Connect with us
https://4ma.1f5.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/AmEx-Thought-Leaders.jpg

News

Should big tech be giving a social media megaphone to the Taliban?

Published

on

Facebook, Twitter and Google have come under fire yet again as they must choose whether to censor the Taliban as it retakes Afghanistan

In the debate on censorship and civic duty, big tech is encountering a high-stakes question: whether it should censor the Taliban.

Facebook, Twitter and Google currently have bans in place to prevent the Taliban from creating accounts on their platforms.

But as the Taliban takes over Afghanistan, big tech must choose whether to block the country’s official state social media channels.

Facebook says that it’s likely to take cues from the US government and other global leaders

It still remains unclear whether the US will recognise the Taliban as Afghanistan’s official government.

US President Biden is unlikely to take this route unless the Taliban publicly severs ties from terrorist groups like al-Qaeda.

The Taliban has already promised to protect the rights of minorities and women, but this remains to be seen.

How are Facebook, Google and Twitter handling the situation?

Facebook has said that it will continue to ban content from the Taliban so far as the US continues to classify the group as a dangerous terror organisation. The platform also removes any posts which explicitly praise the group.

Google, which owns Youtube, has banned the Taliban from operating accounts. User content which promotes the Taliban can be flagged for inciting violence or spreading hate speech.

Meanwhile, Twitter doesn’t yet have a specific policy to outline how it will respond to the Taliban other than those generally prohibiting posts that glorify violence.

Was leaving Afghanistan a good decision?

A new Taliban, or just propaganda?

If big tech gives the Taliban the green pass, concerns are that the group will use the platforms to spread propaganda.

The Taliban has already started trying to effectively re-brand itself, pledging to build an ‘inclusive government’ earlier this week.

It said this new government would protect the rights of women and minorities “within the bounds of sharia law”.

During the Taliban’s occupation of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, its interpretation of Sharia laws included stoning or executing women who refused to comply with the regime.

Would banning the Taliban from social media lead to more harm?

Another major concern is that more aggressive censorship against the Taliban could limit global discourse about affairs in Afghanistan.

Faiza Patel from the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty & National Security program raised concerns about entirely censoring the group.

“How does that constrain political discourse on Facebook if you literally cannot talk about the Taliban except to criticise them?”

“I know most of us are probably going to be criticizing the Taliban, but there are obvious objective conversations that you can have about what it means” for Afghanistan.

It remains yet to be seen whether the group will honour its promise of protecting the rights of all Afghans, and what role big tech will have to play moving forward.

Natasha is an Associate Producer at ticker NEWS with a Bachelor of arts from Monash University. She has previously worked at Sky News Australia and Monash University as an Online Content Producer.

Continue Reading

News

AI tracks enigmatic cancers back to origins in new study

Published

on

In a groundbreaking development, scientists have unveiled a remarkable AI tool that promises to revolutionise the detection and treatment of metastatic cancers.

These elusive cancers often evade detection until they have already spread to distant organs, posing a significant challenge for diagnosis and treatment. Published in Nature Medicine, the study showcases an AI model developed by researchers at Tianjin Medical University (TMU) in China, led by Tian Fei and Li Xiangchun. Trained on a vast dataset of 30,000 images from 21,000 individuals, the AI model demonstrated an unprecedented accuracy rate of 83% in identifying the origins of metastatic cancer cells found in fluid samples from abdominal or lung regions.

Impressively, the model’s top three predictions included the tumour’s source with a staggering 99% accuracy.

This breakthrough not only surpasses the capabilities of human pathologists but also offers a beacon of hope for the 300,000 people annually diagnosed with cancer at TMU-affiliated hospitals, where approximately 4,000 cases rely on such image-based diagnoses.

By significantly reducing the need for invasive tests and providing timely and accurate predictions, this AI tool could potentially extend the lives of late-stage cancer patients. Faisal Mahmood of Harvard Medical School praises the study’s findings, highlighting the potential of AI as an indispensable assistive tool in healthcare.

Looking ahead, the integration of AI with tissue samples and genomic data holds the promise of further enhancing outcomes for individuals battling metastatic cancers of unknown origins, ushering in a new era of precision medicine and personalised care.

Continue Reading

News

Surprising Netflix subscriber surge despite price hikes

Published

on

Netflix Surpasses Expectations with 9.33 Million New Subscribers in Q1 2024

Netflix stunned analysts and the industry alike with its first-quarter 2024 earnings report, revealing a remarkable surge of 9.33 million paid subscribers, soaring past the anticipated 3.93 million additions and bringing its total subscriber count to an impressive 269.60 million.

This surge follows a record-breaking fourth quarter of 2023, where Netflix added 13.1 million subscribers. Despite this remarkable growth streak, Netflix announced it would cease reporting quarterly subscriber totals from 2025 onward, signalling a significant shift in industry dynamics. Notable contributors to this growth included high-profile releases like the live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “3 Body Problem” by the show-runners behind “Game of Thrones.”

Regionally, the U.S. and Canada saw a growth of 2.53 million paid subscribers, while Europe, the Middle East, and Africa added 2.92 million, Latin America saw an increase of 1.72 million, and the Asia-Pacific market experienced a rise of 2.16 million.

Alongside surpassing subscriber expectations, Netflix exceeded financial projections, reporting a 15% increase in revenue from Q1 2023, with diluted earnings per share of $5.28 on $9.37 billion in revenue.

Looking ahead, Netflix forecasts robust financial performance for Q2, with expectations of $9.49 billion in revenue and diluted EPS of $4.68, aiming for revenue growth of 13% to 15% for the full year 2024, reflecting a bullish outlook on its operational margin.

 

Continue Reading

News

Why are Americans moving abroad?

Published

on

Inflation and the rising cost of living in the United States is motivating Americans to consider moving to other countries.

Have you ever dreamed of working or retiring abroad?

Well, more and more Americans are discovering that their income can stretch much further in other countries, allowing them to save more, pay off debts, and even get ahead financially.

Kelli Maria Korduck a contributor with Business Insider joins Veronica Dudo to discuss why Americans are deciding that the only way to get ahead is to leave.

#IN AMERICA TODAY #featured #livingabroad #movingabroad #inflation #travel

Continue Reading
Live Watch Ticker News Live
Advertisement

Trending Now

Copyright © 2024 The Ticker Company