Facebook to remove posts that spur violence
San Francisco, July 19 : Accused of helping to spur violence in countries like Myanmar, Sri Lanka and India, Facebook has said it will begin removing misinformation that leads to violence and physical harm.
Currently, Facebook bans content that directly calls for violence but the new policy will cover fake news that has the potential to stir up physical harm, CNET reported late on Wednesday.
"There are certain forms of misinformation that have contributed to physical harm, and we are making a policy change which will enable us to take that type of content down," Facebook said in a statement.
"We will begin implementing the policy during the coming months," it added.
Facebook-owned WhatsApp is facing the flak in India for allowing the circulation of large number of irresponsible messages filled with rumours and provocation that has led to growing instances of lynching of innocent people.
In June, Facebook removed content that alleged Muslims in Sri Lanka were poisoning food given and sold to Buddhists.
A coalition of activists from eight countries, including India and Myanmar, in May called on Facebook to put in place a transparent and consistent approach to moderation.
In a statement, the coalition demanded civil rights and political bias audits into Facebook's role in abetting human rights abuses, spreading misinformation and manipulation of democratic processes in their respective countries.
Besides India and Myanmar, the other countries that the activists represented were Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines, Syria and Ethiopia.
The demands raised by the group bore significance as Facebook came under fire for its failure to stop the deluge of hate-filled posts against the disenfranchised Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar.
Sri Lanka temporarily shut down Facebook earlier in 2018 after hate speech spread on the company's apps resulted in mob violence.
According to The Verge, Facebook will review posts that are inaccurate or misleading, and are created or shared with the intent of causing violence or physical harm.
The posts will be reviewed in partnership with firms in the particular country including threat intelligence agencies.
"Partners are asked to verify that the posts in question are false and could contribute to imminent violence or harm," Facebook said.
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Gruha Jyothi, drought in state contribute to 11.35 pc increase in power consumption in 2023-24
Bengaluru: The overall power consumption on domestic basis across Karnataka has increased by 11.35 per cent between August 2023 and July 2024, with all electricity supply companies (escoms), except the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), recording a rise of 10 to 19.75 per cent this year.
The power use has increased by 3.76 per cent within BESCOM limits, which includes not only Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts but also other districts like Ramanagar, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Davanagere and Chitradurga in 2023-24, reports Deccan Herald.
The increase is being attributed to the extension in drought and high-temperature days in the state as well as to the implementation of the Gruha Jyothi scheme by the state government, as the number of beneficiaries has increased during said period by 7.13 per cent.
In contrast to the hike witnessed in the state this year, Karnataka had recorded a 4.64 per cent increase in power consumption in 2022-2023, as households had used 16,089 million units (MUs) in 2023-24, which was 1,263 MUs higher than the number of units consumed in 2022-23.
While the six escoms in Karnataka provides electricity to around 1.98 crore households in total, more than 1.69 crore users have enrolled for Gruha Jyothi. Of these, 1.6 crore users have availed of the benefits of the scheme.
The government had given a 10 per cent buffer on the average power consumption of 2022-23, for the households to receive zero-electricity bill, with Energy Department sources informing that the state government had predicted the power consumption in Karnataka to rise by 10 per cent at most, as compared to 2022-23.
The state government had, however, not allocated additional funds in the budget for the scheme, although it has been clearing escom dues regularly, a senior officer has said.
Another senior officer confirmed that drought and high temperatures have contributed to the increased household power consumption across the state. However with good rainfall this year, the power consumption could be expected to return to its average level, the officer added.
Low rainfall in the summer of 2023 had reduced the power supply in the state, forcing escoms to also reduce supply to irrigation pumpsets. Several areas in the state also used to report scheduled load shedding. There have been instances where the government has purchased power from private players and national grid at Rs 7.42 to Rs 10 per unit during peak season, said the officer.
The state currently depends on renewable energy sources, including hydro, wind and solar powers, to meet 63 per cent of its requirements.
