Social networking service Twitter reported a loss of $145m (£86m) during the second-quarter period from March to June. That is more than triple the loss the company reported during the same period a year ago. Twitter said it had 271 million monthly users - up 24% from a year ago - allaying investor fears that the service is not growing fast enough. Shares in the firm soared over 35% in after-hours trading. "Our strong financial and operating results for the second quarter show the continued momentum of our business," said chief executive Dick Costolo in a statement, noting Twitter's strong user figures during the World Cup. However, in an interview with CNBC, Mr Costolo said that it was not just the World Cup that drove user growth, in an effort to allay fears that the company would not be able to keep the users it gained during the sporting event. Twitter said it added 16 million new users during the March to June period - 13 million internationally and 3 million in the US. … [Read more...] about Twitter reports a loss but growing number of users
Facebook, Google, Twitter agree to delete hate speech in 24 hours: Germany
Germany said on Tuesday that Facebook, Google and Twitter have agreed to delete hate speech from their websites within 24 hours, a new step in the fight against rising online racism following the refugee crisis. The government has been trying to get social platforms to crack down on the rise in anti-foreigner comments in German on the web as the country struggles to cope with an influx of more than 1 million refugees this year. The new agreement makes it easier for users and anti-racism groups to report hate speech to specialist teams at the three companies, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said. "When the limits of free speech are trespassed, when it is about criminal expressions, sedition, incitement to carry out criminal offences that threaten people, such content has to be deleted from the net," Maas said. "And we agree that as a rule this should be possible within 24 hours." Germany last month launched an investigation into the European head of Facebook over its alleged failure … [Read more...] about Facebook, Google, Twitter agree to delete hate speech in 24 hours: Germany
Twitter could take many forms, depending on new owner
With speculation mounting that Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) will soon have a new corporate owner, the 10-year-old social networking service - which has long struggled to define its core purpose -may end up heading in one of several distinctly different directions depending on who ends up paying for it. Companies including Salesforce.com Inc (CRM.N), Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google have shown interest in Twitter, which is working with investment banks to evaluate its options, according to people familiar with the matter. With Salesforce.com, Twitter might turn its focus to customer service communications and mining its database of tweets for business intelligence. Google would likely be most interested in the social and news dimensions of Twitter. Disney, by contrast, might see it as a way to expand the reach of its sports and entertainment programming. It is not clear how quickly Twitter might approach a sale, but it is moving to formalize the process, sources have … [Read more...] about Twitter could take many forms, depending on new owner
Twitter users cheer Thursday Night Football live video
Twitter Inc made a smooth debut with its broadcast of a National Football League game on Thursday, attracting generally positive tweets midway through the matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. The CBS live feed marked the first time an NFL game had been broadcast on a social media platform and the event quickly began to trend on Twitter in the United States. Twitter users on computers and mobile devices were able to see tweet commentary running alongside a video feed that featured the same footage and commentary available on the television broadcast. "In an Uber watching #TNF [Thursday Night Football] on Twitter," tweeted app developer John Shahidi (@john). "The future is cool so far." Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams (@DeAngeloRB) tweeted: "Took 5-seconds watching #TNF on [Twitter] to know this is the wave of the future." Some viewers, however, complained of persistent "buffering" and said that the Twitter video lagged behind the television … [Read more...] about Twitter users cheer Thursday Night Football live video
Facebook, Twitter join network to tackle fake news
The platform to verify questionable news stories will be launched by the end of October. Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc have joined a network of over 30 news and technology companies to tackle fake news and improve the quality of information on social media, the group said on Tuesday. First Draft Coalition, formed in June 2015 with the backing of Alphabet Inc's Google, said it would create a voluntary code of practice, promote news literacy among social media users, and launch a platform where members can verify questionable news stories. The platform will be launched by the end of October, Jenni Sargent, managing director of the coalition, said in an email. Members of the group include the New York Times, Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, Agence France-Presse and CNN. Facebook, the world's largest social media network with about 1.7 billion users each month, has been criticized for its role in spreading fake stories and misinformation. Twitter, with about 140 million daily users, … [Read more...] about Facebook, Twitter join network to tackle fake news