Better functionality to report and moderate illegal hate speech

[Alpha1]

As the first EU nation has now approved a bill to impose hefty multimillion fines on communities for not removing abusive content within 24 hours, we are in dire need of better functionality for content flagging, reporting and moderation. More information below.
We need to have functionality to:

1. Have members and guests flag abusive content and define exactly what type of problem the content has.
   For example by selecting the type of rule breach from a drop down on the report interface.
   
2. Have the content moderated if the content falls in the category hate speech, flaming, slander, insult or fake news.
3. Show reports with abusive content on top in the report center and clearly mark them as urgent.
4. Automatically assign the report to the responsible moderators.
   
5. Show the amount of time passed since the report was opened.
   
6. Send an alert to the responsible moderators, supermoderators and administrators.
   
7. If the report is not resolved within X hours, display a warning that the report is overdue or send reminder alerts about this.
8. Optimally there would be one click macros for the most common moderator actions.
   For example: delete post, warn member & resolve ticket.

Due to the extreme fines that webmasters face (up to €50 million), I suggest this for both XF1 and XF2.

Background information:
Germany bill imposing €50M fine for failure to remove online hate crime, fake news fast enough
EU court: pay damages for ineffective Post Report moderation system.
Google will let users flag offensive content

 

[xenfans]

The report system in xf1 and xf2 could really do with a great overhaul anyway.
While I agree that content reporting could do with a few new features, members can already flag content and profiles, conversations and such through the report feature. They already do show at the top of the page. Active staff means within 24h handling as well.

 

[Brent W]

The report system in xf1 and xf2 could really do with a great overhaul anyway.

Agreed. It is unusable out of the box for our largest site without either 1) going to the thread system and building around that, which works for us because that is how it was on vB3 2) using excessive add-ons from @Xon

Hoping that gets attention in 2.1.

 

[Alpha1]

There have been times when we had 200 open reports. Currently we always have a few dozen open reports because that's just how fast they come in. Not all my moderators visit the site every day, so their reports can pile up.

 

[Brent W]

There have been times when we had 200 open reports. Currently we always have a few dozen open reports because that's just how fast they come in. Not all my moderators visit the site every day, so their reports can pile up.

We use the default report system on Religious Forums and have @Xon report add-on. We still see reports get as high as 50-60 on that site.

 

[Alpha1]

The US 9th circuit has ruled that moderated forums are responsible for copyright infringes:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/04/ninth-circuit-sends-message-platforms-use-moderator-go-trial

The aforementioned suggestion can be used to prevent it, because it put copyright holders in the position to put it in the moderation queue and thereby remove it from public view themselves.

 

[Ozzy47]

The aforementioned suggestion can be used to prevent it, because it put copyright holders in the position to put it in the moderation queue and thereby remove it from public view themselves.

Which circuit court judge said that?

 

[Alpha1]

Click the link.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California
Cormac J. Carney, District Judge, Presiding
Argued Submitted October 7, 2016
Pasadena, California
Filed April 7, 2017
Before: Harry Pregerson, Richard A. Paez, and Morgan Christen, Circuit Judges.
Opinion by Judge Paez

https://www.eff.org/files/2017/04/08/mavrix-livejournal-9thcir.pdf

 

[Ozzy47]

Same thing could have been achieved by:
1) Reporting the post.
2) Filing a DMCA takedown.

The decision was overturned because the plaintiffs did not give them notice, just decided to take them to court right off the bat.

 

[Freelancer]

This add-on might fix the moderator workload for huge sites a little: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/crowd-moderation.3478/
It gives you the chance to decide what to do with threads that have been reported numerous times. They get into the moderation queue or are soft deleted directly... Takes some work away from the moderators.

 

[xenfans]

if you do not moderate the content, you don't have a problem with that ruling? No.. because if you don't moderate your content you are getting sued for facilitating the issue by not moderating it.

If you are moderating the content, do you not have a problem with the situation? No, because you're actively moderating and that ruling isn't in your favor.

Screwed either way. A win win situation for people that want your money.

