Walmart ag ’d have to sell a kidney to afford a giant 4K TV for the living room. That is no longer true, as television prices continue to decline. Case in point? Vizio just announced a new 86-inch 4K smart TV that costs just $999.
The first thing worth mentioning about the latest member of Vizio’s lineup of 4K televisions is its size. The next-biggest model is 75 inches and that’s already large enough to absolutely take over most spaces. This thing will be like having a Times Square billboard in your living room. That's not a bad thing, particularly for home theater buffs.
We don’t know how this set will look in action yet, but it does offer a serious batch of features. Vizio says it “boasts the same powerful picture quality as its predecessors”, thanks to the inclusion of Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+. The company also promises the TV can run games at 120 fps once you switch to 1080p. Here’s hoping the product can make good on this claim. Other features include dual-band Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and DTS:X audio.
Walmart agreed to buy Vizio last month for $23 billion, though the deal still faces regulatory approval. The 86-inch 4K TV officially goes on sale April 29 at both brick-and-mortar and digital retailers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/vizio-just-announced-a-999-86-inch-4k-tv-160030764.html?src=rss
Disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was just sentenced to 25 years behind bars in a ruling handed forth New York's Southern District Court. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan announced the decision this morning.
As posted by CNN, Bankman-Fried expressed regret for his actions and the people he harmed. "It's been excruciating to watch," he said. "Customers don't deserve any of that pain." He also acknowledged the serious time he was likely to spend behind bars. "My useful life is probably over," he said. "It's been over for a while now."
Judge Kaplan laid out his reasoning for delivering such a harsh sentence to the one-time golden boy of the crypto community, suggesting that Bankman-Fried could be in "position to do something very bad in the future." The sentence was issued "for the purpose of disabling him to the extend that can appropriately be done for a significant period of time."
Bankman-Fried is expected to appeal the decision. His defense team asked for a sentence of five to 6.5 years, citing his “charitable works and demonstrated commitment to others.” The team also suggested lenience on the grounds that victims would be made whole, referring to a January bankruptcy court hearing showing that customers and creditors will get their money back. Prosecutors, on the other hand, wanted something much harsher. They asked for a sentence of 40 to 50 years "to reflect the seriousness of the defendant's crimes," US Attorney Damian Williams told the court earlier this month. The maximum possible sentence was 110 years.
SBF, as he's now infamously known, was arrested in the Bahamas back in December of 2022. He faced seven charges, including wire fraud against FTX customers, wire fraud against Alameda Research lenders, conspiracy to commit wire fraud against both entities, conspiracy to commit securities and commodities fraud on FTX customers and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was found guilty of all charges.
The trial lasted one month, with prosecutors arguing that he used FTX funds to keep sibling company Alameda Research afloat. Caroline Ellison, his one-time girlfriend and CEO of Alameda, confirmed this to be true and admitted that she committed fraud on behalf of Bankman-Fried. The defendant’s lawyers, on the other hand, tried to portray him as a hapless math nerd who wrestled with “forces largely outside of his control.”
Alameda borrowed more than $8 billion from FTX, money that was taken from accounts belonging to FTX customers. Bankman-Fried claims he only learned of this in 2020 but performed no actions to safeguard the funds. He took the stand during the trial and said that he deeply regrets “not taking a deeper look into" what was going on with both companies. FTX collapsed and filed for bankruptcy in 2022.
“Clearly, I made a lot of mistakes. There are things I would give anything to be able to do over again,” he told the New York Times before the trial started.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sam-bankman-fried-just-got-sentenced-to-25-years-in-prison-155021840.html?src=rss
Disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was just sentenced to 25 years behind bars in a ruling handed forth New York's Southern District Court. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan announced the decision this morning.
As posted by CNN, Bankman-Fried expressed regret for his actions and the people he harmed. "It's been excruciating to watch," he said. "Customers don't deserve any of that pain." He also acknowledged the serious time he was likely to spend behind bars. "My useful life is probably over," he said. "It's been over for a while now."
