The Circuit: Fake News from YouTube, and Good News for Easter
“If it’s your algorithm, it’s your responsibility.”
Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner for Competition, European Union
Social media platforms, once upon a time, were passive relayers of fake news. Now they’ve become active players - and delayers.
I knew it wouldn’t be long before the trolls came knocking, but I didn’t expect YouTube to lead the pack:
YouTube's algorithm is under fire for boosting a sexist conspiracy theory about black-hole researcher Katie Bouman
Is this the beginning of the “blame it on AI” excuse at YouTube? As it turns out, yes:
YouTube mistakenly links Notre Dame fire to September 11 attacks
“A YouTube feature designed to combat misinformation offered some of its own during a major news event Monday: It linked the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The company blamed the mixup on its algorithms.”
Not to be outdone, Twitter took hours to remove a dormant fake account:
The Internet is already awash in Notre Dame conspiracies – CNN
”On Twitter, a fake account made to look like one operated by CNN claimed the fire was caused by terrorism. The account, which was created in April, was only removed several hours after CNN publicly called out Twitter over it. “
Years ago my developer woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me our site was down. Escalation procedures are standard at the smallest websites. When even CNN can’t get a prompt response from Twitter, it’s clear how dysfunctional the chain of command must be internally. Where is the accountability, especially as we gear up for an election year in the U.S. ?
Yet there’s hope:
Shep Smith shuts down French commentator suggesting Notre Dame fire wasn't an accident – The Hill
"Sir, sir, sir, we’re not going to speculate here of the cause of something which we don’t know," Smith said… "No, sir, we’re not doing that here, not now, not on my watch," Smith said before ending the interview with Karsenty.
So as not to leave Facebook out, here are a few stories that packed a punch this week:
15 Months of fresh hell inside Facebook – Wired
Facebook says it “unintentionally uploaded” 1.5M people’s email contacts without their consent – Business Insider
Facebook's role in Brexit–and the threat to democracy - A TED Talk from British investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr
And as we head into Easter, here’s some good news to end on:
Parkland students bask in Pulitzer mention: ‘They took us seriously’ – The New York Times
“These budding journalists remind us of the media’s unwavering commitment to bearing witness, even in the most wrenching of circumstances, in service to a nation whose very existence depends on a free and dedicated press…There is hope in their example.”
and this:
Twelve-year-old journalist who broke murder story to deliver university commencement speech
“After she and her family faced criticism for covering the decidedly adult topic, Hilde Lysiak made it clear that what she did and didn’t report on was for her to decide. ‘If you want me to stop covering news, then you get off your computers and do something about the news. There, is that cute enough for you?’ she told critics in a video posted to her website.”
P.S. Get off your computer this weekend, go outside and play !
Compiled by Christine Mohan
(Photo credit: CNN)