New Feature launch - Find, Message and Buy on WhatsApp

 at the first-ever WhatsApp Business Summit in Brazil, Mark Zuckerberg has shared an update on what we’re building to help people find, message and buy something from a business on WhatsApp. These new features are introduced to offer an enhanced end-to-end commerce experience for users and connect with their favourite brands while discovering new ones.

 

1. Find a Business 

• Business Search – Find a larger brand on WhatsApp using our API (select country launch – Brazil, UK, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia)
• Directory – Discover a local merchant (SMB) on WhatsApp (Brazil only; expanding to the entire country after testing in Sao Paulo)

  

2. Buy 

• P2M - Pay a local merchant directly in WhatsApp (Currently testing in Brazil; expected to expand to other markets as well)

 

The new Business Search feature will be available Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and the UK.

 

We hear from people all the time how they want a simple way to not only find but reach out to businesses on WhatsApp so they can get assistance quickly without having to look up a phone number, send an email to a support@ address or navigate a complicated website. And while many businesses already promote their own WhatsApp number in packaging materials, store signs and websites, they often ask us for a better way to help more people know about this channel. That’s why we’re launching the ability to find a business right on WhatsApp so people can now browse businesses by category – such as travel or banking – or search by the business name. This will save people from having to find phone numbers off websites or type a number into their contacts. To start, we’re bringing this feature to Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the UK. In Brazil, people will be able to browse categories of small businesses in their neighborhood as well.

 

Once people find a business they want to chat with, they can ask product questions, browse their catalog of goods and services and add items to a cart so the business knows what they want to buy. From there, we want people to be able to make a secure payment right from a chat with their credit or debit card. We recently launched this experience in India and we’re excited to now be testing this in Brazil with multiple payment partners. This seamless checkout experience will be a game-changer for people and businesses looking to buy and sell on WhatsApp without having to go to a website, open another app or pay in person. Our goal is to expand this experience to more countries in the future.

Facebook Accidentally Declares Mark Zuckerberg, Two Million Others Dead

In a weird turn of events, Facebook itself has started declaring people dead – when in fact they are not. A lot of Facebook users were greeted with a eulogy message when visiting the profiles of friends and family, while some found their own accounts memorialised. Even Mark Zuckerberg was declared dead on his Facebook page. The social media giant acknowledged the error after fixing it – saying that there was a ‘terrible error’.

People who have been memorialised by Facebook have the following written on top of their Facebook profile “Remembering Anne. We hope people who love Anne will find comfort in the things others share to remember and celebrate her life”.

The social network yesterday apologized and said it work as quickly as possible to correct the problem. While some people were obviously shocked, other users saw it as a missed opportunity to scare a few friends out, with one user, Danny Sullivan tweeting “Damn. I should have used Facebook Live to show how I was Facebook Dead”.

Source: Indian Express

WhatsApp Blocked in Brazil for 48 hours

Yes, you heard it right. Whatsapp has been blocked in Brazil due to a criminal proceeding in the Sao Paulo State Justice Tribunal in Sao Bernardo do Campo. The case involves a drug trafficker linked to the PCC, or First Command of the Capital, one of Sao Paulo's biggest and most dangerous criminal gangs. The trafficker allegedly used WhatsApp services in the commission of crimes.

According to the court, WhatsApp failed to comply with a judicial order issued July 23. WhatsApp was notified again on August 7 when the court set a fine for non-compliance. On Wednesday, after finding WhatsApp in continued non-compliance, Judge Sandra Regina Nostre Marques ordered the 48-hour shutdown under terms of the country's Internet legislation, the statement said.

"This is a sad day for Brazil. Until today, Brazil has been an ally in creating an open Internet. Brazilians have always been among the most passionate in sharing their voice online. I am stunned that our efforts to protect people's data would result in such an extreme decision by a single judge to punish every person in Brazil who uses WhatsApp," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page in both English and Portuguese.

Source: NDTV

PM Narendra Modi To Visit Facebook Headquarters In September 2015

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting the headquarters of Facebook in California on September 27 2015. The announcement was done by none other than Mark Zuckerberg through a Facebook post. It will be a privilage for Mr. Modi as he becomes the second leader after US President Barack Obama to hold town hall interaction at the Facebook headquarters.

"I'm excited to announce that Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India will be visiting Facebook HQ later this month for a Townhall Q&A. Prime Minister Modi and I will discuss how communities can work together to address social and economic challenges," Zuckerberg posted on Facebook.

Modi also responded on Facebook to thank Mark Zuckerberg for the invite "I thank Mr. Mark Zuckerberg for the invite to visit the Facebook HQ. I look forward to the Townhall Q&A on Sunday 27th September at 10 PM IST (9:30 am Pacific time)," PM wrote on Facebook. He also invited questions from the people for the town hall session. "This programme will be incomplete without your participation! Share your questions on Facebook. I urge you all to share your questions on the 'Narendra Modi Mobile App.' Your questions will make this a programme to be remembered. The interaction will cover a wide range of issues and will surely be a memorable one." 

The San Francisco event will be webcast live on the Facebook profiles of both Modi and Zuckerberg. The Facebook CEO also referred to his last meeting with Modi in New Delhi and said, “I had the chance to visit Prime Minister Modi in India last year and it’s an honor to have the chance to host him here at Facebook." He also posted a picture of that meeting. 

Modi will be visiting US and  Ireland from 23rd to 29th September to visit Google headquarters in the Silicon Valley and address at the UN General Assembly. India has a record Facebook user base outside the US territory. In June 2015, Facebook quoted that 125 million users of its global base of 1.44 billion come from India. 

Source: Indian Express