In short, for a while AI was covering for the inevitable failure of user moderation, and now official or outsourced moderation is supposed to be covering for the inevitable failure of AI. None are up to the task, and events such as the capital riot should put an end to the era of plausible denial of responsibility. At some point these companies need to come clean: Moderation isn’t working, nor will it.

Eoin Treacy's view

There is an easy way to improve user conduct on social media. Insist on real name confirmation. Anyone can say or do anything on social media today and have no fear of recrimination for their actions because it is completely anonymous.

The community of trolls on Twitter has multiplied beyond recognition and they form a significant core of user engagement. If the company were to insist on real names the business model would implode. However, it is instructive that many of the newer social media sites are insisting on real name login credentials from the outset. That is a simple measure to foster a less toxic community.