Monday 25 January 2021

Bodyguard: The App That Helps You Deal with Toxic Content Online

Social media has revolutionized our world in inexplicable and complicated ways. Today it is impossible to imagine going a day without these tools. The world is not only better connected but we have access to more information. The IT revolution of the last few decades has changed the world economy as well. There is a lot to look forward to but as it is with most things, the benefits of social media come with their problems. 

Social media as a means of communication is a great tool until the message people are trying to send is positive. Anyone familiar with any major social media network can recall at least one instance of hate speech and toxic comments. Sadly, such a useful tool has become a way of dragging others down. Social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram had been called out many times for their inaction in such matters. However, despite their efforts, the toxic social media environment continues to affect millions.

Bodyguard, A French startup recently launched their app to deal with online toxic comments and hate speech. The service helps users hide inappropriate content even before they watch it. The startup has already attracted over 50,000 users as of now. It has a 90-95% accuracy at detecting hate speech with just 2% false-positive reports. The app launched by the company censors comments and content. The users can then decide the level of moderation depending upon their needs. The Censorship tools on the app categorize online abuse in several categories like racism, moral harassment, body shaming, insults, and homophobia. The users can then choose the type of content they wish to censor. 

Once the user has provided the app with all the details that it needs, it can be left alone. The app then uses the personal preference of users to censor comments. When you will use social media apps again you will be elated to find out that all the hateful comments that have been bothering you for a long time are not there anymore. The real-time social media moderation works well and has a lot to offer.

As online hate becomes a much bigger problem in the coming years, tools like Bodyguard will be crucial in making social media apps accessible to all. Users won’t have to deal with content that can be off-putting. It is high time that more such services become widely available as they are the need of the

Eva winget is a Microsoft Office expert and has been working in the technical industry since 2006. As a technical expert, Bella has written technical blogs, manuals, white papers, and reviews for many websites.

Origin: Bodyguard: The App That Helps You Deal with Toxic Content Online

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