<em><sup>(Photo Source: Reuters)</sup></em><br /><br />2018 turned out to be something of a mixed bag for the Indian <keyword id="6354553" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="real-estate">real estate</keyword> sector, marked by improvement in sales and some stability but only after the double blow of GST and demonetisation and a liquidity crisis.<br /><br /><strong>Stronger regulation<br />
  
  
  <div type="image" title="PMAY." msid="67318680" hostid="261"></div>







</strong><br />On the regulatory front, while India has taken some key steps to protect home buyers through the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act (RERA), most states are apparently et to set up a permanent regulator.<br /><br />"Currently 28 states and union territories have notified rules under RERA and 15 of these have established a permanent regulator, the latest one being Delhi, which appointed a full-time regulator in November. As of November, more than 34,000 projects had been registered under RERA," Anshuman Magazine, Chairman, India and South East Asia region for CBRE, a global commercial real estate investment company, told IANS.<br /><br />However, India’s new Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), has introduced a provision to include home buyers as secured financial creditors in case of bankruptcy proceedings, meaning they will receive invested funds in case the <keyword id="6354516" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="property">property</keyword> or builder declares bankruptcy.<br /><br /><strong><keyword id="52764" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Liquidity-crunch">Liquidity crunch</keyword><br />
  
  
  <div type="image" title="payment-473685_1920" msid="67318734" hostid="261"></div>







<br /></strong>A major headache for the sector this year proved to be the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-reserve-bank-of-india-is-trying-to-prevent-a-liquidity-crisis-at-banks-by-relaxing-an-important-risk-requirement/articleshow/65978953.cms">liquidity crunch</a>, which came to light when the lending major <keyword id="17408" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="infrastructure">Infrastructure</keyword> Leasing &amp; Financial Services (IL&amp;FS) defaulted on its commercial papers in September.<br /><br />Parth Mehta, MD of Paradigm Realty told IANS: "The liquidity crunch that is going on currently has given a tough time to the real-estate sector as developer can't slow down their construction to meet the RERA (Real Estate Regulation and Development Act) timeline and on the other side NBFCs have stopped disbursals even against approved sanctions."<br /><br />"This liquidity crunch hit both developers and buyers and has led to a slowdown in home buying decisions creating mismatch in housing demand-supply," Mehta said.<br /><br />In fact, the liquidity crunch will continue to be in the upcoming year.<br /><br /><strong>Co-working <br />
  
  
  <div type="image" title="coworking" msid="67318735" hostid="261"></div>







<em><sup>(Photo Source: dfordelhi.in)</sup></em><br /></strong><br />2018 also saw a rise in <keyword id="2784442" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Co-working-spaces">co-working spaces</keyword> popular among entrepreneurs and companies offering remote work options. It has been an emerging sector for commercial real estate in India with startups investing more because of space constraint. Over <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/real-estate/co-working-becomes-the-new-poster-boy-of-commercial-real-estate-market-in-2018-3310381.html">50% of the total leasing</a> in India comes from Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR, making them the largest markets for co-working models. Bengaluru has shown a rise of 37% for the commercial real estate.<br /><br /><strong><keyword id="136927" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="affordable-housing">Affordable housing</keyword><br />
  
  
  <div type="image" title="Affordable_housing" msid="67318681" hostid="261"></div>







<em><sup>(Photo Source: proptiger.com)</sup></em></strong><br />Affordable housing got a big boost this year with the Indian government incentivising the sector with favourable tax structure. In fact, the growth and demand in affordable housing segment has been faster than the overall demand in Indian real estate. The government has also provided interest subsidies to Low Income Group (LIG) and Middle Income Group (MIG) under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).<br /><br /><strong>Housing sales<br />
  
  
  <div type="image" title="Housing_sales" msid="67318682" hostid="261"></div>







<em><sup>(Photo Source: indiaproperty.com)</sup></em></strong><br /><br />The commercial real estate has performed better than housing sales this year because of demand from investors and sufficient funds. With the depreciation in the Indian rupee against the dollar, the sector has attracted more Non Resident Indian (NRI investments), who invested over ₹699.6 billion in the current fiscal.<br /><br />While the housing sector has witnessed a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/personal-finance-news/real-estate-housing-sales-rise-50-in-2018-but-liquidity-crunch-limits-recovery/articleshow/67250974.cms">rise of 50%</a> in terms of sales this year, ready-to-move-in homes will continue to attract investments. However, the liquidity crunch has decelerated the home buying process for both developers and buyers.<br /><br />Overall, according to data from PropTiger.com, housing sales in nine major cities in India was 25% higher than last year. The number of new launches dropped significantly by 22% compared to last year.<br /><br /><em>With inputs from IANS</em><br />

