Articles on digital rights, platform accountability and technology policy by Usman Shahid.https://withusman.com/en-ushttps://withusman.com/articles/building-collective-resistance-shrinking-civic-spaces-across-asia-pacific/https://withusman.com/articles/building-collective-resistance-shrinking-civic-spaces-across-asia-pacific/Last year brought severe challenges for civil society, which continues to grapple with the aftershocks of sweeping funding cuts and debilitating constraints. Thousands of jobs vanished overnight.…Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://withusman.com/articles/metas-ai-ambitions-and-platform-integrity-south-asia/https://withusman.com/articles/metas-ai-ambitions-and-platform-integrity-south-asia/When tech corporations announce layoffs, the accompanying linguistic framing is almost always sanitised: restructuring, optimisation, strategic reallocation, etc. But what disappears beneath these euphemisms is the…Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetaAIhttps://withusman.com/articles/silence-strength-stories-queers-finding-pride-and-connection-online/https://withusman.com/articles/silence-strength-stories-queers-finding-pride-and-connection-online/In 2012, at a time when Mensur had no trusted companion except himself, social media provided him with an outlet for self-expression in ways he could hardly have imagined. Living through sexual…Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://withusman.com/articles/digital-imperialism-us-has-direct-implications-global-south-economies/https://withusman.com/articles/digital-imperialism-us-has-direct-implications-global-south-economies/We had seen it coming. The United States — which projects itself as the torchbearer of “free speech” around the world — has set another dangerous precedent by finally approving a regressive piece…Wed, 10 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTTikTokPakistanPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/deconstructing-disinformation-for-beginners/https://withusman.com/articles/deconstructing-disinformation-for-beginners/The internet has revolutionised the communications infrastructure around the world. Bringing distant and diverse communities closer together and bridging the gap between territorial boundaries, it…Wed, 15 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTDisinformationhttps://withusman.com/articles/pakistan-beware-online-imposter-scams-are-on-the-rise-again/https://withusman.com/articles/pakistan-beware-online-imposter-scams-are-on-the-rise-again/On the first day of Eidul-Fitr (April 12), I received an unusual request on Messenger that left me scratching my head. The message was from an old school friend, a year senior to me, who I hadn’t heard from for…Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTPakistanhttps://withusman.com/articles/the-ban-on-x-the-national-security-rationale-doesnt-fly-anymore/https://withusman.com/articles/the-ban-on-x-the-national-security-rationale-doesnt-fly-anymore/“National security” — a term abused so frequently by successive governments in Pakistan that it would be better off archived. Over the years, the term has been stripped of its true essence —…Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPakistanPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/restorex-the-curiously-convoluted-case-of-x-suspension-in-pakistan/https://withusman.com/articles/restorex-the-curiously-convoluted-case-of-x-suspension-in-pakistan/X, formerly known as Twitter, was blocked on February 17, 2024 in Pakistan. Why? We don’t know. The unannounced ban on a major social media platform, imposed just a week after the general election (held on February…Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterElectionsPakistanPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/amonthwithoutx-unexplained-x-ban-enters-second-month-in-pakistan/https://withusman.com/articles/amonthwithoutx-unexplained-x-ban-enters-second-month-in-pakistan/X, formerly known as Twitter, has entered its second month of unexplained intermittent disruption in Pakistan. The popular social media platform was banned on February 17, 2024, over a week after the general election…Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterElectionsPakistanPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/pakistan-elections-2024-dramatic-episode-defiance-and-uncertainty/https://withusman.com/articles/pakistan-elections-2024-dramatic-episode-defiance-and-uncertainty/Pakistan held its general elections on 8 February 2024 across the country, which, in addition to being marred by various forms of violations of fundamental rights of its citizens, are a reminder of the persistent…Thu, 07 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTElectionsPakistanhttps://withusman.com/articles/illicit-website-offering-mobile-subscription-cnic-data-found-advertised-on-news/https://withusman.com/articles/illicit-website-offering-mobile-subscription-cnic-data-found-advertised-on-news/A visibly illicit website, offering personal information of mobile subscribers and CNIC holders in Pakistan, was found advertised on a leading news publication last month. The website was noticed by a member of Media…Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMTPrivacyPakistanhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-failed-to-protect-children-former-employee-testifies/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-failed-to-protect-children-former-employee-testifies/Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was aware of the harassment children faced on its social media platforms, but it did not do enough to counter the harm, a former Meta employee testified before the…Fri, 10 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaChild