Helle Thorning-Schmidt, from Meta’s oversight board, told the BBC she welcomed aspects of the shake-up, which will see users decide about the accuracy of posts via X-style “community notes”.

However speaking on Today, on BBC Radio Four, she added there were “huge problems” with what had been announced, including the potential impact on the LGBTQ+ community, as well as gender and trans rights.

“We are seeing many instances where hate speech can lead to real-life harm, so we will be watching that space very carefully,” she said.

In a video posted alongside a blog post by the company on Tuesday, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the decision was motivated by “getting back to our roots around free expression”.

He said third-party fact checkers currently used by the firm were “too politically biased”, meaning too many users were being “censored”.

The decision has prompted questions about the survival of the board – which Meta funds – and was created by then president of global affairs, Sir Nick Clegg, who announced he was leaving the company less than a week ago.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt – a former Prime Minister of Denmark – insisted the changes to fact checking meant it was needed more than ever.

“That’s why it is good we have an oversight board that can discuss this in a transparent way with Meta”, she said.

She did welcome some of Meta’s announcement on moderation, including its aim to find a new way to fact-check after there had been instances of “over-enforcement”, with people ending up in “Facebook jail”. ‘Kiss up to Trump’

While Meta says the move – which is being introduced in the US initially – is about free speech, others have suggested it is an attempt to get closer to the incoming Trump administration, and catch up with the access and influence enjoyed by another tech titan, Elon Musk.

The tech journalist and author Kara Swisher told the BBC it was “the most cynical move” she had seen Mr Zuckerberg make in the “many years” she had been reporting on him.

“Facebook does whatever is in its self-interest”, she told Today.

“He wants to kiss up to Donald Trump, and catch up with Elon Musk in that act.”

However while campaigners against hate speech online reacted with dismay to the change some advocates of free speech have welcomed the news.

The US free speech group Fire said: “Meta’s announcement shows the marketplace of ideas in action. Its users want a social media platform that doesn’t suppress political content or use top-down fact-checkers.

“These changes will hopefully result in less arbitrary moderation decisions and freer speech on Meta’s platforms.”

Speaking after the changes were announced, Trump told a news conference he was impressed by Mr Zuckerberg’s decision and that Meta had “come a long way”.

Asked whether Mr Zuckerberg was “directly responding” to threats Trump had made to him in the past, the incoming US president responded: “Probably”.

Advertiser exodus

Mr Zuckerberg acknowledged on Tuesday there was some risk for the company in the change of strategy.

“It means we’re going to catch less bad stuff, but we’ll also reduce the number of innocent people’s posts and accounts that we accidentally take down,” he said in his video message.

X’s move to a more hands-off approach to moderating content has contributed to a major fall-out with advertisers.

Jasmine Enberg, analyst at Insider Intelligence, said that was a risk for Meta too.

“Meta’s massive size and powerhouse ad platform insulate it somewhat from an X-like user and advertiser exodus”, she told the BBC.

“But brand safety remains a key factor in determining where advertisers spend their budgets – any major drop in engagement could hurt Meta’s ad business, given the intense competition for users and ad dollars.”

By BBC News

The post Huge Problems with Axing Fact Checkers, Meta Oversight Board Says appeared first on KahawaTungu.

The ex-US president and convicted felon’s accounts were suspended in 2021 after he praised supporters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January.

Trump’s accounts, which combined have over 60 million followers, were re-instated in 2023 but subject to additional monitoring, which has now been removed, the social media giant said in a blog post.

Meta said it had a responsibility to allow political expression and that Americans should be able to hear from presidential nominees on an equal basis.

It added that US presidential candidates “remain subject to the same Community Standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, including those policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence.”

Since returning to Meta’s platforms, Trump’s accounts have mostly posted campaign details and memes including attacks on his presidential race rival Joe Biden.

Prior to his 2021 ban, Trump’s Facebook posts were often some of the most popular in the US, according to data at the time from CrowdTangle.

Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and was also banned from Twitter and YouTube.

Restrictions on these accounts were also lifted last year, but despite this Trump communicates now on Truth Social, a social media platform he owns, before reposting to other networks.

Trump returned to Twitter – now called X – after the company’s CEO Elon Musk held a poll that asked users to click “yes” or “no” on whether Trump’s account should be reinstated. “Yes” won, apparently with 51.8% of the vote.

The big tech companies acted after the Capitol Hill riots which killed five people and injured more than 100 police officers. Trump was accused of inciting violence and repeatedly spreading disinformation.

The post Restrictions on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram Lifted appeared first on KahawaTungu.

The social media juggernaut added that it will no longer remove manipulated images and audio that don’t otherwise break its rules, relying instead on labeling and contextualization, so as to not infringe on freedom of speech.

