Relatives search for missing, grief pours out on social media after Paris attacks

By Raissa Kasolowsky LONDON (Reuters) – Scores of appeals for missing people circulated on Twitter and green “I am safe” ticks appeared on Facebook profiles of many Parisians on Saturday, as an outpouring of shock and grief over Friday’s deadly assault dominated social media. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook were flooded with tributes, messages of condolences and solidarity for the victims and for France, with #PrayforParis and #PrayersforParis the top trending hashtags by far

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Facebook revenue, profit beat forecasts; shares hit all-time high

By Yasmeen Abutaleb and Lehar Maan SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc posted surprisingly strong profit and revenue growth as the world's largest social network grew even larger, with a spike in mobile users and advertising that lifted its stock to an all-time high. The company on Wednesday reported audience numbers that suggest it is poised to take on mainstream media as an advertising force, helping investors to overlook Facebook's huge spending on hiring and building data centers

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Myanmar’s reformist law used to stifle dissent

By Timothy Mclaughlin YANGON (Reuters) – Last week’s arrest of an NGO worker in Myanmar for a Facebook post is raising fears that legislation drawn up as part of the country’s economic and democratic liberalization are being used to stifle dissent in ways reminiscent of laws drafted by the former military junta. Myanmar only began to regain its freedoms of expression from 2011 after 49 years of military rule, and critics fear the arrest of Patrick Kum Jaa Lee for commenting on a picture showing a foot standing on a photo of commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing is a worrying backward step.

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Facebook to launch satellite to expand Internet access in Africa

(Reuters) – Facebook Inc said it would launch a satellite in partnership with France's Eutelsat Communications to bring Internet access to large parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The satellite, part of Facebook's Internet.org platform to expand internet access mainly via mobile phones, is under construction and will be launched in 2016, the companies said on Monday.

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Florida woman charged with felony for allegedly riding sea turtle

Stephanie Moore, of Melbourne, faces a felony charge of possessing, selling, or molesting a marine turtle or eggs nest, a violation of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rules, according to a statement by the Melbourne Police Department. Moore was one of two young women whose photos showed up on Facebook in early July, in which they appeared to be riding a turtle on the beach, police said.

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EU launches inquiry into web companies’ online behavior

By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission on Thursday launched an inquiry into the behavior of online companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon to try to gauge whether there is a need to regulate the web. It is not clear whether the inquiry will lead to any regulation of the Internet in the European Union, but it provides more evidence that mainly U.S

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With ‘$Cashtags,’ Twitter plays greater campaign finance role

By Alana Wise and Ginger Gibson NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – When Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential election campaign took over earlier this year the Twitter and Facebook accounts he had used in his Senate election races, there was almost no-one following him. Now, Sanders' campaign has 1.4 million Facebook likes – more than his rival for the Democratic nomination Hillary Clinton, who is much better known

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Facebook must obey German law even if free speech curtailed: minister

By Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN (Reuters) – Facebook will have to abide by German laws banning racist sentiment even if it might be allowed in the United States under freedom of speech, Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview with Reuters. Maas, who has accused Facebook of doing too little to thwart racist and hate posts on its social media platform, said that Germany has zero tolerance for such expression and expects the U.S.-based company to be more vigilant.

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