safetyhttps://withusman.com/articles/whatsapps-ai-generates-images-of-armed-children-for-palestine-prompts/https://withusman.com/articles/whatsapps-ai-generates-images-of-armed-children-for-palestine-prompts/WhatsApp’s AI feature, which produces stickers in chats, shows images of children holding guns in response to prompts including “Palestine”, “Palestinian”, and “Muslim boy Palestinian”, according to British…Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaAIPalestineChild safetyhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-contributed-to-ethnic-violence-in-ethiopia-says-report/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-contributed-to-ethnic-violence-in-ethiopia-says-report/Meta, the owner of leading social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, contributed significantly to ethnic violence in Ethiopia, according to a new report by Amnesty International. The report, titled “A Death…Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetahttps://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-accused-of-blocking-pro-palestine-content/https://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-accused-of-blocking-pro-palestine-content/The Malaysian government has accused TikTok of censoring pro-Palestine content, warning the short-video platform of strict action in case of continuing suppression. The warning arrives as social media users around…Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTTikTokPalestinehttps://withusman.com/articles/instagram-apologises-for-putting-terrorist-on-palestinian-profiles/https://withusman.com/articles/instagram-apologises-for-putting-terrorist-on-palestinian-profiles/Meta has apologised for inserting the term “terrorist” into the biographies of some Palestinian users on Instagram, attributing it to a “bug” in the platform’s auto-translation feature. This is not the first time…Fri, 20 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPalestinehttps://withusman.com/articles/x-scraps-election-integrity-team/https://withusman.com/articles/x-scraps-election-integrity-team/Elon Musk, the owner of X formerly known as Twitter, has confirmed that the platform no longer has its election integrity team. The critical move arrives amid preparations for elections in multiple states around the…Tue, 03 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterElectionshttps://withusman.com/articles/x-removes-feature-to-report-electoral-misinformation/https://withusman.com/articles/x-removes-feature-to-report-electoral-misinformation/X, formerly known as Twitter, has removed the feature that allowed users to report electoral misinformation in Australia, according to a research organisation. Reset.Tech, which works at the intersection of tech and…Thu, 28 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterElectionsDisinformationhttps://withusman.com/articles/facebook-can-be-sued-over-discriminatory-ad-algorithm-court-rules/https://withusman.com/articles/facebook-can-be-sued-over-discriminatory-ad-algorithm-court-rules/Facebook can face legal action over a complaint that accuses the platform of being discriminatory in its advertising algorithm, a US court has ruled. The ruling revives the class action lawsuit filed in 2020 against…Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-rolls-out-labelling-tools-for-ai-generated-content/https://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-rolls-out-labelling-tools-for-ai-generated-content/TikTok has rolled out new tools for content creators to label their content if it features material generated by artificial intelligence (AI), according to an official update. The popular short-video platform is also…Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTTikTokAIhttps://withusman.com/articles/openai-under-investigation-over-privacy-concerns/https://withusman.com/articles/openai-under-investigation-over-privacy-concerns/OpenAI, the creator of the highly popular artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, is under investigation for a potential violation of the European Union’s (EU) data protection regulations, it has emerged. The…Mon, 25 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTAIPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-urged-to-halt-encryption-for-instagram-messenger-over-child-safety-concerns/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-urged-to-halt-encryption-for-instagram-messenger-over-child-safety-concerns/The UK has urged Meta to halt end-to-end encryption on Instagram and Messenger citing concerns related to child abuse through online messaging. A new government-led campaign suggests that encrypting messages would…Thu, 21 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaChild safetyhttps://withusman.com/articles/google-agrees-to-155m-settlement-in-location-privacy-case/https://withusman.com/articles/google-agrees-to-155m-settlement-in-location-privacy-case/Google has agreed to a $155 million settlement with the state of California in the lawsuit that accused the search engine giant of misleading users regarding its location-tracking settings. The lawsuit, which raised…Tue, 19 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTGooglePrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/us-regulator-calls-for-musks-testimony-in-x-probe/https://withusman.com/articles/us-regulator-calls-for-musks-testimony-in-x-probe/The US government has called for Elon Musk, the owner of X, to testify in a federal investigation into the troubled social media platform previously known as Twitter. The proposed testimony will primarily focus on…Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/political-ads-must-disclose-ai-use-says-google/https://withusman.com/articles/political-ads-must-disclose-ai-use-says-google/Google