Facebook Bans Sales of Amazon Conservation Areas on its Apps

An aerial view shows a river and a deforested plot of the Amazon near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil August 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
An aerial view shows a river and a deforested plot of the Amazon near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil August 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
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Facebook Bans Sales of Amazon Conservation Areas on its Apps

An aerial view shows a river and a deforested plot of the Amazon near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil August 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
An aerial view shows a river and a deforested plot of the Amazon near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil August 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

Facebook on Friday said it will stop allowing the sale of land in Amazon rainforest conservation areas at marketplaces on the social network or its Instagram and WhatsApp services.

The announcement came as Facebook defends itself against accusations that it has long put profit over societal good, and caused some online to question why it had allowed sales of precious rainforest land in the first place.

"We are updating our commerce policies to explicitly prohibit the buying or selling of land of any type in ecological conservation areas on our commerce products across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp," the online social network said in a post.

"Protected areas are crucial for conserving habitats and ecosystems and are critical to tackling the global nature crisis."

Facebook focused the announcement on the Amazon rainforest, saying it planned to ramp up the effort.

Facebook said it will review listings at its online Marketplace against an authoritative database of protected areas to identify and block listings for sales of land there.

"Wait, this is something that was happening?" read a tweeted reply to Facebook sharing the announcement at its verified Twitter account.

The sale of land in conservation areas happens on other platforms and offline, but Facebook is working to stop it from happening in its family of apps, the company said.



IMF Underlines Saudi Arabia’s Leadership in Data Centers, Hails Personal Data Protection Law

The IMF commended the Kingdom’s issuance of the Personal Data Protection Law, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strong data governance and privacy. (Getty Images/AFP)
The IMF commended the Kingdom’s issuance of the Personal Data Protection Law, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strong data governance and privacy. (Getty Images/AFP)
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IMF Underlines Saudi Arabia’s Leadership in Data Centers, Hails Personal Data Protection Law

The IMF commended the Kingdom’s issuance of the Personal Data Protection Law, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strong data governance and privacy. (Getty Images/AFP)
The IMF commended the Kingdom’s issuance of the Personal Data Protection Law, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strong data governance and privacy. (Getty Images/AFP)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) underscored Saudi Arabia's leading position in the number of data centers among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, reflecting the Kingdom’s significant progress in developing digital infrastructure.

This advancement is closely linked to rapid growth in the fields of data and artificial intelligence, led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), the national entity responsible for development, processing, and regulatory efforts in collaboration with relevant sectors.

In its recent study titled “Digital Transformation in the Gulf Cooperation Council Economies”, the IMF praised Saudi Arabia’s establishment of SDAIA as an independent authority in 2019 and highlighted the launch of the National Strategy for Data and AI.

The IMF also commended the Kingdom’s issuance of the Personal Data Protection Law, emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strong data governance and privacy. The law seeks to create a dynamic regulatory environment that keeps pace with technological developments while safeguarding individual and institutional rights in line with global standards.

As part of its strategic initiatives, SDAIA is developing and operating sustainable data centers that meet international benchmarks and are certified by the Uptime Institute—the global authority on data center classifications. These facilities are also recognized for their energy efficiency, featuring low power usage effectiveness (PUE) ratings.

The IMF further noted the Kingdom’s success in launching a series of digital platforms that have accelerated progress across key sectors. These platforms have contributed to improving quality of life, enhancing service reliability and accessibility, and advancing the broader objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.