New Delhi:

In a letter to the US Congress, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has alleged that the US government under Joe Biden “repeatedly pressured” Meta to censor certain content on its platforms.

In the letter addressed to US House of Representatives, Mr Zuckerberg said that the platform had to make some changes, that “with the benefit of hindsight and new information,” they won’t make today. He added that he regrets not being “more outspoken” about it.

“In 2021, senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn’t agree. Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure. I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it,” the letter read.

Zuckerberg said he felt that Meta should not compromise its content standards due to pressure from any Administration. “We’re ready to push back if something like this happens again,” he said.

The Meta CEO also spoke of a FBI warning about a “potential Russian disinformation operation about the Biden family and Burisma in the lead up to the 2020 election.”

“That fall, when we saw a New York Post story reporting on corruption allegations involving then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s family, we sent that story to fact-checkers for review and temporarily demoted it while waiting for a reply. It’s since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn’t have demoted the story. We’ve changed our policies and processes to make sure this doesn’t happen again for instance, we no longer temporarily demote things in the US while waiting for fact-checkers,” he said.

Mr Zuckerberg reiterated his support for the electoral infrastructure ahead of the presidential elections in November. He spoke of he made to strengthen the infrastructure in a non-partisan way. “I know that some people believe this work benefited one party over the other. My goal is to be neutral and not play a role one way or another or to even appear to be playing a role. So I don’t plan on making a similar contribution this cycle,” he said.

Sao Paulo:

Meta Platforms said on Wednesday it decided to suspend use of generative artificial intelligence tools in Brazil in response to the government’s objections to its new privacy policy regarding personal data and AI.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

With more than 200 million people, Brazil is a crucial market for Meta. For example, Brazil has the second-largest user base for Meta’s WhatsApp after India.

In June, Meta hosted an event in Sao Paulo to launch its first AI-driven ad targeting program for businesses on the popular chat service.

CONTEXT

Earlier this month, Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) decided to suspend with immediate effect the validity of Meta’s new privacy policy for the use of personal data to train generative artificial intelligence systems in the country.

ANPD ruled that the company would need to adapt its privacy policy to exclude the section related to the processing of personal data for generative AI training, according to the Brazilian authority.

KEY QUOTE

In a statement, Meta said it has decided to suspend the tools while it is in talks with ANPD to address the authority’s doubts over generative artificial intelligence.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it would lift its blanket ban on the word “shaheed”, or “martyr” in English, after a year-long review by its oversight board found the social media giant’s approach was “overbroad”.

The company has been criticized for years over its handling of content involving the Middle East, including in a 2021 study Meta itself commissioned that found its approach had an “adverse human rights impact” on Palestinians and other Arabic-speaking users of its services.

Those criticisms have escalated since the onset of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in October.

The oversight board, which is funded by Meta but operates independently, started its review last year because the word accounted for more content removals on the company’s platforms than any other single word or phrase.

Meta is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

The review found in March that Meta’s rules on “shaheed” failed to account for the word’s variety of meanings and resulted in the removal of content not aimed at praising violent actions.

Meta acknowledged the findings of the review on Tuesday and said its tests showed that removing content when “shaheed” was “paired with otherwise violating content captures the most potentially harmful content without disproportionally impacting the voice”.

The oversight board welcomed the change, saying Meta’s policy related to the word had led to the censoring of millions of people across its platforms.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Meta Platforms was charged by EU antitrust regulators on Monday for failing to comply with landmark tech rules as they took aim at the US company’s newly introduced pay or consent advertising model, already the target of privacy regulators and activists’ ire.

The tech giant launched the no-ads subscription service for Facebook and Instagram in Europe last November, saying users who consent to be tracked get a free service which is funded by advertising revenues. Or they could pay for an ad-free service.

The European Commission, which acts as the EU competition enforcer, said the binary choice breaches the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) which seeks to rein in the power of Big Tech, as it sent its preliminary finding to Meta.

It said the binary choice forces users to consent to the combination of their personal data and fails to provide them a less personalised but equivalent version of Meta’s social networks.

“We want to empower citizens to be able to take control over their own data and choose a less personalised ads experience,” EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

Meta said its model complied with a ruling from Europe’s top court.

“Subscription for no ads follows the direction of the highest court in Europe and complies with the DMA. We look forward to further constructive dialogue with the European Commission to bring this investigation to a close,” a Meta spokesperson said.

Meta can tweak its advertising model to stave off a fine of as much as 10% of its global annual turnover if found guilty of DMA breaches. The Commission has until March next year to wrap up its investigation.

Privacy activists and privacy watchdogs have also taken issue with Meta’s advertising model.

Reuters was the first to report that the EU competition enforcer would charge Meta with non-compliance under the Digital Markets Act.

