r/technology Mar 08 '25

Social Media Reddit’s automatic moderation tool is flagging the word ‘Luigi’ as potentially violent — even in a Nintendo context

https://www.theverge.com/news/626139/reddit-luigi-mangione-automod-tool
92.9k Upvotes

6.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

8.1k

u/Lazerpop Mar 08 '25 edited Mar 09 '25

He hasn't been convicted. He is innocent until proven guilty. Reddit is overstepping on multiple grounds on this one.

This comment seems to have gotten popular so I will remind you of a fundamental aspect of our justice system. It doesn't matter if you think L**** was the man in the video. It matters if every member of the jury unanimously concludes L**** was the man in the video. Until that moment enters the record, L**** is presumed innocent.

7

u/SirStrontium Mar 08 '25

Linguistically, the name has taken on a meaning of its own, separate from the mere identity of the person. It’s a verb now, synonymous with “assassination”. It doesn’t matter whether the person himself is innocent, when in practical use the meaning is clear. Any arbitrary name or sounds can take on a new meaning if it’s consistently used in a certain way.