Social networks increasingly become virtual states, and obviously, states require politics. Which content is considered acceptable and which is not? What are these decisions based upon? Upon someone’s own ideas about morality, upon universal human values or upon laws that differ from country to country? These decisions, which until recently did not have much importance now influence lives of individuals and fates of entire nations as well as presidential elections results and financial markets. As there are people who invent the rules, there are also people who make sure that these rules are followed. Delete. Ignore. Delete. Delete. 25,000 images, videos and text posts per day, no more than three mistakes per month, severed heads, child pornography and constant supervision by a psychologist - this is what the Filipino content moderators have to deal with every day. The Cleaners talks about how the information control has become more important than the nuclear arms control. The burden of responsibility still falls on the shoulders of individuals.
Who watches us from behind the black mirror? After the screening of The Cleaners, there will be a discussion panel about censorship in social networks and information control. The content policy of social networks has an impact on the results of presidential elections and the state of financial markets. It influences the lives of both individuals and entire communities. How do companies develop criteria for content moderation? What is information control - an attempt to protect users or a threat to democracy and freedom of speech? Journalist Andrey Brodetsky and philosopher Kirill Martynov will try to define ethical and technological aspects of content moderation. They are going to talk about the storage of personal data, the role of artificial intelligence and private decisions of moderators in defining a global agenda.