Malaysia to take legal action against Meta, says harmful content not removed
Meta fails to take sufficient action despite Malaysia’s repeated requests
Some Southeast Asian governments have frequently requested that content be taken down
Updated 19 sec ago
Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities said on Friday they will take legal action against Facebook parent company Meta Platforms for failing to remove “undesirable” content on the social media platform.
Facebook has recently seen a significant volume of undesirable content relating to race, royalty, religion, defamation, impersonation, online gambling and scam advertisements, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said in a statement.
It also said Meta had failed to take sufficient action despite its repeated requests and that legal action was necessary to promote “accountability for cybersecurity” and for “enhancing consumer protection.”
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The commission also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what legal action might be taken.
Big social media firms such as Meta, Google’s YouTube and TikTok are often under regulatory scrutiny over content posted on their platforms.
Some Southeast Asian governments have frequently requested that content be taken down.
In 2020, Vietnam threatened to shut down Facebook in the country if it did not bow to government pressure to censor more local political content on its platform. It said last year that social media platforms operating in Vietnam removed more than 3,200 posts and videos in the first quarter that contained false information and violated the country’s law.
In Indonesia, Facebook in 2019 took down hundreds of local accounts, pages and groups linked to a fake news syndicate.
Users will be able to explore streaming platform’s content library
Updated 22 June 2023
Arab News
DUBAI: Google has announced a new partnership with MBC streamer Shahid to feature its content on Google Search.
Shahid content will be available under the What to Watch section on Google Search for users in the UAE.
Users will be able to explore the streaming platform’s content library from the What to Watch tab and will be taken to Shahid’s website or mobile app when they click on the Watch Now button.
The partnership is part of Shahid’s mission “to provide customers with the most convenient ways to access our vast catalog of high-quality shows and series,” said Ahmed Qandil, director of growth and brand marketing at Shahid.
He added: “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Google, as the first regional streaming service on Watch actions, to bring Shahid’s vast content library directly to our audiences in Google search results.”
More and more people use Google Search to look for shows, said Najeeb Jarrar, regional director of marketing at Google Middle East and North Africa.
Shahid is the first streaming service in the MENA region to be featured in Google Search’s What to Watch section, Jarrar added.
The feature is currently available in English and Arabic for residents in the UAE and will soon be launched in other countries across the MENA region.
TikTok and AstroLabs conclude digital advertising program for Saudi businesses
More than 100 small and medium-sized enterprises participated
Updated 22 June 2023
Arab News
DUBAI: AstroLabs and TikTok have concluded their flagship partner program supporting small and medium-sized businesses in Saudi Arabia.
The TikTok for Business Bootcamp was designed in partnership with AstroLabs to equip SMBs with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively advertise on TikTok.
Lukas Krejca, program operations director at AstroLabs, said: “The vision behind this program was to provide SMBs in Saudi Arabia with the necessary resources to thrive in the digital era.
“We wanted to support the diversification and digital transformation efforts of local businesses, and this partnership with TikTok has allowed us to bring global best practices and cutting-edge advertising tools to the fingertips of local SMBs.”
The program consisted of three tracks — start, create, and grow — that featured live sessions by global TikTok experts who provided insights into advertising on the short-form video platform.
The sessions also included practical guidance on basic steps such as account setup and video creation.
More than 100 SMBs participated in the program. TikTok and AstroLabs also tailored an in-person session at AlUla for 42 SMEs which constitute part of the Vibes AlUla Entrepreneurship Program, a strategic initiative by the Royal Commission for AlUla.
TikTok also gave program participants ad credits that can be used on the platform.
Lisa Friedrich, head of SMB for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at TikTok, said: “Participants gained practical knowledge, received personalized guidance from TikTok experts, and enjoyed a best-in-class onboarding experience.
“We believe that empowering SMBs with the tools and expertise they need is crucial for their digital success, and we’re delighted to have AstroLabs as one of our first partners on this journey in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.”
Journalism and AI will go hand in hand, Elaph chief tells Arab News
Othman Al-Omair and Caledonia Edmond discuss how embracing technology will have an impact on the media industry and beyond
Updated 22 June 2023
Tarek Ali Ahmad and Gabriele Malvisi
LONDON: The media industry has been urged to stop being afraid of artificial intelligence and embrace it by managers of leading Arabic news website Elaph as it prepares to launch a new AI-augmented service.
