By Craig Timberg , Craig Timberg National reporter covering technology Email Bio Follow Drew Harwell , Drew Harwell National technology reporter covering artificial intelligence Email Bio Follow Elizabeth Dwoskin and Elizabeth Dwoskin Silicon Valley Correspondent Email Bio Follow Tony Romm Tony Romm Staff writer covering technology policy Email Bio Follow March 18 at 6:52 PM The ability of Internet users to spread a video of Friday’s slaughter in New Zealand marked a triumph — however appalling...
“It’s an uncontrollable digital Frankenstein,” said Tristan Harris, a former Google design ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology. Mia Garlick, the head of communications and policy for Facebook in Australia and New Zealand, said the company would “work around the clock to remove violating content using a combination of technology and people.” Garlick said the company is also now even removing edited versions of the video that do not feature graphic violence.
But nobody before had staged a mass-casualty attack in a way so geared to spreading it virally across social media. Many critics worry that because it has happened once, it almost certainly will happen again. The companies’ losing battle to keep content in check already is having financial consequences. Facebook’s stock recorded its steepest drop of the year, falling more than 3 percent on Monday. In a note to clients, Needham & Co. analyst Laura Martin blamed the negative effects of “horrific images ... that are technologically difficult to block at the 100% level and which hurt [Facebook’s] brand.
When the tech giants want to block a troubling video, they add the original to a vast internal blacklist so that their systems can quickly recognize whenever a copy of it resurfaces. This type of “hashing” technology is a key reason companies can automatically flag or block child pornography, terrorist propaganda and copyrighted material before it spreads widely online.
But frustrated lawmakers from both parties increasingly are wondering whether the time has come to craft new legislation to curb digital ills such as hate speech and terrorist propaganda.
Go on then, Washington Post. Why don't YOU write an algorithm to block the New Zealand video? Your algorithm also has to block anyone using editing tricks to bypass the algorithm. That's right. You can't. You can't block things on the Internet. Lying left wing wacko SJWs.
Nidhi What do you think about narendramodi stand on Christchurch
But they are now trying to bury it and take it off line. Why?
There going to ban live streaming. Prepare for it
Meanwhile WaPo uses the exact same business model for free advertising. And has the audacity to have a paywall. Gtfo fakenews.
Social media is used by MeToo, but it is also used to spread fake news and by white supremacists & ISIS. Despite difference between white supremacists & ISIS in their ideology their use of social media is very similar.
No duh.
Freedom. Of. Information.
Where is your article calling out Zuckerberg for it being streamed on his site ,thats right there wont be one , because he donates money to all the right people.
Social media isn't an issue. Your fake news articles go viral as well, rarely, but it does happen.
Back up a little more and read his “85 page book” of who inspired him to do this heinous act.
This is a massacre even in Stone Age social business will helped go viral !!😒
Blame Mark Zuckerberg for it. Blame America and Israel for it. Blame Islamophobia for it. And, Muslim terrorists for authoring this for the last many years.
attention is a commodity and a click is a click. that's why it happened... its all about the ad revenue.