German authorities have developed a special app that allows them to identify extremist, right-wing music from just a brief clip, according to the German newspaper Der Spiegel. The new app works much like “Nazi Shazam.”
According to the report, the app isn’t currently in use, and authorities from the Interior Ministry are currently meeting to discuss its possible implementation. From the report, it appears that the app is targeted at 79 songs which have been explicitly banned in Germany for espousing neo-Nazi views.
In other words, the technology is listening for particular songs, rather than for any lyrics or musical patterns that might be associated with Nazi music. The app is capable of detecting songs being played over online sources, as well as over speakers at an event. The hope is that the app will help the police identify and shut down latent Nazi influence before it indoctrinates new adherents.
The technology behind sample-based sound recognition isn’t new, of course, but this particular use certainly is. Originally, this tech was developed to help people discover and learn about new music; now, it’s being used to target an extremist hate group and curb its activities. Not a bad cause at all. [Der Spiegel]
Image via Jan S/ Shutterstock.com