Algorithmic Censorship by Social Platforms: Power and Resistance
- PDF / 592,429 Bytes
- 28 Pages / 439.37 x 666.142 pts Page_size
- 76 Downloads / 164 Views
Open Access
Algorithmic Censorship by Social Platforms: Power and Resistance Jennifer Cobbe 1 Received: 22 April 2020 / Accepted: 23 September 2020/ # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Effective content moderation by social platforms is both important and difficult; numerous issues arise from the volume of information, the culturally sensitive and contextual nature of that information, and the nuances of human communication. Attempting to scale moderation, social platforms are increasingly adopting automated approaches to suppressing communications that they deem undesirable. However, this brings its own concerns. This paper examines the structural effects of algorithmic censorship by social platforms to assist in developing a fuller understanding of the risks of such approaches to content moderation. This analysis shows that algorithmic censorship is distinctive for two reasons: (1) in potentially bringing all communications carried out on social platforms within reach and (2) in potentially allowing those platforms to take a more active, interventionist approach to moderating those communications. Consequently, algorithmic censorship could allow social platforms to exercise an unprecedented degree of control over both public and private communications. Moreover, commercial priorities would be inserted further into the everyday communications of billions of people. Due to the dominance of the web by a few social platforms, this may be difficult or impractical to escape for many people, although opportunities for resistance do exist. Keywords Social platforms . Content moderation . Automation . Surveillance .
Algorithmic governmentality
1 Introduction Society is increasingly digital, with much discourse, debate, and conversation now taking place online. These interactions are usually mediated by platforms, who have strategically positioned themselves as the intermediaries between individuals, * Jennifer Cobbe [email protected]
1
Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
J. Cobbe
organizations, companies, politicians, governments, advertisers, and others. Several of these companies—broadly described as “social platforms”—now play key roles mediating communications, not just on public profiles or content feeds, but also in private messaging and other communications channels. Some are now fundamental parts of the public sphere, involved in politics and political discourses at all levels. They have also become some of the primary means by which people communicate in their private lives. The communications mediated by social platforms therefore span the broad spectrum between those made publicly, intending to reach a large audience, and those which are private, personal conversations between friends, family, and partners. For this paper’s purposes, “social platforms” include social media sites, message boards, “web 2.0” sites, and group messaging services (i.e. one-to-many communications services), as well as private messaging services (i.e. one-to-one communicat
Data Loading...
