As technology’s role in our lives continues to grow, social media platforms have had to navigate the numerous problems that can arise from this interconnectivity.
One issue that Facebook faces on a daily basis is the fight against revenge porn, “the distribution of sexually explicit images or videos on the internet, typically by a former sexual partner, without the consent of the subject and in order to cause them distress or embarrassment.”
In addition to relying on artificial intelligence and technology, Facebook employs a team of 25 people to combat the sharing of revenge porn on the platform.
According to those involved in the process, who spoke to NBC News, the goal is to quickly remove the photos and videos as soon as they are reported, but also to detect the images as soon as they are uploaded, using artificial intelligence.
For this to work, in part, the social media platform offers a tool that lets people submit their intimate photos “pre-emptively”.
The initiative, which faced backlash when it was first released, allows those who feel they are at risk of revenge porn to submit their photos, which are then converted into digital fingerprints, to ensure that they are identified and removed by AI immediately if they are uploaded.
As more images are reported, the AI will “evolve,” according to Facebook.
This is what happens when you submit your sexual photos to Facebook.
According to the social media platform, which owns Instagram, images submitted are viewed “briefly” by a “content moderator trained to deal with safety issues to ensure they are in fact intimate images”.
After confirming the nature of the content, the images are “converted into digital fingerprints that can be used to prevent any subsequent posting of the image on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger”.
Facebook deletes the image seven days after it has been converted into the indecipherable fingerprint, according to NBC News, which means the platform does not “maintain a database of intimate photos that might be vulnerable to hacking or abuse”.
Despite the initial criticism over the tactic, which included fears over who would have access to the photos, Facebook has since expanded the tool to the UK, US, Canada, Pakistan and Taiwan, according to NBC News, with a Facebook spokesperson adding that launches in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America will be available in the coming months.
According to Facebook, although the process may seem counterintuitive, as those who feel at risk may be unlikely to want to share the images further, it can also be helpful - as it offers a proactive approach to potential victims.
However, the platform still has a significant amount of work to do. Although the process of reporting a complaint has become simple on Facebook, users still report issues when dealing with revenge porn on Instagram and Messenger - with neither having “specific language in their reporting flows to allow users to flag content as revenge porn”.
