Meta Hit With Antitrust Breach Order in turkey for Combining User Data Across Fb, WhatsApp and Instagram by Natasha Lomas
October 26, 2022
Introduction:
(TechCrunch) Meta won’t be quaking at the size of the penalty it’s just been handed by Turkey’s competition authority, which announced a 346.72 million lira sanction today.
The circa $18.6M fine pales in comparison to a number of recent stings hitting it from European regulators. Such as the $267M fine for WhatsApp in the European Union just over a year ago — for transparency breaches of the bloc’s data protection framework; or the $70M spank a year ago from the UK’s competition authority after it said Meta failed to comply with information requests during scrutiny of its purchase of Giphy. It was subsequently ordered by the UK’s CMA to undo that acquisition too, so the whole sorry saga will likely cost it considerably more.
Plenty more data protection complaints are still hanging over its head too, such as the one targeting its EU-US data flows that could see an order to suspend those transfers — and essentially shutter its service in Europe — in the coming months unless a looming replacement for the defunct Privacy Shield framework can be rushed into place first.
Still, it’s the crux of the Turkish fine — that Meta holds a dominant position in social media and sought to obstruct competitors by combining data between separate services it operates — that’s likely to send a chill down the social networking giant’s spine because its business runs on people profiling. And that runs on its ability to obtain people’s data and flesh out detailed ad profiles. So any regulatory roadblocks that cut into its ability to conduct its unfettered surveillance of Internet users poses an existential threat to its core microtargeting ad model.
The Turkish action is also of note because Germany’s competition regulator has had a similar concern for years.
Elon Musk, nearing Twitter deal, says site will continue to police hateful content
Source: ABC News
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who appears set to acquire Twitter, said on Thursday that he plans to police some content on the platform that falls short of breaking the law, signaling that he will preserve more content moderation than he had previously indicated.
Musk, an avowed proponent of free speech, has faced questions from some analysts over the potential loss of users and advertisers if a more permissive approach to content allows hate speech and false information to proliferate on the platform.
[snip]
"The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence," Musk said.
"Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape where anything can be said without consequences!” he added. “In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences."
wjfox wrote: ↑Fri Oct 28, 2022 6:38 am
I have a really bad feeling about this.
I think in the not too far future Elon and Twitter will receive a cease and desist notice from the Government after those whose bans were reversed start inciting violence with their tweets. Elon apparently holds a romanticist view of free speech that is not grounded in reality. The approach Twitter was using in addressing hate speech before Elon took over was optimal under the circumstances, in my view.
To know is essentially the same as not knowing. The only thing that occurs is the rearrangement of atoms in your brain.
raklian wrote: ↑Fri Oct 28, 2022 5:46 pm
I think in the not too far future Elon and Twitter will receive a cease and desist notice from the Government
Probably true. It seems the regime cannot defend its dogmas when it's forced to actually engage with alternative ideas. Instead it must resort to censorship and raw state power to preserve itself. If Elon does manage to restore freedom of speech, that will not be easily forgiven.
But in the meantime, it will be fun to see all those liberals who defended previous censorship with the idea that "it's a private company so they can do what they want" have to go back on themselves now that this private company, doing what it wants, seems set to remove much of its censorship.
wjfox wrote: ↑Fri Oct 28, 2022 6:38 am
I have a really bad feeling about this.
So, glad i left it awhile ago after my 30 day break then ended up extending it permenantly. I am only on FB now of the bigger social platforms the rest are smaller ones. (Break will be done by 9 December from my 90 days away from it)
"We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories...And those that carry us forward, are dreams."
raklian wrote: ↑Fri Oct 28, 2022 5:46 pm
I think in the not too far future Elon and Twitter will receive a cease and desist notice from the Government
Probably true. It seems the regime cannot defend its dogmas when it's forced to actually engage with alternative ideas. Instead it must resort to censorship and raw state power to preserve itself. If Elon does manage to restore freedom of speech, that will not be easily forgiven.
But in the meantime, it will be fun to see all those liberals who defended previous censorship with the idea that "it's a private company so they can do what they want" have to go back on themselves now that this private company, doing what it wants, seems set to remove much of its censorship.
Meanwhile, the anticorporation ill-liberals will now discover the benefits of advocating for free speech.
Speaking of the actions of private companies:
GM Pauses Paid Advertising on Twitter as Chief Twit Elon Musk Takes Ownership by Kirsten Korosec
October 28, 2022
Introduction:
(TechCrunch) General Motors has temporarily paused paid advertising on Twitter, one day after billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk finalized a $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform.
CNBC was the first to report GM’s decision. TechCrunch confirmed the U.S. automaker’s decision.
“We are engaging with Twitter to understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership,” the company said in an emailed statement to TechCrunch. “As is normal course of business with a significant change in a media platform, we have temporarily paused our paid advertising. Our customer care interactions on Twitter will continue.”
It’s unclear what percentage of GM’s total advertising budget is dedicated to Twitter.
Most, if not all, automakers have a presence on Twitter. Although not all of them opt for paid advertising.
Meanwhile, it might be jumping to conclusions to assume what the new "free speech" mode will look like.
Elon Musk Says Twitter Will Form a Content Moderation “Council” Before Deciding on Trump by Taylor Hatmaker
October 28, 2022
Introduction:
(TechCrunch) Elon Musk has only been in control of Twitter for a short time, but he’s already making big moves. Musk fired a number of key executives on day one, including Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, but in a new tweet he claims he’ll be moving more slowly when it comes to making content moderation decisions.
Musk hasn’t said much since taking over at Twitter, but he will apparently form some kind of policy advisory body to oversee content moderation decisions. Musk said the group will reflect “diverse viewpoints,” though we’ll certainly have to wait and see on that one. “To be super clear, we have not yet made any changes to Twitter’s content moderation policies,” Musk tweeted later Friday evening.
Importantly, Musk says he won’t be making any major decisions or account reinstatements — i.e. restoring former President Donald Trump — before the council is put in place. Because it’s Musk, that might happen within hours or it might not happen at all, it’s hard to say. Hours later, Musk undermined his own claims about a formalized policy decision making system, flexing his own power to make big content moderation calls.
In a reply to controversial right wing academic and self help author Jordan Peterson’s daughter, Musk made the sweeping claim that “anyone suspended for minor & dubious reasons will be freed from Twitter jail.” Peterson’s Twitter account was limited after going on a transphobic tirade about actor Elliot Page earlier this year, so in this context tweeting hate about a trans person and his doctor counts as “minor and dubious” in Musk’s book, apparently.
