Moderating Extremism: The Challenge of Combating Online Harms / Tamar Mitts
The regulation of social media platforms has become one of the most pressing and contested global policy issues. From combating misinformation and hate speech, to terrorist propaganda and other harmful material, debates over how to make online platforms safe have taken center stage. Despite recent efforts to combat online extremism, many violent actors still successfully operate on social media platforms, disseminating propaganda, recruiting supporters, and inspiring violence. How can these actors––who face an increasingly disruptive information environment––continue to use the internet effectively to advance their cause? I outline a theory that explains the mechanisms by which extremist actors build resilience to content moderation by focusing, in particular, on a multi-platform environment. I show that when social media platforms differ in their content moderation policies, extremists adapt by exploiting inconsistencies in platform rules. Using data on militant groups’ online networks, archives of banned terrorist propaganda, and platforms’ enforcement actions, I show how a multi-platform environment allows violent actors to remain a threat despite growing regulation.
מפגש שני של סדרת הדוברים.ות בכלכלה והתנהגות פוליטית
האוניברסיטה העברית, קמפוס הר הצופים, הפקולטה למדעי החברה, חדר סמינרים מדעי המדינה (חדר מספר 4326)
27.12.22, 16:00-14:30
* (כלכלהפוליטית23)