Judge Kaplan laid out his reasoning for delivering such a harsh sentence to the one-time golden boy of the crypto community, suggesting that Bankman-Fried could be in "position to do something very bad in the future." The sentence was issued "for the purpose of disabling him to the extend that can appropriately be done for a significant period of time."
Bankman-Fried is expected to appeal the decision. His defense team asked for a sentence of five to 6.5 years, citing his “charitable works and demonstrated commitment to others.” The team also suggested lenience on the grounds that victims would be made whole, referring to a January bankruptcy court hearing showing that customers and creditors will get their money back. Prosecutors, on the other hand, wanted something much harsher. They asked for a sentence of 40 to 50 years "to reflect the seriousness of the defendant's crimes," US Attorney Damian Williams told the court earlier this month. The maximum possible sentence was 110 years.
SBF, as he's now infamously known, was arrested in the Bahamas back in December of 2022. He faced seven charges, including wire fraud against FTX customers, wire fraud against Alameda Research lenders, conspiracy to commit wire fraud against both entities, conspiracy to commit securities and commodities fraud on FTX customers and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was found guilty of all charges.
The trial lasted one month, with prosecutors arguing that he used FTX funds to keep sibling company Alameda Research afloat. Caroline Ellison, his one-time girlfriend and CEO of Alameda, confirmed this to be true and admitted that she committed fraud on behalf of Bankman-Fried. The defendant’s lawyers, on the other hand, tried to portray him as a hapless math nerd who wrestled with “forces largely outside of his control.”
Alameda borrowed more than $8 billion from FTX, money that was taken from accounts belonging to FTX customers. Bankman-Fried claims he only learned of this in 2020 but performed no actions to safeguard the funds. He took the stand during the trial and said that he deeply regrets “not taking a deeper look into" what was going on with both companies. FTX collapsed and filed for bankruptcy in 2022.
“Clearly, I made a lot of mistakes. There are things I would give anything to be able to do over again,” he told the New York Times before the trial started.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sam-bankman-fried-just-got-sentenced-to-25-years-in-prison-155021840.html?src=rss
The Pixel 8 features the same proprietary Tensor G3 chip as the Pro, which was designed to speed up AI performance. So the overall experience should be similar with both gadgets. It’ll be coming in the next Pixel Feature Drop, but only as a developer preview for now. Google wants to collect feedback and make sure everything is running smoothly on the slightly lower-specced phone.
This is a fairly sudden change for Google. The company originally said that the Pixel 8 couldn't handle on-device Gemini because of "hardware limitations", despite having the same chip as the Pro model. The main difference between the two phones is the RAM allotment, which doesn't seem like a deal-breaker when it comes to running an on-device AI. It looks like Google also came around to that line of thinking.
So what can you do with this thing? The company’s expanding two features that make use of the LLM, and both of these tools have been available for Pro users. The Recorder app will get an improved Gemini-powered summarize feature that works locally on the device. A similar tool already exists, but requires a network connection. Once Gemini Nano is on-board, the data will no longer have to get sent to a server. As one might surmise, this feature creates summaries of recorded conversations.
Gemini Nano will also power Gboard’s Smart Reply toolset. This software suggests responses to messages and is even aware of context in conversations. It started as an exclusive to WhatsApp but recently expanded to Line and KakaoTalk. Google promises “more messaging apps” will add support in the coming months. It’s pretty odd that Google Messages isn’t one of the early adopters of this platform. Gemini Nano is used to power on-device Magic Compose in Messages on the Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung S24, but Google hasn’t announced if this particular tool is coming to the standard Pixel 8.
This has been a big week for Gemini, as Apple is reportedly in talks to bring Google’s AI to iPhones. That’s like Coke and Pepsi suddenly opening up a soda shop together. However, Gemini recently came under fire for creating wildly inaccurate historical images. The image generation feature is still on pause as the company continues to iron out those kinks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-reverses-course-and-brings-its-gemini-ai-to-the-regular-pixel-8-154329980.html?src=rss
The Pixel 8 features the same proprietary Tensor G3 chip as the Pro, which was designed to speed up AI performance. So the overall experience should be similar with both gadgets. It’ll be coming in the next Pixel Feature Drop, but only as a developer preview for now. Google wants to collect feedback and make sure everything is running smoothly on the slightly lower-specced phone.
