Managing 'threats': uses of social media for policing domestic extremism and disorder in the UK

Dencik, Lina ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1982-0901, Hintz, Arne ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9902-4736, Carey, Zoe and Pandya, Hina 2015. Managing 'threats': uses of social media for policing domestic extremism and disorder in the UK. [Project Report]. Quantified Society, Media Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations. Available at: http://www.dcssproject.net/files/2015/12/Managing-...

Preview

PDF Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

This project examines the uses of social media for policing domestic extremism and disorder in the UK. The collection and analysis of social media data for the purposes of policing forms part of a broader shift from ‘reactive’ to ‘proactive’ forms of governance in which state bodies engage in big data analysis to predict, preempt and respond in real time to a range of social problems. However, there is a lack of research that accounts for the ways in which different state bodies are making use of big data, and how big data is changing the way states research, prioritize and act in relation to social and political issues. Although big data promises for more efficient, rational and objective decision-making, an important emerging body of work highlight that uses of big data for governance may also contribute to forms of suppression, inequality, and discrimination. What is more, whilst the collection of data may provide opportunities to identify problems and potential ‘threats’, the challenges of oversight, accountability and transparency involved in the collection and use of people’s information have been identified as key concerns. This project engages with these debates by looking specifically at how social media data informs decision-making with regards to the policing of domestic extremism and disorder in the context of the United Kingdom.

Item Type:	Monograph (Project Report)
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Journalism, Media and Culture
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Publisher:	Media Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations
Funders:	Media Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations
Last Modified:	17 Nov 2022 14:54
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/85618

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item