Facebook announced Monday that it will ban content that denies or distorts the Holocaust, describing the move as its latest effort to free the platform of hate.

The social media giant, which has long been criticized for not doing enough to disempower Holocaust deniers and other hate groups, said it would redirect users who search for terms about the Holocaust or its denial "to credible information off Facebook," according to a company statement.

"Our decision is supported by the well-documented rise in anti-Semitism globally and the alarming level of ignorance about the Holocaust, especially among young people," said a statement by Facebook vice president of content policy Monika Bickert.

Bickert cited a survey that showed almost a quarter of young adults in the United States saying the Holocaust was a myth or had been exaggerated.

Bickert described the steps on Holocaust denial content as part of its stepped-up effort to address hate after the company earlier banned more than 250 white supremacist groups, took down 22.5 million pieces of hate speech in the second quarter and banned anti-Semitic stereotypes.

She cautioned that the change will take time.

"Enforcement of these policies cannot happen overnight," Bickert said. "There is a range of content that can violate these policies, and it will take some time to train our reviewers and systems on enforcement."

Facebook's move was applauded by Anti-Defamation League Chief Executive Jonathan Greenblatt, who called the action "a big deal."

"This has been years in the making," Greenblatt said on Twitter. "Glad it finally happened."

Facebook announced Monday that it will ban content that denies or distorts the Holocaust, describing the move as its latest effort to free the platform of hate. The social media giant, which has long been criticized for not doing enough to disempower Holocaust deniers and other hate groups, said it would redirect users who search for terms about the Holocaust or its denial "to credible information off Facebook," according to a company statement.

Facebook announced Monday that it will ban content that denies or distorts the Holocaust, describing the move as its latest effort to free the platform of hate. The social media giant, which has long been criticized for not doing enough to disempower Holocaust deniers and other hate groups, said it would redirect users who search for terms about the Holocaust or its denial "to credible information off Facebook," according to a company statement. "Our decision is supported by the well-documented rise in anti-Semitism globally and the alarming level of ignorance about the Holocaust, especially among young people," said a statement by Facebook vice president of content policy Monika Bickert. Bickert cited a survey that showed almost a quarter of young adults in the United States saying the Holocaust was a myth or had been exaggerated. Bickert described the steps on Holocaust denial content as part of its stepped-up effort to address hate after the company earlier banned more than 250 white supremacist groups, took down 22.5 million pieces of hate speech in the second quarter and banned anti-Semitic stereotypes. She cautioned that the change will take time. "Enforcement of these policies cannot happen overnight," Bickert said. "There is a range of content that can violate these policies, and it will take some time to train our reviewers and systems on enforcement." Facebook's move was applauded by Anti-Defamation League Chief Executive Jonathan Greenblatt, who called the action "a big deal." "This has been years in the making," Greenblatt said on Twitter. "Glad it finally happened."

Facebook to ban Holocaust denial content

Facebook Inc on Monday announced plans to update its hate speech policy to ensure no content that distorts or denies the Holocaust gets any visibility on its platform.

According to the company, starting later in 2020, Facebook will link information, i.e., people looking for terms associated with the Holocaust would be rerouted to credible information on other websites/portals.

In 2018, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg had opposed deletion of such content. During an interview with website Recode, Zuckerberg had claimed that he found denial of Holocaust very offensive, but also believed Facebook should not delete content, citing the tension between free expression and the harm it causes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/us-election-2020-facebook-to-temporarily-stop-posting-political-ads-in-us-after-presidential-election-333894" hreflang="en">Facebook to temporarily stop posting political ads in US after presidential election</a>

"I've struggled with the tension between standing for free expression and the harm caused by minimizing or denying the horror of the Holocaust," Zuckerberg, who is Jewish, said on Facebook on Monday.

"My own thinking has evolved as I've seen data showing an increase in anti-Semitic violence, as have our wider policies on hate speech," he said.

The decision was praised by the World Jewish Congress and the American Jewish Committee.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/facebook-classifies-qanon-as-dangerous-bans-groups-and-accounts-333040" hreflang="en">Facebook classifies QAnon as dangerous, bans groups and accounts</a>

"For several years, the World Jewish Congress has advocated for Facebook to remove Holocaust denial content from its platform, and has worked with the social media company’s policy teams to review such posts and classify them as hate speech under the company’s community standards," the World Jewish Congress said in a statement.

"Enforcement of these policies cannot happen overnight," Facebook announced in a blog post. "There is a range of content that can violate these policies, and it will take some time to train our reviewers and systems on enforcement”, the post added.

Facebook Inc on Monday announced plans to update its hate speech policy to ensure no content that distorts or denies the Holocaust gets any visibility on its platform.

Facebook Inc on Monday announced plans to update its hate speech policy to ensure no content that distorts or denies the Holocaust gets any visibility on its platform. According to the company, starting later in 2020, Facebook will link information, i.e., people looking for terms associated with the Holocaust would be rerouted to credible information on other websites/portals. In 2018, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg had opposed deletion of such content. During an interview with website Recode, Zuckerberg had claimed that he found denial of Holocaust very offensive, but also believed Facebook should not delete content, citing the tension between free expression and the harm it causes. Also read: Facebook to temporarily stop posting political ads in US after presidential election "I've struggled with the tension between standing for free expression and the harm caused by minimizing or denying the horror of the Holocaust," Zuckerberg, who is Jewish, said on Facebook on Monday. "My own thinking has evolved as I've seen data showing an increase in anti-Semitic violence, as have our wider policies on hate speech," he said. The decision was praised by the World Jewish Congress and the American Jewish Committee. Also read: Facebook classifies QAnon as dangerous, bans groups and accounts "For several years, the World Jewish Congress has advocated for Facebook to remove Holocaust denial content from its platform, and has worked with the social media company’s policy teams to review such posts and classify them as hate speech under the company’s community standards," the World Jewish Congress said in a statement. "Enforcement of these policies cannot happen overnight," Facebook announced in a blog post. "There is a range of content that can violate these policies, and it will take some time to train our reviewers and systems on enforcement”, the post added.

Facebook to ban content which denies and distorts the Holocaust

In a bid to counter fake news and misinformation campaigns, Facebook on Wednesday said it will stop carrying political advertisements in the US for an undefined period post the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">presidential election </a>in the United States.&nbsp;

"(Though) ads are an important way to express voice, we plan to temporarily stop running all social issue, electoral or political ads in the US after the polls close on November 3, to reduce opportunities for confusion or abuse," Facebook, in a blogpost said.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/trumps-misleading-covid-19-posts-deleted-by-facebook-and-hidden-by-twitter-333111">Trump's misleading COVID-19 posts deleted by Facebook and hidden by Twitter</a>

Earlier, the social media giant vowed to prevent posting new political ads a week before the November 3 election.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-classifies-qanon-as-dangerous-bans-groups-and-accounts-333040">Facebook classifies QAnon as dangerous, bans groups and accounts</a>

The blog also said that Facebook would also add "specific information" on posts if a candidate or party declares "premature victory"

" (If) a candidate or party declares premature victory before a race is called by major media outlets," it said, "we will add more specific information in the notifications that counting is still in progress and no winner has been determined."

On Thursday, the social media giant took a crackdown on fake accounts that were praising US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

Facebook said it has banned US marketing firm Rally Forge for coordinating the "inauthentic behaviour", by way of bogus accounts to comment on news pieces rather than publishing their own article.&nbsp;

It included criticism of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and appreciation of Trump and his Republican party.&nbsp;

In a bid to counter fake news and misinformation campaigns, Facebook on Wednesday said it will stop carrying political advertisements in the US for an undefined period post the presidential election in the United States.

In a bid to counter fake news and misinformation campaigns, Facebook on Wednesday said it will stop carrying political advertisements in the US for an undefined period post the presidential election in the United States. "(Though) ads are an important way to express voice, we plan to temporarily stop running all social issue, electoral or political ads in the US after the polls close on November 3, to reduce opportunities for confusion or abuse," Facebook, in a blogpost said. Also read | Trump's misleading COVID-19 posts deleted by Facebook and hidden by Twitter Earlier, the social media giant vowed to prevent posting new political ads a week before the November 3 election. Also read | Facebook classifies QAnon as dangerous, bans groups and accounts The blog also said that Facebook would also add "specific information" on posts if a candidate or party declares "premature victory" " (If) a candidate or party declares premature victory before a race is called by major media outlets," it said, "we will add more specific information in the notifications that counting is still in progress and no winner has been determined." On Thursday, the social media giant took a crackdown on fake accounts that were praising US President Donald Trump. Facebook said it has banned US marketing firm Rally Forge for coordinating the "inauthentic behaviour", by way of bogus accounts to comment on news pieces rather than publishing their own article. It included criticism of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and appreciation of Trump and his Republican party.

Facebook to temporarily stop posting political ads in US after presidential election

Facebook Inc and&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;took action on posts from US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Tuesday for violating their rules against coronavirus misinformation by suggesting that COVID-19 was just like the flu.

Facebook took the post down but not before it was shared about 26,000 times, data from the company's metric tool CrowdTangle showed.

"We remove incorrect information about the severity of COVID-19," a company spokesman said.

The world's largest social media company, which exempts politicians from its third-party fact-checking program, has rarely taken action against posts from the Republican US&nbsp;president.

Twitter&nbsp;disabled retweets on a similar tweet from Trump on Tuesday and added a warning label that said it broke its rules on "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19" but that it might be in the public interest for it to remain accessible.

<img alt="t" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5c5ed150-d6db-4c41-83e3-57a261524924" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/_114786882_hidden.jpg" />

During the 2019-2020 influenza season, the flu was associated with 22,000 deaths in the United States, according to estimates from the US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since the first case of the novel coronavirus was recorded in the United States at the beginning of this year, more than 210,000 people in the country have died of the disease caused by the virus, the world's highest death toll.

On Monday, Trump told Americans "to get out there" and not fear COVID-19 as he returned to the White House after a three-night stay in a military hospital outside Washington where he was treated for COVID-19.

"Silicon Valley and the mainstream media have consistently used their platforms to fearmonger and censor President Trump to serve their own agenda, even now during this critical moment in the fight against coronavirus," Trump campaign spokeswoman Courtney Parella said.

Twitter, which has been using labels to flag tweets with misinformation - including from the president - told Reuters it is currently trying to respond more quickly and more overtly.

Facebook removed a Trump post for coronavirus misinformation for the first time in August. The post included a video in which the president falsely claimed that children were "almost immune" to COVID-19.

Facebook Inc and Twitter took action on posts from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday for violating their rules against coronavirus misinformation by suggesting that COVID-19 was just like the flu.

