2 ms·

The news website accused of fuelling riots

11 points by wood_spirit 2y ago

PaulRobinson 2y ago
I have a friend who insists that the fuelling all happened in FB groups and WhatsApp groups, and journalists are blaming X and this website because they can see it, and can’t see the private groups. For investigators - the police have said those posting false information online will “face justice” - this is a real problem. If you repeat something earnestly believing that it is true because you believe your source, are you guilty of a crime simply because you were the first one to post it in public? The amount of reverse ferreting going on in press and with some of these groups is astonishing though. I only hope everyone learns something from it.
- defrost 2y ago
  All the social media platforms that have no dampening on the spread of disinformation (not stopping, not censoring, just throttling back the spread) bear some blame, those platforms that actually incentivize First Post! fueled gasoline spreading are arguably at fault to a greater degree (weighted by platform reach). From TFA and initially wrt The Platform Formerly Known As Twitter: Some profiles like this have racked up millions of views over the past week posting about the Southport attacks and subsequent riots. X’s “ads revenue sharing” means that blue-tick users can earn a share of revenue from the ads in their replies. Estimates from users with fewer than half a million followers who have generated income in this way say that accounts can make $10-20 per million views or impressions on X. Some of these accounts sharing disinformation are racking up more than a million impressions almost every post, and sharing posts several times a day. Other social media companies - aside from X - also allow users to make money from views. But YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook have previously de-monetised or suspended some profiles posting content that break their guidelines on misinformation. Apart from rules against faked AI content, X does not have guidelines on misinformation.
- beardyw 2y ago
  Well the root stems from the false reporting of the name of the 17 year old involved in the stabbing of children. Literally everyone (particularly Nigel Farage) knows you can't report a 17 year old's name without some sort of special dispensation, which ultimately came. So if you think you know it you should think again. Ignorance is not a defence.

11 points by wood_spirit 2y ago

I have a friend who insists that the fuelling all happened in FB groups and WhatsApp groups, and journalists are blaming X and this website because they can see it, and can’t see the private groups. For investigators - the police have said those posting false information online will “face justice” - this is a real problem. If you repeat something earnestly believing that it is true because you believe your source, are you guilty of a crime simply because you were the first one to post it in public? The amount of reverse ferreting going on in press and with some of these groups is astonishing though. I only hope everyone learns something from it.

defrost 2y ago
All the social media platforms that have no dampening on the spread of disinformation (not stopping, not censoring, just throttling back the spread) bear some blame, those platforms that actually incentivize First Post! fueled gasoline spreading are arguably at fault to a greater degree (weighted by platform reach). From TFA and initially wrt The Platform Formerly Known As Twitter: Some profiles like this have racked up millions of views over the past week posting about the Southport attacks and subsequent riots. X’s “ads revenue sharing” means that blue-tick users can earn a share of revenue from the ads in their replies. Estimates from users with fewer than half a million followers who have generated income in this way say that accounts can make $10-20 per million views or impressions on X. Some of these accounts sharing disinformation are racking up more than a million impressions almost every post, and sharing posts several times a day. Other social media companies - aside from X - also allow users to make money from views. But YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook have previously de-monetised or suspended some profiles posting content that break their guidelines on misinformation. Apart from rules against faked AI content, X does not have guidelines on misinformation.
beardyw 2y ago
Well the root stems from the false reporting of the name of the 17 year old involved in the stabbing of children. Literally everyone (particularly Nigel Farage) knows you can't report a 17 year old's name without some sort of special dispensation, which ultimately came. So if you think you know it you should think again. Ignorance is not a defence.