YouTube to Redirect Searches for ISIS videos

[Calladan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40681625

YouTube says it will redirect people searching for "violent extremist propaganda" and offer them videos that denounce terrorism.

People searching for certain terms relating to the so-called Islamic State group will be offered playlists of videos "debunking its mythology".

YouTube said it wanted to help prevent people being radicalised.

The company told the BBC that uploading IS propaganda was already against its terms and conditions.

So YouTube are joining the fight against terrorism by attempting to stop people watching propaganda videos. I have no doubt they can do what they say they are going to to a certain degree, but - as with all things in the world of technology - I have some doubt that it will be successful.

Firstly, while it is the biggest and most popular, YouTube is not the only video sharing site out there, and if ISIS (and whatever ISIS morphs into after it is defeated) want to share their videos, they will find other sites to share them on.

Secondly, if YouTube stop searches for specific terms and redirect those searches, what is to stop ISIS planting videos under terms such as "cute kittens" or "dancing elephants"? In the same way that the arms race between those who produce computer viruses and those who stop computer viruses is literally just that - an arms race - the battle between the tech girls and guys at YouTube and the tech guys at ISIS is just going to be a battle. You stick your finger in one hole in one dyke, and the next hole pops open.

I am not advocating for keeping propaganda videos on YouTube, or for YouTube just giving up, but I am not convinced it will solve the problem. I think it will just shove it on to someone else - Facebook, MySpace (does MySpace still exist?) or wherever. Somewhere that might not be so civic minded. And since it isn't clear if YouTube is doing this out of the goodness of its heart, or because the FCC (or whoever regulates the Internet in America) has a gun pointed at its head, it might lead to other sites being shut down because they can't meet the requirements to do it.

So will it work? Will YouTube defeat ISIS on the propaganda front? Or will is this simply going to drive ISIS further into the dark corners of the web and make them much harder to find?

What will this lead to?

[Ifreann]

First they redirect people to anti-ISIS videos. Soon we'll all be getting redirected to videos about how a corporate monarchy under King YouTube I would actually be super.

[Minoa]

Yesterday I emailed them about whether they will do the same for Neo-Nazi videos:

I want to know when you are going to do something about videos that deny or glorify the Holocaust, or videos that incite racial hatred against Muslims (like the Britain First channel) and ethnic minorities?

When are you also going to do something about videos that praise Hitler, also?

For the latter, I don't mean the Downfall parodies (out of respect for the evolution of British comedy), but those that claim Hitler was right.

[Hyggemata]

YouTube is a proprietary service that is fully within its rights to choose what content to allow on their servers. Let's get that out in anticipation for ridiculous arguments stemming from an incorrect interpretation about free speech.

I think it will succeed because people who search for cute kittens will definitely report any attempt at defiling their pass-time, especially by ISIS. That "country" is just about finished anyway.

[AiliailiA]

Oh please let it be goatse!

[Ifreann]

Oh please let it be goatse!

I don't know if that's the best way to put people off fighting the evil and decadent West.

[AiliailiA]

I think it will succeed because people who search for cute kittens will definitely report any attempt at defiling their pass-time, especially by ISIS. That "country" is just about finished anyway.

So you think you're hard. You're a warrior for Allah and the prophet, you scorn all Western decadence, and your heart is hardened to frivolity.

But hear me clearly now, jihad boy: you do NOT mess with the cute kittens, or we will BURY YOU ... in mewing, paw-raising wide-eyed kitten cuteness!

[Saradena]

Welp, there goes my memes

[Aellex]

Yesterday I emailed them about whether they will do the same for Neo-Nazi videos:

I want to know when you are going to do something about videos that deny or glorify the Holocaust, or videos that incite racial hatred against Muslims (like the Britain First channel) and ethnic minorities?

When are you also going to do something about videos that praise Hitler, also?

For the latter, I don't mean the Downfall parodies (out of respect for the evolution of British comedy), but those that claim Hitler was right.

