ANKARA: Instagram users in Turkiye woke up Sunday to find the social media network blocked for the third consecutive day, following censorship accusations against the US company from a high-ranking Turkish official.
The BTK communications authority announced on its website on Friday that the Meta-owned platform had been frozen, without giving any reason.
An official then referred to a regulation that allows “criminal content” to be blocked.
“Our country has values and sensitivities. Despite our warnings, they did not take care of criminal content,” Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Friday.
“We blocked access. When they abide by our laws, we’ll lift the ban.”
The president’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, accused Instagram on Wednesday of “preventing people from publishing messages of condolence for the martyr (Hamas leader Ismail) Haniyeh.”
“This is a very clear and obvious attempt at censure,” Altun said on social media platform X.
The social-democrat and nationalist opposition parties and the Ankara legal profession petitioned the courts on Friday evening for the freeze to be lifted.
According to Turkish media, 50 million of the country’s 85 million people have an Instagram account.
Instagram blocked in Turkiye for third day
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Instagram blocked in Turkiye for third day
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Saudi AI authority reports Kingdom’s major advancements ahead of global summit
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- ‘State of AI in Saudi Arabia’ report outlines nation’s progress from 2019 to 2023
LONDON: Saudi Arabia has made considerable progress in adopting artificial intelligence for the advancement of the country’s economy over the past few years.
This is according to the “State of AI in Saudi Arabia” report unveiled on Sunday by Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, president of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, outlining the Kingdom’s advancements from 2019 to 2023.
The report was presented during a press conference ahead of the Global AI Summit, set to take place in Riyadh from Tuesday to Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The report provides a comprehensive overview of Saudi Arabia’s progress in AI, highlighting the nation’s global recognition in the field and examining seven key pillars: regulations and policies, investment, infrastructure, data, talent development, research and innovation, and adoption.
In addition to exploring the benefits and challenges of AI, the report emphasizes the SDAIA’s central role in driving the Kingdom’s digital transformation.
It also underscores the importance of educating the public on AI applications across various sectors.
The digital version of the report can be downloaded from the Global AI Summit website, while printed copies will be distributed to summit attendees.
‘Ethics first, then AI:’ SDAIA President stresses importance of responsible development ahead of GAIN Summit
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- Abdullah Al Ghamdi highlights the importance of ethical AI development and Saudi Arabia's leadership in responsible AI deployment
RIYADH: Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) President Abdullah Al Ghamdi emphasized the critical importance of ethical AI usage, positioning Saudi Arabia as a global leader in responsible AI deployment for societal benefit during a press conference ahead of the third GAIN Summit.
Al Ghamdi highlighted the summit's core theme, saying, “With respect to this summit, this summit will cover different aspects. But the main thing for this summit is the GAIN, the ‘N’ has three N’s the next, now and never.”
He told Arab News that: “‘Never’ has to do with the ethics, where AI has to stop. We are going to talk about the ‘Never’ big time, different ethics and different aspects related to the principles of using AI in a responsible way.”
He explained that that agency is “continuing what we started in the national arena,” bringing the conversation on AI safety to global summits the Kingdom has recently taken part.
The GAIN Summit, organized by SDAIA, will take place from Sept. 10-12 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The event will feature 456 speakers and 150 sessions, with approximately 70 Memoranda of Understanding expected to be signed.
During his interview, the SDAIA president addressed growing global concerns about AI misuse and highlighted the Kingdom’s proactive approach through various policies, including the creation of a National Data Management Office, which oversees the development of policies and regulations related to data control and management.
“We established a national data management office, this office is concerned with issuing policies and laws for the respect of the control and management of data,” he told Arab News.
Al Ghamdi detailed the national initiatives led by the Kingdom to address global AI concerns such as ethical use and data protection.
“We have published a number of policies with respect to data sharing and the freedom of information,” he said.
“Recently we published the principles of Gen AI on how we can use AI in an ethical way. We (also) announced the national AI ethics framework, and this was designed according to the UNESCO ethics framework principles the 7 principles.”
Esam Alwagait, Director of the National Information Center, reinforced Al Ghamdi’s remarks, stating, “All policies align with ensuring ethical AI practices.”
Al Ghamdi also highlighted policies aimed at protecting children’s data, noting that recent guidelines have been introduced to safeguard children in the digital age.
During his remarks, the SDAIA president also stated that the Kingdom is “open to all opportunities from the East and the West,” and expressed a willingness to collaborate with global leaders in AI from the US, Europe, and Asia.
Yasser Al Onaizan , CEO of the National Center for AI also weighted in the debate, underscoring the need for “ethics by design” in AI development.
“It’s not enough to have policies,” he said. “It’s very important to start thinking to design AI solutions that have the ethics as a design principle form the get-go,” Al Onaizan told Arab News in response to a question on the subject.
He added: “It should not be a reaction to something that happens, you have to install it in everyone who works in the AI development cycle.”
On the sidelines of the summit, SDAIA is set to host the GAIN podcast featuring top CEOs and industry leaders such as Dr. Jake P. Taylor-King Co- founder of Relation Therapeutics, Tahir Latif, Global Practice Lead on AI & Data Privacy, at Cognizant Technology Solutions and Lorena Puica, founder and CEO of syd.life, science-backed and AI-powered life quality platform.
