Kenya Insights

Category: Sci & Tech

  • X Shuts Down Operations In Brazil Citing Arrest ‘Threat’

    X Shuts Down Operations In Brazil Citing Arrest ‘Threat’

    Social media platform X said on Saturday it was closing operations in Brazil, citing threats from Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

    The decision follows what X described as a “secret order” from Moraes, who allegedly threatened to arrest the company’s legal representative in Brazil if it did not comply with censorship demands.

    In a statement by X’s Global Government Affairs, the company said that despite numerous appeals to the Brazilian Supreme Court, its concerns had gone unheard.

    “Despite our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court not being heard, the Brazilian public not being informed about these orders and our Brazilian staff having no responsibility or control over whether content is blocked on our platform, Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process.”

    “As a result, to protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately.”

    However, the X service will remain accessible to users in Brazil.

    “We are deeply saddened that we have been forced to make this decision. The responsibility lies solely with Alexandre de Moraes. His actions are incompatible with democratic government,” the statement concluded, urging the Brazilian public to choose between “democracy, or Alexandre de Moraes.”

  • Facebook, Instagram And WhatsApp Content Creators In Kenyan To Start Earning

    Facebook, Instagram And WhatsApp Content Creators In Kenyan To Start Earning

    Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp mother company Meta has announced the roll out two monetisation features for creators in Kenya.

    In a statement on Tuesday, Meta said features; In-Stream Ads on Facebook and Facebook Ads on Reels, will enable creators earn money by producing original videos and building their community.

    According to Meta’s Global Partnerships Lead for Africa, Middle East and Türkiye, Moon Baz, the features will empower Kenyan creators to earn an income through their content.

    She said it will help grow the creative business in the country.

    “Every day, we’re inspired by the incredible African creators who use Facebook to tell their stories, connect with others, and bring people together.

    “This expansion will empower eligible creators in Kenya’s vibrant creative industry to earn money, setting a high bar for creativity worldwide and making Meta’s family of apps the one-stop-shop for all creators,” Baz said.

    Meta said that In-Stream Ads can play before, during, or after on-demand videos, whether it’s pre-recorded content or recordings of previous live streams.

    These include Pre-roll Ads (before the video starts), Mid-roll Ads (during videos), Image Ads (static images displayed beneath the content), and Post-roll Ads (end of videos).

    The company said Ads on Facebook Reels will integrate seamlessly into original Reels, and creators will get paid based on the performance of their original reels.

    Kenyan creators are eligible to earn from their videos and reels on Facebook, starting August 6, 2024 (today).

    Meta noted that the features have support in over 30 languages globally including Swahili.

    To use either product, creators must pass and comply with Facebook’s Partner Monetisation Policies and Content Monetisation Policies, and be at least 18 years old.

    For In-Stream Ads, Meta said creators must meet certain eligibility requirements, such as having a minimum of 5,000 followers.

    In March, President William Ruto held talks with the Meta team and content creators to have them monetise their content on Facebook.

    He announced that social platforms under the Meta brand (Facebook and Instagram) would start paying Kenyan digital creators through M-Pesa.

    Ruto said the team from Meta had already experimented the same and that it is working, and once the eligibility program was rolled out, creators would start receiving their pay via the mobile money platform.

    “I’m very happy that the monetisation is also going to be on M-Pesa. I think many people have been wondering how do we do this because not many of our content creators have credit cards or other instruments, but I was very happy to hear that the team from Meta has already carried out experiments and that it works,” Ruto said.

    “Therefore in the next few weeks and months, it will now be possible for our content creators to transact using M-Pesa which is much more easy, accessible and a space where many Kenyans interact freely and much more comfortably.”

  • Meta Removes 63,000 Instagram Accounts In Nigeria Over ‘Sextortion’ Scams

    Meta Removes 63,000 Instagram Accounts In Nigeria Over ‘Sextortion’ Scams

    Meta Platforms said on Wednesday it had removed about 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that attempted to engage in financial sexual extortion scams mostly aimed at adult men in the United States.

    Nigerian online fraudsters, known as “Yahoo boys”, are notorious for scams that range from passing themselves off as people in financial need or Nigerian princes offering an outstanding return on an investment.

    Meta said in a statement the 63,000 accounts were on Instagram, adding that it had also removed 7,200 Facebook accounts, pages and groups dedicated to providing tips on scamming people.

    Meta said the removed accounts also included a smaller coordinated network of around 2,500 that were linked to a group of around 20 individuals.
    “They targeted primarily adult men in the U.S. and used fake accounts to mask their identities,” Meta said.

    In sexual extortion, or “sextortion”, people are threatened with the release of compromising photos, either real or faked, if they do not pay to stop them.

    The investigation showed that the majority of the scammers’ attempts were unsuccessful and although mostly targeting adults, there were also attempts against minors, which Meta reported to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the U.S.

    The company said it had used a combination of new technical signals developed to help identify sex extortion.

    Nigeria’s scammers became known as “419 scams” after the section of the national penal code that dealt – ineffectively – with fraud.

    As economic hardships worsen in the country of more than 200 million people, online scams have grown, with those behind them operating from university dormitories, shanty suburbs or affluent neighbourhoods.

    Meta said some accounts were providing tips for conducting scams.

    “Their efforts included offering to sell scripts and guides to use when scamming people, and sharing links to collections of photos to use when populating fake accounts,” it said.