The charge against Meta came a week after the EU watchdog issued its first DMA charge against Apple for not complying with the new rule.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Meta-owned Instagram on Saturday suffered a major outage globally, including in India, as thousands of users were unable to load Reels and access other options.

As per website outage tracking website Downdetector, over 6,500 users reported issues with accessing the platform in India at the peak of an outage at around 12.02 p.m.

About 58 per cent reported problems with the feed, 32 per cent with the app, and 10 per cent with server connection.

Users from Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and others faced issues with the app.

Users took to X to vent their frustration as they were unable to log in to the app, load Reels, and others.

“Everyone going towards Twitter to check if Instagram is down,” a user wrote.

“I thought my Instagram got hacked cuz there’s no way my fyp looks like this. It’s all brain rot usually #instagramdown,” another user said.

One more user stated, “Me going to Twitter to check if it’s only my Instagram that’s down, or we all are suffering #instagramdown”.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Meta said that it took down over 11.6 million pieces of bad content across 13 policies for Facebook and more than 5.4 million pieces of objectionable content across 12 policies for Instagram in India in April.

In April, Facebook received 17,124 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism and said that it provided tools for users to resolve their issues in 9,977 cases.

These include pre-established channels to report content for specific violations, self-remediation flows where they can download their data, avenues to address account hacked issues, etc, Meta said in its monthly report in compliance with the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

“Of the other 7,147 reports where specialised review was needed, we analysed content as per our policies and took action on 4,303 complaints in total. The remaining 2,844 grievances were reviewed but may not have been actioned,” Meta added.

On Instagram, the company received 12,924 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism.

“Of these, we provided tools for users to resolve their issues in 5,941 cases,” it said.

Of the other 6,983 reports where specialised review was needed, Meta analysed content and took action on 3,206 complaints in total.

The remaining 3,777 reports were reviewed but may not have been actioned.

Under the new IT Rules 2021, big digital and social media platforms, with more than 5 million users, have to publish monthly compliance reports.

“We measure the number of pieces of content (such as posts, photos, videos or comments) we take action for going against our standards. Taking action could include removing a piece of content from Facebook or Instagram or covering photos or videos that may be disturbing to some audiences with a warning,” said Meta.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kota:

The Kota police have tied up with Meta to identify students exhibiting suicidal tendencies on the company’s social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, allowing for their timely intervention.

Since the collaboration a week back, the police claim they have already prevented a student from Jhunjhunu from committing suicide in this coaching hub, where young people from across the country come to prepare for competitive exams.

Nine students have taken their lives this year, with the most recent case reported on April 30. In 2023, 26 cases of suicide among coaching students were registered in the city, marking the highest number recorded so far.

Under the collaboration, however, Meta will share such information not only with the city police but with the entire state of Rajasthan.

A dedicated team, working round the clock on eight-hour shifts, has been deputed at Abhay Command Centre in the city to monitor red-flag tags indicating suicidal tendencies, as shared by Meta. This will be used to sound alerts to respective area police allowing them to intervene timely.

Kota City SP Amrita Duhan said she approached Meta for this collaboration after realising that in some suicide cases, students had expressed their distress and suicidal thoughts on social media and timely intervention could have potentially averted these tragic incidents.

Meta was happy to oblige but said they cannot specifically concentrate only on Kota rather they would provide such information from across Rajasthan, SP Duhan said. Subsequently, the Kota police, with approval from the DGP Police Headquarters in Jaipur, decided to take up this responsibility for the entire state, she said.

If a student from Kota posts content related to suicide or self-harm, a red-flag tag will flash on Meta’s system, SP Duhan said, adding that their account information will then be shared with the Kota police.

In case, the student is from outside Kota, then these details will be passed on to Abhay Command Centre or the relevant district’s Control Room for timely action, she added.

Since the launch of this collaborative initiative, no such red-flag tags have been reported in the city, but “the police have prevented a possible suicide by a student hailing from the Jhunjhunu district”, the SP said.

Currently, the initiative is active in the city but plans are underway to expand it to the Police Headquarters in Jaipur, she said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Brussels, Belgium:

The European Data Protection Board said Wednesday it had adopted a binding decision that will result in Facebook and Instagram owner Meta being banned from using the personal data of users for targeted advertisements.

The order will “impose a ban on the processing of personal data for behavioural advertising on the legal bases of contract and legitimate interest across the entire European Economic Area,” the EDPB said in a statement posted on its website.

The EDPD said it took the decision following a request from Norway’s data regulator, which earlier this year imposed a ban on sending Facebook and Instagram users targeted advertisements based on their personal data which the social media platform collects without their explicit consent.

The EDPB decision forces Ireland’s data regulator, which has authority over Meta’s operations in Europe, to take final measures on the issue within two weeks, with a ban to enter force a week later.

