DUBAI: Facebook will now count activists and journalists as “involuntary” public figures and so increase protections against harassment and bullying targeted at these groups, its global safety chief said in an interview this week.
The social media company, which allows more critical commentary of public figures than of private individuals, says it is changing its approach on the harassment of journalists and “human rights defenders,” who it says are in the public eye due to their work rather than their public personas.
Facebook is under wide-ranging scrutiny from global lawmakers and regulators over its content moderation practices and harms linked to its platforms, with internal documents leaked by a whistleblower forming the basis for a US Senate hearing last week.
How Facebook, which has about 2.8 billion monthly active users, treats public figures and content posted by or about those figures has been an area of intense debate. In recent weeks, the company’s “cross check” system, which the Wall Street Journal reported has the effect of exempting some high-profile users from usual Facebook rules, has been in the spotlight.
Facebook also differentiates between public figures and private individuals in the protections it affords around online discussion: for instance, users are generally allowed to call for the death of a celebrity in discussions on the platform.
The company declined to share a list of other involuntary public figures but said they are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Earlier this year, Facebook said it would remove content celebrating, praising or mocking George Floyd’s death, because he was deemed an involuntary public figure.
Facebook’s Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis said the company was also expanding the types of attacks that it would not allow on public figures on its sites, as part of an effort to reduce attacks disproportionately faced by women, people of color and the LGBTQ community.
Facebook will no longer allow severe and unwanted sexualizing content, derogatory sexualized photoshopped images or drawings or direct negative attacks on a person’s appearance, for example, in comments on a public figure’s profile.
Facebook to change rules on attacking public figures on its platforms
https://arab.news/w7535
Facebook to change rules on attacking public figures on its platforms
- The social media company says it is changing its approach on the harassment of journalists and "human rights defenders"
- Facebook is under wide-ranging scrutiny from global lawmakers and regulators over its content moderation practices
Microsoft Japan probed over alleged anti-trust violation
TOKYO: Japan’s fair trade commission conducted an on-site inspection of Microsoft’s Japanese subsidiary on Wednesday over a suspected violation of anti-trust law, a source close to the matter said.
The source, who declined to be identified, confirmed local media reports that Microsoft Japan in Tokyo is being probed over allegations it is unfairly preventing clients from using cloud platforms developed by its competitors.
“We are fully cooperating with the JFTC (Japan Fair Trade Commission) in their requests,” a spokesperson for Microsoft told AFP.
At issue is Microsoft’s cloud computing server Azure.
The firm is suspected of making its software services, including “Microsoft 365” — known for apps such as Teams and Word — inaccessible on cloud servers other than Azure, local media including the Yomiuri daily said.
The probe mirrors similar attempts in recent years by Japanese authorities to rein in the monopoly by global tech titans.
In August, the JFTC issued a cease-and-desist order to Google.
Google, JFTC said, was imposing binding conditions on Android smartphone manufacturers in Japan so that its online app store will be installed almost automatically.
In 2024, Amazon’s Japanese subsidiary in Tokyo was similarly inspected for allegations that it is abusing its industry dominance to drive down prices.
Amazon Japan used its coveted “buy box” — a prominent spot on its website — against sellers, pressuring them into lowering prices to give it a competitive edge over rival e-commerce sites, the JFTC said.
