Amazon plans to be more proactive about removing websites and services from its AWS cloud computing platform, which is used by people like Netflix, Fox and ITV.
A new team of experts will monitor and remove websites and services that violate its terms of service, including those that promote violence.
This is a move that will likely renew the debate about how much power large technology companies should have to restrict freedom of expression.
Amazon made headlines last week for shutting down a website hosted on AWS that contained Islamic State propaganda celebrating the suicide bombing that killed approximately 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops in Kabul.
It would not delete a single message from a social networking app or video from a website, but would remove the entire website from the Internet.
Speaking to MailOnline, Jake More, a cybersecurity specialist at ESET, said: “They have a powerful market share in server space, which essentially means that this new rule could censor the Internet.”
It’s unclear how the company will fare in terms of removing content from major players like Netflix or Twitter, though Amazon made waves in January when it launched the “free speech” social messaging app later. of the revolt of the United States Capitol.
AWS offerings include cloud storage and virtual servers and features major companies such as Netflix, Coca-Cola and Capital One.
It also hosts content for various media companies, including the websites of Reach PLC, Twitter, Facebook and broadcasters such as the BBC and Fox.
Amazon plans to be more proactive about removing websites and services from its AWS cloud computing platform, which are used by people like Netflix, Fox and ITV.
Amazon has a 40% share of the cloud computing market, with a wide range of companies using their data centers, from social media companies to broadcasters.
The decision to start removing any content that violates the terms of service, including those that incite violence, would make Amazon one of the most powerful arbiters of what kind of content is allowed on the Internet, experts predict.
AWS is the system behind websites like Twitter, Netflix, and even some major news services: it hosts code that allows users to interact with each other or watch TV.
Human rights activists and groups are increasingly demanding responsibility not only for websites and applications for harmful content, but also for the underlying technology infrastructure that allows those sites to work: services like Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure.
AWS already prohibits the use of its services in various ways, such as illegal or fraudulent activities, to incite or threaten violence or promote the exploitation and sexual abuse of children, in accordance with its usage policy. acceptable.
Amazon first asks customers to remove content that violates its policies or has a system to moderate user-uploaded content.
If the company cannot reach an acceptable agreement with the customer, it can withdraw the entire website, as it did in the case of Islamic State and Parler.
As part of this change, Amazon plans to develop a new approach to content that is considered uninformed, further fueling concerns about free speech.
“Moderating and filtering online content always sounds proactive, but the truth is based on a fine line between censoring the web and nullifying freedom of expression,” said Jake Moore of ESET.
“Whenever plans are put in place to remove content that violates the rules, there can often be a backlash against what exactly is deleted.
“Clearly there is a problem with harmful content on the Internet, which will largely be hosted by Amazon, being one of the big players, but when new strict rules are created, teething problems are inevitable.”
Part of the new rules will be set at what point Amazon will step in to tell a customer, such as Twitter or Twitch, to deal with the spread of “fake news.”
The new AWS team does not plan to examine the large amount of content that companies host in the cloud, but will aim to anticipate future threats.
AWS offerings include cloud storage and virtual servers and has major companies such as Netflix, Coca-Cola and Capital One as customers.
It is unclear how the company will fare in terms of removing content from major players like Netflix or Twitter, although Amazon made waves in January when it launched the social messaging app Parler of “freedom of speech ”After the revolt of the United States Capitol.
This will include meeting emerging extremist groups whose content could reach the AWS cloud, a source close to AWS explained.
Amazon currently hires a global policy chief from the AWS trust and security team, which is responsible for “protecting AWS from a wide variety of abuses,” according to a message posted on its website.
Better readiness against certain types of content could help Amazon avoid legal and public relations risks, as lawmakers increasingly seek to hold the company hosting the content accountable, not just the user who uploads it.
Melissa Ryan, founder of CARD Strategies, a consulting firm that helps organizations understand extremism and online toxicity threats.
Cloud services like AWS and other entities like domain registrars are considered the “backbone of the Internet,” but have traditionally been politically neutral services, according to a 2019 report.
But cloud service providers have already removed the content, such as after the 2017 right-wing rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, helping to curb the organizational capacity of right-wing groups, the report reveals.
“It’s understandable that most of these companies don’t want to get into content and don’t want to be the arbiter of thought,” Ryan said.
“But when you talk about hate and extremism, you have to take a stand.”