will require political advertisements to clearly inform viewers if they feature content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), the company has announced in an update to its political content policy. The…Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTGoogleAIhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-to-face-lawsuit-over-medical-privacy-violation/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-to-face-lawsuit-over-medical-privacy-violation/A US court has ruled that Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, must face a lawsuit accusing the company of violating medical privacy of patients through its tracking tool, Meta Pixel. The court has approved the…Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/musks-x-formerly-twitter-sues-california-over-content-moderation-law/https://withusman.com/articles/musks-x-formerly-twitter-sues-california-over-content-moderation-law/Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has taken the state of California to court over a new law that tightens internet rules for tech corporations. The legislation, known as Assembly Bill…Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-opens-first-european-data-centre-to-allay-security-concerns/https://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-opens-first-european-data-centre-to-allay-security-concerns/TikTok has opened its first European data centre in Ireland to placate regulators and lawmakers over concerns of potential data transfers and spying. Over the past year, the highly popular Chinese-owned short-video…Thu, 07 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTTikTokPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/after-canada-malaysia-considering-rules-to-make-meta-and-google-pay-for-news/https://withusman.com/articles/after-canada-malaysia-considering-rules-to-make-meta-and-google-pay-for-news/After Canada, Malaysia is considering a regulatory framework to oblige Google and Meta to compensate news publishers for profiting off their content on social media platforms, according to a statement by the…Wed, 06 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaGooglePolicy & lawJournalismhttps://withusman.com/articles/twitter-may-collect-biometric-data-employment-history/https://withusman.com/articles/twitter-may-collect-biometric-data-employment-history/X, formerly known as Twitter, has expanded its online privacy policy to include biometric and employment information. The troubled social media company, now owned by Elon Musk, announced the development in an update…Tue, 05 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPrivacyhttps://withusman.com/articles/twitter-now-x-to-allow-political-ads-again/https://withusman.com/articles/twitter-now-x-to-allow-political-ads-again/X, formerly known as Twitter, is currently recruiting for its safety and elections teams in preparation for the forthcoming 2024 US presidential elections. The platform will also allow political advertising again,…Wed, 30 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterElectionshttps://withusman.com/articles/google-expanding-ads-transparency-data-access-for-researchers/https://withusman.com/articles/google-expanding-ads-transparency-data-access-for-researchers/Google will provide additional information regarding targeted advertisements and expand data access for researchers who are studying its products and systemic risks associated with online content in the European…Tue, 29 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTGooglehttps://withusman.com/articles/canada-to-plan-negotiations-to-have-tech-companies-pay-for-news-content/https://withusman.com/articles/canada-to-plan-negotiations-to-have-tech-companies-pay-for-news-content/The Canadian regulator, responsible for implementing the Online News Act (or Bill C-18), has announced plans to create a framework for negotiations between news organisations and tech companies. The development comes…Mon, 28 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTPolicy & lawJournalismhttps://withusman.com/articles/googles-attempt-to-dismiss-5b-consumer-privacy-lawsuit-fails/https://withusman.com/articles/googles-attempt-to-dismiss-5b-consumer-privacy-lawsuit-fails/Google has failed to end a $5 billion lawsuit that accuses the search engine giant of invading privacy of millions of consumers through surreptitious tracking of their online activities. Google’s attempt to get the…Wed, 09 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTGooglePrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/twitter-sues-nonprofit-over-reports-on-platforms-handling-of-hateful-content/https://withusman.com/articles/twitter-sues-nonprofit-over-reports-on-platforms-handling-of-hateful-content/Twitter has filed a lawsuit against a civil society organisation for publishing reports that criticised the company’s handling of hateful content under billionaire Elon Musk’s ownership, it emerged on Wednesday. The…Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/federal-cabinet-approves-e-safety-bill-personal-data-protection-bill-2023/https://withusman.com/articles/federal-cabinet-approves-e-safety-bill-personal-data-protection-bill-2023/The federal cabinet has approved two new bills aimed at regulating digital media platforms and governing personal data, it emerged on Wednesday. The new sets of legislation — namely the E-Safety Bill 2023 and…Thu, 27 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTPrivacyPolicy & lawJournalismhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-fined-over-undisclosed-data-collection/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-fined-over-undisclosed-data-collection/Meta, the owner of leading