Tag: violations;
Twitter will label tweets limited due to hate policy violations
Twitter may have a looser stance on bans under Elon Musk, but it’s still willing to flag content that runs afoul of its rules. The social network will label tweets it believes are violating its Hateful Conduct policy. You’ll see a notice that Twitter is limiting the “visibility” of the problematic post with an opportunity to learn more.
The labels will cover more types of policy violations in the months ahead. Users can initially provide “feedback” on a label if they feel it was in error, but they’ll have to wait until sometime in the future to formally appeal decisions. The company stresses that the labels only apply to individual tweets, not an entire account.
We’re adding more transparency to the enforcement actions we take on Tweets. As a first step, soon you’ll start to see labels on some Tweets identified as potentially violating our rules around Hateful Conduct letting you know that we’ve limited their visibility. 🧵…
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) April 17, 2023
Twitter sees this as a reflection of its Musk-era “freedom of speech, not freedom of reach” philosophy where it more often shies away from outright bans in favor of limiting exposure to content. Theoretically, this prevents offensive speech from spreading without completely silencing users on the platform. It also promises greater transparency to address concerns of “shadow bans” that limit reach without someone’s knowledge. Musk has lifted bans on a number of high-profile accounts, including former President Trump’s, although it was willing to temporarily suspend Ye despite lifting a permanent ban in November.
The move might not please some. Advocacy groups have criticized Twitter for not doing enough to protect frequent targets of hate, such as the LGBTQ community. While offenders can still face bans if they’re “bad actors” or violate the law, they’re more likely to stay on the service. This also isn’t certain to satisfy advertisers leaving Twitter over concerns their ads may run alongside objectionable material. And while it will address concerns over possible censorship, it won’t necessarily please those who see labels as tarnishing a post’s worth.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitter-will-label-tweets-limited-due-to-hate-policy-violations-170438879.html?src=rss
NLRB accuses Activision Blizzard of labor violations during unionization efforts
Activision Blizzard, publisher of the Call of Duty franchise, has been accused by a U.S. federal agency of spying and intimidating workers amidst unionization efforts at the company. According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the video game publisher has been illegally surveilling employees and threatening to shut down internal chat channels to keep the staff from organizing.
As reported by Reuters, the Communication Workers of America union has accused Activision Blizzard of illegal labor practices as the union has sought to help workers at the company organize. A spokesperson with the NLRB told Reuters that a settlement has been issued with Activision and unless the company agrees the board will issue a complaint against the company in California and three other states.
A spokesperson with Activision told Reuters that the claims from the CWA were false and that the company was committed to fighting toxic workplace culture.
Unionization efforts at the publisher have been slowly picking up, with workers staging a walkout last year to protest “a lack of gender equality at the company.” The CWA claims that Activision used “security staff to keep tabs on workers during the walkout.” Another claim from the union is that the publisher threatened to close workers’ internal slack channels “where employees frequently discussed working conditions.” A spokesperson with the CWA told Reuters that both claims were found to have merit.
The reports of union busting within Activision Blizzard couldn’t come at a worse time as the company is still in the midst of being bought by Microsoft. The deal has yet to be finalized as the merger is facing increasing scrutiny from the FTC and European Commission, but it’s expected that the deal will be approved sometime at the end of April.
This is also not the first time anti-union complaints have been lodged at Activision. Last year a separate NLRB complaint claimed that the company used a policy limiting what workers can post on social media to bar them from discussing working conditions, as reported by Reuters.
SEC sues Tron founder and celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and Soulja Boy, for crypto securities violations
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Justin Sun, the founder of Tron, on allegations of orchestrating “unregistered offer and sale, manipulative trading and unlawful touting of crypto asset securities,” the agency stated Wednesday. The SEC said it was suing Sun, his Tron foundation, the BitTorrent Foundation and BitTorrent (now referred to as Rainberry) over […]
SEC sues Tron founder and celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and Soulja Boy, for crypto securities violations by Jacquelyn Melinek originally published on TechCrunch
Amazon’s OSHA fine for warehouse safety violations could be about $60K
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, has issued a citation against Amazon, alleging that the company violated safety laws and failed to keep workers in three warehouses safe. The regulator has also proposed $60,269 in penalties related to the violations — a drop in the bucket for a company that recorded over $127 billion in sales during the third quarter of 2022 alone but a relatively high penalty compared to many of the ones it faced from OSHA before.
