New Zealand, France Announce Bid To End Violent Extremism Online
Faizan Hashmi Published April 24, 2019 | 01:22 PM
New Zealand and France will bring together global leaders at a Paris summit next month aimed at stopping social media being used to organise and promote terrorism, the countries leaders announced Wednesday
Wellington (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th April, 2019) New Zealand and France will bring together global leaders at a Paris summit next month aimed at stopping social media being used to organise and promote terrorism, the countries leaders announced Wednesday.Political leaders and tech company executives have been called to a meeting to be co-chaired by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on May 15.They will be asked to commit to a pledge called the "Christchurch Call" designed to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.Ardern said the March 15 terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, in which 50 Muslim worshippers were killed, saw social media used "in an unprecedented way as a tool to promote an act of terrorism and hate".The mosque attacks were live-streamed on the internet and showed distressing footage of the gunman firing indiscriminately at men, women and children.In Paris, the Elysee presidential palace said the meeting would ensure that "new, concrete measures are taken so that what happened in Christchurch does not happen again".Nearly six weeks after the massacre, social media sites are still struggling to stamp out copies of the gunman�s video."We�re calling on the leaders of tech companies to join with us and help achieve our goal of eliminating violent extremism online at the Christchurch Summit in Paris," Arden said.The meeting will be held alongside the "Tech for Humanity" meeting of G7 Digital Ministers, and France�s separate "Tech for Good" summit also scheduled for May 15.
"We all need to act, and that includes social media providers taking more responsibility for the content that is on their platforms, and taking action so that violent extremist content cannot be published and shared," Ardern said."It�s critical that technology platforms like Facebook are not perverted as a tool for terrorism, and instead become part of a global solution to countering extremism."Macron has previously stated his ambition for France to take a leading role in devising new regulatory measures "to reconcile technology with the common good".Ardern said the joint action was not aimed at curbing freedom of expression but at preventing extremist violence from spreading online."I don�t think anyone would argue that the terrorist on March 15 had a right to livestream the murder of 50 people and that is what this call is very specifically focussed on," she said.A French Muslim group said on Monday it was suing Facebook and YouTube for allowing the grisly live broadcast of Christchurch massacre to be streamed.The livestream lasting 17 minutes was shared extensively on a variety of internet platforms and uploaded again nearly as fast as it could be taken down.New Zealand has banned both the livestreamed footage of the attack and the manifesto written and released by Brenton Tarrant, who faces 50 murder charges and 39 of attempted murder following the mosque attacks.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Pakistan ranked 5th most vulnerable country to climate change. Tirmizi
Pakistan, West Indies ODI series commences on Thursday
Moyes hopes Leverkusen's title celebrations benefit West Ham
Commissioner Karachi chairs meeting on civic problems
AJK gov’t initiates efforts to revive sick industrial units
International financial partners to invest $1.8 bln in KP: Advisor
World Hemophilia Day observed to underscore importance of providing comprehensiv ..
Iran sanctions, Ukraine on agenda at G7 meet in Capri
Blind murder traced, 5 including constable arrested
Thousands rally in Georgia as MPs advance controversial 'foreign influence' law
Six in a family with heart on the 'right side'
Sindh govt to introduce non-formal education system to facilitate 2 million out ..
More Stories From World
-
Pakistan ranked 5th most vulnerable country to climate change. Tirmizi
4 minutes ago -
Iran sanctions, Ukraine on agenda at G7 meet in Capri
32 minutes ago -
Thousands rally in Georgia as MPs advance controversial 'foreign influence' law
32 minutes ago -
Croatia votes in high numbers after bitter PM-president fight
59 minutes ago -
Volcano erupts in Indonesia, alert level raised to highest point
59 minutes ago -
Oil prices slide, stocks diverge
59 minutes ago
-
Slovaks buy bullets for Ukraine in defiance of Russia-friendly PM
2 hours ago -
Lebanon's Hezbollah targets Israel base, wounding 14 soldiers
2 hours ago -
Italy PM Meloni visits Tunisia for migration talks
2 hours ago -
Biden urges Congress to pass 'pivotal' Ukraine, Israel war aid
2 hours ago -
Israel reserves 'right to protect itself' after Iran attack: Netanyahu
2 hours ago -
Sweden passes disputed gender reassignment law
2 hours ago