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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Union Government and social networking sites Facebook India and Google India on a petition by the former Bharatiya Janata Party ideologue, K.N. Govindacharya, which accused the two sites of not verifying details of its subscribers, using the users' data for commercial purposes and evading taxes on their operations in India, and the government of not taking any action against them.

Issuing the notice, the court directed the respondents to file replies to the petition in four weeks.

The petitioner submitted that of the 9 million users of Facebook, 5 million are Indians. The social networking site was transferring their data to the U.S. for commercial use without paying any taxes to the Indian government on their operations here as per the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement.

He urged the court to direct the government to ensure the compliance of the verification norms for the users of the social networking sites, as was being done by mobile companies, to pre-empt security threat to the country.

As per the records of Facebook, about 5 to 6 per cent of their accounts are fake or being operated by anonymous users because the accounts were opened without the user details having been authenticated, the petitioner said adding that while the government had framed detailed guidelines for Know Your Customer' norms for all sectors and more specifically for verification of mobile subscribers by telecom companies the same was not being implemented by the networking site, thus causing the biggest security risk to the nation.

The petitioner also raised the issue of invasion of privacy for the sites' users as their data were transferred to the U.S. for commercial use.

He further submitted that Facebook had allowed children below 13 years of age to open accounts possibly one-third of their registered users just to exploit the online gaming market and increase advertisement revenue. Facebook's gross revenue for last year was about $37 billion but it was not paying due taxes on their Indian operations as per the provisions of the DTAA.

The petitioner urged the court to stay the operation of services to disingenuous users of Facebook, Orkut and other networking sites and direct the government to stop opening of further accounts by these sites without necessary verification.

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Notice to Centre, social networking sites

Tucked away in Manhattans SoHo neighborhood near New York University, Foursquares new digs make a much better home to its staff than the companys previous headquarters, which it shared with the Village Voice (and quickly grew out of ). Photo: John Francis Peters/Wired

Until now, Foursquare has been more like a Hollywood caricature of a social networking business than the real thing. It has a carousing, socially popular founder. A goofy-sounding value proposition involving badges, mayors, and check-ins. A lofty venture capital valuationand reportedly, little revenue. But the fresh redesign described to us by CEO Dennis Crowley and outlined below aims to change all that, making the check-in service attractive to a whole new class of consumers and, just as crucial, providing advertisers highly targeted access to those consumers.

If all goes as planned, Foursquare will finally do what Crowley says the startup has always wanted to do: Get past awarding badges like Player Please for obsessive check-ins and provide people with more actionable, easy-to-understand information to help them make decisions. The company says its goal is to make the real world easier to use. Rather than simply recording where you are, Foursquare wants to help you decide where to go.

Foursquare has always been of some use in making plans, if only because it shows you where your friends areright now. That lets people, as Crowleys former NYU professor Clay Shirky puts it, literally see through walls I am standing here and my friends are 55 yards in that direction.

Foursquare's new iPhone app, rolling out Thursday, makes recommendations more accessible, pictures larger, advertisements more visible, and social elements more prominent. The check-in button, at the top right of each screen, is intended to be more clickable. Images courtesy Foursquare

But Foursquare wants to go further, helping its 20 million users easily see where their friends have been, what they did, what they ate, who they were with, what it all looked like, and what it all means to someone standing on a particular corner at a particular time with a particular hankering.

It wasnt just a novelty trick of knowing where your friends are. Crowley says of Foursquares original iteration. The intent has always been to predict where people are going, what is the most interesting thing I should know on a Tuesday afternoon, in some place I have never been.

All the check-ins, all the mayorships were a way to get the data to do that.

Its like the Karate Kid, Crowley says. You think you are painting the fence, but you are really learning karate. Thats what we were doing.

Now that Crowley has accumulated extensive user data over the last three years, hes launching new features to make us of it. Those features begin rolling out for iPhone and Android users on Thursday and for BlackBerry users in a few weeks.

