Report: Facebook helped advertisers target teens who feel “worthless”
A 23-page document discovered by The Australian newspaper, details how Facebook executives promote advertising campaigns that exploit Facebook users’ emotional states—and how these are aimed at users as young as 14 years old. According to the report, Facebook’s algorithms can determine, and allow advertisers to pinpoint, “moments when young people need a confidence boost.” The Australian says that the documents also reveal a particular interest in helping advertisers target moments in which young users are interested in “looking good and body confidence” or “working out and losing weight”. The news follows stories about Facebook analyzing and even outright manipulating users’ emotional states, along with reports and complaints about the platform guessing users’ “ethnic affinity,” disclosing too much personal data, and possibly permitting illegal discrimination in housing and financial ads. (Arstechnica)
Greenpeace applauds former foe IOI Group over new palm oil commitments
One year since palm oil giant IOI Group was suspended from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) after it was found to be clearing peatlands in Indonesia, it is being applauded by Greenpeace for its efforts to address the issue. Since January 2017 the IOI Group has been proactively monitoring its suppliers to ensure they are not destroying rainforests or peatlands, and has promised to change its practices to better protect its plantation workers. What’s more, late last week IOI Group announced a new set of commitments to address deforestation and exploitation, including a promise to submit to third-party verification of its progress in a year’s time. “The company will continue to engage stakeholders in its sustainability journey and looks forward to playing a leading role in ensuring sustainable global palm oil supply chains” , IOI Group’s chief executive Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor said in a statement. (BusinessGreen)
Employees
Infosys plans to hire 10,000 U.S. workers after Trump targets outsourcing firms
India-based IT services firm Infosys Ltd said it plans to hire 10,000 U.S. workers in the next two years and open four technology centers in the United States, starting this August in Indiana. The move comes at a time when Infosys and some of its Indian peers such as Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro Ltd have become political targets in the United States for allegedly displacing U.S. workers’ jobs by flying in foreigners on temporary visas to service their clients in the country. The IT service firms rely heavily on the H1-B visa program, which U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered federal agencies to review. The first hub which will open in August 2017 is expected to create 2,000 jobs by 2021. “The reality is, bringing in local talent and mixing that with the best of global talent in the times we are living in and the times we’re entering is the right thing to do. It is independent of the regulations and the visas”, Infosys Chief Executive Vishal Sikka claimed. (Reuters)
Uber to offer UK drivers sickness cover in return for £2-a-week fee
Uber is to start offering its minicab drivers sickness cover in exchange for a £2 per week fee, in its latest bid to head off criticism over working conditions for its 40,000 drivers in the UK. The move comes ahead of the government’s Taylor review of modern working practices, which is likely to recommend that self-employed gig economy workers should be granted greater employment protections and benefits, including sickness cover. In a report already released by the Work and Pensions Committee, chairman Frank Field said companies were “avoiding all their responsibilities” in order to profit from “bogus self-employed designation”. Under the new scheme, Uber drivers in 25 British towns and cities who have undertaken more than 500 trips will be eligible for payments of up to £2,000 if they are unable to drive through sickness or injury for two weeks or longer. They will also be covered for £2,000 in the event they are called for jury service and £300 per week if an accident takes place during a trip or while logged into the app. To access the cover they will have to pay a £2 weekly premium, which Uber said it was subsidising. (Guardian)
Air Pollution
European Union enforces new air pollution limits
The European Union (EU) has approved new air pollution limits, which could save more than 20,000 lives each year by reducing pollution derived from coal-fired power plants. This comes as more than 125,000 campaigners had signed a European-wide petition calling on the European Council and Member States to “clean up” toxic air. The petition was delivered to Brussels on the morning of the decision, which has to be met by 2021. The UK was amongst Member States that backed stricter limits on toxic pollutants from large combustion plants in the EU with Investment into new technologies or coal-plant phase-outs already scheduled . Though Member States will decide how strict the updated rules are, they will apply to all of the EU’s coal-fired power stations, including from nations that opposed the vote such as Germany. The news from Brussels arrives after the UK Government was ordered by the High Court to publish a new air quality regime by the end of July. (Edie)
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