Will the new tool to take down terrorist images work?

New Delhi, June 22: A Dartmouth College researcher recently said that they have created a tool that can help Internet companies instantly detect messages and videos generated by terrorists and their supporters so that it can be taken down immediately.

This tool has been created keeping in mind the propaganda material and videos that the ISIS and its followers have been uploading on the net which has led to large scale radicalisation across the globe.

While this is a great initiative and has even got the support of the White House, there are several questions being raised.

One of the key concerns that Internet companies have raised is what constitutes a terrorist image?

Will this tool work?
Going by what the researchers have been saying it is clear that this tool is a boon to Intelligence Agencies across the world who have a nightmare in tracking such material.

Moreover it also saves time of the agencies who after detection have to inform the Internet companies to take down such material.

This process often takes two to ten days.

The other question is what exactly constitutes a terrorist image or material that has been uploaded. What if a site is doing research on terrorism and needs to upload images relating to the subject.

This tool would detect such material too as a terrorist image. Currently Internet companies take down material following a request by agencies across the world. There have been cases where these companies have been cooperative and there also instances when they are not.

Officials however argue that the tool helps create a central data base. This tool does come in handy to instantly detect propaganda material including beheading videos.

The tool does not instantly erase content from the net, it just helps in early detection. If the Internet companies feel that genuine content would be affected then they could always take a call on it the officials say.

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