The statement said Meta was informed Tuesday of the EDPB’s decision and indicated that it plans to ask for consent to use personal data to target ads that users see when they use the apps.

“The EDPB takes note of Meta’s proposal to rely on a consent based approach as legal basis” and said this was being evaluated.

Facebook had some 300 million daily users in Europe at the end of 2022, out of about two billion users worldwide, with Europeans generating about a fifth of Meta’s advertising sales.

Losing the ability to target ads may deal a financial blow to Meta if advertisers reduce their spending.

EDPB Chairwoman Anu Talus said in a statement that the decision to impose a ban was taken after Meta was found not to have complied with orders issued at the end of least year.

“It is high time for Meta to bring its processing into compliance and to stop unlawful processing,” she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The logo for Meta (R) (formerly Facebook) and the Google logo.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Meta and Google have pulled out of the Web Summit, one of the tech sector’s biggest annual events, after the organizer criticized Israel’s actions following the Hamas attacks, the companies said on Friday.

A spokesman for Meta confirmed to AFP that it would not take part in this year’s event, with Google telling the Irish Independent that it too would not be making the trip to Lisbon.

Irish entrepreneur Paddy Cosgrave, co-founder of the Web Summit, wrote on social media platform X last week that he was “shocked at the rhetoric and actions of so many Western leaders & governments.”

“War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are,” Mr. Cosgrave wrote on October 13.

Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials.

Follow Israel-Hamas war, Day 14 LIVE updates here

Israel says around 1,500 Hamas fighters were killed in clashes before its army regained control of the area under attack.

More than 3,700 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in relentless Israeli bombardments in retaliation for the attacks by the Palestinian Islamist militant group, according to the latest toll from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza.

The boycott by Meta and Google follows other exits by companies and tech figures, including Intel, Siemens and U.S. comedian Amy Poehler and X-files actor Gillian Anderson.

The Web Summit is due to host some 2,300 startups and more than 70,000 people on November 13-16 in Lisbon.

Silicon Valley figure Garry Tan, of start-up backer Y-Combinator, initially kicked off the boycott and other big names in the industry quickly followed.

Mr. Cosgrave issued an apology on Tuesday.

Also read | Misinformation spirals out of control on X amid Israel-Hamas war

“I understand that what I said, the timing of what I said, and the way it has been presented has caused profound hurt to many. To anyone who was hurt by my words, I apologise deeply,” he said.

“What is needed at this time is compassion, and I did not convey that,” the statement said.

Mr. Cosgrave said he “unreservedly” condemns Hamas’ “evil, disgusting and monstrous” attack on Israel and “unequivocally” supports Israel’s “right to exist and to defend itself.”

He also said that Israel should adhere to the Geneva Conventions, “i.e., not commit war crimes.”

Facebook parent Meta on Wednesday rolled out a temporary feature to limit “harmful and potentially harmful” content on the Israel-Hamas war. The change is part of the company’s efforts to protect people “in the region” from such “unwanted” comments, Meta said in an updated statement on Wednesday (October 18). For now, friends and verified followers of people who create posts in the specified region will be able to comment on the new and public Facebook posts. The war started after the Hamas attack on October 7.

Also Read | “Thank You Meta”: Israel After Mark Zuckerberg Calls Hamas Attacks “Pure Evil”

Meta also said that any content “containing praise” for Hamas will not be allowed on Facebook or Instagram, as the group falls under its Dangerous Organization designation.

“Our policies are designed to keep people safe on our apps while giving everyone a voice,” Meta said in the update.

“We apply these policies equally around the world and there is no truth to the suggestion that we are deliberately suppressing voice,” it added.

Other temporary changes implemented by Meta for content related to Israel-Hamas war:

• Default setting for who can comment on newly created public Facebook posts of people in the region changed to Friends and/or established followers only. Meta said users globally can choose to use this setting and opt in or out at any time.
• Bulk deletion of comments made easier and display of first one or two comments under posts in Feed disabled
• Facebook has also rolled out the ‘Lock Your Profile’ tool in the region. These users can lock their profile in one step, enhancing profile privacy by restricting access to non-friends.

Meta has also been monitoring content from across the globe on the situation in the region. It has formed a group of experts, including fluent Hebrew and Arabic speakers, to oversee this effort.

The company said since October 7, when the conflict broke out, more than 795,000 pieces of content have been removed or flagged for violating Meta policies. Meta has also made changes to content pertaining to potential hostages.

Israel has launched a massive offensive in retaliation to a devastating Hamas incursion into Israel on October 7 during which 1,400 people were killed and hostages were taken.

Israel and Egypt have upheld a blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007, tightly controlling the movement goods and people.