Tag Archives: law

Internet, law, and the freedom of speech

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What the Left Keeps Getting Wrong About Free Speech

Through all the times big corporations like Twitter, Google were immune to the lawsuits against them regarding the content posted on each of their platforms. However, current legal cases are about to change this.

There are always battles between Republicans and Democrats, between right and left about the censorship on the Internet. Nowadays, the regulations of blocking content are not really understandable for a lot of people. Some unharmful posts can be deleted, while disturbing pictures still remain in place. So, the debates about how to make the Internet field not a paradise, but not hell at the same time, are on the stage.

This summer is considered to be decisive for the companies in the US, thus, in the European Union. The aim of the justices is to review all the existing cases and come with the legislations and systems that would prevent people from posting/seeing disturbing content, while still having a freedom of speech.

One of the most recent lawsuits was made against Twitter. Several antisemitic posts were noticed on the platform, that were indented to attack Jewish people and deny the Holocaust. Those posts breaking the law of Germany (from where they were posted) as well as breaking terms and conditions of Twitter. The users of the platform have expressed their feeling of being betrayed by the company after it was bought by Elon Mask.

Why was this post not deleted if it was violating terms and conditions of the platform?

The answer is rather easy. After Elon Mask’s purchase of Twitter, it was announced that the company is going to loosen rules and will stop banning so much of the content. The Campaign Against Antisemitism that was a close partner to the company said that the ‘laws’ of the firm started to fall apart after the shift of the ownership to the billionaire.

So, now we are approaching one of the biggest and most interesting changes when it comes to the censorship not only on platforms mentioned above, but also all over the Internet. A lot of people think that we should still leave space for the freedom of speech, as we want to build strong democracy, however this can threaten people life’s and feeling of safeness on the Internet. 

While on the other side, we have the fact that banning ‘inappropriate’ content, can actually be difficult to implement, as there are no strict limitations of what is good or bad. Additionally, that would threaten one of the fundamental rights – the freedom of speech.

To read more about the thought on the topic: https://www.ft.com/content/131c1c6f-7adc-4217-b251-6e7e18570581

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AI vs Artists, the war of the century or a helping machine?

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Artificial intelligence art - Wikipedia

When the Artificial Intelligence emerged as a novelty, the discussion of it replacing humans spheres that require creativity led to the same answer: ‘It is impossible’. However, now, after several decades we face the first ever trial in the UK between artists’ company and AI generating tool.

How does AI work in terms of art?

Artificial Intelligence is not just simply generating unique picture, but it [AI] is usually trained to examine images, concepts, etc., to produce new ones. The problem lays in the fact that it goes through not only open sources, but also archives of images stock markets.

According to the current UK legal system, this is violation of the copyright law. However, as we are going to new era, old legislations have to be reframed to go with the times.

However, we can look at AI in art from the other point of view. It can be perceived as a helping hand for artists. As it was mentioned before, Artificial Intelligence creates images based on collective information from other pictures. This is the new way of creation of unique ideas and inspiration for artists.

Nonetheless, returning to the lawsuit of the three artists against companies possessing AI tools. As it was said by the lawyers that represent artists: ‘Such products create an existential threat for creators and graphic designers.’ This happens as AI uses artists and their work as a database, later on, the products are monetized and become competitive with the creators’ work.

The case is the first precedent of lawsuit against AI and intellectual property right. It [the case] will probably push not only the UK, but the European Union to change their laws. Previously, there was an idea of loosening IP law. However, it has faced a lot of criticism, especially, from the Association of Photographers. The representative commented that this will have ‘harmful, everlasting and unintended consequences for human creators.’

If to this about this thoroughly, there two ways of possible solution. First is that the laws will be loosened in order to let companies that own AI tools producing their content. The other way, is that this will be never ending story of lawsuits and court trials between representatives of human creativity and AI developers as in the democratic world the way of art (AI is considered to be so), cannot be just forbidden or discriminated.

To read about one interesting precedent of AI and creators confrontation:  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html

To read more about limitations and opportunities of AI in art: https://mindmatters.ai/2022/08/ai-vs-artists-heres-what-dall-e-2-just-cant-do/

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DMA or how Apple can lose its power on a digital market

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EU Parliament's key committee adopts Digital Markets Act – EURACTIV.com

In 2023, European Union will be facing big changes. One of those is a new legislation proposed by European Commission back in 2020, which would change the flow of competition on the digital market. DMA or Digital Market Act was signed in late 2022 and is aimed to create fairer competition and containment of the possible domination on the market with tech giants.

This regulation is especially interesting when it comes to Apple Inc.

The company has been facing criticisms all the time through their existence. It was usually related to the gadgets itself, operating systems, as well as the criticism from app developers.

The last one, is the crucial when it comes to the discussion about DMA. App developers are dissatisfied with the fact that Apple controls everything when it comes to downloading apps and third-party softwares’. In addition, the company has set 30% fee for them, which gradually decreases and threatens revenues.

