There is no denying how human beings are, by far, the smartest species to ever grace the earth, but alongside that intelligence, we also have a very strong tendency to make mistakes. This has already been proven quite a few times throughout our history, with each testimony practically forcing us to look for a defensive cover. We will, on our part, solve our conundrum in the most fitting way possible once we bring dedicated regulatory bodies into the fold. Having a well-defined authority across each and every area was a game-changer, as it instantly concealed our many shortcomings. Now, while the stated development will go on to produce a significant amount of utopia, it was all for a very short period. You see, the moment technology and its layered nature took over the scene, they allowed everyone an outright unprecedented chance to fulfill their ulterior motives at the expense of others. In case that didn’t sound bad enough, the whole runner will end up materializing on such a massive scale that it expectantly overwhelmed our governing forces and sent back to square one. After spending a long time in the wilderness, though, it seems like the regulatory contingent is finally ready to make a comeback. The same has turned more and more evident over the recent past, and a new acquisition proves it big time.
Spotify is officially acquiring the content moderation tech company, Kinzen, to better moderate podcasts and other audio using a combination of machine learning and human expertise. Such a move has been on the cards for Spotify since 2020, when it got embroiled in a controversy over its top podcaster Joe Rogan. To give you a quick recap, Rogan was accused of using the platform to spread misinformation regarding the Covid 19 vaccine. It got so bad that, at one point, more than 270 physicians and scientists came together to ask Spotify to create comprehensive misinformation policies. The music-streaming giant would issue a response in early 2022 by revising its stance against Covid 19-related, as well as the wider issue of misinformation. Then, in June, the company created a dedicated “Safety Advisory Council” for the purpose of having some guidance in regards to its future moderation decisions. With the new acquisition, though, Spotify is taking those efforts to another level. You see, Kinzen’s technology can do a lot to help platforms plan ahead by getting early warnings about evolving narratives and trends that could later become misinformation risks. This is, of course, achieved through an in-depth analysis of various sensitive subjects, such as medical misinformation, antisemitism, hateful content, climate misinformation, violent extremism and more. Once the analysis is done, Kinzen provides actionable insights across policy violations, which can address audio, video and text-based content, and consequentially, allows them to become a more reliable space for their users.
“The combination of tools and expert insights is Kinzen’s unique strength that we see as essential to identifying emerging abuse trends in markets and moderating potentially dangerous content at scale,” stated Sarah Hoyle, Head of Trust and Safety at Spotify. “This expansion of our team, combined with the launch of our Safety Advisory Council, demonstrates the proactive approach we’re taking in this important space.”
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