WASHINGTON: Friday’s election-interference indictment brought by Robert Mueller, the US special counsel, underscores how thoroughly social-media companies like Facebook and Twitter were played by Russian propagandists.
And it’s not clear if the companies have taken sufficient action to prevent something similar from happening again.
Thirteen Russians, including a businessman close to Vladimir Putin, were charged Friday in a plot to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election through social media propaganda. The indictment said the Russians’ conspiracy aimed, in part, to help Republican Donald Trump and harm the prospects of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.
The alleged scheme was run by the Internet Research Agency, a troll farm based in St. Petersburg, Russia, which used bogus social media postings and advertisements fraudulently purchased in the name of Americans to try to influence the White House race.
“I created all these pictures and posts, and the Americans believed that it was written by their people,” wrote one of the defendants, Irina Kaverzina, in an email to a family member obtained by investigators.
Tech companies have spent months pledging to fix their platforms ahead of the upcoming midterm elections this year, and reiterated those promises Friday. Twitter said in a Friday night statement it “committed to addressing, mitigating, and ultimately preventing any future attempts to interfere in elections and the democratic process, and to doing so in the most transparent way possible.” Facebook thanked US investigators for taking “aggressive action” and pointed out its own role in helping the investigation.
Researchers, however, noted that the companies’ business incentives don’t necessarily align with improved security and anti-hoaxing measures that might have frustrated Russian agents.
“I’ve never been convinced that these sites are motivated to fix a problem like this,” said Notre Dame business professor Timothy Carone, who added that security controls make it harder for sites like Facebook to offer users new features and keep advertisers happy. “It’s a really, really, really difficult problem.”
The indictment confirms earlier findings from congressional investigations that Russian agents manipulated social media to promote social division by mimicking grassroots political activity. It also underscores that the problem wasn’t just “bots” — i.e., automated social-media accounts — but human conspirators who fine-tuned propaganda and built online relationships with American activists.
“The idea wasn’t necessarily to help one political party over another, but to sow as much discord as possible,” said Melissa Ryan, a Democratic social media marketing expert who now keeps track of right-wing online activity. “This was America that was attacked.”
Social-media companies weren’t the only ones subverted in the influence campaign. Federal prosecutors allege that Russian criminals used PayPal as a primary conduit to transfer money for general expenses and to buy Facebook ads aimed at influencing voters. Prosecutors say the accounts were opened using fake identities to help bypass PayPal’s security measures.
PayPal spokesman Justin Higgs said the San Jose, California, company has been cooperating with the Justice Department and is “intensely focused on combatting and preventing the illicit use” of its services.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer outlined the complexity of preventing abuse.
“Election integrity is challenging because again, you’re dealing with adversaries,” Schroepfer said during a conference in Half Moon Bay, California. “They are trying to accomplish a goal and they have smart people who are trying to figure out their way into the system to accomplish that.”
For instance, infiltrators often react immediately to countermeasures. If they figure out Facebook is checking the Internet addresses of computers to identify visitors from particular countries, Schroepfer said, “they’ll take over a machine with malware in the US and post from there instead. People say, ‘Why don’t you just check the currency or the IP address?’ And as soon as you do that, literally that afternoon, they will change tactics.”
Schroepfer said the company is making “good headway” on the problem, although he declined to give specifics. “By kind of doing a lot better job of trying to figure out the authenticity of these different actors, we can certainly stop that sort of behavior,” he said. “There’s a big focus on that.”
On the other hand, now that the Russians have shown how this sort of campaign is done, the door is open for others — including American special interest groups — to use the same tactics to target disaffected voters in the right places, said David Gerzof Richard, a communications professor at Emerson College.
“This is the new norm,” he said. “It’s not going away. It’s not going to be magically fixed by a Silicon Valley CEO or a group of executives saying they’re going to do better.”
