Facebook, in a reversal, will now ban Holocaust denial content under its hate-speech policy

Facebook this morning announced a significant change in how it approaches Holocaust denial content on its social network. For years, the company has been criticized for not taking down this extremely offensive form of content in favor of allowing free speech and distancing itself from taking on the responsibilities of a traditional publisher. Today, it’s reversing that position, saying it will now update its hate-speech policy to “prohibit any content that denies or distorts the Holocaust.”

The company said it made the decision amid a growing number of online hate speech attacks and is a part of Facebook’s newer efforts to fight the spread of hate speech across its platform.

“We have banned more than 250 white supremacist organizations and updated our policies to address militia groups and QAnon,” explained Facebook in an announcement, authored by Monika Bickert, VP of Content Policy. “We also routinely ban other individuals and organizations globally, and we took down 22.5 million pieces of hate speech from our platform in the second quarter of this year. Following a year of consultation with external experts, we recently banned anti-Semitic stereotypes about the collective power of Jews that often depicts them running the world or its major institutions,” the company said.

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Facebook also shared some disturbing statistics representative of how its inaction on this front has impacted the world. It said that according to a recent survey of U.S. adults, ages 18-39, nearly a quarter said they believed the Holocaust was a myth, that it had been exaggerated or that they weren’t sure.

The company noted, too, that institutions focused on Holocaust research and remembrance, such as Yad Vashem, have stressed that Holocaust education is a key component in combating anti-Semitism.

As many may recall, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg once used Holocaust denial as an example of where he thought Facebook shouldn’t intervene with regard to what’s posted to its platform. In a 2018 Recode interview and related follow-up, he suggested that Holocaust denial was a wrong idea that he personally found “deeply offensive,” but said Facebook shouldn’t take that content down because “there are things that different people get wrong.”

The issue and its controversy, however, was not a new one to Facebook. Holocaust-denial content has been a longstanding problem for the company — and one where many employees disagreed with Facebook’s stated position on the matter. Even back in 2009, Facebook had favored the protection of free speech, arguing that it outweighed the negative consequences.

In the years since, Facebook was found to not only allow Holocaust denial on its platform, but to actively promote it. In a 2020 investigation by U.K.-based counter-extremist organisation Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), Facebook search results would bring up suggestions for denial pages on Facebook. These would also recommend links to publishers who sold revisionist and denial literature, among other things.

This summer, ADL and other civil rights organizations, like the NAACP and Color of Change, ran a month-long boycott of Facebook advertising in an effort to get Facebook to step up and do something about hate speech on its platform. The effort gained over 1,000 advertisers and put pressure on the company to make changes.

Facebook then moved to ban across Facebook and Instagram (for the first time) anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about Jewish people running the world, and began to ban QAnon, which has some anti-Semitic elements. But it stopped short of taking action on Holocaust denial.

In a public Facebook post, Zuckerberg added:

I’ve struggled with the tension between standing for free expression and the harm caused by minimizing or denying the horror of the Holocaust. My own thinking has evolved as I’ve seen data showing an increase in anti-Semitic violence, as have our wider policies on hate speech. Drawing the right lines between what is and isn’t acceptable speech isn’t straightforward, but with the current state of the world, I believe this is the right balance.

Facebook says its new decision on this matter does not mean users see an immediate clearing of this sort of content from the platform.

“Enforcement of these policies cannot happen overnight. There is a range of content that can violate these policies, and it will take some time to train our reviewers and systems on enforcement,” Facebook noted.

Facebook says it will ban QAnon across its platforms

 

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Facebook EU-US data transfer complaint: Schrems gets a judicial review of the Irish DPC’s procedure

Another twist in a multi-year complaint saga related to the legality of Facebook’s data transfers: European privacy campaigner Max Schrems has today been granted a judicial review of the Irish regulator’s handling of his complaint.

He’s expecting the hearing to take place before the end of the year — and is hoping the action will, at long last, lead to a suspension of Facebook’s EU-US data transfers.

Schrems says his aim is to “kick start a ‘paused’ complaints procedure'” after Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) chose to open a new case procedure last month — simultaneously pausing its handling of his original complaint, which dates back some seven years at this point.

