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Facebook Apologizes After Algorithm Blocks the Declaration of Independence as 'Hate Speech'
PJ Media ^ | 07/07/2018 | Tyler O' Neil

Posted on 07/07/2018 6:57:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

The Declaration of Independence was censored on Facebook this week. According to Facebook's algorithm, America's founding document contains "hate speech."

Leading up to Independence Day, a newspaper in Texas posted sections of the Declaration of Independence on Facebook. The social media site's algorithm blocked a section of America's founding document, categorizing it as "hate speech." I'm glad to say Facebook later realized its mistake, apologized, and unblocked the post, but this incident reveals the problems with automated "hate speech" algorithms.

The Vindicator started posting snippets of the Declaration on June 24, enabling readers to digest the whole thing in time for July 4. The first nine parts posted just fine, but part 10 — paragraphs 27-31 of the founding document — did not appear.

"Instead, The Vindicator received a notice from Facebook saying that the post 'goes against our standards on hate speech,'" Casey Stinnett, the paper's managing editor, reported on Monday.

The offending passage was part of the "long train of abuses" the signers of the Declaration accused King George III of committing against America. Here it is in full:

__________________________________________

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

__________________________________________

Stinnett suggested — and he is almost certainly right — that Facebook's algorithm responded to the phrase "merciless Indian Savages."

The Vindicator's managing editor proved to be an extremely good sport. He noted that the post's removal was automated, and gave Facebook the benefit of the doubt that "if any human being working at Facebook were to review it, no doubt the post would be allowed."

Stinnett also noted that "Facebook is a business corporation, not the government, and as such it is allowed to restrict the use of its services as long as those restrictions do not violate any laws." He also admitted, "The Vindicator is using Facebook for free, so the newspaper has little grounds for complaint other than the silliness of it."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 17760704; 2020election; again; algorithm; declaration; election2020; facebook; fascistbook; landslide; markzuckerberg; thedeclaration; trumplandslide; zuckerberg
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1 posted on 07/07/2018 6:57:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

How utterly revealing.


2 posted on 07/07/2018 6:59:12 AM PDT by gaijin
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To: SeekAndFind

> Facebook Apologizes After Algorithm Blocks the Declaration of Independence as ‘Hate Speech’ <

Today they’re apologizing. Eventually they’ll be bragging about it.


3 posted on 07/07/2018 6:59:30 AM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Why are Advertisers keeping Facebook alive


4 posted on 07/07/2018 6:59:39 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: SeekAndFind

Zuck hates the US, just not enough to leave.


5 posted on 07/07/2018 7:00:03 AM PDT by Arm_Bears (Hey, Rocky--Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Bkmrk


6 posted on 07/07/2018 7:01:18 AM PDT by morphing libertarian ( Build Kate's Wall)
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To: SeekAndFind

Algorithm,
Algormusic,
Global warming,
Who could ask for anything more?


7 posted on 07/07/2018 7:03:23 AM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Leaning Right

“Today they’re apologizing. Eventually they’ll be bragging about it.”

Yeah, under their breath they are probably saying “$hit they caught us again!”


8 posted on 07/07/2018 7:04:09 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: SeekAndFind

Run the Constitution through Facebook’s algorithm, if it bans it, certify Facebook as a domestic enemy of the Constitution and order the company into liquidation.

These little dork mind nazis’ shelf life has expired.


9 posted on 07/07/2018 7:20:30 AM PDT by ameribbean expat
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To: SeekAndFind

FB created and loaded their dictionary of forbidden words. The program (not algorithm) found some words in the dictionary, and blocked the posting.

I’m sure it would block “bombs bursting in air” too. I doubt it would block “death to America” or “allahu akhbar”.


10 posted on 07/07/2018 7:21:52 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Liberalism, like insanity, is the denial of reality.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Again, Facebook Zucks!


11 posted on 07/07/2018 7:22:27 AM PDT by JayAr36 (Washinton DC, District of Corruption proven daily)
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To: SeekAndFind

I believe the Facebook apology like I would believe an apology from Hitler.


12 posted on 07/07/2018 7:31:18 AM PDT by Carl Vehse
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To: SeekAndFind

Facebook seems to be doing a lot of ‘apologizing’ lately. But notice that they never seem to take effective corrective actions? They have both a liberal agenda and a business plan. They won’t compromise either.


13 posted on 07/07/2018 7:54:02 AM PDT by Tallguy
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To: SeekAndFind

They are sorry that people caught them. Blame it on the algorithm...why not blame it on the liberal programmers who wrote the algorithm??


14 posted on 07/07/2018 7:55:02 AM PDT by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable Family...even the dog is, too. :-))
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To: SeekAndFind

Facebook = Pravda


15 posted on 07/07/2018 7:57:19 AM PDT by Vaduz (women and children to be impacIQ of chimpsted the most.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Liberals are vile control freaks...


16 posted on 07/07/2018 8:24:42 AM PDT by GOPJ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-IsingvI_I STOP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-s1_nfs7f4)
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To: SeekAndFind

True followers of the Soviet Pravda newspapers.


17 posted on 07/07/2018 8:26:38 AM PDT by jetson
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To: SeekAndFind

Post the 4th stanza of the Star Spangled Banner and see how long it stays up.

(I would, but I make the NSA and PLA work to keep my file current - I don’t serve them information on a platter).


18 posted on 07/07/2018 8:52:52 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: SeekAndFind

There is no such thing as “hate speech”. There is only “FREE Speech”.

One person’s hate speech is another person’s constitution.


19 posted on 07/07/2018 8:55:47 AM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
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To: SeekAndFind

Algorithms, my Aunt Fanny.

And, to think folks still support this FakeBook BS.


20 posted on 07/07/2018 8:58:05 AM PDT by Jane Long (Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow.)
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