social justice & equality
How TikTok’s hate speech detection tool set off a debate about racial bias on the app
Some Black creators are frustrated with how the app seemingly flagged phrases about Black people as inappropriate, which the company says was an error in its hate speech detection system. TikTok says it’s fixing an error that caused its algorithms to flag BLM content.
Source: How TikTok’s hate speech detection tool set off a debate about racial bias on the app
From K-Pop stan to keyboard warrior: Meet the activists battling Myanmar’s military junta
A group of young Burmese are braving blackouts and crackdowns to make sure the world stays focused on what’s happening in their country.
Source: From K-Pop stan to keyboard warrior: Meet the activists battling Myanmar’s military junta
Video Games Are a Labor Disaster
Video game workers are not treated poorly because it’s so hard to make a game. The causation might actually run in the other direction: It might be hard to make a video game because the people who make them are treated so poorly.
Source: Video Games Are a Labor Disaster
Biden order: End the monopoly game
President Biden wants to remake the U.S. economy by injecting more competition into highly concentrated industries including airlines, Big Tech and agriculture to improve choices and prices for consumers. Why it matters: The ambitious executive order signed Friday directs the federal government to step up antitrust enforcement and regulation.
“Let me be very clear, capitalism without competition isn’t capitalism. It’s exploitation,” Biden said at a White House signing ceremony for the order.
Apple China is censoring 27 LGBTQ+ apps, report shows
Apple’s App Store in China has removed 27 LGBTQ+-related apps, either to meet the demand of the Chinese government or in a preemptive manner, a new report shows . Research by the U.S.-based Fight for the Future, an advocacy group for digital rights, and China-based GreatFire, a nonprofit organization that tracks censorship in China, shows that only Saudi Arabia has more LGBTQ+ apps unavailable in their App Store.
Source: Apple China is censoring 27 LGBTQ+ apps, report shows
9 devastating takeaways from NYT’s massive report on Amazon workers during the pandemic
Pandemic Amazon ran on automated human resources systems, confusing policies, murky COVID-positive worker numbers, and improbable productivity standards. Those pee-bottle stories were just a whiff of how Amazon workers are treated.
Source: 9 devastating takeaways from NYT’s massive report on Amazon workers during the pandemic
Five new bills aim to break up Big Tech platforms, force them to play nice
Legislators in the US House of Representatives introduced five new bills Friday afternoon that promise the biggest overhaul of antitrust law since the trust-busting era of the early 1900s.
Source: Five new bills aim to break up Big Tech platforms, force them to play nice
Dubai is a paradise for “digital nomads”— and hell for low-wage gig workers
The UAE has eased visa requirements for white-collar freelancers, but migrant gig workers struggle.
Source: Dubai is a paradise for “digital nomads”— and hell for low-wage gig workers
South Korean blind activists are pushing Samsung and LG to reform
Touch screens and image-based interfaces can make the visually impaired “feel more disabled”
Source: South Korean blind activists are pushing Samsung and LG to reform
What Really Happened When Google Ousted Timnit Gebru
She was a star engineer who warned that messy AI can spread racism. Google brought her in. Then it forced her out. Can Big Tech take criticism from within?
Italy’s failed digital democracy dream is a warning
The Five Star Movement (5SM), wanted to upend Italian politics with its revolutionary plans for digital direct democracy. Over the past few months, instead, it almost managed to upend itself, stuck in a kafkaesque drama that left its online voting platform paralysed.
Is big tech now just too big to stomach?
The coronavirus pandemic has wrought economic disruption on a global scale, but one sector has marched on throughout the chaos: big tech. Further evidence of the industry’s relentless progress has come in recent weeks with the news that Apple and Amazon both raked in sales of $100bn (£72bn) over the past three months – 25% more than Tesco brings in over a full year.
LGBT conversion therapy: Banned on Facebook but thriving in Arabic
Arabic-language conversion content still thrives on Facebook, where practitioners post to millions of followers through verified accounts. English-language content blocked, but Arabic posts growing. LGBT+ campaigners want tougher content moderation, action.
Source: LGBT conversion therapy: Banned on Facebook but thriving in Arabic
More Content Moderation Is Not Always Better
As companies develop ever more types of technology to find and remove content in different ways, there becomes an expectation they should use it. Can moderate implies ought to moderate. After all, once a tool has been put into use, it’s hard to put it back in the box.
Amazon warehouse workers suffer serious injuries at higher rates than other firms
New data that Amazon reports to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration shows injury rates that are nearly double those at warehouses run by other companies.
Source: Amazon warehouse workers suffer serious injuries at higher rates than other firms
STEM’s Racial Reckoning Just Entered Its Most Crucial Phase
One year after George Floyd’s murder, science and technology institutions continue to evolve. The most radical and necessary step remains..
Source: STEM’s Racial Reckoning Just Entered Its Most Crucial Phase
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Women hide when they game online to fend off sexist comments, discrimination and harassment
59% of women who play video games online mask their gender to avoid harassment, according to a new study by Reach 3. Why it matters: Women face harassment that makes simply enjoying a multiplayer video game online a fraught proposition.
Source: Women hide when they game online to fend off sexist comments, discrimination and harassment
On Spotify, an Arranged Marriage Between Music and Podcasts
Music-filled — and Spotify-exclusive — shows like “Black Girl Songbook” and “60 Songs That Explain the ’90s” dance around copyright constraints.
Source: On Spotify, an Arranged Marriage Between Music and Podcasts