social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram, has been fined $14 million by an Australian court for collecting user data through surreptitious means. Meta secretly gathered…Wed, 26 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/media-censorship-and-disinformation-pemra-amendment-bill-raises-concerns/https://withusman.com/articles/media-censorship-and-disinformation-pemra-amendment-bill-raises-concerns/The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Amendment Bill, 2023, approved by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Friday, has become a contentious source of…Mon, 24 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTPakistanPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/google-testing-journalism-ai-for-news-publishers/https://withusman.com/articles/google-testing-journalism-ai-for-news-publishers/Google has pitched to news organisations a new product that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) to write news articles. The tool could assist journalists with creativity and enhanced productivity, a Google…Thu, 20 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTGoogleAIJournalismhttps://withusman.com/articles/ai-replicas-streaming-giants-actors-writers-shut-down-hollywood/https://withusman.com/articles/ai-replicas-streaming-giants-actors-writers-shut-down-hollywood/Streaming giants have become the focus of both media and public glare as Hollywood actors and writers continue their joint strike. The demonstration, which kicked off last week and has brought large studios to a…Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTAIhttps://withusman.com/articles/chatgpt-maker-being-investigated-over-data-protection-concerns/https://withusman.com/articles/chatgpt-maker-being-investigated-over-data-protection-concerns/An investigation has been launched into OpenAI, the artificial intelligence firm that launched ChatGPT, over concerns that the application might be putting consumers’ personal data at risk. The probe, announced by…Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTAIPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-to-block-news-on-facebook-instagram-in-canada-over-media-law/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-to-block-news-on-facebook-instagram-in-canada-over-media-law/Meta has announced ending news sharing on its social media platforms in Canada after the country’s parliament approved the Online News Act on Thursday. The legislation, which remained the focus of contention between…Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/eu-warns-google-of-potential-ad-tech-business-break-up/https://withusman.com/articles/eu-warns-google-of-potential-ad-tech-business-break-up/The European Union (EU) officials have accused Google of engaging in anti-competitive practices and called for a break-up of the search engine giant’s sprawling digital advertising business. On Wednesday, the EU…Thu, 15 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTGooglehttps://withusman.com/articles/lawmakers-scrutinise-twitters-privacy-practices-under-musk-management/https://withusman.com/articles/lawmakers-scrutinise-twitters-privacy-practices-under-musk-management/Twitter has become the focus of US lawmakers’ scrutiny for its privacy practices under new owner Elon Musk’s management, with questions being posed as to whether the company complied with consumer protection laws…Mon, 12 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPrivacyhttps://withusman.com/articles/microsoft-agrees-to-20m-settlement-over-child-privacy-violation/https://withusman.com/articles/microsoft-agrees-to-20m-settlement-over-child-privacy-violation/Tech giant Microsoft has agreed to a $20-million settlement over charges of violating child privacy through its gaming products, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said. Microsoft illegally collected personal…Tue, 06 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTPrivacyChild safetyhttps://withusman.com/articles/twitters-top-content-moderation-official-walks-out/https://withusman.com/articles/twitters-top-content-moderation-official-walks-out/Twitter’s top content moderation official has departed amid the company’s struggles with its new owner Elon Musk’s erratic changes across the troubled social media platform. The development arrives as Twitter faces…Mon, 05 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / Twitterhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-threatens-to-pull-news-content-over-payments-bill/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-threatens-to-pull-news-content-over-payments-bill/Meta has threatened to pull news content from its social media platforms in California if the state passes legislation that obliges tech companies to pay news outlets for their content. The proposed bill, titled…Thu, 01 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPolicy & lawJournalismhttps://withusman.com/articles/twitter-pulls-out-of-eu-code-to-fight-disinformation/https://withusman.com/articles/twitter-pulls-out-of-eu-code-to-fight-disinformation/Elon Musk has pulled Twitter out of the European Union’s Code of Practice on online disinformation, according to the EU. The development was announced by Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, on…Wed, 31 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterDisinformationhttps://withusman.com/articles/oversight-board-advises-meta-to-review-its-role-in-amplifying-covid-19/https://withusman.com/articles/oversight-board-advises-meta-to-review-its-role-in-amplifying-covid-19/Meta needs to adopt a more stringent approach towards misinformation related to Covid-19 on its social networking platforms, the company’s independent Oversight Board has advised. The