Caledonia Edmond, the head of partnerships at London-based Elaph, told Arab News that AI and journalism will go “hand in hand” in the future.
Caledonia Edmond, head of
partnerships at
Elaph.
“I think it will definitely be like a symbiotic relationship with AI and journalism,” said Edmond.
She asserted that AI would “revolutionize” both how journalists do their work, as well as the relationship between news and audience. “It will help journalists discover what is really going on in the stories (and) will be a good complement to journalism,” she added.
In May, Elaph announced a major investment into AI, making it the first Arabic publication to do so, according to the company.
By adopting AI in its strategy, Elaph’s vision is to enrich users’ news experience through customized, attractive and in-depth content.
Its AI feature Advancia.ai will serve a variety of functions within the publication, said Edmond.
“We’re going to be using it for a lot of different things,” she said. “We want to have more of an immersive experience.”
Advancia was developed as a joint venture between Elaph and Virtual Minds, which specializes in media and digital technologies. Edmond explained that the publication is not only a partner in the venture but also the “proof of concept.”
Advancia’s features include customizable news services, AI-based digital human-like news anchors, and news credibility checks, which are aimed at enabling news organizations to provide personalized, accessible, and credible content to their audiences.
It will also include a ChatGPT-like chatbot designed to provide users with insightful data, the latest updates, and a deeper understanding of specific events, explained Edmond.
For example, the chatbot will allow users to ask questions in order to learn more about current and multifaceted events such as the conflict in Ukraine or the unrest in Syria.
The bot will also be able to translate audio in real time from English to Arabic and vice versa. This feature was particularly time-consuming to develop, requiring a significant amount of research, but the results have been rewarding, said Edmond.
“AI has had a problem with translating from English to Arabic,” she said. But new innovations such as making the AI voice sound more natural and human-like have resulted in positive internal tests, indicating that the technology is just about “where it should be,” she added.
Although Elaph might be the first Arabic publication to heavily invest in AI, other global media houses like The New York Times and Financial Times have already invested in the technology.
Elaph hopes to learn from other media organizations, not copy them, said Othman Al-Omair, founder and editor-in-chief of Elaph.
Still, “nobody has the experience” as everyone “started at the same time,” he said.
Othman Al-Omair, founder and
editor-in-chief of
Elaph.
Elaph seems ambitious to take this inspiration and build on it further. “We want to get a little bit more advanced,” said Edmond. “We want to have an AI (experience) more tailored to each individual who’s reading or watching the content.”
Despite AI’s growing adoption, concerns have been apparent, particularly in news media where AI can generate false information and images more easily than humans.
Al-Omair, however, remains confident.
He said: “Yes, there is the bad side of it, which is fake stories and fake pictures, but in the future people will get used to it and they will find the right way to use it.”
Elaph’s adoption of AI is part of a larger strategy that includes attracting younger audiences. Edmond expects the younger, tech-savvy audiences to gravitate toward the new offerings first, with the rest of the readers adopting it over a longer period of time.
The paper also plans to ramp up its social media strategy and “grab young kids’ attention,” she added.
“We’re going to reach out to the young people (on social media) and have them start creating content and then featuring it,” said Edmond.
Elaph is not only aiming to expand its reach to a younger audience, but also a wider geography.
It plans to publish in other languages such as Hebrew and Kurdish as well as cater to “minorities like Amazighs (Berbers) in Morocco,” Al-Omair said.
“This is one of the fields which (has) been neglected by media,” he added.
Elaph’s AI technology has been in development for a long spell and the time is “finally” right, said Al-Omair.
Setting aside concerns about the dangers of AI, Edmond said, AI would serve as a powerful ally for journalists, enabling them to swiftly analyze vast data sets, pinpoint inaccuracies, and verify facts, which, in turn, will lead to more accurate information that will reinforce journalistic integrity.
DJ Outlaw: Rise of hip hop in MENA means ‘bright’ future for artists
Businesses backing musicians, says artist at Cannes Lions
SRMG’s deal with Billboard ‘huge opportunity’ for Arab talent
Updated 22 June 2023
Nada Alturki
CANNES: Since 2003, Outlaw Productions has been a one-stop-shop for all media-related services for local rising talent, as well as big conglomerates. While their production house specializes in music production — mixing, mastering, songwriting, jingles, radio ads and theme songs — their true power lies in bolstering the business in the MENA region.