  • Crowdstrike and Microsoft: What we Know About Global IT Outage

    Crowdstrike and Microsoft: What we Know About Global IT Outage

    A mass IT outage has caused chaos around the world, with major banks, media outlets and airlines among the victims.

    Many flights have been grounded, with queues and delays at airports, while shops and communications have also been hit.

    The cause is unknown, but Microsoft says it is taking “mitigation action” to deal with “the lingering impact” of the outage.

    Australia’s home affairs ministry and American Airlines have both said the outage appeared to be related to an issue at global cyber-security firm Crowdstrike.

    What caused this?

    What precisely went wrong is still unclear.

    However, a spokesperson for Australia’s Home Affairs Minister said the outage appeared to be related to an issue at global cyber-security firm Crowdstrike.

    Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator described it as a “large-scale technical outage” and said there was no information to suggest it was an attack.

    American Airlines, which is the world’s biggest by passenger numbers, told the BBC the IT problems were because of a “technical issue with Crowdstrike that is impacting multiple carriers.”

    United Airlines told the BBC: “A third party software outage is impacting computer systems worldwide, including at United.”

    There have been reports suggesting that Crowdstrike, which produces antivirus software, issued a software update that caused Windows devices to crash.

    Crowdstrike shares plunged as much as 14% in early trade, and Microsoft also declined, as did travel and leisure stocks, as the disruptions threaten the holiday season.

    The BBC has approached Crowdstrike for comment but has not yet heard back.

    Who is affected?

    The problem emerged in a piecemeal fashion, with first reports coming out of Australia.

    Payment systems went down at Australian stores including Woolworths, while financial institutions such as the National Australia Bank were also affected.

    Then the issues spread to the US. The state of Alaska warned that its emergency services were affected, while several of the country’s airlines – United, Delta and American Airlines – grounded their flights around the globe.

    Australian carriers Virgin Australia and Jetstar also had to delay or cancel flights as departure screens went blank at Sydney airport.

    Tokyo-Narita and Delhi airports said services had been affected. European airports reported that the outage was causing delays, with long queues reported at London’s Stansted and Gatwick and Amsterdam’s Schiphol.

    Ryanair said it was experiencing “potential disruptions across the network”, which it said were due to a third-party outage.

    Broadcasters were also caught up in the chaos, including Sky News in the UK, which is off air.

    As the full extent of the disruption became clear, more firms and institutions started reporting problems.

    The London Stock Exchange said it was working as normal, but there were issues with its news service, used by companies to report market-sensitive information in a timely way.

    Israel says 15 hospitals have switched to manual processes but this has not affected medical treatment. Ambulances are being told to take new cases to other hospitals.

    And Poland’s largest container terminal, the Baltic Hub in the northern city of Gdansk, has said the outage is “hampering terminal operations” and has asked companies not to send containers to the port.

    In the UK, railway companies have reported delays and said they were experiencing “widespread IT issues”, while some doctors’ surgeries in England reported issues with booking appointments.

    The problems have extended to upmarket UK bakery chain Gail’s, which has said it is currently unable to take in-store payments.

  • All About Apple Intelligence, The New AI Game Changer On iPhones

    All About Apple Intelligence, The New AI Game Changer On iPhones

    Apple is to boost its Siri voice assistant and operating systems with OpenAI’s ChatGPT as it seeks to catch up in the AI race.

    The iPhone maker announced the Siri makeover along with a number of other new features at its annual developers show on Monday.

    It is part of a new personalised AI system – called “Apple Intelligence” – that aims to offer users a way to navigate Apple devices more easily.

    Updates to its iPhone and Mac operating systems will allow access to ChatGPT through a partnership with developer OpenAI.

    ChatGPT can also be used to boost other tools, including text and content generation. The test version will become available in the autumn.

    Tim Cook, Apple chief executive, said the move would bring his company’s products “to new heights” as he opened the Worldwide Developers Conference at the tech giant’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

    What is AI and how does it work?

    The announcement was not welcomed by all. Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and Twitter/X, threatened to ban iPhones from his companies due to “data security”.

    “Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI,” Mr Musk said on X. “They’re selling you down the river.”

    Apple has faced pressure to introduce new AI features to its products after the rapid rise of rivals who have adopted the technology.

    After it was usurped by Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company in January, Apple was overtaken again by Nvidia in early June.

    Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, said that while Apple’s new personal AI system “should help placate nervous investors”, its ChatGPT integration may reveal and create deeper problems for the firm.

    “Arguably this sees Apple admitting its limitations given ChatGPT will kick in at a point where Siri is no longer able to help a user,” he told the BBC.

    Apple has been largely absent in the avalanche of AI products released by tech firms in recent months.

    Mr Cook told investors in 2023 that the company would approach the tech with care. On Monday, those plans were finally laid out.

    What is ‘Apple Intelligence’?

    “Apple Intelligence” is not a product nor an app in its own right.

    It will become part of every app and Apple product customers use – whether it’s a writing assistant refining your message drafts or your diary being able to show you the best route to get to your next appointment.

    In that sense, it is similar to Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot – but you won’t have to pay extra to activate it.

    Siri, the voice assistant Apple acquired in 2010, has been refreshed with a new interface and chattier approach to help users navigate their devices and apps more seamlessly.

    Apple was keen to stress the security of Apple Intelligence during Monday’s keynote.

    Some processing will be carried out on the device itself, while larger actions requiring more power will be sent to the cloud – but no data will be stored there, it said.

    This is vital to customers who pay premium prices for Apple’s privacy promises.