Facebook Inc and Twitter took action on posts from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday for violating their rules against coronavirus misinformation by suggesting that COVID-19 was just like the flu. Facebook took the post down but not before it was shared about 26,000 times, data from the company's metric tool CrowdTangle showed. "We remove incorrect information about the severity of COVID-19," a company spokesman said. The world's largest social media company, which exempts politicians from its third-party fact-checking program, has rarely taken action against posts from the Republican US president. Twitter disabled retweets on a similar tweet from Trump on Tuesday and added a warning label that said it broke its rules on "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19" but that it might be in the public interest for it to remain accessible. During the 2019-2020 influenza season, the flu was associated with 22,000 deaths in the United States, according to estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the first case of the novel coronavirus was recorded in the United States at the beginning of this year, more than 210,000 people in the country have died of the disease caused by the virus, the world's highest death toll. On Monday, Trump told Americans "to get out there" and not fear COVID-19 as he returned to the White House after a three-night stay in a military hospital outside Washington where he was treated for COVID-19. "Silicon Valley and the mainstream media have consistently used their platforms to fearmonger and censor President Trump to serve their own agenda, even now during this critical moment in the fight against coronavirus," Trump campaign spokeswoman Courtney Parella said. Twitter, which has been using labels to flag tweets with misinformation - including from the president - told Reuters it is currently trying to respond more quickly and more overtly. Facebook removed a Trump post for coronavirus misinformation for the first time in August. The post included a video in which the president falsely claimed that children were "almost immune" to COVID-19.

Trump's misleading COVID-19 posts deleted by Facebook and hidden by Twitter

Facebook and Twitter have pledged to keep their networks safe from misinformation about the coronavirus to protect the public’s health. But Monday, the sites were tested when President Donald Trump posted that people should not be afraid of the disease.

“Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life,” Trump wrote on his Facebook and Twitter pages, saying he would be discharged from the Walter Reed military hospital after being treated there for COVID-19 the last few days. “I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”

Medical experts immediately took issue with the post. More than 200,000 Americans have died from the virus, and more than 35 million cases have been reported around the world. Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said Trump’s tweet was “breathtakingly callous, inhumane &amp;amp; counterproductive.” Dr. Bernard P. Chang of Columbia University’s Department of Emergency Medicine warned that people should remain afraid of the virus.

But Facebook and Twitter did nothing about Trump’s post, even though the companies have publicised their coronavirus misinformation policies.

Facebook has said it does not allow coronavirus posts that can lead to direct physical harm, and will redirect people to a COVID-19 information center. Twitter also removes only posts that contain demonstrably false information with the “highest likelihood of leading to physical harm.”

For Facebook and Twitter, these details matter. They are paying close attention to whether or not Trump is giving a specific direction or command to engage in an activity that could immediately put people in danger. When he suggested in April that experts look into whether people could inject disinfectant to fight off the coronavirus, Facebook and Twitter used the same yardstick and took no action to remove clips and posts about the unproven treatment.

Trump and his director of social media, Dan Scavino, have hewed closely to the line of what is allowed on various social media accounts over the past four years, seemingly pushing the envelope as far as possible without inciting the tech companies to take punitive action.

Facebook did not respond to a request for comment. A Twitter spokesman said the tweet did not violate the company’s rules since it did not include a clear call to action that could potentially cause real-world harm.

By Monday evening, Trump’s tweet and Facebook post on COVID-19 had been viewed by more than 1 million people across both networks. Trump later posted a video reiterating that people should not let the virus dominate their lives. “Get out there,” he said. “The vaccines are coming momentarily.”

Facebook and Twitter have pledged to keep their networks safe from misinformation about the coronavirus to protect the public’s health. But Monday, the sites were tested when President Donald Trump posted that people should not be afraid of the disease.

Facebook and Twitter have pledged to keep their networks safe from misinformation about the coronavirus to protect the public’s health. But Monday, the sites were tested when President Donald Trump posted that people should not be afraid of the disease. “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life,” Trump wrote on his Facebook and Twitter pages, saying he would be discharged from the Walter Reed military hospital after being treated there for COVID-19 the last few days. “I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” Medical experts immediately took issue with the post. More than 200,000 Americans have died from the virus, and more than 35 million cases have been reported around the world. Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said Trump’s tweet was “breathtakingly callous, inhumane &amp; counterproductive.” Dr. Bernard P. Chang of Columbia University’s Department of Emergency Medicine warned that people should remain afraid of the virus. But Facebook and Twitter did nothing about Trump’s post, even though the companies have publicised their coronavirus misinformation policies. Facebook has said it does not allow coronavirus posts that can lead to direct physical harm, and will redirect people to a COVID-19 information center. Twitter also removes only posts that contain demonstrably false information with the “highest likelihood of leading to physical harm.” For Facebook and Twitter, these details matter. They are paying close attention to whether or not Trump is giving a specific direction or command to engage in an activity that could immediately put people in danger. When he suggested in April that experts look into whether people could inject disinfectant to fight off the coronavirus, Facebook and Twitter used the same yardstick and took no action to remove clips and posts about the unproven treatment. Trump and his director of social media, Dan Scavino, have hewed closely to the line of what is allowed on various social media accounts over the past four years, seemingly pushing the envelope as far as possible without inciting the tech companies to take punitive action. Facebook did not respond to a request for comment. A Twitter spokesman said the tweet did not violate the company’s rules since it did not include a clear call to action that could potentially cause real-world harm. By Monday evening, Trump’s tweet and Facebook post on COVID-19 had been viewed by more than 1 million people across both networks. Trump later posted a video reiterating that people should not let the virus dominate their lives. “Get out there,” he said. “The vaccines are coming momentarily.”

How Facebook and Twitter handled Trump’s ‘don’t be afraid of COVID’ post

Turkey, a nation known to pride on its cultural values, is set to impose strict regulations on social media, ending an era of free speech rights.

On Thursday, Turkey will be imposing new social media regulations for social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter that will place various new regulations on the social media giants.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party AKP proposed the new regulations in the Parliament, which is also being seen as a crackdown on all opposing media.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-indicts-six-more-saudi-nationals-over-jamal-khashoggi-murder-331073">Also read:&nbsp;Turkey indicts six more Saudi nationals over Jamal Khashoggi murder</a>

As per the new rules, all social media platforms that have more than&nbsp;one million daily users — which is a common sight for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter — must open an office in the country which can help deal with&nbsp;local court decisions to remove offending content within 48 hours.

If the platforms fail to remove the 'offending' content within 48 hours, the companies will face advertising bans and&nbsp;fines of up to 40 million Turkish lira ($5.1 million). More importantly, they will also be subjected to&nbsp;bandwidth reductions of up to 90 per cent, which makes the platforms effectively unusable.

Calling it a qestionalable decision, Facebook's human rights officer Iain Levine took to twitter to condemn this move. "Turkey's new social media law raises many concerns re human rights," he tweeted.

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Turkey's new social media law raises many concerns re human rights “This is an unprecedented attempt to control the online information space in Turkey" says <a href="https://twitter.com/cyberrights?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cyberrights</a><a href="https://t.co/y2ic6HM7Jm">https://t.co/y2ic6HM7Jm</a> <a href="https://t.co/VlVV8m0rmp">pic.twitter.com/VlVV8m0rmp</a>
— Iain Levine (@iainlevine) <a href="https://twitter.com/iainlevine/status/1310618662982823943?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"We believe that these days it's really impossible in a country like Turkey to suppress social media -- it is so much a part of people's lives," said Emma Sinclair-Webb, the Turkey director of Human Rights Watch.

There are also reports that suggest that while a specific clause was removed from th&nbsp;final version of the draft elaw passed in July, companies will be unofficially asked to store data locally — a decision that has been a major point of debate between Donald Trump and TikTok too.

Turkey, a nation known to pride on its cultural values, is set to impose strict regulations on social media, ending an era of free speech rights. On Thursday, Turkey will be imposing new social media regulations for social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter that will place various new regulations on the social media giants.

Turkey, a nation known to pride on its cultural values, is set to impose strict regulations on social media, ending an era of free speech rights. On Thursday, Turkey will be imposing new social media regulations for social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter that will place various new regulations on the social media giants. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party AKP proposed the new regulations in the Parliament, which is also being seen as a crackdown on all opposing media. Also read: Turkey indicts six more Saudi nationals over Jamal Khashoggi murder As per the new rules, all social media platforms that have more than one million daily users — which is a common sight for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter — must open an office in the country which can help deal with local court decisions to remove offending content within 48 hours. If the platforms fail to remove the 'offending' content within 48 hours, the companies will face advertising bans and fines of up to 40 million Turkish lira ($5.1 million). More importantly, they will also be subjected to bandwidth reductions of up to 90 per cent, which makes the platforms effectively unusable. Calling it a qestionalable decision, Facebook's human rights officer Iain Levine took to twitter to condemn this move. "Turkey's new social media law raises many concerns re human rights," he tweeted. Turkey's new social media law raises many concerns re human rights “This is an unprecedented attempt to control the online information space in Turkey" says @cyberrightshttps://t.co/y2ic6HM7Jm pic.twitter.com/VlVV8m0rmp — Iain Levine (@iainlevine) September 28, 2020 × "We believe that these days it's really impossible in a country like Turkey to suppress social media -- it is so much a part of people's lives," said Emma Sinclair-Webb, the Turkey director of Human Rights Watch. There are also reports that suggest that while a specific clause was removed from th final version of the draft elaw passed in July, companies will be unofficially asked to store data locally — a decision that has been a major point of debate between Donald Trump and TikTok too.

Turkey set to impose anti-social media regulations

Big tech firms may be complying to China's confidential&nbsp;requests and handling the data of Hong Kong users to the autocratic country, as per a senior US state department official.

The allegation of cooperation between Hong Kong authorities and major technology company comes after China passed a controversial security law in Hong Kong according to which authorities can demand user sensitive data and threaten action if their request is denied.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-google-twitter-block-hong-kong-govt-from-accessing-user-data-311243">Facebook, Google, Twitter block Hong Kong govt from accessing user data</a>

“There is a possibility that things are happening but because of the restrictions put on by the Hong Kong authorities, they [companies] would not be able to divulge this,” the state department official said.

US tech giants face a reckoning over how Hong Kong's security law will reshape their businesses, with their suspension of processing government requests for user data a stop-gap measure as they weigh options, people close to the industry say.

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While Hong Kong is not a significant market for firms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter, they have used it as a perch to reach deep-pocketed advertisers in mainland China, where many of their services are blocked.

But the companies are now in the crosshairs of a national security law that gives China authority to demand that they turn over user data or censor content seen to violate the law - even when posted from abroad.

“As we would with any new legislation, we are reviewing the new law to understand its implications. In the past, we’ve typically received only a relatively small number of requests from Hong Kong authorities, but we are pausing our responses to these requests as we conduct our review,” software and application developer Microsoft said in a statement.

"These companies have to totally reassess the liability of having a presence in Hong Kong," Charles Mok, a legislator who represents the technology industry in Hong Kong said.

If they refuse to cooperate with government requests, he said, authorities "could go after them and take them to court and fine them, or imprison their principals in Hong Kong".

The US internet firms are no strangers to governments demands regarding content and user information, and generally say they are bound by local laws.

The companies have often used a technique known as "geo-blocking" to restrict content in a particular country without removing it altogether.

But the sweeping language of Hong Kong's new law could mean such measures won't be enough. Authorities will no longer need to get court orders before requesting assistance or information, analysts said.

Big tech firms may be complying to China's confidential requests and handling the data of Hong Kong users to the autocratic country, as per a senior US state department official.

