Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has filed a legal complaint, which names J K Rowling, Elon Musk and others, for aggravated cyber harassment. In a statement, Khelif’s attorney described the harassment as a “misogynist, racist and sexist campaign” against the boxer during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Rowling and Musk Accused of Cyberbullying The lawsuit filed against X was submitted to the Paris public prosecutor’s office for combatting online hate speech. The complaint focuses on derogatory comments made by the high-profile figures on social media, particularly surrounding Khelif’s gender eligibility.
The Divine Nine, a group of historically Black sororities and fraternities, is stepping up efforts to increase voter turnout among Black Americans, as first reported by Wired. As the US gears up for important elections, these organizations are using both public and private methods to encourage more people to vote, especially in communities where voter suppression is a concern. Using Social Media and Private Chats to Mobilize Voters Members of the Divine Nine are taking to social media to spread the word about the importance of voting. They’re sharing posts,
A new app why?! founded by former Netflix and Clubhouse executives is set to transform the way people connect with meaningful conversations. Former Netflix and Clubhouse Executives Launch why?! Founded by former Netflix and Clubhouse executives Maya Watson and Lexi Nisita, the app addresses the growing issue of shallow social media interactions and the difficulty in maintaining quality relationships. According to The Harvard Study of Adult Development, the quality of relationships is crucial for a good life, yet 58% of Americans feel that nobody truly knows them. $1.65M Pre-Seed Funding
UK government officials have criticized Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), for commenting, “civil war is inevitable” under a video of violent, far-right attacks in England. Musk’s Posts Ignite Political Reactions Hundreds have been arrested during a wave of racist, Islamophobic, and anti-immigrant violence sparked by the disinformation surrounding the murder of three young girls last Monday. False claims that the murder suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker led violent right-wing mobs to attack mosques and set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers across
Over 100 scholars, advocates, and human rights organizations have signed an urgent open letter demanding the Venezuelan government cease its technological repression and ensure unfettered access to the internet. This call to action comes amidst escalating political violence following the South American country’s controversial presidential elections on July 28. The open letter’s signatories include the Center on Race & Digital Justice, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and its founder Timnit Gebru. Escalation of Surveillance Post-Elections In the wake of the recent elections, Venezuela has
Google has withdrawn its Olympics ad for the AI chatbot Gemini, titled “Dear Sydney,” following backlash over its portrayal of AI in crafting a child’s letter to her favorite athlete. Controversial Ad Sparks Outrage The “Dear Sydney” commercial features a young girl’s father using Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, to help write a letter to U.S. hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The ad, which includes a scene of the AI-generated letter and concludes with the child running on a track, aimed to demonstrate Gemini’s potential as a supportive tool in creative
Former CNN journalist Don Lemon has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and X (formerly known as Twitter), accusing them of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract. The lawsuit, filed on August 1 in the Superior Court of California for the County of San Francisco, follows the abrupt cancellation of a content partnership deal between Lemon and X. Allegations of Fraud and Breach of Contract According to the lawsuit, Musk and X agreed to a content partnership with Lemon in January 2024, where Lemon was to host an exclusive
Four students from Pinelands High School in Cape Town, South Africa are facing disciplinary hearings after a video depicting a mock “slave auction” went viral on social media, according to the BBC. The video, which shows Black students being auctioned off while others bid for them, has prompted outrage and an official investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Incident Details and Investigation The footage, reportedly filmed by Grade 8 students, shows Black pupils inside a cage while other students shout bids. This incident has drawn significant public
Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, is facing widespread criticism after sharing a deceptively edited video of Vice President Kamala Harris. The video, which makes it appear that Harris is disparaging President Joe Biden and boasting about being the “ultimate diversity hire,” was reposted by Musk without any disclaimer that it was a parody. This action seemingly violates X’s own policy on manipulated media. A Violation of Platform Policies? The controversial video originally posted by @MrReaganUSA was labeled as a “parody” by the creator. However, Musk’s repost, accompanied
Runway AI, a multi-billion dollar company, has been training its AI video tool, Gen-3, on thousands of YouTube videos without permssion, 404 Media has revealed. Among the videos used were over 1,600 from tech influencer Marques Brownlee (MKBHD). The exposé follows an investigation by Proof News, copublished with Wired, which found that tech firms including Apple, Anthropic, Nvidia, and Salesforce had training their AI systems on subtitle data from more than 170,000 YouTube videos. Runway Secretly Trained On YouTube Videos In June, Runway AI launched Gen-3, initially called Jupiter, which received high praise
