After the attack in Halle racists - or empathielose idiots - the döner snack, in which the assassin has shot a young man, mocked with cynical online comments. Thus, a user rated the kebab shop via Google review with only one point. He commented on "bad kebab" and then cynically referred to a pool of blood behind the fridge. There the man had died. Someone had uploaded a screenshot from the assassin's livestream video to the gallery on Google, where diners usually present photos of their food.
The example shows how quickly any platform - whether game portal, livestream service, social network or just a review page - can be abused for hate speech and hatred if it is bad or un-moderated. Google automatically reviews reviews for inappropriate content and spam, but filters fail here. Users can report inappropriate content. As so often, however, it took too long in this case, until the company has responded.
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Thumbs up, thumbs down: evaluation platforms are used as a political instrument
Assessment sections - whether Google, Facebook, Yelp, mobile app stores or gaming platforms - have long since become a political issue. In the gaming scene there is the phenomenon of "Review Bombing". Users strategically use ratings when they are dissatisfied with a manufacturer's decisions. For example, on portals like Steam they flood the pages of older games of a certain company with lousy ratings in order to put the respective company under pressure or to punish them for their current behavior.
After all, in the case of the restaurant in Halle, there was soon a lot of digital resistance: after a call on Twitter, dozens filled up the Google review page for the snack with positive comments. Users want "a lot of strength and courage in the future to overcome the trauma" and encourage the snack team with slogans like "Happy Birthday, you are not alone". They have given the snack five-star ratings, so that its score now is 4.9 stars. Google has now removed the tasteless posts.
The online solidarity with doner kebab shows how important it is for users to step in online when platforms such as Google fail to moderate. The commitment can not only morally support those affected, but also put pressure on corporations to act against contentious contributions.
Conversely, it's not just a platform problem if, for example, as in the Christchurch attack in March, 200 people watch the livestream of a terrorist attack that is currently unfolding live and report the incident to neither the portal nor the police.
When racists spread racist messages or death threats on Twitter, users have a partial responsibility they have taken but have not taken action. The more users report posts to platform operators and tackle hate online, the higher the chance that posts will be removed as quickly as possible. Digital moral courage also determines how much space hate in the network receives.
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Strange digital world: Sleeping Facebook profiles
I recently visited Silicon Valley, including Facebook. Before entering the company headquarters, I had to type in my name, information on my visit and my e-mail address on a touch screen. In the process, an old photo of me automatically appeared in my visitor profile - a picture that the system apparently had drawn from a Facebook account linked to my mail address.
This is not a service, but an attack, I think - and a reminder of what old data resources the social network still has that should be deleted urgently.
App of the Week: " Gangsters 1920 "
tested by Tobias Kirchner
Sunlight Games
"Gangsters 1920" is a playable noir thriller. The player takes on the role of a detective and must clear up a bank robbery. In order to do so, he has to collect information, conduct discussions and dodge dangers. Gradually, rooms are explored, in which sometimes the end of the virtual life is quickly waiting. Only those who correctly combine the clues will survive and successfully solve the case.
This requires a lot of brainwash, because the puzzles are well thought out. "Gangsters 1920" has an individual style with a minimalist and color-poor appearance, which, however, fits well with the gloomy mood.
For 2.99 (Android) or 3.49 (iOS), from Sunlight Games: iOS, Android
Foreign Link: Three tips from other media
- "How Telegram Became White Nationalist's Go-To Messaging Platform" (English, four minutes of reading)
Right-wing extremists increasingly turn to Telegram. "Vice" has examined 150 right-wing, public telegram groups - and shows how the tone becomes increasingly violent. - "Hate is Global and Networked": (German, five minutes of reading)
In the "Time" interview, the extremism researcher Jakob Guhl of the London Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), referring to the attack in Halle, explains how terrorism is changing in a globalized world and what role the network plays in radicalization. - "The Great Twitter Swap Experiment" (English, three minutes of reading)
The American soldier Michael McKenzie has turned into a woman for three days - by creating a seemingly a woman belonging Twitter account with fake photo. His experience: "As a woman, I was questioned, insulted, insulted and told that I do not know what I'm talking about," McKenzie writes. "My weapons training did not matter."
I wish you a nice week.
Sonja Peteranderl
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