Reading Between the Lines: The Importance of Human Moderators for Online Implicit Extremist Content Moderation

Summary

This analysis examines implicit extremist content—harmful messages conveyed through coded language, irony, or cultural references—which evades detection by automated systems and corrodes social cohesion. EU regulatory frameworks (TCO Regulation, Digital Services Act) address overtly illegal content but are insufficient for implicit messaging. The ICCT opted for "implicit extremist content" over "borderline content" due to the latter's lack of legal clarity. The analysis highlights that human moderation is essential for interpreting context and nuance but is being systematically reduced. It concludes with recommendations for policymakers, emphasising the need for regulatory frameworks addressing content not clearly illegal but potentially harmful, and for investments in human moderation capacity with culturally informed training.

Keywords

content moderation, human moderators, online extremism, ICCT