According to a press release, the citation stems from inspections at three warehouses located in Deltona, Florida, Waukegan, Illinois, and New Windsor, New York. OSHA says that Amazon “exposed workers to ergonomic, struck-by hazards” in the location, putting them at…
Epic Games to pay $520 million in FTC lawsuit over privacy violations and deceptive interfaces
The Federal Trade Commission has settled an agreement with Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, regarding privacy violations and deceptive interfaces that violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
As a result of the allegations, Epic Games is to pay a $275 million penalty for violating the COPPA rule, and another $245 million is to be used to refund customers victim to the “dark patterns and billing practices” outlined by FTC.
Additionally, noted as a “first-of-its-kind provision” by the FTC, Epic Games is going to be required to integrate strong privacy default settings for children and teens. Just recently, Epic launched Cabined Accounts for those under the age of 13, and these accounts limit multiplayer communications, in-game purchases, and the ability to install games that aren’t by Epic.
Fortnite maker to pay $520M over child privacy violations, ‘deceptive’ in-game purchases
Epic Games settles with Federal Trade Commission
YouTube bans Pornhub channel for multiple policy violations
Pornhub’s YouTube channel had been around since 2014 and managed to amass 900,000 subscribers before being banned. It posted safe-for-work videos promoting the popular adult entertainment network and its performers. Variety notes that some of the channel’s content included series like Advice for Models, Pornhub Models, and Pornhub Literacy 101,…
YouTube bans Pornhub’s channel over ‘multiple’ rule violations
YouTube has removed Pornhub’s channel over “multiple” community guideline violations, as first reported by Variety. According to Google, Pornhub’s account violated YouTube’s external link policy, which prohibits users from linking to content that’s not allowed on the platform, such as pornography.
“Upon review, we terminated the channel Pornhub Official following multiple violations of our Community Guidelines,” YouTube spokesperson Jack Malon tells The Verge. “We enforce our policies equally for everyone, and channels that repeatedly violate or are dedicated to violative content are terminated.”
Pornhub’s YouTube channel, which had nearly 900,000 subscribers before it was taken down, posted safe-for-work content promoting the site and…
Tesla Cyberquad for Kids recalled due to federal safety standard violations
The Tesla Cyberquad for Kids is being recalled by Radio Flyer (which built the product) after the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that it violates all-terrain vehicle (ATV) federal safety standards for youths. The agency determined that, among other issues, the mechanical suspension and maximum tire pressure weren’t adequate. Moreover, it said the Cyberquad for Kids lacked an approved ATV action plan, which lays out safety requirements and is needed to build, import, sell or distribute ATVs in the US.
In the recall notice, which was spotted by The Verge, the CPSC said that around 5,000 units of the Cyberquad for Kids had been sold. Tesla was offering the product through its website. Radio Flyer said folks who bought one should immediately return the motor controller (the removal of which will permanently disable the Cyberquad) for a full $1,900 refund. The company will reimburse at least some costs involved in returning the motor controller and disposing of the other parts. It’s not clear whether new Cyberquad for Kids models will be sold at a later time.
The electric Cyberquad for Kids has up to 15 miles of range and a top speed of 10 mph. It has a steel frame, cushioned seat and LED light bars. While there haven’t been any reports of serious injuries, Radio Flyer said it learned of one case where the Cyberquad for Kids — which is designed for a single rider — tipped over while being driven by a child and a woman, with the adult sustaining a bruised shoulder.
Radio Flyer noted that Tesla’s main involvement with the Cyberquad for Kids, other than selling it, was consulting on the ATV’s appearance. It’s designed to look like the standard Cyberquad, which Tesla announced alongside the Cybertruck. Radio Flyer has also sold rideable toy versions of Tesla cars for kids.
Meanwhile, there’s a Tesla recall of another sort. As noted by Electrek, the company is recalling just over 24,000 Model 3 vehicles built since 2017 due to a possible seat belt issue.