1. Monthly archive
  2. May 2016

May 2016

Microsoft to explicitly ban 'terrorist content' on its services

Microsoft is updating its terms of use to specifically ban the posting of "terrorist content" on its services. The company is also considering whether to prominently display "positive messaging" in its Bing search results when users look for terror-related materials. However, it will not hide results for terror content on its search engine unless it is banned by local governments.

"Terrorism is one of the truly urgent issues of our time," the company announced. "We are committed to doing our part to help address the use of technology to promote it or to recruit to its causes." Microsoft said it already bars hate speech and violence on its services, but now it is specifically banning terrorist content. It defined terror content as posts that support any organization on a sanctions list maintained by the United Nations and that depict "graphic violence, encourages violent action, endorses a terrorist organization or its acts, or encourages people to join such groups."

T-Mobile: We'll start to use incentive auction spectrum 'at the end of 2017'

Some industry analysts have speculated that it may take several years before carriers can begin to deploy services on the 600 MHz airwaves that the Federal Communications Commission will put up for auction in the coming weeks. But T-Mobile executives think they may be able to begin to leverage that spectrum as early as 2017.

"We believe we'll be able to get the start of deployment and usage at the end 2017," said Peter Ewens, T-Mobile's executive vice president of corporate strategy. "Obviously the repacking debate is still in play. I think personally the dynamic will change once the auction is over, because you will have winners in the reverse auction -- that means broadcasters who want to get paid -- and then you'll have everyone else. And right now I think it's easy for all the broadcasters to stand together and talk about how difficult repacking is, but once the auction's over there's a bunch of people who want to get paid. And they don't get paid until the stuff gets repacked." Ewens added that T-Mobile's first deployments on any new 600 MHz spectrum could happen in rural areas, where network transitions might be simpler to execute.

Scoring the 2016 candidates on press freedom

[Commentary] When it comes to political campaigns, journalists traditionally serve as the referees, covering the action but not taking sides. There is one issue, however, on which journalists might be forgiven for showing preference—choosing who among the candidates is best for the media. For anyone trying to see how the candidates measure up, here’s a scorecard to help them decide.

Up to five points are awarded for policies or actions that benefit the media; likewise, up to five points are subtracted when they are detrimental. And the winner between the presumptive nominees is—no surprise here— Hillary Clinton with a total score of -1, compared to -8 for Donald Trump. The fact that Clinton comes out ahead with a negative score strongly suggests the challenges ahead. President Barack Obama campaigned on a promise to lead the “most transparent” administration in American history but has failed to meet this commitment. Based on the candidates left in the race, there is a good chance the situation will get worse, not better, in the next administration. The question to be decided on Election Day is how much worse, and how quickly.

Fake in China: 488 million social media posts a year

The Chinese government cranks out 488 million fake social media posts a year in an effort to divert attention away from sensitive issues, a new study estimates. The researchers describe a "massive secretive operation" carried out by government employees, highlighting just how far China is willing to go to control news and information. Many foreign websites and social networks, including Google and Facebook, are blocked in the country, and authorities closely monitor and censor activity on homegrown social media sites.

The new study, led by Harvard University data scientist Gary King, looks at China's "Fifty Cent Party," referring to the people rumored to be paid 50 Chinese cents (US$0.08) by the government for each positive social media comment they write and post. The "Fifty Cent Party" is often perceived as weighing in on the government's side in political debates on the Internet. But the study disputes that, suggesting that the posts actually shy away from arguments and controversial issues. Instead, their aim is to "regularly distract the public and change the subject," the researchers say. "Most of these posts involve cheerleading for China, the revolutionary history of the Communist Party, or other symbols of the regime."

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