NEW DELHI: Twitter Inc. is fast losing its sheen as a favored communications tool for many Indian government departments and ministers keen to promote home-grown rival Koo while the US firm comes under fire for non-compliance with India’s laws.
The most high-profile example has been India’s new IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Taking office this month, he opened a new Koo account and soon after announced a review of social media firms’ compliance with strict new rules — information not posted to his 258,000 Twitter followers.
“The idea is to create an alternative to Twitter,” said one government official in media relations, declining to be identified as he was not authorized to speak on the matter.
That sentiment is shared by other ministers and members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who are irked by what they see as a defiant Twitter, a senior person in the party’s IT department told Reuters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist administration first took umbrage with the US firm in February when it refused to fully comply with an order to take down accounts and posts accused of spreading misinformation about farmers protests that have been the biggest display of dissent faced by the government. Twitter argued some requests were not in line with Indian law.
That dispute saw some ministers promote Koo, which unlike Twitter also accommodates content in eight Indian languages, and its downloads surged 10-fold in two days to more than 3 million. Subscriber numbers for the 16-month old platform have since grown to 7 million.
Twitter, which has about 17.5 million users in India, has only seen friction with the government escalate, including over its failure to meet a May 25 deadline for installing compliance and grievance officers mandated under the new social media rules. It has since filled two of the three positions.
It is also now the subject of five police investigations in different parts of India that allege the US company has abused its platform.
Twitter declined to comment on the Indian government’s use of Koo but said it works directly with various ministries and authorities, playing a critical role in disaster management amid the pandemic.
“These institutions and their members seek our strategic counsel to use the power of Twitter by way of training, mobilizing resources, and driving public engagement initiatives,” a spokesperson said.
Underlining Twitter’s reach, Modi, who has 69.8 million Twitter followers, has not yet joined Koo while many government ministers and departments continue to use both platforms even if news on Koo is disseminated first.
India’s IT ministry, the prime minister’s office and the government’s media wing did not respond to requests for comment. The head of the BJP’s IT department, Amit Malviya, declined to comment.
STAGING A KOO
Koo’s growing traction can be seen with the trade ministry’s account which now has 1.2 million followers on Koo compared with 1.3 million on Twitter.
State governments are getting in on the act. The disaster management arm of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, has pinned a tweet telling its 21,900 followers to join Koo — where it has just 992 followers — for “exclusive and latest updates.”
The cold shoulder that many authorities are now giving Twitter contrasts sharply with the past. Modi and the BJP have used it extensively to connect with the public, particularly ahead of the 2014 election, as well as in diplomacy. And in 2018, Modi and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey were all smiles when they met in New Delhi, with the Indian premier tweeting he had made “great friends” on the platform.
Koo says while it has no specific government outreach plan, Modi’s campaign of promoting local businesses has worked in its favor.
“I think it’s a matter of a few more months and you’ll see pretty much everyone is on Koo,” co-founder Mayank Bidawatka said in an interview.
Tech-sector experts don’t see Koo becoming that big that fast but say Koo’s greater local language reach will stand the company in good stead as it pursues long-term growth.
In spats with Twitter, India’s government begins messaging shift to rival Koo
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In spats with Twitter, India’s government begins messaging shift to rival Koo
- After months of tension with Twitter, Indian government and ministers are keen to promote rival Indian app Koo
- Unlike Twitter, Koo ccommodates content in eight Indian languages and reached more than 3 million downloads in two days
Universal Music Group artists to return to TikTok after new licensing pact
- New deal to restore label’s song to platform, increase artists’ protection from AI
- Universal Music says TikTok accounts for 1 percent of its annual revenue in 2023
LONDON: Universal Music Group and TikTok said on Thursday they had reached a new licensing agreement that will restore the label’s songs and artists to the social media platform as well as give musicians more protections from artificial intelligence.
TikTok began removing Universal’s content from its app after their licensing deal expired in January and the two sides failed to reach agreement on royalties, AI and online safety for TikTok’s users.
Describing their new pact as a multi-dimensional deal, the companies said they were working “expeditiously” to return music by the label’s artists to TikTok, and also said they would team up to realize new monetization opportunities from TikTok’s growing e-commerce capabilities.
They will “work together on campaigns supporting UMG’s artists across genres and territories globally,” the two firms said in a joint statement.
