government organizations – intl

22Oct

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Technology

TikTok steps up efforts to counter misinformation about Israel-Hamas war

London CNN — TikTok is stepping up efforts to counter misinformation, incitement to violence and hate relating to the Israel-Hamas war on its online platform, it announced Sunday, days after the European Union (EU) warned social media companies they risked falling foul of the bloc’s content moderation laws. As part of its measures, TikTok is launching a command center to coordinate the work of its “safety professionals” around the world, improving the software it uses to automatically detect and remove graphic and violent content, and hiring more Arabic and Hebrew speakers to moderate content. TikTok said in a statement that, following the brutal attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians on October 7, ...

20Oct

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Technology

EU asks Meta for more details on efforts to stop Israel-Hamas war misinformation

London CNN — The European Union has told Meta it has a week to explain in greater detail how it is fighting the spread of illegal content and disinformation on its Facebook and Instagram platforms following the attacks across Israel by Hamas. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said it had sent the formal request for information to Meta (META) Thursday. The commission also asked TikTok for more information on the steps it had taken to prevent the spread of “terrorist and violent content and hate speech,” it said, but without referring to the Israel-Hamas war. Last week, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton wrote to several social media companies, including Meta and TikTok, gi...

15Oct

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Technology

EU officials warn TikTok over Israel-Hamas disinformation

CNN — EU officials warned TikTok Thursday about “illegal content and disinformation” on its platform linked to the war between Hamas and Israel, calling for CEO Shou Zi Chew to respond within 24 hours. In a letter to Chew, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said failure to comply with European Union laws around content moderation could result in penalties. It is the third such letter Breton has sent to large social media platforms this week, after he sent similar warnings to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and Meta. In August, a recently passed EU law known as the Digital Services Act went into effect for large online platforms including the companies Breton addressed t...

14Oct

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Technology

The Israel-Hamas war reveals how social media sells you the illusion of reality

New York CNN — As the Israel-Hamas war reaches the end of its first week, millions have turned to platforms including TikTok and Instagram in hopes of comprehending the brutal conflict in real time. Trending search terms on TikTok in recent days illustrate the hunger for frontline perspectives: From “graphic Israel footage” to “live stream in Israel right now,” internet users are seeking out raw, unfiltered accounts of a crisis they are desperate to understand. For the most part, they are succeeding, discovering videos of tearful Israeli children wrestling with the permanence of death alongside images of dazed Gazans sitting in the rubble of their former homes. But that same demand for an intimate view of the ...

14Oct

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Technology

EU officials warn Google and YouTube about Hamas-Israel disinformation and graphic content

Washington CNN — The European Commission sent a warning letter Friday to Google and its subsidiary YouTube over disinformation and graphic content linked to the Hamas-Israel conflict, in the European Union’s latest effort to scrutinize Big Tech’s handling of the war. The letter from European Commissioner Thierry Breton, addressed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and also sent to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, reminded the company about its content moderation obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Breton shared the letter on X. Breton highlighted legal requirements for Google to keep graphic content such as hostage videos away from underage users; to act swiftly when authorities flag content tha...

12Oct

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Technology

EU launches probe into disinformation campaigns as X says ‘hundreds’ of Hamas-affiliated accounts removed

London CNN — X says it has removed “hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts” and taken down thousands of posts since the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group, even as the European Commission formally opened an investigation into X after a previous warning about disinformation and illegal content on its platform linked to the Israel-Hamas war. The platform, formerly known as Twitter, was given 24 hours by the European Union earlier this week to address illegal content and disinformation regarding the conflict or face penalties under the bloc’s recently enacted Digital Services Act. CEO Linda Yaccarino responded to EU official Thierry Breton in a letter dated Wednesday that she posted to...

11Oct

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Technology

EU warns Elon Musk of ‘penalties’ for disinformation circulating on X amid Israel-Hamas war

CNN — European officials warned X on Tuesday that the company formerly known as Twitter appears to have been hosting misinformation and illegal content about the war between Hamas and Israel, in potential violation of the European Union’s signature content moderation law. In a letter addressed to X owner Elon Musk, Thierry Breton, a top European commissioner, said X faces “very precise obligations regarding content moderation” and that the company’s handling of the unfolding conflict so far has raised doubts about its compliance. As a platform subject to Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA), X could face billions in fines if regulators conclude that violations have occurred. X didn’t immediately re...

7Oct

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Technology

Meta considers paid subscription for users in EU to bypass targeted ads

CNN — Instagram and Facebook users in the European Union may soon be able to opt out of targeted ads if they pay for a monthly subscription. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that Meta is evaluating a range of options to comply with multiple European regulations aimed at curbing US technology companies’ use of personalized ads. Over the last year, the EU has tightened regulations and will require big tech companies to ask users for their consent around such advertising. In July, a court ruled tech companies could use subscription models as a way of offering such consent, including asking users if they want to access Facebook and Instagram without advertising, for a fee. Unde...

European Union commissioner blasts X over disinformation track record

2Oct

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Technology

European Union commissioner blasts X over disinformation track record

CNN — European Union officials on Tuesday called on large social media platforms to step up their enforcement against online mis- and disinformation, particularly about the war in Ukraine. In prepared remarks Tuesday, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova particularly criticized X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, as having the “largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts” among platforms that submitted reports to the EU. “Disinformation actors were found to have significantly more followers … and tend to have joined the platform more recently than non-disinformation users,” Jourova added. X’s report follows a decision this spring to withdraw from commitments to abide ...

Microsoft splits Teams from Office in Europe after EU pressure

31Aug

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Technology

Microsoft splits Teams from Office in Europe after EU pressure

London CNN — Microsoft will allow business customers in Europe to buy its video and chat app Teams separately from its Office software, it said Thursday, a month after the European Union opened an antitrust investigation into the company’s bundling of the products. The change will take effect from October 1, affecting business customers in the EU and four other European countries that use Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites. Microsoft (MSFT) will also make it easier for other companies — for example, Zoom and Slack, which is owned by Salesforce — to integrate their products with Microsoft 365, the new name for Office 365. “We believe these changes balance the interests of our competit...