Meta is facing backlash in Nigeria after a user found an in-app notification that was described as discriminatory. Techpoint reported that Nigerian Instagram user Daniel Adebowale shared a screenshot of his conversation partner on social media, telling him that the user “appeared to be in Nigeria” and urged the user to avoid sharing personal information unless they knew the person. The post caused an uproar on social media, as several Nigerian users accused Meta of unfairly targeting the country. Meta, however, denied the allegation, explaining that the alert was part
A new dataset in the form of maps highlighted how many African workers are indirectly employed in the tech sector. These employees tend to do content moderation, customer service, and data annotation for AI models, as well as other jobs. Tech firms that provide outsourced digital labor for big tech companies tend to be discreet about their staff. This allows tech companies to distance themselves legally and ethically from their employees, experts explained to Rest of World. African workforces building AI The map shows the flow of data and knowledge
Meta is threatening to shut down Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria after losing a court appeal over $290 million in fines tied to regulatory and data privacy violations, the BBC reports. $290M in fines The showdown began in 2021 when Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) launched an investigation into WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy. The agency, along with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and the national advertising regulator, accused Meta of multiple infractions. These include sharing user data without authorization, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to other
Meta is facing a lawsuit in Ghana as content moderators who experienced severe psychological harm caused by taking down disturbing social media content, including depictions of murders, extreme violence, and child sexual abuse. Lawyers are preparing for court action against a company contracted by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, following a meeting with moderators at a facility in Ghana that allegedly employs approximately 150 people. This is the second lawsuit Meta is facing in Africa. Why is Meta facing a lawsuit in Ghana? Moderators working for Majorel in Accra claim that
AI chatbots on Meta’s platforms like Facebook and Instagram can have sexually explicit conversations with users, including those who are underage. The findings were highlighted in a report by the Wall Street Journal. Meta is pushing to promote AI-powered digital companions, which Mark Zuckerberg believes will be the future of social media. However, staff workers across multiple departments have raised concerns about the ethical lines these bots have crossed. The WSJ reported that the employees also felt that the company was not doing enough to protect minors from inappropriate conversations.
Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has imposed a fine of $220 million on Meta and WhatsApp for breaching the country’s data protection and consumer rights laws. The fine was issued following a comprehensive investigation, which the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal upheld on Friday, 25 April 2025. It must be paid within 60 days, as stated by TechPoint. Why Meta must pay a $220 million fine? The FCCPC and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) identified several violations, including the unauthorized sharing of Nigerian users’ data, inadequate
The Distributed AI Research (DAIR) Institute is calling on social media companies to address the spread of violent speech and warmongering on their platforms to stop a looming war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Researchers at the institute have spent three years analyzing social media platforms’ role in exacerbating the 2020-2022 Tigray war and believe similar failures are happening again. “We performed computational analyses to quantify the level of hate speech on these platforms, and interviewed content moderators to better understand the organizational practices that have resulted in the platforms’ failures
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a $2.4 billion lawsuit over allegations that its platform contributed to ethnic violence in Ethiopia. A Kenyan high court has ruled that the case, brought by two Ethiopian nationals and a Kenyan NGO, can proceed. Hateful content contributing to real-word harm The lawsuit was filed by two Ethopians, Abrham Meareg and Fisseha Tekle, and The Katiba Institute, a Kenya-based NGO. They argue that Facebook’s algorithms amplified hate speech and inciteful content, fueling violence during the country’s civil war. They claim
Facebook, Tinder and Airbnb Apps are being used to lure women into sex trafficking in Colombia. In an investigation carried out by Bloomberg, several girls shared that they were victims of sexual exploitation. Platforms like Facebook, Tinder and Airbnb allowed predators to lure victims into sex work and plan dates and accommodations with tourists overseas. “With the growing availability of good internet service, the technology to enable this type of crime is on the rise,” Pablo César Villeda Ortiz, former regional president for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International
Techish is back! This week, Abadesi and Michael kick off the episode with the backlash over Stormzy’s McDonald’s collaboration. They also break down Meta’s latest layoffs and how performance reviews play into the mix. Then, they take a look at the rising cost of concert tickets—why are prices for artists like Beyoncé skyrocketing? Finally, they discuss the future of DEI in corporate America and what these shifts mean for the people driving the work forward. Chapters 00:25 Stormzy’s McDonald’s Collaboration Sparks Backlash09:49 Meta Lays Off “Low Performers”16:03 Cowboy Carter Tour:
