The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have raised their concerns over Meta ending its fact-checking system, arguing that the changes directly undermine free speech. What are Meghan and Harry’s Concerns? “Contrary to the company’s talking points, allowing more abuse and normalizing hate speech serves to silence speech and expression, not foster it,” they said. In a statement on their website, the pair accused the company of lacking integrity and believed the move was “responding to political winds; they once again abandon public safety in favor of profit, chaos, and control.”
Techish is back with a fresh new season to kick off 2025! Michael and Abadesi dive into US politics—talking elections, inflations, and the role of ‘liberal elites’. They break down the debate about H-1B visas (no, Trump and Musk don’t actually care about immigrants), Zuckerberg’s MAGA pivot, and what censorship on social media actually means. They wrap things off by asking what owning an Android means for your dating life. Chapters Why Trump Won The Election (00:00) Trump and Musk Back H-1B Visas (08:05) Mark Zuckerberg Pivots to MAGA (15:30)
Singer Jason Derulo is set to join will.i.am’s FYI.AI creative collaboration platform company, Celebrity Access reports. will.i.am is the founder and CEO of the company and appointed Derulo as the Ambassador and Intelligent Media Leader at FYI.AI. “Jason’s passion about AI, his enthusiasm and optimism about the intersection of technology and creativity, entrepreneurial skills, and community reach make him a fantastic addition to the FYI team to help shape our creative strategy going forward,” will.i.am said. What will Jason Derulo do at FYI.AI? Derulo will work with will.i.am and other
The Communications Authority of Kenya is ushering in new licensing rules and fees to crack down on fake electronics in the country. Distributors and telcos must now pay a one-off fee of KSh 250,000 ($1,933.49) for a 15-year licence. They will also be obliged to pay 0.4% of their yearly income as an annual fee, but not under KSh 120,000 ($928.07). There are also proposals to better regulate satellite internet service providers (ISPs) like Elon Musk’s Starlink. Why is Kenya introducing a telecom fee? The new licence, which is called
Sub-Saharan African countries lost $1.5 billion to internet shutdowns in 2024, according to data by Top10VPN. Deliberate internet outages and social media shutdowns globally led to a $7.69 billion loss. While Pakistan and Myanmar were most affected, 19% of the economic cost of internet shutdowns total came from Africa. The cost of internet shutdowns Globally, worldwide internet shutdowns have been decreasing since 2022 ($24.61 billion to $7.69 billion), however many countries across the globe still suffer from this form of internet censorship. In 2024, 28 internet shutdowns occurred in 28
IPSY, a beauty subscription service, will be collaborating with Gabrielle Union as the curator of its February Icon Box. The box will include makeup, skin, and hair products by Gabrielle Union to highlight Union’s journey of self-expression. Celebrating Black History Month In addition to curating an IPSY’s February Icon Box, Union will narrate IPSY’s upcoming Black History Month social campaign, “Black Joy Is Beautiful.” The short film celebrates the art of embracing, loving, and expressing your authentic self. The film will be released at the beginning of February. IPSY will also
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan have announced the company is ending its fact-checking system in favor of a community notes model, much like the system on X. However, critics say the shift is simply an attempt to appease the incoming Trump administration and cause real-world harm to already marginalized communities through increased hate speech and misinformation. Why is Meta scrapping the fact-based system? “In recent years, we’ve developed increasingly complex systems to manage content across our platforms, partly in response to societal and political
Meta has deleted its AI-powered Facebook and Instagram profiles following backlash over racist and offensive characters. The tech giant had quietly rolled out the AI-driven accounts that could interact with other users via direct messages in 2023 alongside its lauch of Celebrity AI characters. “Proud Black Queer Momma” These accounts lived under the radar until the Financial Times published a story on December 27 exploring Meta’s intentions to continue integrating user-generated AI profiles that users can create and edit to preferences into its social media platforms. Meta deleted its Celebrity AI
Mark Clayton, a former NFL player, raised $1 million in funding for his LIVV Audio brand of high-performance headphones he designed in high school. The wide receiver, who spent most of his seven-year career with the Baltimore Ravens, created the headphones for athletes and those interested in fitness. Clayton’s Idea Clayton started designing the concept for his headphones while studying business administration and management at Babson College. However, the idea for the headphones came to Clayton during his pool-based rehab sessions after recovering from a knee injury when he joined the
Memphis rapper GloRilla, born Gloria Hallelujah Woods, has funded a new tech-enabled media center at her alma mater, Melrose High School. On December 18, 2024, the Memphis native donated $25,000 to fund the creation of a modern, tech-enabled media center. This space, which will serve students and the surrounding Orange Mound community, will be named the Gloria H. Woods Media Center in her honor. “The fact that I have the ability to do it now warms my heart,” GloRilla said during her visit. A Media Hub for Literacy and Learning
