Facebook sorry for labelling 65,000 Russians 'interested in treason'
London, July 12 : Facebook has apologised for labelling 65,000 Russians as "interested in treason," putting them at potential probe risk by the Russian law enforcement officials and the government, the media reported.
According to a report in The Guardian on Thursday, the advertising tools algorithmically labelled 65,000 Russians as "interested in treason".
Facebook later said the label was intended to only identify historical treason.
"Treason was included as a category, given its historical significance. Given it's an illegal activity, we've removed it as an interest category," a spokesperson was quoted as saying.
The social media giant generally tags users based on their behaviour on its platform for advertisers to select and target people interested in specific topics.
"Treason was included as a category, given its historical significance. Given it's an illegal activity, we've removed it as an interest category," a Facebook spokesperson told the Guardian.
The labelling raises new concerns over data-driven profiling.
and targeting of users on the website, which has already faced criticism for the same tool algorithmically inferring information about users' race, sexuality and political views despite data protection legislation requiring explicit consent to hold such information.
The Danish Broadcasting Corporation first raised this problem with Facebook.
The issue at hand has "raised a number of important questions about the way Facebook's advertising systems work. Our goal is to ensure people see ads that are relevant and useful. It's better for the people using our service, as well as for advertisers," Facebook said in a statement.
"When we identify misuse of our ads products, we take action. Depending on the violation, we may remove the ad, suspend the ad account or even report the advertiser to law enforcement," it added.
In a latest admission, Facebook said it entered into data-sharing partnership with 52 technology companies, including Chinese companies like Alibaba, Huawei, Lenovo and Oppo.
In its 747-page response to questions raised by a US committee, Facebook said it had already ended partnerships with 38 of them with seven more due to expire in July and one more in October this year.
The UK's data protection watchdog also plans to slap a fine of 500,000 pounds ($662,501) on Facebook over the Cambridge Analytica data leak scandal. This is the highest permitted fine under Britain's data protection law.
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Mangaluru airport issues advisory to passengers, heightens security measures
Mangaluru: In response to recent cross-border attacks by Pakistan and rising tensions along the international boundary, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has directed airports across India to enhance security protocols. As part of this nationwide alert, Mangaluru International Airport has intensified surveillance, and introduced secondary ladder point checks (LPSC).
Explaining about the new protocol, Jaideep Shenoy, Public Relations Officer at Mangaluru International Airport, said that the secondary ladder point security check involves a second round of frisking. Passengers will first undergo standard checks by the CISF at the security checkpoint. Before boarding the aircraft, either via a boarding bridge or a bus, they will be subjected to an additional frisking by airline staff at the gate. Shenoy emphasized that the LPSC is a standard security measure implemented at all airports.
He also urged travelers to stay updated by checking the airport’s official social media channels for accurate and timely information.
In light of circulating reports regarding restrictions on visitor entry, Shenoy clarified that the entry of visitors into the terminal has always been restricted. Visitors may accompany passengers up to the departure gates or receive them at the arrival gates, as per existing rules.
In an advisory issued on Friday, Mangaluru International Airport urged passengers to arrive well in advance of their scheduled departures to accommodate extended security checks, and to cooperate with airport and security personnel.
The airport authorities also urged people not to share any unverified information.
#MangaluruAirport is fully operational, with your safety and comfort as our top priority. Stay informed and plan ahead to ensure a smooth journey.
— Mangaluru Airport (@mlrairport) May 9, 2025
Here’s everything you need to know before you fly, from security guidelines to handy dos and don’ts.
Plan ahead, stay informed, and… pic.twitter.com/clJTKPrlRT
