Who watches the Birdwatchers?: Sociotechnical vulnerabilities in Twitter's content contextualisation

Garfield Benjamin

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10183-0_1

Who watches the Birdwatchers? Sociotechnical vulnerabilities in Twitter's content contextualisation

Garfield Benjamin

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Published conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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Abstract

At the start of 2021, Twitter launched a closed US pilot of Birdwatch, seeking to promote credible information online by giving users the opportunity to add context to misleading tweets. The pilot shows awareness of the importance of context, and the challenges, risks and vulnerabilities the system will face. But the mitigations against these vulnerabilities of Birdwatch can exacerbate wider societal vulnerabilities created by Birdwatch. This article examines how Twitter presents the Birdwatch system, outlines a taxonomy of potential sociotechnical vulnerabilities, and situates these risks within broader social issues. We highlight the importance of watching the watchers, not only in terms of those using and potentially manipulating Birdwatch, but also the way Twitter is developing the system and their wider decision-making processes that impact on public discourse.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Socio-Technical Aspects in Security
Subtitle of host publication	11th International Workshop, STAST 2021, Virtual Event, October 8, 2021, Revised Selected Papers
Editors	Simon Parkin, Luca Viganò
Publisher	Springer
Pages	3-23
Number of pages	21
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-031-10183-0
ISBN (Print)	9783031101823
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10183-0_1
Publication status	Published - 14 Jul 2022
Event	11th International Workshop on Socio-Technical Aspects in Security, ESORICS 2021 - Duration: 7 Oct 2021 → 8 Oct 2021 http://stast.uni.lu

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	13176 LNCS

Workshop

Workshop	11th International Workshop on Socio-Technical Aspects in Security, ESORICS 2021
Abbreviated title	STAST 2021
Period	7/10/21 → 8/10/21
Internet address	http://stast.uni.lu

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-10183-0_1

PreProceedings BirdwatchersAccepted author manuscript, 437 KB

Cite this

Benjamin, G. (2022). Who watches the Birdwatchers? Sociotechnical vulnerabilities in Twitter's content contextualisation. In S. Parkin, & L. Viganò (Eds.), Socio-Technical Aspects in Security: 11th International Workshop, STAST 2021, Virtual Event, October 8, 2021, Revised Selected Papers (pp. 3-23). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 13176 LNCS). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10183-0_1

Benjamin, Garfield. / Who watches the Birdwatchers? Sociotechnical vulnerabilities in Twitter's content contextualisation. Socio-Technical Aspects in Security: 11th International Workshop, STAST 2021, Virtual Event, October 8, 2021, Revised Selected Papers. editor / Simon Parkin ; Luca Viganò. Springer, 2022. pp. 3-23 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)).

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Benjamin, G 2022, Who watches the Birdwatchers? Sociotechnical vulnerabilities in Twitter's content contextualisation. in S Parkin & L Viganò (eds), Socio-Technical Aspects in Security: 11th International Workshop, STAST 2021, Virtual Event, October 8, 2021, Revised Selected Papers. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), vol. 13176 LNCS, Springer, pp. 3-23, 11th International Workshop on Socio-Technical Aspects in Security, ESORICS 2021, 7/10/21. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10183-0_1

Who watches the Birdwatchers? Sociotechnical vulnerabilities in Twitter's content contextualisation. / Benjamin, Garfield.
Socio-Technical Aspects in Security: 11th International Workshop, STAST 2021, Virtual Event, October 8, 2021, Revised Selected Papers. ed. / Simon Parkin; Luca Viganò. Springer, 2022. p. 3-23 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 13176 LNCS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Published conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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AB - At the start of 2021, Twitter launched a closed US pilot of Birdwatch, seeking to promote credible information online by giving users the opportunity to add context to misleading tweets. The pilot shows awareness of the importance of context, and the challenges, risks and vulnerabilities the system will face. But the mitigations against these vulnerabilities of Birdwatch can exacerbate wider societal vulnerabilities created by Birdwatch. This article examines how Twitter presents the Birdwatch system, outlines a taxonomy of potential sociotechnical vulnerabilities, and situates these risks within broader social issues. We highlight the importance of watching the watchers, not only in terms of those using and potentially manipulating Birdwatch, but also the way Twitter is developing the system and their wider decision-making processes that impact on public discourse.

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Benjamin G. Who watches the Birdwatchers? Sociotechnical vulnerabilities in Twitter's content contextualisation. In Parkin S, Viganò L, editors, Socio-Technical Aspects in Security: 11th International Workshop, STAST 2021, Virtual Event, October 8, 2021, Revised Selected Papers. Springer. 2022. p. 3-23. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-10183-0_1