Big tech firms may be complying to China's confidential requests and handling the data of Hong Kong users to the autocratic country, as per a senior US state department official. The allegation of cooperation between Hong Kong authorities and major technology company comes after China passed a controversial security law in Hong Kong according to which authorities can demand user sensitive data and threaten action if their request is denied. Also read: Facebook, Google, Twitter block Hong Kong govt from accessing user data “There is a possibility that things are happening but because of the restrictions put on by the Hong Kong authorities, they [companies] would not be able to divulge this,” the state department official said. US tech giants face a reckoning over how Hong Kong's security law will reshape their businesses, with their suspension of processing government requests for user data a stop-gap measure as they weigh options, people close to the industry say. While Hong Kong is not a significant market for firms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter, they have used it as a perch to reach deep-pocketed advertisers in mainland China, where many of their services are blocked. But the companies are now in the crosshairs of a national security law that gives China authority to demand that they turn over user data or censor content seen to violate the law - even when posted from abroad. “As we would with any new legislation, we are reviewing the new law to understand its implications. In the past, we’ve typically received only a relatively small number of requests from Hong Kong authorities, but we are pausing our responses to these requests as we conduct our review,” software and application developer Microsoft said in a statement. "These companies have to totally reassess the liability of having a presence in Hong Kong," Charles Mok, a legislator who represents the technology industry in Hong Kong said. If they refuse to cooperate with government requests, he said, authorities "could go after them and take them to court and fine them, or imprison their principals in Hong Kong". The US internet firms are no strangers to governments demands regarding content and user information, and generally say they are bound by local laws. The companies have often used a technique known as "geo-blocking" to restrict content in a particular country without removing it altogether. But the sweeping language of Hong Kong's new law could mean such measures won't be enough. Authorities will no longer need to get court orders before requesting assistance or information, analysts said.

Big tech companies may be handling data of Hong Kong users to China

Do you spend a lot of your free time on Facebook? Perhaps it’s time to rethink that idea.

A two-year long study recently tried to understand the impact of using the social media platform on the users happiness, and the results may not please you.

The study found that the more often you use Facebook, the more likely you are to feel unhappy. In 2016, Facebook data claimed that an average user spends 50 minutes on the portal every day. The&nbsp;study, carried out by Holly B Shakya from the University of California and Yale University’s Nicholas A Christakis took into account 5,208 subjects inducted across three waves - 2013, 2014, 2015.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/rival-oversight-board-launched-by-facebook-critics-to-act-as-watchdog-330214" hreflang="en">Rival oversight board launched by Facebook critics, to act as watchdog</a>

All subjects represented a sample of the US population. For two years, their activity on Facebook was monitored by researchers.

According to the study’s results, Facebook has a negative impact on one’s well-being. Additionally, the more time one spends on social media, the more likely they are to feelings of unhappiness.

The study found that, on an average social media actions like updating one’s status, clicking on a link, and ‘liking’ caused 5-8 per cent decrease in mental health of the subjects.

The authors, in conversation with The Harvard Business Review, said that they calculated “well-being” based on self reportage of mental health and physical health by subjects.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/facebook-tells-irish-court-that-probe-threatens-its-eu-operations-329331" hreflang="en">Facebook tells Irish court that probe threatens its EU operations</a>

Data about likes, clicks, average time spent, and the number of friends was also analysed directly from the accounts provided by the participants.

The researchers found that constantly liking content by others and clicking on links was linked to reduction in self-reported mental health and physical health, and satisfaction in general.

The study also added how the quantity of time one spends on Facebook plays a big role in diminishing one’s well-being.

Do you spend a lot of your free time on Facebook? Perhaps it’s time to rethink that idea. A two-year long study recently tried to understand the impact of using the social media platform on the users happiness, and the results may not please you.

Do you spend a lot of your free time on Facebook? Perhaps it’s time to rethink that idea. A two-year long study recently tried to understand the impact of using the social media platform on the users happiness, and the results may not please you. The study found that the more often you use Facebook, the more likely you are to feel unhappy. In 2016, Facebook data claimed that an average user spends 50 minutes on the portal every day. The study, carried out by Holly B Shakya from the University of California and Yale University’s Nicholas A Christakis took into account 5,208 subjects inducted across three waves - 2013, 2014, 2015. Also read: Rival oversight board launched by Facebook critics, to act as watchdog All subjects represented a sample of the US population. For two years, their activity on Facebook was monitored by researchers. According to the study’s results, Facebook has a negative impact on one’s well-being. Additionally, the more time one spends on social media, the more likely they are to feelings of unhappiness. The study found that, on an average social media actions like updating one’s status, clicking on a link, and ‘liking’ caused 5-8 per cent decrease in mental health of the subjects. The authors, in conversation with The Harvard Business Review, said that they calculated “well-being” based on self reportage of mental health and physical health by subjects. Also read: Facebook tells Irish court that probe threatens its EU operations Data about likes, clicks, average time spent, and the number of friends was also analysed directly from the accounts provided by the participants. The researchers found that constantly liking content by others and clicking on links was linked to reduction in self-reported mental health and physical health, and satisfaction in general. The study also added how the quantity of time one spends on Facebook plays a big role in diminishing one’s well-being.

Expansive study finds consistent Facebook usage linked to ill-being

The critics of Facebook Inc on Friday launched a rival oversight board to review the company's content moderation practices.

The new group -- "Real Facebook Oversight Board" -- includes the architects of an advertising boycott against the company. It counts among its initial members the heads of three US civil rights groups, the former president of Estonia and the former head of election integrity at Facebook.

The announcement comes a day after Facebook's officially-mandated Oversight Board said it would start work in mid-late October, nearly a year behind schedule.

That delay means the official Facebook-funded board is unlikely to review cases related to the US election.

The rival board will hold its first general meeting next week, it said in a statement, and focus squarely on election topics, including voter suppression, election security and misinformation.

Facebook "responds to criticism with bad faith statements and cosmetic changes," said board member Roger McNamee, an early investor in Facebook who turned critical of its leaders over their handling of misuse of the platform in the 2016 election.

"The Real Oversight Board will act as a watchdog, helping policymakers and consumers defend against a renegade platform."

Members plan to broadcast their meetings in weekly shows on Facebook Live, according to the statement.

The group said it was being funded by Luminate, a philanthropy backed by The Omidyar Group, but did not disclose a funding amount.

Facebook has committed $130 million to its project, which it said would cover operational costs for at least six years.

The critics of Facebook Inc on Friday launched a rival oversight board to review the company's content moderation practices. The new group -- "Real Facebook Oversight Board" -- includes the architects of an advertising boycott against the company.

The critics of Facebook Inc on Friday launched a rival oversight board to review the company's content moderation practices. The new group -- "Real Facebook Oversight Board" -- includes the architects of an advertising boycott against the company. It counts among its initial members the heads of three US civil rights groups, the former president of Estonia and the former head of election integrity at Facebook. The announcement comes a day after Facebook's officially-mandated Oversight Board said it would start work in mid-late October, nearly a year behind schedule. That delay means the official Facebook-funded board is unlikely to review cases related to the US election. The rival board will hold its first general meeting next week, it said in a statement, and focus squarely on election topics, including voter suppression, election security and misinformation. Facebook "responds to criticism with bad faith statements and cosmetic changes," said board member Roger McNamee, an early investor in Facebook who turned critical of its leaders over their handling of misuse of the platform in the 2016 election. "The Real Oversight Board will act as a watchdog, helping policymakers and consumers defend against a renegade platform." Members plan to broadcast their meetings in weekly shows on Facebook Live, according to the statement. The group said it was being funded by Luminate, a philanthropy backed by The Omidyar Group, but did not disclose a funding amount. Facebook has committed $130 million to its project, which it said would cover operational costs for at least six years.

Rival oversight board launched by Facebook critics, to act as watchdog

Thailand has initiated legal actions against Facebook & twitter for ignoring requests to take down content. Thailand's ministry of digital economy & society has filed legal complaints with cybercrime police after the two social media companies missed deadlines to comply fully with court-issued orders.

Thailand takes legal actions against Facebook & Twitter over content

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it has dismantled three networks of fake accounts which could be used by Russia's intelligence services to leak hacked documents as part of efforts to disrupt the upcoming U.S. election.

The company said the accounts, which it suspended for using fake identities and other types of "coordinated inauthentic behaviour," were linked to Russian intelligence and people associated with a St. Petersburg-based organisation accused by U.S. officials of working to sway the 2016 presidential vote.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/how-to-fix-facebook-an-appeal-to-mark-zuckerberg-329130">How to fix Facebook: An appeal to Mark Zuckerberg</a>

The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment after normal working hours in Moscow. Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of election meddling and says it does not interfere in the domestic politics of other countries.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, said there was no immediate evidence that hacked documents were about to be leaked, but by suspending the accounts Facebook hoped to prevent them being used in any subsequent operation.

"Our team watches for the threats and trends that we need to be ready for, and one that we are very aware of ... is a hack-and-leak operation, particularly in the next 6-8 weeks," he told Reuters.

"We want to make sure that the accounts are down to prevent their ability to pivot them to facilitate a hack-and-leak around the U.S. election."

Facebook said the networks were small with only a handful of accounts on its website and photo-sharing service Instagram, some of which posed as independent media outlets and think tanks. The accounts had a combined total of around 97,000 followers.

While some of the activity did target audiences in Britain and the United States, the networks were predominantly focused on countries in the Middle East and bordering Russia, such as Syria, Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus, Facebook said.

Twitter Inc said it had worked with Facebook to identify and remove 350 accounts operated by state-linked organisations in Russia.

Both companies said one of the networks had been identified following a tip from the FBI, which warned on Tuesday that foreign actors and cybercriminals were likely to spread disinformation about the results of the Nov. 3 election.

The warnings follow an alert by Microsoft Corp earlier this month that hackers linked to Russia, China, and Iran are trying to spy on people tied to both U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden.

Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, worked with Facebook to analyse the suspended accounts. He said the activity showed Russia was continuing efforts to exacerbate political tensions in the United States and elsewhere.

"That doesn't dismiss the fact that the scale and scope of domestic disinformation is far greater than what any foreign adversary could do," he said. "But Russia's efforts remain an extremely serious national security vulnerability." 
&nbsp;

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it has dismantled three networks of fake accounts which could be used by Russia's intelligence services to leak hacked documents as part of efforts to disrupt the upcoming U.

