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Instagram actively helping spread of self-harm among teenagers, study finds (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by rimu@piefed.social to c/technology@lemmy.world

20 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Danish researchers created a private self-harm network on the social media platform, including fake profiles of people as young as 13 years old, in which they shared 85 pieces of self-harm-related content gradually increasing in severity, including blood, razor blades and encouragement of self-harm.

The aim of the study was to test Meta’s claim that it had significantly improved its processes for removing harmful content, which it says now uses artificial intelligence (AI). The tech company claims to remove about 99% of harmful content before it is reported.

But Digitalt Ansvar (Digital Accountability), an organisation that promotes responsible digital development, found that in the month-long experiment not a single image was removed.

rather than attempt to shut down the self-harm network, Instagram’s algorithm was actively helping it to expand. The research suggested that 13-year-olds become friends with all members of the self-harm group after they were connected with one of its members.

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[–] ilmagico@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The group was private and they created fake profiles ... did I miss something?

[–] TseseJuer@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

yea you did. the "fake" profiles could've been made by any one and sent that to non private groups and should've been blocked. them being "fake accounts" doesn't take away from the claims meta makes about 99% of this type of content being removed. please use your brain