This is a fairly sudden change for Google. The company originally said that the Pixel 8 couldn't handle on-device Gemini because of "hardware limitations", despite having the same chip as the Pro model. The main difference between the two phones is the RAM allotment, which doesn't seem like a deal-breaker when it comes to running an on-device AI. It looks like Google also came around to that line of thinking.
So what can you do with this thing? The company’s expanding two features that make use of the LLM, and both of these tools have been available for Pro users. The Recorder app will get an improved Gemini-powered summarize feature that works locally on the device. A similar tool already exists, but requires a network connection. Once Gemini Nano is on-board, the data will no longer have to get sent to a server. As one might surmise, this feature creates summaries of recorded conversations.
Gemini Nano will also power Gboard’s Smart Reply toolset. This software suggests responses to messages and is even aware of context in conversations. It started as an exclusive to WhatsApp but recently expanded to Line and KakaoTalk. Google promises “more messaging apps” will add support in the coming months. It’s pretty odd that Google Messages isn’t one of the early adopters of this platform. Gemini Nano is used to power on-device Magic Compose in Messages on the Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung S24, but Google hasn’t announced if this particular tool is coming to the standard Pixel 8.
This has been a big week for Gemini, as Apple is reportedly in talks to bring Google’s AI to iPhones. That’s like Coke and Pepsi suddenly opening up a soda shop together. However, Gemini recently came under fire for creating wildly inaccurate historical images. The image generation feature is still on pause as the company continues to iron out those kinks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-reverses-course-and-brings-its-gemini-ai-to-the-regular-pixel-8-154329980.html?src=rss
More major changes are afoot on the business side of the video game world, as a notable name is changing hands once again. Take-Two Interactive (the parent company of Grand Theft Auto publisher Rockstar and others) has agreed to buy Gearbox Entertainment from the embattled Embracer Group. The deal is worth $460 million in stock and is expected to close by June 30. It had been rumored for several months that Embracer was planning to sell off Gearbox.
Take-Two is acquiring three studios: Gearbox Software, Gearbox Montréal and Gearbox Studio Quebec. It will fully own the Borderlands, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Homeworld, Risk of Rain, Brothers in Arms and Duke Nukem franchises, along with “Gearbox’s future pipeline.” Gearbox will operate under the umbrella of 2K, which already publishes Borderlands and Tiny Tina games. Gearbox founder and CEO Randy Pitchford will remain at the helm.
Embracer is hanging onto Gearbox Publishing San Francisco, which will be renamed. That holds the publishing rights for the Remnant series, Hyper Light Breaker and unannounced games. Embracer will also keep Cryptic Studios (Neverwinter Online and Star Trek Online), Lost Boys Interactive and Captured Dimensions.
Take-Two notes that Gearbox has “six key interactive entertainment projects in various stages of development.” Those include five sequels, among them Homeworld 3 and the next Borderlands game.
Embracer bought Gearbox in 2021 for an initial $363 million. If Gearbox met certain targets, the deal would have been worth just over an extra $1 billion over six years.
Since it bought Gearbox, Embracer has gone through rough times. Last year, it announced a major restructuring after a $2 billion investment deal (said to be from a group backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund) fell apart. Since then, Embracer has has closedseveral studios and sold off others. It laid off 1,387 people in the second half of last year and canceled 29 unannounced games over a six-month period in 2023.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/take-two-is-buying-gearbox-from-embracer-for-460-million-145711528.html?src=rss
More major changes are afoot on the business side of the video game world, as a notable name is changing hands once again. Take-Two Interactive (the parent company of Grand Theft Auto publisher Rockstar and others) has agreed to buy Gearbox Entertainment from the embattled Embracer Group. The deal is worth $460 million in stock and is expected to close by June 30. It had been rumored for several months that Embracer was planning to sell off Gearbox.
Take-Two is acquiring three studios: Gearbox Software, Gearbox Montréal and Gearbox Studio Quebec. It will fully own the Borderlands, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Homeworld, Risk of Rain, Brothers in Arms and Duke Nukem franchises, along with “Gearbox’s future pipeline.” Gearbox will operate under the umbrella of 2K, which already publishes Borderlands and Tiny Tina games. Gearbox founder and CEO Randy Pitchford will remain at the helm.
