How Extreme Is The European Far Right? Investigating Overlaps in the German Far-Right Scene on Twitter
September 18, 2023
The aim of the report is to determine the overlaps apparent in the far-right scene on Twitter, and specifically, to ascertain the extent to which different groups on the scene are indeed talking about the same issues in the same way, in spite of apparent differences in tone and underlying ideologies. The authors utilise a ...
Custodians of the Internet: Platforms, Content Moderation, and the Hidden Decisions that Shape Social Media
September 18, 2023
A revealing and gripping investigation into how social media platforms police what we post online—and the large societal impact of these decisions. Most users want their Twitter feed, Facebook page, and YouTube comments to be free of harassment and porn. Whether faced with “fake news” or livestreamed violence, “content moderators”—who censor or promote user-posted content—have ...
Do Platforms Kill?
September 18, 2023
This Article analyzes intermediaries’ civil liability for terror attacks under the anti-terror statutes and other doctrines in tort law. It aims to contribute to the literature in several ways. First, it outlines the way intermediaries aid terrorist activities either willingly or unwittingly. By identifying the role online intermediaries play in terrorist activities, one may lay ...
Leveraging CDA 230 to Counter Online Extremism
September 18, 2023
This paper, part of the Legal Perspectives on Tech Series, was commissioned in conjunction with the Congressional Counterterrorism Caucus. ...
Three Constitutional Thickets: Why Regulating Online Violent Extremism is Hard
September 18, 2023
In this paper, I review U.S. constitutional considerations for lawmakers seeking to balance terrorist threats against free expression online. The point is not to advocate for any particular rule. In particular, I do not seek to answer moral or norms-based questions about what content Internet platforms should take down. I do, however, note the serious ...
Stuck in a Nativist Spiral: Content, Selection, and Effects of Right-Wing Populists’ Communication on Facebook
September 18, 2023
Although social media have become important venues for right-wing populist (RWP) campaigns, the content, selection, and effects of RWP messages on social media remain largely unknown. Using content and panel analysis in two studies, we investigated the potential reciprocal relationship between RWP communication on social media and citizens’ anti-immigrant attitudes, anti-elitist attitudes, and feelings of ...
Lessons from the Information War: Applying Effective Technological Solutions to the Problems of Online Disinformation and Propaganda
September 18, 2023
This paper, part of the Legal Perspectives on Tech Series, was commissioned in conjunction with the Congressional Counterterrorism Caucus. ...
Do Machines Replicate Humans? Toward a Unified Understanding of Radicalizing Content on the Open Social Web
September 18, 2023
The advent of the Internet inadvertently augmented the functioning and success of violent extremist organizations. Terrorist organizations like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) use the Internet to project their message to a global audience. The majority of research and practice on web‐based terrorist propaganda uses human coders to classify content, raising serious ...
Unraveling The Impact Of Social Media On Extremism: Implications for Technology Regulation and Terrorism Prevention
September 18, 2023
Social media has been remarkably effective in bringing together groups of individuals at a scale and speed unthinkable just a few years ago. While there is a positive aspect of digital activism in raising awareness and mobilizing for equitable societal outcomes, it is equally true that social media has a dark side in enabling political ...
Fighting Hate Speech And Terrorist Propaganda On Social Media In Germany
September 18, 2023
Lessons learned after one year of the NetzDG law. ...