The changes come as a response to criticism from the tech giant’s oversight board, which independently reviews Meta’s content moderation decisions.

The board in February requested that Meta urgently overhaul its approach to manipulated media given the huge advances in AI and the ease of manipulating media into highly convincing deepfakes.

The board’s warning came amid fears of rampant misuse of artificial intelligence-powered applications for disinformation on platforms in a pivotal election year not only in the United States but worldwide.

Meta’s new “Made with AI” labels will identify content created or altered with AI, including video, audio, and images. Additionally, a more prominent label will be used for content deemed at high risk of misleading the public.

“We agree that providing transparency and additional context is now the better way to address this content,” Monika Bickert, Meta’s Vice President of Content Policy, said in a blog post.

“The labels will cover a broader range of content in addition to the manipulated content that the Oversight Board recommended labeling,” she added.

These new labeling techniques are linked to an agreement made in February among major tech giants and AI players to crack down on manipulated content intended to deceive voters.

Meta, Google and OpenAI had already agreed to use a common watermarking standard that would tag images generated by their AI applications.

Meta said its rollout will occur in two phases with AI-generated content labeling beginning in May 2024, while the removal of manipulated media solely based on the old policy will cease in July.

According to the new standard, content, even if manipulated with AI, will remain on the platform unless it violates other Community Standards, such as those prohibiting hate speech or voter interference.

Recent examples of convincing AI deepfakes have only heightened worries about the easily accessible technology.

The board’s list of requests was part of its review of Meta’s decision to leave a manipulated video of US President Joe Biden online last year.

The video showed Biden voting with his adult granddaughter, but was manipulated to falsely appear that he inappropriately touched her chest.

In a separate incident, a robocall impersonation of Biden pushed out to tens of thousands of voters urged people to not cast ballots in the New Hampshire primary.

In Pakistan, the party of former prime minister Imran Khan has used AI to generate speeches from their jailed leader.

By Agencies

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The Raila Odinga-led party on Saturday said the Facebook account could not be accessed.

“This is to inform you that last night (Friday, March 22) we lost our popular party Facebook Page to hackers. The page can not be accessed,” ODM said on X.

This is to inform you that last night (Friday 22nd March) we lost our popular party Facebook Page to hackers. The page can not be accessed. However, we are working round the clock to recover it. We have contacted the relevant authorities to assist us in the process to recover it.

— The ODM Party (@TheODMparty) March 23, 2024

ODM also said that it had sought assistance from relevant authorities “to assist us in the process to recover it”.

“We have contacted the relevant authorities to assist us in the process to recover it,” the party said.

This comes after former Agriculture CS and Laikipia East Member of Parliament Mwangi Kiunjuri announced the loss of his verified Facebook page to hackers.

Kiunjuri said he lost control of the page on November 14, 2023.

“To All of You My Followers & Friends, my attention has been drawn to unusual posts appearing on a Facebook Account that I owned until 5 (Five) months ago – Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri. It was hacked on Nov 14, 2023. All efforts to recover it have so far, regrettably been unsuccessful,” Kiunjuri said.

The post ODM Party Facebook Page Hacked appeared first on KahawaTungu.

The issues appeared around 10:20am ET and are impacting both social media sites’ apps and website.

What caused the glitch is not yet known.

This is a developing story… more updates to come.

The post Meta is DOWN! Facebook, Messenger and Instagram hit with Worldwide Outage appeared first on KahawaTungu.

Enforced under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), these regulations have the power to impose substantial fines on violators.

Nineteen prominent platforms, including behemoths like Facebook and TikTok, are subject to the strictest rules delineated by the DSA.

These rules encompass provisions such as devising protective strategies for children and combating election interference. Notably, these adjustments have implications for users not only within the EU but also in the UK.

Also Read: TikTok Partners With Kenya To Review And Monitor Content

Although the UK’s Online Safety Bill is still undergoing legislative processes, the EU’s Digital Services Act has already been enacted since November 16, 2022.

Companies were afforded a grace period to ensure their systems aligned with the stipulated regulations.

The European Commission revealed a list of “very large online platforms” with over 45 million EU users on April 25, subjecting them to the most stringent DSA provisions. This list includes notable names such as Alibaba, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter). Search engines like Google and Bing are also obligated to comply.

These platforms were granted four months to adapt to the DSA requirements, whereas smaller tech services have until the following year to conform.

Non-compliance may result in a fine amounting to 6% of turnover and potentially even suspension of services.

The DSA entails additional obligations for these significant platforms and search engines, including assessing potential risks, reporting those assessments, and instituting measures to address the identified issues.

These risks encompass domains such as illegal content, rights preservation (including freedom of expression, media freedom, and more), public security, electoral process threats, and well-being considerations.

