The best way to protect people from harms engendered by TikTok (and other social media platforms) is to unleash researchers so they can build up knowledge collectively. That's why the Coalition for Independent Tech Research sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to stop his TikTok ban.
People don’t commit violence against other groups - or even condone it - spontaneously. First they must be taught to see other people as pests, vermin, aliens, or threats. Malicious leaders often use the same types of rhetoric to do this, in myriad cultures, languages, countries, and historical periods. We call this Dangerous Speech. Violence might be prevented by making it less abundant or less convincing. We work to find the best ways to do this – while protecting freedom of expression.
That’s no reason to leave online discourse unscrutinized. On the contrary: it must be systematically, expertly protected. Israel and Palestine would be ideal for such a test.
New working paper by the Disinformation Project titled ‘Transgressive transitions’ outlines a measurable rise in both volume and tone of transphobia, as well as evidence of foreign interference in New Zealand online communities.
The language of the Trump tweet is inflammatory to his followers but ambiguous enough that he can claim it’s harmless. It isn’t. In the four words of his tweet he repeated his false claim that the election was stolen from him, and framed his cause as a righteous war.
From ancient myths and religious texts to modern-day propaganda and media, the visual portrayal of snakes has served as a powerful tool for dehumanization, fueling stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination.
