At first glance, Mark Zuckerberg’s new “privacy-focused vision ” for Facebook looks like a transformative mission statement from a CEO under pressure to reverse years of battering over its surveillance practices and privacy failures.
But critics say the announcement obscures Facebook’s deeper motivations: To expand lucrative new commercial services, continue monopolizing the attention of users, develop new data sources to track people and frustrate regulators who might be eyeing a breakup of the social-media behemoth.
Facebook “wants to be the operating system of our lives,” said Siva Vaidhyanathan, director of media studies at the University of Virginia.
Zuckerberg’s plan, outlined Wednesday, expands Facebook’s commitment to private messaging, in sharp contrast with his traditional focus on public sharing. Facebook would combine its instant-messaging services WhatsApp and Instagram Direct with its core Messenger app so that users of one could message people on the others, and would expand the use of encrypted messaging to keep outsiders — including Facebook — from reading the messages.
The plan also calls for using those messaging services to expand Facebook’s role in e-commerce and payments. A Facebook spokesperson later said it was too early to answer detailed questions about the company’s messaging plans.
Vaidhyanathan said Zuckerberg wants people to abandon competing, person-to-person forms of communication such as email, texting and Apple’s iMessage in order to “do everything through a Facebook product.” The end goal could be transform Facebook into a service like the Chinese app WeChat , which has 1.1 billion users and includes the world’s most popular person-to-person online payment system.
In some respects, Facebook was already headed in this direction. It has dabbled with shopping features in its Messenger app for a few years, although without much effect. And WhatsApp, which Facebook acquired for $22 billion in 2014, embraced a strong privacy technology known as “end-to-end encryption” nearly three years ago. Messages protected this way are shielded from snooping, even by the services who deliver them.
But Zuckerberg said nothing in the Wednesday blog post about reforming privacy practices in its core business, which remains hungry for data. A recent Wall Street Journal report found that Facebook was still collecting personal information from apps such as user heart rates and when women ovulate .
Facebook, which perfected what critics call “surveillance capitalism,” knows it has serious credibility issues. Those go beyond repeated privacy lapses to include serious abuses by Russian agents, hate groups and disinformation mongers, which Zuckerberg acknowledged only belatedly.
“Until Facebook actually fixes its core privacy issues — and especially given their history — it’s difficult to take the pivot to privacy seriously,” said Justin Brookman, who was a research director at the Federal Trade Commission before joining Consumers Union as privacy and technology chief in 2017.
Combining the three messaging services could allow Facebook — which today has 15 million fewer US users than in 2017, according to Edison Research — build more complete data profiles on all its users.
The merged messaging services should generate new profits from the metadata they collect, including information on who you message, when you do it, from where and for how long, said Frederike Kaltheuner of the advocacy group Privacy International. That is the information that users leave behind when they message each other or conduct retail, travel or financial business, she added.
And Facebook doesn’t just use people’s information and activity on its platform, dissecting it to target people with tailored ads. It also tracks people who don’t even use the platform via small pieces of software embedded in third-party apps.
Privacy International published research in December showing that popular Android apps including KAYAK and Yelp were automatically sending user data directly to Facebook the moment they were opened. KAYAK, which was sending flight search results, halted the practice and said the transmission was inadvertent. Yelp continues to send unique identifiers known as “advertising IDs” that link to specific smartphones.
Facebook also has trackers that harvest data on people’s online behavior on about 30 percent of the world’s websites , said Jeremy Tillman of Ghostery, a popular ad-blocker and anti-tracking software.
“When they say they are building a private messaging platform there is nothing in there that suggests they are going to stop their data collection and ad-targeting business model,” he said.
In a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press, Zuckerberg offered no specifics on new revenue sources. But “the overall opportunity here is a lot larger than what we have built in terms of Facebook and Instagram,” he said.
Privacy advocates, however, do admire one key element of Zuckerberg’s announcement.
“In the last year, I’ve spoken with dissidents who’ve told me encryption is the reason they are free, or even alive,” Zuckerberg wrote.
