
Google’s removal of anti-Beijing comments raises political eyebrows (Economist) - baylearn
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/05/30/googles-removal-of-anti-beijing-comments-raises-political-eyebrows
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baylearn
No Paywall link to article: [http://archive.is/hPbDR](http://archive.is/hPbDR)

This part may be relevant to add to the existing discussion on HN:

More likely, the explanation lies in the nature of the software Google uses to
moderate content automatically, which uses a set of computer-science
techniques called machine learning. Such software can update itself based on
how users interact with the website, without any intervention from human
programmers. This automated nature, combined with the software’s complexity,
make it plausible for errors to arise in ways that are difficult to
understand.

For example, if YouTube comments about Wumao and other ccp-critical phrases
are flagged enough times by enough users as spam, hate speech or bullying,
then the system could start removing them automatically. This could be the
result of something as harmless as a furious comment war between pro- and
anti-China factions, or of a campaign designed to influence the moderation
software. Google says this was not the source of the error, but would not say
what was.

