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41 US states are suing Meta for getting teens hooked on social media. Here’s what to expect next

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星期四, 十一月 9, 2023

In the United States, 41 states have filed lawsuits against Meta for allegedly driving social media addiction in its young users (under the age of 18), amid growing concerns about the negative effects of platforms.

Key Points:

In the United States, 41 states have filed lawsuits against Meta for allegedly driving social media addiction in its young users (under the age of 18), amid growing concerns about the negative effects of platforms.
The lawsuits allege Meta has been harvesting young users’ data, deploying features to promote compulsive use of both Facebook and Instagram, and misleading the public about the negative effects of these features.

Leveraging whistleblower revelations

These cases rely in part on revelations made by former Meta employee Frances Haugen in 2021 about the role Facebook’s algorithms play in facilitating harms on the platform.
Haugen’s testimony suggests algorithms deployed across Facebook and Instagram were designed to increase content sharing, and therefore profits, using data harvested from users over many years.
These changes, she said, impacted how content was viewed on the news feed, leading to increased sharing of negative content such as hate speech.

Concerns over algorithms and content

Instead it provides a continuous stream of content without a natural endpoint.
They say the recommendation algorithms used by Meta periodically present users with harmful materials.
These include “content related to eating disorders, violent content, content encouraging negative self-perception and body image issues, [and] bullying content”.

Consequences for Australia

This includes material relating to cyberbullying of children, cyberabuse of adults, image-based abuse and abhorrent violent material.
The Federal Court can impose significant penalties for violations of the Online Safety Act.
But this doesn’t cover all the harmful content on social media, such as some linked to eating disorders and negative self-image.
Australia also has no legislative equivalent to COPPA.

We need collaboration and innovation

But domestic law can only go so far in protecting people using a medium that operates (mostly) seamlessly across borders.
As such, international law scholars have suggested more creative approaches in the context of online hate speech.
In doing so, the court strengthened The Gambia’s claims in a pending action before the International Court of Justice.

Kayleen Manwaring receives funding from the UNSW Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation and the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre.
She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Consumer Policy Research Centre (Vic) and is Deputy Chair and NSW Coordinator for an Australian chapter of the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology.

Israel: why the brand boycotts probably won't make much difference

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星期四, 十一月 9, 2023

McDonald’s found itself caught in the crossfire after an Israeli franchisee said it was providing thousands of free meals to the Israel Defense Forces.

Key Points:

McDonald’s found itself caught in the crossfire after an Israeli franchisee said it was providing thousands of free meals to the Israel Defense Forces.
Similarly, Starbucks faced boycott calls after disagreeing with a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by the chain’s union expressing solidarity with Palestine.
Many other American companies are being targeted, in some cases purely for their government’s support for Israel.
More broadly, there have been boycotts over everything from the Ukraine war to “woke” branding.

Case study 1: Danish cartoons

In 2005 Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten caused huge offence to many Muslims over cartoons satirising Prophet Muhammad.
Much of the outrage was directed at the Danish government for refusing to take action, while Danish-Swedish food group Arla became a lightning rod for calls to boycott Danish products.

Case study 2: the Ukraine war

Both consumers and western companies boycotted Russia and Belarus after the Ukraine invasion in 2022.
Among the companies pulling out or temporarily halting operations were McDonald’s, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple, BP and Shell.

Case study 3: anti-wokeism

In 2015, Starbucks initiated a national conversation about race relations and attempting to bring different racial groups together.
This attracted much criticism online for being self-serving, with people pointing out that the chain’s staff weren’t particularly ethnically diverse.
More recently, Bud Light faced a two-week boycott from conservatives after its “woke” campaign online featuring trans activist Dylan Mulvaney promoting a tallboy can.

What it means for the Israel boycotts

Judging by the experiences of Denmark and Russia, brand boycotts appear to exert minimal influence on the target nation’s economy.
In the absence of coordinated sanctions against Israel, social media is likely to be the sole means of pressuring companies and governments into change.
Companies trading in Israel or even whose government is backing the offensive could easily fall into that category.

Dr Aisha Ijaz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

As Ohio and other states decide on abortion, anti-abortion activists look to rebrand themselves as not religious

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星期二, 十一月 7, 2023

Ohio voters will cast ballots on Nov. 7, 2023, to determine abortion rules in their state, joining six other states that have put the decisions before voters in ballot initiatives since 2022.

Key Points:

Ohio voters will cast ballots on Nov. 7, 2023, to determine abortion rules in their state, joining six other states that have put the decisions before voters in ballot initiatives since 2022.
Ohio residents will vote on “Issue 1,” which would amend the state constitution to explicitly protect an individual’s right to get an abortion.
Some anti-abortion activists in Ohio have said that Issue 1 is “too radical” for the state.
But I found that these activists also recognize that framing abortion as a human rights issue may appeal to a broader audience.

Perceptions of the anti-abortion movement

In my interviews, anti-abortion rights activists said they understood that the public views their movement as anti-woman and driven by conservative Christians.
These organizations are increasingly choosing to speak less about religion and more about human rights and science to combat the narrative that the anti-abortion movement is solely a Christian movement.
In the 1980s, Operation Rescue, which blockaded abortion clinics and had thousands of their activists arrested, brought an evangelical religious fervor to the anti-abortion movement.

The changing role of religion

While evangelicals remain a powerful voting bloc for Republicans, the percentage of Americans identifying as Christian has declined over the past 50 years from 90% to 63%.
At the same time, the percentage of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated has increased from 5% to 29%.
One activist I interviewed put it bluntly: “Why talk the Bible to people, many people, who say the Bible is a fairy tale?”