Facebook Inc said on Thursday it has dismantled three networks of fake accounts which could be used by Russia's intelligence services to leak hacked documents as part of efforts to disrupt the upcoming U.S. election. The company said the accounts, which it suspended for using fake identities and other types of "coordinated inauthentic behaviour," were linked to Russian intelligence and people associated with a St. Petersburg-based organisation accused by U.S. officials of working to sway the 2016 presidential vote. Also read | How to fix Facebook: An appeal to Mark Zuckerberg The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment after normal working hours in Moscow. Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of election meddling and says it does not interfere in the domestic politics of other countries. Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, said there was no immediate evidence that hacked documents were about to be leaked, but by suspending the accounts Facebook hoped to prevent them being used in any subsequent operation. "Our team watches for the threats and trends that we need to be ready for, and one that we are very aware of ... is a hack-and-leak operation, particularly in the next 6-8 weeks," he told Reuters. "We want to make sure that the accounts are down to prevent their ability to pivot them to facilitate a hack-and-leak around the U.S. election." Facebook said the networks were small with only a handful of accounts on its website and photo-sharing service Instagram, some of which posed as independent media outlets and think tanks. The accounts had a combined total of around 97,000 followers. While some of the activity did target audiences in Britain and the United States, the networks were predominantly focused on countries in the Middle East and bordering Russia, such as Syria, Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus, Facebook said. Twitter Inc said it had worked with Facebook to identify and remove 350 accounts operated by state-linked organisations in Russia. Both companies said one of the networks had been identified following a tip from the FBI, which warned on Tuesday that foreign actors and cybercriminals were likely to spread disinformation about the results of the Nov. 3 election. The warnings follow an alert by Microsoft Corp earlier this month that hackers linked to Russia, China, and Iran are trying to spy on people tied to both U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, worked with Facebook to analyse the suspended accounts. He said the activity showed Russia was continuing efforts to exacerbate political tensions in the United States and elsewhere. "That doesn't dismiss the fact that the scale and scope of domestic disinformation is far greater than what any foreign adversary could do," he said. "But Russia's efforts remain an extremely serious national security vulnerability."

Facebook suspends fake Russian accounts, warns of U.S. election hack-and-leak threat

Facebook has said that it has helped 2.5 million people register so far this year across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger before the National Voter Registration Day that falls on September 22. However, Facebook aims of registering 4 million eligible voters in the US this year.

US Election 2020: Facebook aims to register 4 MN voters

Thailand began legal action on Thursday&nbsp;against Facebook and Twitter for ignoring requests to take down content, in its first such move against major internet firms.

The digital ministry filed legal complaints with cybercrime police after the two social media companies missed 15-day deadlines to comply fully with court-issued takedown orders from August&nbsp;27, the digital minister, Puttipong Punnakanta, said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thai-government-threatens-legal-action-against-facebook-over-posts-criticising-monarchy-320249">Thai government threatens legal action against Facebook over posts criticising monarchy</a>

No action was taken against Alphabet's Google as originally suggested, as it took down all the YouTube videos specified in the order late on Wednesday, Puttipong said.

"This is the first time we're using the Computer Crime Act to take action against platforms for not complying with court orders," Puttipong told reporters.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/down-with-the-dictatorship-thailand-witness-biggest-anti-government-protest-in-years-321005">'Down with the dictatorship': Thailand witness biggest anti-government protest in years</a>

"Unless the companies send their representatives to negotiate or request further information, police can bring criminal cases against them. But if they do, and acknowledge the wrongdoing, we can settle on fines."

Puttipong did not disclose details of the content or say what laws it had violated. The complaints were against the U.S. parent companies and not their Thai subsidiaries, he said.

The ministry will file more such takedown requests to Facebook, Twitter, and Google, asking them to remove more than 3,000 items from their platforms, with content ranging from pornography to criticism of the monarchy, Puttipong said.

Twitter declined to comment, while Facebook and Google did not respond to requests for comment.

Thailand has a tough lese majeste law that prohibits insulting the monarchy. The Computer Crime Act, which outlaws the uploading of information that is false or affects national security, has also been used to prosecute online criticism of the royal family.

Thailand began legal action on Thursday against Facebook and Twitter for ignoring requests to take down content, in its first such move against major internet firms.

Thailand began legal action on Thursday against Facebook and Twitter for ignoring requests to take down content, in its first such move against major internet firms. The digital ministry filed legal complaints with cybercrime police after the two social media companies missed 15-day deadlines to comply fully with court-issued takedown orders from August 27, the digital minister, Puttipong Punnakanta, said. Also read: Thai government threatens legal action against Facebook over posts criticising monarchy No action was taken against Alphabet's Google as originally suggested, as it took down all the YouTube videos specified in the order late on Wednesday, Puttipong said. "This is the first time we're using the Computer Crime Act to take action against platforms for not complying with court orders," Puttipong told reporters. Also see: 'Down with the dictatorship': Thailand witness biggest anti-government protest in years "Unless the companies send their representatives to negotiate or request further information, police can bring criminal cases against them. But if they do, and acknowledge the wrongdoing, we can settle on fines." Puttipong did not disclose details of the content or say what laws it had violated. The complaints were against the U.S. parent companies and not their Thai subsidiaries, he said. The ministry will file more such takedown requests to Facebook, Twitter, and Google, asking them to remove more than 3,000 items from their platforms, with content ranging from pornography to criticism of the monarchy, Puttipong said. Twitter declined to comment, while Facebook and Google did not respond to requests for comment. Thailand has a tough lese majeste law that prohibits insulting the monarchy. The Computer Crime Act, which outlaws the uploading of information that is false or affects national security, has also been used to prosecute online criticism of the royal family.

Thailand takes first legal action against Facebook, Twitter over content

Facebook has told Ireland’s High Court it cannot see how its services could operate in the European Union if regulators freeze its data transfer mechanism.

According to the Sunday Business Post, the US social media giant last week said that the Irish Data Protection Commission, its lead EU regulator, had made a preliminary decision that the mechanism it uses to transfer data from the EU to the United States “cannot in practice be used”.

Facebook requested and secured a temporary freeze on the order and a court review in the Irish High Court, which is due to consider the issue in November.

In an affidavit submitted to the court to request that the order be frozen, Yvonne Cunnane, Facebook Ireland’s head of data protection and associate general counsel, said it was not clear how the company could continue providing services in the EU if the Irish order is enforced, the Sunday Business Post reported.

“It is not clear to (Facebook) how, in those circumstances, it could continue to provide the Facebook and Instagram services in the EU,” the newspaper quoted the affidavit as saying.

In a September 9 blog post that first confirmed the investigation by the Irish regulator, Facebook said it “relied on the mechanism in question - under what are known as standard contractual clauses (SCCs) - to transfer data to countries outside the EU and that a ban would have “a far reaching effect on businesses that rely on SCCs”.

The Irish investigation follows a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union in July on when SCCs can be used legally.

The ruling was in response to EU concerns that the surveillance regime in the United States might not respect the privacy rights of EU citizens when their personal data is sent to the United States for commercial use.

Facebook has told Ireland’s High Court it cannot see how its services could operate in the European Union if regulators freeze its data transfer mechanism. According to the Sunday Business Post, the US social media giant last week said that the Irish Data Protection Commission, its lead EU regulator, had made a preliminary decision that the mechanism it uses to transfer data from the EU to the United States “cannot in practice be used”.

Facebook has told Ireland’s High Court it cannot see how its services could operate in the European Union if regulators freeze its data transfer mechanism. According to the Sunday Business Post, the US social media giant last week said that the Irish Data Protection Commission, its lead EU regulator, had made a preliminary decision that the mechanism it uses to transfer data from the EU to the United States “cannot in practice be used”. Facebook requested and secured a temporary freeze on the order and a court review in the Irish High Court, which is due to consider the issue in November. In an affidavit submitted to the court to request that the order be frozen, Yvonne Cunnane, Facebook Ireland’s head of data protection and associate general counsel, said it was not clear how the company could continue providing services in the EU if the Irish order is enforced, the Sunday Business Post reported. “It is not clear to (Facebook) how, in those circumstances, it could continue to provide the Facebook and Instagram services in the EU,” the newspaper quoted the affidavit as saying. In a September 9 blog post that first confirmed the investigation by the Irish regulator, Facebook said it “relied on the mechanism in question - under what are known as standard contractual clauses (SCCs) - to transfer data to countries outside the EU and that a ban would have “a far reaching effect on businesses that rely on SCCs”. The Irish investigation follows a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union in July on when SCCs can be used legally. The ruling was in response to EU concerns that the surveillance regime in the United States might not respect the privacy rights of EU citizens when their personal data is sent to the United States for commercial use.

Facebook tells Irish court that probe threatens its EU operations

Facebook has told Ireland’s High Court it cannot see how its services could operate in the European Union if regulators freeze its data transfer mechanism

Facebook may pull social media platforms from Europe

Think about a child who constantly makes mistakes,&nbsp;he is told to never steal, he is told to not lie, people explain to him that the use of foul language is not acceptable. For a moment, it looks like he is listening to you. He nods, apologies and promises to not repeat the actions again, but nothing has changed. The child continues to do indulge in all the objectionable acts, repeatedly.

Facebook is like that child in question. Over the last few years, the social network giant has been slammed for violating user privacy, fuelling hate, and spreading disinformation. The list of wrongdoings is extensive.

I don't want to get into the charges pressed against the world’s biggest social network, because all the scandals and controversies are out there for you to see. Instead, I am going to talk about the three things that Facebook needs to fix as soon as possible to win back the trust of users. It's a video appeal to Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive officer of Facebook.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tech-it-out-how-to-fix-facebook-328592/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

1. Facebook has been on an apology tour for a long time. For every mistake or fiasco that has been reported, Facebook has mostly reacted with the same answer, “We apologise”.

A random Google search with the words “Facebook apologises” gives you over 10 million results. No, I don’t mean to say that Facebook has apologised this many times, but what I am trying to highlight is that the log of Facebook wrongdoings is pretty long and endless. And not much seems to be changing. Zuckerberg needs to re-learn that apologies are good only if they are sincere. They need to come with a promise to do better.

For instance, Zuckerberg claims that Facebook has teamed up with civil rights groups and experts to develop more tools to fight hate speech. Those groups and experts, however, say Facebook isn’t committed or at least, the commitment in not translating into action. Zuckerberg should understand that when you apologise, you make amends and rebuild trust. And most importantly, you make sincere efforts to avoid mistakes from happening again.

2. Secondly, I am all up for new-age technologies, but when it comes to tackling sensitive issues like suicide, self-injury and child exploitation, human intervention becomes very important. So here's another suggestion for Zuckerberg. You should increase your pool of human reviewers to tackle sensitive issues, on priority. I mean, algorithms and artificial intelligence can never be as good as human content reviewers in determining, let's say, how dangerous a hate speech can be. Instead of looking at new acquisitions, Facebook should spend more money on hiring content reviewers who are well-versed with diverse cultures.

3. All of us understand that data is the new currency and Facebook makes billions of dollars from our data. Your data is used to serve you ads that you see on Facebook. And who makes all the money? Facebook.

In 2019, Facebook’s ad revenue was close to $70 billion. In the second quarter of this year alone, Facebook earned $18.3 billion in advertising revenue. So, if you think you’re getting to use Facebook for free, that’s not how it is. There are no free lunches.

Many people understand this and they don’t want their data to be harvested and used by Facebook or any other corporation, for that matter. I think, Zuckerberg should take this issue seriously. He should introduce paid accounts for such people and charge a monthly or annual fee. The company needs to give this option to users in times when data privacy is a matter of huge concern.

I hope Zuckerberg takes it as constructive feedback. All of us like using Facebook, but there is no denying that these issues need to be fixed on on priority.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Think about a child who constantly makes mistakes, he is told to never steal, he is told to not lie, people explain to him that the use of foul language is not acceptable.

