Thread by @gavinsblog

Included on this panel are @marconav from YouTube, Neil Potts from Facebook and @katyminshall from Twitter. Current discussion is around the Christchurch video

https://twitter.com/CommonsHomeAffs/status/1120977107469860870

The answer @katyminshall was looking for (and was asked repeatedly) is that Twitter doesn't know who is behind many accounts at all, since new accounts barely have to confirm email addresses. And even if they do, Twitter has no real names policy, so I can just spoof the email.

This is fascinating... as ever.

That was an awkward silence if ever I saw one.

Next question to Twitter: Why was Radio Aryan allowed on your platform? And why was it taken down only after a media report?

A part of me feels sorry for these policy people. Many of the questions are unanswerable - because the problems are almost inherent to the platforms.

Daily Stormer has ben "blackholed" by Facebook, says Facebook.

Facebook policy Neil commits Facebook to removing any and all links to Daily Stormer website, pro-actively apparently. I doubt he meant that.

MP: Your platforms are a cesspit.

MP: All three of you are not doing your jobs.

Ohhhh interesting question.

MP Chris Green: Who is responsible for the content on Twitter?

Answer: Ehhhh, we are...

Very vague answers + big numbers are the usual responses. The big numbers are meaningless without context.

"We have indications that our automated systems are having an affect" is a typical non-answer. How do we know? How do they know?

"We're removing 3x the number of abuse accounts in 24 hours than we did this time last year". But are there more accounts? What's the volume? Is there more sock puppetry? We have no way to gauge that answer.

Twitter say they will launch author moderated replies in a trial country soon. Will allow tweet authors to moderate the replies to their own tweets

YouTube: again with the large numbers. We have no way to assess those numbers.

MPs outlining the recommendations they get on YouTube... the rabbit hole leading them to the English Defence League.

These are valid questions: YouTube man has no answer here because *this is how the system is designed*

A wishy washy answer there @marconav

Good q: a recommendation is essentially a promotion. Why are you promoting far right content to me?

Marco: I'm not here to defend...

Oh but you are Marco!

This is fascinating. There's just bullshit answers to genuine questions about basic YouTube features.

Actual LOLz at @marconav answers. He can't answer. This would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

MPs are LOSING THEIR SHIT: "This is absolute rubbish"

MP to YouTube: You are accessories to crimes.

Sigh. Each platform policy person with the usual non-answers.

MP: You seem to be in denial.

MP: You are actively signposting and promoting extremist sites.

YT: We take this issue very seriously... we are investing in... authoritative sources..

MP: That's not the question

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ @marconav is struggling here. Even he seems to be confused about YouTube's goals.

Ok Facebook: how are you defining "borderline" content?

Q: How many of the 20,000 people you hired (Facebook) are actually building new algos to solve this?

A: 15,000 of these are content moderators (ie contractors)

MP: I'd like to meet some of these 15,000 moderators. How proactive is it? Time and time again you tell us you are going to do something..

OH! MP: to @katyminshall ... what platform do yo use most? Why have you only tweeted 6 times this year? Why have you so few followers?

This is awkward...

Q: Why have you not taken down David Duke from Twitter?

A: We will come back to you on that

Q to Facebook: What are you doing about closed groups?

MP: I was mentioned in a closed group... "just shoot them, criminals". That group has 30,000 members. Someone sent me screenshots last night. Your systems haven't flagged them. You are providing safe places for organisations that spread hate

FB: Eh we will follow up with you.

FB: Artificial intelligence is not infallible.

You don't say.

MP: Surely you should be taking proactive action on large closed groups...?

FB: We will follow up...

*screams inside*

MP: There is evidence of radicalisation being done online that leads to people being killed. You are continuing to show you're not keeping up with it, and in the case of YouTube you are continuing to promote far right content. I am appalled at the answers you've given to us.

MP: We need you to keep us safe, and you're not doing so.

And we're done. I'll pull out the highlight clips and add to thread.

Have a watch of @YvetteCooperMP ask @marconav from YouTube about her YouTube recommendations

In which Twitter policy person @katyminshall is challenged by an MP about a) how often she tweets b) her number of followers c) what she tweets about.

"Why have you only tweeted 6 times year?"

*awkward laughs*

In this clip @SDoughtyMP loses his shit with YouTube and accuses them of talking "absolute rubbish", and of being accessories to radicalisation and crime

"What on earth are you doing?!"

should cc @zeynep on this thread and clips!

Here @SDoughtyMP says the platforms are "cesspits".

Here's @YvetteCooperMP tearing into platforms over them saying the same thing over and over again to their committee, and that YouTube in particular is "enabling extremism"