Facebook in Asia
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Facebook in Asia
Long read:
Analysis
Facebook’s Litmus Test in Cambodia
A company verdict on Prime Minister HE’s online incitement could set a precedent for other autocrats.
By Fiona Kelliher, a freelance journalist covering politics, human rights, and digital authoritarianism in Southeast Asia.
In January, Cambodian Prime Minister HE went live on Facebook during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new road and addressed his political opponents. In a veiled reference to a politician convicted of defamation last year, HE threatened legal action against anyone who said the ruling party had stolen votes. “There are only two options. One is to use legal means and the other is to use a stick,” the prime minister said. “Either you face legal action in court, or I rally [the Cambodian] People’s Party people for a demonstration and beat you up.”
Cambodia will hold national elections on July 23, and the prime minister is expected to extend his 38 years in power. Bombastic rhetoric is typical for HE, who leads a country of 17 million people and has around 14 million Facebook followers. But the January remarks drew immediate attention from both local and international media, and a few users reported the speech for inciting violence. Meta, which owns Facebook, eventually determined that HE had violated its community standards. But the moderators left the speech online on the grounds it was “newsworthy,” which Facebook defines as when public interest outweighs threat to public safety or risk of harm.
The speech has become a litmus test for Meta, which has pledged to improve its content moderation and understanding of political contexts in Southeast Asia. Nearly six years ago, Facebook’s algorithms contributed to human rights violations during Myanmar’s genocidal campaign against the Rohingya ethnic minority. The company has since released a corporate human rights policy and claims that it has strengthened language capacity and local relationships in the region. However, critics argue that these efforts are more about bolstering Meta’s reputation than accepting responsibility for the platform’s links to violence in these countries.
Meta’s Oversight Board, a group of independent experts that arbitrates content moderation, is now reviewing the HE case, with a binding decision about the video expected before July. The board will also deliver policy recommendations that could influence how Meta approaches political speech ahead of other upcoming elections in Asia, including in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Myanmar. The decision is unlikely to affect the results of the vote in Cambodia, where the government recently banned the main opposition party from participation. But for people across Asia, it will signal where Meta may draw the line on the issue of political threats and incitement—rhetoric that leaders from Pakistan to the Philippines have embraced.
The crux of the matter rests on Meta’s definition of newsworthiness, which is by its own admission “highly subjective.” Meta grants an exception for newsworthiness in cases where speech may violate other community standards after a “thorough review” by Facebook teams of whether the content creates an immediate safety threat or “gives voice to perspectives currently being debated as part of a political process.” Between June 2021 and June 2022, Facebook moderators justified content with this standard 68 times, with about one-fifth of those allowances given to politicians, according to a Meta transparency center article. (Meta declined to comment through a spokesperson.)
Full article: https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/06/05/fa ... precedent/
Analysis
Facebook’s Litmus Test in Cambodia
A company verdict on Prime Minister HE’s online incitement could set a precedent for other autocrats.
By Fiona Kelliher, a freelance journalist covering politics, human rights, and digital authoritarianism in Southeast Asia.
In January, Cambodian Prime Minister HE went live on Facebook during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new road and addressed his political opponents. In a veiled reference to a politician convicted of defamation last year, HE threatened legal action against anyone who said the ruling party had stolen votes. “There are only two options. One is to use legal means and the other is to use a stick,” the prime minister said. “Either you face legal action in court, or I rally [the Cambodian] People’s Party people for a demonstration and beat you up.”
Cambodia will hold national elections on July 23, and the prime minister is expected to extend his 38 years in power. Bombastic rhetoric is typical for HE, who leads a country of 17 million people and has around 14 million Facebook followers. But the January remarks drew immediate attention from both local and international media, and a few users reported the speech for inciting violence. Meta, which owns Facebook, eventually determined that HE had violated its community standards. But the moderators left the speech online on the grounds it was “newsworthy,” which Facebook defines as when public interest outweighs threat to public safety or risk of harm.