From affordable housing to co-working spaces — here’s how 2018 fared for Indian real estate

As the start-up sector goes through a sentiment upturn, fin-tech sector has been seeing an increased traction post demonetization.<br />Fin-tech and product startups are an investor favorite this year so it is interesting to see a fin-tech start-up going through a revamp and innovating its product to stand out.<br /><br />According to a recent report on <keyword id="1399736" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-payment">Digital Payment</keyword> in India 2020, the total payment via digital instruments is expected to touch $500 billion by 2020. <br />

    

    

    

    

    

    

    <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="60782245" title="I tried the MakeMyTrip ‘My Business’ facility which makes GST claim easier for SMEs" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="Sep 21, 2017, 7:33 PM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div>














<strong>From one to four services<br /></strong><br />In its new avatar, <keyword id="2777173" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="razorpay">Razorpay</keyword> 2.0 is trying to resolve all business problems related to the B2B payments ecosystem. Currently, payment acceptance is done through bank functions like <keyword id="285745" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="neft">NEFT</keyword> or RTGS. Managing cash flows, disbursement of money, automating NEFT and bank wires and collection of scheduled payments among others is ailing the <keyword id="1929810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-india">Digital India</keyword>’s companies. The company introduced Razorpay Route, Razorpay Smart Collect, Razorpay Subscriptions and Razorpay Invoices –for India’s under-served business community while embracing cash-rich traditional sectors such as Education, Government, Insurance and new age e-commerce companies. <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="60837430" title="Here’s why LinkedIn is training blue collar workers in India" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="Sep 26, 2017, 10:56 AM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div>














<br /><keyword id="3349619" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="harshil-mathur">Harshil Mathur</keyword>, CEO and Co-Founder, Razorpay told Business Insider that the company is aiming to double its merchant count to 90,000 by the end of next fiscal year and expects more than 10x growth in volume &amp; revenue by next fiscal year. With merchants like PayU and Mobikwik crowding the market, Razorpay’s solution might be the only all-inclusive payments gateway. <br /><br />Razorpay also wants to revolutionize the banking sector by entering categories as mutual fund payments and insurance premium. The company also wants to make recurring payments easier to collect like education fees.<br />

This fintech startup undergoes a revamp to cash-in post demonitization

Here are the ten developments that have happened since PM <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword>'s announcement on the 8th of November, 2016 on discontinuing 500, 1000 <keyword id="6355302" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rupee">Rupee</keyword> <keyword id="47927" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="notes">Notes</keyword>, 

10 Latest developments in the demonetization matter to
look out for

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/55388199.cms" /> <br /> Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sudden announcement to discontinue tender of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 have left the commoners in a big soup. While this is a laudable move to check <keyword id="6356023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Black-Money">black money</keyword> integration in Indian economy, the common masses are finding it difficult to stand in the queue and exchange old notes at bank. Not only so, the old notes, which were supposed to work at hospitals, railways and petrol pumps are often being refused by the authority because of the lack of change.<br />
<br />
While the commotion continues, hoarders of black money are finding innovative ways to bypass the usual banking transactions and using the old currency notes. People are inventing ingenious ways to try and hide their money from the tax inspector.<br />
<br />
Retailers, wedding planners are getting continuous calls convincing them to accept old notes in exchange of buying large items. While event planners are being asked to accept money above their charges on condition of being paid in Rs 1000 denominations, there are several life hacks found by black money hoarders.<br />
<br />
(Image: India Times)<br />


