2nd Saudi Forum for 4th Industrial Revolution to Kick off Today

2nd Saudi Forum for 4th Industrial Revolution to Kick off Today
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2nd Saudi Forum for 4th Industrial Revolution to Kick off Today

2nd Saudi Forum for 4th Industrial Revolution to Kick off Today

The Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), affiliated with the World Economic Forum (WEF), will organize on Monday the work of the Second Saudi Forum for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The event will take place at the Garage headquarters in Riyadh, in the presence of an elite group of thought leaders and decision makers from various countries of the world.

The forum aims to uncover promising opportunities for innovation in the Kingdom, highlight its leadership in emerging technologies, and create frameworks that support and stimulate research, development and innovation, according to flexible policies that contribute to accelerating the investment of the results of scientific and technical activities, and strengthening the partnership of the public and private sectors around the world to make use from deep technologies, SPA reported.

The C4IR in the Kingdom works with relevant authorities locally and internationally to enable the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to increase productivity and achieve sustainability, and strive towards digital transformation as part of the goals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's vision 2030.



Facebook-Parent Meta Settles with Australia’s Privacy Watchdog over Cambridge Analytica Lawsuit

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. (Reuters)
The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. (Reuters)
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Facebook-Parent Meta Settles with Australia’s Privacy Watchdog over Cambridge Analytica Lawsuit

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. (Reuters)
The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. (Reuters)

Meta Platforms has agreed to a A$50 million settlement ($31.85 million), Australia's privacy watchdog said on Tuesday, closing long-drawn, expensive legal proceedings for the Facebook parent over the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner had alleged that personal information of some users was being disclosed to Facebook's personality quiz app, This is Your Digital Life, as part of the broader scandal.

The breaches were first reported by the Guardian in early 2018, and Facebook received fines from regulators in the United States and the UK in 2019.

Australia's privacy regulator has been caught up in the legal battle with Meta since 2020. The personal data of 311,127 Australian Facebook users was "exposed to the risk of being disclosed" to consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and used for profiling purposes, according to the 2020 statement.

It convinced the high court in March 2023 to not hear an appeal, which is considered to be a win that allowed the watchdog to continue its prosecution.

In June 2023, the country's federal court ordered Meta and the privacy commissioner to enter mediation.

"Today's settlement represents the largest ever payment dedicated to addressing concerns about the privacy of individuals in Australia," the Australian Information Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd said.

Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm, was known to have kept personal data of millions of Facebook users without their permission, before using the data predominantly for political advertising, including assisting Donald Trump and the Brexit campaign in the UK.

A Meta spokesperson told Reuters that the company had settled the lawsuit in Australia on a no admission basis, closing a chapter on allegations regarding past practices of the firm.