
Facebook Fueled Anti-Refugee Attacks in Germany, New Research Suggests - pjc50
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/world/europe/facebook-refugee-attacks-germany.html
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theBobBob
Would a better way of describing it be: "People Used Facebook to fuel Anti-
Refugee Attacks in Germany." You could say that Facebook isn't doing enough to
prevent people fuelling attacks but you could also say that the police aren't
doing enough either.

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Miner49er
It's a little different then that. The problem here is echo chambers. Echo
chambers allow people to push eachother further and further away from
mainstream views. Eventually this extremism leads to violence. Facebook's
algorithm's seem to be designed to create echo chambers. Not only that, but
their algorithms favor posts that lead to strong emotions. This study shows
that this creates an environment that breeds violence.

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sornaensis
The internet has been a series of echo chambers practically since its
inception. That's how human society works most of the time.

You don't need algorithms for that. People will just naturally delete or block
people they don't like seeing content from. And they will join communities
containing people and content they do like seeing. e.g. Stormfront, which was
founded in 1996.

The difference now is that it's just a lot easier for the common person to
find one for themselves with the expansion of internet access and ease of use.
And common people are just honestly not as progressive as the average person
involved in computing technology.

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yifanl
Facebook doesn't need to hoist posts up on top with some black-box algorithm
rather than let posts show chronologically.

If it turns out that said algorithm makes engagement of echo chambers that
much easier, then some of the fault does indeed lie with Facebook. (although
certainly, the majority does still lie with human nature).

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candiodari
How is this different from censorship ? Obviously it was still person1
convincing person2 on what is essentially a forum to do something. How is that
wrong ?

What's next ? Mandatory muzzles that work in real life, and close and shock
their wearer when you say something that's not OK according to whatever the
current public opinion is ?

People have a right to talk to each other. About whatever, really, really
whatever. It is not anyone's, and especially not the state's, or some random
mob's business to approve or disapprove.

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yifanl
If it's no one's business to approve or disapprove, then Facebook should not
be allowed to display comments sorted any way other than chronological.

Facebook is drawing more attention to specific posts, and it honestly doesn't
matter whether its done by manual intervention or automatic algorithm. It's
not hyperbole to claim that Facebook _already_ approves what you get to read
on their site.

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candiodari
Facebook does that so those people would interact more with Facebook. In other
words: it's doing exactly what those people _want_ done. Besides, it's not
like people wouldn't leave Facebook otherwise.

The real reason for increased racism is the abuse low-level workers have to
endure in order to make the current Germany "economic miracle", and those
fresh migrants undercutting, illegally, their already abysmal wages. Fix that,
and Facebook won't matter. Don't fix that, and even going at it like Xinnie
the Pooh won't help.

Very unfair that immigrants get blamed for economic misery. Of course, they're
far from the only ones getting blamed, but they're the only group that the
German police doesn't protect.

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droopyEyelids
The point this article (and the research behind it) try to make is that the
Filter Bubbles social media sites rely on to drive engagement are themselves
inherently harmful.

If true thats the closest thing we’ve see to an attack on the heart of
facebook.

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MilnerRoute
Russia has been active on social media to try to weaken NATO -- and one of
their specific tactics has been stirring up anti-refugee sentiments.

While this has been well-documented, I think people have been hesitant to
consider that as part of what's happening in Germany.

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black_puppydog
I like that they at least address the causality vs corellation question. I
didn't read the whole 80 pages, but just considering it explicitely is a big
step further than many empirical papers go. :)

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Pigo
I guess the telephone fueled the Nazi party and the telegraph fueled General
Custer.

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mberning
I agree. This is a braindead article. They admit in the opening paragraphs
that social media is only tied to 10% of anti-refugee violence. What about the
other 90%? Maybe there are some bigger issues going on and Facebook is just
one of the tools involved.

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Spooky23
I suppose that makes you feel better to know that you’re one of the 10% beat
up because of some social media drivel.

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mdimec4
Why is this on "hacker news"?

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megous
Because techies should be considering consequences of their creations.

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mdimec4
Ok that is fair.

But echo chaiber argument goes both ways. And if there is no discussion and
iniciative to solve priblems becose everyone including police is afraid to be
perceived as "racist", then sadly violence is unavoidible.

