NEW YORK: Facebook, in the aftermath of damning testimony that its platforms harm children, will be introducing several features including prompting teens to take a break using its photo sharing app Instagram, and “nudging” teens if they are repeatedly looking at the same content that’s not conducive to their well-being.
The Menlo Park, California-based Facebook is also planning to introduce new controls for adults of teens on an optional basis so that parents or guardians can supervise what their teens are doing online. These initiatives come after Facebook announced late last month that it was pausing work on its Instagram for Kids project. But critics say the plan lacks details and they are skeptical that the new features would be effective.
The new controls were outlined on Sunday by Nick Clegg, Facebook’s vice president for global affairs, who made the rounds on various Sunday news shows including CNN’s “State of the Union” and ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” where he was grilled about Facebook’s use of algorithms as well as its role in spreading harmful misinformation ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
“We are constantly iterating in order to improve our products,” Clegg told Dana Bash on “State of the Union” Sunday. “We cannot, with a wave of the wand, make everyone’s life perfect. What we can do is improve our products, so that our products are as safe and as enjoyable to use.”
Clegg said that Facebook has invested $13 billion over the past few years in making sure to keep the platform safe and that the company has 40,000 people working on these issues. And while Clegg said that Facebook has done its best to keep harmful content out of its platforms, he says he was open for more regulation and oversight.
“We need greater transparency,” he told CNN’s Bash. He noted that the systems that Facebook has in place should be held to account, if necessary, by regulation so that “people can match what our systems say they’re supposed to do from what actually happens.”
The flurry of interviews came after whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former data scientist with Facebook, went before Congress last week to accuse the social media platform of failing to make changes to Instagram after internal research showed apparent harm to some teens and of being dishonest in its public fight against hate and misinformation. Haugen’s accusations were supported by tens of thousands of pages of internal research documents she secretly copied before leaving her job in the company’s civic integrity unit.
Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, a watchdog for the children and media marketing industry, said that he doesn’t think introducing controls to help parents supervise teens would be effective since many teens set up secret accounts any way. He was also dubious about how effective nudging teens to take a break or move away from harmful content would be. He noted Facebook needs to show exactly how they would implement it and offer research that shows these tools are effective.
“There is tremendous reason to be skeptical,” he said. He added that regulators need to restrict what Facebook does with its algorithms.
He said he also believes that Facebook should cancel its Instagram project for kids.
When Clegg was grilled by both Bash and Stephanopoulos in separate interviews about the use of algorithms in amplifying misinformation ahead of Jan. 6 riots, he responded that if Facebook removed the algorithms people would see more, not less hate speech, and more, not less, misinformation.
Clegg told both hosts that the algorithms serve as “giant spam filters.”
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who chairs the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, told Bash in a separate interview Sunday that it’s time to update children’s privacy laws and offer more transparency in the use of algorithms.
“I appreciate that he is willing to talk about things, but I believe the time for conversation is done,” said Klobuchar, referring to Clegg’s plan. “The time for action is now.”
Facebook unveils new controls for kids using its platforms
https://arab.news/bewxt
Facebook unveils new controls for kids using its platforms
Middle East ‘poised to make its mark on global content landscape,’ says TV boss
- Ziad Kebbi, CEO of Dubai-based Blue Engine Studios, says its vision is to produce ‘compelling, high-quality content’ that ‘creates a deep connection’ with audiences
- The region ‘has the potential to follow in the footsteps of South Korea, Spain and India in becoming a global content hub,’ he adds
DUBAI: Last month, Dubai-based production company Blue Engine Studios unveiled Nabil Soueid as the new chairman of its board and majority shareholder, as part of its strategy to bolster growth and expand its production of diverse scripted, unscripted and short-form content for regional and international platforms.
The business launched in late 2021 with the aim of targeting pan-Arab digital media, linear TV and the expanding streaming market. It was co-founded by CEO Ziad Kebbi, along with industry veteran Hani Ghorayeb who left the company last month shortly before Soueid was appointed.
“Nabil brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the television industry, both regionally and globally,” Kebbi told Arab News.
As the company works to bring “incredible stories to life through our distinctive approach to content production” and carve out “a unique position” in the market, Soueid’s insights will be valuable, he added.
In late 2021, the company formed an exclusive partnership with Dutch media conglomerate Talpa Concepts, developing what it describes as a robust format catalog that includes the recent global game show sensation “The Floor.”