recommendation arrives in…Wed, 26 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaDisinformationhttps://withusman.com/articles/hacker-marketplace-selling-stolen-accounts-dismantled-in-global-operation/https://withusman.com/articles/hacker-marketplace-selling-stolen-accounts-dismantled-in-global-operation/Genesis Market, a notorious online platform believed to be one of the world’s largest marketplaces for stolen identities, has been taken down in an international operation, according to the law enforcement agencies…Thu, 06 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/australia-bans-tiktok-on-govt-devices-over-security-concerns/https://withusman.com/articles/australia-bans-tiktok-on-govt-devices-over-security-concerns/The Australian government has banned TikTok from official devices over security concerns, joining the growing list of countries cracking down on the Chinese short-video platform. The ban was announced by…Tue, 04 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTTikTokPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/investigation-launched-into-googles-news-licensing-practices/https://withusman.com/articles/investigation-launched-into-googles-news-licensing-practices/Spain’s competition regulator CNMC has opened an inquiry into Google for potential anti-competitive licensing practices affecting publishers and news agencies, according to a statement released by the regulator on…Wed, 29 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTGooglePolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-illegally-processed-user-data-says-court/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-illegally-processed-user-data-says-court/Facebook-parent Meta illegally processed personal information of Dutch users for targeted advertising, according to a ruling by an Amsterdam court. The ruling, which was issued last week, stated that Meta violated…Mon, 20 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-threatens-to-suspend-news-content-in-canada-over-revenue-sharing-bill/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-threatens-to-suspend-news-content-in-canada-over-revenue-sharing-bill/Facebook-parent Meta has threatened to suspend news content from its platforms in Canada if the country’s Online News Act is passed in its current version. The Online News Act or Bill C-18, introduced in April last…Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPolicy & lawJournalismhttps://withusman.com/articles/aurat-march-a-symbol-of-women-empowerment-and-target-of-disinformation-in/https://withusman.com/articles/aurat-march-a-symbol-of-women-empowerment-and-target-of-disinformation-in/The Aurat March, held across Pakistan every year on March 8, has become the most significant and widely recognisable symbol for International Women’s Day in the country. The event mobilises a large number of women,…Wed, 08 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTDisinformationPakistanhttps://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-to-set-daily-screen-time-limit-for-users-under-18/https://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-to-set-daily-screen-time-limit-for-users-under-18/TikTok has announced new safeguards for users under 18 as social media companies face increasing concerns and scrutiny over their efforts to ensure the wellbeing of young people. TikTok will set a daily 60-minute…Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTTikTokChild safetyhttps://withusman.com/articles/google-twitter-tiktok-ordered-to-explain-handling-of-online-child-abuse/https://withusman.com/articles/google-twitter-tiktok-ordered-to-explain-handling-of-online-child-abuse/Google, Twitter and TikTok have received legal notices from Australian regulatory authorities ordering them to submit information on their efforts to contain child exploitation material. The notices were issued on…Thu, 23 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterGoogleTikTokChild safetyhttps://withusman.com/articles/metas-oversight-board-to-expand-content-moderation-expedite-decisions/https://withusman.com/articles/metas-oversight-board-to-expand-content-moderation-expedite-decisions/Meta’s Oversight Board has announced it will review more content moderation cases and publish some decisions within 48 hours of accepting the case. The announcement came in an official blog post published on Tuesday.…Thu, 16 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetahttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-investors-seek-revival-of-cambridge-analytica-case/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-investors-seek-revival-of-cambridge-analytica-case/Meta Platforms, Inc. investors have urged a US appeals court to revive the proposed class-action lawsuit that accused the tech conglomerate of concealing large-scale data breaches involving the now defunct political…Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/twitter-lagging-behind-in-fight-against-disinformation-says-eu/https://withusman.com/articles/twitter-lagging-behind-in-fight-against-disinformation-says-eu/Elon Musk’s Twitter has not been as effective as Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and TikTok in tackling disinformation over the past six months, the European Union (EU) has remarked. Twitter did not…Thu, 09 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaX / TwitterGoogleTikTokhttps://withusman.com/articles/joint-statement-condemns-wikipedia-ban-in-pakistan/https://withusman.com/articles/joint-statement-condemns-wikipedia-ban-in-pakistan/Civil society, tech organisations and academic institutions have signed a joint statement condemning the blocking of Wikipedia by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Wikipedia was banned in the country