How to change black money to
white? These hoarders are finding indigenous ways

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Websites that spread false information and <keyword id="1379614" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="conspiracy-theories">conspiracy theories</keyword> about <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> could make millions in ad revenue this year, according to a new study. The bulk of the ad revenue comes from <keyword id="6355629" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword>'s ad platform, along with other <keyword id="6358815" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tech">tech</keyword> companies including <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> and OpenX. </li><li>Global Disinformation Index, a UK-based research group, identified 480 English language websites that they say regularly publish COVID-19 misinformation and analyzed their ad revenue in the first half of 2020.</li><li>Google has pledged to remove <keyword id="45464" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="ADS">ads</keyword> from sites that breach its policies on misinformation, but GDI's report says there are hundreds of misinformation sites still making ad revenue.</li><li>Google pushed back on the study, arguing that GDI's ad revenue calculations are not "transparent or realistic." Google also demonitized five sites that were highlighted in the report after it was published.</li></ul><p>Google and Amazon are selling ad space on websites that spread COVID-19 conspiracy theories — and their ad platforms, along with other tech companies, could channel millions of dollars into those sites this year, according to an estimate published in a new report.</p><p>The Global Disinformation Index, a UK-based research group, <a href="https://disinformationindex.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GDI_Ad-funded-COVID-19-Disinformation-1.pdf">released a report</a> Wednesday that analyzed ad revenue on 480 websites that frequently publish COVID-19 disinformation or conspiracy theories, Bloomberg first <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-08/google-amazon-funnel-over-20-million-to-virus-conspiracy-sites">reported</a>.</p><p>The report says that, of the 480 sites it analyzed, Google's ad platform served roughly 75% of the ads displayed. Amazon and OpenX each accounted for roughly 10% of the ads. GDI estimated that the ads could amount to $25 million in revenue based on how many page views each site received. </p><p>After the report was published, Google blocked ads from five sites that were identified by GDI. But a Google spokesperson pushed back on GDI's broader findings, arguing that its methodology isn't transparent and questioning the $25 million estimate.</p><p>"This report is flawed in that it neither defines what should be considered disinformation nor are its revenue calculations transparent or realistic," the Google spokesperson said, noting that ad revenue is not consistent for all ads across Google's platform but rather depends on how high advertisers are willing to bid for specific ad space.</p><p>In one instance, Google ran an ad from the British Medical Association — a trade union for doctors — on a pseudoscience site called GlobalResearch.ca next to a headline that read, "Compulsory Vaccination That Genetically Alters the Human Body ... No Longer a 'Human Being'?"</p><p><div type="image" title="covid-19 disinformation google ads" height="452" width="975" msid="76859044" hostid="261"></div></p><p>GDI also identified ads for brands including Wayfair, Bloomberg, Canon, and L'Oreal that appeared next to stories touting COVID-19 conspiracies.</p><p>Google has <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2020-03-10/google-battles-coronavirus-misinformation-search-youtube">already committed</a> to shutting down ad revenue on sites that violate its policies, including those that spread COVID-19 disinformation. The company says it has also banned most ads that mention COVID-19, prioritized reliable information in search and YouTube, and committed $6.5 million to fact-checking efforts.</p><p>But GDI is pushing for even more strict enforcement.</p><p>"Disinformation about COVID-19 has real-world harms," the report's authors wrote, adding that since it only analyzed English language sites, "these estimates are likely to be the tip of the iceberg."</p>

COVID-19 conspiracy sites are getting millions in ad revenue from Google and Amazon, according to a new report

