Angry YouTube users get petitioning, Twitter quietly kills DM anyone feature and Facebook continues to defend shocking videos
Google and Microsoft to tackle images to child sexual abuse
The tweet that caught out Emma Way
Finally, something is being done online to try and target the issue of inappropriate content involving children. The two biggest internet search giants Google and Microsoft (Bing) are working to clamp down on sexual abuse involving children.
Google’s Eric Schmidt announced that a 200-strong team has cleaned up Google Search, targeting 100,000 terms that can be used to locate child sexual abuse images, while Microsoft has been working more on image-based content.
YouTube has also created new technology which can identify videos made by paedophiles.
It’s fantastic that something is finally being done about this, but I’m surprised it has taken so long. While we all appreciate how wonderful the internet is, the flipside of that is all the mean, horrible, terrifying people and things that it brings about, so I for one am glad that some effort is finally being made to police it a bit.
Twitter sneakily removes DM feature
While I was going about my business on the internet yesterday, trying to avoid falling into the pit of distraction that is Imgur, I came across this bit of news that Twitter was obviously trying to keep on the down low.
Last month, Twitter was awash with the news that you would soon be able to receive direct messages from any of your followers, regardless of whether they were following you or not. However, it seems that that option has now been removed.
In response to questions, Twitter has been directing people to a blog post from September about the fact that it is constantly working on experiments. I guess that we’re supposed to put two and two together to come up with the answer ourselves; that this was an experiment that clearly didn’t work as well as expected.
Facebook continues to defend beheading footage
In a controversial move, Facebook has said that it will continue to allow users to show footage of beheadings, as long as said footage is posted in the right context.
The social network has been heavily criticised for allowing such content to be viewed and shared on its site, but Facebook believes that users should be free to watch what they choose.
It’s a bit of a tough one from Facebook’s point of view. On the one hand, Facebook has obviously got people calling it out about the fact that young teenagers will be able to watch this content should they choose to do so, but on the other hand, surely (within reason) people should be able to post and share what they like and if that happens to include a video of a beheading that has been in the news, then so be it.
I’m actually quite surprised that Facebook is allowing such videos on its site, and that it hasn't just bowed to the peer pressure and general internet yelling to make sure they’re taken down.
Woman found guilty after tweeting about knocking a cyclist off his bike
For reasons which I cannot fathom, a 22-year-old idiot - I mean woman - posted an update on Twitter in May about the fact she knocked a cyclist off their bike. The mind boggles.
Thankfully, she has been found guilty of two charges related to the incident.
Emma Way clipped cyclist Toby Hockley with her car whilst driving in May, and subsequently thought it would be a good idea to tweet “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way – he doesn’t even pay road tax! #BloodyCyclists”.
Whilst knocking a cyclist off their bike is obviously unacceptable, tweeting about it is probably the worst thing you can do.
YouTube and Google+ integration petition racks up 180,000 signatures
Last night I wrote about the totally thrilling* squabble that’s going on between YouTube and Google, now that YouTube users are being forced into the indecency of having a Google+ account to be able to comment on videos on the site.
Well, there’s an update in this saga. As with anything that started off as an online disagreement, an online petition has appeared, and it has somehow managed to get 180,000 signatures (SO FAR. There are more.), all of whom are in favour of ending the integration of YouTube and Google+.
I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this one. I either want to see Google have to back down and change the comments system back, or 200,000 pissed off YouTube users, so it looks like it will be win-win for me.
*Not thrilling at all