Indictment: Social media firms got played by Russian agents
Indictment: Social media firms got played by Russian agents
Athar Festival hosts 4 academies to train next generation of creative talent in Saudi
- 2 academies designed for students, 2 for industry professionals
- Focus on creativity, marketing
DUBAI: The second edition of the Athar Saudi Festival of Creativity opened on Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza RDC in Riyadh.
Hosted by the UAE-based Motivate Media Group and communications consultancy TRACCS, the event featured 100 regional and international speakers and several training initiatives.
One such initiative was the Young Talent Academies, which boasted four academies aiming to foster talent in the creative and marketing fields in Saudi Arabia.
The four academies were the Student Creative Academy, in partnership with regional advertising group Middle East Communications Network; the Student Marketers Academy, in partnership with Arabic entertainment firm UTURN; and the NextGen Creative Academy and NextGen Marketing Academy, in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority.
The first two were tailored for students, while the latter two were for young professionals already working in the industry.
The Young Talent Academies were a key component of the festival and are dedicated to “nurturing the next generation of creatives that will shape the future of Saudi Arabia,” said Ian Fairservice, chairman of Athar Festival and managing partner of Motivate Media Group.
He told Arab News: “The remarkable interest received is a clear indication of ambitions being aligned, and the lineup of immersive workshops and mentorship and networking opportunities at the festival promised to equip participants with invaluable insights and transformative career lessons.”
The Student Creative Academy, in partnership with MCN, brought together experts from across its agencies, which included FP7 McCann, MullenLowe MENA, UM, Initiative MENAT, MRM, Jack Morton, and Weber Shandwick.
Designed to “equip the next generation of creatives with skills and insights, while also instilling the fun of being a creative,” the academy provided participants “with a curated program of talks, mentorships, and creative brief challenges judged by industry leaders, culminating in an awards ceremony,” Ricarda Ruecker, chief talent officer of MCN in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkiye, told Arab News.
UTURN’s Student Marketers Academy’s participants consisted of 60 percent female and 40 percent male students representing universities including Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, University of Business and Technology, King Saud University, and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.
Led by Salwa Bankhar, Webedia Saudi Arabia’s business director, the academy featured eight speakers with expertise in content creation, marketing skills, storytelling, networking strategies and self-promotion.
Both MCN and UTURN are committed to developing local talent in the Kingdom and the academies were part of these efforts.
The Athar Saudi Festival of Creativity plays “an active role in shaping up the creative and marketing industry in Saudi Arabia” and provides “much-needed visibility and exposure to local Saudi talent,” said George Maktabi, CEO of UTURN’s parent company Webedia Group.
“Students take a sponge-like attitude to learning, but also give back candid observations and raw perceptions that puts everyone on a different learning curve,” he told Arab News.
The company is “established around young local talent, and by structure it acts as a hub for Saudi talent,” he added.
For MCN, the academy is of “strategic importance” to the company and a “natural extension” of the initiatives it has in place to foster talent development, Ruecker said.
Earlier this year MCN launched a six-month graduate program in Saudi Arabia to attract and train young local talent. It will launch a second edition in February 2025.
Although MCN and UTURN did not directly offer jobs or internships to participants, both companies said they have various initiatives in place for talent development.
Maktabi said: “UTURN is continuously headhunting talent and young marketers.
“Recruitment is of course competitive-based, and it is important to maintain an open call for talents to ensure open and equal access to all talents.”
The Student Marketers Academy is aimed at guiding students and empowering them “to pursue new opportunities more proactively, and UTURN is always approachable,” Maktabi added.
Ruecker said that MCN already had internship programs across the region and was “committed to inspiring students at the Student Creative Academy to pursue rewarding paths with us, whether through our graduate program or full-time roles across MCN’s agencies.”
The festival took place on Nov. 5-6 with the academies featuring from Nov. 3-6.
