on why Twitter is having so much trouble […]
Meet Saudi Arabia’s stars of social media
Source: BBC For a nation whose king calls himself “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques”, it’s probably not surprising that Saudi Arabia’s “superstars” of social media are clerics. Naturally, that […]
Inside Medium: an attempt to bring civility to the internet
Source: BBC On an internet full of hurried, scruffy ballpoints, Medium is the web’s fountain pen. We’re told our attention spans are short. That we cannot focus on anything beyond […]
Kids Are Facing Criminal Charges for Using Emoji
Source: Time Cops are taking postings of gun emojis as legitimate threats Emojis are quickly becoming the language of the Internet, but with that power comes a raft of new […]
Saudi man gets 10 years, 2,000 lashes over atheist tweets
Source: Associated Press RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man to 10 years in prison and 2,000 lashes for expressing his atheism in hundreds of Twitter posts. Al-Watan online daily said Saturday that religious police in charge of monitoring social networks found […]
Spain arrests man in North African enclave for promoting Islamist militancy
Source: Reuters Spanish police arrested a Moroccan man in Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta on Thursday, accusing him of promoting Islamist militancy via social media, the Interior Ministry said. […]
New app helps young Iranians avoid ‘morality police’
Source: Reuters A new smartphone application that helps Iranians dodge the Islamic Republic’s “morality police” is proving popular with the young, tech-savvy population but has quickly fallen foul of the […]
Church of England defends prayer tweet for Richard Dawkins after stroke
Source: The Guardian The Church of England has said a tweet it posted sending prayers for secularist Richard Dawkins after he had a stroke was genuine. On Friday, the Church […]
How Social Media Is Disrupting the Lives of American Girls
Source: Time By Nancy Jo Sales Once upon a time, only the wealthy and privileged could afford to have their portraits painted by a small, select circle of artists. With […]
Telegram: the instant messaging app freeing up Iranians’ conversations
Source: The Guardian As Iran gears up for parliamentary elections at the end of the month, an instant messaging app believed to be used by one in four Iranians is […]