Why Meta is ending its fact-checking program in the United States

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp, has announced that it will end its third-party fact-checking program in the US and replace it with an X-Style community notes system where users flag content as false or misleading.

The move has been criticized by disinformation researchers who warned it risks opening the floodgates for false narratives.

Fact-checking and disinformation research have long been a hot-button issue in a hyperpolarized political climate in the United States, with conservative us advocates saying they were a tool to curtail free speech and censor right-wing extremists.

Reference Sources

1. eurodayfr - Why Meta is ending its fact-checking program in the United States
2. nytimesen - Mark Zuckerberg Says Meta Fact-Checkers Were the Problem. Fact-Checkers Rule That False.
3. bussinesstimes - Disinformation experts slam Meta decision to end US fact-checking
4. standard - Meta criticised over ‘chilling’ content moderation changes
5. cnbc - Meta employees criticize Zuckerberg decisions to end fact-checking, add Dana White to board

Samsung Q4 profit outlook misses estimates by large margin as chip issues drag

(Source: Shutterstock)

Samsung electronics, the world's largest memory chip, smartphone, and TV maker, has released a preliminary fourth-quarter operating profit estimate that missed analyst estimates by a large margin, as it lagged behind rival SK Hynix in supplying high-end chips to Nvidia.

The estimated result was 131% higher than the same period a year earlier, but down 29% from the third quarter.

Samsung's earnings were dented by rising research and development costs and the ramp-up of manufacturing capacity for advanced semiconductors, the company said in a statement. Slowing demand for conventional memory chips used in PCs and mobile phones also weighed on earnings, it added.

Samsung is also struggling to boost its supply of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in advanced artificial intelligence computing due to technological issues.

It is lagging behind its local rival SK Hynix, which supplies its Hbm chips almost exclusively to leading ai chipmaker Nvidia.

Reference Sources

1. cna - Samsung Q4 profit outlook misses estimates by large margin as chip issues drag
2. ft - Samsung’s profit estimates disappoint as it fights for Nvidia’s AI business
3. nikkei - Samsung's Q4 profit tumbles 30% amid memory downturn, labor costs
4. aawsat - Samsung’s Preliminary Q4 Profit Falls Far Short of Estimates as Chip Issues Drag

Japan Links Chinese Hacker MirrorFace to Dozens of Cyberattacks Targeting Security and Tech Data

(Source: AP)

Japan has linked more than 200 cyberattacks over the past five years targeting the country's national security and high technology data to a Chinese hacking group, Mirrorface.

The National police agency has detailed the tactics of the attacks and called on government agencies and businesses to reinforce preventive measures.

The attacks targeted Japan's foreign and defense ministries, the country's space agency, and individuals including politicians, journalists, private companies, and think tanks related to advanced technology.

The Npa's analysis on the targets, methods, and infrastructure of the Cyberattacks by Mirrorface from 2019 to 2024 concluded they were systematic attacks linked to China with an aim of stealing data on Japanese national security and advanced technology. Experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the vulnerability of Japan's cybersecurity, especially as the country steps up its defense capabilities and works more closely with the United States and other partners to strengthen Cyber defenses.

Reference Sources

1. usnews - Japan Links Chinese Hacker MirrorFace to Dozens of Cyberattacks Targeting Security and Tech Data
2. washingtontimes - Japan links Chinese hacker MirrorFace to dozens of cyberattacks targeting security and tech data
3. abc - Japan links hacker MirrorFace to dozens of cyberattacks targeting security, tech data

The CommonWealth English daily news digest is a service curated by CommonWealth English team with the help of AI tools.

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