Apar Gupta details the way in which technology can be used to deepen police abuses and erosion of democratic freedoms.
https://thewire.in/tech/digital-india-police-democracy-freedom
Here, the lawlessness that occurred in North East Delhi between February 23 and 26, 2020, serves as a case study of the role of digital policing and criminal justice. As per a Right to Information (RTI) request answered by the Delhi Police, it resulted in 53 deaths and 581 injuries, with 754 FIRs and 1,369 arrests. The high teledensity in Delhi, with an estimated 2.8 connections per person, meant that many residents were likely using social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp at the time of the incident. It is important to understand their role in the cycle of hate speech and provocation that led to the events of February. A fact-finding report by the Constitutional Conduct Group concluded that “the use of social media platforms are often part and parcel of episodes of violence, whether through spreading false rumours, circulating offensive inciting tropes, or facilitating the conduct of violent acts.”
I posit that social media serves as the central hub, a backbone, for a ubiquitous digital media ecology that shapes the experiences of many individuals in Delhi. To fully comprehend the cycle of hate speech and provocation that culminated in the events of February, it is crucial to grasp the broader digital media ecosystem that is rapid, ever-present, and influencing our thoughts. This ecosystem is driven by constant connectivity, algorithms that hack away at our cognitive biases. It creates factions and tribalistic tendencies to serve a reality that is closer to our imagination. Here powerful tools of both speech and censorship that are legal and technical, constantly curate the information that we consume. It cocoons our understanding. Such is its hypnotism and a forced need for social participation that even those who clearly see its harms cannot help themselves. They may refer to it as a “hell site” but each day they will choose to be its resident.
Is it possible to stop and think before we like, share and subscribe?
The third is probably the most voluminous and significant form of online censorship. It is directly implemented by social media and messaging platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. When they permit, prefer and prohibit content based on a labyrinth of backend choices in their business and platform policies they determine what we get to perceive, think and react.
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by Apar Gupta