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We should take a collective deep breath before proposing tech-related legislation in the wake of a mass shooting.
The fact of the Christchurch shooting is, unfortunately, unsurprising given the global rise of political extremism and ethno-nationalism. But it anticipates the future in that it was the first ever livestreamed mass shooting; given that mass shooters are hungry for attention, it's almost certain to become a trend. But that raises questions about the complicity of social media in livestreamed atrocities. Matthew, Paul, and guest Caleb Watney discuss first of all whether there are technological solutions to livestreamed terrorism and, second, whether the rush to regulate technology in the aftermath of these horrific moments could do more harm than good.
How did Facebook respond to the shooting as it was being livestreamed? How many people saw the horrific footage before it was taken down? What are digital hashes? Should machine learning be responsible for content moderation? What is the distinction between public and private content censorship? Does the media give too much fame to mass shooters?
Facebook Claims Just 200 Viewers Livestreamed the New Zealand Mosque Shooting, written by Ben Feuerherd
A Framework for Increasing Competition and Diffusion in Artificial Intelligence, written by Caleb Watney
Approaches to Regulating Technology—From Privacy to A.I., featuring R Street’s Caleb Watney as a panelist at the American Action Forum
How the FOSTA Rules Create a “Bootleggers and Baptists” Scenario for the 21st Century, written by Paul Matzko
Guns and Mass Shootings, Free Thoughts Podcast
Toward an Uncensored Internet, written by Sonya Mann
Hedging Against Skynet, Building Tomorrow Podcast
Matthew Feeney is head of technology and innovation at the Centre for Policy Studies. He was previously the director of Cato’s Project on Emerging Technologies, where he worked on issues concerning the intersection of new technologies and civil liberties, and before that, he was assistant editor of Reason.com. Matthew is a dual British/American citizen and received both his BA and MA in philosophy from the University of Reading in England.