Metaverse Diplomacy

Meta appoints three new board directors

Meta Platforms has elected three new directors to its board, including Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a close associate of President-elect Donald Trump. Investor and former Microsoft executive Charlie Songhurst and Exor CEO John Elkann have also joined. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said their expertise would help the company navigate opportunities in artificial intelligence, wearables, and digital connectivity.

White’s appointment strengthens his ties with Zuckerberg, who has become a mixed martial arts enthusiast. The two have shared public exchanges in recent years, with Zuckerberg attending UFC events at White’s invitation. Songhurst has been involved in Meta’s AI advisory group since May, while Elkann holds leadership roles at Ferrari and Stellantis, alongside chairing the Agnelli Foundation.

Zuckerberg has been adjusting Meta’s strategy ahead of a possible second Trump presidency. The company recently promoted Republican policy expert Joel Kaplan and donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, signalling a shift in its political stance. Meta has also acknowledged past content decisions that were unpopular among conservatives as it prepares for the evolving political landscape.

Meta resolves Australian privacy dispute over Cambridge Analytica scandal

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has settled a major privacy lawsuit in Australia with a record A$50 million payment. This settlement concludes years of legal proceedings over allegations that personal data of 311,127 Australian Facebook users was improperly exposed and risked being shared with consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The firm was infamous for using such data for political profiling, including work on the Brexit campaign and Donald Trump’s election.

Australia’s privacy watchdog initiated the case in 2020 after uncovering that Facebook’s personality quiz app, This is Your Digital Life, was linked to the broader Cambridge Analytica scandal first revealed in 2018. The Australian Information Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd described the settlement as the largest of its kind in the nation, addressing significant privacy concerns.

Meta stated the agreement was reached on a “no admission” basis, marking an end to the legal battle. The case had already secured a significant victory for Australian regulators when the high court declined Meta’s appeal in 2023, forcing the company into mediation. This outcome highlights Australia’s growing resolve in holding global tech firms accountable for user data protection.

Ethiopian content moderators claim neglect by Meta

Former moderators for Facebook’s parent company, Meta, have accused the tech giant of disregarding threats from Ethiopian rebels after their removal of inflammatory content. According to court documents filed in Kenya, members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) targeted moderators reviewing Facebook posts, threatening dire consequences unless the posts were reinstated. Contractors hired by Meta allegedly dismissed these concerns, claiming the threats were fabricated, before later offering limited support, such as moving one exposed moderator to a safehouse.

The dispute stems from a lawsuit by 185 former moderators against Meta and two contractors, Sama and Majorel, alleging wrongful termination and blacklisting after they attempted to unionise. Moderators focusing on Ethiopia faced particularly acute risks, receiving threats that detailed their names and addresses, yet their complaints were reportedly met with inaction or suspicion. One moderator, fearing for his life, described living in constant terror of visiting family in Ethiopia.

The case has broader implications for Meta’s content moderation policies, as the company relies on third-party firms worldwide to handle disturbing and often dangerous material. In a related Kenyan lawsuit, Meta stands accused of allowing violent and hateful posts to flourish on its platform, exacerbating Ethiopia’s ongoing civil strife. While Meta, Sama, and the OLA have not commented, the allegations raise serious questions about the accountability of global tech firms in safeguarding their workers and addressing hate speech.

Supreme Court clears path for lawsuit against Meta

The US Supreme Court has decided to allow a class-action lawsuit against Meta, Facebook’s parent company, to move forward. The case stems from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where the political consulting firm accessed personal data from 87M Facebook users and used it for voter targeting in the 2016 US presidential election. Meta had sought to block the lawsuit, but the court dismissed its appeal.

Investors claim Meta failed to fully disclose the risks of data misuse, leading to two major drops in its stock price in 2018 when the extent of the privacy breach became public. Meta has already paid a $5.1B fine and a $725M settlement with users over related allegations.

The lawsuit is one of several legal challenges facing big tech firms. A separate case against Nvidia is under review, as investors allege the company misled them about its dependency on cryptocurrency mining.

Meta restores Malaysian PM’s posts after error

The company formerly known as Facebook apologised on Tuesday for removing content from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Facebook and Instagram accounts concerning the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The posts, which expressed condolences over Haniyeh’s death, were removed, prompting Malaysia to seek an explanation from Meta.

A Meta spokesperson explained that the removal was an operational error and confirmed that the content had been restored with the correct newsworthy label. The apology followed a meeting on Monday between Malaysia‘s communications minister, members of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Meta representatives.

The Prime Minister’s Office condemned Meta’s actions as discriminatory, unjust, and a blatant suppression of free expression. The office issued a statement on Monday expressing their dissatisfaction with the removal of the posts and the need for an explanation from the tech company. Meta’s acknowledgement of the mistake and the restoration of the content aim to address the concerns raised by the Malaysian government.

This incident comes amid other challenges for Meta, including the exclusion of its AI models from the EU market due to regulatory concerns, and a significant fine imposed by Turkey for improper data sharing practices. These issues highlight the growing scrutiny Meta faces globally over content regulation, data privacy, and freedom of expression.

Action Plan for the Integration and Development of Virtual Reality and Industrial Applications (2022-2026)

The Chinese government has published an Action Plan for developing the virtual reality (VR) sector and integrating VR with industrial applications.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Radio and Television Administration, and the General Administration of Sports of the People’s Republic of China collaborated to create the action plan.

The European Parliamentary Research Service briefing titled ‘Metaverse: Opportunities, Risks and Policy Implications’

The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) published, on 24 June 2022, its briefing titled ‘Metaverse: Opportunities, Risks and Policy Implications’. While the exact scope and the effects of the metaverse on society are still unknown, it can already be seen that it will open up a range of opportunities and risks in a variety of policy areas.

In particular, the briefing summarises studies of the possible effects of metaverse platforms on several policy concerns, including competition, data protection, liability, financial transactions, cybersecurity, health, accessibility, and inclusiveness.

Shanghai Action Plan for Cultivating ‘Metaverse’ (2022-2025)

A policy paper released by the Shanghai city government on 8 July 2022 outlined its plan to develop a metaverse industry by the end of 2025.

The development plan refers to the Metaverse as a new generation of information technology integration and innovation that would drive the internet toward Web3. The innovation plan focuses on promoting the development of Metaverse-related industries and helping Beijing build a benchmark city for the digital economy.

The action plan aims at ‘strengthening cutting-edge technological breakthroughs’, focusing on virtual reality headsets, chips, cloud computing, and 5G technology.