Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Meta Hit With $15 Million Fine After Being Accused Of Illegal Data Collection On Facebook

South Korea is slapping tech giant Meta with a mega fine worth $15 million. The country’s top privacy watchdog says Meta illegally collected Facebook users’ data including sensitive information, political views, and details about gender.

Meta was also accused of sharing personal information with thousands of other advertisers, raising eyebrows about the company’s real intentions behind the act.

This is just another addition to the long list of penalties against the firm by South Korea’s government which has targeted Facebook’s parent firm for several years now. For this reason, the company continues to build up scrutiny against Meta who is also the owner of popular platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. The country knows how a lot of personal data is also shared through these apps and therefore guards cannot be left down.

The news comes after the country wrapped up a four-year-long investigation against the company which says they found a lot of evidence speaking about sensitive data collection. The total figure of users outlined is 980k on Facebook where religion and politics were mostly targeted as well as those linked to similar gender unions.

The firm was found to share data with over 4000 advertisers which is strictly prohibited and goes against South Korean laws that bars collection and processing of this material. The commission similarly spoke about how Meta collected so much sensitive data by simple analysis of users’ pages on the app and also by gauging which ads they engaged most with.

It then categorized those ads to better highlight the users that were interested in topics like same gender, politics, and religion including trans matters. Other controversial topics included North Korea.

The report also shared how Meta silently collected the information and used it for its personal gains with only vague mentions of the usage through its data policy. There was a clear lack of consent taken from the users’ end.

Facebook clearly broke users’ trust and failed to provide them with necessary security protection like removing inactive pages or blocking them altogether. As a result of this behavior, it became an easy target for hackers to use the domains and forge identities while requesting resets for passwords.

This is a major hit for Meta who was already fined by the EU regulators in September for security lapse which arose in 2019. The fine there went above the $100M mark and showed the company’s lapse in encryption.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: Google’s Featured Snippets Are Displaying Conflicting Information From The Same Source
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Google’s Featured Snippets Are Displaying Conflicting Information From The Same Source

A new investigation is digging down deep into Google’s Featured Snippets.

According to the revelations, the snippets include contradictory data from similar sources, all depending on how the user phrases the search question. It’s concerning because it just goes to show how poorly the search engine can interpret data correctly.

The head of Dragon Metrics, Sarah Presch was the first to highlight how the replies are poles apart when the user puts out questions in a different manner, even if they’re asking the same thing.

For instance, looking for a link between things like coffee and hypertension could give rise to a snippet talking about the potential to raise blood pressure.

Looking for a link between coffee and hypertension gives rise to contradictory snippets from a similar article that spoke about coffee having zero long-term impacts. Similar oppositions arose when issues like politics, health, and current affairs were the topic of discussion.

The study also proved how questioning political candidates with lines including what is good and what is bad might produce very drastically different responses, despite the main leading query being the same.

This has led to some calling Google a bias machine while others spoke about how the company’s algorithms seem to prioritize material that matches what the user’s intentions might be, instead of giving rise to comprehensive and balanced data.

The results align with Google’s internal material from a few years back where engineers at the firm confirmed that some documents they could not comprehend and therefore the reply is false.

As per Google’s latest stance on this, it says those documents are really outdated so it’s better to avoid them at all costs. This does not seem too convincing as what Google ended up doing is pulling out small amounts of text depending on what people look for and then feeding them with replies that sound convincing.

Another expert who also happens to be the founder of AlsoAsked mentioned more regarding these findings. He says the company creates models to try and guess what users might appreciate but this gives rise to a feedback loop.

The results have serious implications for SEO professionals and others creating content. They mean featured snippets don’t clearly represent what the content is about. User intent also impacts how material gets interpreted and shown. Lastly, the content strategy might need changes to ensure accuracy through different question formats.

Google’s rep defended their moves by adding how users can also look for differnet viewpoints when they scroll deeper into the material. They also highlighted how features such as ‘about this result’ might assist users gauge the real data source.