Think about a child who constantly makes mistakes, he is told to never steal, he is told to not lie, people explain to him that the use of foul language is not acceptable. For a moment, it looks like he is listening to you. He nods, apologies and promises to not repeat the actions again, but nothing has changed. The child continues to do indulge in all the objectionable acts, repeatedly. Facebook is like that child in question. Over the last few years, the social network giant has been slammed for violating user privacy, fuelling hate, and spreading disinformation. The list of wrongdoings is extensive. I don't want to get into the charges pressed against the world’s biggest social network, because all the scandals and controversies are out there for you to see. Instead, I am going to talk about the three things that Facebook needs to fix as soon as possible to win back the trust of users. It's a video appeal to Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive officer of Facebook. 1. Facebook has been on an apology tour for a long time. For every mistake or fiasco that has been reported, Facebook has mostly reacted with the same answer, “We apologise”. A random Google search with the words “Facebook apologises” gives you over 10 million results. No, I don’t mean to say that Facebook has apologised this many times, but what I am trying to highlight is that the log of Facebook wrongdoings is pretty long and endless. And not much seems to be changing. Zuckerberg needs to re-learn that apologies are good only if they are sincere. They need to come with a promise to do better. For instance, Zuckerberg claims that Facebook has teamed up with civil rights groups and experts to develop more tools to fight hate speech. Those groups and experts, however, say Facebook isn’t committed or at least, the commitment in not translating into action. Zuckerberg should understand that when you apologise, you make amends and rebuild trust. And most importantly, you make sincere efforts to avoid mistakes from happening again. 2. Secondly, I am all up for new-age technologies, but when it comes to tackling sensitive issues like suicide, self-injury and child exploitation, human intervention becomes very important. So here's another suggestion for Zuckerberg. You should increase your pool of human reviewers to tackle sensitive issues, on priority. I mean, algorithms and artificial intelligence can never be as good as human content reviewers in determining, let's say, how dangerous a hate speech can be. Instead of looking at new acquisitions, Facebook should spend more money on hiring content reviewers who are well-versed with diverse cultures. 3. All of us understand that data is the new currency and Facebook makes billions of dollars from our data. Your data is used to serve you ads that you see on Facebook. And who makes all the money? Facebook. In 2019, Facebook’s ad revenue was close to $70 billion. In the second quarter of this year alone, Facebook earned $18.3 billion in advertising revenue. So, if you think you’re getting to use Facebook for free, that’s not how it is. There are no free lunches. Many people understand this and they don’t want their data to be harvested and used by Facebook or any other corporation, for that matter. I think, Zuckerberg should take this issue seriously. He should introduce paid accounts for such people and charge a monthly or annual fee. The company needs to give this option to users in times when data privacy is a matter of huge concern. I hope Zuckerberg takes it as constructive feedback. All of us like using Facebook, but there is no denying that these issues need to be fixed on on priority. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How to fix Facebook: An appeal to Mark Zuckerberg

WION's Ankit Tuteja talks about the three things that Facebook needs to fix to win back the trust of users. It's a video appeal to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Tech it Out: How to fix Facebook

Kim Kardashian West on Tuesday decided to freeze her Facebook and Instagram accounts, as she and other celebrities called on the social media platforms to stop the spread of hate and misinformation. 
 
"Misinformation shared on social media has a serious impact on our elections and undermines our democracy," Kardashian West said in a tweet, as she joined the 'Stop Hate for Profit' campaign that has pressured Facebook Inc to remove hate speech. 
 
The campaign, launched earlier this year, won the support of dozens of major companies in an advertising boycott of the social media giant. 
 
Kardashian West, a businesswoman and reality TV star, has become an influential powerhouse of social change in recent months, raising the issue of climate change to her millions of followers and lobbying the White House for criminal justice reform. 
 
With 188 million Instagram followers, Kardashian West has one of the top 10 most followed accounts worldwide. 
 
She plans to freeze her accounts on Wednesday. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
 
The company had said it would team up with civil rights groups and experts to develop more tools to fight hate speech. 
 
Other celebrities and actors including Kerry Washington, Jennifer Lawrence and Sacha Baron Cohen also tweeted on Tuesday, calling on Facebook to do more to stop the spread of misinformation, using the hashtag #StopHateForProfit. 
 
The campaign encouraged users to post about the harms that Facebook is inflicting on society and the importance of voting. It includes a 24-hour Instagram 'Freeze' on September 16.

Kim Kardashian West on Tuesday decided to freeze her Facebook and Instagram accounts, as she and other celebrities called on the social media platforms to stop the spread of hate and misinformation.

Kim Kardashian West on Tuesday decided to freeze her Facebook and Instagram accounts, as she and other celebrities called on the social media platforms to stop the spread of hate and misinformation. "Misinformation shared on social media has a serious impact on our elections and undermines our democracy," Kardashian West said in a tweet, as she joined the 'Stop Hate for Profit' campaign that has pressured Facebook Inc to remove hate speech. The campaign, launched earlier this year, won the support of dozens of major companies in an advertising boycott of the social media giant. Kardashian West, a businesswoman and reality TV star, has become an influential powerhouse of social change in recent months, raising the issue of climate change to her millions of followers and lobbying the White House for criminal justice reform. With 188 million Instagram followers, Kardashian West has one of the top 10 most followed accounts worldwide. She plans to freeze her accounts on Wednesday. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company had said it would team up with civil rights groups and experts to develop more tools to fight hate speech. Other celebrities and actors including Kerry Washington, Jennifer Lawrence and Sacha Baron Cohen also tweeted on Tuesday, calling on Facebook to do more to stop the spread of misinformation, using the hashtag #StopHateForProfit. The campaign encouraged users to post about the harms that Facebook is inflicting on society and the importance of voting. It includes a 24-hour Instagram 'Freeze' on September 16.

Kim Kardashian to freeze Facebook, Instagram accounts to protest hate speech

Facebook Inc on Friday launched legal action against Ireland's Data Protection Commission in order to halt a proposed order that could stop the company from transferring data from the European Union to the United States.

The US social media giant urged regulators "to adopt a pragmatic and proportionate approach until a sustainable long-term solution can be reached."

The Irish commission, Facebook's lead regulator in the EU, had commenced an inquiry into the company controlled EU-US data transfers. It also suggested that a key mechanism used by the company for transatlantic data transfers cannot in practice be used for EU-U.S. data transfers, Facebook said on Wednesday.

Facebook had said that it believed the mechanism, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), had been deemed valid by the Court of Justice of the European Union in July. 
&nbsp;

Facebook Inc on Friday launched legal action against Ireland's Data Protection Commission in order to halt a proposed order that could stop the company from transferring data from the European Union to the United States.

Facebook Inc on Friday launched legal action against Ireland's Data Protection Commission in order to halt a proposed order that could stop the company from transferring data from the European Union to the United States. The US social media giant urged regulators "to adopt a pragmatic and proportionate approach until a sustainable long-term solution can be reached." The Irish commission, Facebook's lead regulator in the EU, had commenced an inquiry into the company controlled EU-US data transfers. It also suggested that a key mechanism used by the company for transatlantic data transfers cannot in practice be used for EU-U.S. data transfers, Facebook said on Wednesday. Facebook had said that it believed the mechanism, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), had been deemed valid by the Court of Justice of the European Union in July.

Facebook launches legal action against Irish watchdog over data transfers

A lot of students have suffered in academics due to the coronavirus pandemic that sent the world in a lockdown, closing down schools and disrupting classes.

While some European countries are now reopening schools, it is still difficult for the second and third world countries to reopen schools without the fear of spread of the deadly coronavirus.

However, there are some people who are going out of their way to help students, especially the ones who are not privileged enough to hire personal tutors.

One such example is of&nbsp;Basirat Olamide Ajayi who is a teacher of mathematics in lagos, Nigeria. Six months ago, Ajayi came up with the idea of offering mathematics classes through&nbsp;Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram, without charging a single penny from the students.

Now, six months later, Ajayi has reached an audience of nearly 2,000 students.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_GGJabH81o/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Maths is fun Dear SS 3 students, Join me on telegram for free Mathematics class. Click the link below https://t.me/joinchat/QhFNXRxww1hxfUiorUHvvw</a>

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She takes help of these social media platforms to produce and share short videos in which she explains one concept in each video. These video clips are no longer than five minutes and Ajayi uses the simplest ways to explain the concepts to students.

To make sure the students practise, she also gives them occasional assignments and homework, and also grades them. She also makes sure that she answers as many queries as possible.

“Sometimes, I stay awake till 2 a.m. going through their assignments!” she said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/encourage-online-classes-indian-schools-get-guidelines-for-resuming-offline-classes-326238">Also read|&nbsp;'Encourage online classes': Indian schools get guidelines for resuming offline classes</a>

"COVID is here with both negative and positive impacts. The positive impact is that we can use technology to teach our students, which I am very, very happy about,” she continued.

The 36-year-old has also started receiving requests from across the borders now.&nbsp;“The online teaching has made me feel that I can actually teach the whole world mathematics,” she said. “On Twitter people see me all over the world, not only in Lagos, not only in Nigeria. They see me all over the world and that is enough to give me innermost joy.”

Her list of good deeds doesn't end here. She has also gone a step ahead and paid for the mobile data for the students who could not afford it.&nbsp;“Some of them don’t even have data to access the class, and that is not giving me joy at all, as a teacher that wants students to be online,” she said.&nbsp;

A lot of students have suffered in academics due to the coronavirus pandemic that sent the world in a lockdown, closing down schools and disrupting classes. While some European countries are now reopening schools, it is still difficult for the second and third world countries to reopen schools without the fear of spread of the deadly coronavirus.

A lot of students have suffered in academics due to the coronavirus pandemic that sent the world in a lockdown, closing down schools and disrupting classes. While some European countries are now reopening schools, it is still difficult for the second and third world countries to reopen schools without the fear of spread of the deadly coronavirus. However, there are some people who are going out of their way to help students, especially the ones who are not privileged enough to hire personal tutors. One such example is of Basirat Olamide Ajayi who is a teacher of mathematics in lagos, Nigeria. Six months ago, Ajayi came up with the idea of offering mathematics classes through Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram, without charging a single penny from the students. Now, six months later, Ajayi has reached an audience of nearly 2,000 students. View this post on Instagram Maths is fun Dear SS 3 students, Join me on telegram for free Mathematics class. Click the link below https://t.me/joinchat/QhFNXRxww1hxfUiorUHvvw A post shared by Ajayi Basirat Olamide (@mathseducator) on Apr 17, 2020 at 1:23pm PDT × She takes help of these social media platforms to produce and share short videos in which she explains one concept in each video. These video clips are no longer than five minutes and Ajayi uses the simplest ways to explain the concepts to students. To make sure the students practise, she also gives them occasional assignments and homework, and also grades them. She also makes sure that she answers as many queries as possible. “Sometimes, I stay awake till 2 a.m. going through their assignments!” she said. Also read| 'Encourage online classes': Indian schools get guidelines for resuming offline classes "COVID is here with both negative and positive impacts. The positive impact is that we can use technology to teach our students, which I am very, very happy about,” she continued. The 36-year-old has also started receiving requests from across the borders now. “The online teaching has made me feel that I can actually teach the whole world mathematics,” she said. “On Twitter people see me all over the world, not only in Lagos, not only in Nigeria. They see me all over the world and that is enough to give me innermost joy.” Her list of good deeds doesn't end here. She has also gone a step ahead and paid for the mobile data for the students who could not afford it. “Some of them don’t even have data to access the class, and that is not giving me joy at all, as a teacher that wants students to be online,” she said.

