Tuesday, December 15, 2015



Google chairman wants to censor the internet for hate speech: ‘Spell check’ for terrorism is needed, says Eric Schmidt

Technology groups have a duty to combat terrorism using tools such as a hate speech 'spell checker', according to Google chairman, Eric Schmidt.

Schmidt claims a widespread system capable of doing this would 'de-escalate tensions on social media' and 'remove videos before they spread'.

It follows an announcement by the White House that it is engaged in conversations with the technology community about taking 'common sense' measures to prevent terrorism.

'It's our responsibility to demonstrate that stability and free expression go hand in hand,' wrote Schmidt in an opinion piece for the New York Times.

However, Schmidt did not give any specific details about his proposed 'spell-checkers' for hate.

Quartz points out that people can't agree on the definition of hate speech, so building algorithms to balance that fine line would be difficult.

SOURCE

Any such attempt in the USA would almost certainly be knocked on the head on 1st Amendment grounds.  And anyone can access U.S. sites

6 comments:

Stan B said...

Actually, as long as it is not a "government mandate" or involve any official Government involvement, Google could order the takedown of every kitten video on the grounds they don't like cats.

The 1st Amendment only guarantees that the GOVERNMENT will not infringe your right to speak - it does not obligate anyone to provide a megaphone for you.

Anonymous said...

The great zero is being astute for once. If he gets private companies to limit speech the progressives do not have to force it through the governmental system which will not pass constitutional muster. I doubt the consumers of google, facebook, etc. will put up with it though.

MDH

Anonymous said...

You can bet that the Obama administration will only focus on terrorism like Russia only targets ISIL in Syria. As they say that will be the day we see the porcine air force, mind you one would be handy in the middle east at the moment.

Anonymous said...

Google has the power to do this and more. The public has the power to render Google worthless very quickly. Google better tread carefully and read their own user policy word for word.

Alpha Skua said...

Google Smoogle who needs these bunch of self apointed sensors anyway?

Anonymous said...

If the internet were censored in that way, people's communicating and discerning skills would become finer, so the same information and messages would still get around in subtle and oblique form.

Insinuation and inference are powerful tools. Vagueness too. And what is not said is often more powerful than what is said. Lies too, are easy to zero in on when one is skilled at Socratic tactics.

Many media outlets that do not mention the racial identity or description of perpetrators of violent crimes when those perpetrators are Africans and Arabs, it is still fairly easy to read between the lines and see what is going on.

Then there is the issue of a rival search/internet/communication service arising.

Freehearted/freeminded people, as westerners generally are, could not have their freedom of expression and communication curtailed for long, because everything we manifest in our world comes out of our heart and mind. Personally I expect even the most iron fisted oppression - if it were to be imposed - could last only a generation or two before being thrown off.