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Comment by ratling | Hacker News Reader

If they go underground it makes it a lot harder for them to radicalize idiots on facebook. Sounds like a win to me.

The average person isn't exactly curious about different ideologies but when facebook and youtubes algorithms throw it in their face constantly? Probably something we want to fix.

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I don't believe that the average person is interested in racist ideology. The people it tends to attract are disaffected white males. They tend to have poor education and poor job prospects i.e. no hope for the future. My guess is that they were already radicalized before being heavily exposed to racist ideology online. They will still be able to cluster online. It just won't be under our watchful eyes anymore. It'll be similar to how pedophiles cluster online.

I hope that you're right and that I'm completely wrong about this.

The average person (which includes these disaffected white males) is an idiot. They'll pay attention to whatever facebook and youtubes algorithms puts in front of them without question.

There are always disaffected people, but throwing this crap at them day in and day out for ad dollars is just throwing gasoline on a fire for a percentage of the insurance money.

Do we really know who is right here? Do we have data on much social media helps extremist groups grow vs how social media surveillance helps authorities catch and disband members of these groups and their plots?

Their alternative destinations are pretty predictable, and their social networks are already closely monitored and infiltrated. The aim is to keep the cost of re-establishing their networks above that of tracking them.

> Their alternative destinations are pretty predictable, and their social networks are already closely monitored and infiltrated.

How do you know? or are you confusing "alternative destinations" for facebook and twitter?

Good question.

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