Latest news with #XPremium
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
X Adds New Elements to its Grok AI Chatbot
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. xAI continues to expand the functionality of its Grok chatbot, with Grok now able to generate charts, while also translating rough sketches as an input. Grok's charts function enables to you build good-looking data visualizations, based on data inputs, or information gathered by Grok. So now, you just need to upload a dataset, and Grok will be able to translate it into visuals for you, though it's still somewhat experimental, and I'd advise that you double-check the listings in any generated chart for accuracy. Grok's also added a new 'Draw a sketch' input option, which will provide another way to communicate your ideas to the bot. So if you're struggling to communicate what you mean, you can now also use basic images to further illustrate your meaning. Literally. These are handy updates, that'll add to the functionality of X's AI bot, though it remains to be seen just how many people are interested in using X's AI tools. Grok usage doesn't appear to be a key focus for X users, though more people are now referring to Grok within their X chats. Part of the adoption challenge, however, could be that Grok was originally only available to paying users, so it's not a habitual reference point, and many users are likely still unaware that they can now ask Grok questions, even if they're not X Premium subscribers. X doesn't have a PR or advertising department, so it could be that it hasn't been able to maximize its messaging on this front. X also launched its standalone Grok app in January, and while it's lingering around the top 100 apps for total downloads on iOS, it hasn't reached the top apps at any stage as yet. We don't know, exactly, because X doesn't share much official usage data. But presumably, Grok usage is rising over time, though I doubt it's seeing anywhere near the adoption of Meta's AI chatbot, Google's Search queries, or ChatGPT. xAI, however, may well be on track to gain some major government contracts, as part of Elon Musk's DOGE government reform group. As part of its optimization process, the DOGE team is looking to integrate AI into government departments, and I'd hazard a guess that xAI will get the inside running on any supply contracts. So maybe, usage of Grok itself isn't a major focus for xAI at this stage, though its steady addition of new features could make it a more valuable, viable option over time. Either way, some handy new features, which could be worth trying out. Recommended Reading Instagram's Replacing 'Stars' with 'Flags' in Direct Messages Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Terrorists granted paid accounts, blue checks on X: Report
U.S.-sanctioned terrorist organizations appear to be enjoying the perks of paid, premium accounts and verified blue check marks on the social media platform X, a potential violation of U.S. sanctions, according to a report published Thursday. The social media giant has accepted payments from individuals who appear to be affiliated with Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the Hamas militant group, among others, for paid accounts in a move strictly prohibited by the U.S. government, said the Tech Transparency Project, a research organization that seeks to hold big tech companies accountable. 'The findings add to questions, first raised by [Tech Transparency Project] in February 2024, about X's adherence to sanctions designed to protect U.S. national interests, even as the company maintains it has a 'robust and secure' approach to its monetization features,' the report reads. People or groups sanctioned by the U.S. government are prohibited from engaging in transactions with U.S. companies, per the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC. X's terms of service states that the company is aligned with these restrictions and premium membership will not be granted to anyone sanctioned by the OFAC. However, multiple U.S.-deemed terrorist organizations sanctioned by the OFAC have X Premium or blue check verified accounts, the report said. Approval for blue check marks is granted only after the company exercises due diligence and individually verifies the account. Prior to Musk's purchase of X, formerly known as Twitter, individuals procured blue check marks, or verification, for free, after the company had verified the account. But Musk instituted a pay-to-play approach in 2023, which drew the ire of many users and ushered in a new era in which premium features could be accessed only by spending money. X Premium currently costs $8 per month, while X Premium+ costs $40 per month. Users must purchase one of the two to qualify for verification, which yields a blue check mark. Accounts are given the status bump 'after a review to ensure subscribed accounts meet all eligibility criteria,' according to X's website. U.S.-sanctioned terrorist organizations do not qualify for such services on paper, as OFAC strictly prohibits any transactions whatsoever between such entities and U.S. companies. 