Saudi Ministry of Media Signs MoU with Microsoft Arabia on Artificial Intelligence in Media

The Saudi Ministry of Media and Microsoft Arabia signed in Riyadh on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in several fields, including artificial intelligence. (SPA)
The Saudi Ministry of Media and Microsoft Arabia signed in Riyadh on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in several fields, including artificial intelligence. (SPA)
TT

Saudi Ministry of Media Signs MoU with Microsoft Arabia on Artificial Intelligence in Media

The Saudi Ministry of Media and Microsoft Arabia signed in Riyadh on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in several fields, including artificial intelligence. (SPA)
The Saudi Ministry of Media and Microsoft Arabia signed in Riyadh on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in several fields, including artificial intelligence. (SPA)

The Saudi Ministry of Media and Microsoft Arabia signed in Riyadh on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in several fields, including artificial intelligence.

The areas of cooperation also include developing technical aspects in data analysis, machine learning, security and privacy solutions, and software and service development solutions to improve the quality of local media content and keep pace with global developments to serve the Ministry’s future goals.

The signing ceremony was attended by Assistant Minister of Media Dr. Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Maghlooth and Microsoft's Executive Vice President of Data and Artificial Intelligence Ziad Mansour.

The Ministry of Media was represented by General Manager of Digital Transformation and Information Technology and General Manager of Cybersecurity Eng. Bassem Al-Hazmi and Microsoft Arabia President Turki Badhris represented the company.

The memorandum aims to boost the media sector in Saudi Arabia, enabling it to contribute to the local economy and benefit from the advancements of artificial intelligence and its various applications in media.



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.