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6355629" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword> is cracking down on two right-wing outlets, ZeroHedge and The Federalist, for violating its policies on race-related content.</li><li>ZeroHedge has been blacklisted from making ad revenue through Google, and Google is threatening to do the same to The Federalist if it doesn't comply. </li><li>A Google spokesperson said that the sites are facing a crackdown because they failed to moderate their comment sections to remove hateful content that violates Google's policies.</li><li>The sites were first flagged by a nonprofit after ZeroHedge published articles that implied <keyword id="2771111" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="black-lives-matter">Black Lives Matter</keyword> protesters were funded by the CIA and George Soros, and The Federalist published an article that claimed news outlets were "lying to you" about white supremacists' involvement in riots.</li></ul><p>Google is cracking down on two right-wing outlets that were flagged for publishing misleading articles about Black Lives Matter protests, and could permanently revoke the outlets' ability to make ad revenue.</p><p>Google determined that two unaffiliated sites, ZeroHedge and The Federalist, violated its policies on content related to race, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/google-bans-two-websites-its-ad-platform-over-protest-articles-n1231176">NBC News first reported</a>.</p><p>A Google spokesperson told Business Insider that the two outlets violated Google's policies that require that sites remove hateful or bigoted comments from their comment sections. Google has pulled ad revenue from ZeroHedge for failing to comply after being notified of the violation, the spokesperson said, but The Federalist is still within the window to comply with Google's policy before being blacklisted from ad revenue.</p><p>NBC News had initially reported that both sites were demonitized, citing a Google spokesperson, but Google later clarified that ZeroHedge has lost access to ad revenue while The Federalist was only given a warning.</p><p>The Center for Countering Digital Hate, a British nonprofit, first <a href="https://www.stopfundingfakenews.com/defund-racism">flagged</a> the sites and called on Google to pull ad revenue after ZeroHedge published an article claiming without evidence that Black Lives Matter is "practically a revolutionary operative of the CIA via Soros." Meanwhile, The Federalist ran an op-ed <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200611052128/https://thefederalist.com/2020/06/03/the-media-are-lying-to-you-about-everything-including-the-riots/">claiming</a> that news outlets were "lying" about the fact that <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/06/02/riots-white-supremacy-and-accelerationism/">some white supremacists tried to use George Floyd protests to incite violence</a>. </p><p>Representatives for ZeroHedge and The Federalist did not immediately respond to requests for comment. After NBC's report was published, The Federalist <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/16/21293285/google-ads-bans-the-federalist-zero-hedge-racist-content-discrimination-demonetization">turned off comments</a> on its site altogether.</p><p>ZeroHedge is a financial blog that has built a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com./news/articles/2016-04-29/unmasking-the-men-behind-zero-hedge-wall-street-s-renegade-blog">devoted following on Wall Street</a> for publishing breaking markets news and bearish, anti-establishment takes that often include fringe conspiracy theories. The site's authors publish under pseudonyms, but <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com./news/articles/2016-04-29/unmasking-the-men-behind-zero-hedge-wall-street-s-renegade-blog">Bloomberg</a> revealed the identities of three former analysts who ran the site in 2016.</p><p>The official ZeroHedge Twitter account was banned from the platform in January for sharing an article that questioned a Chinese scientist's role in the spread of COVID-19, but Twitter <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com./news/articles/2020-06-13/twitter-restores-zero-hedge-account-after-admitting-error">reinstated</a> the account last week after determining that it "made an error in our enforcement action."</p><p>The Federalist is a more mainstream conservative site, but has similarly mysterious backers — its authors publish under their real names, but the outlet is run by a private company that has <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/federalist-weekly-standard">declined to reveal its owners or funding structure</a>.</p><p>The two sites are among <a href="https://www.stopfundingfakenews.com/defund-racism">nine outlets</a> that the Center for Countering Digital Hate is calling to be defunded. Imran Ahmed, CEO of the nonprofit, said in a statement to Business Insider that the group lauds "the unprecedented action Google has taken" but is pressing for further steps.</p><p>"There are eight other sites that we identified that make millions of dollars from Google Ads. We take Google at face value when they say #BlackLivesMatters and that they want to Do No Evil, but right now they are funding hate-filled and conspiracy-filled sites that may have a right to free speech, but they absolutely do not have a right to profit from it," Ahmed said.</p>

Google is threatening to cut ad revenue from ZeroHedge and The Federalist for violating its policies on race-related content

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c1fb59c2ab31e6de622bef5-2380/screenshot%202018-12-23%20081855.png" border="0" alt="google seinfeld holiday pole" data-mce-source="Screenshot/Matt Weinberger" data-mce-caption="Yep, that's a Festivus pole, hiding in plain sight on Google."><p class="source"><span>Screenshot/Matt Weinberger</span></p><p class="caption">Yep, that's a Festivus pole, hiding in plain sight on Google.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>I'll get straight to the good part: Just open up Google and search for "<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=festivus&amp;oq=festi&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i60j69i64j0j69i57j69i60.772j1j9&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Festivus</a>."&#xa0;</p><p>Yep, that's a Festivus pole - the traditional centerpiece of any good Festivus celebration. And just in time for Festivus, which is celebrated every year on December 23rd, too. Hey, that's today!&#xa0;</p><p>The pole goes all the way down the page:</p><p>If you're unfamiliar, Festivus is a non-demonitational holiday - as in "Festivus, for the rest of us" - popularized by the classic sitcom "Seinfeld." The celebration sees family and friends gather around an unadorned aluminum pole, and perform traditions like the Feats of Strength and the Airing of Grievances.&#xa0;</p><p>But don't take my word for it. Here's the official explanation, from "Seinfeld:"&#xa0;</p><p>Also, it should be noted that Google has plenty of other, more traditional holiday surprises, too.&#xa0;</p><p>This is what you get when you search for Christmas:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c1fb60abd773006c55f6933-2294/screenshot%202018-12-23%20082110.png" border="0" alt="google christmas" data-mce-source="Screenshot/Matt Weinberger"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot/Matt Weinberger</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>And Hannukah, which has already passed this year:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c1fb63cad95716eea482ad7-2372/screenshot%202018-12-23%20082155.png" border="0" alt="google hannukah" data-mce-source="Screenshot/Matt Weinberger"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot/Matt Weinberger</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>And Kwanzaa, which starts on December 26th:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c1fb67d630d9b5e800bf6a2-2362/screenshot%202018-12-23%20082259.png" border="0" alt="google kwanzaa" data-mce-source="Screenshot/Matt Weinberger"><p class="source"><span>Screenshot/Matt Weinberger</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p class="tagline">Get the latest Google stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/GOOG-Quote"> here.</a></p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>A fun tip for the rest of us: open up a new tab and look up "Festivus" for a pole-tastic surprise. <a href="https://t.co/Gm9vIqsZRu">pic.twitter.com/Gm9vIqsZRu</a></p>- Google Chrome  (@googlechrome) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1076840379700428800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HX55AzGku5Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cheap-spy-cameras-from-amazon-2018-11">We tested out $30 tiny spy cameras from Amazon by spying on our co-workers</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/dTSpBGY0-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Google search now has a very 'Seinfeld' holiday surprise to celebrate Festivus