The short video app is a valuable marketing and promotional tool for the music industry. TikTok is where 16- to 19-year-olds in the United States most commonly discover music, ahead of YouTube and music streaming services such as Spotify , according to Midia Research.
“Roughly a quarter of US consumers say they listen to songs they have heard on TikTok,” said Tatiana Cirisano, Midia’s senior music industry analyst.
However, Universal Music claimed its artists and songwriters are paid just a fraction of what it receives from other major social media platforms.
The music label says TikTok accounts for 1 percent of its annual revenue or about $110 million in 2023. YouTube, by contrast, paid the music industry $1.8 billion from user-generated content in the 12 months ending in June 2022, according to Midia.
In a move that may well have eroded its bargaining power, Taylor Swift, one of Universal Music’s biggest acts, allowed a selection of her songs to return to TikTok as she promoted her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Swift owns the copyrights to her recordings through her 2018 deal with Universal and can control where her songs are available, according to the Financial Times.
As licensing negotiations resumed in recent weeks, AI remained a major point of contention. Universal has claimed TikTok is “flooded” with AI-generated recordings, including songs that users create with the help of TikTok’s AI songwriting tools.
In Thursday’s deal, TikTok and Universal said that they would work together to ensure AI development across the music industry will protect human artistry and the economics that flow to those artists and songwriters.
“TikTok is also committed to working with UMG to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform, as well as (developing) tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution,” the statement said.
Concerns about AI have grown in the creative community. In April, a non-profit group called the Artist Rights Alliance published an open letter urging the responsible use of the technology. The group of more than 200 musicians and songwriters called on technology companies and digital music services to pledge not to deploy AI in a way that would “undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists or deny us fair compensation for our work.”
The deal comes amid questions over TikTok’s long-term future in the United States. President Joe Biden signed legislation last week that gives TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, 270 days to sell its US assets. TikTok has vowed to file suit to challenge the legislation, which it calls a ban.
More than 170 million Americans use its video service, according to TikTok. Globally, it has more than 1.5 billion monthly active users, according to research firm Statista.
Arab News wins three Awards of Excellence at Newspaper Design competition
- Accolades bring Arab News’ total awards to 125, underscoring its editorial evolution since relaunch
LONDON: Arab News, Saudi Arabia’s first English language daily, won three Awards of Excellence at the sixth Newspaper Design competition.
“The Kingdom’s Bride and Joy” won the Best of Page One award, while “Riyadh: A city steeped in history” took home the prize for Best of Double Page Spreads, and “Accession to the British Throne” scooped the Best of Infographics recognition.
Established in 2009, the distinguished Newspaper Design is Asia’s inaugural newspaper design website, acknowledging outstanding contributions to news design in both print and online media.
Chaired by Mario Garcia, a globally renowned Cuban-American media designer dubbed the “godfather of newspaper design,” this year’s jury praised Arab News’ entries for their innovation and visual storytelling prowess.
“The Kingdom’s Bride and Joy” page, commemorating the historic union between Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Saudi Arabia’s Rajwa Al-Saif, was lauded for its cinematic illustration capturing the significance of the occasion. The judges said: “This page marks a historic occasion and captures the sweep and significance with a polished illustration that looks more like a well-directed movie poster than just a newspaper centerpiece.”
Similarly, the design spotlighting Riyadh’s National Day and Arab News’ Expo 2030 campaign was commended for its innovative blend of landscape photography and illustration, seamlessly narrating the city’s story.
Arab News’ coverage of King Charles III’s coronation ceremony last May earned recognition for its elegant and celebratory infographics. In December, the page was also recognized within the category Supplements for Special Occasions at the European Newspaper Awards.
These accolades bring Arab News’ total awards to 125, underscoring its editorial evolution under Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas, who spearheaded its relaunch in 2018.
Under the guidance of Design Department head Omar Nashashibi, Arab News continues to receive acclaim, recently earning multiple honors at the 59th Annual Society of Publications Designers, including for its feature opener “Onions’ tears and inflation fears” page and custom feature design for the special investigation “Kingdom vs Captagon.”
Past recognitions encompass a range of special projects, including coverage of the “Saudi’s Animal Kingdom,” the “Step by Step Hajj Guide 2023,” and the “FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022” special edition.
For more information about Arab News and its award-winning design, visit https://www.arabnews.com/greatesthits.
