Meta announced it had been hit with a "substantial" fine for refusing to comply with Turkish government demands to restrict content on Facebook and Instagram.
Turkish government tried to suspend social media accounts sharing information on the widespread protests following the arrest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
"We pushed back on requests from the Turkish government to restrict content that is clearly in the public interest, and have been fined by them as a consequence," Meta spokesperson said, declining to identify the scale of the fine.
"Government requests to restrict speech online alongside threats to shut down online services are severe and have a chilling effect on people’s ability to express themselves," Meta added in statement.
In 2024 Meta received 5,677 requests from Turkish authorities to remove content, 4,199 of which came from Türkiye's communications authority, Meta's transparency report said.
Meta heeded 40 percent of the requests, the report said.
The rights groups and journalists’ organisations also call on the Turkish government to cease pressuring online platforms to block content.
"Rather than simply accepting such blocking orders, we urge platforms to take all steps possible to limit their scope and duration, including by challenging their legality in court. Platforms should also be transparent towards affected users and the broader public about government requests for censorship and measures taken in response; and take all possible steps to maintain platform access in the event of shutdowns or throttling,"- their statement reads.
Plarform X issued a statement according to which it objected to ‘multiple court orders [...] to block over 700 accounts’, including those of news organisations, journalists, and political figures. On 26 March, X announced that they filed an individual application before the Constitutional Court challenging an order by Türkiye's Information Technologies Authority to block 126 accounts.
Meta and Russian search engine Yandex have been secretly tracking what Android users do on their web browsers—even when users are in private or incognito mode—according to experts from Radboud University and IMDEA Networks.
Meta is turning to nuclear power to meet its rising energy needs for artificial intelligence and computing.
Meta announced it has removed 60 coordinated accounts linked to Iran that targeted Azeri-speaking audiences in Azerbaijan and Türkiye across multiple platforms.
Meta has signed another major solar energy agreement, acquiring 650 megawatts (MW) of clean power capacity across Kansas and Texas to support the rapid expansion of its AI-driven data centers, the company confirmed Thursday.
African countries are stepping up efforts to hold global tech companies like Meta accountable for how they handle user data. This could be a turning point for digital control on the continent.
The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) announced Saturday a significant boost to its commitment to ocean health, pledging an additional $2.5 billion in investments aimed at protecting marine ecosystems and fostering sustainable blue economic activities.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei met Pope Leo at the Vatican, confirming the pontiff’s upcoming visit to Argentina.
Negotiations between China and the European Union regarding electric vehicle price commitments are in their final stages, although both sides acknowledge that further efforts are required to reach a resolution.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar held a phone call to discuss strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif exchanged Eid al-Adha greetings in a phone call that also highlighted deepening ties and regional cooperation.
A bridge collapse in the Vygonichsky district of Russia’s Bryansk region, near the Ukrainian border, caused a train derailment and a traffic accident early Sunday, killing at least seven people and leaving 30 injured, according to emergency services.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to speak this week to discuss recent trade tensions, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended abruptly in Istanbul on Monday, lasting just over an hour amid mounting tensions following a major Ukrainian drone strike on Russian strategic bombers and renewed pressure from the U.S. for a breakthrough.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei met Pope Leo at the Vatican, confirming the pontiff’s upcoming visit to Argentina.
Negotiations between China and the European Union regarding electric vehicle price commitments are in their final stages, although both sides acknowledge that further efforts are required to reach a resolution.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar held a phone call to discuss strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif exchanged Eid al-Adha greetings in a phone call that also highlighted deepening ties and regional cooperation.
The United States has appointed Lieutenant General Alexus G. Grynkewich as the next Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). This development occurs as NATO allies prepare for a summit in The Hague later this month, where they have agreed to increase defence spending to 5% of their GDP.
The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) announced Saturday a significant boost to its commitment to ocean health, pledging an additional $2.5 billion in investments aimed at protecting marine ecosystems and fostering sustainable blue economic activities.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei met Pope Leo at the Vatican, confirming the pontiff’s upcoming visit to Argentina.
Negotiations between China and the European Union regarding electric vehicle price commitments are in their final stages, although both sides acknowledge that further efforts are required to reach a resolution.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar held a phone call to discuss strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif exchanged Eid al-Adha greetings in a phone call that also highlighted deepening ties and regional cooperation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment