New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Tamar Mitts, "Safe Havens for Hate: The Challenge of Moderating Online Extremism" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Oct 31, 2025
Tamar Mitts, an associate professor at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, dives into the complex world of online extremism. She discusses the urgent need for effective content moderation and how different standards across platforms create safe havens for hate groups. Mitts reveals the evasion tactics extremists use to bypass bans and the emotional toll these moderations have on individual users. She also explores the convergence of ideologies in platform strategies and the implications of standardizing moderation efforts in the fight against online hate.
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Connected Information Environment Shapes Extremism
- Mitts became fascinated by how extremist actors adapt to content moderation across platforms and why moderation remains so difficult.
- She frames the problem as new dynamics in a highly connected information environment rather than a purely old social problem.
Studying Labeled Extremist Actors
- Mitts focuses on groups labeled extremist by states or international bodies, especially those promoting violence.
- She studies how labeling and moderation affect these groups' online tactics across platforms.
Size-Based Regulation Creates Gaps
- Democratic countries vary in how they regulate online extremism, often focusing on large, well-known platforms.
- Governments typically set thresholds (e.g., monthly active users) that determine regulatory reach and create uneven enforcement.
