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.
A former Meta executive, Sarah Wynn-Williams, testified before U.S. senators on Wednesday, alleging that the company compromised national security to build a lucrative business in China.
Meta is rolling out its “Teen Accounts” feature to Facebook and Messenger, offering enhanced privacy and parental controls to protect young users online. This comes as lawmakers push for stricter social media regulations, responding to growing concerns over children’s safety.
The EU is preparing to rule on Apple and Meta’s alleged breaches of the Digital Markets Act, potentially issuing fines as it seeks to curb Big Tech’s dominance and reinforce fair competition across the digital landscape.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law banning the distribution of advertisements on the information platforms of "extremist and undesirable" organizations. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook (which are banned in Russia) will also be affected by these amendments.
Meta Platforms has unveiled the latest iteration of its large language model, introducing two new versions—Llama 4 Scout and Llama 4 Maverick—on Saturday.
Hamas claims it has lost contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli soldier, after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed one of his guards.
Tehran and Washington have wrapped up their second round of nuclear talks, aiming to revive stalled diplomacy and explore the path to a potential agreement.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine has drawn strong criticism from Kyiv, as Ukrainian leaders question the sincerity behind Moscow’s gesture amid continued hostilities and deep mistrust.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced a Russian drone strike that occurred just hours after the start of a declared Easter truce, calling it proof of Vladimir Putin’s blatant disregard for both the holiday and human life.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
The Holy Fire ceremony stands as one of Christianity's most enduring and mysterious rituals, drawing thousands of pilgrims to Jerusalem each year.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
Hamas claims it has lost contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli soldier, after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed one of his guards.
Tehran and Washington have wrapped up their second round of nuclear talks, aiming to revive stalled diplomacy and explore the path to a potential agreement.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine has drawn strong criticism from Kyiv, as Ukrainian leaders question the sincerity behind Moscow’s gesture amid continued hostilities and deep mistrust.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced a Russian drone strike that occurred just hours after the start of a declared Easter truce, calling it proof of Vladimir Putin’s blatant disregard for both the holiday and human life.
Hamas claims it has lost contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli soldier, after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed one of his guards.
Tehran and Washington have wrapped up their second round of nuclear talks, aiming to revive stalled diplomacy and explore the path to a potential agreement.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine has drawn strong criticism from Kyiv, as Ukrainian leaders question the sincerity behind Moscow’s gesture amid continued hostilities and deep mistrust.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced a Russian drone strike that occurred just hours after the start of a declared Easter truce, calling it proof of Vladimir Putin’s blatant disregard for both the holiday and human life.
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