Why Tech Firms Won’t Stop the Spread of Hate Speech
This is also called ‘Algorithmic’ racism.
Today we live in a world where on tweet or Facebook post can spark a movement or stir up a mob. This means ordinary people have more power to share their voices, but it also blurs the line between free speech and hate speech.
With few restrictions or consequences, people often speak their minds—including racist and prejudiced views. A report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate showed that around 89% of flagged hate speech on various social media platforms remains unmoderated.
During Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the social media platform experienced a huge increase in racial hate speech. For instance, use of the “N-word” increased by nearly 500% within 12 hours. Twitter dismissed it as a trolling campaign, but it only showed that when people are given unrestricted access the deepest and darkest parts of their personality are bound to flare up.
This raises a pressing concern. Why don’t these powerful multi-billion platforms invest more in proactive measures against hate speech. After all, social media is for everyone, but it should be a safe space as well.