    The system “puts powerful generative models right at the core of your iPhone, iPad and Mac,” said Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi.

    “It draws on your personal context to give you intelligence that’s most helpful and relevant for you, and it protects your privacy at every step.”

    What does OpenAI and Apple deal mean?

    Apple’s decision to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT tech had been widely anticipated but it is an unusual move for a company that so closely guards its own products.

    Google and Microsoft have recently faced scrutiny over errors made by their AI products in recent months, with the search giant rolling back a new feature in May after its erroneous answers went viral.

    For years Apple also refused to allow its customers to download any apps outside of the App Store on the grounds that they might not be secure, and would not allow any web browser other than its own Safari for the same reason.

    It only changed when forced to by EU legislation.

    Is it a sign of recognition that even Apple can’t compete with ChatGPT right now?

    If so, it tells us a lot about the current power of the AI supergiant OpenAI.

    The firm did say it would integrate other products in future, but did not name any.

    Apple announced that its mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, will go on sale in the UK on 12 July. It has been available in the US since February.

    Other new features announced on Monday include:

    • sending texts via satellite
    • scheduling messages to send at a later point
    • using head gestures (nodding for yes or shaking head for no) to control AirPods Pro
    • a dedicated app for passwords that is accessible across devices
    • the ability to hide certain apps or lock them away behind Face ID or passcodes.
  • ‪Nokia CEO Makes World’s First ‘immersive’ Phone Call ‬

    ‪Nokia CEO Makes World’s First ‘immersive’ Phone Call ‬

    Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark made a phone call using a new technology called “immersive audio and video” that improves the quality of a call with three-dimensional sound, making interactions more lifelike, the company said on Monday.
    “We have demonstrated the future of voice calls,” said Lundmark, who was also present in the room when the first 2G call was made in 1991.

    Current smartphone calls are monophonic which compresses audio elements together and sound flatter and less detailed, but the new technology will bring 3D audio where a caller will hear everything as if they were there with the other person.

    “It is the biggest leap forward in the live voice calling experience since the introduction of monophonic telephony audio used in smartphones and PCs today,” said Jenni Lukander, president of Nokia Technologies.

    The call was held with Stefan Lindström, Finland’s Ambassador of Digitalisation and New Technologies.

    “This is now becoming standardised … so the network providers, chipset manufacturers, handset manufacturers can begin to implement it in their products,” Lukander said in an interview.

    Nokia made the call using a regular smartphone over a public 5G network.

    Apart from person to person immersive calls, this can be used in conference calls where voices of participants can be separated based on their spatial locations, said Jyri Huopaniemi, head of audio research at Nokia Technologies.

    A vast majority of smartphones have at least two microphones with which this technology can be implemented by transmitting in real time the spatial characteristics of a call, the executives said.

    The technology is part of the upcoming 5G Advanced standard and Nokia aims to get licensing opportunities with the technology which would likely take a few years to be available widely

  • TECNO Moves To The Aid Of Korogocho Floods Victims

    TECNO Moves To The Aid Of Korogocho Floods Victims

    In the wake of devastating floods that have displaced over 300,000 people in Kenya, TECNO, a leading mobile technology company, has stepped up to provide essential relief to affected communities. The company has delivered much-needed food supplies, beddings, and other materials to those in need, demonstrating a commitment to immediate relief and support.

    The floods, which have affected many, including a TECNO employee in Syiokimau who lost valuable property, prompted the company to take action. “This personal connection to the disaster spurred us into action, reinforcing our resolve to support not only our colleagues but also Kenyans at large,” said Wilfred Odera, the IMC Manager, TECNO Mobile-Kenya.

    The response from beneficiaries has been overwhelmingly positive. One recipient expressed, “TECNO is a blessing. I had no monthly supplies of food for my family but this token has improved my livelihood and I look forward to another day.” This feedback is a testament to the impact of TECNO’s latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.

    TECNO’s commitment to community support is not limited to this immediate relief effort. The company has announced plans to embark on additional CSR initiatives, starting with stadium renovations to promote football in Kenya. This initiative, which is set to begin in July, aims to foster local talent and encourage youth participation in sports.

    This dedication to societal impact is not new for TECNO. In February, the company partnered with Dennis Oliech to promote a football training camp for under-15s, following a successful Africa Cup of Nations campaign. This initiative, held in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Nyeri, was aimed at nurturing young talent and fostering a love for the sport.

    “At TECNO, we believe in the power of giving back and are committed to creating a lasting positive impact on the communities we serve,” said Mr. Odera. This commitment is evident in the company’s response to the recent floods and its plans for future CSR initiatives.

    As Kenya continues to recover from the devastating floods, TECNO’s efforts serve as a beacon of hope and a reminder of the power of corporate responsibility in times of crisis.

  • Facebook, WhatsApp Are The Most Popular Social Media Platforms In Kenya, Report Says

    Facebook, WhatsApp Are The Most Popular Social Media Platforms In Kenya, Report Says

    Meta owned social media platform, Facebook, has firmed its position as Kenya’s top social media platform with a share of 49.4pc.

    Audience Measurement and Industry Trends report covering the third quarter of financial year 2023/24 by the Communications Authority indicates that the social media giant with an estimated 2.9 billion active monthly users globally as enhanced its position in three successive quarters as the most used network for social interactions and source of news.

    The social media network enhanced its position from 45.2pc in first quarter to 47.5pc in the second quarter.

