By:

Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Platform Politics

Meta’s apology to the Government of India revives the uncomfortable question of who really controls the flow of political information in today’s turbulent times, the voter or the platform? When the world’s largest social media company admits that it wrongly restricted Prime Minister Modi’s post during a volatile moment in Indian democracy, the issue extends far beyond a single moderation error. Meta’s chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, apologised to Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw...

min read

Meta’s apology to the Government of India revives the uncomfortable question of who really controls the flow of political information in today’s turbulent times, the voter or the platform? When the world’s largest social media company admits that it wrongly restricted Prime Minister Modi’s post during a volatile moment in Indian democracy, the issue extends far beyond a single moderation error. Meta’s chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, apologised to Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for restricting the PM’s post, attributing the incident to an ‘operational’ mistake. That explanation does not answer the larger concerns surrounding Meta’s role in shaping political narratives in India. Technology companies insist that they are neutral conduits. But experience suggests otherwise. Their algorithms decide what millions see, what remains invisible and what goes viral. As was evinced in protests in Nepal and Bangladesh, those decisions have influenced public opinion profoundly as any political campaign. These questions are particularly serious given the allegations surrounding the campaign mounted by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which spearheaded the protests over the NEET paper leak. The degeneration of the protests has raised strong suspicions that the protests were hardly organic but receiving paid amplification on social media. Public opinion in a democracy should be shaped by genuine public sentiment and not by opaque algorithms operating inside corporate headquarters thousands of kilometres away. This is not simply about Narendra Modi or the BJP. It is about India’s sovereignty over its own democratic conversation. Elections, protests and political debates must be decided by Indians, not by Western recommendation engines whose workings remain secret and whose executives answer primarily to shareholders in California. If Meta has nothing to hide, it should voluntarily disclose whether content relating to the CJP protests received preferential treatment, whether any exceptional amplification occurred, who authorised it and under what policies. Transparency, and not carefully worded apologies, is the only credible response. No democracy can permit foreign technology companies to become unelected arbiters of its political discourse. When they amplify selectively, they risk manufacturing political momentum that appears organic but may not be. The concern is not confined to one company. Increasingly, global technology corporations possess powers once reserved for states. They curate information, moderate speech, recommend narratives and determine digital visibility for billions. Yet they operate with limited public accountability. That imbalance between influence and responsibility is becoming one of the defining democratic challenges of the digital age. If Meta can inadvertently silence the elected Indian Prime Minister, we are entitled to ask what else its invisible systems may have amplified, buried or shaped without their knowledge.

Killing off 'Squid Game' characters is happiness, says writer

Alicia Rancilo
Dec 28, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Jan 2, 2025

Los Angeles: Viewers may gasp, cringe or cry out watching characters die on Netflix's “Squid Game”, but those simulated deaths have a different effect on its creator, writer and director. Instead, Hwang Dong-hyuk feels happiness seeing them go.

The show has a huge cast and Hwang says it was “really difficult” to manage everyone on set.

As characters would die, Hwang recalls saying to the actors on their last day, “'Oh no! How sad! I won't see you tomorrow,' but I was always smiling inside.”

“Squid Game” season two premiered Thursday. It once again stars Lee Jung-jae and centres around a secret competition in South Korea that targets people in debt and the winner gets a big cash prize. What they don't know is that losing the game is deadly.

Hwang originally conceived of the show 15 years ago as a two-hour film but it failed to gain traction with financiers or even interested actors. He put it aside and worked on other films instead. He then had the idea to make it a TV series instead and took the project to Netflix. There, it could reach a wide audience.

“I never in my wildest dream thought it was going to be this huge,” said Hwang, who spoke with the AP about the show and what comes next. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

What have you learned from “Squid Game”?

I learned that I shouldn't give up. If you love something and if you want to create something, it might not work now, but the time might come later. Or that idea could be the source of inspiration for something else.

You've already finished filming season three of “Squid Game”. Have you thought about what your next project will be?

I'm afraid to talk about it but it's a feature film taking place 10-20 years in the future. It's darker than “Squid Game”. It's going to be quite cruel, quite sad, but at the same time quite quirky and humorous.

What films and TV shows do you enjoy?