Embracer is hanging onto Gearbox Publishing San Francisco, which will be renamed. That holds the publishing rights for the Remnant series, Hyper Light Breaker and unannounced games. Embracer will also keep Cryptic Studios (Neverwinter Online and Star Trek Online), Lost Boys Interactive and Captured Dimensions.
Take-Two notes that Gearbox has “six key interactive entertainment projects in various stages of development.” Those include five sequels, among them Homeworld 3 and the next Borderlands game.
Embracer bought Gearbox in 2021 for an initial $363 million. If Gearbox met certain targets, the deal would have been worth just over an extra $1 billion over six years.
Since it bought Gearbox, Embracer has gone through rough times. Last year, it announced a major restructuring after a $2 billion investment deal (said to be from a group backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund) fell apart. Since then, Embracer has has closedseveral studios and sold off others. It laid off 1,387 people in the second half of last year and canceled 29 unannounced games over a six-month period in 2023.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/take-two-is-buying-gearbox-from-embracer-for-460-million-145711528.html?src=rss
Ever since Tamagotchi Uni became globally available last summer, it’s felt like a product with a lot of unrealized potential.
Bear in mind, I say this as someone who loves this device and has run it daily since launch. But on top of all the basic activities one would expect at this point from the digital pet toy, the Wi-Fi capable Tamagotchi Uni promised users the “Tamaverse” — a virtual playground that would broaden the Tamagotchi experience like never before. So far, it hasn’t, really.
Sure, players could send their characters there to “meet” others, go on little vacations and buy outfits, but those small activities don’t really add much substance. The “travel” experience involved watching short animation, and occasionally getting a special food dish, item or achievement badge. Even the aspect of mingling was sorely limited, allowing players to send just one Heart (a “like” to acknowledge another player’s Tamagotchi) per day.
The Tamaverse has been slow to live up to the expectations Bandai set, despite it being the Uni’s biggest selling point. That seems to be changing in a big way.
With an update that rolled out on March 19 — version 1.6.0 — Bandai opened the Tama Portal, an area of the Tamaverse that’s been cordoned off all this time. A few days after, it dropped the first two DLC packs for Tamagotchi Uni in the form of “Tamaverse Tickets,” which allow users to travel to new locations through that portal. In a bonus, non-Tamaverse-related move, the update also answers players’ desperate pleas for more item storage by adding “My Box,” where surplus items can be stowed so you no longer need to delete older goodies to make room for new ones.
Bandai
The first two Tamaverse Tickets, as the DLCs are being called, are available now. One, which takes you to Very Berry Land, is free, while the other, for the LoveMelo Concert, costs $6. Each new area comes with a slew of additional characters you can raise (including some that are brand new for the franchise), an on-theme mini-game and a shop with new food, items, accessories and furniture you can buy with Gotchi Points.
This is the kind of depth the virtual space always seemed to imply. Now it feels like we’re finally seeing what the Tamaverse can really be. Hopefully, it’s just the start.
There will undoubtedly be some who balk at having to pay for DLC beyond the one freebie, and while I can’t say I’d blame them for that, it doesn’t bother me for what we’re getting. Purchasing a ticket gives you access to a download code that can be used three times. Once the code is registered to a device, you can visit that location as much as you want, and switch freely between the different locations you’ve downloaded. That means I was able to use the same codes to download Very Berry Land and LoveMelo Concert on both of my Tamagotchi Uni devices, and still have one use left for each ticket in case I ever have to do a reset.
As was the case with the Tamagotchi Smart’s DLC, the physical TamaSma cards, only one Tamaverse Ticket can be active at a time, so switching will wipe out any location-specific items or food in your inventory, but you won’t need to reenter the code in order to switch back. All of a person’s downloaded locations can be found in a new list called DL Area when you visit the Tama Portal.
Bandai
It’s not just one or two characters that come with each location, either — you get six. Some people buy whole new devices for that kind of expansion (definitely not me… haha…). And the free Very Berry Land brings back the fan-favorite adorable strawberry, Ichigotchi, which feels like a win for everyone.