    Another Meta platform, Whatsapp which boasts of at least three billion active monthly users worldwide had 47pc of users.

    “The prevalence of Facebook and WhatsApp in social media mentions highlights their extensive adoption and influential presence in the Kenyan digital landscape,” said CA.

    YouTube emerged as the third most popular social media platform in Kenya with a market share of 29.5pc while TikTok grew to 23pc from 17.8pc to 23pc.

    Instagram, a popular photo and video sharing social media platform site had a share of 13.3pc while X,, formerly Twitter commanded a market share of 10.7pc after growing from 7.9pc in the previous quarter.

    Other sites used in Kenya to get news include Google, Operamini, Chrome, Telegram, email, Snapchat and LinkedIn.

    Mobile phones still remain the most popular devices Kenyans use to access internet at 87.2pc.

    “The most mode of internet access is primarily through smartphones, underscoring the pivotal role these devices play in facilitating connectivity and information access for a wide range of users. As mobile technology continues to advance, ensuring equitable access to smartphones becomes crucial for fostering digital inclusion and bridging gaps in connectivity across various demographics,” stated the regulator.

    Laptops emerged second most preferred mode of access the internet with a share of 5pc, smart TV 1.9pc, tablet 0.5pc and desktop with 0.9pc.

    Latest data from the authority indicates that the country currently has 51 million mobile data subscribers.

    During the period under review, total advertisement expenditure dropped to Ksh 15 billion from Ksh 17 billion.

  • Twitter Domain Is Officially Retired And Now Redirects To ‘X’

    Twitter Domain Is Officially Retired And Now Redirects To ‘X’

    After months of anticipation and a somewhat chaotic transition, the social network formerly known as Twitter has officially adopted X.com as its primary domain. Typing “twitter.com” in your browser will now redirect to Elon Musk’s favoured domain, though some users are still experiencing mixed results depending on their browser and login status.

    A message at the bottom of the X login page assures users that their privacy and data protection settings remain unchanged despite the URL shift. This move marks the culmination of a rebranding effort initiated by Musk, who envisions X as an “everything app” similar to China’s WeChat.

    While many aspects of the platform, including its official account, mobile apps, and subscription service, transitioned to the “X” branding long ago, the lingering “twitter.com” URLs have been a source of confusion and a vulnerability for phishing attacks.

    The transition to X.com is not without historical significance for Musk. He launched a financial services company under the x.com name in 1999, which eventually merged to form PayPal.

    This latest iteration of X, however, is intended to encompass a broader range of services, including messaging, payments, and other functionalities beyond traditional social media.

    The transition has been a source of amusement and frustration for users, with some pointing out the irony of the company’s original name returning to prominence. Whether X will ultimately succeed in its ambition to be an “everything app” remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the era of Twitter is officially over.

  • EU probes Meta’s Role In Making Facebook, Instagram Addictive For Children

    EU probes Meta’s Role In Making Facebook, Instagram Addictive For Children

    The European Commission is formally investigating Meta to establish whether the design and algorithms used by Instagram and Facebook are addictive for children, regulators announced Thursday.

    The investigation comes under the auspices of the Digital Services Act, a law passed in 2022 that requires online platforms to have strict child safety measures. In a statement, the Commission said Meta’s products may “exploit the weakness and inexperience of minors,” and that their apps’ algorithms create “rabbit-hole effects.”

    The Commission also questioned the effectiveness of the apps’ age verification tools, and minors’ privacy on the apps. If found in violation of the DSA, Meta could face a fine of up to 6% of its global revenue, and be forced to make major changes to the apps if it wants to keep doing business in the EU.

    The investigation mirrors allegations in lawsuits against Meta in the United States: To date, 41 states and Washington, DC have sued the company, alleging Meta knowingly made both Instagram’s and Facebook’s designs and algorithms addictive and did not do enough to safeguard children on the platforms.

  • Google Launches New Artificial Intelligence Model Gemini 1.5 Flash

    Google Launches New Artificial Intelligence Model Gemini 1.5 Flash

    Google on Tuesday introduced its new artificial intelligence (AI) model that it said is faster and more efficient for AI assistants.

    The new Gemini 1.5 Flash model is lighter-weight than its predecessor Gemini 1.5 Pro which was introduced in February, following the first natively multimodal Gemini 1.0 that was launched in December 2023.

    Google dubbed Gemini 1.5 Flash as a lightweight model that is optimized for speed and efficiency, which is suitable for the vast majority of developer and enterprise use cases.

    It has a long-context understanding that can process hours of video and audio, and hundreds of thousands of words or lines of code, according to the company.

    “Flash has a one-million-token context window by default, which means you can process one hour of video, 11 hours of audio, codebases with more than 30,000 lines of code, or over 700,000 words,” according to its website.

    Developers can integrate Gemini models into their applications with Google AI Studio and Google Cloud Vertex AI.

    Gemini 1.5 Flash by Google came a day after Microsoft-backed OpenAI unveiled its new model GPT-4o which is said to be much faster compared to its previous ones, as the competition in the AI industry heats up.

    Google in late February had temporarily suspended Gemini’s ability to generate images after receiving criticism on social media platforms.

  • What We Know So Far On The KFC Kenya ‘Hack’

    What We Know So Far On The KFC Kenya ‘Hack’

    BY STEVE WILLIAMS

    On May 5th, there were several media reports indicating that KFC Kenya display screens had been hacked. There were several photos of the defaced display screens showing the image of the infamous Hamas military wing spokesperson “Abu Obaida” alongside the message “Hacked by Mutarrif Hamas Islamic Force”

    The main message on the defaced screen included vulgar anti-Israel messages alongside messages that could be perceived as sympathetic to the plight of Gazans. I decided to do a little dig-up to see what I could unearth.

