Send kictanet mailing list submissions to
   kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
   https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
   kictanet-request@lists.kictanet.or.ke

You can reach the person managing the list at
   kictanet-owner@lists.kictanet.or.ke

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..."


Today's Topics:

  1. Re: The Tricky Power in Facebook's Hands... (Tony White)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2016 09:47:54 +0300
From: Tony White <tony.mzungu@gmail.com>
To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Cc: Ebele Okobi <ebeleokobi@fb.com>, Nanjira Sambuli
   <email@nanjira.com>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] The Tricky Power in Facebook's Hands...
Message-ID:
   <CANpB6uCQ4O4j-hHmNQ8rtWN9RTETzgL2Dw4P_G2ux8438jd4Vw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

This is a thorny issue!  Everything written is offensive to somebody.
If I express a religious view, or a political view, there are bound to
be others having an opposing view.  This is normal.  But if my view is
grossly offensive to the majority, should it be 'removed'?  How can
any algorithm make these choices?  ...And if the majority view
suppresses all minority views, are we not advocating totalitarianism?

More questions than answers, I'm afraid.

Have an inoffensive weekend, people ;)

Tony


On 10/09/2016, Ebele Okobi via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37318040

Facebook says it will allow an iconic photograph of a girl fleeing a Napalm

attack taken during the Vietnam war in 1972 to be used on its platform.

It had previously removed the image, posted by a Norwegian author, on the

grounds that it contained nudity.

The move sparked a debate about Facebook's role as an editor.

The editor of Norway's largest newspaper had written an open letter to

Facebook's chief Mark Zuckerberg calling the ban "an abuse of power".

The tech giant said it had "listened to the community" and acknowledged the

"global importance" of the photo.

"Because of its status as an iconic image of historical importance, the

value of permitting sharing outweighs the value of protecting the community

by removal, so we have decided to reinstate the image on Facebook where we

are aware it has been removed," it said in a statement.

"It will take some time to adjust these systems but the photo should be

available for sharing in the coming days.

"We are always looking to improve our policies to make sure they both

promote free expression and keep our community safe."

[Aftenposten editor and Napalm girl photo]Image copyrightAFTENPOSTEN/NICK

UTImage captionEspen Egil Hansen is editor of Aftenposten, Norway's largest

newspaper.

Facebook says it will allow an iconic photograph of a girl fleeing a Napalm

attack taken during the Vietnam war in 1972 to be used on its platform.

It had previously removed the image, posted by a Norwegian author, on the

grounds that it contained nudity.

The move sparked a debate about Facebook's role as an editor.

The editor of Norway's largest newspaper had written an open letter to

Facebook's chief Mark Zuckerberg calling the ban "an abuse of power".

The tech giant said it had "listened to the community" and acknowledged the

"global importance" of the photo.

"Because of its status as an iconic image of historical importance, the

value of permitting sharing outweighs the value of protecting the community

by removal, so we have decided to reinstate the image on Facebook where we

are aware it has been removed," it said in a statement.

"It will take some time to adjust these systems but the photo should be

available for sharing in the coming days.

"We are always looking to improve our policies to make sure they both

promote free expression and keep our community safe."

[Erna Solberg]Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionNorwegian Prime

Minister Erna Solberg said it demonstrated the power of social media.

The Norwegian prime minister - who had earlier posted a copy of the photo on

Facebook herself only to see it removed - welcomed the U-turn.

"That's very good, I'm a happy prime minister," Erna Solberg told BBC Radio

4's The World Tonight programme.

"It shows that using social media can make [a] political change even in

social media."

Tom Egeland, the author whose Facebook account had been suspended over the

affair, also expressed his pleasure.

"Now I'm happy!" he

tweeted<https://twitter.com/tomegeland/status/774312424031879168>.

"This does not alter at all the difficult issues that involve Facebook and

the Norwegian media. But tonight I'm just happy."

Tech or media?

But Espen Egil Hansen - the editor of Aftenposten, who had brought the issue

to prominence - said he still had concerns.

"When it comes to this photo specifically I would say that it was a sensible

decision by Facebook. That's what we editors have to do sometimes - realise

that we made a mistake and change our minds," he wrote in Norwegian on the

newspaper's

site<http://www.aftenposten.no/kultur/Facebook-snur-om-Vietnam-bildet-604244b.html>.

