Social Media Platforms Failing to Enforce Community Guidelines, Says Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Police – Accident – Death – Obituary News : New Study Reveals Social Media Platforms Struggle to Enforce Community Guidelines

A recent research conducted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) has shed light on the failure of social media platforms to effectively enforce their own community guidelines and terms of service. The study, titled “Uisce Faoi Thalamh: An Investigation into the Online Mis-and Disinformation Ecosystem in Ireland,” was conducted over the course of a year by analysts Aoife Gallagher, Ciarán O’Connor, and Francesca Visser. It involved the analysis of more than 13 million posts across 12 platforms from 2020 to 2023.

The platforms under scrutiny included popular sites such as Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as alternative platforms like Gettr, Gab, and Rumble. The researchers found that false information and conspiracy theories spread on these platforms often manifest in real-life actions, including acts of violence.

The study highlighted the role of misinformation in fueling anti-lockdown protests during the pandemic. False information about Covid-19 and the vaccine led to the organization of protests, while the recent demonstrations at Cork City Library were encouraged by the spread of hateful content targeting LGBTQ+ individuals.

The research also pointed out the prevalence of “violent and threatening rhetoric” directed towards politicians in discussions about Covid restrictions, the arrival of refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland, and the teaching of LGBTQ+ issues to children.

Among the platforms analyzed, X (formerly known as Twitter) emerged as the platform with the highest activity related to the spread of misinformation and disinformation. The study identified over 1,100 relevant accounts that posted 11.7 million times across nine topics examined by ISD.

The research encompassed a range of topics, with health being the most popular among the relevant accounts. Other topics included climate change, conspiracies, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and 5G. X was found to have the most discussions on eight out of the nine topics.

Interestingly, the study noted that the far-right struggles to gain traction on TikTok. Only 34 accounts pushing anti-immigration content were discovered, most of which were swiftly suspended by TikTok between February and March of this year.

The messaging app Telegram, on the other hand, emerged as a key platform for the organization of far-right activities. The research found that Russian state media and British far-right activist Tommy Robinson were particularly popular on this platform.

Furthermore, the study identified 41 entities utilizing payment platforms like PayPal to raise funds for their activities. Stripe, co-founded by Irish brothers Patrick and John Collison, was the most widely used payment platform among these entities. However, ISD noted that these platforms have policies or terms of service prohibiting the spread of discriminatory, hateful, false, or misleading information, which the content produced by these entities violated.

ISD, an independent think tank focused on combating extremism, hate, and disinformation globally, has recommended that social media platforms enhance the enforcement of their own guidelines and improve content moderation. The report also emphasizes the need to scrutinize the algorithms that allow harmful content to spread.

Telegram, identified as a key platform for far-right organization in Ireland, was found to have inadequate safeguards against harmful content, according to the research. The study suggests that smaller platforms should learn from larger ones and implement effective content moderation strategies.

In conclusion, the research conducted by ISD highlights the significant challenges faced by social media platforms in enforcing their community guidelines and terms of service. With the spread of false information and hate speech leading to real-world consequences, it becomes crucial for these platforms to take proactive measures to combat misinformation and protect their users..