War Crimes Evidence Being Erased on Social Media Platforms by AI, Says BBC

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Facts

  • The BBC has found that tech companies may be unwittingly erasing evidence of potential human rights abuses through its 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.1
  • 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.2
  • Online platforms claim to have exemptions for graphic material when it serves the public interest. However, when BBC News attempted to upload footage documenting attacks on civilians in Ukraine, it was removed within hours.2
  • AI algorithms are designed to remove violent content, but cannot distinguish between obscene violence posted for entertainment purposes and the uploading of videos documenting possible war crimes, thus they remove both.3
  • Industry insiders say that social media companies must take action to ensure that crucial evidence is protected. Former Guardian editor-in-chief Rusbridger said: "I think the next question for them is how do we develop the machinery, whether that's human or AI, to then make more reasonable decisions."4

Sources: 1The St Kitts Nevis Observer, 2Yahoo News, 3The New Arab, and 4BBC News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by ReliefWeb. 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, as provided by BBC News. 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.