    First of all, while technically it was a “hack”, the correct term for such actions is website defacement. This involves malicious (and sometimes genuine) actors taking control of a website and altering its content for various purposes which may include activism and vandalism. These actions may be used to further whatever the hijacker intended. Sometimes genuine white hat hackers may do so to test the strength of their system.

    The perceived attacker left an Instagram account in their message and I decided to snoop around. The Instagram the attacker left behind was “mutarrifdefacer” The account was unfortunately private and therefore couldn’t be publicly viewed.

    However, there were some other links on the profile of the Instagram account. The first link led to the perceived attacker’s personal website which was in Turkish.

    This means the person or people involved in defacing KFC Kenya display screens are most probably Turkish.

    Turkey is a country that has a substantial Muslim population and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been openly hostile to Israel. Turkey, despite its membership in NATO, has also been hosting a Hamas delegation in the country and Erdogan openly stated that he supports “Hamas” and he recently hosted senior Hamas leaders in Istanbul, Turkey. Therefore it is plausible that the Palestinian Islamist group “Hamas” enjoys radical support in the country.

    The second link is linked to the attacker’s Telegram account. A cursory glance at the account shows the account celebrating its “triumph”. Older posts show sympathetic promotion of key Islamist figures like Osama Bin Laden who President Obama’s administration killed for his role in the 9/11 bombings in New York, USA.

    Some older posts also show group members threatening Israel by posting what appears to be rocket launchers in Turkish language. The group also shares what appears to be a Hamas propaganda channel. The attacker also appears to run a Twitter (or X) account which is in direct violation of X’s Terms of Service which prohibit the promotion of  “Violent & hateful entities”

    Kenya Insights contacted the administrator of the Telegram Channel for further clarification but our calls and messages went unanswered.

    Kenya has taken a proactive stance in the Israel-Palestine conflict preferring peace through a two-state solution and recognizes both Israel and Palestine.

    However, Kenya enjoys a strong and stable relationship with Israel collaborating in areas such as agriculture, weaponry, and intelligence which may lead to it being targeted by anti-Israel agitators who feel that Kenya is not doing enough. Despite that, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.

  • ‪Instagram Adopts New TikTok Like Algorithm To Boost Small Content Creators‬

    ‪Instagram Adopts New TikTok Like Algorithm To Boost Small Content Creators‬

    Instagram is overhauling its recommendations algorithms in what analysts say is an attempt to capitalise on TikTok’s woes.

    Changes to its system for suggesting content, particularly on Reels – its short-form video service –will prioritise original content and “give all creators an equal chance of breaking through”.

    Experts say the Meta-owned platform is trying to copy what has driven the success of TikTok – as its potential ban in the US looms.

    But some in the creator community say the changes may come too late for users who have lost patience with Instagram’s approach to its Reels feature.

    In a blog post, Instagram said it would “correct” its previous approach to recommending content, which favoured accounts with larger followings and “aggregators” which repost lots of other creators’ content.

    The changes will be rolled out over the next few months.

    Jasmine Enberg, principal social media analyst at eMarketer, said it was clear what Instagram had in its sights.

    “The battle for TikTok creators is on,” she told the BBC.

    TikTok’s highly-personalised algorithm and For You Page of recommended content has made it “the platform of choice” for smaller, emerging creators keen to break through, she said.

    Being so adept at promoting viral videos, regardless of who makes them, is what has helped make TikTok so popular worldwide – and is what Meta is seeking to copy, especially with its rival’s future in doubt, in the US at least.

    “Instagram wants to become the go-to platform for those creators if TikTok were to be banned,” Ms Enberg explained.

    ‘Sick and tired’

    But this is not the first time Meta has tinkered with Instagram – and there is no guarantee it will work, for creators or audiences.

    Katy Cowan, who runs Creative Boom – a Manchester-based platform for design creatives – told the BBC this has been “a kick in the teeth” for smaller creators.

    She thinks the changes may come “too late” for those frustrated by frequent platform and algorithmic changes.

    “I think people are just sick and tired of Instagram changing things,” she said.

    “I love Instagram and it’s where I built my audience but the constant fluctuations in reach and stifled growth have made it not worth the investment in time,” wrote film-maker Travis Meadors on Meta’s app for text posts, Threads.

    Under the changes in coming months, “aggregator” accounts that repeatedly post content they did not create, or make material edits to, will not be included in areas of the app where they are recommended to users, such as in Explore or Reels feeds.

    Instagram will also “reward” original creators by replacing a duplicate of a video with its original in recommendations where it finds multiple versions.

    This will not apply to content which is remixed or edited to become a meme or parody, it says.

    It will also apply labels attributing original creators on reposted content.

    “It takes a lot of time and effort to create original content, so those who create it should get credit and distribution even when it is reposted by other accounts,” Instagram said.

    Instagram says creators will be notified when Reels featuring or reposting their content are replaced with their own, original content in recommendations.

    Meta is not the only social media firm revamping its offering in the face of TikTok’s travails.

    Popular live-streaming platform Twitch – which is owned by Amazon – has also just rolled out its own TikTok-style short video feed to all users.

