Content moderation through removal of service: Content delivery networks and extremist websites

IF 4.1 1区文学 Q1 COMMUNICATION

Policy and Internet Pub Date : 2023-09-18 DOI:10.1002/poi3.370

Seán Looney

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Abstract Considerable attention has been paid by researchers to social media platforms, especially the ‘big companies’, and increasingly also messaging applications, and how effectively they moderate extremist and terrorist content on their services. Much less attention has yet been paid to if and how infrastructure and service providers, further down ‘the tech stack’, deal with extremism and terrorism. Content Delivery Networks (CDN) such as Cloudflare play an underestimated role in moderating the presence of extremist and terrorist content online as it is impossible for these websites to operate without DDoS protection. This is evidenced by the takedown of a wide range websites such as The Daily Stormer, 8chan, a variety of Taliban websites and more recently the organised harassment site Kiwifarms following refusal of service by Cloudflare. However, it is unclear whether there is any formal process of content review conducted by the company when it decides to refuse services. This article aims to first provide an analysis of what extremist and terrorist websites make use of Cloudflare's services as well as other CDNs, and how many of them have been subject to takedown following refusal of service. Following this the article analyses CDNs' terms of service and how current and upcoming internet regulation applies to these CDNs.

查看原文本刊更多论文

通过删除服务进行内容审核:内容交付网络和极端主义网站

研究人员非常关注社交媒体平台，特别是“大公司”，以及越来越多的消息应用程序，以及它们如何有效地调节其服务上的极端主义和恐怖主义内容。人们对基础设施和服务提供商(“技术堆栈”的下游)是否以及如何应对极端主义和恐怖主义的关注要少得多。Cloudflare等内容分发网络(CDN)在缓和极端主义和恐怖主义内容方面的作用被低估了，因为这些网站不可能在没有DDoS保护的情况下运行。在Cloudflare拒绝服务后，大量网站被关闭，如the Daily Stormer、8chan、各种塔利班网站，以及最近有组织的骚扰网站Kiwifarms，都证明了这一点。然而，目前尚不清楚，当该公司决定拒绝服务时，是否有任何正式的内容审查程序。本文旨在首先分析哪些极端主义和恐怖主义网站使用Cloudflare的服务以及其他cdn，以及其中有多少网站在拒绝服务后被删除。接下来，本文将分析cdn的服务条款，以及当前和即将出台的互联网法规如何适用于这些cdn。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Policy and Internet Multiple-

CiteScore

8.40

自引率

10.20%

发文量

期刊介绍： Understanding public policy in the age of the Internet requires understanding how individuals, organizations, governments and networks behave, and what motivates them in this new environment. Technological innovation and internet-mediated interaction raise both challenges and opportunities for public policy: whether in areas that have received much work already (e.g. digital divides, digital government, and privacy) or newer areas, like regulation of data-intensive technologies and platforms, the rise of precarious labour, and regulatory responses to misinformation and hate speech. We welcome innovative research in areas where the Internet already impacts public policy, where it raises new challenges or dilemmas, or provides opportunities for policy that is smart and equitable. While we welcome perspectives from any academic discipline, we look particularly for insight that can feed into social science disciplines like political science, public administration, economics, sociology, and communication. We welcome articles that introduce methodological innovation, theoretical development, or rigorous data analysis concerning a particular question or problem of public policy.