Tech companies say they're ready to fight white-nationalist terror
Tech companies say they're ready to fight
white-nationalist terror
Ina Fried11 August 5, 2019
Tech companies are willing to work more closely with law
enforcement to fight white nationalist terrorism, but the industry is skeptical
of the White House's seriousness on the issue.
Why it matters: President Trump called on social media to
do better monitoring in the wake of recent mass shootings, but the companies
point out the White House still has yet to sign on to recommendations made in
the wake of the Christchurch shooting.
Driving the news: As part of his comments following the
Dayton and El Paso shootings, President Trump called on law enforcement and
social media companies to work together more closely.
"I am directing the Department of Justice to work in
partnership with local, state and federal agencies, as well as social media
companies to develop tools that can detect mass shooters before they
strike," he said.
What they're saying: While the big tech companies didn't
comment on the record, they shared a consensus around several points:
Many of the big platforms welcome the attention on 8chan
and more extreme internet discussion forums, pointing out that extremists tend
to start out there, though many do have presences in more mainstream forums.
These companies are willing to work with law enforcement
and believe that concerted action could yield results. One source pointed to
the success the companies have had in working with law enforcement around
Islamist terrorism and even more recently around election security.
Despite that willingness, there is also widespread
skepticism over the seriousness of the president's call, given the
administration's past indifference to white supremacism. In particular, one
source pointed to the fact the U.S. hasn't moved on steps recommended in the
wake of the New Zealand shooting, actions signed on to by Facebook, Twitter,
Google, Microsoft and Amazon, as well as the heads of state of most of the
U.S.'s allies. The tech companies also announced a series of steps they would
take on their own, in addition to any work with law enforcement.
A White House representative was not immediately
available for comment.
Our thought bubble: Trump's speech condemned "white
supremacism," but his call to social media companies asked them to detect
"mass shooters" rather than pursue any specific group. The question
is just how deeply the administration will want social media and law
enforcement to go after extremists who support the president and often share
his rhetoric.
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