EU takes action against Elon Musk’s X over disinformation
- The European Union has formally announced it suspects X of breaching its rules in areas including countering illegal content and disinformation.
- Digital commissioner Thierry Breton set out the alleged infringements in a post on the platform.
- He reported that X (formerly Twitter) was suspected of breaching its obligations on transparency.
- X said it was “co-operating with the regulatory process.”
- It reported: “X is focused on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users on our platform, while protecting freedom of expression, and we will continue to work tirelessly towards this goal.”
- However, concerns about the nature of the content appearing on X have increased since it was bought by Elon Musk, as he laid off many of its moderators.
- The European Commission previously warned that X had the biggest disinformation problem of any major platform.
- For more, please visit the BBC News website.
Twitch U-turns on ‘artistic nudity’ policy
- Streaming platform Twitch has been forced to abandon its policy on sexual content, as it has led to a flood of AI-generated nudity.
- They previously announced that more adult content was to be allowed, as long as it was deemed artistic.
- The CEO Dan Clancy reported: “Upon reflection, we have decided that we went too far with this change.”
- The decision came after an outpouring of concern online from Twitch’s art community about the volume of AI-generated nudes which increased its art category since the policy change.
- The only exception remains “incidental nudity” that appears in mature-rated games.
- Mr Clancy continued: “While I wish we would have predicted this outcome, part of our job is to make adjustments that serve the community,” and “I apologise for the confusion that this update has caused.”
- For more, please visit the BBC News website.
Classes in character do little to narrow gap in pupil outcomes, says study
- According to research, teaching character, grit and resilience in schools is valuable to children, but is unlikely to play a major part in eradicating the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their wealthier peers.
- The study was by academics from Cambridge, Zürich and Tübingen universities.
- Researchers analysed data collected by the 2018 programme for international student assessment (Pisa) from over 240,000 15-year-olds across 74 countries.
- They found the average difference in science results between the top and bottom 25% of pupils in terms of wealth was a huge 70.5 points, equivalent to almost three years of schooling.
- The lead author, Dr Rob Gruijters of the University of Cambridge, said: “Educational inequality cannot be solved through social and emotional learning. The idea that children can overcome structural disadvantage by cultivating a growth mindset and a positive work ethic overlooks the real constraints many disadvantaged students face, and risks blaming them for their own misfortune.”
- For more, please visit The Guardian website.