Now, Blue Engine Studios is entering a new phase that involves “sharpening our focus on innovative television programming,” said Kebbi.
“Our vision for Blue Engine Studios is to be at the forefront of producing compelling, high-quality content that not only entertains but also creates a deep connection with our audiences across different platforms, tapping into both regional sensibilities and global storytelling techniques.”
The media landscape has become more cluttered in recent years, he added, and to stand out, streamers must “deliver unique, quality content, provide exceptional user experiences and, perhaps most importantly, create an emotional connection with their audiences through stories that resonate.”
This is why the company has adopted a collaborative approach, working with local, regional and international streaming services, Kebbi said.
“We aim to create content that aligns with their brand and audience, while maintaining the integrity and uniqueness of our creative vision.”
Soueid noted that audiences in the Middle East are diverse and there is demand for both local and international content.
“Content consumption in our region is multifaceted,” he said. “While there’s a significant appetite for local content that resonates culturally, international formats adapted for regional audiences, like ‘The Voice,’ have also been very successful.”
In response to this audience demand, international streaming services such as Netflix have made significant investments in the region, through training programs and funding.
This “interest in developing the talent pipeline in the region is a positive sign” that “signals growth in the regional talent pool, opening up opportunities for local storytellers and creators to showcase their work on a global platform,” Kebbi said.
In addition, governments in the region are investing in the media and entertainment sectors to further support the development and growth of talent. Last month, for example, MEFIC Capital, in collaboration with Roaa Media Ventures, launched the Saudi Film Fund with an initial capital injection of SR375 million ($100 million), 40 percent of its funding coming from the Kingdom’s Cultural Development Fund. The aim of the fund is to bolster international partnerships with major studios and deliver content that reflects Saudi culture and values.
“Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has been a catalyst for talent development and production in the Kingdom,” said Kebbi. This focus on media and entertainment “has given rise to a new generation of creators and an infrastructure supportive of high-quality production,” he added.
With shows from around the world such as “Squid Game,” from South Korea, and “Money Heist,” from Spain, increasingly making their mark on the global stage, Hollywood is perhaps no longer quite as dominant a force in quality content as it once was.
In fact, the era of “peak TV” might be over, according to 17 entertainment-industry executives, agents and bankers who recently spoke to Reuters.
“I think there will be a significant retrenchment in the quantity of content and the amount spent on content,” one veteran TV executive told the news agency.
Could this present producers in the Middle East with the perfect opportunity to step up their presence on the international stage? Kebbi certainly believes so.
The region “is poised to make its mark on the global content landscape,” he said. “With strategic investments, nurturing of local talent, and stories that resonate universally, the region has the potential to follow in the footsteps of South Korea, Spain and India in becoming a global content hub.”
Instagram’s political content limit could ‘fuel censorship of pro-Palestine voices’
- Accessing political content now requires users to go into their settings and actively opt in via their preferences
- “Social media is an essential platform for people to bear witness and speak out against abuses,” HRW says
LONDON: Meta has found itself again under scrutiny after it quietly rolled out a new feature on Instagram that automatically limits users’ exposure to what it considers “political” content.
The tech giant is being accused of censorship during a global election year, with rights groups telling Arab News that the move risks fueling systematic censorship of pro-Palestinian content.
Instagram users discovered the feature, which was first announced on Feb. 9, was implemented on Friday without directly notifying them.
Accessing political content now requires users to go into their settings and actively opt in via their preferences.
Meta’s definition of political content is ambiguous, describing it as likely to mention “government, elections, or social topics that affect a group of people or society at large.”
Meta referred Arab News to a little-noticed statement from February without providing further detail. In explaining the decision, the company said that it wanted to make its platforms “a great experience for everyone.”
“If you decide to follow accounts that post political content, we don’t want to get between you and their posts, but we also don’t want to proactively recommend political content from accounts you don’t follow,” it said.
“Under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), companies have a responsibility to avoid infringing on human rights, identify and address the human rights impacts of their operations, and provide meaningful access to a remedy to those whose rights they abused,” Rasha Younes of Human Rights Watch told Arab News.
“For social media companies, including Meta, this responsibility includes aligning their content moderation policies and practices with international human rights standards, ensuring that decisions to take down content are transparent and not overly broad or biased, and enforcing their policies consistently,” Younes said.
The update applies to Explore, Reels, and in-feed recommendations and suggested users that Instagram shows to users.