<ul><li>Some of the largest tech platforms like TikTok, <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>, Google, Instagram, Twitter are using the power of internet to curb misinformation around <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> and help people weather this storm together. </li><li>In a statement released on March 17, Google Policy made an announcement about its collaboration with Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, Microsoft, and LinkedIn. </li><li>TikTok, which wasn’t present on Google’s list, has also collaborated with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide trusted information to its community</li><li>We deep-dive into some of the initiatives that have been taken up so far by the <keyword id="4005771" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tech-players">tech players</keyword>. </li></ul>In a bid to stop misinformation around the novel Coronavirus, the top tech giants Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Google have come forward with various initiatives and are playing an active role in combating frauds via their platforms. <br /><br />In a statement released on March 17, Google Policy made an announcement about its collaboration with Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, Microsoft, and LinkedIn. So, we deep-dive into the initiatives that have been taken so far. <br /><br /><strong>Google</strong><br /><br />In an effort to mitigate Coronavirus’ spread, support medical facilities and personnel, and help communities recover, the tech giant Google is aiming to raise $7.5 million to help stop COVID-19. <br /><br />For every $1 you donate by April 30, 2020, Google.org will donate $2, up to $5 million, to benefit the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (through the UN Foundation). <br /><br />
	<div type="twitter" handle="sundarpichai" handlename="Sundar Pichai" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/864282616597405701/M-FEJMZ0_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3509" retweetcount="676" status="Thanks @DrTedros &amp; @WHO for your leadership on the #COVID19 response. We’re proud to support your work by matching… https://t.co/ISni2O5Xhf" createdat="1584120075000" id="1238515477720096768"></div>



