Use of Third-Party Content Moderation Services on Social Media Channels

The request was successful.

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from the Metropolitan Police Service:

I am looking for any information relating to the use of third-party content moderation software on your office's social media channels. This could include emails to or from companies requesting that they take on or assist with the role of moderating comments, posts, and other forms of user engagement on your social media channels (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, etc.). The list of companies I am interested in learning if your office is working with includes (but is not limited to):

Besedo
Community Sift
Smart Moderation
Crisp Thinking
ModSquad
WarwickAnalytics
Microsoft Azure
OneSpace
CrowdSource
PicPurify
WebPurify
Clarifai
Jigsaw
xModerator
Valossa
Kuznech
Graymatics
Sightengine
AKISMET
Agora Pulse

If there are other companies beyond these ones that are offering content moderation services for your office's social media channels that you are partnered with, I would like information relating to those conversations as well.

Please provide the information in the form of a .zip file containing any communications between your office and such companies.

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under the Section 16 obligations of the Act, as to how I can refine my request.

If you can identify any ways that my request could be refined please provide further advice and assistance to indicate this.

If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or phone and I will be happy to clarify what I am asking for, my details are outlined below.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.

Best wishes,

Andrew Strait
Oxford Internet Institute
+447380555990

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Mr Strait

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2018060000005

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 31/05/2018.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

"I am looking for any information relating to the use of third-party
content moderation software on your office's social media channels. This
could include emails to or from companies requesting that they take on or
assist with the role of moderating comments, posts, and other forms of
user engagement on your social media channels (e.g. Twitter, Facebook,
Google Plus, etc.). The list of companies I am interested in learning if
your office is working with includes (but is not limited to):

Besedo
Community Sift
Smart Moderation
Crisp Thinking
ModSquad
WarwickAnalytics
Microsoft Azure
OneSpace
CrowdSource
PicPurify
WebPurify
Clarifai
Jigsaw
xModerator
Valossa
Kuznech
Graymatics
Sightengine
AKISMET
Agora Pulse

If there are other companies beyond these ones that are offering content
moderation services for your office's social media channels that you are
partnered with, I would like information relating to those conversations
as well.
Please provide the information in the form of a .zip file containing any
communications between your office and such companies."

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act).  You will receive a response within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act.  

If you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please contact
us at [email address] or on the phone at 0207 161 3500, quoting the
reference number above. Should your enquiry relate to the logging or
allocations process we will be able to assist you directly and where your
enquiry relates to other matters (such as the status of the request) we
will be able to pass on a message and/or advise you of the relevant
contact details.

Yours sincerely

R. Loizou
Support Officer - Freedom of Information Triage Team
 
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: [1]https://m.facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Twitter: @metpoliceuk

References

Visible links
1. https://m.facebook.com/metpoliceuk

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Dear Mr Strait

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2018060000005

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 31/05/2018.  I note you seek
access to the following information:

"I am looking for any information relating to the use of third-party
content moderation software on your office's social media channels. This
could include emails to or from companies requesting that they take on or
assist with the role of moderating comments, posts, and other forms of
user engagement on your social media channels (e.g. Twitter, Facebook,
Google Plus, etc.). The list of companies I am interested in learning if
your office is working with includes (but is not limited to):

Besedo
Community Sift
Smart Moderation
Crisp Thinking
ModSquad
WarwickAnalytics
Microsoft Azure
OneSpace
CrowdSource
PicPurify
WebPurify
Clarifai
Jigsaw
xModerator
Valossa
Kuznech
Graymatics
Sightengine
AKISMET
Agora Pulse

If there are other companies beyond these ones that are offering content
moderation services for your office's social media channels that you are
partnered with, I would like information relating to those conversations
as well.
Please provide the information in the form of a .zip file containing any
communications between your office and such companies."

SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
within the MPS.  The searches located information relevant to your
request.

DECISION

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

The MPS doesn't use any content moderation software on our social media
channels.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
contact me via email at [email address] , quoting the reference
number above.

Yours sincerely

Paul O'Shea
Information Manager

In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information, the
Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of the
enclosed information will continue to be protected by law.  Applications
for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of the
attached information should be addressed to MPS Directorate of Legal
Services, 10 Lambs Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3NR.
 
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Information Rights Unit
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF
[email address]

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113

Consider our environment - please do not print this email unless
absolutely necessary.

NOTICE - This email and any attachments may be confidential, subject to
copyright and/or legal privilege and are intended solely for the use of
the intended recipient. If you have received this email in error, please
notify the sender and delete it from your system.  To avoid incurring
legal liabilities, you must not distribute or copy the information in this
email without the permission of the sender. MPS communication systems are
monitored to the extent permitted by law.  Consequently, any email and/or
attachments may be read by monitoring staff. Only specified personnel are
authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of the MPS by
email. The MPS accepts no responsibility for unauthorised agreements
reached with other employees or agents.  The security of this email and
any attachments cannot be guaranteed. Email messages are routinely scanned
but malicious software infection and corruption of content can still occur
during transmission over the Internet. Any views or opinions expressed in
this communication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

Find us at:

Facebook: [1]https://m.facebook.com/metpoliceuk 

Twitter: @metpoliceuk

References

Visible links
1. https://m.facebook.com/metpoliceuk