How Facebook stands to profit from its ‘privacy’ push
How Facebook stands to profit from its ‘privacy’ push
Investigation finds Meta profiting from ads promoting Israeli settlements in West Bank
- Ads included listings for property developments, calls for demolition of Palestinian homes, schools, playgrounds, appeals for donations for military equipment to be used in Gaza, Al Jazeera found
- Allowing such ads might violate international law, legal experts claim
LONDON: Meta has profited from more than 100 advertisements promoting illegal Israeli settlements and far-right settler activity in the occupied West Bank, an investigation by Al Jazeera revealed earlier this week.
The ads include listings for property developments in settlements such as Ariel, located 20 km east of the Green Line, as well as calls for the demolition of Palestinian homes, schools, and playgrounds. Some also solicit donations for Israeli military units operating in Gaza.
One of the most prominent advertisers is a Facebook page called Ramat Aderet, promoting luxury apartments with amenities such as saunas, jacuzzis, and cold plunges. The company, valued at $300 million according to financial data firm PitchBook, has received funding from the First International Bank of Israel.
Another 48 ads were posted by Gabai Real Estate, marketing homes in the West Bank settlements of Ma’ale Adumim and Efrat.
At least 52 of the ads were placed by Israeli real estate firms targeting buyers in Israel, the UK, and the US. Many remain active on Facebook after being published in March 2024, Al Jazeera reported.
Meta defended its ad policies, stating: “We have robust processes and teams to review ads, and our ad review system is designed to review ads before they go live. This system relies primarily on automated technology to apply our advertising standards to the millions of ads that run across our apps, while relying on our teams to build and train these systems and, in some cases, to manually review ads.”
Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.
Legal experts argue that by failing to take down and profiting from these ads, Meta “becomes complicit in their criminal activity” and could face legal consequences. They also warn that allowing ads soliciting donations for military equipment in Gaza may violate international humanitarian law, as well as Meta’s own policy prohibiting the promotion of “the sale or use of weapons, ammunition, or explosives.”
Report finds Israel’s war on Gaza ‘worst ever conflict’ for journalists
- The Costs of War project at the Watson Institute for International Studies found that since Oct. 7, 2023, the Gaza war has killed more journalists than all major US wars combined
- Report warns that increasing threats against journalists not only endanger individuals but also undermine global news coverage, facilitate the creation of ‘news graveyards’
LONDON: A report released Tuesday by the Costs of War project at the Watson Institute for International Studies in the US has found that Israel’s war on Gaza is the “worst ever conflict” for journalists, with at least 208 Palestinian media workers killed since October 2023.
Titled “News Graveyards: How Dangers to War Reporters Endanger the World,” the study examines the toll of war on journalists, as well as broader trends in the US news industry that have weakened international coverage. It highlights how Gaza has seen an unprecedented death toll among journalists, far exceeding that of other conflicts in history.
“Attacks on journalists have exacerbated long term socio-economic shifts that have crippled the global news industry over decades and led to the de-prioritization of international news coverage and the closure of foreign news bureaus,” noted the report.
“Across the globe, the economics of the industry, the violence of war, and coordinated censorship campaigns threaten to turn an increasing number of conflict zones into news graveyards, with Gaza being the most extreme example.”
The Brown University-based nonpartisan research project, which analyzes the human, financial, and political costs of post-9/11 wars, found that “since Oct. 7, 2023, the war in Gaza has killed more journalists than the US Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan combined.”
The report also revealed that in 2024, a media worker was killed or murdered every three days worldwide — an increase from 2023’s rate of one every four days—attributed largely to the war in Gaza.
“Most reporters harmed or killed, as is the case in Gaza, are local journalists,” it added.
BREAKING: More journalists have died in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 than in both World Wars and other major wars, combined.