The vintage complaint had a major injection of attention following a ruling by Europe’s top court this summer, which struck down a flagship EU-US data transfer arrangement (called Privacy Shield) — and cast doubt on the legality of alternative transfer mechanisms for taking EU citizens’ data to the U.S. for processing when processors are subject to U.S. surveillance law, as Facebook is.

Europe’s top court strikes down flagship EU-US data transfer mechanism

Yet there’s still no decision on Schrems’ original complaint. Hence, he’s returned to court.

“The DPC has already pledged to the Court in 2015 that it will swiftly decide. It seems like we need a clear judgment to force the DPC to do its job,” said Schrems in a statement today on the judicial review being granted.

#SchremsII: Irish High Court just granted leave to have a Juridical Review against the @DPCIreland — to kick start the "paused" complaints procedure that should stop Facebook's EU-US data transfer (and clarifly crucial procedural issues)… https://t.co/yMIyhonBaS

— Max Schrems (@maxschrems) October 12, 2020

Facebook has already successfully applied for a judicial review of a preliminary order sent by the DPC last month to suspend its data transfers to the U.S. The tech giant was granted a stay on that preliminary order, so its data transfers continue unabated and uninterrupted — even as the regulatory process is mired in yet more legal wrangling.

The stay also bought Facebook more time to lobby EU lawmakers to “fix” the legal uncertainty now firmly attached to EU-U.S. data transfers — with VP Nick Clegg popping up on a live-streamed debate last month to predict economic doom for the region’s small businesses if Facebook gets forced to suspend transfers. (Clegg further claimed Facebook’s business of “personalized advertising” would be vital to Europe’s coronavirus economic recovery, without pointing out other, less invasive/rights-hostile forms of ad-targeting are available…)

It’s not hard to see why Schrems is so unhappy that his 2013 complaint has been turned into an endless game of regulatory whack-a-mole that leaves Facebook free to continue its data-mining business as usual.

Max Schrems on the EU court ruling that could cut Facebook in two

In a press release put out by his privacy-focused not-for-profit, noyb, Schrems writes: “Today’s Judicial Review by noyb is in many ways the counterpart to Facebook’s Judicial Review: While Facebook wants to block the second procedure by the DPC, noyb wants to move the original complaints procedure towards a decision.”

“The DPC has opened a second case, just get rid of the complainant from the first case. Now this second case was stalled by a lawsuit from Facebook within weeks. This was complete procedural mismanagement by the Irish regulator. We are now trying to kick start the original procedure from 2013 to finally get a decision by the DPC after seven years and five court judgements that all confirmed our position,” he adds in the statement.

Schrems/noyb is also making a more pointed allegation against the regulator, saying it saw documents last week that suggest Facebook has been using alternative data transfer mechanisms to take EU users’ data to the U.S. — and accusing the regulator of knowing about this since 2016, yet failing to pass the information on to it.

“The documents we received suggest that seven years of procedures and both references to the European Court of Justice were largely irrelevant for the case before the DPC,” writes Schrems, accusing the regulator of hiding documents from the Courts and his lawyers “despite our right to be provided with all the files of a case”. “We are therefore asking the High Court to clarify that all documents must be put on the table that all parties are properly heard and a quick decision is then made,” he adds.

We reached out to the DPC with questions but the regulator declined to answer specific points at this stage. “As you can see Mr Schrems’ application to the Court this morning was made ex parte, meaning that any comments/arguments put forward were unchallenged. We will outline our position when we make our own submission to the Court,” deputy commissioner, Graham Doyle, told us.

Ireland’s regulator is no stranger to accusations of dragging its feet on enforcing the bloc’s data protection regime against major tech firms and platforms, many of whom have chosen to site their regional base in the country — meaning their data handling typically comes under the supervision of the DPC. (Which in turn means it has a huge backlog of complex, cross-border cases to investigate and issue decisions on.)

Facebook denies it will pull service in Europe over data transfer ban

More than two years after the GDPR came into application, the DPC has only submitted one draft decision on cross-border cases (related to a Twitter security breach) — which is still pending agreement from the EU’s other data supervisors.