What anti-abortion organizations say

I analyzed how anti-abortion organizations use Facebook to promote their work.
At least on this social media platform, most anti-abortion organizations do not use religious language.
Some organizations use religious references in nearly all of their Facebook posts, while other groups make only passing references to religion.
More than 15% of the 193 anti-abortion organizations in my sample, however, make no religious references in their Facebook posts from June 2022 through September 2023.

Other findings

Approximately one-quarter of the 45 activists I interviewed, however, said their organizations are explicitly Christian.
When asked about the choice to frame anti-abortion arguments around faith, one advocate said, “We 100% present the faith and the theological argument of things.
For them, any loss of human life is tragic, whether it is from abortion, war or the death penalty.

Ohio’s vote

But Ohio is the first red state to vote on adding a right to abortion to the state’s constitution.
Ohio voters will be the ones to decide which way to move the issue forward.

Anne Whitesell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Sikh 'barred from Birmingham jury service' for religious sword

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星期日, 十月 29, 2023

Sikh 'barred from Birmingham jury service' for religious sword

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Sikh 'barred from Birmingham jury service' for religious sword
- Published
A Sikh man said he felt "embarrassed and discriminated against" after being prevented from taking part in jury service due to his religious sword.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said Mr Singh was released from his duties as there was a surplus of required jurors.
Meanwhile, His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has apologised to Mr Singh.
He called for the (MoJ) to work with Sikh and other religious organisations to create easily accessible guidelines that can be provided to staff.

Solihull farmer takes on Atlantic row in son's memory

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星期日, 十月 29, 2023

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Meningitis, Nature, Balsall Common, Get Ahead, Ageing, Awareness, Memory, BBC West Midlands, Whaling, Nursing, Facebook, Atlantic Ocean

Solihull farmer takes on Atlantic row in son's memory

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Solihull farmer takes on Atlantic row in son's memory
- Published
A farmer is preparing to row across the Atlantic ocean in memory of his son who died from meningitis.
Rod Adlington, from Balsall Common in Solihull, will be part of a four-man crew taking on the unaided 3,000 mile (4,828km) journey starting from Lanzarote.
His son Barney died from the illness 18 years ago, aged three.
He said he wants to raise awareness of the illness, and hopes to raise £250,000 for charity.

Tornado leaves trail of destruction in West Sussex town

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星期日, 十月 29, 2023

Tornado leaves trail of destruction in West Sussex town

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Tornado leaves trail of destruction in West Sussex town
- Published
A roof was ripped off a house and cars and other properties were damaged as a tornado hit a West Sussex town on Saturday night.
The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro) told the BBC a "definite tornado" hit Littlehampton after a site investigation on Sunday.
Local resident Naomi Theobold told BBC Sussex it happened "really fast".
The organisation measures tornadoes on a "T scale" and Ms Horton said her "provisional" assessment was a T4, a "severe tornado".

FTC Takes Action Against Makers of an ‘Invisible Mask’ They Falsely Claimed Protected Users from COVID-19

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星期四, 十月 26, 2023

“The defendants’ claims that their products can stand in for approved COVID-19 vaccines are bogus,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Key Points:

“The defendants’ claims that their products can stand in for approved COVID-19 vaccines are bogus,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
For example, the defendants claimed their product “uses quantum theory technology, combines known virus and bacteria killing compounds.
The complaint also alleges the defendants falsely claimed that the Invisible Mask or its materials are government approved or made in a government-approved facility.
Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.

FTC Takes Action Against Makers of an ‘Invisible Mask’ They Falsely Claimed Protected Users from COVID-19

Retrieved on:

星期二, 十月 24, 2023

“The defendants’ claims that their products can stand in for approved COVID-19 vaccines are bogus,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Key Points:

“The defendants’ claims that their products can stand in for approved COVID-19 vaccines are bogus,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
For example, the defendants claimed their product “uses quantum theory technology, combines known virus and bacteria killing compounds.
The complaint also alleges the defendants falsely claimed that the Invisible Mask or its materials are government approved or made in a government-approved facility.
Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.

Mosque attacker 'used petrol' to set pair on fire

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星期一, 十月 23, 2023

Islam, Man, Schizophrenia, Islamic Centre, Life, Head, Injury, Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Birmingham, Magic, BBC West Midlands, CCTV, Pain, Property insurance, Security (finance), Nightclub, Personal protective equipment, Nursing, Facebook, Crown

Mosque attacker 'used petrol' to set pair on fire

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Mosque attacker 'used petrol' to set pair on fire
- Published
A man who set alight two elderly men as they left mosques used petrol contained in a water bottle to carry out the attacks, a court heard.
Mr Abbkr, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, has also denied two alternative counts of maliciously administering a destructive object to endanger life.
"It is important you know from the outset that the defendant admits that he is the person who set both Mr Odowa and Mr Rayaz on fire," he said.
An attack was made on Mr Rayaz in March after evening prayers at Dudley Road Mosque in Birmingham.

Met Office warning for further rain in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

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星期一, 十月 23, 2023

Met Office warning for further rain in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Key Points:

Met Office warning for further rain in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
- Published
Flood-hit communities are being warned of further rain, with a fresh yellow weather warning issued for much of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
The Met Office said "heavy rain" was expected across the region between 03:00 BST and 16:00 on Tuesday.
The Met Office warning states: "There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.
Between 10-20mm of rain is expected to fall "fairly widely" on Tuesday, it added, but some places in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire could see between 30-50mm.