Watch: Nigerian teacher offers free Mathematics classes through social media

Social media giant Facebook has been in the eye of the storm globally for allegedly moulding narratives that influence elections in any major country.

In the US, both the Democrats and Republicans have accused the company of filtering out posts, or simply not filtering content enough.

Recently, Facebook said that it would assess its role in the US elections, but its details would only be divulged once the elections are over.

A step further

Now, the company has gone a step further. The company will&nbsp;offer money to its users to stop using the site, along with its other service Instagram.

Reported first by the New York Post, the company wants to assess the impact of social media on voting across the United States. And to ascertain the role of social media giants and their influence, the company is offering $120 to its users to deactivate their accounts in the beginning at the end of September.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/facebook-unveils-ar-glasses-with-auditory-superpowers-325577" hreflang="en">Facebook unveils AR glasses with 'auditory superpowers'</a>

Last week, Facebook’s representative tweeted that the “users will be compensated”.&nbsp;“Anyone who chooses to opt-in – whether it’s completing surveys or deactivating FB or IG for a period of time – will be compensated,” Facebook spokesperson had Liz Bourgeois tweeted out last week.&nbsp;

“This is fairly standard for this type of academic research”, Bourgeois added.

Over 200,000 participants

Facebook believes that at least 200,000 to 400,000 people will participate in the opt-out mechanism.

“Representative, scientific samples of people in the US will be selected and invited to participate in the study”, Facebook said in a statement.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/russian-influence-campaign-targeted-left-wing-voters-in-us-and-uk-says-facebook-324614" hreflang="en">Russian influence campaign targeted left-wing voters in US and UK, says Facebook</a>

The company added that participants will be poached out on Facebook or Instagram, with a link lingering on their profiles asking them to participate in the study.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/facebook-to-halt-new-political-ads-on-cusp-of-us-election-325089" hreflang="en">Facebook to halt new political ads on cusp of US election</a>

Facebook has vowed to pursue an “objective, dispassionate, empirically grounded research” to understand the correlation between social media giants and democratic elections. The company is expected to release the figures of the study next year, with research being undertaken by independent data scientists, according to the officials.

The company claimed that the study will be designed to ensure its tenets reflect the diversity of the American adult population, keeping in mind the user base of Facebook and Instagram.

Company CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday announced that the company would ban new political advertisements weeks before the US elections to limit the spread of false information.

The US is gearing up for elections set to take place on November 3, with incumbent president Donald Trump fighting closely with Democrat Joe Biden.

Social media giant Facebook has been in the eye of the storm globally for allegedly moulding narratives that influence elections in any major country. In the US, both the Democrats and Republicans have accused the company of filtering out posts, or simply not filtering content enough.

Social media giant Facebook has been in the eye of the storm globally for allegedly moulding narratives that influence elections in any major country. In the US, both the Democrats and Republicans have accused the company of filtering out posts, or simply not filtering content enough. Recently, Facebook said that it would assess its role in the US elections, but its details would only be divulged once the elections are over. A step further Now, the company has gone a step further. The company will offer money to its users to stop using the site, along with its other service Instagram. Reported first by the New York Post, the company wants to assess the impact of social media on voting across the United States. And to ascertain the role of social media giants and their influence, the company is offering $120 to its users to deactivate their accounts in the beginning at the end of September. Also read: Facebook unveils AR glasses with 'auditory superpowers' Last week, Facebook’s representative tweeted that the “users will be compensated”. “Anyone who chooses to opt-in – whether it’s completing surveys or deactivating FB or IG for a period of time – will be compensated,” Facebook spokesperson had Liz Bourgeois tweeted out last week. “This is fairly standard for this type of academic research”, Bourgeois added. Over 200,000 participants Facebook believes that at least 200,000 to 400,000 people will participate in the opt-out mechanism. “Representative, scientific samples of people in the US will be selected and invited to participate in the study”, Facebook said in a statement. Also read: Russian influence campaign targeted left-wing voters in US and UK, says Facebook The company added that participants will be poached out on Facebook or Instagram, with a link lingering on their profiles asking them to participate in the study. Also read: Facebook to halt new political ads on cusp of US election Facebook has vowed to pursue an “objective, dispassionate, empirically grounded research” to understand the correlation between social media giants and democratic elections. The company is expected to release the figures of the study next year, with research being undertaken by independent data scientists, according to the officials. The company claimed that the study will be designed to ensure its tenets reflect the diversity of the American adult population, keeping in mind the user base of Facebook and Instagram. Company CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday announced that the company would ban new political advertisements weeks before the US elections to limit the spread of false information. The US is gearing up for elections set to take place on November 3, with incumbent president Donald Trump fighting closely with Democrat Joe Biden.

Facebook is paying US users to temporarily stop using its services. Find out why!

Facebook has unveiled a new prototype of Augmented Reality (AR) glasses that can amplify what the wearer aims to hear.

It also silences everything else around.

The AR headset gives users "perceptual superpowers", says a report in The Next Web.

One prototype device is equipped with headphones and microphones that capture surrounding sounds.

It then tracks the movements of the user's head and eye movement to work out what they're trying to hear. This headset then enhances the sounds the user's focussed on, and turns the volume down on everything else.

Facebook Reality Labs will organise its annual conference 'Facebook Connect' virtually on September 16. 
&nbsp;

Facebook has unveiled a new prototype of Augmented Reality (AR) glasses that can amplify what the wearer aims to hear. It also silences everything else around. The AR headset gives users "perceptual superpowers", says a report in The Next Web.

Facebook has unveiled a new prototype of Augmented Reality (AR) glasses that can amplify what the wearer aims to hear. It also silences everything else around. The AR headset gives users "perceptual superpowers", says a report in The Next Web. One prototype device is equipped with headphones and microphones that capture surrounding sounds. It then tracks the movements of the user's head and eye movement to work out what they're trying to hear. This headset then enhances the sounds the user's focussed on, and turns the volume down on everything else. Facebook Reality Labs will organise its annual conference 'Facebook Connect' virtually on September 16.

Facebook unveils AR glasses with 'auditory superpowers'

Facebook has blocked a terminally ill French euthanasia campaigner from livestreaming his own death.

Alain Cocq, who has been suffering for 34 years from a rare and incurable degenerative disease, has stopped taking food, drink or medicine, and says he wants his death to be seen to help persuade French authorities to lift a ban on medically assisted suicide. He said he would find another way to broadcast his death.

Cocq, 57, had said he would livestream his death on Facebook from Saturday morning.&nbsp;

“While we respect Alain’s decision to draw attention to this important issue, we are preventing live broadcasts on his account based on the advice of experts that the depiction of suicide attempts could be triggering and promote more self-harm," Facebook said in a statement provided to Reuters.

After Facebook blocked it, he said a new means of livestreaming would be set up within 24 hours.

"So I have finished my last meal ... I drink to your health one last time. The road to deliverance begins and, believe me, I am happy," Cocq said in a video posted on Friday night and shot from his bed at his home in Dijon, eastern France.

He had written to French President Emmanuel Macron asking that medical professionals be allowed to assist his death. Macron wrote back saying this was not allowed under French law.

France's neighbours Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands have adopted laws that allow medically-assisted dying in some cases.

Facebook has blocked a terminally ill French euthanasia campaigner from livestreaming his own death. Alain Cocq, who has been suffering for 34 years from a rare and incurable degenerative disease, has stopped taking food, drink or medicine, and says he wants his death to be seen to help persuade French authorities to lift a ban on medically assisted suicide.

Facebook has blocked a terminally ill French euthanasia campaigner from livestreaming his own death. Alain Cocq, who has been suffering for 34 years from a rare and incurable degenerative disease, has stopped taking food, drink or medicine, and says he wants his death to be seen to help persuade French authorities to lift a ban on medically assisted suicide. He said he would find another way to broadcast his death. Cocq, 57, had said he would livestream his death on Facebook from Saturday morning. “While we respect Alain’s decision to draw attention to this important issue, we are preventing live broadcasts on his account based on the advice of experts that the depiction of suicide attempts could be triggering and promote more self-harm," Facebook said in a statement provided to Reuters. After Facebook blocked it, he said a new means of livestreaming would be set up within 24 hours. "So I have finished my last meal ... I drink to your health one last time. The road to deliverance begins and, believe me, I am happy," Cocq said in a video posted on Friday night and shot from his bed at his home in Dijon, eastern France. He had written to French President Emmanuel Macron asking that medical professionals be allowed to assist his death. Macron wrote back saying this was not allowed under French law. France's neighbours Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands have adopted laws that allow medically-assisted dying in some cases.

Facebook blocks livestream of euthanasia campaigner's death

Islamabad is trying to save its face after a social media purge. Facebook has suspended several Pak-based accounts for peddling malicious content against India

Gravitas: Facebook's biggest crackdown on Pak Propaganda

Amid a political slugfest over the Facebook issue, the company's India head Ajit Mohan on Wednesday appeared before a parliamentary panel, which is discussing alleged misuse of social media platforms. 
 
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, had called representatives of Facebook to hear their views "on the subject of safeguarding citizens' rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms including special emphasis on women security in the digital space," according to agenda of the meeting.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/facebook-suspends-453-accounts-spreading-fake-news-with-anti-india-propaganda-324722" hreflang="en">Facebook suspends 453 accounts spreading fake news with anti-India propaganda</a> 
 
Mohan, Managing Director of Facebook India, appeared before the panel this afternoon, officials said. 
The panel has also called representatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on the same issue. 
 
Tharoor's announcement that the panel would like to hear from Facebook about a report published in the Wall Street Journal claiming that the social media platform ignored applying its hate-speech rules to politicians of the BJP in India, had evoked a strong reaction from BJP members of the panel. 
 
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had alleged that the Congress leader has been using the panel's platform to further his and his party's political agenda and even demanded his removal as chairman.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/law-minister-prasad-urges-zuckerberg-to-protect-fb-from-a-lobby-that-abhors-free-speech-324546" hreflang="en">Law Minister Prasad urges Zuckerberg to protect FB from 'a lobby that abhors free speech'</a> 
 
A fresh round of political slugfest started on the matter on Monday with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claiming that the international media has "exposed" Facebook and WhatsApp's "brazen assault" on India's democracy and social harmony. 
 
"No one, let alone a foreign company, can be allowed to interfere in our nation's affairs. They must be investigated immediately and when found guilty, punished," Gandhi tweeted. 
 
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also wrote to Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, accusing the social media platform's employees of supporting people from a political predisposition that lost successive elections, and "abusing" Prime Minister and senior cabinet ministers. 
 
In a three-page letter to Facebook Chief Executive Zuckerberg, Prasad alleged "bias and inaction" by individuals in the Facebook India team on complaints by people supportive of right-of-centre ideology.&nbsp;

Amid a political slugfest over the Facebook issue, the company's India head Ajit Mohan on Wednesday appeared before a parliamentary panel, which is discussing alleged misuse of social media platforms.

