Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority to Hold 4th Global Cybersecurity Forum in October

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
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Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority to Hold 4th Global Cybersecurity Forum in October

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) will hold here the fourth edition of the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) on October 2-3.

The event, held under the theme “Advancing Collective Action in Cyberspace”, will endeavor to boost international cooperation by bringing together thought leaders, decision makers, and prominent international entities in the field to address the most pressing issues in cyberspace.

This edition will build on the foundation and objectives set by previous editions, helping to bolster international cooperation in cybersecurity.

The event will feature a series of dialogue sessions focused on five key sub-themes: “Beyond Cyber Discord”, on building trust to advance international cyber cooperation; “Cyber Psychology”, on understanding human behavior in cyberspace; “Cyber Social Fabric”, on strengthening development of and inclusion in cyberspace, to bridge the gap between communities, organizations, and countries; “Thriving Cyber Economy”, on the contribution of the cyber economy to development through strong markets and resilient cyber ecosystems; and “New Cyber Frontier”, on how emerging technologies converge to push forward progress and innovation in cyberspace.

GCF is a global platform that brings together decision makers, government and private sector representatives, cybersecurity leaders, academics, and non-governmental organizations to work to improve cybersecurity, achieve economic and social development, and complement global cybersecurity efforts.



Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators
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Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads in Europe to Appease Regulators

Meta Platforms plans to offer Instagram and Facebook users in Europe the option to receive "less personalized ads," the tech giant announced on Tuesday, in an effort to allay regulators' mounting concerns.

The Menlo Park, California-based company said it is implementing these changes in response to demands from EU regulators.

Over the coming weeks, people in the EU who use the company's social media platforms for free with ads, will be able to choose to see ads based on what Meta calls "context"- content that a user sees during a particular session on the platforms.

According to Reuters, these ads will also target users based on age, gender, and location, with some being unskippable for a few seconds.

Meta also plans to reduce the price of ad-free subscriptions by about 40% for European users.

This move comes as European regulators intensify efforts to curb Big Tech's power and level the playing field for smaller firms, including through the landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA) which came into force earlier this year.

The European Union law aims to make it easier for people to move between competing online services like social media platforms, internet browsers and app stores.

Last month, Europe's top court ruled that Meta must restrict the use of personal data harvested from Facebook for targeted advertising, supporting privacy activist Max Schrems.

The European Union did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The developments were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier in November, Reuters reported that Apple is set to be fined by the European Union's antitrust regulators under the bloc's landmark rules aimed at managing Big Tech's influence, making it the first company to be sanctioned.