Tag Archives: Digital Reputation

X back in Brazil after paying $5M fine and blocking accounts!

X is back in Brazil, after it caved and paid a hefty $5 million fine, and blocked accounts accused of spreading misinformation! Here is what you need to know…

 

Elon Musk fight with Brazil over X ban : A quick primer!

The brouhaha between Elon Musk and Brazil started when Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) to remove over 100 accounts that were allegedly spreading misinformation and questioning the legitimacy of President President Lula da Silva’s 2022 election victory.

Musk, who has often claimed to be a staunch advocacy of free speech, publicly opposed these directives, labeling them an infringement on individual rights. His vocal criticisms of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes escalated the situation, leading to heightened scrutiny of X’s operations in Brazil.

In a surprising move, Musk chose to close X offices in Brazil in mid-August, leaving the platform without a legal representative in the country — an essential requirement for operating legally. This led to Justice Moraes ordering internet and mobile service providers in Brazil to block access to X, a significant blow to the platform’s user base in the region.

Elon Musk also publicly mocked Justice Moraes, claiming that the judge has “repeatedly broken the laws he has sworn to uphold“, while sharing a post celebrating X as the top news app on Apple’s App Store in Brazil, stating, “People want to know the truth.

Last week, X mysteriously reappeared in Brazil after a software update that it claimed resulted in an “inadvertent and temporary service restoration to Brazilian users”. But Justice Moraes called it “wilful, illegal and persistent”, and levied a R$5 million fine (~US$921,000) on X, adding to R$18.3 million (~US$3.37 million) fine that had already been imposed.

Recommended : Elon Musk surrenders to Brazil over X ban!

 

X back in Brazil after paying $5M fine and blocking accounts!

However, just three weeks after defying Brazil’s court orders, Elon Musk and X gave up its fight, and agreed to comply with Brazilian court orders to restore access.

This compliance included appointing a legal representative in Brazil and removing the user accounts that the court deemed threats to democracy. X also paid fines totalling 28.6 million reais ($5.1 million / £3.9 million), as part of the resolution.

On 8 October 2024, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said that X had met all the necessary requirements to operate again in Brazil, and ordered the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to restore service within 24 hours.

X said that it was proud to return to Brazil, and added that it “will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law”.

Brazilian Minister of Communications Juscelino Filho labelled it as a “victory for the country“, and stated that “We showed the world that here, our laws should be respected, by whomever it may be“.

Brazil is the sixth biggest market for X globally, with about 21.5 million users according to Statista. However, many of its users migrated to rival platforms like Bluesy and Threads (which is owned by Meta), and it is unknown if they will all return to X.

 

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Elon Musk surrenders to Brazil over X ban!

For all of his bravado, Elon Musk quickly surrendered his fight with Brazil over its nationwide ban of X. Here is what you need to know…

 

Elon Musk fight with Brazil over X ban : A quick primer!

The brouhaha between Elon Musk and Brazil started when Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered X to remove over 100 accounts that were allegedly spreading misinformation and questioning the legitimacy of President Lula da Silva’s 2022 election victory.

Musk, who has often claimed to be a staunch advocacy of free speech, publicly opposed these directives, labeling them an infringement on individual rights. His vocal criticisms of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes escalated the situation, leading to heightened scrutiny of X’s operations in Brazil.

In a surprising move, Musk chose to close X offices in Brazil in mid-August, leaving the platform without a legal representative in the country — an essential requirement for operating legally. This led to Justice Moraes ordering internet and mobile service providers in Brazil to block access to X, a significant blow to the platform’s user base in the region.

Elon Musk also publicly mocked Justice Moraes, claiming that the judge has “repeatedly broken the laws he has sworn to uphold“, while sharing a post celebrating X as the top news app on Apple’s App Store in Brazil, stating, “People want to know the truth.

Last week, X mysteriously reappeared in Brazil after a software update that it claimed resulted in an “inadvertent and temporary service restoration to Brazilian users”. But Justice Moraes called it “wilful, illegal and persistent”, and levied a R$5 million fine (~US$921,000) on X, adding to R$18.3 million (~US$3.37 million) fine that had already been imposed.

Recommended : X insiders deny DDOS attack during Musk-Trump interview!

 

Elon Musk surrenders to Brazil over X ban!

In a surprising twist – after three weeks defying Brazil’s court orders, it appears that Elon Musk has given up his fight.

X – the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has agreed to comply with Brazilian court orders to restore access. This compliance included appointing a legal representative in Brazil and removing the user accounts that the court deemed threats to democracy. X also paid outstanding fines, amounting to millions of reais, as part of the resolution.

Despite this apparent victory for Brazilian authorities, the Supreme Court highlighted that X had not filed the necessary documentation confirming the appointment of Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao as its legal representative. The court granted X five days to provide the required paperwork validating her appointment.

Starlink – the satellite Internet service provider owned by Elon Musk, had also capitulated. It was also engaged in a dispute with Brazilian authorities over its refusal to enforce the ban on X. However, it said on 4 September that it would comply with the court orders.

Despite being extremely prolific and vocal on X, Elon Musk has been notably silent on X’s capitulation in Brazil. Neither has X released any statement on why it suddenly decided to comply with the court orders.

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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SAP: Malaysian Companies Yet To Gain From Sustainability Plans

New research from Oxford Economics and SAP has revealed that Malaysian companies have yet to gain from their sustainability plans.

 

SAP: Malaysian Companies Yet To Gain From Sustainability Plans

Sustainability goals are a key part of any company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts, but many companies still find it difficult to derive significant value from their sustainability strategies.

