Tech Explorist
Some spikes in hate speech target groups that appear uninvolved in triggering events
Real-world events trigger online hate toward unrelated groups, study finds
The Guardian
Researchers say finding could help moderators predict when content is likely to be published and what to look out for
Offline events and online hate
PLOS One
Online hate speech is a critical and worsening problem, with extremists using social media platforms to radicalize recruits and coordinate offline violent events. While much progress has been made in analyzing online hate speech, no study to date has classified multiple types of hate speech across both mainstream and fringe platforms. We conduct a supervised machine learning analysis of 7 types of online hate speech on 6 interconnected online platforms. We find that offline trigger events, such as protests and elections, are often followed by increases in types of online hate speech that bear seemingly little connection to the underlying event. This occurs on both mainstream and fringe platforms, despite moderation efforts, raising new research questions about the relationship between offline events and online speech, as well as implications for online content moderation.
Yonatan Lupu, Richard Sear, Nicolas Velásquez, Rhys Leahy, Nicholas Johnson Restrepo, Beth Goldberg, Neil Johnson
Coronavirus Today: How COVID lies spread on Facebook
LA Times
They say a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. That’s especially true if the lies are about COVID-19 and they’re being spread via Facebook.
Best-science guidance lost battle early during COVID-19 pandemic
News Medical
In a recent study published in Science Advances, researchers used a mathematical model to depict how the general public drifted away from best-science guidance early during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Promoting science, a battle lost by Facebook even before the pandemic
OI Canadian
A new study reveals how communities embedded in the Facebook social network were already intertwined with groups opposing science-based best practices, even before the advent of COVID-19 vaccines.
Disrupting the Highways of Hate: The Impacts of Offline Events and Deplatforming
Research presentation at the Trust & Safety Research Conference, September 2022, Stanford University: https://www.tsresearchconference.org/
Losing The Battle Over Best-Science Guidance Early In A Crisis
Verve Times
A new study reveals how Facebook communities were already intertwined with groups opposing best-science guidance long before COVID-19 vaccines
Losing the battle over best-science guidance early in a crisis
Phys.org
A new study reveals how Facebook communities were already intertwined with groups opposing best-science guidance long before COVID-19 vaccines
Losing the battle for the best scientific support in a crisis tomorrow
Aus Der Welt
A new study shows how Facebook communities were already intertwined with groups opposed to best science guidelines before COVID-19 vaccines.