Joe Sabol’s Post

https://lnkd.in/ew95jA_D Great breakdown of CCP's latest TTPs. "Among the most striking discoveries from the recent set of investigations are the various ways in which proxy entities or accounts on multiple platforms are used to 'launder' content, increasing its credibility and obfuscating its origins to the point that even some people involved in its production are unaware. One example unveiled in the Meta investigation centered on an error-laden, 66-page “research report” claiming that the U.S. government was hiding the origin of COVID-19. The document was published on Zenodo.org, then promoted by fake accounts via two distinct videos on YouTube and Vimeo; an article based on those items was then posted on LiveJournal, Medium, and Tumblr, and finally, accounts on Facebook, X, Reddit, and other platforms amplified these links."

🔍 New Analysis: EC's First DSA Investigation Targets X (Ex-Twitter) Our latest blog discusses the European Commission's investigation under the DSA, focusing on X's content moderation related to disinformation, particularly regarding the Middle-East conflict. These are preliminary findings based on the DSA Transparency Database. Stay tuned for more detailed insights by following our page. Read the initial analysis: https://lnkd.in/eh3Gwrkr #DigitalServicesAct #ContentModeration #Twitter #disinformation

Reddit has formally submitted documents for an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, after years of rumors. Some longtime users will also be able to participate by purchasing shares from the company, which intends to use RDDT as its ticker symbol. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman stated that many regular users already have a "deep sense of ownership" over their communities on the platform in a note included in the company's S-1 filing with the SEC. He added, "We want our users to be our owners—for this sense of ownership to be reflected in real ownership." In light of this, we are thrilled to extend an invitation to Reddit contributors, including users and moderators, to purchase shares in our initial public offering (IPO) alongside our investors. The company didn’t say how many users might be able to participate, but said that eligible users would be determined based on their karma scores while “moderator contributions will be measured by membership and moderator actions.” The filing also offers up new details about the inner workings of Reddit’s business. The company had 500 million visitors during the month of December and has recently averaged just over 73 million “daily active unique” visitors. In 2023, the company brought in $804 million in revenue (Reddit has yet to turn a profit). The document also notes that the company is “exploring” deals with AI companies to license its content as it looks to expand its revenue in the future. Earlier in the day, Reddit and Google announced that they had struck such a deal, reportedly valued at around $60 million a year. “We believe our growing platform data will be a key element in the training of leading large language models (“LLMs”) and serve as an additional monetization channel for Reddit,” the company writes.

There has been a lot of discussion in the office about the imminent Google -  Site Reputation Abuse update on 5th May. Google's has made very clear its intention to crackdown on low-value, third-party content and the Search team here at Spike will be on hand to share our insights and thoughts, as it happens, in the coming weeks. Dont worry - In the meantime, here are some of handy takeaways from Google on what you should look out for and how to be prepared. 👇

How Shadow Banning Can Silently Shift Opinion Online https://lnkd.in/g6WGEnwA As far as most social media users know, the most powerful tool through which platforms steer public opinion is through the outright removal of objectionable content or users. [The Author] argues that there’s a more potent means through which social media platforms can control collective opinions over time, called “shadow banning.” Part of this tool’s power derives from the fact that it’s currently near-impossible to uncover, even by policymakers or software engineering experts. More clandestine than a straightforward ban from a platform, shadow banning limits the broader visibility of a user’s content without their knowledge. A Facebook or Instagram post that’s been subjected to shadow banning would remain on the original poster’s profile page, but it would appear less, or not at all, in the timelines of other users.

X has removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts; Meta has got 24 hours to inform EU of measures taken to counter the spread of disinformation The X social media platform has removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts and taken action to remove or label tens of thousands of pieces of content since the militant group's attack on Israel, its chief executive Linda Yaccarino said on Thursday, according to Reuters. https://bit.ly/46ISteL The move came in response to European Union industry chief Thierry Breton's 24 hour-ultimatum to Elon Musk to tackle the spread of disinformation on his X messaging platform since the Hamas assault to comply with new EU online content rules. Breton, who said he had indications that X - formerly known as Twitter - was being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU, said his team would analyse Yaccarino's reply and decide on next steps. The recently implemented Digital Services Act (DSA) requires large online platforms, including X and Meta's Facebook, to do more to remove illegal content and to take measures to tackle the risks to public security and civic discourse. Breton issued a similar warning to Meta on Wednesday, giving the company 24 hours to inform him of measures taken to counter the spread of disinformation on its platforms following the attack on Israel. "We wish to reiterate that we welcome further engagement with you and your team, including a meeting, to address any specific questions and look forward to receiving further specifics to which we can respond" Yaccarino said in the letter to Breton, posted on X. X has responded to more than 80 take-down requests received in the EU within the required timeline and has not received any notices from Europol regarding illegal content on the platform, the letter says. #meta #facebook #x #eu #misinformation #accounts #socialmedia

"Today we are opening formal infringement proceedings against X" announced the European Commission, listing the infringements of which the former Twitter is suspected under the DSA: alleged breaches of obligations to prevent illegal content and disinformation, alleged breaches of transparency obligations, misleading user interface. This procedure should enable the European institution to "determine whether the company X may have breached the #DigitalServicesAct (DSA) in areas related to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and #data access for researchers". As a reminder, X (formerly known as Twitter) was designated as a very large online platform (VLOP) on April 25 under the EU Digital Services Regulation, having declared 112 million monthly active users in the EU, as reported to the Commission on February 17, 2023. As a dominant player, for four months from its designation, X has had to comply with a series of obligations set out in the #DSA. However, the social network must continue its efforts in this area. This procedure follows a preliminary investigation based on an analysis of the risk assessment report submitted by X in September, a study on transparency published on November 3, and the company's responses to a formal request for information. The procedure will therefore focus on the following points. The first involves compliance with the DSA obligations relating to the fight against the distribution of illegal content in the EU. It focuses in particular on the risk assessment and mitigation measures adopted by X to meet this commitment. The operation of the DSA-mandated mechanism for notification and action for illegal content in the EU is also scrutinized, in view of the social network's content moderation resources. A second issue involves the effectiveness of measures taken to prevent the manipulation of information on the platform, including the effectiveness of X's EU "community ratings" system and related policies aimed at mitigating risks to civic discourse and electoral processes. To know more 👉 https://bit.ly/4aHLQfp 

Fake news has become a major issue in today’s digital world. Over 67% of Americans have encountered fake news on social media platforms. The rapid spread of disinformation through online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many others has the ability to disrupt societies, affect public perception, and even influence political results. It is a major issue that requires everyone's collective attention and response. Addressing the issue of false news in the digital space is a complicated issue that involves collaboration as well as individual accountability. As part of the DCIM capstone project, I will be focusing on the different ways we can identify and combat fake news in the digital world. Here’s an article that shares some helpful tips on how to spot fake news online. #DCIMCapstone https://lnkd.in/ecaJNYKf

The Challenge: Addressing the threat of malicious content at scale. The Solution: Firstsource's Trust & Safety Team + Advanced Technology analyzing over 1 million pieces of content, resulting in a 25% reduction in operating costs and a 98% quality score for content search and validation. Curious to learn more? Dive into our success story: https://lnkd.in/gsCZyjsB #ContentModeration #FirstsourceSuccess #TrustAndSafety

Interesting read