I used to think you had to have a specific taste to be cool, but I actually think I'm very omnivorous. I like to watch anything. When I'm on the couch watching TV, sometimes I watch CNN or Fox News. And then National Geographic and nature documentaries, I also watch some very soapy Korean shows or reality TV as well. I hop around and watch everything that's kind of happening in the world.

With a series, I often don't stick with it the whole way through. There's only about like five shows that I watched until the very end, like “Breaking Bad” and “Why Women Kill”.

Would you ever want to direct a US production or Hollywood actors?

Of course. I studied film school at the University of Southern California and there are so many people I'd love to work with. I have had those offers since “Squid Game”, but because I'm a writer-director I think I'm best when I'm working with Korean actors, giving direction in Korean with my Korean script. But, if I come across an amazing scrip, why not? I'd love to work with Jake Gyllenhaal.

There are more characters in season two of “Squid Game”. Why is that?

With seasons two and three, I had more screen time for more characters. This time around we have a lot of younger characters. When I was creating season one, I thought it was very hard for you to be up to your neck in debt when you're only in your 20s or 30s.

I thought you had to be at least middle-aged to need money and want to join the Squid Game. But the world has changed. Now I feel like there are less decent jobs for young people and they feel like working hard doesn't even get them to middle class. They want to hit the jackpot, so that's why they invest in cryptocurrency.

In Korea, there are a lot of young people in their early 20s or 30s turning to online gambling. I wanted to show what society really is like today.

Season two of “Squid Game” has already been nominated for a Golden Globe which is a good sign. Can you say anything about season three of “Squid Game”?

It's better than season two.

-AP

5 Comments

Cariba Johnson

Jun 23

One of the reasons Squid Game captured such a huge global audience is its willingness to challenge expectations. Strong storytelling often requires difficult decisions, especially when it comes to character development and maintaining suspense. The uncertainty surrounding who might survive keeps viewers emotionally invested and encourages discussion long after each episode ends. While researching sports analysis and entertainment-related content recently, I came across parimatch online, which offers information on trends in interactive entertainment and predictions. Stories that continue to surprise audiences are often the ones people remember for years. What makes a series truly memorable is not only the plot itself but also the emotional connection viewers develop with the characters throughout their journey. When writers are willing to take…

Edited

resonance

Jun 18

I recently came across this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Squid Game, and honestly, it’s wild to think about the creator actually feeling happy when characters die. My friend who works in production always says that managing a huge cast is a nightmare, so I totally get why Hwang Dong-hyuk felt relieved when actors wrapped their final scenes. It must have been incredibly stressful coordinating all those complex death sequences. If you are looking for a great way to unwind after watching intense episodes, I have found that having a reliable platform for some light entertainment makes all the difference. For example, I often use best mobile app https://bet365-in.com/app/ to switch gears and relax. It is interesting how the director originally…

Katrin Jess

Jun 12

One of the reasons Squid Game became such a global phenomenon is that it constantly challenged viewers' expectations. Reading about the writer's perspective on eliminating characters reminds me that impactful storytelling often depends on uncertainty and emotional investment. The mechanics of building tension, creating meaningful character arcs and keeping audiences guessing demonstrate that difficult creative decisions are sometimes necessary to tell a compelling story. Viewers may become attached to certain characters, but those unexpected moments are often what make a series memorable long after it ends. While I was researching useful tools to follow sports news and digital entertainment analysis, I found that at thrill you can read a complete summary of how the platform works and its advantages, which…

Edited

Cariba Johnson

May 24

One thing that made Squid Game stand out globally was how unpredictable and emotionally intense the story became once viewers realized no character was truly safe. A lot of survival dramas rely only on shock value, but this series managed to combine suspense with social commentary about desperation, inequality, and human behavior under pressure. The mechanics behind strong storytelling — emotional investment, tension, pacing, and unexpected consequences — show why audiences become attached to characters even when they know the world of the show is brutal. While I was researching useful tools to follow sports news and digital entertainment analysis, I found melbet india and you can read a complete summary of how the platform works and its advantages without…

Edited

Jack Hollington

Mar 03, 2025

Bonus programs are a key element of online gambling. Free spins, cashback, exclusive offers for VIP players - all this makes the game more profitable and longer lasting. You can find out how to play Live casino online. Experienced users know that competent use of bonuses can significantly increase the chances of winning.