With a notable performance by Flipperachi, talks by DJ Outlaw himself, and producer Sarah Nabil, their presence at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity serves as a testament to the ever-growing talent in the Arab region and its global appeal.
What the company has worked to do since its inception is to create a space for upcoming artists to thrive, mainly through the production house and record label, which provides artists marketing, distribution and concert management.
A decade ago, hip hop was the untapped gem of the region, but as more artists adopted the artform, it transformed into a genre that defines Arab music today.
“Hip hop is taking over now globally, especially in the region. With my contribution to the scene when it comes to Arabic hip hop, and with the other major players that have been doing what we do, it’s getting bigger and bigger now,” he said.
Some of their latest song releases include “Nayda” by Flipperachi featuring Alaa Alhendi, “Floating” by Lil Easy, “Nadam” by Fares DehbiI, “Dgeega” by Daffy and Mohamed Aljassim, “Noor O Thulma” by Lil Easy featuring AlYoung, and others.
Outlaw started his journey in 1997 as a DJ and transitioned to hip hop. But rather than copying the sounds of urban America’s people, whose struggles birthed the genre in the 1970s, Arab artists infused their own sound and context with Arabic instrumentals and lyricism.
In the 1990s, one of the key indicators of a hip hop artist’s success was making it on TV channels such as MTV. Music theory and education was a trial-and-error practice, and little to no institutions established to ensure the music scene flourished regionally. With the rise of user-generated platforms and online streaming, music has never been more accessible.
“Now, when you say ‘I’m a hip hop artist, I’m a hip hop producer,’ people actually pay attention. Back then it was like, ‘what you're doing? Deejaying, why?’ It was (considered) a hobby. Now, the businesses and the industry are getting there, all these big entities that are coming into the region shedding more light into the scene. It’s never been better than this,” DJ outlaw said.
“We have yet to see an Arab artist make it to the top charts internationally. Today, with the launch of Billboard Arabia under the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), it’s a huge opportunity for them to officially cement their place with international music players.”
It goes without saying that events like Cannes Lions are crucial platforms to elevate regional talent and build their presence globally, the DJ said.
“It doesn’t get any bigger than Cannes Lions … Going to these types of events, places to represent Bahrain and what we do as music executives in the region, representing hip hop music and the hip hop scene from the Middle East region — coming here and showcasing what we do to all these important people, (in addition to) the crowd themselves, it’s a huge opportunity,” he said.
He said fans can look forward to a number of releases by artists under Outlaw Productions.
SRMG’s Beach experience at Cannes Lions inspires audiences with insightful talks and live performances
Speakers included SRMG CEO Jomana R. Al-Rashid, VaynerMedia’s Gary Vaynerchuck and stand-up comedian Mo Amer
Updated 22 June 2023
Arab News
DUBAI: Saudi Research and Media Group opened its SRMG Beach Experience at the 70th edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity earlier this week, showcasing the best of MENA and international talent.
The first day included a fireside chat with Jomana R. Al-Rashid, CEO of SRMG, and Guillaume Lacroix, co-founder and CEO of Brut, on the rise of modern, multimedia networks. The four-day event ends on June 22.
Jomana R. Al-Rashid, CEO of SRMG
It also included a lively discussion on how culture travels and music crosses borders with Dana Droppo, chief brand officer at Billboard, and a panel debate on “Digital Wearables and their Impact on the Fashion Industry.”
In addition, violinist and music producer Andre Soueid explained how he became a global sensation and performed his most popular compositions. The day closed with a live performance from rising Saudi artist Mishaal.
On day two, Asharq Business with Bloomberg anchor Nadia Bsat interviewed French-Haitian performing artist Naika, who shared an exclusive preview of her documentary and highlighted the role of identity in producing successful and positive content.
Other star speakers of the day included Gary Vaynerchuck of media agency VaynerMedia, who shared his perspectives on the industry, and Palestinian-American stand-up comedian Mo Amer who spoke about authentic and positive storytelling.
Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman of VaynerX, CEO of VaynerMedia, CEO of VeeFriends
The event also featured a panel debate on how AI would likely impact the creative industry and a panel discussion on the rise of the MENA music industry. The night came to a close with live performances from DJ Outlaw, Moayad, Jeed and Flipperarchi.
The first two days of the SRMG Beach Experience recorded 500 visitors a day and a social media reach of over 70 million globally.