    The “Discovery Feed” on Twitch’s mobile app will provide users with a personalised, scrollable blend of clips and live streams to “help viewers find content to enjoy quickly and help streamers get discovered, even when they’re not live”.

    Whether these changes are what creators – and customers – actually want is less clear, says Kate Cowan.

    Many are now looking to other platforms such as LinkedIn for an audience.

    Some, she says, feel the key to reaching people in the future may even lie with approaches from the past, and a” humble return to traditional marketing” such as in-person events and meet-ups.

  • EU Commission Launches Probe Into Meta Disinformation

    EU Commission Launches Probe Into Meta Disinformation

    The European Commission initiated formal proceedings Tuesday to investigate Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on concerns about disinformation as EU parliament elections near.

    The investigation stems from suspicions regarding Meta’s policies and practices related to deceptive advertising, political content and the availability of effective tools for real-time civic discourse and election monitoring.

    “Big digital platforms must live up to their obligations to put enough resources into this and today’s decision shows that we are serious about compliance. Protecting our democracies is a common fight with our Member States,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

    The Commission is examining Meta’s mechanisms for flagging illegal content and handling user complaints. It suspects it may not align with the requirements outlined in the Digital Services Act (DSA) — a law on illegal content, transparent advertisement and disinformation.

    “Important that we can #trust what we see #online. Today, we have opened proceedings against @meta as we suspect that their online moderation on @facebok and @instagram is insufficient. It lacks transparency of #ads and content moderation,” Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager wrote on X.

    The Commission expressed concern that Meta’s oversight of advertisements may be “insufficient.”

    It also indicated that a surge in paid advertisements might pose a threat to “electoral processes and fundamental rights, including consumer protection.”

    Meta has been subject to the provisions of the DSA since its designation in April 2023.

    The Act applies to all online intermediaries in the EU since Feb. 17, underscoring the EU’s commitment to ensuring a safe and transparent online environment for its citizens, it said.

  • TikTok Owner Prefers Ban In US Than Sell It, Reuters Reports

    TikTok Owner Prefers Ban In US Than Sell It, Reuters Reports

    TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, would rather shut down the app than sell it if they can’t fight the ban in the U.S, a Reuters report citing four sources.

    The algorithms that make TikTok work are really important to ByteDance, so selling the app without the algorithms is unlikely. Most of ByteDance’s money comes from China, and TikTok’s users in the U.S. only make up a small part of their overall users.

    It said late on Thursday in a statement posted on Toutiao, a media platform it owns, that it had no plan to sell TikTok, in response to an article by The Information saying ByteDance is exploring scenarios for selling TikTok’s U.S. business without the algorithm that recommends videos to TikTok users.

    The company continues to make most of its money in China, mainly from its other apps such as Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, separate sources have said.

    TikTok’s daily active users in the U.S. also make up just about 5% of ByteDance’s DAUs worldwide, said one of the sources.

    It would be impossible to divest TikTok with its algorithms as their intellectual property licence is registered under ByteDance in China and thus difficult to disentangle from the parent company, said the sources.

    Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has expressed interest in putting together an investor group to try to buy TikTok. ByteDance may struggle to attract any buyers for TikTok’s U.S. assets excluding algorithms, the sources said.

    Kenya rules out banning TikTok

    A similar debate of banning the Chinese app in kenya has been active.

    However, Kenya’s government has advised lawmakers against banning TikTok over concerns about content shared on the platform, and instead recommended stricter oversight by regulators.

    A panel in parliament has been considering a petition from a Kenyan citizen to ban the Chinese-owned platform. The recommendation follows accusations from the interior ministry that the platform has been used to spread propaganda, carry out fraud and distribute sexual content.

    Rather than imposing a ban on TikTok, the ministry proposes adoption of a co-regulation model,” the information and communication ministry said.

    The ministry proposed requiring TikTok to screen content to ensure compliance with Kenyan laws and file quarterly reports to the government on what material it had taken down.

    The company has been facing regulatory scrutiny in a number of countries, particularly in the West.

    Last month, Italy slapped three TikTok units with fines for inadequate checks on content deemed potentially harmful to children or vulnerable users.

    The U.S. Senate approved legislation on Tuesday that would ban TikTok in the United States if ByteDance fails to divest over the next nine months to a year.

    The move was driven by widespread worries among U.S. lawmakers that China could access Americans’ data or surveil them with the app.

  • Kenyan Binance Executive Nadeem Anjarwalla Not Yet Arrested, Police Say

    Kenyan Binance Executive Nadeem Anjarwalla Not Yet Arrested, Police Say

    Contrary to reports largely in Nigerian publications, Nadeem Anjarwalla the Binance Executive who escaped from the custody has not been arrested.

    While the news of his arrest has been heavily publicized in Nigeria and other tech blogs, police in Kenya have denied making such arrests.

    The National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson Resila Onyango has confirmed to the media that they’re unaware of the allegations.

    Nigerian publication PUNCH had made the initial claim which has since been debunked.

    According to sources close to the investigation, the senior Binance executive who escaped Nigerian captivity in March 25 has been confirmed to being in Nairobi but not arrested.

    A source speaking to Kenya Insights say the Nigerian authorities strategically leaked the rumors on various crypto websites in a calculated move to pile pressure on Kenya to make arrest and eventual extradition.

    The Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been conducting investigations into Mr. Anjarwalla’s whereabouts together with Interpol and the Kenya Police Service.

    The extradition process in Kenya is a lengthy process and can’t be hurried, perhaps this could explain the pressure.

