Facebook accused of introducing ISIS extremists to one another through 'suggested friends' feature
Facebook accused of introducing extremists to one another
through 'suggested friends' feature
By Martin Evans, crime correspondent 5 MAY 2018 • 10:13PM
Facebook has helped introduce thousands of Islamic State
of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) extremists to one another, via its 'suggested
friends' feature, it can be revealed.
The social media giant - which is already under fire for
failing to remove terrorist material from its platform - is now accused of
actively connecting jihadists around the world, allowing them to develop fresh
terror networks and even recruit new members to their cause.
Researchers, who analysed the Facebook activities of a
thousand Isil supporters in 96 countries, discovered users with radical
Islamist sympathies were routinely introduced to one another through the
popular 'suggested friends' feature.
Using sophisticated algorithms, Facebook is designed to
connect people who share common interests.
The site automatically collects a vast amount of personal
information about its users, which is then used to target advertisements and
also direct people towards others on the network they might wish to connect
with.
But without effective checks on what information is being
shared, terrorists are able to exploit the site to contact and communicate with
sympathisers and supporters.
The extent to which the ‘suggested friend’ feature is
helping Isil members on Facebook is highlighted in a new study, the findings of
which will be published later this month in an extensive report by the Counter
Extremism Project a non profit that has called on tech companies to do more to
remove known extremist and terrorist material online.
Gregory Waters, one of the authors of the report,
described how he was bombarded by suggestions for pro-Isil friends, after
making contact with one active extremist on the site.
Even more concerning was the response his fellow
researcher, Robert Postings, got when he clicked on several non-extremist news
pages about an Islamist uprising in the Philippines.
Within hours he had been inundated with friend
suggestions for dozens of extremists based in that region.
Mr Postings said: "Facebook, in their desire to
connect as many people as possible have inadvertently created a system which
helps connect extremists and terrorists.”
Once initial introductions are made the failure of
Facebook to tackle extremist content on the site means Jihadists can quickly
radicalise susceptible targets.
In one example uncovered by the researchers, an
Indonesian Isil supporter sent a friend request to a non-Muslim user in New
York in March 2017.
During the initial exchange the American user explained
that he was not religious, but had an interest in Islam.
Over the following weeks and months the Indonesian user
began sending increasingly radical messages and links including pro-Isil
propaganda, all of which were liked by his target.
Mr Postings said: “Over a period of six months the [US
based user] went from having no clear religion to becoming a radicalised Muslim
supporting Isil.”
The study also examined the extent to which Facebook was
failing to tackle terrorist material on its site.
Of the 1,000 Isil supporting profiles examined by
researchers, less than half of the accounts had been suspended by Facebook six
months later.
Mr Posting said: "Removing profiles that disseminate
IS propaganda, calls for attacks and otherwise support the group is important...the
fact that the majority of pro-IS profiles in this database have gone unremoved
by Facebook is exceptionally concerning."
Even when terrorist material was identified and the
offending posts removed, the user was often allowed to remain on the site.
There have also been numerous examples of pro-Isil
accounts being reinstated after the user complained to moderators about their
suspension.
In one case a British terror suspect had his Facebook
account reinstated nine times after complaining, despite being accused of
having posted sick Isil propaganda videos.
Mr Waters said: "This project has laid bare
Facebook's inability or unwillingness to efficiently address extremist content
on their site.
"The failure to effectively police its platform has
allowed Facebook to become a place where extensive IS supporting networks
exist, propaganda is disseminated people are radicalised and new supporters are
recruited."
Mr Postings added: “Even when profiles or content is
removed, it is not always done fast enough, allowing Isil content to be to be
widely share and viewed before getting removed.”
Mr Waters said: “The fact that Facebook's own recommended
friends algorithm is directly facilitating the spread of this terrorist group
on its site is beyond unacceptable."
Simon Hart, a Conservative MP who sits on Culture Media
and Sport Select Committee, said: "The idea that Facebook is inadvertently
providing an introduction service for terrorists is quite extraordinary. It is
another terrifying example of the unintended consequences of this sort of
technology.
"If you design a system for one thing and it becomes
another it is hard to police.
"Nobody will have set out to provide a network for
terrorists to connect, but the important thing is how Facebook responds now
this matter has been raised with them."
A spokesman for Facebook
said: "There is no place for terrorists on Facebook. We work
aggressively to ensure that we do not have terrorists or terror groups using
the site, and we also remove any content that praises or supports terrorism.
"Our approach is working – 99 per cent of ISIS and
Al Qaeda-related content we remove is found by our automated systems. But there
is no easy technical fix to fight online extremism.
"We have and will continue to invest millions of
pounds in both people and technology to identify and remove terrorist content."
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