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Facebook Doubles Down on Content Moderators

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve heard the stories of murders and suicides posted on Facebook.  In order to keep that type of content away from the public, Facebook has just announced that they will hire an additional 3000 content moderators.  This is on top of approximately 4500…
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Social Media Crisis? Take ownership of the issue.

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Yup - another airline incident caught on film. This time it was American Airlines flight 591 #AA591. While the incident was deplorable, the good news is  that American Airlines got out in front of the backlash.  They took ownership of the incident and defused any impending actions by the public.  See…
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The first 24 hours in a social media crisis are critical - is United Airlines listening?

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The first headline I saw in my newsfeed today was “Bloodied Passenger Dragged From United Flight At O'Hare Airport."  Upon reading the story in numerous international publications, I checked various social media channels to learn more about the incident.  Not surprisingly #BoycottUnited and #Flight3411…
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United Airlines in a Social Media Crisis as Twitter blows up over (gasp!!) spandex.

United Airlines made headlines over the weekend as a gate agent refused to allow two young girls to board a flight from Denver to Minneapolis because they were “not properly clothed”.  The infraction – spandex leggings. The young girls donned other clothing and boarded the plane.  The incident…
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Hate Speech, Free Speech, or a business decision?

Many large social media channels are coming under fire for not being “tough on hate speech.”  Refer to this recent article in The Guardian – Face-off between MPs and social media giants over online hate speech.  In the US, while hate crimes are illegal, the constitution gives a great deal of…
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Online Moderators Keep it Civil, But What About Where They Work?

Online Moderators Keep it Civil, But What About Where They Work? Mzinga moderators spend much of their shifts putting an end to flame wars, banning trolls, handling customer complaints, and keeping the peace.  As Mzinga’s Director of Moderation Services, I ensure that the team works in an environment…
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Facebook Adds AI to Suicide Prevention Arsenal

Facebook Adds AI to Suicide Prevention Arsenal More than ten years ago, I complimented Facebook for encouraging its members to send in a report if they saw a post by a member or friend saying they were serious about harming themselves.  If a report was received, Facebook contacted the member with…
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Google’s Jigsaw Gets a New Perspective: Learning Curve Still a Hairpin

Google’s Jigsaw Gets a New Perspective: Learning Curve Still a Hairpin Late last year, I commented on Google’s Jigsaw software, created to apply machine learning to detect and remove harassment and abusive content in areas where users interact online.  At the time, I said that no matter how much…
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25 Percent of Canadians Are Harassed on Social Media

25 Percent of Canadians Are Harassed on Social Media A recent survey by the Angus Reid Public Interest Research Institute found that one-fourth of Canadians are subjected to “unwelcome comments, vicious insults, threats of violence, or worse,” with the bulk of abuse coming from Facebook and Twitter. …
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Amazon Bans Giving Free Books to Reviewers

Amazon Bans Giving Free Books to Reviewers Last week, Amazon ended it years-old policy of hooking up its reviewers with free or deeply discounted products, which many had complained skewed the ratings into more positive numbers of stars, causing them to appear further towards the top of ratings lists…