Former president Donald Trump was banned from many social media platforms following the riots on Capitol Hill in the weeks leading up to the inauguration ceremony of President Joe Biden.Ramona Pringle, a technology expert and associate professor at Ryerson University, says it took too long for companies to ban Trump and others because there have been "too many real-world repercussions that come from online chatter" and those instances should have given reason for companies to take action. She says that while social media companies say they don't want to be "the arbiter of truth," at a certain point they need to take action and perhaps it's time for a change in the model of social media. Pringle says a distributed model, where users are in charge of the content and platform instead of management by one person and an executive team, could be the next era of social media.She adds that we will likely see more social media platforms emerge, as users take time to understand and adopt new ways to connect with others.
Just when you thought interest rates couldn’t get any lower, HSBC shocked with an insured 0.99% variable rate mortgage. Record low rates mean monthly mortgage payments are lower today than they were last year, despite rising prices. But higher prices mean bigger down payments that a lot of first-time buyers can't come up with. Realty’s John Pasalis operates in and analyzes the Greater Toronto Area market. Oakwyn Realty’s Steve Saretsky covers Vancouver. They shared their thoughts on the effect of low rates on prices and how it affects buyer psychology. Jessy Bains is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jessysbains.Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
Record low interest rates and a strong desire to upgrade living spaces as more people work from home is leading to increased competition among home buyers. Realtors are reporting as many as 65 bids for a single properties, which are often listed at reduced prices to spark bidding wars to fetch a higher sale price. Realty’s John Pasalis operates in and analyzes the Greater Toronto Area market. He tells us why it's best to just sit out bidding wars and how they lead to unnecessary anxiety. Jessy Bains is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jessysbains.Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.