Best analytic tools for social media

Darren Osborne was driven by anti-Muslim hatred. The 48-year-old, who was found guilty of the murder of Makram Ali and attempted murder of several others, had rammed his van into worshippers outside the Muslim Welfare House last June. We know that the unemployed father-of-four had been swiftly radicalised online. His case outlines what many of us have been warning about and seeing through our work with national projects countering anti-Muslim hatred. The rise in anti-Muslim hatred is a scourge that makes none of us safer. It creates fear within Muslim communities, polarises opinions, pushes perceptions and hearts and minds into the hands of Islamist groups and then further strengthens the anti-Muslim rhetoric pushed by far-right extremist groups – some of which Osborne fed from. We are shown, graphically, that anti-Muslim hatred needs to be tackled at every level, since such hatred strengthens and polarises all of the extremes in our society. Osborne was radicalised after … [Read more...] about After the Darren Osborne case, social media must eradicate hate material

Gareth Southgate has offered support to Declan Rice after the West Ham midfielder revealed he and his family received online threats following his switch in allegiance from the Republic of Ireland to England. Rice, who represented Ireland at youth level and won three caps at senior level before switching to the country of his birth this year, is the latest high-profile player to be targeted with abuse on social media. The 20-year-old, who won his fourth England cap in Saturday’s 4-0 victory against Bulgaria in qualifying for Euro 2020, said that he has received messages about people going to his home and added that his parents were also targeted. “I’ve had people saying they’re going to come to my house ... yeah online,” Rice said in an interview with ITV News. “There’s a few bits I could go into but I don’t need to go into it, threats to my family, threats to me. It was tough, there has been some abuse. It was more for my mum and dad … [Read more...] about Southgate offers Declan Rice support over social media threats and abuse

It’s 4.50pm on a cold, blustery Saturday in March and I am at the in-laws’ house on the south coast of England. Cups of tea have been distributed, rugby is on the TV and Scotland are trundling to another defeat. Amid sympathetic murmurings, I glance at Twitter for the score that matters. Dumbarton have beaten Montrose away and my mood is saved for the evening. My attention, however, is drawn to the multitude of likes and shares appearing on a tweet from the official Berwick Rangers account: “Ugly scenes in the dugout as Cowdenbeath’s manager has just told [Berwick manager] Johnny Harvey to ‘take his face for a sh*te’ #BRFC.” As I stifle a giggle, I realise two things: firstly, I probably can’t explain what’s so funny to present company and, secondly, Berwick Rangers are going viral. Fast forward a week and, according to the Daily Record, the tweet had caused a “social media storm” that had “captured the attention … [Read more...] about What Berwick Rangers going viral tells football clubs about social media

Social media companies should have a legal "duty of care" to children, the UK Parliament's Science and Technology Committee has recommended.The group's report said social media had helped facilitate bullying and online grooming of children.It called for a regulator to be established to take "enforcement action" if apps broke the law.A number of privacy and data scandals have led to calls for social media companies to be regulated.Facebook's new vice-president Sir Nick Clegg has already pledged to do "whatever it takes" to make the company's platforms safer for young people.Sir Nick was responding to the case of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life after viewing distressing self-harm images on Instagram in 2017.Her father said he believed Facebook-owned Instagram was partly responsible for his daughter's death.What is the report about?The committee has been looking at the effect of social media and so-called screen time on the health of children.During its inquiry, it … [Read more...] about Regulate social media to protect children, MPs urge

"Great night last night, how much do I owe you for the dinner? £25? Here you go." It's a conversation most of us have had in person, but these days it's happening increasingly on social media.The chat could take place on Facebook's Messenger service and finish with a simple click to transfer the cash between friends. The payment service has just been launched in the UK, although the country is already some way behind China and the US in the widespread adoption of social media payments. But will it disrupt traditional banking?"There's definitely a trend towards mobile payments moving into social media," says Charlotte Crosswell, chief executive of Innovate Finance, an organisation that represents the UK's global financial technology community.Big players such as Facebook and Google are already enabling payments through their platforms, she says."The success of companies such as Paypal's Venmo app in the US, which allows users to share their mobile payment messages on social feeds, … [Read more...] about Chat and pay: How social media is beating the banks