‘Lost memories’: War crimes evidence threatened by AI moderation


A man rides a motorbike past damaged buildings in the rebel-held town of Nairab, Idlib region, Syria. YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter warned in March that videos and other content may be erroneously removed for policy violations, as the coronavirus pandemic forced them to empty offices and rely on automated takedown software. But those AI-enabled tools risk confusing human rights and historical documentation like Razzouk’s videos with problematic material like terrorist content – particularly in war-torn countries like Syria and Yemen, digital rights activists warned. — Reuters

NEW YORK/AMMAN: From bombings and protests to the opening of a new health centre, student journalist Baraa Razzouk has been documenting daily life in Idlib, Syria, for years, and posting the videos to his YouTube account.

But this month, the 21-year-old started getting automated emails from YouTube alerting him that his videos violated its policy, and that they would be deleted. As of this month, more than a dozen of his videos had been removed, he said.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

EU court adviser backs data privacy activist Schrems in Meta fight
Spotify says Apple has rejected its app update with price information for EU users
Amazon to invest $11 billion in Indiana to build data centers
IBM falls as enterprise-spending constraints choke consulting demand
Net neutrality rules to be restored in US agency vote
India's Tech Mahindra misses Q4 revenue view on weak communications segment
Explainer-Where are Wall Street's analyst notes on Trump's Truth Social?
AI spending worries cast gloom over Alphabet, Microsoft
Electric cars and digital connectivity dominate at Beijing auto show
Most global tech leaders see their companies unprepared for AI

Others Also Read