Scores more cases remain open on its desk.

In June, a Commission two-year review of GDPR flagged a lack of uniformly vigorous enforcement — with lawmakers acknowledging: “The best answer [to criticism of GDPR’s failure to regulate big tech] will be a decision from the Irish data protection authority about important cases.”

Separately, Irish parliamentarian Malcolm Byrne raised questions in the senate recently over another long-standing complaint that’s sitting on the DPC’s desk — related to Google and the real-time bidding process that’s involved in programmatic advertising — also still an open investigation.

Today, I raised the issue of Google’s #RealTimeBidding system and again how big tech is using our data. I highlighted the research by ⁦@johnnyryan⁩ for ⁦@ICCLtweet⁩ and again expressed concerns that Justice Minister ⁦@HMcEntee⁩ must prioritise the issue. pic.twitter.com/xzoLhjN9KS

— Malcolm Byrne (@malcolmbyrne) September 30, 2020

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What to expect from Apple’s ‘Hi Speed’ iPhone event

For starters, iPhones, of course. That one was easy. The company skipped out on new mobile devices during its recent Apple Watch event, owing to COVID-19-related delays. And, of course, the fact that the events are all pre-taped and virtual now means companies can more easily split them up in ways that were harder to justify when people were expected to fly in from all over the world.

That doesn’t mean we won’t be getting more than just a phone (or, more like multiple phones). While Apple’s been more inclined to host more, smaller events, there’s a decent chance this is going to be the last major event the company hosts before the holidays. That means it’s going to want to get a lot of bang for its buck this time out.

The iPhone 12 is expected to be the centerpiece, of course. The headline feature will almost certainly be 5G. Apple’s been a little behind the curve on that front versus its Android competitors (Samsung, for instance, has several devices with next-gen wireless), though another knock-on effect from the pandemic has been a slower than expected adoption of the tech. So in some ways, Apple’s really right on time here. In the U.S., the company is said to offer both the mmWave and sub-6Ghz 5G technologies. Availability may vary depending on the needs of a given market.

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Rumors point to a bunch of different models. After all, gone are the days a company like Apple could just offer up a big premium device and be done with it. Sales for high-end devices were already drying up well before the virus came along to bring smartphone sales to a screeching halt there for a bit. People were already tired of paying in excess of $1,000 for new phones when the ones they already had still did the job perfectly fine.

There are supposedly four sizes arriving. There will be higher-end devices at 6.1 and 6.7 inches, and more budget-minded devices at 6.1 and 5.4 inches. It’s a pretty broad price range, from $699 for the “mini” to $1,099 and up for the Pro Max (sandwiched between are the $799 iPhone 12 and $999 Pro). Along with its recently expanded Watch line, Apple’s all about choice this time out.

Reportedly, however, the company will be bringing OLED tech to all of the models, marking a pretty big change from the days of LCD-sporting budget models. The new models are expected to get a welcome redesign, reportedly returning to something more in line with the iPhone 5. The rounded edges are expected to be dropped in favor of a flatter design, akin to what you get on the iPad Pro.

Other interesting potential additions include the return of the company’s dearly departed MagSafe life for a pair of wireless charging pads that will hopefully finally lay to rest any memory of the failed AirPower experiment. Available for one or two devices, the new pads will reportedly leverage magnets built into the phones to snap them in place.

Music has always been a cornerstone for the company, and it’s long overdue for some updates to audio products. This time out, we may finally get the long-awaited AirPods Studio, an over-ear addition to its line of headphones. The models are set to come in two variations, the largest variation being build materials. A smaller version of its smart speaker could be on the way, as well. The HomePod has long been cost-prohibitive for many, so a mini version could finally make it a bit more accessible.

A closer look at the new Apple Watches

Another long-rumored addition — AirTags — could finally arrive, as well. Apple’s product-tracking Tile competitor has been in the cards for some time now, but has repeatedly been delayed. That may still be the case — and same goes for a refresh to Apple TV. With the company’s subscription service about to celebrate its year anniversary, it could really use some updated hardware. New Macs with Apple-built chips could be on the table, as well, though the company is reportedly planning one more 2020 event for that big launch.

