6 ms·

AWS disables ISIS propaganda website it had hosted since April

38 points by mariojv 5y ago

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
mberning 5y ago
More proof that these platforms have zero content moderation and actually do not give a shit until somebody notices. I don’t see how such examples make their content policies and enforcement thereof highly questionable within the legal system.
- belltaco 5y ago
  Are the free speech absolutionists against this move or not?
  - oceanplexian 5y ago
    Did banning the app magically stop ISIS and end terrorism? The terrorists will circumvent this and use some other app while law-abiding people continue to have their human rights infringed on by censorship and deplatforming.
    - 2OEH8eoCRo0 5y ago
      It infringes Amazon's rights. Why should they be forced to host this? > The company took down the site, which touted the suicide attack that killed at least 170 people in Kabul, after The Post reported extremists were using the service 170 people. 13 service members. Amazon wants no part of this and that is their right.
  - torstenvl 5y ago
    > free speech absolutionists I'm sure this was unintentional, but hilarious nonetheless.
- Hikikomori 5y ago
  How would they notice it?
  - xyzzy21 5y ago
    If the "correct politically aligned group" tells them about it. If it's the "incorrect" group, it will be ignored.
- tyingq 5y ago
  Trying to proactively police all websites hosted on your VM based infrastructure is probably pretty hard. Scraping your IP space for keywords in many languages is a blunt tool and probably has too many false positives. I don't know if people had reported it to their abuse system and that process failed. If that's the case, then they have work to do.
bobobob420 5y ago
How brave of them. I’m sure it was a tough decision.
tehbeard 5y ago
Have to wonder if one of the three letter agencies quietly told them to keep it up with some "additional oversight" in place..
throwawaysea 5y ago
It is incredible that all these tech companies colluded to ban Parler because Parler wouldn’t enact their desired level and flavor of censorship, and banned Trump on unsubstantiated accusations of inciting violence. It is even more incredible that they are totally okay with Facebook/Twitter remaining in the App Store even though the Capitol riot was mostly organized there, okay with BLM-affiliated groups or Antifa groups organizing on their platforms despite a year of demonstrated political violence, and okay with the Taliban spreading their terroristic propaganda on their platforms. Why is it surprising that they were also hosting ISIS? These companies and their employees only care about censoring their direct political adversaries, and all the euphemisms they use (like “moderation”) can’t hide their intentions, due to how inconsistently they apply even their own rules. Tech companies have enough power to sway entire populations and influence elections. They are as powerful as many governments and must be reigned in. Other countries are recognizing this problem of big tech’s political power (see https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/germanys-merkel-hits-out-at-twitter-over-problematic-trump-ban.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/germanys-merkel-hits-out-at-... or https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/08/20/biden-always-unfit-president-left-wing-media-cheerleaders-didnt2/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/08/20/biden-always-unf...), and America too must recognize it. We need updated anti trust laws and aggressive application of them, targeting companies that are too big and companies that benefit from network effects.
- DaveExeter 5y ago
  >Taliban spreading their terroristic propaganda They are not "terrorists" anymore. The Taliban is the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Those opposed to the Taliban are now the terrorists!
  - stinky613 5y ago
    The Taliban in Afghanistan isn't/wasn't listed officially as terrorist group by the US government. The Taliban in Pakistan, however, is a terrorist organization, according to the US government. The Taliban in Afghanistan may be morally repugnant, violent fundamentalists, but they are technically not a terrorist organization (in the context of the US) https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/ https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/

38 points by mariojv 5y ago

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

More proof that these platforms have zero content moderation and actually do not give a shit until somebody notices. I don’t see how such examples make their content policies and enforcement thereof highly questionable within the legal system.

belltaco 5y ago
Are the free speech absolutionists against this move or not?
- oceanplexian 5y ago
  Did banning the app magically stop ISIS and end terrorism? The terrorists will circumvent this and use some other app while law-abiding people continue to have their human rights infringed on by censorship and deplatforming.
  - 2OEH8eoCRo0 5y ago
    It infringes Amazon's rights. Why should they be forced to host this? > The company took down the site, which touted the suicide attack that killed at least 170 people in Kabul, after The Post reported extremists were using the service 170 people. 13 service members. Amazon wants no part of this and that is their right.
- torstenvl 5y ago
  > free speech absolutionists I'm sure this was unintentional, but hilarious nonetheless.
Hikikomori 5y ago
How would they notice it?
- xyzzy21 5y ago
  If the "correct politically aligned group" tells them about it. If it's the "incorrect" group, it will be ignored.
tyingq 5y ago
Trying to proactively police all websites hosted on your VM based infrastructure is probably pretty hard. Scraping your IP space for keywords in many languages is a blunt tool and probably has too many false positives. I don't know if people had reported it to their abuse system and that process failed. If that's the case, then they have work to do.

bobobob420 5y ago

How brave of them. I’m sure it was a tough decision.

tehbeard 5y ago

Have to wonder if one of the three letter agencies quietly told them to keep it up with some "additional oversight" in place..

throwawaysea 5y ago

It is incredible that all these tech companies colluded to ban Parler because Parler wouldn’t enact their desired level and flavor of censorship, and banned Trump on unsubstantiated accusations of inciting violence. It is even more incredible that they are totally okay with Facebook/Twitter remaining in the App Store even though the Capitol riot was mostly organized there, okay with BLM-affiliated groups or Antifa groups organizing on their platforms despite a year of demonstrated political violence, and okay with the Taliban spreading their terroristic propaganda on their platforms. Why is it surprising that they were also hosting ISIS? These companies and their employees only care about censoring their direct political adversaries, and all the euphemisms they use (like “moderation”) can’t hide their intentions, due to how inconsistently they apply even their own rules. Tech companies have enough power to sway entire populations and influence elections. They are as powerful as many governments and must be reigned in. Other countries are recognizing this problem of big tech’s political power (see https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/germanys-merkel-hits-out-at-twitter-over-problematic-trump-ban.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/germanys-merkel-hits-out-at-... or https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/08/20/biden-always-unfit-president-left-wing-media-cheerleaders-didnt2/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/08/20/biden-always-unf...), and America too must recognize it. We need updated anti trust laws and aggressive application of them, targeting companies that are too big and companies that benefit from network effects.

DaveExeter 5y ago
>Taliban spreading their terroristic propaganda They are not "terrorists" anymore. The Taliban is the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Those opposed to the Taliban are now the terrorists!
- stinky613 5y ago
  The Taliban in Afghanistan isn't/wasn't listed officially as terrorist group by the US government. The Taliban in Pakistan, however, is a terrorist organization, according to the US government. The Taliban in Afghanistan may be morally repugnant, violent fundamentalists, but they are technically not a terrorist organization (in the context of the US) https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/ https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/