British Columbia tech firm guards virtual worlds from cyberbullies
VANCOUVER — As online communities come under the attack of cyberbullies, racist speech and spam, a British Columbia tech firm has developed technology to keep the trolls under the bridge.
Community Sift, based in Kelowna, has built digital armour for social media and gaming companies trying to protect their virtual worlds. The chat filter and moderation tool examines real-time website commentary, chat room conversations and banter between game players.
“We’re not just talking about four-letter words,” said CEO Chris Priebe, a senior programmer and security specialist. “We want to get rid of bullying across the entire Internet.”
The firm’s technology advances a global campaign against digital abuse in part spurred by the 2012 suicide of Amanda Todd, a teenager from Port Coquitlam, B.C., who was victimized by online sexual exploitation.