(This article is part of Today’s Cache, The Hindu’s newsletter on emerging themes at the intersection of technology, innovation and policy. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here.)
Musk threatens researchers
X, formerly Twitter, has threatened to sue a group of independent researchers whose research documented an increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased last year by Elon Musk.
The Center for Countering Hate has published several reports critical of Musk’s leadership, detailing an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation since his purchase. An attorney representing the social media site, in a letter, threatened legal action against the non-profit’s research and content moderation alleging its publications seem intended “to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims”.
BBC tries out Mastodon
BBC is giving decentralised social media platform Mastodon a try for six months in order to build its presence in the “fediverse” and better understand how much effort it would require to use the platform often seen as an alternative to Twitter.
BBC said its Mastodon server was an “experiment” and that after six months, the company would assess the value of its initiative and work required for daily operations. Mastodon is a decentralised, open-source platform where users pick “servers” which host their data. Servers are organised by general or specific topics.
India’s premium smartphone shipments grow
India’s premium segment grew 112% YoY in Q2 2023, contributing a record 17% to overall shipments. Samsung surpassed Apple, with an 18% share, for the third consecutive quarter even as the iPhone manufacturer led the ultra-premium segment with a 59% share. Making India among its top-five markets.
Overall smartphone shipments in the country declined by 3% year-over-year (YoY) in Q2 2023, down from 19% in Q1. Though the decline was the fourth consecutive quarterly decline, pent-up demand and improving macroeconomic conditions helped the market close at less than expected decline.
Published - August 01, 2023 03:31 pm IST