<br />It has also started promoting “<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=coronavirus+tips&amp;fbx=dothefive">Do the Five</a>” campaign to raise awareness of simple measures people can take to slow the spread of the disease, as said by WHO. <br /><br /><strong>TikTok</strong><br /><br />TikTok, that wasn’t present on Google’s list, has collaborated with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide trusted information to its community. If you explore the hashtags around Coronavirus, a banner appears that directs users to authentic health resources and gives easy access to WHO’s website. <br /><br />Apart from that, various government bodies such as Kerala Police and Durg Police are disseminating information around how to take the right precautions during this tough time, rather creatively on the platform. <br /><br />TikTok has also added a label, which is available in 24 languages, reminding users to seek information from credible sources. The tag prompts users to consult their local health authorities for the latest information on COVID-19, which are listed in its Safety Center<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/safety/resources/local-health-resources"> page. </a><br /><br />Users can also report false information by selecting the Misleading Information category, and these reports are sent to a dedicated team of moderators. <br /><br /><strong>Facebook</strong><br /><br />After adding prompts and directing its users to WHO’s website like every other platform, Facebook announced that it is creating a $100 million grant program to help small businesses around the world impacted by the coronavirus. <br /><br />Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook shared the latest development on her page. <br /><br />Her statement read, “In recent weeks, we have seen inspiring examples of individuals and groups helping each other. People across the globe are stepping up, rising to the enormous challenge in front of us. We want to do our part too. Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities, and many of the people who run these businesses are heavily affected by the crisis – especially as more and more people sensibly stay home. The longer the crisis goes on, the greater the risk to small businesses and to the livelihoods of their owners and employees.” <br /><br />Facebook is also looking at additional ways to host virtual trainings and is finding more ways to help people connect and learn to use technology through Blueprint, its free e-learning training program.<br /><br />The tech giant has further made its Business Hub, [<a href="https://facebook.com/resource">Facebook.com/resource</a>] a resource for Facebook employees and health experts — readily available for all. It gives some tips to businesses who are also experiencing unexpected challenges at work. <br /><br />In challenging circumstances, it may be more difficult than usual for businesses to support its employees and communicate with customers. Facebook has a free suite of tools that can help you stay connected with your customers and employees. It is also providing free ads to WHO, and organisations working with health experts.<br /><br />Facebook’s Instagram is also prompting its users when they look up information around Coronavirus to WHO’s account. <br /><br /><strong>YouTube</strong><br /><br />All content focussed on Coronavirus will be demonitized by YouTube until further notice, as it is a serious issue that should be dealt with responsiveness, shared Tom Leung, Director of Product Management, YouTube shared in a video with Creator Insider. This rule, however, doesn’t apply to news videos. By doing this, YouTube is acting as a gatekeeper of information; only allowing the verified sources to go through. <br /><br />The first option that appears after you search ‘Coronavirus’ is WHO’s channel. <br /><br /><strong>Twitter </strong><br /><br />Twitter is upping its internal and external efforts to build partnerships, protect the public conversation, help people find authoritative health information, raise relief funds, and contribute pro bono advertising support to ensure people are getting the right message, from the right source. <br /><br />It has set up a dedicated internal Covid-19 campaign page through which its employees can donate to relevant nonprofit organizations, and Twitter will match donations up to $2,000 per employee. <br /><br />It has also partnered with the national public health agency in the countries that are in threat or the World Health Organization directly. <br /><br />Twitter has halted any attempt by advertisers to opportunistically use the Covid-19 outbreak to target inappropriate ads. However, Government entities that want to disseminate public health information will be permitted to promote ads on Covid-19. <br /><br />In the case of Covid-19, Twitter has also put additional safeguards into place in order to facilitate the sharing of trusted public health information and to reduce potential harm to users. It is currently prohibiting the promotion of all medical masks due to strong correlation to Covid-19 and instances of inflated prices globally.<br />

How top tech players are taking up an active role in fighting misinformation around Coronavirus

