US lawmakers grill Twitter CEO, Facebook's Sandberg
Washington, Sep 5 : Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg on Wednesday appeared before the US Congress, admitting to the lawmakers that they were "too slow to act" and "ill-prepared" to tackle foreign interference on their platforms.
According to The Washington Post, Sandberg told the US Senate Intelligence Committee that they were too slow to spot this and too slow to act. That's on us."
"This interference was completely unacceptable. It violated the values of our company and of the country we love," she was quoted as saying.
This was the second time a top Facebook executive was grilled by the US lawmakers this year. In April, CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the lawmakers over the massive Cambridge Analytica data scandal.
Dorsey said Twitter found itself "unprepared and ill-equipped for the immensity of the problems".
"Abuse, harassment, troll armies, propaganda through bots and human coordination, disinformation campaigns and divisive filter bubbles -- that's not a healthy public square," the Twitter CEO was quoted as saying.
"Required changes won't be fast or easy," he added.
Dorsey was later set to appear before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in a hearing on online censorship of conservative opinions and misinformation activities ahead of the 2018 mid-term elections.
In a prepared written testimony posted on Tuesday by the House Committee, Dorsey said Twitter will remain an "impartial" "global town square", and it does "not shadowban anyone based on political ideology".
"To serve the public conversation, Twitter is incentivized to keep all voices on the platform," he said.
The Twitter CEO's testimony came a few days after US President Donald Trump accused US tech companies of trying to "silence" conservative voices.
Twitter has constantly denied the claims by Republicans that conservative accounts were shadow-banned or their opinions were censored on the platform.
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Mangaluru’s first business hotel Moti Mahal to be shut down by end of April
Mangaluru: Amid prolonged land dispute, Mangaluru's first business hotel, Moti Mahal, is now on the verge of closure and must be handed over to its rightful landowners by the end of April.
As per the Supreme Court’s verdict, Hotel Moti Mahal is to be handed over to the landowners in its current state. Additionally, a compensation of Rs. 3 crore is to be paid to them.
The land on which Hotel Moti Mahal stands located next to Milagres Church in Hampankatta is presently owned by St. Anthony’s Old Age Home, situated in Jeppu.
The legal battle, which began years ago between the local church’s administrative committee and the hotel’s proprietors, has finally reached its logical conclusion. The original landowners have emerged victorious in the prolonged legal conflict.
Hotel Moti Mahal was established in 1966 by renowned Mangalorean businessman A.J. Shetty in Hampankatta, the heart of the city.
At the time of its inception, Moti Mahal was the first hotel in Mangaluru to offer luxury amenities such as a gym and a swimming pool. It quickly became a prominent name with its popular Mangala Multi-Cuisine Restaurant, Madhuvan Veg Restaurant, Mehfil Bar, Taichin Chinese Restaurant, Moti Sweets section, and a swimming pool named Sheetal. The hotel earned its reputation as the first true business and luxury hotel in the city.
With 90 rooms and a grand hall accommodating up to 1,000 people, Moti Mahal mirrored the evolving urban lifestyle of Mangaluru. Over the past six decades, it grew beyond a hotel to become a major landmark of the city.
From family gatherings to business meetings, auspicious ceremonies to celebratory parties, Moti Mahal served as the go-to venue for all kinds of events. Its vegetarian restaurant, in particular, has retained its reputation over the years.
