Content filtering refers to an automatic system put in place to process large volumes of data and take action on any content that meets certain criteria. Publishers often use text and media-filtering solutions to handle the bulk of the user-generated content on their site. These systems are often put in place to filter content such as adult and illegal filesharing as well as the sale of firearms, drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
Developing an in-house solution
Many publishers choose to develop their own filtering system. This decision can have the following benefits:
- Text-based filtering can be relatively easy to code
- It is often significantly cheaper than commercial solutions
- The publisher knows their site and users best and can anticipate policy issues better than anyone else
Commercial solutions in a nutshell
There are a number of services that provide content filtering, even a few that specialise in filtering specific types like adult or copyrighted content. There are also crowdsourcing platforms that create a bridge between publishers and users looking to make easy money on the Internet. The best way to approach this is to do some market research on the topic and decide on the best solution for the service that you are providing. Try looking for sites that review software and see what kinds of user-generated content filtering systems they are recommending. After having all of this information at hand you should decide on the best solution for you based on the product’s score, its unique features as well as its pricing model.