Indian news agency sues Netflix for using its content in hijack drama
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- The story is a fictionalized version of the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight from Katmandu
- It has been embroiled in controversy since its release last month, with Netflix adding disclaimers
NEW DELHI: Indian news agency ANI has sued Netflix Inc. and producers of an Indian series about a plane hijack, asking for four episodes to be taken down as they used ANI content without permission, ANI’s lawyer told Reuters on Monday.
The series, called “IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack” — a fictionalized version of the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814 from Katmandu — has been embroiled in controversy since its release last month.
Social media users and members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party have criticized the show for what they said was an incorrect portrayal of the hijackers as Hindus with Hindu names when they were Muslims.
Netflix added new disclaimers to the six-episode show last week after its officials were summoned by India’s information and broadcasting ministry. It also said the code names used in the series reflected those used during the actual event.
“They have used copyright archival footage of ANI without license, they have also used the (ANI) trademark,” Sidhant Kumar, counsel for ANI, said.
“Since the series has come into such criticism, our trademark and brandname is being tarnished,” Kumar said, adding that ANI wants Netflix to take down four episodes where its content has been used.
The Delhi High Court had agreed to hear the case and sought the response of Netflix, he said.
There was no immediate response from Netflix for a request for comment from Reuters, which has a minority stake in ANI.
India blames Pakistan and Pakistan-based militant groups for the December 1999 hijack, which was resolved after New Delhi freed three Islamist militants, including Masood Azhar, the head of one such group.
BBC ‘blocking’ major Gaza humanitarian appeal, insiders say
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- The corporation has been accused of being concerned over a potential backlash from supporters of Israel
LONDON: NGO officials have accused Britain’s public broadcaster of "blocking" a major humanitarian appeal for Gaza.
The BBC, which placed the appeal “under review,” is said to be concerned over a potential backlash from supporters of Israel.
Several other television channels have agreed to air the humanitarian appeal for the embattled Palestinian enclave.
The campaign is organized by the Disasters Emergency Committee, The Guardian reported on Friday.
The BBC claimed DEC’s appeal had failed to meet all the criteria for a national appeal but noted that the option to air it was “under review,” a position that dismayed the DEC, an umbrella group of UK charities.
Sources within the DEC, the BBC and aid agencies accused the BBC of “blocking” the appeal because it feared backlash from groups supporting Israel in its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
One senior NGO figure said that staff were “furious” at the BBC’s decision.
The DEC follows three criteria when launching an appeal. The scale and urgency of the disaster must warrant immediate international humanitarian aid.
DEC member agencies, or some of them, must be able “to provide effective and swift humanitarian assistance at a scale to justify a national appeal” and there must be “evidence of existing public sympathy for the humanitarian situation” or “the likelihood of significant public support should an appeal be launched,” according to the DEC’s website.
The DEC is an umbrella organization of 15 leading UK aid charities raising funds to address humanitarian disasters.
Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, launched in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack, has so far killed more than 40,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Relentless bombardment over the past 11 months has devastated medical and sanitation infrastructure, razed entire neighborhoods, almost annihilated the education sector, brought the enclave’s healthcare system to its knees and displaced about 90 percent of Gaza’s population at least once.
An enormous humanitarian response is needed to address the overlapping crises, aid officials have warned.
About 96 percent of Gaza’s population is facing acute food insecurity, according to UN figures.
The vast majority of the international community has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to enable uninterrupted aid flow into Gaza, to no avail.
AFP photographer wins top prize for Gaza coverage
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PERPIGNAN, France: Palestinian AFP photographer Mahmud Hams has won the prestigious Visa d’Or News prize for his coverage of the conflict in Gaza, the Visa pour l’Image Association announced Saturday.
The 44-year-old, who has worked for AFP in the Palestinian territory since 2003, thanked the jury for the award in a recorded video message aired at the ceremony in Perpignan, France.
In a statement issued by AFP, he denounced the targeting of journalists during the conflict.
“I spent my childhood in Gaza, and in 23 years of photojournalism, I have witnessed every war, every conflict there,” said Hams in the statement.
“But this war is unlike any other, without precedent from the very first day.
“My colleagues and I have had to face incredibly difficult conditions, with no red lines and no protections for anyone,” he added.
“There were even attacks targeting journalists’ offices, which are supposed to be off-limits in times of war.
“Many journalists have been killed; others wounded. I’ve also lost friends and loved ones. We struggled to keep our families safe,” he said.
Hams left Gaza with his family in February.
“I hope the photos we take show the world that this war, and the suffering, must end,” he added.
Eric Baradat, AFP’s Deputy News Director for Photo, Graphics, Data and Archives, paid tribute to his work.
“Mahmud and his colleagues, photographers and journalists from AFP in the Gaza Strip, have carried out extraordinary work in every respect, considering the conditions in which they lived with their families and loved ones,” he said.
“It is staggering and often unimaginable. Their testimony will be recorded in history,” he added.
After the deadly October 7 attack carried out by Hamas on Israel sparked the war, AFP relied on its Gaza bureau, staffed by nine journalists, to cover the conflict from within the besieged Palestinian territory.
On November 2, the office building, which had been evacuated a few days earlier, was badly damaged by a strike, probably caused by Israeli tank fire, according to an investigation conducted by AFP and several international media outlets.