Koo's Nigeria expansion and recommendation algorithms in Myanmar
Facebook's recommendation algorithm is promoting misinformation by the Myanmar junta and the microblogging platform Koo is selling itself as a Twitter substitute in Nigeria. Clubhouse, the audio-based social media app is letting harmful conversations happen on its platform, according to a report by The Quint.
In case you missed it last week, a review by Meedan's Health Desk experts has been published in the Harvard Public Health Review. The scientists talk about supporting journalists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Myanmar: Facebook promotes content urging violence against coup protesters – study (The Guardian)
An investigation by the rights group Global Witness found that Facebook's recommendation algorithm continues to promote misinformation by the Myanmar junta and content that incites violence against the coup protestors. Posts ranging from wanted posters to death threats remain online for months despite Facebook’s promise to remove content that breaches its policies.
"Global Witness said that its report demonstrated that self-regulation by Facebook was not working, and called for Facebook’s recommendation algorithm to be subject to independent audit."
Koo is selling itself as a Twitter substitute in Nigeria (Rest of World)
Indian microblogging platform Koo is expanding its reach to Nigeria, where it will set up its first international operation. Koo gained prominence in India as a platform for local language users, rather than English speakers, and positioned itself as a government-friendly alternative to Twitter by complying with rules aimed at curbing dissent. In the process, Koo gained a reputation as a partisan platform for India’s populist right wing. Nigeria's president Muhamadu Buhari has an account on Koo, and within days of his government banning Twitter, Koo was made available for download in Nigeria, and the company is setting up an office in the country.
"Whether Koo replicating the approach of leaping in to fill a void left behind by Twitter will work in Nigeria is far from certain. The government’s ban on Twitter, where it has around 3 million users, does create an opportunity for new players, but just turning up is not enough. If uptake is initially from bad actors such as far-right conspiracy theorists, this will more likely to drive away users" - Sameer Singh, startup advisor and investor at Breadcrumb.vc
Islamophobia to Casteism, How Hate Thrives Unchecked on Clubhouse (The Quint)
Clubhouse, an audio-based social media platform that allows users to host live conversations with large groups of people, is the newest addition to the list of platforms letting Islamophobia, hate speech, and harassment against communities go fairly unchecked. The community guidelines for Clubhouse state that offensive conversations can be reported only by “reporting” individual users.
There is no guideline on how to report entire conversations or rooms. The guidelines say that if a user reports another user in real time and from a live room, Clubhouse can “retain the temporary, encrypted audio recording for the purpose of investigating the incident.” However, if a user wants to report a past incident, there is no provision to hold on to the audio recording.
“When people write something hateful on Twitter, you can see the content in its entirety. With places like Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces, where conversations carry on for hours, there is no way to track down on the magnanimity of the amount of hate being spread.” — Hussain Haidry
Haneen Hossam arrested after emotional video as rights groups condemn harsh prison sentences against content creators (Mada Masr)
Nine Egyptian human rights organizations condemned the sentencing of Tik Tok and Likee content creators Haneen Hossam and Mawada al-Adham and three other defendants, and called for their immediate release in a statement issued on Tuesday.
"The cases against Hossam and Adham came on the heels of a 2020 security campaign that targeted women content creators on Tik Tok and Likee on morality charges, many of which fell under a 2018 cybercrime law that gives judicial bodies wide-reaching powers to convict social media users on various grounds."
Nicaragua Denies Entry to New York Times Journalist Amid Escalating Crisis (New York Times)
In October, the government passed a “Cybercrimes Law,” which allows the authorities to jail any journalist for publishing what they consider “fake news.” Three Nicaraguan journalists have been threatened with the law since, and some of the country’s journalists have gone into hiding.
“This is an example of increasingly common challenges journalists are facing around the globe for the role they play in ensuring a free and informed society,” said Michael Slackman, the Times’s assistant managing editor for international. “Efforts to silence journalists should be of concern to everyone.”
What’s new at Meedan
Meedan’s Health Desk scientists featured in the Harvard Public Health Review
Meedan’s Health Desk officially launched on June 6, 2020. In celebration of our first anniversary, our team is thrilled to share the publication of our first peer-reviewed paper that highlights the project, its purpose, and experiences from the first seven months of the pilot.
“We are so excited to be able to showcase the work that goes into making Health Desk possible and the scientists that power this service for newsrooms and fact-checking organizations. Begninning as a small, ambiguous project during a global crisis and shaping into what it’s become today is all a testament to the care that our writers put into explaining these difficult topics,” said Megan Marrelli, Health Desk lead.