Detect Then Act: Empowering Users to Tackle Harmful Online Content
Detect Then Act (2019–2021) is a collaboration of universities, tech companies, NGOs and citizens in Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands to find answers on how to counter the online polarisation that is dividing our societies. The project combines human knowledge with AI to identify online harms and foster citizens to be more resilient to challenge online disinformation.
The volume and complexity of online interactions today demand a new approach to tackle disinformation and harmful content effectively. Detect Then Act is a collaboration of universities, tech companies, NGOs and citizens in Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. Together, they look at ways to meet this challenge by empowering and equipping their citizens to effectively challenge disinformation, threats, and hate on social media.
Our Approach
The Detect Then Act initiative combines human insight with cutting-edge artificial intelligence. An intuitive dashboard application is at the heart of this effort, designed to be accessible to over a thousand users without requiring extensive technical training. By offering real-time snapshots of trends and incidents on social media, the dashboard enables users across all four partner countries to monitor and assess harmful content.
What Impact is it Having?
By providing a platform for counter-narratives, the dashboard empowers users to engage confidently in challenging debates involving disinformation and harmful content. Available in Dutch, English, French, German, and Hungarian, the tool helps citizens to be proactive in fostering a more informed and resilient online community.