Comedian Stephen Colbert defends pro-Palestine college campus demonstrators after Trump attack
- Comedian said protests should be allowed to continue as long as they are peaceful
- Trump claimed 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville was ‘nothing’ in comparison to pro-Palestine college protests
LONDON: American comedian Stephen Colbert has defended pro-Palestinian college campus demonstrators, countering recent criticism from former President Donald Trump.
Last week, Trump likened the student rallies to the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, claiming the latter was “nothing” in comparison.
On his “Late Show” segment, Colbert expressed solidarity with the protestors who are urging their institutions to cut ties with companies profiting from the conflict in Gaza.
The host said that peaceful protests “should be allowed,” rebuking Trump for “downplaying one of the darkest chapters in American history.”
He added: “Now even if you don’t agree with the subject of their protests, as long as they are peaceful, students should be allowed to protest. It’s their First Amendment right.”
The former “The Colbert Report” star criticized the response of both university officials and law enforcement to recent events at Columbia University, denouncing the use of heavily armed police and threats to call in the National Guard as a “classic de-escalation tactic.”
Trump, however, praised law enforcement’s handling of the situation, commending New York City’s police force.
Colbert’s remarks coincided with the deployment of riot police at Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, resulting in the arrest of numerous pro-Palestinian students who had occupied the building.
The raids drew condemnation from advocacy groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. New York City’s mayor reported the arrest of 282 students.
Subsequent clashes between pro-Palestinian groups, counter-protestors, and law enforcement erupted at other campuses across the US.
Meanwhile, Brown University in Rhode Island reached an agreement with protesters on Tuesday, marking what appears to be the first time a US college has agreed to vote on divestment in response to the protests.
Like Digital & Partners opens new office in Saudi Arabia
- Digital transformation agency expands with Riyadh premises
DUBAI: Like Digital & Partners, an independent digital transformation agency with offices in Dubai and London, has announced the opening of premises in Riyadh to mark its expansion into the Kingdom.
The move comes a month after the agency partnered with business expansion platform AstroLabs to extend its footprint in the region.
The new office in Riyadh will underscore its commitment to the region, it said in a statement.
Like Digital & Partners aims to create new jobs primarily in the fields of project management and user interface design. It plans to employ 10 to 15 staff members at its Riyadh office by the end of 2025.
Specializing in the hospitality industry, the agency has worked with resorts such as Atlantis and One&Only One Za’abeel. It aims to leverage this expertise and experience in the Kingdom, which is seeing an influx of new hotels and resorts, the agency said.
Karl Escritt, CEO of Like Digital & Partners, said: “As we continue our rapid expansion into the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) market and beyond, we are delighted to lay down roots in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Having dedicated years to nurturing our business in the Kingdom and developing our knowledge and expertise of the market, we are looking forward to further strengthening our ties and servicing new clients.”
Publicis Sapient appoints new managing director for Saudi Arabia
- Ashwaq Al-Shathri will be based in Riyadh, oversee company’s business growth in the Kingdom
DUBAI: Publicis Sapient, a digital business transformation company, has announced the appointment of Ashwaq Al-Shathri as country managing director for Saudi Arabia.
The appointment reflects the importance of the Kingdom and the Middle East for Publicis Sapient, the company said.
Based in the company’s Riyadh office, Al-Shathri will be responsible for accelerating business growth in Saudi Arabia and building the operational business and community.
She will lead the teams responsible for digital business transformation in the region, leveraging the company’s strategy, product, experience, engineering and data, and artificial intelligence capabilities.
Nigel Vaz, CEO of Publicis Sapient, said: “We’re committed to supporting KSA’s technology-driven transformation and realization of Vision 2030, while also, ultimately, helping position KSA as a leader in digital innovation on the global stage.”
Al-Shathri’s appointment “will directly contribute to our continued business growth as we scale our expertise in the Middle East to better serve our clients and their customers and help them transform digitally,” said Srinivas Devulapalli, managing director of Publicis Sapient MENA (Middle East and North Africa).
Publicis Sapient is the digital business transformation hub of Publicis Groupe with 20,000 people and over 53 offices worldwide. Its global clients include Marriott, Goldman Sachs, McDonald’s, and Walmart, while regional clients include Omantel, Diriyah Gate, and Miral.
