What Google and Facebook are doing to tackle ISIS propaganda machinery

Social media giants have for long been criticised for failing to do enough to curb the spread of hate speech and fake news on their platforms. Be it in the case of Donald Trump's rise during the American Presidential elections in 2016 or fake news stories causing panic after terror attacks, social media platforms and even search engine giant, Google, has been found doing more harm than good. 

What's worse is that over the past couple of years they have also served as platforms of choice for terrorist organisations looking to radicalise young individuals from the safety of their hideouts. But this may soon change. If a recent report is to be believed, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and YouTube have at least started to work together to find a way to tackle the growing menace of radical content on their websites – a breakthrough that could also help them figure out the spread of fake news and hate content. 

According to a report published in ABCNews, these giants of the tech industry have joined hands with the G-7 countries and drawn up effective plans to tackle growing radicalisation on their platforms. 

ISIS and other terrorist organisations have effectively expanded their influence by radicalising thousands of youth from across the globe using these popular platforms, but now Google and Facebook are "experimenting with new ways to employ algorithms based learning and latest open source technology to try to pull potential ISIS recruits back from the edge before it’s too late".

As per the report, the new experimental method, which has been in effect in the US for the past six months, Google is using its AI, algorithm and machine-based learnings to target with designed ads individuals who look or search for ISIS-related content.

Called the "Redirect Method", the idea is being tried as a way of using advertising to counter and prevent extremism and terrorism. Ross Frenett, the man working behind the scenes to make this experiment a success, explains how the redirect method works:

“So someone types in 'I want to join jihad into Google...' we’ve placed an advertisement into the top of that search which is asking them a simple question. ‘Do you want to join the struggle? Find out more here.’”

Interestingly, the content being offered to the user may look and feel like it has been circulated by ISIS, but it will have a very different message aimed at deterring the user from being radicalised. For example, it may show what life is really like in the caliphate, how ISIS is failing militarily and people are struggling. Another video could talk about the destruction left behind – such as innocent children being killed.

But what will come as surprising news, and may even raise concerns over the efforts of the tech giant is the fact that despite billions in its banks, the redirect project is funded by a small private foundation called Gen Next and not by Google itself.

As for Facebook, it has taken a very different approach to fixing the problem, but one that appears to be as effective as Gen Next and Google's Redirect Method. 

As per the report, "instead of pushing counternarrative content that individuals may or may not click on, Facebook is about to launch "One-to-One" – a direct online intervention model with real-life people trying to engage with potential recruits before they become violent."

Explaining this move, Sasha Havlicek, the co-founder and CEO of a London think-tank called the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said: "Right now nobody’s reaching out to those individuals except for ISIS, except for those who would recruit them. What we try to do is essentially step into that void and compete with that kind of attention and outreach to individuals who are often very lost, very angry and engage with them."

With ISIS and other terrorist organisations suffering heavy losses in the battlefield, it is extremely important for the tech industry to not only contain, but also defeat its propaganda machinery on its own turf. These steps taken by Google, Facebook and Twitter will go a long way in ensuring the world is a much safer place in the days to come. 

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