The use of artificial intelligence by social media companies for content moderation: a look at the international human rights framework on the right to freedom of expression

• Author: Lucas Moreira Alcici
• Pages: 169-179

169

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media companies for content moderation:

a look at the international human rights

framework on the right to freedom of

expression

Lucas Moreira Alcici1

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1. INTRODUCTION

Social media platforms have become the main medium for the exchange

of information and ideas in the 21st century. Due to the ever-growing influx

of content shared daily on social media platforms by their respective users and

the important role social media companies play in society nowadays, content

moderation systems are actively scrutinizing what users publish online. Those

systems may take down or limit the spread of a particular content or even block

users’ accounts and, therefore, risk imposing unlawful restrictions on their

freedom of expression. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to help

moderate content online increases those risks and companies shall be aware of

their corporate responsibility to respect internationally guaranteed human rights.

International human rights law, by means of obligations imposed on state

parties by universal and regional human rights conventions, guarantees a high

1 Master’s degree in International Law from the University of Lisbon School of Law.