"But the main point of my article, and the point that I have asked Mark

Zuckerberg to engage in, is the debate about Facebook's power that results

from so much information going through its channels. And that still stands.

"He should begin to take part in this discussion, for there are no simple

solutions. Facebook must recognise that it has become an information filter

- and that raises problematic issues."

Last month, Mr Zuckerberg told an Italian audience that he did not want his

firm to become a news editor.

"No, we are a tech company, not a media company," he

said<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-zuckerberg-idUSKCN1141WN?utm_source=Daily+Lab+email+list&utm_campaign=107c14838f-dailylabemail3&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d68264fd5e-107c14838f-395963781>.

"The world needs news companies, but also technology platforms, like what we

do, and we take our role in this very seriously."

Ebele Okobi | Public Policy Director, Africa

m. +44 (0) 771 156 1315<tel:+44%20(0)%20771%20156%201315>

10 Brock Street | London<x-apple-data-detectors://0/1> | NW1 3FG

ebeleokobi@fb.com<mailto:ebeleokobi@fb.com>

[6F376569-CC77-422B-BAD3-794055B1E02B]

On Sep 10, 2016, at 6:20 AM, Nanjira Sambuli via kictanet

<kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>>

wrote:

1.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/08/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-napalm-girl-photo-vietnam-war<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.theguardian.com_technology_2016_sep_08_facebook-2Dmark-2Dzuckerberg-2Dnapalm-2Dgirl-2Dphoto-2Dvietnam-2Dwar&d=DQMCaQ&c=5VD0RTtNlTh3ycd41b3MUw&r=ArvepG4_wcNu_X9xi3nb_Xa9WsGLVfmK6mwPdVONOTE&m=IUfDbFCh8dUEJ0iyXugtDi6l2ovxKMldUJnxljATFxA&s=uxPwBMQSkBv9kWc7MFDUquQmK9N8ii_aaY9r4IXi_l0&e=>

2.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/09/facebook-deletes-norway-pms-post-napalm-girl-post-row?CMP=fb_gu<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.theguardian.com_technology_2016_sep_09_facebook-2Ddeletes-2Dnorway-2Dpms-2Dpost-2Dnapalm-2Dgirl-2Dpost-2Drow-3FCMP-3Dfb-5Fgu&d=DQMCaQ&c=5VD0RTtNlTh3ycd41b3MUw&r=ArvepG4_wcNu_X9xi3nb_Xa9WsGLVfmK6mwPdVONOTE&m=IUfDbFCh8dUEJ0iyXugtDi6l2ovxKMldUJnxljATFxA&s=8gd_B_sW3vArlPR-lhnpXG_d36KeP9yB49gjTu0ZzyE&e=>

Regards,

Nanjira.

Sent on the move.

_______________________________________________

kictanet mailing list

kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lists.kictanet.or.ke_mailman_listinfo_kictanet&d=DQICAg&c=5VD0RTtNlTh3ycd41b3MUw&r=ArvepG4_wcNu_X9xi3nb_Xa9WsGLVfmK6mwPdVONOTE&m=IUfDbFCh8dUEJ0iyXugtDi6l2ovxKMldUJnxljATFxA&s=GLRWQixdiV-V5kkvYIbNbOec5psGmlMFdsXo71Oq5yU&e=

Unsubscribe or change your options at

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lists.kictanet.or.ke_mailman_options_kictanet_ebeleokobi-2540fb.com&d=DQICAg&c=5VD0RTtNlTh3ycd41b3MUw&r=ArvepG4_wcNu_X9xi3nb_Xa9WsGLVfmK6mwPdVONOTE&m=IUfDbFCh8dUEJ0iyXugtDi6l2ovxKMldUJnxljATFxA&s=0ePGjcukbULDSvtvCkBq5MCzyNMre_3ISAJ8iBakGcQ&e=

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for

people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and

regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT

sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and

development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors

online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,

share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do

not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

--
Tony White



------------------------------

Subject: Digest Footer

_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet


------------------------------

End of kictanet Digest, Vol 112, Issue 28
*****************************************