Because universities have nothing better to do than monitor their students’ social media accounts.
In response to the torch-lit marches in Charlottesville last August, the University of Virginia signed an $18,500 annual contract with Social Sentinel, a private security firm, to monitor the social media accounts of its students and others.
UVA began working with Social Sentinel in September to keep an eye on potentially dangerous campus activity. University officials and the UVA police force have assured the community this step is necessary for campus security, yet students and others are concerned about their privacy rights.
“Enhanced technology is just one piece of the University’s safety and preparedness efforts,” Officer Ben Rexrode, the Crime Prevention Coordinator for the University Of Virginia Police Department, toldReasonvia email. “As the University grows and new standards for best in class operations evolve, we take steps to improve when prudent and appropriate.”
Using an algorithm, Social Sentinel scans social media accounts and targets threatening words, images and phrases included in Sentinel’s “library of harm.” When these terms or images are used in context with the university’s name, location, or events, a report is sent to the police, who determine if the content merits further investigation.
While officials consider the context of posts that are flagged, algorithms may fail to distinguish between dangerous phrases and phrases like “You’re the bomb!” or “Nice shot!,” leading to unnecessary tagging. It’s also difficult to expect someone who is so far removed from a conversation to fully grasp what a student meant by a particular choice of words. Neither the algorithm nor the officers reading the material may understand what is said.
“It’s not so much that they’re looking at your Twitter or your Instagram, it’s casting a very wide net and getting metadata and producing a report,” UVA Spokesperson Anthony de Bruyn toldThe Cavalier Daily.