CALIFORNIA: Facebook owner Meta Platforms should not allow users to share people’s private residential information on its platforms even when the information is publicly available, the company’s oversight board said in its first policy advisory opinion.
The board https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-facebooks-oversight-board-2021-... also recommended Meta create a communications channel so that so-called doxxing victims can better explain their cases to the company.
Doxxing is the public release of sensitive information identifying an individual or organization, like a home address or phone number. It can lead to harassment or stalking.
Celebrities and private individuals have been affected by sharing of such information, which raises issues around privacy, public interest and civic activism. In a recent high-profile case, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling accused trans activists of doxxing her by posting a photo of her home on Twitter.
Meta’s independent oversight board, which includes academics, rights experts and lawyers, was created by the company to rule on a small slice of thorny content moderation appeals but it can also advise on site policies.
Last year, Meta requested a policy advisory opinion from the board on when private residential addresses and images may be published on Facebook and Instagram.
The company’s current rules say users should not share “personally identifiable information about yourself or others” but Meta may allow content like a person’s address to be posted if it is considered “publicly available.”
Meta’s internal guidance to content reviewers said information published by at least five news outlets or available through various public records did not count as private, the board said.
The board said Meta should remove this exemption and should ensure exceptions for newsworthy content should be consistently applied. It also said Meta should allow external images of private residences when the property is the focus of the news story, though not for organizing protests against the resident.
It was the first time Meta’s oversight board had responded to a request for a policy advisory opinion not related to a specific case. The company has 60 days to publicly respond.
The oversight board, which has ruled on cases such as the suspension of former US President Donald Trump, has so far overturned Meta’s content decisions in 17 of 22 cases.
Twitter recently expanded its own privacy rules to ban the sharing of images and videos of private individuals without people’s consent, but soon acknowledged the new policy was being abused by malicious actors and that the company’s enforcement team had made mistakes.
Facebook should tighten doxxing rules on home addresses, says its oversight board
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Facebook should tighten doxxing rules on home addresses, says its oversight board
- Meta’s independent oversight board, which includes academics, rights experts and lawyers, was created by the company to rule on a small slice of thorny content moderation appeals but it can also advise on site policies
WEF report spotlights real-world AI adoption across industries
DUBAI: A new report by the World Economic Forum, released Monday, highlights companies across more than 30 countries and 20 industries that are using artificial intelligence to deliver real-world impact.
Developed in partnership with Accenture, “Proof over Promise: Insights on Real-World AI Adoption from 2025 MINDS Organizations” draws on insights from two cohorts of MINDS (Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions), a WEF initiative focused on AI solutions that have moved beyond pilot phases to deliver measurable performance gains.
As part of its AI Global Alliance, the WEF launched the MINDS program in 2025, announcing its first cohort that year and a second cohort this week. Cohorts are selected through an evaluation process led by the WEF’s Impact Council — an independent group of experts — with applications open to public- and private-sector organizations across industries.
The report found a widening gap between organizations that have successfully scaled AI and those still struggling, while underscoring how this divide can be bridged through real-world case studies.
Based on these case studies and interviews with selected MINDS organizations, the report identified five key insights distinguishing successful AI adopters from others.
It found that leading organizations are moving away from isolated, tactical uses of AI and instead embedding it as a strategic, enterprise-wide capability.
The second insight centers on people, with AI increasingly designed to complement human expertise through closer collaboration, rather than replace it.
The other insights focus on the systems needed to scale AI effectively, including strengthening data foundations and strategic data sources, as well as moving away from fragmented technologies toward unified AI platforms.
Lastly, the report underscores the need for responsible AI, with organizations strengthening governance, safeguards and human oversight as automated decision-making becomes more widespread.
Stephan Mergenthaler, managing director and chief technology officer at the WEF, said: “AI offers extraordinary potential, yet many organizations remain unsure about how to realize it.
“The selected use cases show what is possible when ambition is translated into operational transformation and our new report provides a practical guide to help others follow the path these leaders have set.”
Among the examples cited in the report is a pilot led by the Saudi Ministry of Health in partnership with AmplifAI, which used AI-enabled thermal imaging to support early detection of diabetic foot conditions.
The initiative reduced clinician time by up to 90 percent, cut treatment costs by as much as 80 percent, and delivered a 10 time increase in screening capacity. Following clinical trials, the solution has been approved by regulatory authorities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain.
The report also points to work by Fujitsu, which deployed AI across its supply chain to improve inventory management. The rollout helped cut inventory-related costs by $15 million, reduce excess stock by $20 million and halve operational headcount.
In India, Tech Mahindra scaled multilingual large language models capable of handling 3.8 million monthly queries with 92 percent accuracy, enabling more inclusive access to digital services across markets in the Global South.
“Trusted, advanced AI can transform businesses, but it requires organizing data and processes to achieve the best of technology and — this is key — it also requires human ingenuity to maximize returns on AI investments,” said Manish Sharma, chief strategy and services officer at Accenture.
