Welcome from Yaël Eisenstat, VP, ADL Center for Technology and Society

Gonzalez v. Google


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     June 2023

 
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     Welcome from Yaël Eisenstat, VP, ADL Center for Technology and Society

	
					Welcome to our first edition of Fighting Hate Online since I joined ADL to lead our efforts to hold tech companies accountable for the proliferation of hate and extremism on their platforms. CTS is producing the highest quality research to promote effective policy, inside and outside industry, to create safe and equitable online spaces.

					
					Since October, the team has more than doubled, adding top notch researchers and building a tech policy team. Our capacity to produce cutting-edge research and advocate for critical policy changes to end the proliferation of online hate and harassment is stronger than ever. We look forward to bringing you an inside look at our research process, our policy wins and ways for you to get involved.

 
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     What we’ve been working on

	
					Generative AI

					GAI tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and MidJourney are rapidly integrating into society, but without appropriate safeguards, they could pose significant threats. We conducted a survey that found 87% of Americans want to see action from Congress to regulate these tools. We’ve raised six pressing questions
 that industry and policymakers need to consider to safely implement GAI. We are excited to partner with the Interparliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism to convene a meeting in the fall to examine the impact of AI and GAI on online antisemitism, which you can read about in this White House fact sheet about the new national strategy to combat antisemitism.

					
					Why it matters: “There’s no doubt that many exciting technological advancements are possible with the increased public accessibility of GAI. But these technologies may be abused to further accelerate hate, harassment and extremism online. As lawmakers and industry leaders prioritize innovation, they must also address these challenges to protect the public from these potential harms.” — Yael Eisenstat.+ 
Read More

 
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					Online multiplayer games

					Social media companies have been scrutinized by the media and government for their roles in spreading hateful views and radicalizing users. But the games industry, a business bigger than the film and music industries combined, has not. Our latest survey of hate and harassment in online games, which found 16% of gamers between ages 13 and 17 have been exposed to white supremacist content in online multiplayer games, compelled 
Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Lori Trahan to demand answers from major companies about extremist content in their games.

					
					Why it matters: “There is a reckoning between the gaming industry and the government on the horizon in the United States. Over the past few years we’ve tracked how gaming companies responded to the growth of hate and extremism on their platforms. It remains to be seen whether the gaming industry will meet the challenge of this moment by seriously increasing their investment in trust and safety.” — Daniel Kelley, Director of Strategy and Operations, CTS+ 
Read More

 
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					We also...

				
						Analyzed the threat of influential Twitter accounts as nodes of hate

						Graded platforms on their ability to remove Holocaust denial content

						Filed an amicus brief in the SCOTUS Section 230 case, Gonzalez v. Google

						Tracked Twitter’s policy and enforcement changes after Elon Musk purchased the platform

						Evaluated whether Twitter is combating antisemitism effectivelyStudied how harassment spreads on Twitter

						Studied how harassment spreads on Twitter

						Learned how the games industry shortchanges content moderation

						Funded research on how booting extremists off websites works to reduce hate

						Dived into social media platforms’ election misinformation policies

 
    ICYMI

	
					CTS Expertise in the News

				
						April 10, 2023: ADL Holocaust denial report rates all social media platforms poorly (The Jerusalem Post)

						January 20, 2023: A chatbot that lets you talk with Jesus and Hitler is the latest controversy in the AI gold rush (NBC)

						January 13, 2023: The Dangers of Letting Donald Trump Back on Facebook (Time)

						December 18, 2022: Confronting Hate and Extremism in Online Games (Tech Policy Press)

						December 15, 2022: Exclusive: U.S. lawmakers press top game companies on extremism (Axios)

						December 14, 2022: Yael on NBC’s ‘Epidemic of Hate: Antisemitism in America’

						December 2, 2022: Hate Speech’s Rise on Twitter Under Elon Musk Is Unprecedented, Researchers Find (New York Times)

						November 4, 2022: Elon Musk’s Need for Speed Puts Twitter in Peril (Wired)

						November 2, 2022: Musk personally led call with civil rights groups to address hate speech on Twitter (Politico)

						October 7, 2022: Yaël Eisenstat: Why we need more friction on social media (NPR TED Radio Hour)

	
					Events

				
						March 11, 2023: SXSW 2023: Media Profits by Amplifying Hate: Can We Fix It?

						March 6, 2023: State of the Net Conference 2023: Section 230

 
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