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Facebook Social Networks Technology

Facebook Adds New Limits To Address the Spread of Hate Speech in Sri Lanka and Myanmar (techcrunch.com) 41

As Facebook grapples with the spread of hate speech on its platform, it is introducing changes that limit the spread of messages in two countries where it has come under fire in recent years: Sri Lanka and Myanmar. From a report: In a blog post on Thursday evening, Facebook said that it was "adding friction" to message forwarding for Messenger users in Sri Lanka so that people could only share a particular message a certain number of times. The limit is currently set to five people. In Myanmar, social media platforms have faced a similar, long-lasting challenge. Facebook said it has started to reduce the distribution of content from people in Myanmar who have consistently violated its community standards with previous posts.
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Facebook Adds New Limits To Address the Spread of Hate Speech in Sri Lanka and Myanmar

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  • Yes! Finally!
    • Holy smokes I even managed to catch a few bots, boy this site sure has come a long way since the dark old days of cmdrtaco and intelligent discourse.
  • Because that's really worked for the movie industry, the TV industry, the video game industry...
  • Facebook said it has started to reduce the distribution of content from people in Myanmar who have consistently violated its community standards with previous posts.

    Maybe I don't understand what "consistently violated" and "standards" mean, but why are they reducing their distribution and not stopping it?

    • by Sebby ( 238625 )
      No, you 're not missing anything. This is simply Fuckedbook paying lip service, as it usually does.
    • by Kjella ( 173770 )

      Maybe I don't understand what "consistently violated" and "standards" mean, but why are they reducing their distribution and not stopping it?

      Because if your only option is a ban that's heavy handed and obvious. Consider it a bit like two groups shouting at each other using microphones and you tweak the input volume, if you do it gently they won't realize the microphone is "defective" and get a new one. Most people are not smart enough to deal with using multiple accounts effectively but they will make a new one if they lose it, so you're curbing it instead of playing whack-a-mole.

  • by Sebby ( 238625 ) on Friday June 21, 2019 @01:04PM (#58800478)
    Facebook Adds New Limits To Address the Spread of Hate Speech in Sri Lanka and Myanmar ....by shutting itself down completely.
  • by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Friday June 21, 2019 @01:41PM (#58800678)

    Compose Message : "Heads up everyone, the government is going door to door shooting people who they think are disloyal!"

    Facebook: Please choose which of your five friends you most wish not to die.

    What could be amazing tools to fight against oppression are themselves becoming nightmare tools of the state, for the state, and by the state.

    • "Heads up, we're going to go door to door shooting people we don't like. RSVP if you're in!".

      That's what Facebook is trying to slow down. The idea is that if you can send a call for violence out while everyone is angry about something recent then that call to violence will be very, very effective. But if it takes you 2-3 days to tell everybody about your plans it's gonna be hard to get the mob going.

      Basically Facebook is making it easy to create flash mobs of angry, violent people while emotions are

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