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Hate thrives on social media – but who should police it?

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Left, Jack McDevitt, director of the Institute on Race and Justice at Northeastern. Right, David Lazer, university distinguished professor of political science and computer and information sciences. Photos by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

The violent riots at the Capitol were abetted and encouraged by posts on social media sites. But from a legal and practical standpoint, it’s often hard to hold social media companies responsible for their users, Northeastern professors say.

Jack McDevitt, director of the Institute on Race and Justice, argues that many of the posts amount to hate crimes—and that tech companies should be held responsible for violent rhetoric disseminated on their sites. But when it comes to spreading misinformation, exactly who is liable is less clear, says David Lazer, university distinguished professor of political science and computer and information sciences.

Read the full story on News@Northeastern.

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