In terms of the implementation of DMA, it was the biggest change of the governing laws’ in more than 2 decades, and it creates a huge threat for Apple’s control of its closed and secure operating system (IOS).

The DMA not only requires opening up the possibility to download app from different external sources, but also to allow the developers to install third-party payment systems. Nowadays, if the app provides its customers with so-called IAP (in-app purchase), Apple takes 15-30% as the commission, and as it was said by chief execute of the company Tim Cook, such system does not suit in terms of DMA, however, coming up with a new idea would create a mess.

It is more interesting to consider what will Apple do, what they will have to create and/or change to fit the regulation.

The company is widely known as lawyers seekers, so it is expected that they will not only challenge DMA by trying to interpret what seeping laws entails, but also through direct confrontation between the European Commission and Apple over the implementation of the rules.

What else can Apple do?

Firstly, apps that provide banking or pick-up services, that currently does now pay any fees can be forced to do this, as well as the c0mpany can cut their inside fees to become even attractive to the developers. 

This move would lead big companies that left Apple Store, for instance, Spotify, to come back, not offering their current way of paying for the subscription via the website. As this can result to high traffic without any significant impact on the revenue.

This is going to be spectacular to see how companies will be changing aiming to fit in the new legislations, as those are considered to be huge changes not only for European Union as a whole, but also the companies that would like to compete even with such tech giants as Apple.

To read more about DMA: https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/11/02/eus-digital-markets-act-comes-into-force-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-big-tech

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What do you know about boosting rank in competitive mode?

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Nowadays, a lot of gamers like to spend a lot of money to up their rank on the other hand why they cannot play the ranked mode by themselves because on the ranked mode right now it has a lot of smurf (“smurf is used in gaming to describe a player in an online game that creates a new account to play against lower-ranked player) and that “smurf ” they use this new account to match against people who are in experienced and give them easy wins because they are so much more comfortable with the game mechanics and they played so well that new players could not win that’s why gamers right now they prefer to pay money for up their rank because they cannot defeat smurf. Especially, First-shooter game it has a lot of smurf player in there that make a lot of problem in community game because beginner player cannot defeat smurf player that going to make new players are gradually going to play another games without smurf and that’s why new players are so interested in hiring some people to play instead them.

img: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TSlwCeEttKk/maxresdefault.jpg

How does it affect and is it illegal?

First of all, it definitely affects the community game. Just imagine if there were a lot of players who didn’t get to a high level by playing with their owns skill, what would the condition of the game be like?

img: https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot_20220914-134652_Reddit.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5

It can result in players who are scaling their own ranks getting bored of having to play with someone who is significantly weaker, causing a markedly out of balance in the competition and become a problem that can cause players to play. it make game bored or quit playing it completely Thus causing the business to do is boosting rank. These business used to be a lot in South Korea, causing a lot of people to do it, causing some players to be dissatisfied and causing the Korean game community to be bad and go down.

Is it illegal or not right now in some foreign countries such as South Korea, South Korea has banned boosting rank measures because South Korea has a high E-Sport competition and it has a very big community, there has been a ban and this is korean law .

https://twitter.com/ZhugeEX/status/1143585125780938754/photo/1

img: https://s.isanook.com/ga/0/ui/206/1033433/gal-1033433-20190627070206-2be2453.jpg?ip/convert/w0/q80/webp

Overall, as mentioned above, Boosting ranked has rank is due to the fact that the Smurf in the system are competitive mode, so most of the players are hiring another people to play game. What is your opinion about this thing?

references: Boosting for profit is now illegal in South Korea – Upcomer

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The Pareto principle

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20% of products used in food, form 80% fat. 20% of your neighbors provide 80% of the noise. 20% of employees in your office make 80% of all work. The 80/20 rule you’ll find anywhere.

In 1897, Italian economist by the name of Pareto estimated that 20% of British families own 80% of the money. He tested it on a rule green peas in your garden: 20% of pods give 80% of the total harvest. This pattern works under all circumstances and in all cases.

The Pareto principle can be stated as: any situation is always a minority that is more important and useful than others.

On practice:

20-percent

The Pareto principle (20% of efforts provide 80% of the results)
– For business: 20% of customers generate 80% of your income. They require your attention.
– For students: 20% of the pages of the textbook contains 80% of all necessary information. Focus on the 20% – and grasp the new book.
– For all that not all of our daily tasks are equally important. Of the ten cases that you have planned for today, there are two more important than the other eight.

We must learn to identify the 20% to start with them. If you do not focus on the 20%, you have wasted 80% of the time. We will never alter all things, but it can handle 20%. And do not kill for the remaining 80%. Ability to prioritize and not grasp it all at once – one of the most important qualities. At first, priorities can not be entirely accurate apart, but regular exercise this will power the emphasis will shift to the side of the main results, and not sprayed on trifles.

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