The event kicks off tomorrow at 10AM PT/1PM ET. We’ll be watching along with you, bringing you the news as it breaks.

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Nest launches its $129 thermostat with a new design, swipe and touch interface on the side

Google’s Nest unit today launched its newest thermostat. At $129, the Nest Thermostat is the company’s most affordable one yet, but it’s also the first to feature a new swipe and tap interface on its side, as well as Google’s Soli radar technology to sense room occupancy and when you are near the device.

Soli, it is worth noting, is not being used for enabling gesture controls. Instead, because the design team wanted a solid mirror finish on the front, Nest decided to use it purely for motion sensing.

The new thermostat, which is made from 49 percent recycled plastic, will come in four colors, Snow, Charcoal, Sand and Fog. The company is also launching a $14.99 trim kit to help you hide any imperfections in your pain when you install the new thermostat.

Image Credits: Nest

“It has this inviting form with this intuitive swipe up and down control, which lets you interact with this product really naturally, instead of pressing these tiny little buttons that most traditional thermostats have,” Nest product lead Ruchi Desai told me.

It’s worth noting that this new version is mostly meant for users in smaller apartments or condos, as it doesn’t support Nest’s remote sensors. To get support for those, you’ll need a Nest Thermostat E (which can occasionally be found for around $139) or the fully-fledged Nest Learning Thermostat.

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Talking about learning, among the feature the team is highlighting with this release is the thermostat’s ability to help you schedule your custom temperature settings for different times of the day — and different days. Nest calls this Quick Schedule.

“Unlike the Nest Learning Thermostat, which has the auto-schedule [feature], this one actually offers the ability to create temperature presets, which gives you the ability to set up a schedule based on your lifestyle, based on your preferences,” Desai said. “It will also give you the flexibility of holding temperatures, which means it’ll override the schedule that you have in times when you need the control and flexibility.”

Image Credits: Nest

That sounds a lot like what you’d find in most of today’s smart thermostats from the likes of Ecobee and other Nest competitors, but it’s a first for Nest.

With its Savings Finder feature, the thermostat can also look for small optimizations and suggest minor tweaks that can result in additional energy savings.

Thanks to the new built-in Soli radar chip, the device can automatically lower the temperature when you’re not home. It’s a shame the team isn’t using the chip for any gesture controls, something Google did with its Pixel 4 phone, but the team tells me that it decided not to do this because it didn’t fit the user profile.

“I think that was a very conscious decision we made while designing this product, because for this product we really have the user in mind and we really wanted to focus on the features that were really important to this user. And these are brand new to smart home, they really wanted app control — it seems so basic to us but it’s a massive upgrade for them, right. And all these energy-saving features that come with the thermostat were something that they valued a lot. So we wanted to focus on the features that these users valued for this product,” Desai explained.

Maybe we’ll see Nest do more with this technology in the next iterations of its more expensive thermostats. For now, it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity, though in all fairness, Soli in the Pixel 4 mostly felt like a gimmick and at least the Nest team is putting it to practical use here.

Image Credits: Nest

Like before, Nest promises that it will only take about half an hour or so to install the new thermostat. The app walks you through the individual steps, which should make the process pretty straightforward, assuming your heating and cooling system follows modern standards.

To control the thermostat remotely, you’ll use the Google Home app, where you’ll also find all of the smart features to help you save more energy.

The new thermostat is now available in the U.S. (for $129.99) and Canada (for $179.99 CAD). In Canada, the trim kit will retail for $19.99 CAD). As the team noted, between various utility rebates and rewards, a lot of users may be able to get theirs for only a few dollars, depending on where they live.

Image Credits: Nest

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Fix: Cannot Close Cortana Window In Windows 10

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Over the past weekend, I reinstalled Windows 10 on my ThinkPad laptop. This time around, instead of using a Microsoft account to sign in, I created a local user account and started using it. After installing Windows 10, while installing device drivers, I noticed the Cortana window (sign in window) was open. Since I was […]

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