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d5aff35cd97845cdd79a482-1200/youtube%20demonetization%202x1.png" border="0" alt="youtube demonetization 2x1" data-mce-source="Samantha Lee/Business Insider"><p class="source"><span>Samantha Lee/Business Insider</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>A slew of YouTubers have been mistakenly demonetized in the past year, with the platform stripping their videos of the opportunity to make money, while still keeping them up on the site.</li><li>YouTubers with sizeable followings who rely on making money from the platform have vocally protested the phenomenon in order to regain monetization.</li><li>Three YouTubers who were mistakenly demonetized told Insider that when they were demonetized, they were given no options for immediate appeal and no options to recover lost profits - which can sometimes amount to thousands of dollars.&#xa0;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.&#xa0;</a></li></ul><p>Jake Sandt is like any normal college kid in Ohio - going to class, eating at Panera, and maintaining an active presence on social media. But the 18-year-old stands apart from his peers with his successful YouTube channel JakeyonceTV, where he primarily makes videos recapping and "spilling tea" about the hit drag queen reality TV show "RuPaul's Drag Race."</p><p>Sandt's channel, which now has over 63,000 subscribers and more than 19,200,000 views, brought in enough money to support his pursuit of a college degree in journalism and buy occasional gifts for his family, he told Insider. But then the rare college financial security Sandt had created for himself through YouTube came crashing down in an instant.</p><p>Sandt, like many creators in recent months, found himself demonetized without warning, unable to continue to bring in the income he relied on from the content machine he had built. But Sandt wasn't dodging YouTube's rules or terms of service - he, along with others, was mistakenly demonetized for weeks with no option to recover lost profits.</p><h2>YouTubers' lives are being disrupted without warning, and there's little they can do to reach the company</h2><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d5b1915cd978448173f1172-1598/screen%20shot%202019-08-19%20at%2035007%20pm.png" border="0" alt="Jake Sandt Jakeyonce Youtube" data-mce-source="YouTube/JakeyonceTV" data-mce-caption="Jake Sandt and &amp;quotDrag Race&quot; queen Naomi Smalls."><p class="source"><span>YouTube/JakeyonceTV</span></p><p class="caption">Jake Sandt (left) and "Drag Race" queen Naomi Smalls (right).</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>Sandt first learned that his channel was demonetized through an email.&#xa0;</p><p>"My heart dropped," he said.</p><p>According to Sandt, YouTube claimed that he was in violation of their policy that forbade re-using content already on their platform. The platform still kept his videos publicly listed on the site, despite the content regulations it claimed Sandt had violated. YouTube just took away his ability to make money off of them.</p><p><strong><em>Read more:&#xa0;</em></strong><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/t-series-interview-how-beat-pewdiepie-youtube-2019-8">Assassination, lawsuits, and devotional ringtones: How T-Series became the world's biggest YouTube channel and exploded PewDiePie's lead</a></em></p><p>Sandt, who often includes modified clips of "Drag Race" and other online shows in his commentary videos, says that all of his content is transformative and falls under Fair Use allowances under US law, but Sandt was given no option to appeal the decision issued by YouTube.</p><p>Unlike the three-strikes copyright system used to patrol copyright violations on the platform, YouTube's monetization system issued no warnings before suspending creators for 30 days before they could re-apply, stripping them of their ability to make money on the platform for a substantial period of time.&#xa0;</p><p>For Jake, the decision was near-catastrophic for his finances. "It changed everything," he said. "I felt like I had to hang onto everything - I wasn't going places, I wasn't really buying, my parents were helping me out a lot."&#xa0;</p><p>Other creators had similar experiences.</p><p>Alex Beckham, the creator behind "Man on the Internet," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkWuZ0UvpVzJ2d9n11bQpmA">a channel</a> that puts lyrics to video game music, said he similarly was demonetized without warning. "It just kind of happened," he said. "I got emailed saying, 'Hey, you can't live stream anymore,' And 20 minutes later another email came to explain that 'Oh yeah, we took away monetization because of reused content.'"</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"That was a very stressful day where I didn't get very good sleep," Beckham recalled. "I was thinking 'Oh God, oh God, how am I going to pay the people who work with me on all these videos.' I'm not really a lone wolf, I've got a big cast and crew."</span></p><h2>Creators were left screaming into YouTube's void</h2><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d6007f423f19c615f640cc3-1094/dh%20set.jpg" border="0" alt="david hoffman youtube demonetization" data-mce-source="David Hoffman" data-mce-caption="Whenever 78-year-old YouTuber David Hoffman appears onscreen in his videos, he usually uses this backdrop, which is in his home. Hoffman was demonetized for nine weeks before YouTube realized it had mistakenly barred him from receiving AdSense profits, which make up a third of his income."><p class="source"><span>David Hoffman</span></p><p class="caption">Whenever 78-year-old YouTuber David Hoffman appears onscreen in his videos, he usually uses this backdrop, which is in his home. Hoffman was demonetized for nine weeks before YouTube realized it had mistakenly barred him from receiving AdSense profits, which make up a third of his income.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David Hoffman, a 78-year-old YouTuber, repurposes content from his decades-long film career into <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/allinaday">YouTube videos</a> that make up a third of his income. Like Sandt and Beckham, Hoffman was demonetized for what one email from YouTube Support called "duplication." He wrote physical letters, made calls, and emailed the company's support team repeatedly.&#xa0;</span></p><p><span>"I understand that you wanted to know more why your monetization on your channel has been disabled," a member of YouTube's Support Team wrote to Hoffman in an email. "Unfortunately, we cannot provide you specific details on what guideline your content has violated and also, we're not able to provide you where your channel does not comply with&#xa0;</span>YouTube's YouTube Partner Program term<span>s."