Meta said that users would still be able to see political content from the accounts they currently followed.
It also stated that accounts flagged by Meta for posting political content could appeal the decision that prevented them from being recommended into the feeds if they believe that it was applied incorrectly.
The announcement of the policy change was also posted on Threads by Adam Mosseri, Meta’s head of Instagram.
Explaining the company’s decision, the American-Israeli businessman said: “Our goal is to preserve the ability for people to choose to interact with political content, while respecting each person’s appetite for it.”
This recent policy is part of Meta’s larger strategy to cut off its services from political and news content, signaling a significant shift in how the company views its role in the information ecosystem.
The company plans to remove the news tab from Facebook in Australia and the US by early April.
“One of the top pieces of feedback we’re hearing from our community right now is that people don’t want politics and fighting to take over their experience on our services,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during Facebook’s earnings call in January 2021.
However, the implementation of this recent policy has sparked outrage, particularly in light of the war in Gaza.
“Instagram’s move to limit ‘political content’ on the platform risks fueling censorship of content in support of Palestine, at a time of unspeakable atrocities and repression already stifling Palestinians’ expression. Social media is an essential platform for people to bear witness and speak out against abuses,” Younes said.
Earlier in December, Human Rights Watch accused Meta of participating in a wider wave of online censorship, specifically targeting content in support of Palestine and Palestinian human rights, against the backdrop of the war.
The report documented 1,049 cases in which peaceful pro-Palestine content was taken down or suppressed.
Younes recommended that Meta, “improve transparency around requests by governments’ Internet referral units, including Israel’s Cyber Unit, to remove content ‘voluntarily’— that is, without a court or administrative order to do so — and about its use of automation and machine learning algorithms to moderate or translate Palestine-related content.
“It should carry out due diligence on the human rights impact of temporary changes to its recommendation algorithms that it introduced in response to the hostilities between Israel and Hamas since Oct. 7.”
EU mulls removal of Iranian firm linked to internet blackout from censorship list
- ArvanCloud was sanctioned in 2022 for its role in censorship Internet in the country
LONDON: The European Union is reportedly contemplating the removal of ArvanCloud from its roster of human rights sanctions.
The company was sanctioned in 2022 due to its involvement in Iran’s internet censorship.
According to Iran International, citing a source close to the matter, the decision to lift the sanctions appears to be driven by claims from ArvanCloud's supporters abroad.
These supporters allege that the company played a significant role in providing millions of Iranian citizens with access to a free internet during the Woman, Life Freedom protests in 2022-2023.
During the nationwide demonstrations, which called for fundamental economic, social, and political changes, ArvanCloud was accused of assisting the Islamic Republic in censoring the internet, given its close ties to Iran’s intelligence services and top officials.
Consequently, the company, along with some of its executives, was also sanctioned by the US.
Subsequently, ArvanCloud announced the termination of its contract with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This development precedes the EU’s annual review of its list of individuals and entities found to be violating human rights in Iran.
Iran has a history of blocking tens of thousands of websites since 2002, including prominent social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
The country is notorious for its strict internet censorship measures, which have included shutting down internet access for most Iranians during nationwide protests. These measures aim to prevent the dissemination of information online and obstruct communication among citizens.
ArvanCloud, which controls 49 percent of Iran’s cloud space market, continues to host many critical websites in the Islamic Republic, including those of the presidency, IRNA news agency, and the Ministry of Islamic Guidance.
Additionally, one of the company’s information centers is installed at Payam Airport, which belongs to the Ministry of Communications.
Doctors Without Borders rejects Israeli army claim of ‘terror activity’ at site of deadly attack in Gaza
- 2 family members of staff member killed and 7 others injured by Israeli forces in February
- Likely a tank shell ‘fired directly into the building,’ according to a media probe
DUBAI: Israeli forces have been accused of intentionally, and without provocation, attacking a Doctors Without Borders aid shelter housing 64 people in Al-Mawasi, Gaza, on Feb. 20 killing two relatives of a staff member and injuring seven others.
The attack came despite Israeli forces being informed of the precise location of the shelter, Doctors Without Borders, or the MSF, reportedly said. The Israeli army has claimed that there was “terror activity” at the site, which the MSF has rejected.
Sky News revealed the findings of its investigation into the incident on Wednesday, prompting the Israeli Defense Forces to initiate its own “examination” into the incident.