Taliban shut down Radio Zhman over alleged music broadcast
- Officials closed the radio station after warnings about broadcasting background music during programs
- Afghanistan Journalists Center says closure is a ‘significant infringement on the fundamental rights of free media’
LONDON: Taliban authorities have shut down Radio Zhman TV in Afghanistan’s southeastern Khost province, accusing the station of using background music in its broadcasts, a violation of the Taliban’s media policies since their takeover of the country in August 2021.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center condemned the closure on Wednesday, calling it a “significant infringement on the fundamental rights of free media” and warned of potential repercussions if restrictions on local media continue to escalate.
According to AFJC, Afghanistan’s media law stipulates that journalists and media organizations should be able to conduct their professional duties without undue restrictions, and that authorities have a responsibility to support media freedoms.
US-based Amu TV reported that the decision was made during a commission meeting at Khost’s Directorate of Information and Culture, which included representatives from the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, local intelligence, police, and information officials.
The commission determined that the station’s use of light background music in a social issues program was a breach of the Taliban’s strict media policies.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue, which enforces its interpretation of Islamic law, had previously issued warnings to broadcasters about playing music, which the group deems inappropriate.
Radio Zhman, established in 2017, broadcasts a mix of political, social, cultural and educational programming from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., reaching listeners in Khost and parts of neighboring Paktia province.
It is the second local media outlet to be shut down in Khost recently. Gharghasht Radio was closed on Oct. 31 but allowed to resume operations three days later on the condition that it refrains from broadcasting any music.
Dubai ‘most reputable city’ as Middle East shows strong progress in Brand Finance Global City Index
- Emirati city moves up 4 places to 5th in overall global rankings, based on all measured attributes, behind London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo
- Riyadh and Jeddah climb 4 and 6 places respectively to rank 75th and 79th on the overall global list
LONDON: Dubai claimed the title of most reputable city in the world in the 2024 Brand Finance Global City Index, which revealed notable improvements across the region.
The brand valuation and strategy consultancy firm’s second annual global survey on city perceptions, the results of which were released on Thursday, placed Dubai fifth in the overall global rankings, which are based on all measured attributes, behind London, New York, Paris and Tokyo.
Last year, the Emirati city ranked ninth. This time, the survey found it had made substantial gains in terms of investment appeal and reputation, bolstered by strong governance and strategic investments.
Riyadh and Jeddah also improved, climbing four and six places respectively to rank 75th and 79th on the overall global list.
Riyadh enjoyed some impressive gains in specific attributes, moving up 37 places in the rankings in recognition of its high-profile sports teams and clubs, 24 places for its private schools, and 20 places for its shopping, dining and nightlife options, making it one of the fastest-growing cities by these measures.
Andrew Campbell, managing director of Brand Finance Middle East, attributed the rapid improvements in the regional rankings, particularly the success of Dubai, to strategic investments by governments in infrastructure, tourism and the business sector.
“The substantial improvements in Dubai’s consideration metrics further highlight the city’s increasing allure as a premier destination for visitors, residents, businesses and global investors,” he said.
Dubai’s appeal in terms of business and innovation, along with a stable economy and favorable corporate tax policies, were credited with moving it four spots higher in the overall rankings than a year ago. It also achieved significant improvements in its rankings for local working (from 16th to 8th) and remote working (from 24th to 4th).
The index is based on a survey of more than 15,000 respondents. It measures factors related to familiarity, reputation and consideration to assess how desirable a city is viewed for living, working, studying, visiting, retiring and investing.
Abu Dhabi ranked 30th on the overall global list, the same as last year, but improved in terms of science, technology and economic appeal.
Other cities in the Middle East and North Africa that appear on the list include Cairo (63rd place in the overall rankings), Doha (69th), Casablanca (73rd) and Tel Aviv (83rd), which dropped six places amid ongoing conflicts.