The DLC also reintroduces the method of obtaining specific characters by feeding your fledgling Tamagotchis certain meals or playing with a particular item three times before they reach adulthood. I was excited to try and get the new character, Tanghulutchi, that comes with Very Berry Land, and fed my teen Tama an abundance of Fruit Candy snacks in hopes that it would make her appear. It worked! (I’m now also fiending for the real candied fruit treat of its namesake, Tanghulu. Thanks Bandai).
Once I’m strong enough to part with Memetchi on my other device, which is running LoveMelo Concert, I’ll probably try to get Drumcrubitchi, a new character that’s literally a drum kit with a face.
Photo by Cheyenne MacDonald / Engadget
All of the things you can purchase in the Tama Portal locations are as of now much cheaper than the usual Tama Mall offerings, with furniture and accessories falling between 200 and 500 Gotchi Points. It’s really nice to have some new mini-games to freshen up the daily routine, since there aren’t many built into the device when it’s offline, and the ones they’ve added to the first Tamaverse locations are great.
In Very Berry Land, you can play Cake Factory, where you have to move your character around to place strawberries on top of cake slices as they come down the conveyor belt. It’s a game style we’ve seen before, but is slightly more exciting than other similar versions because the pace really picks up in the second half of the round.
LoveMelo Concert brings back the popular Guitar-Hero-style rhythm game format we saw (twice) in the Tama Arena’s Nyanoe Dance, but the new Happy Happy Harmony features a different song for you to try and keep up with. It’s actually pretty challenging, and is the type of game I’ll have to obsessively revisit until I’ve perfected it. Nyanoe Dance was clearly well received, and I’m sure a lot of fans will be happy that a version of it has found a permanent home in the Uni one way or another.
Photo by Cheyenne MacDonald / Engadget
One of the best things about previous versions of the modern Tamagotchi, like the Tamagotchi On, was the joy of discovery when you unlocked a new location. The new Tama Portal destinations garner that same feeling, and I can only hope Bandai will keep it going even beyond the additional expansions it teased with update 1.6.0.
The announcement materials indicated that there are at least three more DL Areas on the way, including the Tamamori Fashion Show that’s set to drop at the end of May. That world introduces some more absolutely unhinged Tamagotchi character designs — like a pair of anthropomorphic work boots named, I kid you not, Bootsbrothers — and I truly cannot wait. The other areas haven’t yet been revealed.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tamagotchi-uni-finally-feels-complete-after-its-biggest-update-yet-140041168.html?src=rss
Ever since Tamagotchi Uni became globally available last summer, it’s felt like a product with a lot of unrealized potential.
Bear in mind, I say this as someone who loves this device and has run it daily since launch. But on top of all the basic activities one would expect at this point from the digital pet toy, the Wi-Fi capable Tamagotchi Uni promised users the “Tamaverse” — a virtual playground that would broaden the Tamagotchi experience like never before. So far, it hasn’t, really.
Sure, players could send their characters there to “meet” others, go on little vacations and buy outfits, but those small activities don’t really add much substance. The “travel” experience involved watching short animation, and occasionally getting a special food dish, item or achievement badge. Even the aspect of mingling was sorely limited, allowing players to send just one Heart (a “like” to acknowledge another player’s Tamagotchi) per day.
The Tamaverse has been slow to live up to the expectations Bandai set, despite it being the Uni’s biggest selling point. That seems to be changing in a big way.
With an update that rolled out on March 19 — version 1.6.0 — Bandai opened the Tama Portal, an area of the Tamaverse that’s been cordoned off all this time. A few days after, it dropped the first two DLC packs for Tamagotchi Uni in the form of “Tamaverse Tickets,” which allow users to travel to new locations through that portal. In a bonus, non-Tamaverse-related move, the update also answers players’ desperate pleas for more item storage by adding “My Box,” where surplus items can be stowed so you no longer need to delete older goodies to make room for new ones.
