Code Words Known as “Algospeak” Are Taking Over Social Media

I guess you have to be extra careful these days about what you say and how you say it…and that’s why “algospeak” is taking the world of social media by storm.

Algospeak is when people use code words, emojis, and deliberately misspelled words to try to avoid detection by Artificial Intelligence when posting to social media to avoid being flagged for sensitive topics and potentially breaking the rules of various platforms. One example is people using code words to discuss the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe vs. Wade in 2022.

Fifty percent of people in the U.S. say they’ve seen an increase in algospeak as the world becomes more divided along political and cultural lines. And because some terms become banned or flagged on social media platforms as rhetoric heats up, users have gotten creative with how to get around it.

One example is people talking about camping as a code word for actually discussing the nationwide a**rtion ban. Algospeak is also commonly used to avoid detection when people use h**e speech and talk about b**lying and issues around s**.

This has caused issues for companies that attempt to police divisive speech online and it’s made it harder for Artificial Intelligence to track the workarounds that people are using.

And it’s been especially concerning when it comes to the exploitation of children because the evil folks behind sites offering that kind of disgusting content are also using algospeak to distribute information and get people to follow certain accounts.

Siobhan Hanna, who is in charge of AI data solutions for Telus International, “One of the areas that we’re all most concerned about is child exploitation and human exploitation” and she called it “one of the fastest-evolving areas of algospeak.”

It sounds like combating harmful and dangerous material will be a fight that will be constantly evolving. Stay safe out there, friends!