Massacre film viewed ‘about 4,000 times’
No one flagged video during its live broadcast
YOU WILL NEVER HEAR ME MENTION HIS NAME.
LONDON • Facebook says none of the 200 or so people who watched live video of the New Zealand mosque shooting flagged it to moderators, underlining the challenge tech companies face in policing violent or disturbing content in real time.
The social media giant released new details about its response to the video in a blog post. It said the gunman’s live 17-minute broadcast was viewed fewer than 200 times and the first user report didn’t come in until 12 minutes after it ended. Fifty people were killed at two mosques in Christchurch.
Facebook removed the video “within minutes” of being notified by police, said Chris Sonderby, Facebook’s deputy general counsel.
“No users reported the video during the live broadcast,” and it was watched about 4,000 times in total before being taken down, Sonderby said. “We continue to work around the clock to prevent this content from appearing on our site, using a combination of technology and people.”
Facebook has previously said that in the first 24 hours after the massacre, it removed 1.5 million videos of the attacks, “of which over 1.2 million were blocked at upload,” implying 300,000 copies successfully made it on to the site before being taken down.
The video’s rapid spread online puts renewed pressure on Facebook and other social media sites such as Youtube and Twitter over their content moderation efforts. Many question why Facebook in particular wasn’t able to more quickly detect the video and take it down.
On Tuesday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expressed frustration that the footage remained online four days after the killings. She said she had received “some communication” from Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg on the issue. “It is horrendous and while they’ve given us those assurances, ultimately the responsibility does sit with them.”
Facebook uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect objectionable material, while at the same time relying on the public to flag up content that violates its standards. Those reports are then sent to human reviewers who decide what action to take, the company said in a video in November, which also outlined how it uses “computer vision” to detect 97 per cent of graphic violence before anyone reports it. however, it’s less clear how these systems apply to Facebook’s live streaming.
To report live video, a user must know to click on a small set of three grey dots on the right side of the post. When you click on “report live video,” you’re given a choice of objectionable content types to select from, including violence, bullying and harassment. you’re also told to contact police in your area if someone is in immediate danger.
Before the company was alerted to the video, a user on 8chan had already posted a link to copy of it on a file sharing site, Sonderby said. 8chan is a dark corner of the web where those disaffected by mainstream social media sites often post extremist, racist and violent views.
Meanwhile, Ardern said she would deny the accused gunman the fame he sought by refusing to even speak his name in an emotive parliamentary meeting on Tuesday.
Police have arrested 28-year-old Australian national Brenton Tarrant.
“he sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety,” Ardern said. “And that is why you will never hear me mention his name.”
She added: “he is a terrorist, he is a criminal, he is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless.”
The parliamentary session opened with a recitation in Arabic of verses from the Qur’an that “provide comfort and reassurance” from Imam Nizam ul haq Thanvi.
Ardern opened her address to Parliament with a greeting in Arabic. “Assalamu alaykum,” she said, looking up to the public gallery. “Peace be upon you, and peace be upon all of us.”
Tarrant has so far been charged with a single count of murder, but authorities say more charges are coming. On Tuesday, police had just wrapped up forensic work at the house he rented in the city of dunedin, south of Christchurch, and where authorities believe he had meticulously planned his attack.
Tarrant has fired his court-appointed lawyer and says he plans to represent himself in court, leading some to speculate that he’s hoping to use the proceedings as a further platform for espousing his extremist white-nationalist beliefs.
The massacre has shocked the world not only because of its scale — the shooter continued his rampage for more than 30 minutes at two mosque before he was arrested — but also for the brazenness in which it was live-streamed on Facebook. dozens commented, cheering him on.
he also published a 74-page manifesto ahead of the attacks, sharing it on Twitter and sending to dozens within New Zealand, including Ardern’s office and media outlets.
While Tarrant is held in detention ahead of his next court appearance on April 5, he will be denied access to media, including radio, television and newspapers. The New Zealand herald reported that he is under 24-hour surveillance and will not be allowed visitors.