20 February 2015 – Global Marketing News
Russia accuses Twitter of ignoring user information requests
Twitter has been accused by the Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor of refusing to comply with information requests from the Russian government.
Roskomnadzor said that Twitter had not released any account holders’ details in response to 108 such requests from the Russian government, despite complying with 80% of requests from the US government.
The sudden spike in Russian requests is believed to be in response to Russia’s new blogging law, which says that any bloggers with more than 3,000 daily readers need to register their real identities with the Russian government.
Roskomnadzor has demanded to know why Twitter is being so uncooperative, but Twitter has so far remained silent on the issue.
In a transparency report released by Twitter, the social media giant revealed that Russia, Turkey and the US were the three countries with the most marked increase in information requests compared to this time last year. Twitter has so far complied with none of the Russian or Turkish requests.
Mobile internet four times slower in UK than other parts of Europe
Research by the Netradar app has revealed that mobile internet speeds in the UK are four times slower than in some parts of Europe.
The average mobile data download speed in the UK is 5 megabits per second, far behind the fastest speeds in Europe with Denmark at 22 megabits per second, Switzerland at 17 megabits per second, and Norway at 15 megabits per second.
The slowest mobile data speeds in Europe were found in Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Moldova, which all had speeds below 2 megabits per second.
The leader of the Netradar project explained the difference in speeds, saying: “Mobile internet speed depends not only on mobile network operators, but also on used devices, speed limitations in the subscriptions, a user’s distance from the operator’s antenna, landscape, available radio technologies and how congested the mobile network is.”
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Schipol Airport trails Google Glass
The Netherlands’ Schipol Airport has announced in a press release that it is trialling the use of Google Glass on its airfield and terminals.
Developers have created an app that can be used with Google Glass that allows airport staff to see flight and passenger information. Workers can also use Google Glass to measure distances between barriers on the airfield.
Passengers at the airport are also being offered the chance to wear Google Glass in the terminals. The data collected will allow the airport to see how travellers navigate their way around the airport and how they access information.
The news comes shortly after Google announced it was ditching its Google Glass project. Schipol Airport’s move seems to support the idea that despite Google Glass not having mainstream consumer appeal, the Glass For Work program holds much more potential.
New social network Wangu launches in Zimbabwe
The recent launch of the Zimbabwean social network Wangu shows that local networks are not willing to give up in the face of big names such as Facebook, reports the website Tech Zimbabwe.
Wangu, which is aimed solely at Zimbabweans and people of Zimbabwean origin, hopes to grow its 4,300 user-base into something much more sizeable.
The social network allows users to make friend requests, send private messages, view images and videos, and also has sections for groups, forums, chat rooms, business listings and classifieds.
Eurostar’s first foray in the Chinese social media space is huge success
And finally, Eurostar has run its first ever social media campaign in China, with the efforts proving a great success, doubling Eurostar sales in the country.
The campaign invited Weibo users to submit a short video of their favourite place in London or Paris, with the public then invited to vote for the best video. The creators of the winning videos were given a luxury Eurostar trip.
Eurostar’s Head of Sales commented, saying: “The Weibo competition has been a great opportunity to build brand awareness with Chinese consumers. It has helped to drive growth in direct sales, with a rise in the number of individuals choosing to plan their own trip, an increasing trend within the market. We look forward to welcoming more travellers from the Chinese market on board Eurostar this coming year.”
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