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Social: Foursquare’s Plan For Relevance and Riches

NEW YORK, June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Vivastream is now the official social media platform for the 2012 HBA Global Expo taking place June 19-21, 2012 at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120606/NY19997 )

Vivastream (Vivastream.com) is a free, mobile- and web-based social platform that connects business professionals at events and conferences. Using Vivastream, HBA Global Expo attendees, exhibitors, and speakers can begin networking with other audience members based on users choosing pre-defined interests that enable the smart searching of the database. The platform also provides the audience the ability to plan their day-to-day schedule. Vivastream is available for iPhone, Blackberry and Android mobile devices.

Once signed up with Vivastream, users can interact with the list of topics for the HBA Global Expo and select the ones they are interested in, or are looking for, and also indicate the topics in which they can help, or supply products or services. For each person that signs up, Vivastream will automatically generate a customized list of 'Who To Know' at the conference based on several relevant factors, including what topics the attendee can help them with, and also how many topics of interest they have in common.

"UBM Live is committed to delivering solutions that enhance the experience of visitors to our global events," states Howard Zonder, SVP of Market and Audience Development, UBM Live. "We chose Vivastream as the social media and networking platform for HBA Expo because, rather than rely on chance encounters at the expo, Vivastream users have the advantage of knowing exactly who they should meet with based on what's most relevant to them and their business."

"Once signed up, Vivastream users attending HBA Expo 2012 can engage in continual networking on the topics they care most about," said Nick Fugaro, Founder of Vivastream. "They can begin networking before the event, during the event, and continue the conversation after the event, all in one convenient, easy-to-use platform."

"The beauty of Vivastream is that it's continuously monitoring everything that's going on in real-time," said Kyle Morehouse, Cofounder and VP of Product at Vivastream. "Each time a person joins Vivastream, our social activity engine will assign them a 'Who to Know' ranking among all other attendees based on the answer to two key questions: 1. Is this person interested in the same topics as I am, and if yes, which ones do we have in common; and 2. Can this person help me with the topics I've indicated I need help with? Simply put, the more qualified they are to help you, and the more business interests you have in common, the higher they rank on your 'Who to Know' list."

ABOUT VIVASTREAM

Vivastream (Vivastream.com) is a social platform designed to help business professionals make the most of their time at conferences and events. It helps connect them with other attendees based on the topics they are interested in. Vivastream has been named one of four "Cool Vendors in Social CRM, 2012" by Gartner. According to the report, "The big difference between Vivastream and many similar social software technologies is that it isn't built on the social graph, but on the topic graph -- connecting people by what they show an interest in, versus who they might know."

About HBA Global Expo & Conference http://www.hbaexpo.com produced by UBM Live, is the premiere product development sourcefrom concept to marketfor the cosmetics, personal care, skin care, fragrance and wellness industries and features a comprehensive educational program and exhibits floor. HBA visitors comprise the top prestige, mass and emerging beauty and personal care brands worldwide. The HBA Global Expo & Conference will take place June 19-21, 2012 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. Connect with the HBA Global communities on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

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Vivastream Now Official Social Media & Networking Platform for The 2012 HBA Global Expo & Conference

NEW YORK, June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --HBA Global Expo announced today a Social Networking App that empowers visitors to easily find and connect with the attendees and companies that matter most to them.The HBA Global Expo and Conference, taking place June 19-21, 2012 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, is the largest gathering of ingredient suppliers, packagers and retails to the global beauty and wellness industries.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120606/NY19993)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120426/NY95610LOGO)

Utilizing the complimentary Social Networking App, users can register their interest in a wide range of topics ranging from Anti-Aging to Wellness and everything in between. Within each selected topic, they can then indicate whether they are interested in learning more about the topic or if they can provide help. The app uses this data along with profile information garnered from tight social media integration to determine points of commonality and then builds for each user a personalized, top 50 list of "Who To Know" at the show. As usage increases, the app gets smarter and dynamically updates these lists to hone in on the people and companies that matter most.