Of particular note is the ban on targeted advertising based on profiling children, a move aimed at protecting young users.

Additionally, these platforms must provide regulatory bodies with insights into their algorithm operations, such as the decision-making processes behind displaying advertisements or posts in users’ feeds.

They are also mandated to establish mechanisms for sharing data with independent researchers.

Several platforms, including TikTok and Meta, have communicated the extensive efforts put into compliance, with over a thousand employees dedicated to this purpose.

Numerous alterations have already been made, with a focus on personalized advertisements and feeds. TikTok ceased showing personalized ads to European users aged 13-17, based on their online activities.

Meta, which includes Facebook and Instagram, ceased displaying ads to users aged 13-17 worldwide, focusing on activities within the apps. Several other platforms have similarly made adjustments to align with the DSA regulations.

However, some platforms are yet to disclose the specifics of their changes, with X (formerly Twitter) simply stating its progress towards meeting compliance deadlines.

The new regulations have not been without controversy. Retail giants Amazon and Zalando have contested their designation as “very large online platforms” through legal action. Amazon, nonetheless, undertook measures to comply with the act.

Wikipedia has also undergone some modifications in response to the DSA, with its supporting Foundation suggesting these changes won’t significantly impact users’ experiences. The Foundation views the DSA’s approach to regulation as favorable compared to the UK’s Online Safety Bill.

Phil Bradley-Schmieg, legal counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation, expressed hope that lawmakers would follow the DSA’s example, protecting safe and public projects online while comprehending the multifaceted internet ecosystem.

The post New EU Rules Force Tech Giants To Comply For User Protection appeared first on KahawaTungu.

According to a statement on the band’s official site, Meta Verified was introduced this month in Kenya, offering users the opportunity to gain verified status on their social media profiles.

Users looking to avail of the service must meet specific criteria, including being at least 18 years old, having prior posting activity, and having a public or private profile associated with their full government name.

Also Read: AI Companies Form Industry Body For Safe AI Development

However, children and business pages are ineligible for verification.

“At this time, Meta Verified subscriptions only support your real name on your profile. Once your profile has been verified, you can’t change the username, profile name, date of birth, or picture on your profile without going through the Meta Verified verification process again,” explains the help page for the service.

The verification process involves submitting a selfie video and a photo or scan of the user’s national ID to verify their identity. Notably, the number of followers does not play a role in determining eligibility.

Existing verified pages, including those of celebrities and public figures, are encouraged to apply for Meta Verified subscriptions, although it is unclear whether they will lose their badges.

Meta Verified subscribers enjoy several benefits, including increased account protection, online support, increased visibility and reach, and exclusive features such as stickers.

The new service allows users to pay the monthly subscription fee through Google PlayStore, with automatic renewals until cancellation.

Meta’s move to monetize verification follows Twitter’s Twitter Blue subscription, launched earlier this year at the cost of $8. Both platforms aim to enhance user experiences and offer added incentives for subscribers.

The post Facebook, Instagram Verification Subscription Now Available In Kenya appeared first on KahawaTungu.

As of 2023, her estimated net worth stands at an impressive $5 million.

Sharon Laday Early Life and Education

Born on June 1, 1974, in Houston, Texas, Sharon LaDay’s early life remains somewhat mysterious, with limited information about her upbringing available to the public.

She pursued her higher education at Texas A&M University, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Later, she attended Columbia Business School, where she earned her MBA.

Sharon Laday Entrepreneurial Journey

Sharon’s passion for business and finance led her to embark on a career as a financial analyst soon after completing her Bachelor’s degree.

Eventually, she took a leap and founded her own investment company, which rapidly gained recognition within the industry.

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Her company expanded to operate in multiple countries, forming partnerships with key players in the financial sector.

As Sharon continued her journey in the financial world, she sought out lucrative investment opportunities, leading to substantial profits.

She also achieved great success in the real estate market, amassing an impressive portfolio of properties across the United States.

Career

Presently, Sharon LaDay holds the position of Blockchain Ecosystem Leader at IBM, where she contributes to the growth strategies of various startup portfolios.

Prior to her role at IBM, she served as the Vice President of Business Development for Macmillan New Ventures.

Sharon Laday Net Worth

Sharon Laday net worth is $5 million.

Philanthropy and Advocacy

Beyond her impressive business achievements, Sharon LaDay has been actively involved in philanthropic endeavors.

Her donations have made a significant impact in various communities. Furthermore, she is a staunch advocate for women in business, striving for gender equality and equal opportunities.

Her vocal support for women’s equal pay rights has further solidified her position as a champion for equality.

Personal Life

While Sharon’s professional life is well-documented, she keeps her personal life private.