The speech has become a litmus test for Meta, which has pledged to improve its content moderation and understanding of political contexts in Southeast Asia. Nearly six years ago, Facebook’s algorithms contributed to human rights violations during Myanmar’s genocidal campaign against the Rohingya ethnic minority. The company has since released a corporate human rights policy and claims that it has strengthened language capacity and local relationships in the region. However, critics argue that these efforts are more about bolstering Meta’s reputation than accepting responsibility for the platform’s links to violence in these countries.
Meta’s Oversight Board, a group of independent experts that arbitrates content moderation, is now reviewing the HE case, with a binding decision about the video expected before July. The board will also deliver policy recommendations that could influence how Meta approaches political speech ahead of other upcoming elections in Asia, including in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Myanmar. The decision is unlikely to affect the results of the vote in Cambodia, where the government recently banned the main opposition party from participation. But for people across Asia, it will signal where Meta may draw the line on the issue of political threats and incitement—rhetoric that leaders from Pakistan to the Philippines have embraced.
The crux of the matter rests on Meta’s definition of newsworthiness, which is by its own admission “highly subjective.” Meta grants an exception for newsworthiness in cases where speech may violate other community standards after a “thorough review” by Facebook teams of whether the content creates an immediate safety threat or “gives voice to perspectives currently being debated as part of a political process.” Between June 2021 and June 2022, Facebook moderators justified content with this standard 68 times, with about one-fifth of those allowances given to politicians, according to a Meta transparency center article. (Meta declined to comment through a spokesperson.)
Full article: https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/06/05/fa ... precedent/
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Re: Facebook in Asia
An international company such as Meta shouldn't have an "oversight board" of unelected foreigners that meddles in the affairs of a sovereign country, regardless of how democratic that country is (by Meta's own standards).
For some strange reason, I trust Meta even less than an autocratic government to have a country's best interests at heart. Why? Simply because their soggy asses aren't even on the line if and when people revolt.
For some strange reason, I trust Meta even less than an autocratic government to have a country's best interests at heart. Why? Simply because their soggy asses aren't even on the line if and when people revolt.
Re: Facebook in Asia
If they even mute HE for 24hours he'll have the site banned within a week.
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Re: Facebook in Asia
They banned several pornsites a year or so back and the khmers I know were talking about some big guys daughter doing the deed being found on one them, he can throw quite the tantrum.rogerrabbit wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:50 pmWould he ban it? So many people livelihood and life in general is on Facebook in this country. Would he dare to ban it?
- phuketrichard
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Re: Facebook in Asia
Comparing pornsites to FB is ridiculous!!Darkcel wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:51 pmThey banned several pornsites a year or so back and the khmers I know were talking about some big guys daughter doing the deed being found on one them, he can throw quite the tantrum.rogerrabbit wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:50 pmWould he ban it? So many people livelihood and life in general is on Facebook in this country. Would he dare to ban it?
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
Re: Facebook in Asia
How so? The government here does it all the time, have you not noticed the headlines about lotion sellers being fined or asked to "apologize" for their lewd outfits?phuketrichard wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 2:01 pmComparing pornsites to FB is ridiculous!!Darkcel wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:51 pmThey banned several pornsites a year or so back and the khmers I know were talking about some big guys daughter doing the deed being found on one them, he can throw quite the tantrum.rogerrabbit wrote: ↑Wed Jun 07, 2023 1:50 pmWould he ban it? So many people livelihood and life in general is on Facebook in this country. Would he dare to ban it?
- Username Taken
- Raven
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Re: Facebook in Asia
Businesses in Cambodia don't have websites, they have Facebook pages.
Facebook IS the internet in Cambodia.
"Sire, the peasants are revolting!"
"Why?"
"Facebook is down"
Facebook IS the internet in Cambodia.
"Sire, the peasants are revolting!"
"Why?"
"Facebook is down"
- phuketrichard
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Re: Facebook in Asia
BS!!!!!The PM stated that he had decided to leave FaceBook because of the large number of fake accounts purporting to be him.
He also stated that he had found that rival social media network Telegram was a more effective communication network, which has better security
LOL:
switches to networks run by Russia and China>>
topic18924-100.html
perhaps merge these??
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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