— The Costs of War Project (@CostsOfWar) April 1, 2025
Our new report outlines the costs of war to journalists – and the journalism we all rely on. [THREAD, 1/8] https://t.co/oeeqPqw5i2 pic.twitter.com/gSXWYjtXSl
Late in March, Palestinian journalists Mohammad Mansour, a correspondent for Palestine Today, and Hossam Shabat, a journalist for Al-Jazeera Mubasher, became the latest media workers to be killed in Gaza in Israeli attacks. The Israeli military admitted to killing Shabat, accusing him of being “a terrorist” it had “eliminated.”
The report accuses Israel of mounting “a full-spectrum effort to undermine the free flow of information,” citing the “near-total destruction” of media infrastructure, internet blackouts, misinformation campaigns, and restrictions preventing local journalists from leaving Gaza while barring foreign reporters from entering.
It also underscores the vital role local journalists play in conflict zones, describing them as bearing witness to “the realities and horrors of wars.
“Journalists serve as the eyes and ears of the world, seeking out solid, verifiable information amid a vortex of violence and a welter of rumor, manipulation, misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda,” the report continued.
The study also references Syria’s civil war, where hundreds of journalists were killed by government forces and armed groups. The Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates that 700 journalists and media activists have been killed since the conflict began in 2011.
The Watson Institute report warns that increasing threats against journalists not only endanger individuals but also undermine global news coverage and the “worldwide information ecosystem.”
“The decreasing number of experienced foreign correspondents in conflict zones, due to long term shifts in the global news industry that have led to the de-prioritization of international news coverage and the closure of foreign news bureaus, has likewise crippled critical knowledge and helped facilitate the creation of news graveyards,” said the report.
Israel’s military faces backlash over AI ‘Ghibli-style’ social media posts
- Attempt to jump on trend of posting AI-generated images in style of famed Japanese animation studio
LONDON: An attempt by the Israeli military to jump on the bandwagon of a social media trend that uses AI-generated images in the style of a legendary Japanese animation studio has spectacularly backfired.
The internet has been flooded by images in the style of Studio Ghibli after ChatGPT maker OpenAI launched a new image generator last week.
The craze has intensified debate over the extent to which artificial intelligence models breach copyright of artists. It also contrasts the painstaking work that goes into meticulously crafting the beautiful hand-drawn films produced by Studio Ghibli with the instant gratification culture fed by social media and the emergence of AI models.
Not wanting to be left out, the Israel Defense Forces on Sunday posted four images depicting different branches of its military in the Ghibli style on its social media accounts.
“We thought we’d also hop on the trend,” the post said.
What followed was a barrage of responses, many angry, many humorous, denouncing and mocking the post.
The images were shared as Israel intensified the bombing of Gaza where it has already killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and forced the population to flee their homes in an action it began in October 2023.
Many responded with AI-generated images in the Ghibli style on X that depicted Israeli brutality in the Palestinian territory.
The counter-images depicted Israeli soldiers mocking a blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian child, and IDF troops pointing rifles at women and children against a backdrop of devastation.
“Colonizing art too,” read one reply in reference to Israel’s building of illegal settlements and its occupation of Palestinian land.
Other users pointed out that Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, is a staunch pacifist and that many of his films contain strong anti-war messages.
He famously refused to travel to the US in 2003 to attend the Academy Awards where his work “Spirited Away” won an Oscar.
A video from 2016 appears to show Miyazaki’s disdain for AI-generated imagery. A clip from a documentary shows Miyazaki saying he was “utterly disgusted” after seeing an AI demo.
Netflix expands language support on TV in accessibility push
- Users are now able to access all available dubbing and subtitle options for any title, Netflix told Arab News ahead of the launch
- “Update responds to thousands of language availability requests per month,” Netflix said
LONDON: Netflix is expanding its language support on TV, allowing users to access all available dubbing and subtitle options for any title, the company told Arab News exclusively ahead of the official announcement on Tuesday.
“As more of our members enjoy shows and films from around the world — nearly a third of all viewing on Netflix is for non-English stories — subtitles and dubbing are more important than ever,” the company said in a statement shared with Arab News ahead of the official announcement.
“That’s why starting today, you’ll be able to pick from the full list of available languages for any title when watching Netflix on your TV.”