Not much information is available about her current relationship status, and she maintains a low profile on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

It appears that she prioritizes her career over her private life and is assumed to be living a single life.

A Life of Achievement

With an estimated net worth of $5 million, Sharon LaDay’s remarkable journey from a financial analyst to a successful businesswoman and investor has been filled with accomplishments.

Her impact on philanthropy, advocacy for women’s rights, and impressive career trajectory make her a notable figure in the business world.

In addition to her professional pursuits, Sharon remains actively involved in various organizations, including her role as the President of the Sigma Nu Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and as a trustee for the Helen Fuld College of Nursing in New York City.

The post Sharon Laday: The Successful Businesswoman With A $5 Million Net Worth appeared first on KahawaTungu.

On March 17, 183 content moderators employed in Nairobi by Sama, a Meta subcontractor, filed a lawsuit in a local court, alleging “unlawful” termination by the social media behemoth.

According to Meta’s lawyers, the company cannot be sued since the Employment and Labour Relations Court lacks the authority to rule against a non-Kenyan organization.

Additionally, it claimed that Meta itself does not employ the complainants.

Read: Meta Loses Bid to have Suit Filed in Kenya Dismissed

On Thursday, however, Labor Relations Court Judge Mathews Nduma Nderi disagreed with the company.

“The court finds that this court has jurisdiction to determine the matter of alleged unlawful and unfair termination of employment,” Justice Nderi is quoted by AFP.

Additionally, he sustained the March 21 interim injunction postponing the firing of the subcontractors.

Lat year, Daniel Motaung, a South African national working in Nairobi, alleged exploitation and unfavorable working conditions.

Read Also: Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses now Support WhatsApp Calls, Messages,

Through lawyer Fred Ojiambo, Facebook argued that it should not have been sued by the complainant as he had been hired by a third party.

The global social media company said that the lawsuit was unworthy, flawed legally, and untenable.

The former employee alleged that Meta and Sama did not invest adequately in programs and initiatives to safeguard the moderators’ mental health and well-being and to avoid, lessen, and remedy the harm and impacts of their employment.

He lamented the lack of hardship allowance for the moderators, who were employed by firms like Sama rather than Meta.

Read Also: Meta Starts Rolling Out NFT Display Options on Facebook

The post Kenyan Court To Hear Suit Against Meta’s Unlawful Sacking appeared first on KahawaTungu.

Daniel Motaung, a South African national working in Nairobi, in October last year alleged exploitation and unfavorable working conditions.

The petitioner was further forbidden by the court from prosecuting the case “in other forums.”

Meta had requested that the lawsuit be dismissed because it cannot be heard in Kenya. It also claimed that Motaung lacked the right to file a lawsuit and that the local Employment and Labour Relations Court lacked the authority to hear it.

Read: Former Employee Threatens to Sue Facebook’s Nairobi Office Over Unlawful Practices

Although the social media company is accused of neglecting to give the Nairobi-based content moderators enough psychosocial support after exposing them to explicit content, Justice Jacob Gakeri declined to dismiss the lawsuit.

However, the judge determined that the petitioner should have furnished Meta with the court documents and ordered him to do so to allow the business to answer the allegations made against it.

Justice Gakeri stated that the petitioner should have asked the court for permission to deliver the petition because Meta is not a Kenyan-registered corporation.

The petitioner was also forbidden by the judge from discussing the case in public or on other forums.

Read Also: Facebook Discontinues Location Tracking Features Including Nearby Friends, Weather Alerts

Through lawyer Fred Ojiambo, Facebook argued that it should not have been sued by the complainant as he had been hired by a third party, Samasource Kenya EPZ, who had been contracted to provide content moderation services on Facebook.

The global social media company has said that the lawsuit was unworthy, flawed legally, and untenable.

The business claimed that Meta Platforms Inc. and Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, who are listed as respondents in the lawsuit, are foreign corporations and neither residents of nor doing business in Kenya.

In court papers, Motaung was fired after raising concerns about the working conditions of the staff members situated in the Nairobi office.

Read Also: Meta Appoints Kenyan Techie, Kendi Ntwiga, Global Head of Misrepresentation

“Sama and Meta acted negligently by failing to provide adequate precautions for the safety, health, and wellbeing of the Facebook Content Moderators and exposing them to risk danger, and injury of which they were aware,” he said.

The former employee alleged that Meta and Sama did not invest adequately in programs and initiatives to safeguard the moderators’ mental health and well-being and to avoid, lessen, and remedy the harm and impacts of their employment.

He lamented the lack of hardship payments for the moderators, who were employed by outsourcing firms like Sama rather than Meta.

The post Meta Loses Bid to have Suit Filed in Kenya Dismissed appeared first on KahawaTungu.