WebProNews

Tag: Time

  • TSA Bans Employees From Posting on TikTok

    TSA Bans Employees From Posting on TikTok

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has banned employees from using TikTok to create posts for the agency.

    According to a report in Time, the policy change came after Senator Chuck Schumer wrote a letter to the agency’s head pointing out concerns over the app, given the allegations it poses a threat to national security. The Pentagon has already instructed military personnel to avoid the app and the company behind TikTok is facing a lawsuit in which the app is alleged to have secretly recorded and uploaded videos to China.

    In view of those concerns, Senator Schumer told the Associated Press, “given the widely reported threats, the already-in-place agency bans, and the existing concerns posed by TikTok, the feds cannot continue to allow the TSA’s use of the platform to fly.”

    TSA has said it never officially recommended or supported the app but, as Time points out, multiple TSA videos showed the TikTok logo. Since Senator Schumer’s letter, the agency has stated that a “small number of TSA employees have previously used TikTok on their personal devices to create videos for use in TSA’s social media outreach, but that practice has since been discontinued.”

  • Twitter Backtracks on Plans to Purge Inactive Accounts

    Twitter Backtracks on Plans to Purge Inactive Accounts

    Twitter made headlines with plans to purge inactive accounts in an effort to free up usernames. Now, according to a report in Time, Twitter is backpedaling following an outcry from users.

    As the social media platform has grown, more recent users have had to choose longer, sometimes convoluted usernames. Meanwhile, some short, lucrative usernames have gone unused for years. Understandably, Twitter wanted to free some of those up.

    Almost immediately after announcing their plans, Twitter started receiving pushback. In some cases, people who had lucrative, but inactive, usernames immediately logged in to make sure their accounts remained active. In other cases, people pointed out that many inactive usernames belonged to accounts of individuals who had passed away and served as memorials to them. Unlike other social platforms, Twitter doesn’t offer any other way to memorize deceased individuals.

    Twitter heard the response loud and clear, admitting they had not considered all possibilities.

    “We’ve heard you on the impact that this would have on the accounts of the deceased. This was a miss on our part. We will not be removing any inactive accounts until we create a new way for people to memorialize accounts.”

    — Twitter Support (@Twitter Support) November 27, 2019

    It’s safe to say Twitter will try to come up with a solution that allows deceased users to be memorized, without tying up valuable usernames indefinitely.

  • Yahoo Has Interest From Verizon, IAC/InterActive, News Corp, Time [Report]

    Yahoo Has Interest From Verizon, IAC/InterActive, News Corp, Time [Report]

    As previously reported, Yahoo is said to be having meetings this week about the possibility of selling off its core business and/or getting more out of its stake in Alibaba Group Holding.

    The Wall Street Journal reported late on Tuesday that Yahoo’s board would discuss these things in meetings Wednesday through Friday.

    Yahoo shareholders haven’t been incredibly thrilled with the Marissa Mayer-led company after three years. Activist shareholder Starboard called on Yahoo last month to put a stop to its plan to spin off the Alibaba stake, which is otherwise expected to happen next month. Starboard wants Yahoo to sell its core web businesses (search and advertising) instead.

    A later report from Kara Swisher, who has a long history of reporting on insider Yahoo information, said Yahoo’s board is behind Mayer and doesn’t want to sell the core web business. Swisher also says her sources indicate the company has already selected a CEO for Abaco Holdings, which is the what the Alibaba stake’s spinoff is called.

    The WSJ has a new report out naming companies likely to explore a purchase of Yahoo’s core business. These include Verizon, IAC/InteraActive Corp., News Corp., and Time Inc. It also says private equity firm TPG Capital has looked at buying media properties within Yahoo.

    Naturally, Yahoo isn’t commenting on any of this.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons