War Crimes Evidence Being Erased on Social Media Platforms by AI, Says BBC
The Facts
The BBC has found that tech companies may be unwittingly erasing evidence of potential human rights abuses through their use of artificial intelligence to remove graphic videos from social media. The broadcaster says the algorithms may be censoring proof of violations without archiving them.
While platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube have endeavored to ensure harmful content is kept off their sites, Alan Rusbridger, a member of Meta's Oversight Board, believes the industry has been "overcautious" in its moderation practices.
The Spin
Narrative A
Social media content is integral to war crimes investigations in Ukraine and elsewhere. Tech companies should work with human rights organizations to develop a lawful mechanism for preserving and providing access to such content. Although companies have been receptive to calls for digital lockers, they have not yet acted to create these types of secure storage spaces.
Narrative B
The task of archiving open-source material cannot be the responsibility of tech companies; platforms are not archives. Human rights organizations and others documenting human rights abuses should observe best practices for securing and preserving their content.
