A Chester company has released a new app, which it claims will silence hate and social media abuse.
Freedom2Hear has been made by GoBubble, which says that it can be tailored to shield users from insults, profanities and racist, homophobic and LGBTQ+ slurs through its bespoke technology.
“We didn’t think this would be possible at first, but after receiving endless calls and messages asking if we could come up with an answer to what is a growing problem, we took on the challenge,” said CEO Henry Platten.
“What we have now is a highly innovative tool that gives organisations and individuals – wherever they are, whatever their background – the ability to detect and silence online abuse.
“We are all for free speech, and it’s very important to make that clear, but there is no place for any form of discrimination anywhere, online or in person.”
The former Police Sergeant said that they had already received global interest, from sectors including sports and entertainment.
“It’s basically human-free, which means we don’t have someone here checking your notifications and feeds for abuse, which could in turn have a detrimental effect on their mental health,” he added.
“We don’t require passwords, emails or full access to an account; privacy and security are key, so it’s a win-win situation and will make a huge difference to the virtual experience, helping to eradicate discrimination online.”
The company has also recruited 3 senior people to its advisory board.
Patricia Cartes Andres, Director of Trust and Safety at VSCO who previously held executive quality and safety roles with Google, Facebook and Twitter, joins as independent chair.
She is supported by Lord Jim Knight, a former Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, and a member of the UK Government’s Online Safety Bill Joint Committee, and Matt Manning, CEO of global marketing firm MKTG.
“Having operated in this sector for more than a decade I have seen first-hand how the issue of online abuse has sadly escalated,” said Cartes Andres.
“Freedom2Hear is an incredible solution to that problem and will no doubt improve the user experience for many people, as well as having a transformative effect on mental health and wellbeing.”
