San Francisco, June 27 : Facebook said on Tuesday that it is taking steps to ease a January policy banning financial products and services associated with cryptocurrency.

Rob Leathern, Product Management Director at Facebook, said in an official blog post that the world's largest social media network has "looked at the best way to refine this policy -- to allow some ads while also working to ensure that they're safe."

Facebook announced a broad policy in January this year which prohibited "ads that promote financial products and services that are frequently associated with misleading or deceptive promotional practices, such as binary options, initial coin offerings and cryptocurrency".

The policy, which even stopped legitimate businesses from buying advertisements, aimed to better detect what Facebook called deceptive promotional practices by many companies advertised binary options and cryptocurrencies without good faith, Xinhua reported.

Leathern announced that starting June 26, Facebook will be updating its "policy to allow ads that promote cryptocurrency and related content from pre-approved advertisers".

But the company will continue to block any ads that promote binary options and initial coin offerings, he said.

Advertisers are required to submit an application to Facebook before hand if they want to run ads for cryptocurrency products and services, so that Facebook can assess their eligibility, including any licenses they have obtained, whether they are traded on a public stock exchange, and other relevant public background on their business.

Under these restrictions, not everyone who wants to advertise will be able to do so, Facebook said.

"But we'll listen to feedback, look at how well this policy works and continue to study this technology so that, if necessary, we can revise it over time," Leathern wrote.

Last month, Facebook established a new experimental blockchain group dedicated to the technology that powers cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

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Gorakhpur (PTI): A hospital employee was booked for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in the pretext of an ultrasound test here in the district women's hospital, police said on Saturday.

According to the complaint, the woman, a resident of the Gulriha area, visited the district women's hospital on Thursday morning for an ultrasound test.

She was directed to a room, where Abhimanyu Gupta was conducting ultrasounds. When her turn came, the accused allegedly stared at her and told her to remove all her clothes, claiming it was necessary for the test and that a massage would also be required, she said.

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The woman alleged that once she complied, the accused began making obscene advances and tried to force himself on her. When she screamed, he allegedly gagged her, abused her and threatened to kill her before pushing her out of the room.

She said her complaints within the hospital went unheard, forcing her to approach the police.

Taking cognisance of the complaint, the hospital administration constituted a three-member inquiry committee, officials said.

Senior consultant (paediatrics) Dr Jay Kumar said, "The woman has levelled serious allegations against a staff member. Senior officials have been informed, and a departmental inquiry is underway. Strict action will be taken if the charges are proved."

Kotwali Station House Officer Chatrapal Singh said a case has been registered, and efforts are on to nab the accused.