    Nigerian authorities acknowledged this in their report to PUNCH, “We have found him. We know where he is; he is in Kenya, and we’re working with the authorities to bring him back to Nigeria,” one source disclosed.

    “All hands are on deck, and the government and security agencies are collaborating closely with Kenyan authorities and INTERPOL to ensure his expeditious return to Nigeria to face the charges against him,” the reports citing unnamed Nigerian officials said.

    Anjarwalla, along with Binance Holdings Limited and Tigran Gambaryan, faces charges including tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering amounting to $35.4 million.

    While Gambaryan is already in custody, efforts to extradite Anjarwalla are reportedly underway in collaboration with various international law enforcement agencies and governments, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Kenya.

    Extradition process in Kenya

    Kenya will normally extradite persons of interests to a country that they share a treaty with.

    In 2021, a Nigerian national Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in Nairobi on the request of Nigeria to face terrorism charges and was eventually extradited.

    Being a Kenyan citizen, Mr. Anjarwalla’s extradition is different and if he were to be arrested, the law allows him to exhaust all the avenues.

    Under the current Kenyan laws, any fugitive criminal or other person arrested and sought for extradition is to be taken to court where a magistrate makes orders with regards to their extradition.

    A requisition for the surrender of a fugitive criminal, of any country, who is in or suspected of being in Kenya is made to the government by a diplomatic representative or consular officer.

    The government may refuse the order for extradition if it thinks that the offence in question is one of political character.

    Equally, a fugitive accused of an offence triable in Kenya or one undergoing sentencing under any conviction in Kenya shall not be extradited until their discharge,

    Extradition crimes include criminal homicide, injury to persons, abduction, rape, offences relating to narcotics and dangerous drugs, damage to property, and falsification of currency, including counterfeiting and forgery.

    Other crimes covered in the country’s extradition laws include forgery, fraud, piracy and organised criminal group offences.

    Kenya has been tightening its extradition rules including most recently in March signing bilateral treaties for the extradition of citizens to China and Italy.

    Extradition is the process through which a person suspected of having committed an offence in one country and having sought refuge or hidden in another country is rendered back to the country in which the offence is alleged to have been committed to face trial. Extraditions are often based on treaties between countries.

    Recent high-profile extradition cases have included the extradition of Asif Hafeez who was extradited to the US from Britain on charges of supplying drugs to Akasha brothers.

    The brothers were meanwhile extradited to the US from Kenya in 2017 on suspicion of smuggling heroin.

    Currently, Kelvin Kang’ethe, a Kenyan wanted in the US for murdering his girlfriend has been in custody since February and had been fighting his extradition. He’s allowed to access his lawyers as well.

    As much as the Americans would want to put him on the next flight to face justice in the US, they have to go through the long process of extradition.

  • Helicopter That Killed General Ogolla

    Helicopter That Killed General Ogolla

    The military helicopter which claimed the lives of Kenya’s military Chief Francis Ogolla alongside nine others was one of the six Bell Huey II aircraft donated by the United States to Kenya in November 2016.

    The aircraft burst into flames shortly after taking off in Elgeyo Marakwet’s Keben area on Thursday, killing 10 of the 12 occupants on board.

    The Bell Huey II helicopters valued at $106 million (Sh14.16 billion) were handed over to the Kenya Air Force by the then American Ambassador to Kenya, Robert Godec, as part of the arsenal to bolster the fight against terrorism.

    The Bell Huey II is an upgraded version of Bell UH-1H medium-lift helicopter and is among the fleet of aircrafts operated by the Kenya Air Force.

    Apart from Kenya, the Bell Huey II is operated by the US Air Force, the Colombian Air Force,  the Philippine Air Force, the Yemeni Air Force, and the Ugandan military.

    Here are some key facts about the aircraft:

    The aircraft is manufactured by Bell Textron Aerospace company, a subsidiary of Textron and is headquartered at, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.

    According to Bell, the Bell Huey II can accommodate up to 14 passengers in its cabin which the manufacturer says is also designed to accommodate mechanical and electrical provisions for mission-critical communications and life-saving devices.

    The aerospace manufacturer further adds that the Bell Huey II has a 5,000 lbs / 2,268 kg cargo lifting capacity.

    The aircraft also features sliding doors, which the company says support in-flight operations with “strength and speed.”

    “Increased engine power of 1,800 shp / 1,342 kW drives your mission forward fast, while the wide windscreen offers excellent visibility, “Bell says on its website.

    According to Bell, the Bell Huey Huey II is designed for deployment on versatile missions.

    With multiple crew positions, litter configurations, and avionics accommodations, Bell further indicates that the Bell Huey II is versatile enough for tasks as diverse as troop insertion, search and rescue, and the delivery of first responders.

  • ‪Apple Warns iPhone Users They May Have Been Bugged By Israeli’s Pegasus-Type Spyware ‬

    ‪Apple Warns iPhone Users They May Have Been Bugged By Israeli’s Pegasus-Type Spyware ‬

    Apple sent out threat notifications to users in 92 countries on Wednesday, informing them that they may have been the target of “mercenary spyware attacks,” a warning that comes as several countries are preparing to hold critical elections.

    What you need to know

    Apple updated the security notice on its website Wednesday, which states that threat notifications are “designed to inform and assist users who may have been individually targeted by mercenary spyware attacks.”

    According to several Indian news outlets, including the Economic Times and the Indian Express, some iPhone users in the country received notifications from Apple alerting them of an attack “that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID.”

