⏰ If you haven't yet, there is still (!) time to register for #PDAF 2026, taking place on Monday-Tuesday next week.

Register here 👉 pdaf.net

🚨🚨 Social media monetisation is a risky business.

In our latest report, we take a look at platforms’ latest #DSA risk assessment report and their coverage of the risks stemming from their monetisation activities.

📚 www.whattofix.tech/publications...

5 yrs ago today, I watched as the #Myanmar police ran into my street.
They may look like boyscouts with their little red scarves, but make no mistake: that's their license to shoot and kill. They fired three shots into my street that day and have killed and arrested countless innocent people since.

More evidence from The @economist.com of the impact of the the reckless rollout of social media #monetization on the proliferation of harmful content.

It's time regulators get a hang of this and stop platforms from incentivizing -- and financing -- the abuse of their services.

📣 Five years of resistance show Myanmar people’s resolve to dismantle the Myanmar military cartel

As the resistance enters its sixth year, the world must stand in solidarity with Myanmar ppl's efforts to dismantle the military cartel and build a federal democratic future. More 👉🏽 buff.ly/3wLxuZA

🇲🇲 It's been 5 years since the Myanmar military coup. 5 years of horror, displacement and resistance.
I miss this street I lived on for years.
Here is to Myanmar finally getting the federal democracy it so deeply deserves.

In case you're still wondering why I'm so concerned about the reckless rollout of social media monetization programs...

Platforms don't just fail to address harmful content.

They're behind the money 💸 that incentivize a ton of it.

New year, new job?

Come work with me ❤️

🚨 NEW INVESTIGATION - How Facebook Offers Monetization Services to Political Parties

Our new research looks at how political parties are turning to social media #monetization as a new source of revenue and financial contributions - and explores implications for #BrandSafety and #Election integrity

WHAT TO FIX - X Monetization Governance Explore X monetization programs, policies and enforcement.

Here is what it takes to make money 💸 from X :

♦️ A premium account (Blue check)
♦️ A lot of engagement from other premium account

Could X be *paying* accounts engaged in inauthentic activity?

Could these payouts be the reason these accounts exist in the first place?

www.monetization.wtf/p/x/

X just unveiled a new feature, letting users know which country an account is being managed from.

Unsurprisingly, many large accounts (MAGA or otherwise) don't appear to match their self-description 🤔

🚨 Brussels, today 🚨Ursula! Stand up for Europe – not for Trump’s tech bros!

As the EU unveils its “Digital Omnibus” today, we're rolling out billboards calling on @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu to stop bending to US and Big Tech pressure and enforce our digital laws #StandUpUrsula✊

Exposing the hidden horrors on Myanmar’s battlefields I Al Jazeera Investigations YouTube video by Al Jazeera English

Immensely difficult yet critical viewing for anyone looking to understand what #Myanmar has been living through over the last 4 years: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC5_...

#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #JusticeForMyanmar

Social media money machines kill online integrity. What can Europe do? - EU Perspectives MEPs debate how EU rules can bring transparency to social media monetisation plans, warning of hidden influence behind online payouts.

"Ms Murphy Madia’s intervention pushed the debate into the transparency of monetised content."

Nice write-up of WTF Policy Lead @sarahmurphymadia.bsky.social's intervention at the European Parliament's @euds.europarl.europa.eu.

Monetization CAN be a boon to info integrity. But not w/o big fixes.

I'm seeing a lot of commentary on how this is all #Russian state-backed #propaganda.

While it might well be, we're seeing a lot of this type of content being incentivized by #money more than #politics.

#Platforms' revenue redistribution programs can be a source of financing : monetization.wtf

#Meta 's preferred solution?

Raise the price of ads for suspected scammers 🤯

Instead of enforcing their policies (and the law), they apply “penalty bids”

yet again... they cash in 💸

Tech Regulation won't save us so long as the MATH look like this:

➡️ Revenue from #Scam : $ 16 billion / year

⬅️ (Possible) fine: $ 1 billion

Platforms take the risk, deflect, delay, appeal....

And above all ... they cash in 💸

Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show Meta projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, and it internally estimates that its platforms show users 15 billion scam ads a day, company documents show.

MUST READ from @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social on #Meta 's SCAM problem.

The NUMBERS are just 🤯

♦️ $ 16 billion in annually ad revenue from scam

♦️ 15 billion scam ads / day (+22 billion organic scam post)

♦️ Some ad accounts w/ >500 strikes remaining up

www.reuters.com/investigatio...

#Meta pulls back from being subject to annual #BrandSafety audits by the Media Rating Council.

While not especially reassuring -- it's worth noting that the company used to be #MRC certified in spite of what appearsto be widespread (and fairly obvious) violations of its own monetization policies.

Streaming agenda - Multimedia Centre Stay updated with our stream agenda. Find information on upcoming live streams about the plenaries, committees, press conferences, and other scheduled events.

We're back at the @europarl.europa.eu 🇪🇺 this afternoon.

Our Policy Lead @sarahmurphymadia.bsky.social will be engaging in an exchange of view with the #EU @euds.europarl.europa.eu

🎬 Watch the live-stream: multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstream...

#Monetization #FIMI #MediaViability

For the last few years, #Meta has said that Political Actors are NOT authorized to use its #Monetization services

.. and yet

Using our Meta #MonetizationArchive, we find that #Facebook has been granting access to political actors across the world.

Take a read 👉
www.whattofix.tech/publications...

It's official - Today, #Meta says it will officially stop serving Political, Electoral and Social Issue Ads on its platforms in the #EU.

Meta ends (at least for now) political ads in the EU today. Per their ad library data, they've run nearly 11,000,000 different political, social and issue ads in the EU since 2018 and made around €800m from them.

Save the EU Ad Libraries Meta may soon switch off ad libraries in the EU and remove data going back to 2018. Help ensure this data is archived for research.

Google just wiped EU data from its political ad library. Meta’s ban on political ads in the EU starts soon and we're worried they might do the same.

We need a backup of the EU Meta Ad Library now. If you have data (2018–present) or skills to help, let us know:
ir96l7a6vsf.typeform.com/to/fIk9XMZT

From Nigel Farage to hundreds of BJP officials and candidates, our Meta #MonetizationArchive reveals numerous
politicians who successfully enrolled for #Facebook monetization services.

The rules are straightforward. The enforcement... not so much.

👉 www.whattofix.tech/publications...

This 👇

Laura Loomer is currently suing #Meta over her presumed account ban 🤷‍♀️

See court document 👉 www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25...

WTF is up with #Facebook recommendations?

I was just recommended Laura Loomer as "people you may know" 👀

Note the absence of mutual friends. Puzzling 🤔

Looking forward to this lively discussion on Big Tech and the misinformation crisis in #Asia

We really ought to start asking more questions about #WhoMakesMoneyFromFacebook 👀