USERS
Delhi couple buys 5 kg of fish from fishermen. What they did next went viral: ‘The ocean didn’t need your charity…'
An unusual act of kindness by a Delhi-based couple has sparked a heated debate across social media. In a post on X, a user named Andry Dariz recounted how the couple bought 5 kg of live fish from local fishermen at Dhanushkodi beach and subsequently released them into the sea. While the gesture was seemingly intended as an act of compassion towards marine life, it also prompted differing reactions online.
Airtel says prepaid plan tweaks are only a trial, calls for industry-wide shift in data pricing to lift ARPU
Airtel has told analysts that its prepaid plan changes were an experiment to raise average revenue per user, not a structural pricing fix. MD Shashwat Sharma said sustained ARPU growth would require users to pay more in proportion to data consumption, arguing that India's telecom sector underprices heavy usage.
EU charges TikTok over harmful algorithmic 'rabbit hole' effects
EU tech regulators charged social media platform TikTok on Friday with breaching the bloc's online content rules due to the so-called "rabbit hole" effect of its recommender system, which attracts users' attention to a constant stream of
Offline Aadhaar verification to get easier for users as UIDAI onboards 300 entities to complete process
UIDAI has successfully onboarded 300 Offline Verification Seeking Entities since the launch in January 2026. This initiative aims to enhance Aadhaar-based offline verification across various sectors including healthcare, education, and hospitality. Users can now complete identity checks without submitting physical copies of their Aadhaar cards.
Aadhaar App: 300 organisations adopt offline verification system; users can verify identity without photocopies
In a significant move, UIDAI has rolled out its offline verification service to incorporate 300 organizations spanning diverse sectors like hospitality, healthcare, education, and consumer services. This initiative enables users to validate their identities through the Aadhaar App, which boasts upgraded security features. Consequently, the requirement for physical Aadhaar cards during transactions is eliminated, showcasing the increasing importance of Aadhaar in routine transactions, extending well beyond governmental functionality.
New to a WhatsApp group? Here's how Android and iOS users can access recent chat history on WhatsApp
WhatsApp's new feature lets group members share recent message history with newcomers, helping them catch up on conversations they missed. Users can choose how many messages, including pinned messages, to share. The feature works when adding members directly or when someone joins through an invite link. Here's how Android, iOS and desktop users can use it.

DRDO successfully tests indigenously developed Pralay missile off Odisha coast: Rajnath Singh
The Defence Research and Development Organisation executed a successful flight test of the Pralay missile. This test took place off the coast of Odisha at 11:10 am as part of user evaluation trials. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed that all objectives were met during the exercise. Data captured through various range instruments validated the success of the test.

TRAI rules out penalties on operators based on user tests
Launching the Network Anubhav platform, Lahoti said there would be "no penalty on the basis of user test alone." A penal action, he said, "has to follow certain standards before you conclude that it is a failure." Trai, he added, does not impose penalties but financial disincentives for not meeting specific regulatory requirements.

TRAI's new Network Anubhav platform to map real-world network speeds, call quality
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recently introduced the Network Anubhav Platform for consumers. This new platform allows users to compare mobile and broadband networks based on location and performance. Consumers can view network tests, filter results, and make informed choices about service providers.

Unknown numbers adding you to WhatsApp groups? Android and iOS users can change this setting to protect privacy
WhatsApp users can prevent unknown people from adding them to unwanted groups by changing their group privacy settings. Under Settings, go to Privacy and select Groups. Choose My contacts or My contacts except to restrict who can add you. The setting applies to new groups and syncs across WhatsApp Web and Desktop.

Unknown WhatsApp calls? Android and iOS users can now check these details before answering calls
WhatsApp has a feature offering details about unknown callers on Android and iOS, including whether they are saved contacts, share groups with you and the country their numbers are registered in. Users can also silence unknown calls through Privacy settings. Silenced calls remain visible in the Calls tab, but the phone will not ring.

'India is bigger than US for ChatGPT': OpenAI's Sam Altman says Americans are negative about AI, Indians unusually positive
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that India has more ChatGPT users than the US, making it the company's biggest market by users. Speaking to Raj Shamani, he praised India's growing AI adoption and said Americans were unusually negative about AI compared with the rest of the world.

Dreambeans now in India: What to know about Google’s personalised AI visual stories app
Google has launched its innovative Dreambeans app in India, aimed at transforming personal moments into captivating visual stories. By utilizing data from services like Gmail and Photos, the app crafts unique narratives that resonate with users' experiences. Privacy is prioritized, allowing users to curate what they share and disconnect services anytime.

OpenAI’s India user base doubles; Rapido GOV quadruples
Happy Tuesday! India has become ChatGPT’s largest market globally, with its user base doubling. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.

How to silence unknown callers on WhatsApp? A guide for Android and Apple iOS users
WhatsApp provides a feature enabling users to silence calls from unknown callers for privacy and convenience. Users can prevent interruptions from strangers and only receive calls from saved contacts. The app offers details about the unknown callers, such as country codes and group interactions. Users can easily adjust their settings on both Android and iOS devices to enable or disable this feature.

Grok bot users hit limits faster as Elon Musk warns of ‘unsustainably high’ AI agent costs: What happens next?
Grok Bot usage limits: Elon Musk says the cost of running Grok Bot has become unsustainable relative to its revenue as users report hitting weekly usage limits faster. Despite 800,000 paid weekly users, questions remain about the service's costs, pricing and future limits.

First Apple Intelligence features land in China, with Alibaba’s Qwen on board
The tech giant has partnered with Alibaba to bring its Qwen model into some of the experiences. Chinese users will be able to use Qwen through Siri, Writing Tools, and Visual Intelligence, enabling text and image understanding. Users can access it by signing in with a Qwen account or through Apple, the company said in a blog post.

Mistral AI publicly releases Large 4, targets cybersecurity users
Mistral said the released version was an upgrade from the one unveiled three weeks ago, following testing with governments and corporate users, which helped improve its performance.

Perplexity’s AI got some answers wrong, but it helped Aravind Srinivas find his first users
Perplexity’s early growth came from an unexpected way, people searching for their own social media profiles and sharing the AI’s sometimes amusing answers online. Aravind Srinivas explains how the experiment attracted attention and helped shape the startup’s shift from Twitter search to a broader AI-powered answer engine.
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