    The notification informed the user they were likely being targeted specifically “because of who you are or what you do,” and urged them to take it “seriously.”

    The reports do not name any individuals in India who received the notifications, but it comes just a week before the start of the country’s six-week general elections—the world’s largest democratic exercise.

    Apple doesn’t include specific steps for users who have received the notifications, other than urging them to enlist help from cybersecurity experts.

    BIG NUMBER

    150. That’s the number of countries in which iPhone users have received threat notifications since 2021, the company said.

    KEY BACKGROUND

    In October, Apple sent out similar notifications to several prominent political leaders in India who represented opposition parties. Rahul Gandhi, the top leader of Congress—India’s main opposition party—told reporters he and several members of his and other opposition parties had received notifications that their iPhones were being targeted by “state-sponsored attackers.” At the time, Gandhi called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and accused them of carrying out the attack. Prominent activists and journalists who are critical of the Modi government also received the notification at the time. Apple confirmed it had sent out the notifications but said it had not attributed it to a “specific state-sponsored attacker.” In late December, Amnesty International said it had conducted a forensic investigation to confirm Apple’s findings and said NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was used to carry out the attacks. Indian authorities publicly denied carrying out the attacks but, according to the Washington Post, they reportedly pressured Apple to “come up with alternative explanations for the warnings to users,” to ease the political fallout.

    FURTHER READING

    Apple warns users of “mercenary spyware” attack; India, 91 other countries impacted (Economic Times)

    Apple warns some Indian users their iPhone may be bugged by Pegasus-type spyware (Indian Express)

    Kenyan intelligence agency NIS has also been accused of using NSO Group’s Pegasus Spyware.

    Israelis Powerful Pegasus Spyware May Have Been Used By NIS To Target And Spy On Journalists Bloggers And Dissidents

  • Hackers Breach Israeli’s Defense Ministry Computers, Steal Sensitive Information For Sale

    Hackers Breach Israeli’s Defense Ministry Computers, Steal Sensitive Information For Sale

    A hacker group claimed to have breached the Israeli Defense Ministry’s computers and obtained sensitive information.

    Security sources confirmed to Israel Hayom daily on Tuesday that there had been indeed a breach into the ministry’s computers.

    The hacker group that made the claims on Telegram asserted that it had successfully accessed data from the Defense Ministry’s computer systems, the daily added.

    Among the documents allegedly belonging to the Defense Ministry were “communications and orders,” which the hackers offered for sale for 50 bitcoins (about $3.45 million).

    Moreover, the Israeli daily reported that the hackers had obtained extensive data but would only consider selling it if Israel agreed to release 500 Palestinian prisoners.

    Security sources confirmed to Israel Hayom daily that the breach of the ministry’s systems had occurred, but they did not specify whether the stolen data was sensitive.

  • Musk Says Starlink Will Be Free for Brazil Schools If Government Cancels Contract

    Musk Says Starlink Will Be Free for Brazil Schools If Government Cancels Contract

    SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said he will provide Starlink services free of charge for schools in Brazil if the government chooses to follow through and cancel a contract for the service in the country.

    Many schools in Brazil have reported using the company to provide internet access to their citizens. Starlink terminals connect to the company’s satellites in low Earth orbit and provide high-speed communications.

    Brazil’s government has reportedly announced plans to suspend all contracts with Starlink. Prompting Mr. Musk to offer the service free of charge.

    “Starlink will provide free Internet for schools in Brazil if the government won’t honor their contract,” he said in an April 8 social media post.

    The moves come amid a growing stoush between social media company X, also owned by Mr. Musk, and the Brazilian government.

    According to an April 6 post on the platform, the global affairs team announced they were being “forced by court decisions to block certain popular accounts in Brazil.”

    “We do not know the reasons these blocking orders have been issued. We do not know which posts are alleged to violate the law. We are prohibited from saying which court or judge issued the order, or on what grounds,” the post said. 

    The global affairs team claimed the company had been threatened with fines if they didn’t comply with the order. They also said they were unable to provide a list of which accounts were impacted.

    “We believe that such orders are not in accordance with the Marco Civil da Internet or the Brazilian Federal Constitution, and we challenge the orders legally where possible,” the post from the global affairs team said.

    “The people of Brazil, regardless of their political beliefs, are entitled to freedom of speech, due process, and transparency from their own authorities.”

    The announcement came after a report by investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger and colleagues David Ágape and Eli Vieira, titled “Twitter Files Brazil.”

    Mr. Shellenberger said that sitting members of Brazil’s Congress and journalists were among those named by Brazil’s highest court for censorship. He has shared his findings on X.

    Mr. Musk announced soon after he had removed all content restrictions in Brazil in defiance of the order.

    As a result, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes opened a probe into Mr. Musk for alleged obstruction of justice after he challenged a court order requiring the removal of certain X accounts.

    In his decision on April 7, Justice de Moraes said Mr. Musk will be probed for alleged obstruction of justice, criminal organization, and incitement.

    Mr. Musk has made serious allegations of corruption against Justice de Moraes and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In a follow-up April 8 post, Mr. Musk claims that events have since escalated and all Twitter Brazil employees are in danger of arrest. Once safe, he will release the information proving his allegations. 

    “We need to get our employees in Brazil to a safe place or otherwise not in a position of responsibility, then we will do a full data dump,” he said. 

    “They have been told they will be arrested. Save the Brazilian X employees.”

    From The Epoch Times