Tag Archives: ban

Twitter logo, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey

We’ve made the decision to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. We believe political message reach should be earned, not bought. Why? A few reasons…

A political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet. Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.

While internet advertising is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics, where it can be used to influence votes to affect the lives of millions.

Internet political ads present entirely new challenges to civic discourse: machine learning-based optimization of messaging and micro-targeting, unchecked misleading information, and deep fakes. All at increasing velocity, sophistication, and overwhelming scale.

These challenges will affect ALL internet communication, not just political ads. Best to focus our efforts on the root problems, without the additional burden and complexity taking money brings. Trying to fix both means fixing neither well, and harms our credibility.

For instance, it‘s not credible for us to say: “We’re working hard to stop people from gaming our systems to spread misleading info, buuut if someone pays us to target and force people to see their political ad…well…they can say whatever they want! 😉”

We considered stopping only candidate ads, but issue ads present a way to circumvent. Additionally, it isn’t fair for everyone but candidates to buy ads for issues they want to push. So we’re stopping these too.

We’re well aware we‘re a small part of a much larger political advertising ecosystem.

Some might argue our actions today could favor incumbents. But we have witnessed many social movements reach massive scale without any political advertising. I trust this will only grow.

In addition, we need more forward-looking political ad regulation (very difficult to do).

Ad transparency requirements are progress, but not enough. The internet provides entirely new capabilities, and regulators need to think past the present day to ensure a level playing field.

We’ll share the final policy by 11/15, including a few exceptions (ads in support of voter registration will still be allowed, for instance).

We’ll start enforcing our new policy on 11/22 to provide current advertisers a notice period before this change goes into effect.

A final note. This isn’t about free expression. This is about paying for reach.

And paying to increase the reach of political speech has significant ramifications that today’s democratic infrastructure may not be prepared to handle. It’s worth stepping back in order to address.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey explaining, in a series of tweets last night, the company’s decision to ban all political advertising on Twitter, staring on November 22, 2019.

Twitter to ban all political advertising (BBC)

Previously: What Do You Get The Man Who Has Everything?

#Twitter Founder Does Not Think Ireland Sucks

Pic: Bloomberg

From top: The Currency; Denis O’Brien; Green Party leader Eamon Ryan; Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

This afternoon.

In the Dáil.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan raised with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar the recent decision by Denis O’Brien-owned Communicorp – which owns Today FM, Newstalk, Dublin’s 98FM and Spin 1038 – to ban all The Currency staff, journalists, and contributors from appearing on the company’s radio stations.

It follows the implementation of similar ban against Irish Times‘ journalists in 2017.

He said:

“It seems to me that there’s a lacuna on our law. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland seems unwilling to take action against Communicorp which recently made a decision that certain members of the media, Tom Lyons and Ian Kehoe, from currency.ie [sic, thecurrency.news] will be restricted from taking part in radio programmes on their stations.

“It’s similar to the decision taken two years ago in response to an article Fintan O’Toole wrote which saw The Irish Times’ journalists banned from the stations.

“The recent case they say it because of commercial rivalry.

“I sense, I’ve talked to every grouping here today, is that every party is in agreement that that’s an egregious or has a poor effect on our democracy. We need a free press which is open to debate and allows different voices to be heard.

“And whether it’s for commercial reasons or whether it’s an editorial view of a certain owner – that they mightn’t like what is written in a paper – to ban journalists from radio stations is not what we want.

“To avoid the legislation, could I ask you maybe to join the other leaders and groups of every grouping in this House, to write a letter to Communicorp asking them to reverse the decision in both cases and to stand up for press freedom.

“I’d be keen to hear your views on that so I’d be happy to join the deputy in that.

In response, Mr Varadkar said:

“My sentiments are the same as his [Eamon Ryan’s] on this matter. I believe in free speech and I believe in a free press and I don’t believe anyone should be banned from the airwaves – journalist or citizen – unless it’s for a very good reason.

“And those reasons should be somebody inciting hatred but I don’t think that anyone should be banned from the radio, from TV, or from any publication, solely based on who their employer is.”

The Currency was launched last week by former Sunday Business Post editor Ian Kehoe and business editor Tom Lyons.

Hours after the website went live, Communicorp producers were informed of the ban.

Earlier this year, Mr O’Brien lost a defamation action he took against the Sunday Business Post over articles published in March 2015 about a Government-commissioned but unpublished PricewaterhouseCoopers report into Ireland’s top 22 borrowers.

The newspaper reported that PwC recorded Mr O’Brien as No.10 on the list.

In November 2008, after receiving the PwC report, the then Taoiseach Brian Cowen told the Dáil that Ireland was right to guarantee the banks in September 2008.

He also told the Dáil that there was enough money in Ireland’s banks for the next three years.

Mr O’Brien claimed the articles concerning him in the Sunday Business Post were defamatory of him but the jury found this was not the case.

Previously: Converted

Closing Arguments

90163078

First they wanted their drums, swords and flames.

Now they want their amps.

RTE reports:

A total ban on the use of amplifiers by buskers has been recommended by Dublin City Council management as part of a revision of by-laws.

A report to councillors says the decibel limits introduced in by-laws over a year ago have only been partially effective and “extremely difficult to enforce”.

Assistant Chief Executive Brendan Kenny states in the report that complaints are increasing and 83% of the 238 public submissions received on revisions to the by-laws complained about noise levels.

Council management are now proposing to ban amplifiers and the use of the backing tracks for all buskers in the city.

DCC recommends total ban of buskers using amplifiers (RTE)

Previously: A Big Ask

No Drums, No Swords, No Flames

Rollingnews

ecig

Dublin People reports:

Irish Rail has confirmed that electronic cigarettes are now banned from all its DART and train services. The company says it made the decision following complaints from passengers, even though there’s no evidence the devices cause any harm to anybody standing close to those using them.

FIGHT!

E-cigs banned from DART and trains (Dublin People)

Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Thomas

“Athletics Ireland and the Irish Sports Council jointly announce that the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel determined that athlete Tomas Rauktys has committed an anti-doping rule violation. Tomas Rauktys, a discus and shot put thrower [of Clonliffe Harriers, above] has been sanctioned by a period of ineligibility of 2 years commencing on the 15th August 2013 – the date on which he was provisionally suspended by Athletics Ireland.”

“In a doping control test immediately following his win in the National Championships, he provided a sample which tested positive for the presence of a prohibited substance, Stanozolol. Mr Rauktys’ results from the 27th July to the time of his provisional suspension on the 15th August are also disqualified. The hearing was held on under Article 8 (Disciplinary Process) of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules and this announcement is made pursuant to Article 15 (Public Disclosure) of the Rules.”

Media Release on Behalf of the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (Irish Sports Council) 

Pic: Clonliffe Harriers