Verena Siow, President and Managing Director of SAP South East Asia, share key findings from new research from Oxford Economics and SAP that showed that Malaysian companies have yet to gain from their sustainability plans.

While 60% of businesses don’t think it’s difficult to be sustainable and profitable at the same time, just 4% say that they actually benefited significantly from their sustainability strategies.

That may be due to a disconnect between the organisations’ plans and its actions. While 63% of Malaysian businesses have a clearly communicated sustainability plan, only 23% have incentivised leaders to achieve those goals, and only 33% say that their employees are active participants in their efforts.

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It is an encouraging sign that businesses across South East Asia are increasingly mindful of sustainability practices along their entire supply chain, including those of their suppliers.

There is no time to waste to move beyond strategy and to achieve real, tangible results. In three years, almost a third of businesses expect significant value from their sustainability strategy – and we believe that with the right focus, this number can be even higher.

Public, private and plural partnerships are quintessential to affect the required change for a green economy in ASEAN. Business leaders in South East Asia should not perceive sustainability action as a risk mitigation measure only. It is an opportunity to realize new sustainable revenue streams, find new efficiencies, and build new business models based on low-emission, circular, and ultimately regenerative concepts to benefit both the organization and for our society at large.

 

Regulatory Compliance : Sustainability Driver + Challenge In Malaysia

Sustainability strategies are largely driven by regulatory compliance in Malaysia, with survey respondents noted that these are the primary drivers in their businesses:

  • the threat of regulatory mandates : 52%,
  • operational efficiencies : 54%, and
  • market reputation (48%).

That focus aligns with regulatory compliance being the second biggest benefit derived from sustainability so far (39%), behind only reduced carbon emissions.

It’s clear that organisations may need to refocus their strategies to achieve greater value from sustainability. Too much focus on compliance was cited as the third highest challenge to sustainability success by Malaysian respondents, trailing only the lack of reinvention of business strategy and ineffective data.

 

Data Is Key To Improving Sustainability Outcomes

According to the survey, the key to improving sustainability outcomes will be the effective use of organisational data to make more informed decisions.

Accurate data was ranked as among the most significant activities to help reach carbon reduction goals, only trailing sustainable sourcing and monitoring energy among respondents.

Unfortunately, ineffective data for decision-making is considered a moderate challenge for 75% of Malaysian businesses. The research also found that:

  • less than a quarter (23%) businesses have calculated their total organisational carbon output,
  • although a majority (77%) have begun the process in some areas.

Of the businesses who have made begun measuring their carbon, only 33% actually made changes to their processes based on the data. More obviously needs to be done.

Just over a third (35%) of Malaysian respondents said they had invested in data analysis to measure sustainability in their business, while half (50%) said they were training staff how to capture sustainability data.

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Malaysian Companies Need Sustainability Leadership

Action on sustainability is needed urgently in Malaysia, and has to be driven from the top down.

Beyond the impact on the environment, just 21% of Malaysian businesses say that their workforces are not even aware that missing sustainability targets will drive customers to their competitors.

Businesses that have obtained value from their efforts have these qualities :

  • they set clear expectations at the strategic level,
  • they apply the transformative power of technology and data management, and
  • they engage with important audiences such as employees, supply chain partners and policymakers.

“Sustainability leaders go beyond vision to ensure that sustainability initiatives are acted upon,” said Edward Cone, editorial director, Oxford Economics. “They communicate with key constituencies both inside and outside the company, and they use integrated technologies to measure and track performance in a way that drives accountability.”

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Kaspersky on APAC Digital Reputation Threats!

Vitaly Kamluk, Kaspersky Director of Global Research and Analysis for APAC, explores the impact of social media activities on our digital reputation, as well as those of brands and companies!

 

Digital Reputation : What Is It?

Digital reputation is the online version of good old fashion reputation. The only difference is that it is defined by our online behaviour and what people are saying about us, or the brand.

In short, our digital reputation is a combination of our digital footprint, and the impact it has on how other people perceive us, or the brand.

As the world becomes more connected, digital reputation is becoming more than just important – it is now critical to the future and success of any individual or corporation.

This has led to a shift in how people and brands behave online these days…

As Jesmond Chang, Head of Corporate Communications for Kaspersky APAC, shared above :

  • 32% of social media users in APAC use anonymous accounts
  • 50% of social media users in APAC avoid companies that are involved in a scandal, or had received negative news coverage online
  • 40% also stopped using a company’s or brand’s products once they are embroiled in some kind of online crisis.

 

Kaspersky on APAC Digital Reputation Threats!

At the 6th Vitaly Kamluk, Kaspersky Director of Global Research and Analysis for APAC, shared the latest threats to digital reputation in the APAC region, which is precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One of the most visible effect of this pandemic is how it forced everyone, from individuals to the biggest companies, to shift a lot of their activities online.

This dependence, triggered by our need to secure our physical health, also pushed us to increase our social media use, either to connect with our distant loved ones, to give support to our community, to entertain ourselves, or to get hold of products and services that we need.

Parallel to this trend is the opening of wider doors for cybercriminals to exploit”

With many employees working from home, cybercriminals have found new ways to exploit this situation :

  • brute force attacks on database servers increased 23% in April 2020
  • Malicious files planted on websites increase 8% in April 2020
  • Network attacks and phishing emails also rose

Kaspersky themselves reported an increase of unique malware samples from 350,000 per day pre-COVID, to 428,000 per day!

With the increased reliance on online services, including remote work and learning, e-commerce purchases and a greater adoption of e-wallets, the 2020 threat landscape appears to favour cybercriminals.

 

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