on…Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTPakistanPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/google-apple-called-out-for-gatekeeping-in-mobile-app-market/https://withusman.com/articles/google-apple-called-out-for-gatekeeping-in-mobile-app-market/Google and Apple play a significant gatekeeping role in the mobile app ecosystem by controlling and restricting the distribution of competitive services through their app stores (Google Play Store and The App Store,…Thu, 02 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTGooglehttps://withusman.com/articles/twitter-to-let-users-appeal-account-suspension/https://withusman.com/articles/twitter-to-let-users-appeal-account-suspension/Twitter has announced that it will let users appeal account suspension under the company’s updated policy for reinstatement. The new rules for reinstatement of banned accounts will come into effect from February 1,…Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / Twitterhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-to-restore-donald-trumps-facebook-instagram-accounts/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-to-restore-donald-trumps-facebook-instagram-accounts/Meta says it will soon restore former US president Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, two years after he was deplatformed over his online behaviour during the January 6 Capitol attack. Meta announced the…Thu, 26 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetahttps://withusman.com/articles/google-to-face-lawsuit-over-digital-ad-market-dominance-report/https://withusman.com/articles/google-to-face-lawsuit-over-digital-ad-market-dominance-report/Google is expected to face an antitrust lawsuit against its dominance over the digital advertising market, according to a report by Bloomberg. The lawsuit, set to be filed by the US Justice Department (DOJ), will…Tue, 24 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTGooglePolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/pta-warns-unregistered-social-media-companies-over-immoral-content/https://withusman.com/articles/pta-warns-unregistered-social-media-companies-over-immoral-content/The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a warning to “unregistered” social media companies over what the authority claims is lack of cooperation in the removal of unlawful content. The PTA’s…Mon, 23 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTPakistanPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/twitter-issues-statement-on-data-leak-reports/https://withusman.com/articles/twitter-issues-statement-on-data-leak-reports/Twitter claims there is no evidence to support press reports that the user data being sold online recently was obtained by exploiting a vulnerability in its systems, adding the said information is likely a collection…Mon, 16 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPrivacyhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-ad-practices-ruled-illegal-under-eu-law/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-ad-practices-ruled-illegal-under-eu-law/Facebook’s parent organisation Meta has been fined $414 million by European Union regulators over the company’s “illegal” use of personal data for targeted advertising. The fines were announced by Ireland’s privacy…Thu, 05 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTMetaPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/more-social-media-regulation-coming-in-2023-say-us-lawmakers/https://withusman.com/articles/more-social-media-regulation-coming-in-2023-say-us-lawmakers/US lawmakers have said there will be increased regulation of social media platforms in 2023. The development comes just days after Congress passed a bill banning the use of TikTok on government devices. The critical…Mon, 02 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTTikTokPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/probe-announced-into-twitter-data-leak-claims-involving-400m-accounts/https://withusman.com/articles/probe-announced-into-twitter-data-leak-claims-involving-400m-accounts/Twitter will be investigated by Ireland’s data protection regulator after a hacker claimed to hold personal information of more than “400 million” accounts and offered to sell it online. Twitter is already facing an…Fri, 30 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/us-court-revives-child-privacy-lawsuit-against-google/https://withusman.com/articles/us-court-revives-child-privacy-lawsuit-against-google/A US appeals court has revived a class action lawsuit against search engine giant Google for violating children’s privacy through its services. The lawsuit accuses Google of persistently tracking activity of users…Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTGooglePrivacyChild safetyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-parent-bytedance-confirms-employees-improperly-accessed-journalists-data/https://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-parent-bytedance-confirms-employees-improperly-accessed-journalists-data/TikTok’s parent company ByteDance has found that some of its employees improperly accessed the data of at least two US journalists covering the company. The development comes after the Beijing-based tech firm…Fri, 23 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTTikTokJournalismhttps://withusman.com/articles/epic-games-to-pay-520m-over-child-privacy-deception-charges/https://withusman.com/articles/epic-games-to-pay-520m-over-child-privacy-deception-charges/Epic Games, developer of the popular online video game Fortnite, has agreed to a record-breaking $520 million settlement over allegations of violating children’s privacy, exposing them to harassment and bullying, and…Tue, 20 