Technical tweaks won't stop online abuse

[Nipuna]

FIRST Google, now Twitter. Internet giants are fending off public anger over their perceived reluctance to intervene when users misbehave – in Google's case, by supposedly failing to cut off access to child pornography; in Twitter's for failing to clamp down swiftly on misogynistic threats.

In both cases, the reaction has been to demand technical fixes (see "After tweeted rape threats, Twitter promises change"). But Google is not where most child porn is found, while a Twitter "abuse button" is itself open to misuse. Tweaks to a website's functionality are not enough to curb such malfeasance.

What's needed are meaningful sanctions against perpetrators, which implies re-examination of the prized right to anonymity. Who would we trust to enforce such sanctions – companies or governments? These are profound challenges to online culture: there are no quick fixes to be had.

This article appeared in print under the headline "Technical tweaks won't stop abuse"