So depending on the study’s findings, publishers might need to take a few actions. For starters, they should create comprehensive material that is correct, no matter how the question is phrased by the user. Secondly, they need to track how a certain Feature Snippet shows up for various search phrases. Only then can they attain success.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: WhatsApp Beta Update Introduces Quick Gallery Shortcut for Easier Media Sharing
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

WhatsApp Beta Update Introduces Quick Gallery Shortcut for Easier Media Sharing

WhatsApp is a great app to keep in touch with your family and friends through messaging, calling and sharing media. Many WhatsApp users regularly share images and videos to people in their contacts through the app. Although the process to do so is easy and smooth, it takes two to three steps. However, things are going to change soon, according to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is working on a new update which will save users’ time and will make sending images and videos easier.

In the new WhatsApp for Android v2.24.23.11 update, there will be a new shortcut in the chat bar of WhatsApp chats which will instantly direct you to your phone gallery. Right now, if users want to share images or videos, they need to click on the camera icon next to the text bar or click on attachments icon to go to the gallery.

Now that the gallery icon will be there in the text bar, it will be easier and quicker for users to share something from their device gallery. That will be a good thing for users who do not use the camera in WhatsApp. But for users who do use it, they will have to click on the attachments icon to open the camera. There is still no news when this feature will be added for all users on WhatsApp.


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• Which Nations Excel and Struggle in the AI Preparedness?
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Which Nations Excel and Struggle in the IMF's AI Preparedness Index?

Artificial Intelligence has taken over the world and now many industries are implementing AI in their workplaces. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports reports that AI has impacted 40% of the world’s employment, with some industries being more affected by AI than others. The IMF put forward a report named AI Preparedness Index to rank top countries which are prepared for AI. 174 countries are ranked in the report according to how prepared they are for AI.

According to the rankings, Singapore is the top country which is fully prepared for AI and can adopt AI in its industries smoothly. Singapore has already invested billions of dollars on AI and for making national strategies for AI adoption. According to LinkedIn, the workers in Singapore are also fully prepared to adopt AI and the Singapore government has also developed AI tools for public service officers. Followed by Singapore is Denmark while the United States ranks third in AI preparedness.

Other European countries in the top ten rankings for AI preparedness are Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Switzerland, Germany and Sweden. It is to be noted that the countries which are most prepared for AI adoption are mostly from Europe. It is because these countries have advanced infrastructure, great government policies and skilled workforce which can smoothly go with AI adoption.

IMF made its AI Preparedness Index report by taking into account four important metrics. Those metrics were digital infrastructure, human capital, legal frameworks and technological innovations in the countries. After looking at all these metrics in 174 countries, the IMF put forward the top ten countries that are fully prepared for AI adoption.


