Extremists Are Being Driven Towards Smaller Social Media Platforms
 |
| HostAdvice |
Facebook, Google and Twitter have been making headlines again and again this year over their attempts, failures and promises to respond to the spread of extremist ideas on their platforms. They've brought in new ideas, policies, software upgrades and even staff departments to deal with the issue and while it certainly hasn't gone away, some marginal progress has been made.
The issue is that extremism and hate speech doesn't die off, it just changes shape, and when you plug one hole it finds another. At a recent conference in London, the founder and sole operator of image sharing site Justpasteit.com detailed his struggles with an unexpected and intolerable influx of terrorist activity.
When this kind of thing happens on large scale platforms, there are a myriad of countermeasures in place to deal with it, from reporting to blocking to account removal. When it's just one guy sat in his home office fielding complaints in languages that he doesn't speak, it's not quite so straightforward. A healthy intake of active users doesn't guarantee a sophisticated system, and in many cases sites get popular long before they get any kind of real funding, office space or full-time personnel. Clearly, terrorist groups are starting to twig to that.
Another issue that Mariusz Żurawek (Just Paste It's founder) raised was that if he's asked to get law enforcement involved, he has little way of knowing, nation to nation, if he's helping or hindering the situation by doing so. Żurawek is running a website, he is not an international diplomat, but those are the kind of pressures that are being placed on him and other small time digital platform owners. It's a deeply unpleasant and unfair situation.
So what's the solution? Allow extremists to operate on larger platforms where they can be monitored? Obviously not, but really this issue has no immediately obvious solution, the internet cannot be policed, and sites with less funding will always suffer from inferior security.
The image-hashing database developed jointly by Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and Google may provide an answer, though. It's a sophisticated system with a proven record of identifying extremist content. If that technology were open-sourced and offered to smaller sites, as well as a system of legal aid and general advice on how to deal with issues like this, this spread of hate onto sites that can't manage it could well be contained.
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @Songbird_Callum
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com
Extremists Are Being Driven Towards Smaller Social Media Platforms
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, July 17, 2017
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, July 17, 2017
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.