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTPrivacyChild safetyhttps://withusman.com/articles/twitter-removes-controversial-new-policy-prohibiting-links-to-other-social/https://withusman.com/articles/twitter-removes-controversial-new-policy-prohibiting-links-to-other-social/Twitter deleted on Sunday the tweets announcing the company’s decision to block users from sharing links to several other social networks after backlash, and also took down the web page detailing the controversial…Mon, 19 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTX / Twitterhttps://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-pushes-self-harm-content-to-teenagers-study-says/https://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-pushes-self-harm-content-to-teenagers-study-says/TikTok recommends harmful content to vulnerable young users within minutes of them joining the video-sharing platform, a new study suggests. The research, titled Deadly by Design, was released on Wednesday by the…Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTTikTokChild safetyhttps://withusman.com/articles/lawsuit-accuses-meta-of-amplifying-online-hate-in-ethiopia/https://withusman.com/articles/lawsuit-accuses-meta-of-amplifying-online-hate-in-ethiopia/A new lawsuit has accused Facebook’s parent company Meta of amplifying hate speech in Ethiopia, one of the many non-English-speaking markets where the social media giant’s failure and unwillingness to curb online…Wed, 14 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTMetaPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/twitter-disbands-trust-and-safety-council/https://withusman.com/articles/twitter-disbands-trust-and-safety-council/Twitter announced on Monday the dissolution of its Trust and Safety Council, an advisory group of civil society and various other organisations, according to a company email obtained by a number of leading news…Tue, 13 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTX / Twitterhttps://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-sued-over-security-child-safety-violations/https://withusman.com/articles/tiktok-sued-over-security-child-safety-violations/US state Indiana’s Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed two separate lawsuits against TikTok, accusing the popular short-video platform of misleading people about the safety of user data and exposing children to…Fri, 09 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTTikTokChild safetyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/eu-to-bar-meta-from-running-personalised-ads/https://withusman.com/articles/eu-to-bar-meta-from-running-personalised-ads/Facebook’s parent organisation Meta should not require users through its terms of service to agree to personalised advertisements based on their online activity, European Union privacy regulators have ruled. The…Thu, 08 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTMetaPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/research-refutes-musks-claims-of-declining-hate-speech-on-twitter/https://withusman.com/articles/research-refutes-musks-claims-of-declining-hate-speech-on-twitter/Hate speech has risen dramatically on Twitter following new owner Elon Musk’s takeover, research has found, lifting the lid on the billionaire’s lofty claims of declining hate on the troubled social networking…Mon, 05 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMTX / Twitterhttps://withusman.com/articles/meta-fined-275m-over-eu-data-breach/https://withusman.com/articles/meta-fined-275m-over-eu-data-breach/Meta (formerly Facebook) has been slapped with roughly $275 million in fines by Ireland’s data privacy regulator for violating the European data protection law. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has…Tue, 29 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTMetaPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/uk-to-fine-tech-companies-for-failure-to-remove-self-harm-material/https://withusman.com/articles/uk-to-fine-tech-companies-for-failure-to-remove-self-harm-material/Tech companies could face substantial fines for failure to remove content encouraging self-harm on their social networking platforms, according to a new plan by the UK government. A proposed amendment to the UK’s…Mon, 28 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/facebook-parent-meta-sued-in-uk-over-surveillance-advertising/https://withusman.com/articles/facebook-parent-meta-sued-in-uk-over-surveillance-advertising/Facebook’s parent company Meta has been sued in the UK by a human rights campaigner, who claims the firm continues to collect her personal data for targeted advertisements despite her objection. The lawsuit against…Tue, 22 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTMetaPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/global-outage-speculated-as-twitter-employees-exit-in-droves-over-musks/https://withusman.com/articles/global-outage-speculated-as-twitter-employees-exit-in-droves-over-musks/Twitter plunged into unprecedented disorder on Thursday as employees in droves protested against new owner Elon Musk’s ultimatum with resignations, leaving the company’s future uncertain and prompting speculations…Fri, 18 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTX / Twitterhttps://withusman.com/articles/the-ftx-crash-and-its-impacts-on-pakistani-investors/https://withusman.com/articles/the-ftx-crash-and-its-impacts-on-pakistani-investors/Cryptocurrency has become the focus of investors’ undivided attention after the stunning crash of crypto exchange FTX last week, which propelled a wave of fear and panic across the digital assets landscape around the…Thu, 17 