Rank Country AI Preparedness Index Score (0-1)
1 Singapore 0.80
2 Denmark 0.78
3 United States 0.77
4 Netherlands 0.77
5 Estonia 0.76
6 Finland 0.76
7 Switzerland 0.76
8 New Zealand 0.75
9 Germany 0.75
10 Sweden 0.75
11 Luxembourg 0.74
12 Japan 0.73
13 United Kingdom 0.73
14 Australia 0.73
15 South Korea 0.73
16 Israel 0.73
17 Austria 0.72
18 Canada 0.71
19 Norway 0.71
20 Hong Kong 0.70
21 Iceland 0.70
22 France 0.70
23 Ireland 0.69
24 Belgium 0.67
25 Taiwan 0.67
26 Lithuania 0.66
27 Malta 0.66
28 Spain 0.65
29 Czech Republic 0.65
30 Portugal 0.65
31 China 0.64
32 Slovenia 0.63
33 Latvia 0.63
34 Cyprus 0.63
35 Malaysia 0.63
36 United Arab Emirates 0.63
37 Italy 0.62
38 Poland 0.60
39 Slovak Republic 0.59
40 Chile 0.59
41 Romania 0.58
42 Greece 0.58
43 Croatia 0.58
44 Bulgaria 0.58
45 Saudi Arabia 0.58
46 Hungary 0.56
47 Russia 0.56
48 Kazakhstan 0.55
49 Uruguay 0.55
50 Türkiye 0.54
51 Costa Rica 0.54
52 Serbia 0.54
53 Thailand 0.54
54 Qatar 0.53
55 Oman 0.53
56 Mexico 0.53
57 Seychelles 0.53
58 Georgia 0.53
59 Albania 0.53
60 Mauritius 0.53
61 Indonesia 0.52
62 Bahrain 0.52
63 Ukraine 0.51
64 Barbados 0.50
65 Montenegro 0.50
66 Brazil 0.50
67 Panama 0.50
68 Philippines 0.50
69 South Africa 0.50
70 Brunei Darussalam 0.50
71 Armenia 0.49
72 India 0.49
73 Peru 0.49
74 Colombia 0.49
75 Mongolia 0.48
76 Jordan 0.48
77 North Macedonia 0.48
78 Vietnam 0.48
79 Moldova 0.48
80 Argentina 0.47
81 Azerbaijan 0.47
82 Belarus 0.47
83 Dominican Republic 0.47
84 Tunisia 0.47
85 Kuwait 0.46
86 The Bahamas 0.46
87 Fiji 0.45
88 Kenya 0.45
89 Ecuador 0.44
90 Bhutan 0.44
91 Rwanda 0.44
92 Sri Lanka 0.44
93 Trinidad and Tobago 0.44
94 Jamaica 0.43
95 Cabo Verde 0.43
96 Morocco 0.43
97 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.43
98 Timor-Leste 0.43
99 Kyrgyz Republic 0.43
100 Ghana 0.43
101 Guyana 0.42
102 Belize 0.42
103 Namibia 0.42
104 Suriname 0.42
105 Lebanon 0.42
106 Botswana 0.41
107 Paraguay 0.41
108 Macao 0.41
109 Senegal 0.40
110 Egypt 0.39
111 Guatemala 0.39
112 El Salvador 0.39
113 Bangladesh 0.38
114 Puerto Rico 0.38
115 Iran 0.38
116 Bolivia 0.38
117 Saint Lucia 0.37
118 Zambia 0.37
119 Algeria 0.37
120 Liberia 0.37
121 Cambodia 0.37
122 Pakistan 0.37
123 Tajikistan 0.37
124 Côte d'Ivoire 0.37
125 Benin 0.36
126 The Gambia 0.36
127 Lesotho 0.36
128 Uganda 0.35
129 Tanzania 0.35
130 Nepal 0.35
131 Uzbekistan 0.35
132 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.34
133 Honduras 0.34
134 Cameroon 0.34
135 Malawi 0.34
136 Nigeria 0.34
137 Nicaragua 0.33
138 Laos 0.33
139 Myanmar 0.33
140 Niger 0.33
141 Maldives 0.32
142 Guinea 0.32
143 Gabon 0.32
144 Djibouti 0.32
145 Togo 0.32
146 Burkina Faso 0.31
147 Eswatini 0.31
148 Madagascar 0.31
149 Zimbabwe 0.30
150 Syria 0.30
151 Sierra Leone 0.30
152 Mali 0.30
153 Burundi 0.29
154 Papua New Guinea 0.29
155 Republic of Congo 0.28
156 Venezuela 0.27
157 Iraq 0.27
158 Haiti 0.27
159 Guinea-Bissau 0.26
160 Angola 0.26
161 Mozambique 0.26
162 Comoros 0.25
163 Ethiopia 0.25
164 Yemen 0.25
165 São Tomé and Príncipe 0.25
166 Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.25
167 Libya 0.24
168 Chad 0.23
169 Sudan 0.23
170 Mauritania 0.23
171 Somalia 0.20
172 Central African Republic 0.18
173 Afghanistan 0.13
174 South Sudan 0.11

Read next: The Hidden Cost of Upgrading: Are You Guilty of This Wasteful Habit?
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

X Rolls Out Controversial Update For Block Feature Amid Growing Protests From Users

X just rolled out a very controversial update to its block feature. This update allows others to view public posts, even when they’ve been blocked.

