Tech Platforms Commit to Censorship After Dublin Riot

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. In the wake of the Dublin riots in backlash to an alleged immigrant’s knife attack against children, social media giants have come forward to reiterate their commitment to censorship. Tánaiste Micheál Martin expressed major concerns regarding the efficiency of social media platforms in rallying massive crowds in the wake of the disruption. Meta, TikTok, and Google representatives took center stage before the Oireachtas media committee, addressing the international attention Dublin received. They discussed issues related to media literacy, misinformation, and their response to the riots. However, the absence of representatives from X at the committee drew criticism from pro-censorship ministers. Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster associated its non-appearance partly with “ongoing legal proceedings,” seeking further specifics on the matter, and openly expressed her discontent. “I don’t think that’s good enough,” she said. The committee had an interface with Dualta Ó Broin, Meta’s head of public policy in Ireland, who articulated how the company has been actively censoring “misinformation.” He mentioned how 1.1 million Irish Facebook posts were tagged with “debunking” labels during the first half of the year. However, he acknowledged that handling “misinformation” on WhatsApp, their encrypted messaging service remains a challenge due to the app’s virality factor and privacy from surveillance. He shed light on the company’s coordinated efforts, sharing that Meta established open communication with the Gardaí (the Irish police) during the Dublin unrest. Google’s perspective on the matter was communicated…Tech Platforms Commit to Censorship After Dublin Riot