Amid a political slugfest over the Facebook issue, the company's India head Ajit Mohan on Wednesday appeared before a parliamentary panel, which is discussing alleged misuse of social media platforms. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, had called representatives of Facebook to hear their views "on the subject of safeguarding citizens' rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms including special emphasis on women security in the digital space," according to agenda of the meeting. Also read: Facebook suspends 453 accounts spreading fake news with anti-India propaganda Mohan, Managing Director of Facebook India, appeared before the panel this afternoon, officials said. The panel has also called representatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on the same issue. Tharoor's announcement that the panel would like to hear from Facebook about a report published in the Wall Street Journal claiming that the social media platform ignored applying its hate-speech rules to politicians of the BJP in India, had evoked a strong reaction from BJP members of the panel. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had alleged that the Congress leader has been using the panel's platform to further his and his party's political agenda and even demanded his removal as chairman. Also read: Law Minister Prasad urges Zuckerberg to protect FB from 'a lobby that abhors free speech' A fresh round of political slugfest started on the matter on Monday with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claiming that the international media has "exposed" Facebook and WhatsApp's "brazen assault" on India's democracy and social harmony. "No one, let alone a foreign company, can be allowed to interfere in our nation's affairs. They must be investigated immediately and when found guilty, punished," Gandhi tweeted. IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also wrote to Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, accusing the social media platform's employees of supporting people from a political predisposition that lost successive elections, and "abusing" Prime Minister and senior cabinet ministers. In a three-page letter to Facebook Chief Executive Zuckerberg, Prasad alleged "bias and inaction" by individuals in the Facebook India team on complaints by people supportive of right-of-centre ideology.

Facebook India chief Ajit Mohan appears before Parliamentary panel

Indian Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg on September 1, amid reports of the company’s selective filtration of content, where certain voices were amplified while others were stifled.

Prasad said that Facebook has been a novel experiment in democratising the expression of people and giving platform to millions of citizens to freely express their views. "This experiment should not be allowed to be hijacked by a vested lobby that abhors free speech”, he said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/facebook-transparent-non-partisan-says-india-head-amid-political-controversy-322267" hreflang="en">Facebook 'transparent, non-partisan', says India head amid political controversy</a>

“I’ve been informed that in run up to 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, there was concerted effort by Facebook India to not just delete pages or substantially reduce their reach but also offer no right of appeal to affected people who're supportive of right-of-centre ideology”, he wrote.

The letter by Prasad highlighted instances of bias by Facebook against the incumbent Bharatiya Janta Party. Prasad said that leaks in media about Facebook are a result of an internal ideology war in the company.

Ravi Shankar Prasad added how Facebook India was dominated by people with a certain ideology.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/india-parliamentary-panel-to-question-facebook-on-content-controversy-source-322130" hreflang="en">India parliamentary panel to question Facebook on content controversy: Source</a>

Through “selective leaks” from within the company, the ideology war within the company&nbsp;was ignored, he suggested. He added that media reports prove that the company is run by people “who belong to a particular political belief”.&nbsp;“As a transnational digital platform, Facebook must not only be fair and neutral, but also visibly seen to be so, to users of diverse beliefs and ideologies”, he added.

A report by the Wall Street Journal among many US outlets claimed that Facebook had been amplifying pro-government voices in India.

Owing to such allegations, Facebook’s representatives will appear in front of a parliamentary committee on September 2. The committee will be headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

Facebook India on August 21&nbsp;said the platform is "open, transparent and non-partisan" where people are allowed to "express themselves freely".

"Facebook is and always has been an open, transparent and non-partisan platform where people can express themselves freely. Over the last few days, we have been accused of bias in the way we enforce our policies," Facebook India Vice President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan had said in a blog post.&nbsp;

"Our Community Standards define what stays on our platform and are enforced globally... We enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone's political position, party affiliation or religious and cultural belief. We have removed and will continue to remove content posted by public figures in India when it violates our Community Standards," he wrote.

Indian Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg on September 1, amid reports of the company’s selective filtration of content, where certain voices were amplified while others were stifled.

Indian Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg on September 1, amid reports of the company’s selective filtration of content, where certain voices were amplified while others were stifled. Prasad said that Facebook has been a novel experiment in democratising the expression of people and giving platform to millions of citizens to freely express their views. "This experiment should not be allowed to be hijacked by a vested lobby that abhors free speech”, he said. Also read: Facebook 'transparent, non-partisan', says India head amid political controversy “I’ve been informed that in run up to 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, there was concerted effort by Facebook India to not just delete pages or substantially reduce their reach but also offer no right of appeal to affected people who're supportive of right-of-centre ideology”, he wrote. The letter by Prasad highlighted instances of bias by Facebook against the incumbent Bharatiya Janta Party. Prasad said that leaks in media about Facebook are a result of an internal ideology war in the company. Ravi Shankar Prasad added how Facebook India was dominated by people with a certain ideology. Also read: India parliamentary panel to question Facebook on content controversy: Source Through “selective leaks” from within the company, the ideology war within the company was ignored, he suggested. He added that media reports prove that the company is run by people “who belong to a particular political belief”. “As a transnational digital platform, Facebook must not only be fair and neutral, but also visibly seen to be so, to users of diverse beliefs and ideologies”, he added. A report by the Wall Street Journal among many US outlets claimed that Facebook had been amplifying pro-government voices in India. Owing to such allegations, Facebook’s representatives will appear in front of a parliamentary committee on September 2. The committee will be headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Facebook India on August 21 said the platform is "open, transparent and non-partisan" where people are allowed to "express themselves freely". "Facebook is and always has been an open, transparent and non-partisan platform where people can express themselves freely. Over the last few days, we have been accused of bias in the way we enforce our policies," Facebook India Vice President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan had said in a blog post. "Our Community Standards define what stays on our platform and are enforced globally... We enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone's political position, party affiliation or religious and cultural belief. We have removed and will continue to remove content posted by public figures in India when it violates our Community Standards," he wrote.

Law Minister Prasad urges Zuckerberg to protect FB from 'a lobby that abhors free speech'

Facebook Inc said it will block news sharing on its platforms in Australia if the government goes ahead with a law to force it, and Alphabet Inc`s Google, to pay local media outlets for featuring their content on its platforms.

The matter is being watched closely around the world as it represents the biggest challenge so far to the way the U.S. tech giants use news on some of the world`s biggest websites.

WHAT DOES THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION SAY?

<ul>
	<li>The draft law states that Australian news outlets can negotiate individually or collectively with Facebook and Google over payment for content used on the tech firms` sites. Other tech firms may be added if they are deemed big enough.</li>
	<li>If the parties cannot reach an agreement, an arbitrator will decide whose offer is more reasonable. If Facebook or Google break any resulting agreements, they can be fined up to A$10 million ($7.4 million) in civil penalties.</li>
	<li>The draft also requires tech firms give media outlets notice when they change search algorithms in a way affecting the order in which content appears. They must also share their use of consumer data extracted from news content on their sites.</li>
	<li>The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission began investigating "big tech" in 2017 and sought feedback on the draft until Aug. 28. It now hopes to work with government and industry to redraft the law before it goes before parliament.</li>
	<li>While internet and media companies have battled in other jurisdictions - notably in Germany over copyright of news snippets and other items published by Google - Australia`s proposal represents the most expansive reform.</li>
</ul>

Also Read: <a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/facebook-to-conduct-research-on-its-impact-on-us-elections-324424">Facebook to conduct research on its impact on US elections</a> 
&nbsp;

WHY WAS THE LAW PROPOSED?

<ul>
	<li>In recent years, traditional media companies operating in Australia have suffered huge hits to income streams, such as subscriptions and advertising. For every A$100 spent on online advertising in Australia, excluding classifieds, nearly a third goes to Google and Facebook, the competition regulator has said.</li>
	<li>Last year, the regulator published a report stating news outlets lacked bargaining power when negotiating with digital firms over compensation for content posted on online platforms. It said this was a problem because those same publishers relied on Facebook and Google to reach many of their consumers.</li>
	<li>The government wanted the tech giants to abide by a voluntary code. Citing lack of progress in discussions, it decided earlier this year that legislation was necessary.</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN?

<ul>
	<li>The local arm of News Corp is a vocal supporter of the legislation. It partly blamed the tech companies for the closure of dozens of mastheads earlier this year.</li>
	<li>Facebook and Google said they help connect media outlets with consumers, boosting their subscriptions and enabling them to charge advertisers more. Facebook said in the first five months of 2020 it sent 2.3 billion "clicks" worth about A$200 million to Australian news websites via articles appearing on Facebook users` pages. Google has said it would pay for content, though no major media organisation has agreed to its terms.</li>
	<li>Australia has previously engaged in lengthy battles with major corporations. In 2012, the then centre-left government became the first in the world to prohibit cigarette companies from using designs on their packaging to attract consumers. Tobacco companies mounted legal challenges but the courts ultimately upheld the law.</li>
</ul>

($1 = 1.3501 Australian dollars) 
&nbsp;

Facebook Inc said it will block news sharing on its platforms in Australia if the government goes ahead with a law to force it, and Alphabet Inc`s Google, to pay local media outlets for featuring their content on its platforms.

Facebook Inc said it will block news sharing on its platforms in Australia if the government goes ahead with a law to force it, and Alphabet Inc`s Google, to pay local media outlets for featuring their content on its platforms. The matter is being watched closely around the world as it represents the biggest challenge so far to the way the U.S. tech giants use news on some of the world`s biggest websites. WHAT DOES THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION SAY? The draft law states that Australian news outlets can negotiate individually or collectively with Facebook and Google over payment for content used on the tech firms` sites. Other tech firms may be added if they are deemed big enough. If the parties cannot reach an agreement, an arbitrator will decide whose offer is more reasonable. If Facebook or Google break any resulting agreements, they can be fined up to A$10 million ($7.4 million) in civil penalties. The draft also requires tech firms give media outlets notice when they change search algorithms in a way affecting the order in which content appears. They must also share their use of consumer data extracted from news content on their sites. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission began investigating "big tech" in 2017 and sought feedback on the draft until Aug. 28. It now hopes to work with government and industry to redraft the law before it goes before parliament. While internet and media companies have battled in other jurisdictions - notably in Germany over copyright of news snippets and other items published by Google - Australia`s proposal represents the most expansive reform. Also Read: Facebook to conduct research on its impact on US elections WHY WAS THE LAW PROPOSED? In recent years, traditional media companies operating in Australia have suffered huge hits to income streams, such as subscriptions and advertising. For every A$100 spent on online advertising in Australia, excluding classifieds, nearly a third goes to Google and Facebook, the competition regulator has said. Last year, the regulator published a report stating news outlets lacked bargaining power when negotiating with digital firms over compensation for content posted on online platforms. It said this was a problem because those same publishers relied on Facebook and Google to reach many of their consumers. The government wanted the tech giants to abide by a voluntary code. Citing lack of progress in discussions, it decided earlier this year that legislation was necessary. WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN? The local arm of News Corp is a vocal supporter of the legislation. It partly blamed the tech companies for the closure of dozens of mastheads earlier this year. Facebook and Google said they help connect media outlets with consumers, boosting their subscriptions and enabling them to charge advertisers more. Facebook said in the first five months of 2020 it sent 2.3 billion "clicks" worth about A$200 million to Australian news websites via articles appearing on Facebook users` pages. Google has said it would pay for content, though no major media organisation has agreed to its terms. Australia has previously engaged in lengthy battles with major corporations. In 2012, the then centre-left government became the first in the world to prohibit cigarette companies from using designs on their packaging to attract consumers. Tobacco companies mounted legal challenges but the courts ultimately upheld the law. ($1 = 1.3501 Australian dollars)

Facebook to Australians: Will block news sharing if government passes proposed law

Facebook Inc&nbsp;&nbsp;made an "operational mistake" in not acting sooner to remove a page for a militia group that posted a call to arms in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the company`s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday.

