Online Public Relations Thoughts

The governor of New York is calling on social media companies to do more in controlling hate speech.  This comes after a racist white youth killed 10 African-American people in a Buffalo, NY supermarket.   it is convenient to blame social media because the filth spewed online is seriously disturbing.  But, did it cause the Buffalo incident?  It is hard to know.  Investigators are still peeling back the life of the murderer, but that doesn't stop politicians from jumping to conclusions.  Social media companies are in the cross-hairs of regulation.  They had better act before they are forced by the government to take control of their platforms.  But, even if they curate content, that won't solve the problem.  The vile speech will move from service to service then to its own platforms.  It is whack-a-mole.  Technology has yet to come to grip with hate speech.