Saudi stories pique audience interest, says Bloomberg Media MD
- Visiting the Athar Festival of Creativity in Riyadh, Amit Nayak told Arab News: “We’ve seen a real appetite from our global audiences for content from here”
RIYADH: Stories and articles about Saudi Arabia and the region are among the most widely read by audiences, according to Bloomberg Media’s managing director in the Middle East and Africa.
Visiting the Athar Festival of Creativity in Riyadh, Amit Nayak told Arab News: “We’ve seen a real appetite from our global audiences for content from here.”
He said that with such a large and diverse team based in the Middle East, Bloomberg Media was able to bring local insights and perspectives to provide content based on what audiences wanted.
“We remain focused on deeply understanding our Middle Eastern audience, fostering direct relationships, and delivering trusted news and insights tailored to their needs,” he said.
“We work with leading entities across the region, such as Saudi Tourism Authority and Red Sea Global, using custom content across different platforms to help tell their stories to regional and global audiences.”
The use of smart technology has been big part of Bloomberg’s strategy for over a decade, with The Bulletin being a predominant feature on the app. Launched by Bloomberg’s Media Innovation Lab in 2018, it provides single-sentence summaries of the top three stories.
“We leverage first-party subscriber data through our AI-powered Audience Accelerator platform,” added Nayak. “This allows us to precisely target key demographics to inform machine learning models that predict the population of users on the site, enhancing campaign performance and building brand credibility.”
In 2022, Bloomberg Media Studios opened a regional studio in Dubai and earlier this year launched “Bloomberg Horizons: Middle East & Africa,” a flagship morning program.
Bloomberg News also launched the Mideast Money newsletter, which focuses on “the intersection of wealth and power, and the impact of regional sovereign investors and dealmakers in global finance.”
Evolving as a commercial team that, 10 years ago, predominantly sold advertising, Nayak said that as clients became more sophisticated and keener to reach global audiences, Bloomberg Middle East was fostering internal talent to better collaborate with them.
“We were well placed because we have invested heavily in our teams on the ground here — whether that’s expanding sales, building a client marketing team, or hosting events on the ground in the region,” he said.
Tunisia influencers sentenced to jail over content: media
- Some Internet users condemned the spread of crude language and obscene images on social media, while others saw the move as a new restriction on freedoms
TUNIS: Four influencers on Instagram and TikTok have been sentenced to jail in Tunisia for content authorities deemed immoral, local media reported Wednesday.
The Business News outlet said an Instagrammer known as Lady Samara, with about one million followers, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison on Tuesday.
TikToker Khoubaib received four years and six months, while Instagrammer Afifa was sentenced to a year and six months and her husband Ramzi to three years and six months.
On October 31, as part of the same investigation, an Instagrammer known as Choumoukh was sentenced to four and a half years’ jail on similar charges.
The private radio station Mosaique FM also reported a series of sentences ranging from 18 months to four and a half years, without identifying those being sent to prison.
It said they were being prosecuted for “public indecency, dissemination of content contrary to good morals or adopting immoral positions, using inappropriate language or adopting inappropriate behavior that undermines moral and social values and risks negatively influencing the behavior of young users of these platforms.”
The investigation was opened after the justice ministry on October 27 urged prosecutors to “take necessary judicial measures and launch investigations against anyone producing, displaying or publishing data, images, and video clips with content that undermines moral values.”
The decision sparked widespread debate, both on social media and in the media.
Some Internet users condemned the spread of crude language and obscene images on social media, while others saw the move as a new restriction on freedoms.
Online magazine Nawaat, which frequently criticizes the Tunisian government, said the arrests come amid “a climate marked by repressive restrictions on freedoms.”
“Following the systematic dismantling of judicial power, the prosecution of opponents and journalists, and the repression of civil society, social media influencers — regardless of the quality of their content — are now in the regime’s crosshairs,” said an article.
Tunisia’s opposition and civil society have condemned what they call an “authoritarian drift” by President Kais Saied, who was re-elected on October 6 with a sweeping majority but low turnout.
