Adam Mosseri, CEO, Instagram, said on Monday that it is reviewing Instagram’s policy guidelines and monitor the content that deals with harassment of people of colour as a step to support the black community. Mosseri did not provide any specifics on how he is going to incorporate the change but he said that the Facebook-owned social media app has heard complaints regarding racial abuse from its black users, The Verge reported.
“The irony that we’re a platform that stands for elevating Black voices, but at the same time Black people are often harassed, afraid of being ‘shadowbanned’, and disagree with many content takedowns, is not lost on me,” Mosseri said in a statement.
Mosseri said Instagram is “hearing concern” about whether it suppresses black voices and if it treats everyone equally in its products and policies. “This is a moment when people around the world are rightfully demanding actions over words, and we owe the same to our community.”
He said that the company will focus on four areas: harassment, verification, distribution, and algorithmic bias. To address harassment, Mosseri said the company will look at specific safety issues its black users’ experience on and off Instagram, and how it can protect people from those issues.
It’s also going to examine whether the criteria it uses to verify Instagram users is inclusive since it received questions about whether that process favours certain groups.
The CEO mentioned that the site will ensure that the content gets filtered in case if there is any bias involved. Instagram will be more transparent about how it distributes people’s posts. It’s also going to “take a harder look” at whether algorithmic bias is having an effect on its decision-making, Verge report added.
Mosseri said Instagram will also examine how well it is serving other underrepresented groups. “Our goal is that Instagram is a place where everyone feels safe, supported, and free to express themselves, and I’m hoping this work will get us closer to that goal,” he said.
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Published on
June 16, 2020
A letter from the Editor
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The coronavirus crisis has changed the world completely in the last few months. All of us have been locked into our homes, economic activity has come to a near standstill. Everyone has been impacted.
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In these difficult times, we, at BusinessLine have been working continuously every day so that you are informed about all the developments – whether on the pandemic, on policy responses, or the impact on the world of business and finance. Our team has been working round the clock to keep track of developments so that you – the reader – gets accurate information and actionable insights so that you can protect your jobs, businesses, finances and investments.
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But all this comes at a heavy cost. As you are aware, the lockdowns have wiped out almost all our entire revenue stream. Sustaining our quality journalism has become extremely challenging. That we have managed so far is thanks to your support. I thank all our subscribers – print and digital – for your support.
I appeal to all or readers to help us navigate these challenging times and help sustain one of the truly independent and credible voices in the world of Indian journalism. Doing so is easy. You can help us enormously simply by subscribing to our digital or e-paper editions. We offer several affordable subscription plans for our website, which includes Portfolio, our investment advisory section that offers rich investment advice from our highly qualified, in-house Research Bureau, the only such team in the Indian newspaper industry.
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Instagram to review content and policies to support black community
Adam Mosseri, CEO, Instagram, said on Monday that it is reviewing Instagram’s policy guidelines and monitor the content that deals with harassment of people of colour as a step to support the black community. Mosseri did not provide any specifics on how he is going to incorporate the change but he said that the Facebook-owned social media app has heard complaints regarding racial abuse from its black users, The Verge reported.
“The irony that we’re a platform that stands for elevating Black voices, but at the same time Black people are often harassed, afraid of being ‘shadowbanned’, and disagree with many content takedowns, is not lost on me,” Mosseri said in a statement.
Mosseri said Instagram is “hearing concern” about whether it suppresses black voices and if it treats everyone equally in its products and policies. “This is a moment when people around the world are rightfully demanding actions over words, and we owe the same to our community.”
He said that the company will focus on four areas: harassment, verification, distribution, and algorithmic bias. To address harassment, Mosseri said the company will look at specific safety issues its black users’ experience on and off Instagram, and how it can protect people from those issues.
It’s also going to examine whether the criteria it uses to verify Instagram users is inclusive since it received questions about whether that process favours certain groups.
The CEO mentioned that the site will ensure that the content gets filtered in case if there is any bias involved. Instagram will be more transparent about how it distributes people’s posts. It’s also going to “take a harder look” at whether algorithmic bias is having an effect on its decision-making, Verge report added.
Mosseri said Instagram will also examine how well it is serving other underrepresented groups. “Our goal is that Instagram is a place where everyone feels safe, supported, and free to express themselves, and I’m hoping this work will get us closer to that goal,” he said.
A letter from the Editor
Dear Readers,
The coronavirus crisis has changed the world completely in the last few months. All of us have been locked into our homes, economic activity has come to a near standstill. Everyone has been impacted.
Including your favourite business and financial newspaper. Our printing and distribution chains have been severely disrupted across the country, leaving readers without access to newspapers. Newspaper delivery agents have also been unable to service their customers because of multiple restrictions.
In these difficult times, we, at BusinessLine have been working continuously every day so that you are informed about all the developments – whether on the pandemic, on policy responses, or the impact on the world of business and finance. Our team has been working round the clock to keep track of developments so that you – the reader – gets accurate information and actionable insights so that you can protect your jobs, businesses, finances and investments.
We are trying our best to ensure the newspaper reaches your hands every day. We have also ensured that even if your paper is not delivered, you can access BusinessLine in the e-paper format – just as it appears in print. Our website and apps too, are updated every minute, so that you can access the information you want anywhere, anytime.
But all this comes at a heavy cost. As you are aware, the lockdowns have wiped out almost all our entire revenue stream. Sustaining our quality journalism has become extremely challenging. That we have managed so far is thanks to your support. I thank all our subscribers – print and digital – for your support.
I appeal to all or readers to help us navigate these challenging times and help sustain one of the truly independent and credible voices in the world of Indian journalism. Doing so is easy. You can help us enormously simply by subscribing to our digital or e-paper editions. We offer several affordable subscription plans for our website, which includes Portfolio, our investment advisory section that offers rich investment advice from our highly qualified, in-house Research Bureau, the only such team in the Indian newspaper industry.
A little help from you can make a huge difference to the cause of quality journalism!
Support Quality JournalismSHARE