"The HBA Social Networking App has evolved out of customer feedback requesting that attendees, exhibitors, and speakers have the ability to find the perfect matches for their needs in an environment with so many potential leads," said Jill Birkett, Director of UBM Live's Beauty & Wellness Portfolio. "With this social application, we are putting a powerful tool into hands of our visitors to help them easily find and connect with others that will help them achieve their objectives."

"We constantly strive to give visitors the best, most productive event experience," said Howard Zonder, SVP of Market and Audience Development, UBM Live. "UBM Live events like HBA Global Expo draw thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of visitors which can make it challenging for even the most seasoned attendees to meet all of the right people and visit all of the most relevant exhibitors. Tools like the HBA Social Networking App empower our visitors to maximize their time and efforts at the show."

Powered by Vivastream, the app is designed to increase the volume and effectiveness of networking for visitors and exhibitors at HBA Global.

To build your HBA Global "Who To Know" list, visit http://www.vivastream.com/events/hba-global-expo. For more information on the HBA Global Expo 2012 please visit http://www.hbaexpo.com.

Media contact: Annie Scully, 845-369-6382, ascully@hbaexpo.com or Caitlin Read, 609-759-4735, caitlin.read@ubm.com.

About HBA Global Expo & Conference http://www.hbaexpo.com produced by UBM Live, is the premiere product development sourcefrom concept to marketfor the cosmetics, personal care, skin care, fragrance and wellness industries and features a comprehensive educational program and exhibits floor. HBA visitors comprise the top prestige, mass and emerging beauty and personal care brands worldwide. The HBA Global Expo & Conference will take place June 19-21, 2012 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. Connect with the HBA Global communities on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

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HBA Global Expo Launches New Social Networking App

SAN FRANCISCO How young is too young to join Facebook?

The Menlo Park, Calif., company currently bans anyone under age 13 from joining the world's most popular social network. Yet an estimated 7.5 million preteens most of them under age 10 are already using the service, many with their parents' approval.

The highly charged debate over privacy and safety in the Internet age picked up steam this week as word leaked that Facebook was considering allowing kids younger than 13 to use the service with parental supervision. Among the options the company is exploring: connecting kids' accounts to their parents' accounts and giving Mom and Dad control over what their children can do on the site, such as who they can "friend" and what apps they can use.

"We have to do something super responsible. We can't afford not to," said a person at Facebook familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly. "We are tiptoeing into it."

After its troubled start as a publicly traded company, Facebook is under increasing pressure to grow revenue. Facebook's stock Monday fell 82 cents, or 3%, to a new low of $26.90.

Lowering the age limit would help the company tap younger users, who advertisers are eager to reach. Kids are also avid users of games a big moneymaker for Facebook. About 12% of Facebook's $3.7 billion in 2011 revenue came from its share of Zynga games such as"FarmVille" played on Facebook

Still, it's a risky gambit that could expose Facebook to the scrutiny of regulators and the ire of parents. Some fear that kids under age 13 are not ready for the grown-up world of social networking, where even older children can fall prey to online predators or bullies, be exposed to inappropriate content and get bombarded with online ads.

Massachusetts mom and blogger Lori Popkewitz Alper said her three sons, ages 11, 10 and 8, are not allowed on Facebook. And they won't be any time soon, even if the company lowers the age threshold.

"It's shocking to me that Facebook is contemplating doing this," said Popkewitz Alper, editorin chief of the blog Groovy Green Livin. "I feel like I am very aware of the issues and the potential dangers for children, and it really frightens me to think that young kids are potentially going to have access."

But other parents are more sanguine about the prospect of Facebook opening to younger users. Microsoft Research released a study last year that found 36% of parents knew their children joined Facebook before they turned 13, and that many of them helped their kids sign up.

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Giant social network Facebook may give access to children under 13