Three new behavioural characteristics added and an improved interactive report summary. 

Social Media Check (SMC), the leading, fully automated social media vetting solution, deployed by an increasing number of organisations in the public and private sector, has added three additional behavioural characteristics (firearms, weapons and drugs) to its search and more detailed information in its report findings. 

Social Media Check (SMC) is a fully automated solution that can check posts, both public and private (optional), against a number of risk categories. It searches all posts across the major social media platforms using machine learning and algorithms, eliminating the need for manual searching or the possibility of unconscious bias.

SMC provides a comprehensive and easy to follow interactive report and certificate in under an hour. It searches posts against nine key behavioural characteristics: toxic language, extremist groups, hate speech, swearing and profanity, potential nudity, violent images, firearms, weapons and drugs, highlighting content which might cause embarrassment, harm or reputational damage. Organisations can also add specific key client words to the search such as the name of an organisation or individual. The number of posts identified within each category is also displayed. 

Content can be both text or images as SMC uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to provide a complete and robust solution.

The date the image or text was posted is displayed at the bottom and, for convenience, under how many different categories that post was found.

Social Media Accounts

The new interactive report has also included more insightful information. It now shows:

  • The date of the first social media post on each platform

  • The total number of posts analysed

  • The percentage of those posts that were analysed on that platform

  • The number not analysed as per our fair usage policy

  • The date of the oldest post analysed

  • The total number of posts analysed and the number of those with findings.

Under Digital Insights, the report now also includes data in an easy-to-follow graphical format illustrating the time frame of posts analysed, findings by type of characteristic and findings by social media platform.

The newly added characteristics and report enhancements have been included in response to customer feedback and to meet the challenges of organisations where security and safeguarding is of paramount importance. 

SMC works with a number of select reseller partners that focus on education, healthcare and bluelight services as well as DBS vetting agencies and private sector businesses.

Social media checks from SMC can only be carried out with the individual’s consent, ensuring GDPR compliancy, and a collaborative approach to an on-line search. Data shows that less than 1% of individuals refuse to undertake an SMC search. 

Characteristics: Glossary of Terms 

1. Toxic Language

Toxic language: is a way of communicating that harms other people. It can be threatening, blaming or labelling and cause emotional turmoil to the recipient: e.g. Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to ‘bait’ people by deliberately provoking an argument or emotional reaction.

2. Extremist Groups

Extremist groups: are groups of individuals whose values, ideals and beliefs fall far outside of what society considers normal. An extremist group is often associated with violent tactics to convey their point to outsiders. This includes banned and proscribed groups such as Al Qa’ida or activist groups such as Just Stop Oil.

3. Hate Speech

Hate speech: denigrates an individual or a group based on perceived identity factors including: religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender, in addition to characteristics such as language, economic or social origin, disability, health status, or sexual orientation, among many others. It can also include symbols e.g. Nazi swastika.

4. Swearing and Profanity:

Swearing and profanity: refers to language that includes four-letter words, cursing, cussing and expletives used in a manner deemed to be socially offensive.

5. Potential Nudity

Potential nudity: refers to an image ranging from depicting partial or complete nakedness to more explicit pornographic material.

6. Violent Images:

Violent images: defined as any image that conveys an imminent physical or existential threat to person(s), property, or society, with or without weaponry.

7. Weapons

Weapons: defined as any image that conveys an imminent physical or existential threat to person(s), property, or society, with or without weaponry.

8. Drugs

Drugs: relating to the illegal possession, supply or production of controlled drugs. Alcohol is classified as a drug in the context of abuse.

9. Firearms

Firearms: handguns, rifles, shotguns, and similar potentially lethal weapons required to be registered with law enforcement authorities.

10. Keywords

Key words: customised words that are relevant to an organisation such as the name of a school, governor etc.

Safeguard children in education

For more information

Get in touch today to see the benefits of Social Media Check.

Call: 01565 874 241