The social media company said on Wednesday it had removed the page for the Kenosha Guard, and an event listing there for Armed Citizens to Protect Our Lives and Property as it violated the company`s policy against "militia organisations".

Facebook`s action came after two people were shot and killed during protests in the town on Tuesday night, part of three nights of civil unrest that followed the shooting by a white police officer that left a Black man, Jacob Blake Jr, paralysed.

Zuckerberg, speaking in a video message published on his Facebook profile, acknowledged the company had received complaints from "a bunch of people" about the Kenosha Guard posting.

"The contractors and reviewers who the initial complaints were funneled to basically didn`t pick this up," he said. "And on second review, doing it more sensitively, the team that`s responsible for dangerous organizations recognized that this violated the policies and we took it down."

Zuckerberg said the company had not found any evidence to show that the person charged with the fatal shooting during Tuesday`s unrest followed the Kenosha Guard page.

News website BuzzFeed quoted an internal Facebook report as showing the event associated with the Kenosha Guard was flagged at least 455 times, and a Facebook worker as saying it accounted for 66% of all event reports that day.

Facebook declined to comment on those finding, Buzzfeed said.

Facebook said it would continue to evolve its policies for identifying potentially dangerous organizations. 
"This is a new policy we launched last week and we`re still scaling up our enforcement of it by a team of specialists," a spokesperson said.

Facebook Inc made an "operational mistake" in not acting sooner to remove a page for a militia group that posted a call to arms in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the company`s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday.

Facebook Inc made an "operational mistake" in not acting sooner to remove a page for a militia group that posted a call to arms in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the company`s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday. The social media company said on Wednesday it had removed the page for the Kenosha Guard, and an event listing there for Armed Citizens to Protect Our Lives and Property as it violated the company`s policy against "militia organisations". Facebook`s action came after two people were shot and killed during protests in the town on Tuesday night, part of three nights of civil unrest that followed the shooting by a white police officer that left a Black man, Jacob Blake Jr, paralysed. Zuckerberg, speaking in a video message published on his Facebook profile, acknowledged the company had received complaints from "a bunch of people" about the Kenosha Guard posting. "The contractors and reviewers who the initial complaints were funneled to basically didn`t pick this up," he said. "And on second review, doing it more sensitively, the team that`s responsible for dangerous organizations recognized that this violated the policies and we took it down." Zuckerberg said the company had not found any evidence to show that the person charged with the fatal shooting during Tuesday`s unrest followed the Kenosha Guard page. News website BuzzFeed quoted an internal Facebook report as showing the event associated with the Kenosha Guard was flagged at least 455 times, and a Facebook worker as saying it accounted for 66% of all event reports that day. Facebook declined to comment on those finding, Buzzfeed said. Facebook said it would continue to evolve its policies for identifying potentially dangerous organizations. "This is a new policy we launched last week and we`re still scaling up our enforcement of it by a team of specialists," a spokesperson said.

Zuckerberg says Facebook's failure to remove militia page an 'operational mistake'

Facebook has blocked access within Thailand to a group with million members. The popular group was named ‘Royalist Marketplace’ and the discussions primarily revolve around criticising the Thai monarchy.

Thailand Protest: Facebook blocks access to group criticising monarchy

Facebook&nbsp;blocked access within Thailand to a group with 1 million members that has criticised the country's king, but said it was planning a legal challenge to the government's demand that it block the group.

The move comes amid near daily youth-led protests against the government led by the former military junta chief and unprecedented calls for reforms of the monarchy.

The "Royalist Marketplace" group was created in April by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a self-exiled academic and critic of the monarchy.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/down-with-the-dictatorship-thailand-witness-biggest-anti-government-protest-in-years-321005">'Down with the dictatorship': Thailand witness biggest anti-government protest in years</a>

On Monday night, the group's page brought up a message: "Access to this group has been restricted within Thailand pursuant to a legal request from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society."

Pavin, who lives in Japan, said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;had bowed to the military-dominated government's pressure.

"Our group is part of a democratisation process, it is a space for freedom of expression. By doing this,&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;is cooperating with the authoritarian regime to obstruct democracy and cultivating authoritarianism in Thailand."

Pavin's new group of the same name already had over 455,000 members on Tuesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hamster-hero-how-a-japanese-cartoon-became-thai-youth-protesters-symbol-317486">Hamster hero? How a Japanese cartoon became Thai youth protesters' symbol</a>

Facebook&nbsp;said on Tuesday it was planning to legally challenge the Thai government after being "compelled" to block access to the group.

"Requests like this are severe, contravene international human rights law, and have a chilling effect on people's ability to express themselves," a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;spokesperson said.

"We work to protect and defend the rights of all internet users and are preparing to legally challenge this request."

Thailand's lese majeste laws, which forbid defaming the king, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison, is often the basis for such requests to block or remove content on social media platforms.

Earlier this month, Thailand's digital minister accused&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;of not complying with requests to restrict content, including insults to the monarchy.

On August 10, he gave&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;15 days to comply with court takedown orders or face charges under the local Computer Crime Act, which carries a fine of up to $6,368&nbsp;(200,000 baht) and an additional $160 (5,000 baht) per day until each order is observed.

Digital ministry spokesman Putchapong Nodthaisong said on Monday that&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;cooperated before the deadline because it understood the context of Thai society.

Putchapong did not comment on&nbsp;Facebook's plan for legal action when asked by Reuters on Tuesday.

The ministry last week filed a separate cybercrime complaint against Pavin for creating the group.

Facebook blocked access within Thailand to a group with 1 million members that has criticised the country's king, but said it was planning a legal challenge to the government's demand that it block the group.

Facebook blocked access within Thailand to a group with 1 million members that has criticised the country's king, but said it was planning a legal challenge to the government's demand that it block the group. The move comes amid near daily youth-led protests against the government led by the former military junta chief and unprecedented calls for reforms of the monarchy. The "Royalist Marketplace" group was created in April by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a self-exiled academic and critic of the monarchy. Also see: 'Down with the dictatorship': Thailand witness biggest anti-government protest in years On Monday night, the group's page brought up a message: "Access to this group has been restricted within Thailand pursuant to a legal request from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society." Pavin, who lives in Japan, said Facebook had bowed to the military-dominated government's pressure. "Our group is part of a democratisation process, it is a space for freedom of expression. By doing this, Facebook is cooperating with the authoritarian regime to obstruct democracy and cultivating authoritarianism in Thailand." Pavin's new group of the same name already had over 455,000 members on Tuesday. Also read: Hamster hero? How a Japanese cartoon became Thai youth protesters' symbol Facebook said on Tuesday it was planning to legally challenge the Thai government after being "compelled" to block access to the group. "Requests like this are severe, contravene international human rights law, and have a chilling effect on people's ability to express themselves," a Facebook spokesperson said. "We work to protect and defend the rights of all internet users and are preparing to legally challenge this request." Thailand's lese majeste laws, which forbid defaming the king, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison, is often the basis for such requests to block or remove content on social media platforms. Earlier this month, Thailand's digital minister accused Facebook of not complying with requests to restrict content, including insults to the monarchy. On August 10, he gave Facebook 15 days to comply with court takedown orders or face charges under the local Computer Crime Act, which carries a fine of up to $6,368 (200,000 baht) and an additional $160 (5,000 baht) per day until each order is observed. Digital ministry spokesman Putchapong Nodthaisong said on Monday that Facebook cooperated before the deadline because it understood the context of Thai society. Putchapong did not comment on Facebook's plan for legal action when asked by Reuters on Tuesday. The ministry last week filed a separate cybercrime complaint against Pavin for creating the group.

Facebook planning to challenge Thai government's demand to block group critical of monarchy

Facebook's French subsidiary has agreed to pay $125 million&nbsp;(106 million euros)&nbsp;in back taxes and penalties following persistent government efforts to get online giants to pay more taxes where they make their money.

The agreement came after French tax authorities carried out an extensive audit of a decade of Facebook's operations in the country, from 2009-2018, a company spokesperson said Monday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-transparent-non-partisan-says-india-head-amid-political-controversy-322267" hreflang="en">Facebook 'transparent, non-partisan', says India head amid political controversy</a>

The&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;spokesman did not elaborate further on the details of the agreement. France's tax administration also did not give more details.

Facebook's spokesman also said that since 2018 the company had decided to include its advertising sales in France in its annual accounts covering France.

As a result,&nbsp;Facebook's total net revenue almost doubled in 2019 from a year earlier to 747 million euros, according to a copy of the company's 2019 annual accounts, filed with France's companies registry.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-denies-plans-to-drop-facebook-tax-322666/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Facebook&nbsp;France, which employs 208 people, refers to the French tax audit report in its 2019 annual accounts, saying it amounted to a tax adjustment of about 105 million euros. This includes a penalty of about 22 million, the annual accounts showed.

France, which is pushing hard to overhaul international tax rules on digital companies such as&nbsp;Facebook, Alphabet's Google, Apple and Amazon, has said the big tech groups pay too little tax in the country where they have significant sales.

Current international tax rules legally allow companies to funnel sales generated in local markets in Europe to their regional headquarters. Some of the tech companies, including&nbsp;Facebook, have European or international headquarters based in countries with comparatively low corporate tax rates, such as Ireland.

Facebook's French subsidiary has agreed to pay $125 million (106 million euros) in back taxes and penalties following persistent government efforts to get online giants to pay more taxes where they make their money.

Facebook's French subsidiary has agreed to pay $125 million (106 million euros) in back taxes and penalties following persistent government efforts to get online giants to pay more taxes where they make their money. The agreement came after French tax authorities carried out an extensive audit of a decade of Facebook's operations in the country, from 2009-2018, a company spokesperson said Monday. Also read: Facebook 'transparent, non-partisan', says India head amid political controversy The Facebook spokesman did not elaborate further on the details of the agreement. France's tax administration also did not give more details. Facebook's spokesman also said that since 2018 the company had decided to include its advertising sales in France in its annual accounts covering France. As a result, Facebook's total net revenue almost doubled in 2019 from a year earlier to 747 million euros, according to a copy of the company's 2019 annual accounts, filed with France's companies registry. Facebook France, which employs 208 people, refers to the French tax audit report in its 2019 annual accounts, saying it amounted to a tax adjustment of about 105 million euros. This includes a penalty of about 22 million, the annual accounts showed. France, which is pushing hard to overhaul international tax rules on digital companies such as Facebook, Alphabet's Google, Apple and Amazon, has said the big tech groups pay too little tax in the country where they have significant sales. Current international tax rules legally allow companies to funnel sales generated in local markets in Europe to their regional headquarters. Some of the tech companies, including Facebook, have European or international headquarters based in countries with comparatively low corporate tax rates, such as Ireland.

Facebook to pay $125 million in back taxes to France

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