Technology

Facebook allows posts with violent speech toward Russian soldiers in specific countries

Published

2 years ago

March 11, 2022

Fb and Instagram have instituted a short lived change in coverage that permits customers in some nations to submit content material that’s often forbidden, together with requires hurt and even the demise of Russian troopers or politicians. The change first surfaced in a report by Reuters, citing inside emails to moderators. In them, the outlet studies mods are instructed that requires the demise of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko can be allowed, so long as they don’t include threats towards others or “indicators of credibility” like saying the place or how the act will happen.

In a press release despatched to The Verge, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone mentioned, “Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we’ve briefly made allowances for types of political expression that might usually violate our guidelines like violent speech comparable to ‘demise to the Russian invaders.’ We nonetheless received’t enable credible requires violence in opposition to Russian civilians.”

The New York Instances confirmed this coverage applies to individuals utilizing the service from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. The Instances additionally notes that in 2021, Vice reported Fb moderators acquired comparable short-term directions about “demise to Khamanei” content material and cited a spokesperson saying that Fb had made that individual exception in sure earlier circumstances as effectively.

The Fb neighborhood requirements relating to hate speech and violence and incitement have continued to obtain updates for the reason that firm began publishing them publicly in 2018. This transformation is simply the newest instance of how platforms have modified their therapy of content material originating from the invading nations or regarding them for the reason that preventing started.

An replace to the Reuters report contains the content material of the message despatched to moderators, which reads as follows:

We’re issuing a spirit-of-the-policy allowance to permit T1 violent speech that might in any other case be eliminated below the Hate Speech coverage when: (a) concentrating on Russian troopers, EXCEPT prisoners of conflict, or (b) concentrating on Russians the place it’s clear that the context is the Russian invasion of Ukraine (e.g., content material mentions the invasion, self-defense, and many others.).

Sometimes, moderation tips would dictate that language dehumanizing or attacking a specific group based mostly on its identification be eliminated. However the emails cited by Reuters declare the context of the present scenario requires studying posts from the listed nations about generic Russian troopers as a proxy for the Russian navy as a complete, and absent credible statements connected, moderators are directed to not take motion on them.

Nonetheless, it’s unclear whether or not the posts can be eliminated even with out the path. The coverage already contains many carve-outs and exceptions. It states explicitly that extra info or context is required earlier than the enforcement of the coverage in a number of circumstances, together with:

Content material attacking ideas, establishments, concepts, practices, or beliefs related to protected traits, that are prone to contribute to imminent bodily hurt, intimidation or discrimination in opposition to the individuals related to that protected attribute. Fb seems to be at a spread of indicators to find out whether or not there’s a menace of hurt within the content material. These embody however are usually not restricted to: content material that might incite imminent violence or intimidation; whether or not there’s a interval of heightened stress comparable to an election or ongoing battle; and whether or not there’s a current historical past of violence in opposition to the focused protected group. In some circumstances, we may additionally think about whether or not the speaker is a public determine or occupies a place of authority.

The Russian authorities’s response to the report is unknown, and there haven’t been any updates from its censorship company Roskomnadzor, which banned Fb earlier this month.

Technology

Microsoft’s Surface AI event: news, rumors, and lots of Qualcomm laptops

Published

2 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Press Room

Microsoft’s Surface AI event: news, rumors, and lots of Qualcomm laptops

The Snapdragon X Plus is Qualcomm’s entry-level laptop chip. It has 10 cores, 42MB of cache, a maximum multithreaded frequency of 3.4GHz, and an NPU with 45 tera operations per second (TOPS, or how many mathematical calculations it can solve in a second) to assist with fancy-smancy generative AI applications. But keep in mind, TOPS is an arbitrary measurement that can sound more impressive than it is because it doesn’t necessarily take into account the type or quality of those calculations.

Technology

New Teslas might lose Steam

Published

9 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Press Room

Tesla might be dropping Steam support on some new deliveries of Model X, according to a message from the company shared by a Reddit user who is expecting to take delivery of the long-range version of the electric SUV.

Tesla’s message alerts the customer that the company is “updating the gaming computer” in the Model X and says it’s “no longer capable of playing Steam games.” The message ends with a button for the customer to confirm they will proceed with the delivery.

There’s no indication that other Tesla models will be affected. And we’re not seeing any signs that the automaker plans to remove Steam from current owners’ vehicles through a software update. However, Tesla’s already seems to be leaning toward dropping Steam support for some other models.

Steam isn’t available in the Cybertruck, for example, and Tesla hasn’t said whether it plans on bringing the gaming platform to its bestselling Model Y and Model 3 vehicles, despite newer models sporting improved AMD Ryzen processors. The company has already removed some games over the years, including Sonic the Hedgehog.

Technology

Is this autonomous security guard robot the protection you need?

Published

9 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Press Room

Is this autonomous security guard robot the protection you need?

They’re not your typical office workers. Standing at 5 feet tall and cruising through the corridors at a leisurely 3 mph, these robotic guards are the latest addition to workplace security.

Gone are the days of the traditional security guard. Now, robots are taking over the night shift and beyond.

How do these security robots work?

Cobalt’s robots are custom-built to navigate the unique challenges of each building, from ramps to elevators. They patrol the hallways, vigilant for signs of trouble – be it an unusual motion after hours or a door left ajar – and report their findings to a human-staffed call center.

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These robots can even spot things that might escape the watchful eye of a security camera. They can do this because they are equipped with a depth camera, heat-detecting thermal sensors, 4K cameras that can see 360 degrees, Lidar, as well as a Microphone array for listening and PA system for announcing.

Interactivity and assistance of the security robot

With a simple tap on the screen, employees can summon a 24/7 specialist to address concerns ranging from spills, unwelcome visitors or suspicious activity. This seamless integration of technology and human oversight lets real-life guards spend more time responding and less time observing now that Cobalt is carefully watching on patrol and reporting back what it detects.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

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Case study: DoorDash

DoorDash has embraced Cobalt’s robotic guards across its corporate sites. The result? Enhanced security operations with fewer sick days, no HR complaints, and a boost in both accuracy and response times for security and safety-related incidents.

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Robots vs. humans: The numbers

The driving force behind this robotic revolution is money. It’s far more economical for companies to deploy robots for round-the-clock security than to rely solely on human guards. According to Forrester Research, opting for a robotic guard over a human can lead to substantial savings – around $79,000 annually. That’s a figure that’s hard to ignore for any business looking to optimize its operations.

MORE: APOLLO THE ROBOT JOINS MERCEDES-BENZ ASSEMBLY LINE PRODUCTION

The competitive landscape of the security robot

The security robot market is heating up, with competition between indoor and outdoor models. While Cobalt’s robots are indoor specialists, others like Knightscope and SMP Robots are venturing into both terrains, including malls, hotels and industrial sites. And let’s not forget drones, which are starting to make their mark in the security domain.

Challenges and considerations of security robots

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. Security robots have had their share of mishaps, from minor accidents to malfunctioning in critical situations. And there’s the human factor to consider. Sometimes, nothing can replace the reassurance of a human presence in times of distress.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Despite the occasional glitch, the consensus is clear: Security robots are here to stay, and their presence is set to grow as the technology continues to advance. They may not replace human guards entirely, but they’re redefining the role and allowing humans to focus on more strategic tasks.

What’s your take on these new robot guards? Do you think they’re as trustworthy as human security or are we moving too fast into a tech-driven safety zone? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.