It’s shocking that the change arose amid the growing anger from those on the app. They argue that if someone is blocked, there is a reason behind it. Hence, allowing them access to content despite the restriction is mind-boggling to some in terms of safety.

The feature does not mean that anyone on the block list cannot follow that user, engage with their account’s content, or send direct messages.

In the past, the app’s older support page also shared how anyone blocked cannot see that user’s content. This is now getting updated to exclude this reference. Anyone blocked can also see their followers and following list which again was not possible in the past, thanks to the restrictions.

The app’s logic was also revealed when there was going outcry from some who failed to understand why this change arose in the first place. The Block feature is used for sharing and disguising anything harmful or private about an individual. X feels that this would give greater transparency but again, some feel it falls flat on its claims. The fact that users can just make accounts private and share data there is always an option so this doesn’t really make sense.

Many critics argued that the change to block is against how the company first implemented it through conventional means. Revamping it in this way adds greater security risks as it encourages others to stalk and harass the masses.

One tech advocate says they’ve designed an app that enables users to block through automated means. Even if the user does circumvent the block, the friction that arises does matter.

This change by X is clearly not welcomed as many feel it just adds to the growing problem of creeps lurking around in this industry. What do you think?

Image: DIW-Aigen

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How to Use Technology And New Media to Expand Your Audience - 7 Strategies
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Monday, November 4, 2024

How to Use Technology And New Media to Expand Your Audience - 7 Strategies

The media landscape is more fragmented than ever. A few decades ago, many people in a given geographical area consumed the same handful of sources, such as local morning TV and radio newscasts, nightly national newscasts, and their regional daily newspaper.

Those same information sources exist today, of course, but they’re fewer in number and their audiences are smaller. They’ve been joined by a vast set of newer information sources, both “official” and crowdsourced: social media apps, niche blogs, YouTube channels, and interest groups on platforms like Reddit and Discord, to name just a few.

In this environment, leaders must work harder — and more creatively — to achieve the same audience reach. This requires an open-minded approach leveraging new technologies and platforms, including many we might not be personally familiar with. If deployed effectively, these seven strategies can help.

1. Consider a TV Network or Video Channel

Launching a new television network is no small feat, but it’s certainly feasible for larger organizations willing to make the investment. For example, David Miscavige, leader of the Scientology religion, launched a television network that shares his organization’s message with its vast membership while reaching new audiences.

If a TV network is too daunting for your team at the moment, consider instead a video channel on YouTube or TikTok (or both). These platforms have lower barriers to entry while enabling impressive scale; the world’s top YouTube and TikTok influencers have tens of millions of followers and receive hundreds of millions of unique monthly impressions.

2. Develop a Strong Social Media Presence Across the Major Platforms

Image: DIW-Aigen

A strong and diverse social media presence can complement and draw more attention to your TV or video presence. Create accounts on major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and other platforms as appropriate, guided by a data-driven understanding of where your audience spends its time online. Then, hire a professional social media manager — perhaps an entire team, depending on your organization’s capacity and content-development plans — to professionalize and scale each one.

3. Cultivate an Audience on Niche Social Platforms and Communities

Don’t ignore smaller or lesser-known social platforms and communities. Some have surprisingly large and loyal followings. Additionally, some communities’ most active users may spend little, if any, time on “mainstream” platforms.

The need to “follow the audience” compels major media outlets like Bloomberg to branch out into more niche social communities like Discord and draw in new audience members they might otherwise miss. If your organization has limited resources, survey the landscape to see which communities its direct competitors are targeting, and prioritize accordingly.

4. Develop a Feature-Rich Mobile App (If It Adds Value)

The average smartphone has more than 80 apps installed on it, according to BuildFire. But the average user uses few of these regularly. In other words, the value of having an app for its own sake is questionable at best.

