Human rights groups raise hate speech concerns after Musk’s takeover of Twitter
Washington DC, US Reuters Human rights groups on Monday raised concerns about hate speech on Twitter and the power that its takeover by Elon Musk would give the billionaire after the self-described “free speech absolutist” clinched a deal to take the social media platform private. Musk, who is also chief executive of electric car maker […]
Russia shifts stance on hospital bombing that sparked world outrage
London, UKReuters Russia shifted its stance over the bombing of a Ukrainian hospital in the city of Mariupol, with a mix of statements on Thursday that veered between aggressive denials and a call by the Kremlin to establish clear facts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said three people including a child had been killed in the […]
Twitter sees jump in government demands to remove content of reporters, news outlets
Reuters Twitter Inc saw a surge in government demands worldwide in 2020 to take down content posted by journalists and news outlets, according to data released by the social media platform. In its transparency report published on Wednesday, Twitter said verified accounts of 199 journalists and news outlets on its platform faced 361 legal demands […]
French court orders Twitter to provide details on what it is doing to tackle hate speech
Paris, FranceReuters A French court has ordered Twitter to provide clear details on what it is doing to tackle hate speech, according to a court judgment obtained by Reuters, after several French lobby groups had asked Twitter to clamp down more on hateful content. The court ruling, which was presided over by magistrate Fabrice Vert, […]
Essay: Nigeria’s Twitter ban could backfire, hurting the economy and democracy
In an article first published on The Conversation, JEFF CONROY KRUTZ, associate professor of political science at Michigan State University, looks at Nigeria’s decision to ban Twitter…
Nigeria says it suspends Twitter days after President’s post removed
Abuja, NigeriaReuters Nigeria said on Friday it had indefinitely suspended Twitter’s activities, two days after the social media giant removed a post from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists. Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the government had acted because of “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of […]
Twitter hears from record respondents over world leader rules
Reuters Twitter Inc has received a record number of responses to a survey on how it should handle world leaders on its site, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday, an issue in the spotlight ahead of the possible return of former US President Donald Trump to Facebook. Twitter, which permanently banned Trump after the 6th January […]
Holocaust survivors use social media to fight anti-Semitism
Berlin, GermanyAP Alarmed by a rise in online anti-Semitism during the pandemic, coupled with studies indicating younger generations lack even basic knowledge of the Nazi genocide, Holocaust survivors are taking to social media to share their experiences of how hate speech paved the way for mass murder. With short video messages recounting their stories, participants in the #ItStartedWithWords campaign […]
StrangeSights: When a frog is a bunny; no more second prizes in beauty contests; and, first tweet sells for $US2.9 million
DAVID ADAMS reports on the odder side of life…
US Republicans push bills to allow social media “censorship” lawsuits
Lindenhurst, New York, USAP Republican state lawmakers are pushing for social media giants to face costly lawsuits for policing content on their websites, taking aim at a federal law that prevents internet companies from being sued for removing posts. GOP politicians in roughly two dozen states have introduced bills that would allow for civil lawsuits […]