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Detecting Terrorism Online Raises Legal Questions

This month, a delegation of US government officials met with Silicon Valley executives to discuss battling terrorism online. One idea was an algorithm that could scan social sites for signs of radicalization, and assign people a risk value. But even if a terrorism algorithm could work, is it legal? Bob talks with Karen Greenberg, director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University School of Law, about the red flags this kind of an effort raises.

BROOKE: This is On the Media, I’m Brooke Gladstone.

BOB: And I’m Bob Garfield. Earlier this month, a delegation of top US government officials, including FBI director James Comey and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, met with executives of Apple, Twitter, Facebook, and other tech companies to discuss battling terrorism -- online. One idea was an algorithm that could crawl social sites for signs of radicalization, and assign people a risk value -- like a credit score. The government would then, in theory, use that information to monitor the riskiest subjects. But is that legal? Karen Greenberg is director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University School of Law. Karen, welcome to On the Media.

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WNYC’s weekly investigation into how the media shapes our world view. Veteran journalists Brooke Gladstone and Bob Garfield give you the tools to survive the media maelstrom.

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