Aren't Neonazis already banned on youtube? I know I can't access a shitload of ww2 documentary (even god damn "Soviet Storm" for fuck's sake) because they're blocked on my country so I suppose the same is probably true of them.

Anyway, I doubt your E-Mail will changes anything.

[AiliailiA]

Oh please let it be goatse!

I don't know if that's the best way to put people off fighting the evil and decadent West.

Well you're right I hadn't thought far enough into it, I was just trying to stop them typing "ISIS videos"

[Minoa]

YouTube is a proprietary service that is fully within its rights to choose what content to allow on their servers. Let's get that out in anticipation for ridiculous arguments stemming from an incorrect interpretation about free speech.

I think it will succeed because people who search for cute kittens will definitely report any attempt at defiling their pass-time, especially by ISIS. That "country" is just about finished anyway.

Once Raqqa falls, then I can be certain that ISIL is finished. Until then we have a massive battle against their extremist twisting of one of the largest religions in the world.

[Neo Balka]

Yesterday I emailed them about whether they will do the same for Neo-Nazi videos:

I want to know when you are going to do something about videos that deny or glorify the Holocaust, or videos that incite racial hatred against Muslims (like the Britain First channel) and ethnic minorities?

When are you also going to do something about videos that praise Hitler, also?

For the latter, I don't mean the Downfall parodies (out of respect for the evolution of British comedy), but those that claim Hitler was right.

so thats a quarter of Youtube that you want to censor?
I mean, you tried this shit on NSG.

[Nazbol Pudding Club]

Yesterday I emailed them about whether they will do the same for Neo-Nazi videos:


For the latter, I don't mean the Downfall parodies (out of respect for the evolution of British comedy), but those that claim Hitler was right.

so thats a quarter of Youtube that you want to censor?
I mean, you tried this shit on NSG.

From the mod thread here, Minoa's ideal is that you get banned from the internet for not being a liberal internationalist, basically. Keep expanding the definition of hatred until banter is verboten and you're not allowed to say even perfectly reasonable things like "I'd rather my country didn't accept more refugees from culturally incompatible parts of the world".

[Washington Resistance Army]

so thats a quarter of Youtube that you want to censor?
I mean, you tried this shit on NSG.

From the mod thread here, Minoa's ideal is that you get banned from the internet for not being a liberal internationalist, basically. Keep expanding the definition of hatred until banter is verboten and you're not allowed to say even perfectly reasonable things like "I'd rather my country didn't accept more refugees from culturally incompatible parts of the world".

When did this happen?

[Minoa]

so thats a quarter of Youtube that you want to censor?
I mean, you tried this shit on NSG.

From the mod thread here, Minoa's ideal is that you get banned from the internet for not being a liberal internationalist, basically. Keep expanding the definition of hatred until banter is verboten and you're not allowed to say even perfectly reasonable things like "I'd rather my country didn't accept more refugees from culturally incompatible parts of the world".

Where did I say that?

[The East Marches II]

A little lame and try hardy tbh.

[Nazbol Pudding Club]

From the mod thread here, Minoa's ideal is that you get banned from the internet for not being a liberal internationalist, basically. Keep expanding the definition of hatred until banter is verboten and you're not allowed to say even perfectly reasonable things like "I'd rather my country didn't accept more refugees from culturally incompatible parts of the world".

When did this happen?

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=416538

Lengthy thread in which said user argues for a vaguely-worded ban on "justification for discrimination against certain ethnic/sexual groups, or blanket vilification of foreigners or refugees" going beyond the existing rules on trolling, flaming and maliciousness which are apparently "not enough". Under the suggested formulation, arguing reasonably for not allowing in refugees from particular troublesome parts of the world with disgusting and barbaric attitudes towards women and LGBT folks - a fairly mainstream position - would qualify as a "justifying discrimination" against a specific group and thus be no bueno and subject to action.