'These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person,' OFAC said in a 2023 release. VA staff told to reply to Musk's 'What did you do last week' email In November 2019, OFAC reached a settlement with Apple after the company disclosed that a Slovenian software company that violated Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations was peddling applications through its app store. OFAC reduced the cost of the fine, based on the fact that Apple had informed the Treasury Department about the problem of its own volition, and the tech giant ended up paying nearly $467,000. Tech Transparency Project's new report comes more than a year after it published a report detailing how X accepted payments for premium accounts that appeared to be linked to U.S.-sanctioned groups, specifically Hezbollah, among others. X removed check marks from the accounts described in that report after it was published, according to the Tech Transparency Project. But the group's new report claims X has not upheld that brief standard of account policing, as many other U.S.-sanctioned groups appear to have since slipped through the cracks and secured premium accounts or verification, while other previous offenders appear to have reupped their membership to X by creating a new account after their previous one was banned. Some sanctioned parties can make money from the social media platform through a 'tips' function, the report said. Several key figures from U.S.-sanctioned terrorist organizations were given access to X's premium services and benefits, the report claims. Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, was granted blue check verification a month after OFAC announced sanctions against him for purchasing and smuggling weapons for Houthis, said the Tech Transparency Project. Subhi Tufayli, a Hezbollah founder, was given blue check verification in October 2023, the same month Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The account is branded with an 'ID verified' badge, which can only be attained through a vetting process that requires a government-issued ID and a selfie. OFAC sanctions against Tufayli began in 1995 for his role as a senior figure in Hezbollah, the report said. Some accounts even reportedly made money through X, the report claims. Gaza Now, a media outlet sanctioned in 2024 for its affiliation with Hamas, runs an alias account according to the OFAC, as reported by the Tech Transparency Project. While the official Gaza Now X account no longer boasts a blue check mark, according to the report, the alias account was given a verification check in June 2024 after U.S. sanctions were announced. Despite OFAC labeling Gaza Now as an entity engaged in 'fundraising efforts to support Hamas,' the alias account utilizes a subscribe button, which allows it to raise money. Only X Premium users have access to this feature, which requires an application, according to the report. X receives a portion of a premium user's subscription earnings.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
X Rolls Out Support for 4K Video Uploads
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. It's taken a little longer than Elon Musk had hoped, but X has officially announced that 4k video uploads are now supported in the app. So now, you'll have more options when presenting your video clips on X, which could help you reach a wider audience, and gain more traction with your uploads. Selected creators were actually given the capacity to upload 4k clips last month, but now, X has expanded that to all X Premium subscribers. X has been developing 4k support for some time, with Musk originally noting that it was coming as part of his broader 'everything app' plan in 2023. Musk actually expected to have full 4k support in the app enabled by the end of 2023, but complications in implementation have seemingly delayed the full roll-out till now. And with more X content being viewed on TV sets, and X increasing its focus on video content, it's now an even more important update, which is why X has seemingly made it a bigger focus of late. So good news for those looking to build their audience on X, with more options to present your best quality work, and reach an audience in the app. Of course, you will (seemingly) have to subscribe to X Premium to do so, but if that's where your target audience is active, it could be worth that additional cost. On another front, X is also developing improved live-streaming options. X hasn't shared any specifics as yet, but it seems likely that improved streaming options, which will facilitate expanded broadcast capacity, will be on the cards in a coming update. We'll keep you updated on any progress. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Post from parody account was not shared on X by Kenya's President William Ruto