Bandai
The first two Tamaverse Tickets, as the DLCs are being called, are available now. One, which takes you to Very Berry Land, is free, while the other, for the LoveMelo Concert, costs $6. Each new area comes with a slew of additional characters you can raise (including some that are brand new for the franchise), an on-theme mini-game and a shop with new food, items, accessories and furniture you can buy with Gotchi Points.
This is the kind of depth the virtual space always seemed to imply. Now it feels like we’re finally seeing what the Tamaverse can really be. Hopefully, it’s just the start.
There will undoubtedly be some who balk at having to pay for DLC beyond the one freebie, and while I can’t say I’d blame them for that, it doesn’t bother me for what we’re getting. Purchasing a ticket gives you access to a download code that can be used three times. Once the code is registered to a device, you can visit that location as much as you want, and switch freely between the different locations you’ve downloaded. That means I was able to use the same codes to download Very Berry Land and LoveMelo Concert on both of my Tamagotchi Uni devices, and still have one use left for each ticket in case I ever have to do a reset.
As was the case with the Tamagotchi Smart’s DLC, the physical TamaSma cards, only one Tamaverse Ticket can be active at a time, so switching will wipe out any location-specific items or food in your inventory, but you won’t need to reenter the code in order to switch back. All of a person’s downloaded locations can be found in a new list called DL Area when you visit the Tama Portal.
Bandai
It’s not just one or two characters that come with each location, either — you get six. Some people buy whole new devices for that kind of expansion (definitely not me… haha…). And the free Very Berry Land brings back the fan-favorite adorable strawberry, Ichigotchi, which feels like a win for everyone.
The DLC also reintroduces the method of obtaining specific characters by feeding your fledgling Tamagotchis certain meals or playing with a particular item three times before they reach adulthood. I was excited to try and get the new character, Tanghulutchi, that comes with Very Berry Land, and fed my teen Tama an abundance of Fruit Candy snacks in hopes that it would make her appear. It worked! (I’m now also fiending for the real candied fruit treat of its namesake, Tanghulu. Thanks Bandai).
Once I’m strong enough to part with Memetchi on my other device, which is running LoveMelo Concert, I’ll probably try to get Drumcrubitchi, a new character that’s literally a drum kit with a face.
Photo by Cheyenne MacDonald / Engadget
All of the things you can purchase in the Tama Portal locations are as of now much cheaper than the usual Tama Mall offerings, with furniture and accessories falling between 200 and 500 Gotchi Points. It’s really nice to have some new mini-games to freshen up the daily routine, since there aren’t many built into the device when it’s offline, and the ones they’ve added to the first Tamaverse locations are great.
In Very Berry Land, you can play Cake Factory, where you have to move your character around to place strawberries on top of cake slices as they come down the conveyor belt. It’s a game style we’ve seen before, but is slightly more exciting than other similar versions because the pace really picks up in the second half of the round.
LoveMelo Concert brings back the popular Guitar-Hero-style rhythm game format we saw (twice) in the Tama Arena’s Nyanoe Dance, but the new Happy Happy Harmony features a different song for you to try and keep up with. It’s actually pretty challenging, and is the type of game I’ll have to obsessively revisit until I’ve perfected it. Nyanoe Dance was clearly well received, and I’m sure a lot of fans will be happy that a version of it has found a permanent home in the Uni one way or another.
Photo by Cheyenne MacDonald / Engadget
One of the best things about previous versions of the modern Tamagotchi, like the Tamagotchi On, was the joy of discovery when you unlocked a new location. The new Tama Portal destinations garner that same feeling, and I can only hope Bandai will keep it going even beyond the additional expansions it teased with update 1.6.0.
The announcement materials indicated that there are at least three more DL Areas on the way, including the Tamamori Fashion Show that’s set to drop at the end of May. That world introduces some more absolutely unhinged Tamagotchi character designs — like a pair of anthropomorphic work boots named, I kid you not, Bootsbrothers — and I truly cannot wait. The other areas haven’t yet been revealed.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tamagotchi-uni-finally-feels-complete-after-its-biggest-update-yet-140041168.html?src=rss
A new report found Meta and Google are restricting reproductive health information in Asia, Africa and Latin America. MSI Reproductive Choices and the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which partnered on the report, claim that the companies have restricted local abortion providers' ads and allowed misinformation to fester, among other misdoings.