However, many seldom-used smartphone apps are “junk apps” that add little value for the user. A compelling, feature-rich app, in contrast, can enhance your audience members’ relationship with your organization, with potential benefits on both sides. For your organization, these include more time spent within your electronic ecosystem and thus more opportunities to engage productively; for audience members, these include more useful information and experiences with attendant improvements in sentiment.

5. Drive Email Signups (But Don’t Bother Them Too Much)

“Email has an ability many channels don’t [which is] creating valuable, personal touches at scale,” says bestselling author and marketing expert David Newman.

Many organizations take Newman’s advice seriously and place email outreach at the heart of their audience-building efforts. However, given the incredible volume of email most people receive, it’s important to take a light touch with your email list. Your emails should be relatively infrequent — no more than once a week — and emphasize informational value over marketing appeals. If an email isn’t likely to teach your audience something new, don’t bother sending it.

6. Create a Newsletter or Regular Magazine

Email is the ideal vector for an informational newsletter or digital magazine, either of which can enhance your credibility with new and existing audiences when executed effectively. You can use your newsletter or magazine to provide:

  • Updates about your organization and the wider ecosystem in which it operates
  • Inspiring stories from your employees, audience members or other stakeholders
  • Informative content about problems your organization is well-placed to solve (or the solutions it’s working on)

7. Embrace New Social Environments, Like the Metaverse

Dynamic organizations tend to be open to new platforms and communities. They recognize the potential long-term value of these places’ growing audiences and are willing to put up with a bit of a learning curve to reach them.

One example of an emerging social environment that may become very important in the future is the metaverse. Despite slower-than-expected adoption, improvements in virtual and augmented reality technology will nudge users toward the metaverse over time. Like popular niche communities such as Discord, the metaverse may eventually become too big to ignore.

Broaden Your Outreach

If done consistently and executed effectively, these seven innovative strategies can broaden your organization’s audience reach and improve engagement.

Some, such as launching a TV network or video channel of your own, may require expertise that your organization doesn’t yet have in-house. To pursue them, you may need to hire new staff or partner with trusted outside vendors.

What’s more, you may find that your organization’s culture or competencies fit better with some of these strategies more than others. For example, if you run a software or technology company, developing a compelling mobile app likely aligns well with your team’s skill set. Likewise, media or information technology firms tend to be adept at producing insightful and helpful content that reinforces their messaging and nudges audiences toward the solutions they offer.

This being the case, don’t feel as if you have to do too much, too soon, or that you absolutely must try out all 10 of these ideas. A narrower approach that meets or exceeds your objectives is better than a broader one that doesn’t do any single thing well.


by Asim BN via Digital Information World

Shift in Consumer Influence And Marketing: Brands Bet on Social Media Stars Over Celebrities

According to EY Future Consumer Index, many brands are now ditching celebrities for influencers. Celebrities used to work for many brands because of their mass reach and fan following but now influencers are also coming in the same wavelength as many celebrities. Influencers are making consumers shape their opinions and purchase different products. Influencers are also even more present on social media feeds than most celebrities are.

66% of millennials and Gen-Z said that they follow an influencer on their social media as compared to 27% of Gen-X and Baby Boomers. Only 25% of consumers say that they follow someone just because they are famous. This difference shows that many younger consumers are more inclined to buy a product after seeing an influencer advertising it than a celebrity.

It is also harder for brands to build consumers’ trust because of so much fraud and fakeness going around on social media. Consumers are extremely selective about who they trust, with majority trusting influencers more. 49% of consumers say that they find an influencer’s content more useful while 42% find it relatable. This makes 74% consumers trusting of influencers’ recommendations of a product. 61% of them said that they have made a purchase after an influencer recommended a product. The same consumers cannot trust a celebrity like this because they live different and lavish lives than most of the consumers. And most of them also recommend costly and expensive products which are not affordable by a common man in this economy.

All of this change in consumer marketing is making brands change their marketing tactics. Many brands are now mostly partnering up with influencers on different social media platforms. eMarketer predicts that influencer marketing will grow 14% by the end of 2025. This is just beginning because many brands are increasing their budgets for influencer marketing.


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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World