'Why is being like this? (sic),' reads a Facebook post published on May 2, 2024. Included is a screenshot of what appears to be a post published on X by Ruto. It reads: 'Dear World Bank @WorldBank, We respectfully seek clarity on reports of one of your employees engaging in Kenyan political matters. What guidelines govern staff participation in sovereign state affairs? (sic)'. Part of the screenshot shows a 2027 presidential campaign poster with a photo of Matiang'i. The screenshot was also shared here, here and here on Facebook. The claim was posted a day after Matiang'i officially declared his intentions to run for president in 2027. He was at a rally in Kisii County, where he hails from (archived here). He also announced that he would be resigning from the World Bank to focus on his bid to unseat Ruto, who is aiming for a second term. Matiang'i previously served in the Kenyan cabinet from 2013 to 2022 as the head of various ministries. During his time as interior minister, he fell out with then deputy president Ruto, who alleged that Matiang'i was using his position and state resources to obstruct his 2022 presidential ambitions (archived here). Former president Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee party recently endorsed Matiang'i as its 2027 presidential candidate (archived here). However, the claim that Ruto used X to question Matiang'i's eligibility to run in 2027 is misleading. Using keywords from the screenshot, AFP Fact Check established that the post was originally published by an X account under the username 'H.E President William Ruto (Commentary)' (archived here). Dear World Bank @WorldBank,We respectfully seek clarity on reports of one of your employees engaging in Kenyan political matters. What guidelines govern staff participation in sovereign state affairs?cc: @ — H.E President William Ruto (Commentary) (@WilliamsMkenya) May 1, 2025 A comparison between the 'commentary' account and Ruto's official X account highlights key differences. Ruto uses the username '@WilliamsRuto' and his bio describes him as the 'President of The Republic of Kenya'. He has 6.9 million followers and includes a link to the government website ' His account was created in July 2011 and primarily shares formal presidential updates. It has a grey checkmark reserved for authentic government institutions and public figures verified by X. In contrast, the account referenced in the claim was created in 2016, has about 609,000 followers and mainly shares fan-based praise of Ruto and support for the government. It includes a 'parody/commentary' disclaimer in the bio, with the word 'parody' written in Russian. The account has a blue checkmark, indicating that it is subscribed to X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue), which any user who pays and meets basic eligibility requirements can get. The parody account mimics Ruto's official account by using the same profile picture and a banner image from Ruto's swearing-in ceremony. We found no record of Ruto publishing X posts about Matiang'i's 2027 presidential bid.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Post from parody account was not shared on X by Kenya's President William Ruto
'Why is being like this? (sic),' reads a Facebook post published on May 2, 2024. Included is a screenshot of what appears to be a post published on X by Ruto. It reads: 'Dear World Bank @WorldBank, We respectfully seek clarity on reports of one of your employees engaging in Kenyan political matters. What guidelines govern staff participation in sovereign state affairs? (sic)'. Part of the screenshot shows a 2027 presidential campaign poster with a photo of Matiang'i. The screenshot was also shared here, here and here on Facebook. The claim was posted a day after Matiang'i officially declared his intentions to run for president in 2027. He was at a rally in Kisii County, where he hails from (archived here). He also announced that he would be resigning from the World Bank to focus on his bid to unseat Ruto, who is aiming for a second term. Matiang'i previously served in the Kenyan cabinet from 2013 to 2022 as the head of various ministries. During his time as interior minister, he fell out with then deputy president Ruto, who alleged that Matiang'i was using his position and state resources to obstruct his 2022 presidential ambitions (archived here). Former president Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee party recently endorsed Matiang'i as its 2027 presidential candidate (archived here). However, the claim that Ruto used X to question Matiang'i's eligibility to run in 2027 is misleading. Using keywords from the screenshot, AFP Fact Check established that the post was originally published by an X account under the username 'H.E President William Ruto (Commentary)' (archived here). A comparison between the 'commentary' account and Ruto's official X account highlights key differences. Ruto uses the username '@WilliamsRuto' and his bio describes him as the 'President of The Republic of Kenya'. He has 6.9 million followers and includes a link to the government website ' His account was created in July 2011 and primarily shares formal presidential updates. It has a grey checkmark reserved for authentic government institutions and public figures verified by X. In contrast, the account referenced in the claim was created in 2016, has about 609,000 followers and mainly shares fan-based praise of Ruto and support for the government. It includes a 'parody/commentary' disclaimer in the bio, with the word 'parody' written in Russian. The account has a blue checkmark, indicating that it is subscribed to X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue), which any user who pays and meets basic eligibility requirements can get. The parody account mimics Ruto's official account by using the same profile picture and a banner image from Ruto's swearing-in ceremony. We found no record of Ruto publishing X posts about Matiang'i's 2027 presidential bid.
