Facebook action in Myanmar and criticism in South Africa
Good morning, afternoon, evening or night. Many parts of the world are coming back from holidays like Carnival, the Lunar New Year and President's Day. Hopefully you got some rest, even if you didn't have a long weekend. We have a new roundup of news for you, including updates on Facebook action in Myanmar and our own announcement about joining Partnership on AI, a group of organizations focused on tackling misinformation in digital spaces. We'll be engaging fact-checkers around the world to support this project.
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The latest top stories
Facebook reducing distribution of Myanmar military content (Reuters)
Facebook will limit the distribution of content by profiles run by the Myanmar military on grounds of spreading misinformation. The tech company also claims to have suspended the ability of government agencies to send content-removal requests.
"Facebook said on Friday it would reduce the distribution of all content and profiles run by Myanmar’s military, saying they have “continued to spread misinformation” after the army seized power and detained civilian leaders in a coup on Feb. 1"
Saudi Arabia Releases Activist Who Fought for Women’s Right to Drive (New York Times)
Saudi women's rights activist Loujain Al Hathloul, best known for campaigning for women's right to drive, was released on February 10 after the kingdom had jailed for 1001 nights. She had been put on trial on a number of charges that included communicating with Saudi dissidents abroad, seeking to change the kingdom’s political system and speaking with foreign diplomats and journalists.
"Charismatic and outspoken, she campaigned with other Saudi activists to keep the driving issue alive, helping to organize covert women’s driving protests, meeting with foreign journalists and diplomats and speaking out on Twitter."
Parliament committee to invite Facebook to account for Covid-19 misinformation (Independent Online)
South Africa's Parliamentary Committee of Communications and Digital Technologies has asked Facebook to account for its role in the spread of misinformation surrounding the country's 2021 elections and the COVID-19 pandemic. This is after concerns were raised about the spread of COVID-related misinformation primarily through Facebook and WhatsApp. The committee also plans to invite Google and Twitter as well.
"While [Facebook] has committed to strengthening content moderation, their efforts are usually focused on countries that are global powerhouses like the US and the EU. Others, like our own, are not a priority. Facebook Africa needs to provide a plan on what steps it will be taking in tackling misinformation ahead of the 2021 [South African] Local Government Election, as it has done for elections in other parts of the world - Phumzile van Damme, DA MP and spokesperson on communications."
Meedan Updates
Meedan Joins The Partnership on AI
Meedan announced today that we will join the Partnership on AI’s AI and Media Integrity Program to address the threats and opportunities to public discourse that AI brings.
International news conversations are increasingly focused on misinformation found on platforms, encrypted messaging, and all digital spaces. Meedan’s role in the Partnership on AI is to offer subject matter expertise on global engagement with the fact-checking community. Meedan joins peer organizations such as Full Fact, Adobe, Code for Africa, and the Duke Reporters’ Lab in this new venture with the Partnership on AI.