The news organization said it visited the site, and used on-the-ground footage, open-source techniques and interviews with witnesses and weapons experts to understand how the incident unfolded.
Witnesses told Sky News they heard loud noises that seemed to come from a tank track, while some also heard gunshots.
The evidence suggests the attack was initiated by a tank shell that entered through a window. “It’s difficult to draw definitive conclusions merely from imagery however I believe the damage is the result of a tank round being fired directly into the building,” said former British army artillery officer and director of Chiron Resources, Chris Cobb-Smith.
He dispelled any notions about it being an attack by Hamas, saying he was “unaware of any direct fire weapons of this caliber being operated by Hamas” and is “doubtful that anything of this size would have been able to be deployed and fired with the amount of IDF activity in the area.”
Witnesses and MSF members said they also heard gunfire before the building was hit.
Meinie Nicolai, general director of the aid organization, who visited the site soon after the attack, said bullets were fired at the front of the shelter.
The investigation further revealed that on the day of the attack, the Israeli army said on its Telegram channel that its forces were operating in northern, central and southern Gaza Strip and continuing “intensive operations in western Khan Younis,” but it did not mention the immediate area around the shelter.
Moreover, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee published an evacuation map on the same day of two neighborhoods further north in and around Gaza City, which did not cover the area where the shelter is located.
Emergency services arrived at the scene at least two-and-a-half hours after the attack due to security concerns, according to the investigation.
The injured were taken to the International Medical Corps Field hospital in Rafah, said the MSF.
“We are outraged and deeply saddened by these killings,” said Nicolai in February.
“These killings underscore the grim reality that nowhere in Gaza is safe, that promises of safe areas are empty and deconfliction mechanisms unreliable,” she added.
The IDF, which has launched its own investigation, said that it “fired at a building that was identified as a building where terror activity is occurring,” but did not provide any evidence.
The MSF said in a statement on Wednesday it “refutes any allegations of terror activity occurring in MSF-run structures.
“The shelter was used by humanitarian personnel and their family members, identified by an MSF flag, and notified to the Israeli authorities.”
In a statement, the IDF added: “After the incident, reports were received of the death of two uninvolved civilians in the area. The IDF regrets any harm to civilians and does everything in its power to operate in a precise and accurate manner.”
Under international humanitarian law, medical facilities and units must be respected and protected in all circumstances.
Oona Hathaway, an international law professor at Yale Law School, told Sky News that medical facilities are “presumed to be civilian objects and not subject to targeting during armed conflict.”
She added that if the IDF intentionally targets a civilian object, it counts as “potentially a war crime.”
Last week, the IDF launched an operation in and around Al-Shifa, saying senior Hamas operatives were based at the sprawling compound. Days of heavy fighting have followed, with the military reporting about 170 Palestinian militants killed and hundreds more arrested or questioned.
US, UK sanction Gaza Now media channel over Hamas fundraising
- “Treasury remains committed to degrading Hamas’ ability to finance its terrorist activities,” US Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian Nelson said
- “The UK Government has announced a full asset freeze against two individuals suspected of providing financial support for Gaza Now,” the UK Treasury said
WASHINGTON: US and UK authorities unveiled sanctions Wednesday against two people and three companies related to the popular media channel Gaza Now over its fundraising efforts in support of Hamas.
The Treasury Department said in a statement that Gaza Now, whose popular Telegram channel has more than 1.8 million followers, and its founder Mustafa Ayash, started fundraising for Hamas after its unprecedented attack on October 7.
That attack resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, and the capture of around 250 hostages, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 32,414 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
“Treasury remains committed to degrading Hamas’ ability to finance its terrorist activities, including through online fundraising campaigns that seek to funnel money directly to the group,” US Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.
The Treasury Department accused the group of “having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Hamas.”
The US also unveiled sanctions against Aozma Sultana, the director of two companies that allegedly gave “thousands of dollars to Gaza Now and advertised Gaza Now as a partner during a joint fundraiser shortly after the October 7 terrorist attack.”
The Treasury Department’s actions are being carried out alongside similar actions by the UK authorities.
“The UK Government has announced a full asset freeze against two individuals suspected of providing financial support for Gaza Now — a news agency that promotes the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist groups,” the UK Treasury said in a statement.
“All funds and economic resources in the UK belonging to or controlled by Sultana and Ayash have been frozen,” they added.