 

[Horizon911]

The US 9th circuit has ruled that moderated forums are responsible for copyright infringes:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/04/ninth-circuit-sends-message-platforms-use-moderator-go-trial

The aforementioned suggestion can be used to prevent it, because it put copyright holders in the position to put it in the moderation queue and thereby remove it from public view themselves.

if you do not moderate the content, you don't have a problem with that ruling? No.. because if you don't moderate your content you are getting sued for facilitating the issue by not moderating it.

If you are moderating the content, do you not have a problem with the situation? No, because you're actively moderating and that ruling isn't in your favor.

Screwed either way. A win win situation for people that want your money.

A couple of things here as I think people are getting two different things confused.

I cannot comment on American law, I am not American, but every forum I have ever been on is not moderated, it would be impossible for them to be so.

Moderation means pre-checking/pre-authorising content, forums don't do that, at least not the ones I have ever used. Unfortunately forum software and XF is no different, calls it's reporting system, moderation. It's not moderating, it's responding to reports from users of content which has already been posted, that is not moderating.

As far as UK forums go, you should put in your rules/terms of use stating that your forum are unmoderated to absolve yourself of any potential liability from offensive posts.

 

[Horizon911]

[snip]We need to have functionality to:

1. Have members and guests flag abusive content and define exactly what type of problem the content has.
   For example by selecting the type of rule breach from a drop down on the report interface.
   
2. Have the content moderated if the content falls in the category hate speech, flaming, slander, insult or fake news.
3. Show reports with abusive content on top in the report center and clearly mark them as urgent.
4. Automatically assign the report to the responsible moderators.
   
5. Show the amount of time passed since the report was opened.
   
6. Send an alert to the responsible moderators, supermoderators and administrators.
   
7. If the report is not resolved within X hours, display a warning that the report is overdue or send reminder alerts about this.
8. Optimally there would be one click macros for the most common moderator actions.
   For example: delete post, warn member & resolve ticket. [snip]

I think if your number 8 could be implemented, that would do everything else in your list.

I agree. Good list.

 

[Alpha1]

Google has started to address the requirement in this way:

There will be more measures by Google which affect the SEO and reputation of xenforo websites.

 

[Digital Doctor]

This add-on might fix the moderator workload for huge sites a little: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/crowd-moderation.3478/
It gives you the chance to decide what to do with threads that have been reported numerous times. They get into the moderation queue or are soft deleted directly... Takes some work away from the moderators.

This addon adds a spam button for crowd moderation as well
https://xenforo.com/community/resources/sonnb-stop-spam-here.1086/

 

[Alpha1]

Germany bill imposing €50M fine for failure to remove online hate crime, fake news fast enough

This is now passed into law and will become effective on October 1st 2017.

 

[Alpha1]

As of now webmasters who do not remove hate speech, fake news and illegal material within 24 hours after receiving a report, can be fined up to €50 million by the German authorities. As expected the UK is considering a similar law.
The EU is now warning that they may implement regulation: https://xenforo.com/community/threa...remist-content-faster-or-be-regulated.140225/

 

[Grover]

As of now webmasters who do not remove hate speech, fake news and illegal material within 24 hours after receiving a report, can be fined up to €50 million...

Within 24 hrs? Isn't that a ridiculously small timeframe?

 

[Alpha1]

That is what it is. The examples in the media linked above have examples of bomb making and radicalising content leading to terrorism. I can understand why that is a hot topic that they want to have removed urgently. Add to that the fake news issues, Russian trolls influencing referenda, elections then its clear that this issue has the utmost urgency. I think we will see more and more legislation.

A nice example of report reasons is in IPS 4.3:

It allows you to setup rules for crowd moderation. It seems modelled after my google example above.

 

[Grover]

That is what it is. The examples in the media linked above have examples of bomb making and radicalising content leading to terrorism. I can understand why that is a hot topic that they want to have removed urgently. Add to that the fake news issues, Russian trolls influencing referenda, elections then its clear that this issue has the utmost urgency. I think we will see more and more legislation.

Yes, when it comes to major players in the social media field, like Facebook, that have a worldwide impact, I can understand it. I have not read the examples yet, but I was thinking about the position of a webmaster of a local forum, as you were mentioning the word webmasters. I can't grasp that these rules would also apply to your average webmaster of a local niche site (which I fit in) ... I am not Facebook and do not have a 24/7 professional staff present . Most self-created/managed forums are run by volunteers and they do not have the people and the money to be able to handle such laws.