Facebook, Twitter and YouTube execs face jail and multi-billion pound fines over terror videos
TECH TITAN TAKEDOWN Facebook, Twitter and YouTube execs
face jail and multi-billion pound fines over terror videos
Australia could become the first country in the world to
introduce prison terms if firms fail to speedily remove terror videos
By Jenny Awford and Paul Osborne 30th March 2019, 1:22 am
SOCIAL media giant executives could be jailed and their
companies fined billions of pounds if they fail to quickly take down violent
and terror-related content.
Australia could become the first country to introduce
prison terms and fines if firms fail to speedily remove terror videos like the
Christchurch massacre live-stream.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is set to introduce the new
bill to Parliament next week after the slaughter of 50 people at two mosques
was broadcast live on Facebook.
The proposed new laws would cover "abhorrent violent
material", such as videos that showed terrorist attacks, murders or rapes.
The Australian government will seek to put two new sets
of offences in the criminal code.
It will be a criminal offence for social media platforms,
which as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, not to remove abhorrent violent
material quickly.
The speed of the removal would be determined by a jury.
POSSIBLE THREE YEAR JAIL-TERM
This would be punishable by three years in jail for
Australian or overseas executives or fines that can reach up to 10 per cent of
the platform’s global annual turnover.
Google's parent company enjoyed revenue of $US136.8
billion (£104.88) during 2018, meaning technology companies could be liable for
billions of pounds if successfully prosecuted.
Platforms anywhere in the world must notify the
Australian Federal Police if they become aware their service is streaming
abhorrent violent conduct that is happening in Australia.
The laws will also give the eSafety Commissioner the
power to issue notices that bring this type of material to the attention of the
social media companies.
As soon as they receive that type of notice, the
companies will be deemed to be aware of the material and the clock starts
ticking for the hosting platform to remove the material or face penalties.
The laws will still ensure that news media can report
appropriately on events which are in the public interest, without showing the
violent material itself.
TACKLE HATE ONLINE
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General
Christian Porter were left unimpressed after a meeting with social media
companies earlier this week, called in response to the live-streaming of the
killing of 50 people in two New Zealand mosques.
“There are many actions we need to take to keep
Australians safe in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attacks, and our
government has been getting on with that job,” Mr Morrison said.
“Foremost among these is to recognise how social media
platforms are being weaponised by terrorists.
“Big social media companies have a responsibility to take
every possible action to ensure their technology products are not exploited by
murderous terrorists.”
After the Christchurch attack, Facebook revealed it had removed 1.5 million copies of
the video of the terrorist atrocity in the first 24 hours after the shootings.
Politicians in the UK have also called on social media
companies to step up efforts to tackle online hate.
The chancellor, Philip Hammond, told BBC One’s The Andrew
Marr Show: “The big media companies certainly have to do more.
"As the world becomes more and more digital, we have
to find ways of ensuring our digital environment is regulated as effectively,
and behaves with the same standards and norms, that we would expect in the real
world around us. That clearly isn’t happening at the moment.”
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