Said user has previous for arguing for trying to get censorship of mainstream opinions they don't like past the radar under the guise of an expanded and improperly defined "hate speech" that goes beyond the standards even in some of the more oversensitive European countries.

[The Two Jerseys]

Oh please let it be goatse!

I don't know if that's the best way to put people off fighting the evil and decadent West.

-"What are you doing, Achmed?"

-"Hassan, I went on YouTube to watch videos glorifying the jihadists serving the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, but when I clicked the link to the video the site redirected me to this video of this shameful 'Pamela Anderson' slut wearing improper clothing washing a car! And she's not even doing a good job at it! Look at this, she's getting more soap on her filthy whore body than on the car!"

-"Yes, that is some poor washing technique..."

-"And look at this! Her mammaries are so large that she cannot wash the middle of the windshield without them pressing up against the glass!"

-"That is very impractical, yet I am somehow okay with that..."

-"And...wait, what?"

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

If it means that it will redirect people to this song, i'm all for it.

[Ifreann]

I don't know if that's the best way to put people off fighting the evil and decadent West.

-"What are you doing, Achmed?"

-"Hassan, I went on YouTube to watch videos glorifying the jihadists serving the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, but when I clicked the link to the video the site redirected me to this video of this shameful 'Pamela Anderson' slut wearing improper clothing washing a car! And she's not even doing a good job at it! Look at this, she's getting more soap on her filthy whore body than on the car!"

-"Yes, that is some poor washing technique..."

-"And look at this! Her mammaries are so large that she cannot wash the middle of the windshield without them pressing up against the glass!"

-"That is very impractical, yet I am somehow okay with that..."

-"And...wait, what?"

Seduce potential jihadis? It's so crazy it just might work.

[Gigaverse]

... so what if I want to find out about Horus' mom?

[-Ocelot-]

Good to see Youtube is actually trying to limit extremist content and it's influence on young people. It's going to work, maybe not with 100% efficiency but it will definitely limit exposure to that kind of crap.

Hopefully this is just the first of many changes. Youtube is being hijacked by all kinds of extremists, especially the alt-right. It's not good for young people, who are still gullible.

[The Two Jerseys]

-"What are you doing, Achmed?"

-"Hassan, I went on YouTube to watch videos glorifying the jihadists serving the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, but when I clicked the link to the video the site redirected me to this video of this shameful 'Pamela Anderson' slut wearing improper clothing washing a car! And she's not even doing a good job at it! Look at this, she's getting more soap on her filthy whore body than on the car!"

-"Yes, that is some poor washing technique..."

-"And look at this! Her mammaries are so large that she cannot wash the middle of the windshield without them pressing up against the glass!"

-"That is very impractical, yet I am somehow okay with that..."

-"And...wait, what?"

Seduce potential jihadis? It's so crazy it just might work.

"After all, who doesn't like tits?" -Howard Hughes

[Minoa]

When did this happen?

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=416538

Lengthy thread in which said user argues for a vaguely-worded ban on "justification for discrimination against certain ethnic/sexual groups, or blanket vilification of foreigners or refugees" going beyond the existing rules on trolling, flaming and maliciousness which are apparently "not enough". Under the suggested formulation, arguing reasonably for not allowing in refugees from particular troublesome parts of the world with disgusting and barbaric attitudes towards women and LGBT folks - a fairly mainstream position - would qualify as a "justifying discrimination" against a specific group and thus be no bueno and subject to action.

Said user has previous for arguing for trying to get censorship of mainstream opinions they don't like past the radar under the guise of an expanded and improperly defined "hate speech" that goes beyond the standards even in some of the more oversensitive European countries.

With all due respect, I do have concerns about hate speech but I did not bad mouth against the moderators when they didn't agree. You should be aware that I myself have high standards for civility.

[Ifreann]

Seduce potential jihadis? It's so crazy it just might work.

"After all, who doesn't like tits?" -Howard Hughes

Truly the greatest philosopher of our times.