</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong>&#xa0;</em><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtuber-finds-gun-changes-gaming-channel-videos-2019-8">When a gaming YouTuber found a gun while scuba diving, he decided to completely change his type of videos. Now he has 8.7 million subscribers.</a></em></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span>Despite the live person on the other end of the support team telling Hoffman he wasn't eligible for YouTube's Partner Program anymore, the entire decision was deemed to be a mistake over two months later, and Hoffman was finally monetized again without ever receiving any explanation.&#xa0;</span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span>"I was depressed," Hoffman told Insider. "I didn't feel like doing it anymore. I felt that the enormous power of the network just came down on my head without any warning and with no recourse. Almost like you've been fired from your job and you've been removed from your office and you have no idea why and you can never talk to anybody."</span></span></p><h2><strong>Many YouTubers have felt that their only option to challenge demonetization is to go public with the problem</strong></h2><p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d5ff65291b6f661e040f913-1118/screen%20shot%202019-08-23%20at%20102004%20am.png" border="0" alt="Man on the internet youtube" data-mce-source="Screenshot/YouTube/Man on the Internet" data-mce-caption="A still from Man on the Internet's &amp;quotUndertale the Musical,&quot; which has over 10 million views on YouTube."><p class="source"><span>Screenshot/YouTube/Man on the Internet</span></p><p class="caption">A still from Man on the Internet's "Undertale the Musical," which has over 10 million views on YouTube.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div></strong></p><p>Sandt and Beckham also found communications with YouTube around their demonetization to be confusing and opaque - leading both to turn to public cries for help.&#xa0;&#xa0;</p><p>"The only way to get any answer out of them is to go public about it, otherwise they don't respond," said Sandt, who spoke publicly about the incident on Instagram Live, YouTube, and Twitter, where he tagged @TeamYouTube - YouTube's paradoxical primary method of communication with aggrieved creators.&#xa0;&#xa0;</p><p>YouTube's only response was to point Sandt in the direction of the page that explained the decision.</p><p>Nearly three weeks later, YouTube tweeted at Sandt that the demonetization was a mistake.&#xa0;</p><p>Beckham similarly made a video explaining his situation and posted it on Twitter, also mentioning @TeamYouTube and emailing them. He was remonetized within 24 hours.</p><p>His high-profile tactics worked. "I don't recall any other time that monetization has gotten back that fast for a channel," Beckham said.</p><p>"I was expecting to batten down the hatches for a war of attrition with YouTube," Beckham, who has almost 280,000 subscribers, told Insider. He estimates he lost between $150 and $200 during his short suspension.</p><p>&#xa0;</p><h2>YouTubers haven't been given an option to recover money lost by mistaken demonetization</h2><p>Despite the slew of mishaps caused by Google and YouTube, creators haven't been given an option to recover lost funds.&#xa0;<span style="background-color: #ffff00;"><br /></span></p><p>A YouTube representative told Insider the company won't reimburse creators for the money they lost during a mistaken period of demonetization because it can't calculate the amount of revenue the channels would have made.</p><p>In a step made to attempt to address its admitted mistakes, YouTube has launched a new <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/13/20803418/youtube-demonetization-appeals-pilot-program-creators">pilot program</a> that will allow creators to submit an appeal video internally, in response to demonetization decisions, explaining their "creative process" and what their channel entails. The platform says it will get back to them within seven days.</p><p>Before the pilot, there was no specific means of appealing the demonetization decision outside of re-applying in 30 days, making a fuss and tagging @TeamYouTube, or contacting YouTube's general support email. YouTube's new program seemingly attempts to move the appeals that were already happening on the platform publicly, to an internal process.</p><p><strong><em>Read more: </em></strong><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ninja-tyler-blevins-twitch-subscribers-fortnite-drake-youtube-2018-3">This 28-year-old makes $500,000 every month playing 'Fortnite' - here's how he does it</a></em></p><p>YouTube wouldn't specify whether it uses an algorithm at any point in the demonetization process, but emphasized that at some point in the cycle, humans review the flagged accounts. For Sandt, Beckham, and Hoffman, a live person reviewed each account and mistakenly determined that they had reused content without putting an original spin on it, a YouTube representative told Insider.</p><p>Whether the mistake was algorithmic or not, Sandt, who says he lost at least over $1,000 during his demonitized period, says that the experience taught him a valuable lesson - "do not rely on of AdSense. Do not." In the wake of demonetization, Sandt has made an effort to diversify his revenue streams, creating a Patreon where users can pay to access his videos early.</p><p>"It doesn't matter how big that check is, 'cause they can just take it away," Sandt said. "No matter how hard you've worked and no matter how great their system gets, you need to have backup plans, you need to have multiple platforms."</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Hey -- we missed this tweet originally, but just confirmed that your channel has been re-approved for monetization/YPP. Sorry this happened and thanks for being patient while we sorted it out!!</p>- TeamYouTube  (@TeamYouTube) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1155675483914158080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/P-5Tud0NRRw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wireless-headphones-house-marley-sound-better-than-airpods-2019-8">These $150 headphones made from trash sound better than AirPods</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/XQVSZ4ZG-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

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