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Regulating terrorist content on social media: automation and the rule of law

Sara Correia-Hopkins Orcid Logo, Stuart Macdonald Orcid Logo, Sara Giro Correia, Amy Watkin

International Journal of Law in Context, Volume: 15, Issue: 2, Pages: 183 - 197

Swansea University Authors: Sara Correia-Hopkins Orcid Logo, Stuart Macdonald Orcid Logo, Amy Watkin

Abstract

Social media companies make extensive use of artificial intelligence in their efforts to remove and block terrorist content from their platforms. This article begins by arguing that, since such efforts amount to an attempt to channel human conduct, they should be regarded as a form of regulation tha...

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Published in: International Journal of Law in Context
ISSN: 1744-5523 1744-5531
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2019
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa45969
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spelling 2023-01-03T15:57:44.6700595 v2 45969 2018-11-19 Regulating terrorist content on social media: automation and the rule of law 2ba1ee45d427797148e7fa052da4de59 0000-0003-0261-6872 Sara Correia-Hopkins Sara Correia-Hopkins true false 933e714a4cc37c3ac12d4edc277f8f98 0000-0002-7483-9023 Stuart Macdonald Stuart Macdonald true false ac10822f427d9867d3ed5d5bd4f28e12 Amy Watkin Amy Watkin true false 2018-11-19 LAWD Social media companies make extensive use of artificial intelligence in their efforts to remove and block terrorist content from their platforms. This article begins by arguing that, since such efforts amount to an attempt to channel human conduct, they should be regarded as a form of regulation that is subject to rule of law principles. The article then discusses three sets of rule of law issues. The first set concerns enforceability. Here the article highlights the displacement effects that have resulted from the automated removal and blocking of terrorist content and argues that regard must be had to the whole social media ecology, as well as to jihadist groups other than the so-called Islamic State and other forms of violent extremism. Since rule by law is only a necessary, and not a sufficient, condition for compliance with rule of law values, the article then goes on to examine two further sets of issues: the clarity with which social media companies define terrorist content and the adequacy of the processes by which a user may appeal against an account suspension or the blocking or removal of content. The article concludes by identifying a range of research questions that emerge from the discussion and that together form a promising and timely research agenda to which legal scholarship has much to contribute. Journal Article International Journal of Law in Context 15 2 183 197 Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1744-5523 1744-5531 Counterterrorism, propaganda, rule of law, human rights, regulation, artificial intelligence 20 6 2019 2019-06-20 10.1017/s1744552319000119 COLLEGE NANME Law COLLEGE CODE LAWD Swansea University 2023-01-03T15:57:44.6700595 2018-11-19T10:01:27.0984317 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law Sara Correia-Hopkins 0000-0003-0261-6872 1 Stuart Macdonald 0000-0002-7483-9023 2 Sara Giro Correia 3 Amy Watkin 4 0045969-19112018100409.pdf RegulatingTerroristContentonSocialMediaassubmitted.pdf 2018-11-19T10:04:09.5870000 Output 302711 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true 2018-12-05T00:00:00.0000000 true eng
title Regulating terrorist content on social media: automation and the rule of law
spellingShingle Regulating terrorist content on social media: automation and the rule of law
Sara Correia-Hopkins
Stuart Macdonald
Amy Watkin
title_short Regulating terrorist content on social media: automation and the rule of law
title_full Regulating terrorist content on social media: automation and the rule of law
title_fullStr Regulating terrorist content on social media: automation and the rule of law
title_full_unstemmed Regulating terrorist content on social media: automation and the rule of law
title_sort Regulating terrorist content on social media: automation and the rule of law
author_id_str_mv 2ba1ee45d427797148e7fa052da4de59
933e714a4cc37c3ac12d4edc277f8f98
ac10822f427d9867d3ed5d5bd4f28e12
author_id_fullname_str_mv 2ba1ee45d427797148e7fa052da4de59_***_Sara Correia-Hopkins
933e714a4cc37c3ac12d4edc277f8f98_***_Stuart Macdonald
ac10822f427d9867d3ed5d5bd4f28e12_***_Amy Watkin
author Sara Correia-Hopkins
Stuart Macdonald
Amy Watkin
author2 Sara Correia-Hopkins
Stuart Macdonald
Sara Giro Correia
Amy Watkin
format Journal article
container_title International Journal of Law in Context
container_volume 15
container_issue 2
container_start_page 183
publishDate 2019
institution Swansea University
issn 1744-5523
1744-5531
doi_str_mv 10.1017/s1744552319000119
publisher Cambridge University Press (CUP)
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Hilary Rodham Clinton School of Law
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description Social media companies make extensive use of artificial intelligence in their efforts to remove and block terrorist content from their platforms. This article begins by arguing that, since such efforts amount to an attempt to channel human conduct, they should be regarded as a form of regulation that is subject to rule of law principles. The article then discusses three sets of rule of law issues. The first set concerns enforceability. Here the article highlights the displacement effects that have resulted from the automated removal and blocking of terrorist content and argues that regard must be had to the whole social media ecology, as well as to jihadist groups other than the so-called Islamic State and other forms of violent extremism. Since rule by law is only a necessary, and not a sufficient, condition for compliance with rule of law values, the article then goes on to examine two further sets of issues: the clarity with which social media companies define terrorist content and the adequacy of the processes by which a user may appeal against an account suspension or the blocking or removal of content. The article concludes by identifying a range of research questions that emerge from the discussion and that together form a promising and timely research agenda to which legal scholarship has much to contribute.
published_date 2019-06-20T03:57:39Z
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