Sentropy Is Releasing A Protection Feature For Twitter Users, Looking To Help With Flagging Online Hate Speech

The online monitoring start-up Sentropy is introducing a new Protect service that allows the service to automatically flag or hide content that may prove offensive to certain individuals.

First, some background. Sentropy is a start-up, funded and backed by Reddit's very own Alex Ohanian, that actively employs machine learning and AI with the ultimate goal of helping online businesses and communities, large or small, more effectively pinpoint hate speech. John Redgrave, CEO of the project, has touted the need for such a project, stating that while the likes of Facebook and Google have resources to build their own AI, that is a luxury not all can afford. Clearly, that's where Sentropy comes in.

With its latest feature being announced, it seems that the start-up is actively aiming towards cater to these bigger fish as well. The Protect service, being first rolled out to the Twitter community, actively engages in a more predictive style of speech-screening. More often than not, individual users have to encounter or even engage with online triggering hate speech in order to then either hide it or flag it for removal. Protect essentially screens a user's tweets, replies, mentions, and even DMs in order to pre-emptively hide content that proves offensive, utilising a mix of online provided technology as well as it's own strides in AI development.

This feature, while currently only available for the Twitter userbase, is expected to expand out towards other online platforms as well. Starting with Twitter simply proved to a strategic decision based on the app's already available API and tools geared towards blocking and muting online hate speech, as revealed by Redgrave.

With the recent Capitol riots having fully displayed the ugly, rearing head of prevalent racism and intolerance in America, it's no wonder that people are trying to be more proactive in online measures against hate-speech. Groups like the Proud Boys, once more discreet in their distaste, are proving to be more vocal by the second, despite online censorship from social media accounts. And, as mentioned before, not everyone has the ability to invest in complex algorithms and technology. Sentropy may prove to be the only viable options for both businesses and individuals online that are utilizing social media to just have a good time, as opposed to being attacked for inherent differences such as the color of their skin.


H/T: BW.

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