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTPakistanhttps://withusman.com/articles/musk-mayhem-key-security-privacy-leaders-depart-twitter/https://withusman.com/articles/musk-mayhem-key-security-privacy-leaders-depart-twitter/As mass layoffs and resignations rock Twitter following billionaire Elon Musk’s takeover, reports have emerged that Lea Kissner, the chief information security officer, and Yoel Roth, the head of integrity and…Fri, 11 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPrivacyhttps://withusman.com/articles/misinformation-peddlers-on-twitter-emboldened-after-musk-takeover-report-finds/https://withusman.com/articles/misinformation-peddlers-on-twitter-emboldened-after-musk-takeover-report-finds/A new report has found Twitter is witnessing a greater magnitude of misinformation following billionaire Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform on October 27, saying “early signs show the platform is…Thu, 10 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterDisinformationhttps://withusman.com/articles/google-making-disinformation-profitable-report/https://withusman.com/articles/google-making-disinformation-profitable-report/Google’s ad practices on non-English-language websites are making disinformation profitable, a new investigation has found. ProPublica, a nonprofit organisation based in New York City, conducted an analysis of…Mon, 31 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMTGoogleDisinformationPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/privacy-in-times-of-spyware-and-gear/https://withusman.com/articles/privacy-in-times-of-spyware-and-gear/If there is one thing that has captivated social media users in Pakistan these days, it is the audio recordings purportedly of high-ranking politicians in what is playing out as a series of dramatic leaks from…Fri, 07 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMTPrivacyPakistanhttps://withusman.com/articles/internet-blackouts-sweep-iran-as-mahsa-amini-protests-blaze-on/https://withusman.com/articles/internet-blackouts-sweep-iran-as-mahsa-amini-protests-blaze-on/September 26, 2022 – People are witnessing a series of internet blackouts in Iran as protests over the death of a young woman in police custody continue to sweep the country. The protests started gaining momentum on…Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://withusman.com/articles/facebook-fails-to-detect-election-disinformation-ads-in-brazil/https://withusman.com/articles/facebook-fails-to-detect-election-disinformation-ads-in-brazil/August 16, 2022 – Facebook has yet again failed to detect election disinformation in advertisements submitted to the platform, this time ahead of the 2022 elections in Brazil, a report by UK-based non-profit Global…Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMTMetaElectionsDisinformationhttps://withusman.com/articles/facebooks-failure-to-detect-hate-speech-continues-ahead-of-kenya-elections/https://withusman.com/articles/facebooks-failure-to-detect-hate-speech-continues-ahead-of-kenya-elections/August 1, 2022 – Facebook is more than just a social networking platform today and the power it has grown to influence political and social events globally is rewriting the world. One of the persistent problems with…Mon, 01 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMTMetaElectionshttps://withusman.com/articles/metas-zuckerberg-to-be-questioned-in-cambridge-analytica-privacy-lawsuit/https://withusman.com/articles/metas-zuckerberg-to-be-questioned-in-cambridge-analytica-privacy-lawsuit/July 20, 2022 – Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, who is stepping down from the company as its chief operating officer after 14 years, will provide sworn depositions in federal court over Meta’s widely…Wed, 20 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMTMetaPrivacyPolicy & lawhttps://withusman.com/articles/pti-pml-n-supporters-lock-horns-on-twitter-as-bot-accounts-allegations-surface/https://withusman.com/articles/pti-pml-n-supporters-lock-horns-on-twitter-as-bot-accounts-allegations-surface/April 20, 2022 – The past two weeks in Pakistan have seen an unprecedented level of political activity on social media. Twitter, in particular, has turned into a battleground for the supporters of Pakistan…Wed, 20 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTX / TwitterPakistanhttps://withusman.com/articles/facebook-whatsapp-instagram-a-timeline-of-metas-privacy-woes/https://withusman.com/articles/facebook-whatsapp-instagram-a-timeline-of-metas-privacy-woes/With more than 3 billion active users, Meta is among the greatest tech giants in the world today. Its social networking products – including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – have found their way into the lives of…Tue, 19 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTMetaPrivacyhttps://withusman.com/articles/oversight-board-suggests-meta-scrap-sharing-of-private-residential-addresses-to/https://withusman.com/articles/oversight-board-suggests-meta-scrap-sharing-of-private-residential-addresses-to/April 14, 2022 – Meta, the parent organisation of social media giants, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has decided to follow the recommendations laid out by the Oversight Board regarding the sharing of…Thu, 14 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTMetahttps://withusman.com/articles/peca-amendment-ordinance-discarded-but-whats-next/https://withusman.com/articles/peca-amendment-ordinance-discarded-but-whats-next/In the midst of political chaos stirred up by the no-confidence vote against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Chief Imran Khan – who was consequently booted from Prime Minister’s Office last week – a ruling by the…Tue, 12 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTPakistanPolicy & law