Browsing by Subject "Social media"

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    Open Access
    Do global legal frameworks hold social media platforms accountable for hosting content that incites violence?
    (2025) Rubenstein, Ruvenna Samantha; Lutchman, Salona
    The digital era has witnessed an unprecedented expansion in social media platforms' use, influence, and societal impact.1 Sixty percent of the global population uses social media, with the daily exchange of messages reaching into the billions.2 As of 2023, Facebook boasts 2.98 billion monthly active users,3 YouTube exceeds 2.68 billion users,4 and X (formerly Twitter) had 450 million users.5 These platforms offer users unrestricted capacity for expressing views and communication, often with minimal (though not constant) oversight while facilitating the concealment of user identities.6 While this technological advancement has opened new avenues for global connectivity and communication, it has also given rise to an alarming increase in the spread of hate speech.7 In the last twenty years, these online platforms have evolved into environments where hateful narratives and stereotypes flourish unchecked, primarily aimed at marginalized groups, leading to increased communal violence, ethnic cleansing, and even genocide.8 Major platforms such as Facebook, X, and YouTube have been criticized for failing to remove harmful content promptly and effectively and for mistakenly removing content that does not breach their policies.9 This research endeavours to comprehensively investigate the accountability of social media platforms in addressing and mitigating the impact of hate speech that fuels acts of violence within the public sphere. Legal, ethical, and technological perspectives will be considered to examine the responsibilities borne by social media platforms in moderating user-generated content. A detailed analysis of existing legal frameworks, both national and international, governing hate speech and its consequences will be conducted to evaluate whether social media platforms are held accountable for content that incites violence. A comparative analysis of diverse social media platforms will be integral to this research, considering variations in policies, enforcement mechanisms, and responsiveness to instances of hate speech inciting violence. Case studies will be examined to illustrate specific incidents, shedding light on the challenges faced by social media platforms and the repercussions of inadequately addressing hate speech. This research aims to determine the legal responsibilities and accountability of social media platforms for hosting content that incites violence and examines whether the current measures are sufficient in addressing this critical issue.
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    Open Access
    A quick guide for building a successful bioinformatics community
    (Public Library of Science, 2015) Budd, Aidan; Corpas, Manuel; Brazas, Michelle D; Fuller, Jonathan C; Goecks, Jeremy; Mulder, Nicola J; Michaut, Magali; Ouellette, B F Francis; Pawlik, Aleksandra; Blomberg, Niklas
    "Scientific community" refers to a group of people collaborating together on scientific-research-related activities who also share common goals, interests, and values. Such communities play a key role in many bioinformatics activities. Communities may be linked to a specific location or institute, or involve people working at many different institutions and locations. Education and training is typically an important component of these communities, providing a valuable context in which to develop skills and expertise, while also strengthening links and relationships within the community. Scientific communities facilitate: (i) the exchange and development of ideas and expertise; (ii) career development; (iii) coordinated funding activities; (iv) interactions and engagement with professionals from other fields; and (v) other activities beneficial to individual participants, communities, and the scientific field as a whole. It is thus beneficial at many different levels to understand the general features of successful, high-impact bioinformatics communities; how individual participants can contribute to the success of these communities; and the role of education and training within these communities. We present here a quick guide to building and maintaining a successful, high-impact bioinformatics community, along with an overview of the general benefits of participating in such communities. This article grew out of contributions made by organizers, presenters, panelists, and other participants of the ISMB/ECCB 2013 workshop "The 'How To Guide' for Establishing a Successful Bioinformatics Network" at the 21st Annual International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB) and the 12th European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB).
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    The taxation of 'Influencers' in South Africa and in an international context
    (2025) Smith, Carla; Roeleveld, Jennifer
    Social media has changed as a result of the digital economy's explosive expansion, turning it into a powerful tool for both individuals and businesses alike. Influencer marketing, a product of this digital era, has achieved remarkable success. With their dynamic and multifaceted lives, social media Influencers have become an integral part of the digital economy. However, existing international tax rules lack specific provisions addressing Influencers, raising questions about their tax treatment and the potential for treaty abuse. This underscores the necessity of exploring how the Influencers are to be taxed within the current legal frameworks, both from a local and international point of view. Following the introduction of fundamental concepts essential for understanding the activities and income generation means of Influencers, this document delves into an exploration of the local and international tax implications for these individuals. In the local context, an examination of current South African tax laws applicable to Influencers is undertaken. Additionally, in the international sphere, an in-depth analysis of their activities is conducted within the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on Income and Capital Model Tax Convention (“OECD MTC”). Upon examination of the activities and income streams of Influencers from both a South African and international perspective, it became evident that their taxation is guided by existing legislation rather than specific provisions tailored for them. In South Africa, the classification of Influencers as employees or independent contractors holds crucial implications for their tax treatment. Notably, the taxation of promotional gifts, whether received for consideration or not, emerges as a critical aspect, subjecting Influencers to taxation due to their provision of marketing or advertising services. On the international front, existing rules, with the exception of the debate around Article 17 of the OECD MTC, are deemed sufficient for encompassing Influencer activities. The choice between Article 7 and Article 17 depends on the nature of the Influencer's activities. The various income streams of Influencers, from commission income to fees for services rendered and the sale of goods, fall within the scope of Article 7. The examination of Influencer activities under Article 17 is particularly relevant when they entertain followers through live social media posts. The conclusion underscores that Influencers face similar cross-border challenges as other taxpayers. Still, it emphasises the need for careful identification of their income streams to ensure proper application of double tax treaties and to avoid potential issues of double taxation or double non-taxation. The unique lifestyle of Influencers may lead to scenarios of double taxation, and them seeking visas in lower-tax jurisdictions since most of their income is subject to taxation in the Country where they are tax resident. The ongoing discussions regarding the taxation of Influencers are of crucial importance, particularly in light of evolving dynamics within the digital economy and their substantial potential for tax collection. This underscores the importance for Tax Authorities to provide clear guidance in navigating this intricate landscape for Influencers.
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    Uses and Gratifications of Computers in South African Elderly People
    (2015) Bosch, Tanja; Currin, Bronwyn
    Drawing on in-depth interviews conducted with residents at an old-aged home in Cape Town, South Africa, this study examines the main uses and gratifications elderly people get from computers. While the research focus in Africa has been on the health of elderly people, particularly with respect to HIV/AIDS, there is little research into their adoption of new technologies, as the research focus with respect to that topic has been primarily on youth. This study found that the participants use email and social media to maintain contact with family and friends outside of, and sometimes even within the neighborhood. Furthermore, keeping in contact involved not only communication, but also observation of activities - like news, photographs and discussions. Using a uses and gratifications framework, this study found that participants felt connected with society both through their communication with and observation of people, and through keeping themselves informed about news and current interest topics. By using the Internet the elderly people communicated with more people than they had before. Some of the participants felt less isolated and lonely because of their computer use. Nevertheless, use of computers did not weaken their interpersonal contact outside of computer use. A partir de entrevistas en profundidad, realizadas en un hogar de la tercera edad en Ciudad del Cabo (Sudáfrica), este estudio analiza los principales usos y gratificaciones que reciben las personas mayores en interacción con los ordenadores. En África, mientras el énfasis investigador se ha puesto en los últimos años en la salud de los mayores, especialmente en cuanto al SIDA, existe muy poca investigación sobre el uso de los mayores en cuanto a nuevas tecnologías, ya que la investigación en relación con las mismas se ha centrado principalmente en la juventud. En este estudio se halló que los participantes utilizan el correo electrónico y las redes sociales para mantener el contacto con familiares y amigos y a veces incluso con su vecindario. Además, mantener el contacto suponía no solo comunicación, sino también observación de actividades, como noticias, fotografías y conversaciones. En el contexto de los usos y gratificaciones, el trabajo ha evidenciado que los participantes se sentían conectados con la sociedad, tanto por su comunicación como por la observación de las personas, y por mantenerse informados de las noticias y los temas de interés actuales. Mediante el uso de Internet, las personas de edad avanzada se comunicaban mucho más de lo que antes se habían comunicado con otras personas. Algunos de los participantes se sentían menos aislados y solos, debido a su uso del ordenador. Sin embargo, se demostró también que el uso de los ordenadores no obstaculizó los contactos interpersonales tradicionales.