Previously, users were limited to five to seven languages based on their settings and location. The update — which make dubbing available in 36 languages and subtitles in 33, depending on the title — responds to “thousands of language availability requests per month,” Netflix said, adding that it also benefits users learning a new language by giving them more control over their viewing experience.
“We offer several additional features to support language learning, including the ability to customize subtitles, and the ‘browse by language’ feature on PC computers. These helpful features enhance the accessibility of our shows and movies, while supporting those set on being multilingual,” the statement said.
A 2020 study commissioned by Netflix in partnership with the UN World Commission found that 36 percent of people who watched Spanish-language content were interested in learning the language, compared to 15 percent of non-viewers.
In recent years, Netflix has expanded its non-English content strategy, investing in films and series from various countries and languages. Korean and Spanish content together accounted for 16 percent of global viewership in the first half of 2024, with “Squid Game” and “Money Heist” (“La Casa de Papel”) serving as standout examples.
Netflix is set to release four Arabic-language original series and films this year, following the success of “The Exchange,” “Al-Rawabi School for Girls,” “Honeymoonish,” “From the Ashes” and “Dubai Bling.”
US State Department orders enhanced social media screening for student and visa applicants
DUBAI: The US State Department has ordered overseas officials to scour the social media accounts of some student and exchange visitor visa applicants in a bid to stop critics of the US and Israel from entering the country, say media reports.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent out a 1,700-word cable on March 25 titled “Action Request: Enhanced Screening and Social Media Vetting for Visa Applicants.” It described the process foreign service officers abroad must follow when reviewing student and exchange visitor visa applications.
Independent news site The Handbasket, which broke the story, said the cable asked consular officers to refer certain applicants to the Fraud Prevention Unit for a mandatory social media check. The enhanced vetting applies to those suspected of having terrorist ties or sympathies, those who held a student or exchange visa between Oct. 7, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, and those who have had a visa terminated since Oct. 7, 2023.
A State Department employee told the media outlet it was “pretty clear the immediate target is anyone who participated in pro-Palestinian protests — one of the triggers for social media screening is having been in the US on one of these visas between Oct. 7 and the end of last August.”
The cable states that, during the screening, officers “MUST ADDRESS any derogatory information indicating that a visa applicant may be subject to the terrorism-related ineligibility grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act,” which includes “advocating for, sympathizing with, or persuading others to endorse or espouse terrorist activities or support a DESIGNATED FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
It also contains some broader guidance. One section suggests a student visa applicant does not necessarily need to express explicit support for terrorist activity in order to be denied as long as they demonstrate “a degree of public approval or public advocacy for terrorist activity or a terrorist organization.”
This could be evident in “conduct that bears a hostile attitude toward US citizens or US culture” or in “advocacy or sympathy for foreign terrorist organizations.”
“All of these matters may open lines of inquiry regarding the applicant’s credibility and purpose of travel,” the cable states.
Some directives are somewhat vague — perhaps intentionally, so they can be applied in whichever way is required, the State Department employee told The Handbasket.
The cable also cites a quote from Rubio’s interview with CBS on March 16: “We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety. It’s that simple. Especially people that are here as guests. That is what a visa is ... It is a visitor into our country. And if you violate the terms of your visitation, you are going to leave.”
Since taking up his role in January, Rubio has revoked at least 300 visas awarded to students, visitors and others. Last Thursday, he told the media he had signed letters on a daily basis. He refused to comment on how the cases came before him, but said he reviewed each one personally.
“If they’re taking activities that are counter to our national interest, to our foreign policy, we’ll revoke the visa,” he said.
Rubio added that a visa holder charged with a crime while in the US should automatically lose their permission to be in the US. Permanent residents, or green card holders, are not exempt from additional scrutiny and could also lose their status.
Last month, Rubio signed off on revoking the PR status of Syrian-born Mahmoud Khalil and Yunseo Chung, of South Korea, both of whom were involved in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.
Khalil, who is married to a US citizen, was seized from his home by immigration agents and taken to a detention center in Louisiana. Chung has been in the US since the age of seven.