Take Mexico, which decriminalized abortion in 2023 but where services are not yet legal in all 32 of its states. Meta won't allow MSI to share abortion-related ad content in the country due to remaining bans. However, the local team reported that other sexual and reproductive health content has also received blocks. MSI's teams in Nepal and Vietnam echoed this issue, with Meta allegedly removing ads promoting cervical cancer screenings and information on IUDs and contraceptive pills, respectively. MSI now has a "blanket advertising ban" from Meta in the two countries and claims the company provided no clear justification. Ghana's team reported Google blocked their ads with the phrase "pregnancy options."
"Women and girls are being neglected by these major tech platforms who are putting their bottom lines above the public good," Whitney Chinogwenya, marketing specialist at MSI Reproductive Choices, said in a statement. "Accurate online information is a lifeline for those seeking timely care and facts about their reproductive options. Yet anti-choice groups are able to spread disinformation and toxic narratives online with impunity. And what is worse, platforms like Google and Meta are currently enabling, and profiting from this dangerous propaganda."
MSI's teams in Ghana, Kenya and Nepal expressed difficulty connecting with Meta and receiving information on why their ads were limited — though Bangladesh's team was able to get in contact and resolve their issues. Kenya, Nigeria and Vietnam faced another problem: imitation Facebook pages and websites, sometimes with nothing different than a phone number. MSI requested that Meta and Google remove these scammers (some of which requested money from prospective clients) but claims the companies delayed action or took none.
Researchers gathered evidence through correspondence and interviews with MSI's teams in locations such as Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa and Vietnam. Further information came from an analysis of Meta's Ad Library, which the report claims showed evidence of the company displaying and profiting from false or misleading anti-abortion ads in Ghana and Mexico. Users reportedly in these two countries viewed these ads up to one million times between 2019 and 2024. Approved ads included claims that "global powers and international companies" paid for decriminalizing abortion movements to "eliminate the Mexican population."
The report also looks at abuse directed at MSI's workers in Kenya, which the organization claimed Meta turns a "blind eye" towards. Ghana's team reported anti-choice organizations have used WhatsApp, a Meta-owned platform, to pedal conspiracies around family planning being a method to depopulate Africa and MSI's workers "introducing 'satanic' sexual education in schools to 'destroy the youth.'"
The Center for Countering Digital Hate's CEO and founder, Imran Ahmed, accuses social media companies of mining "users' personal data in the Global South but take little care to protect local human rights and civil liberties. It reeks of colonialism — the greed, arrogance and double standards in how they treat less-wealthy markets. They have little regard or understanding of the complex cultural and political factors that can deprive people of their legal right to reproductive healthcare, nor do they grasp that the uneven application of their own content moderation policies greatly exacerbates these problems."
According to Google, it can't say why any ad or campaign was blocked without seeing the specific ad or advertiser account. It also said that ads targeting the term pregnancy options in Ghana and the other countries listed aren't prohibited. “This report does not include a single example of policy violating content on Google’s platform, nor any examples of inconsistent enforcement," a Google spokesperson told Engadget. "Without evidence, it claims that some ads were blocked in Ghana for referencing ‘pregnancy options’. To be clear, these types of ads are not prohibited from running in Ghana – if the ads were restricted, it was likely due to our longstanding policies against targeting people based on sensitive health categories, which includes pregnancy.”
Meta is reviewing the findings, but spokesperson, Ryan Daniels told The Guardian: "We allow posts and ads promoting healthcare services, as well as discussion and debate around them. Content about reproductive health must follow our rules, including those on prescription drugs and misinformation, and ads promoting reproductive health products or services may only be targeted to people 18-plus. We prohibit ads that include misinformation or mislead people about services a business provides, and we will review the content of this report."
Engadget has reached out to Meta for further comment.
Update, March 28 2024, 10:20PM ET: This article has been updated to include a statement and further information from Google.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-and-google-face-claims-of-restricting-reproductive-health-ads-and-fueling-misinformation-132913618.html?src=rss