Following last week’s terrorist attack on two New Zealand mosques where the shooter live-streamed it on social media, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is calling on the CEOs of four major social media companies to immediately remove violent terrorist content.
The request was sent to the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Microsoft.
“I write to you in the wake of the horrific acts of terrorism at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, which killed at least 50 people and wounded 50 more. I was deeply concerned to learn that one of the shooters live-streamed his terror attack on Facebook, and the video was subsequently reuploaded on Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms. The video was widely available on your platforms well after the attack, despite calls from New Zealand authorities to take these videos down,” Thompson wrote.
He noted that the companies jointly formed the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) in June 2017 to disrupt the exploitation of their platforms by terrorists.
“In July 2017, GIFCT representatives briefed this Committee on your companies’ commitment to combatting and removing terrorism-related content. But just last week—nearly two years after you formed GIFCT—a terrorist exploited your platforms to disseminate across the world a horrific video of mass violence,” Thompson wrote.
Thompson, who is chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, requested a briefing from the companies next week on their efforts to prevent the dissemination of this type of violent content.
“You must do better. It is clear from the recent pattern of horrific mass violence and thwarted attempts at mass violence—here and abroad—that this is not merely an American issue but a global one. Your companies must prioritize responding to these toxic and violent ideologies with resources and attention. If you are unwilling to do so, Congress must consider policies to ensure that terrorist content is not distributed on your platforms—including by studying the examples being set by other countries,” Thompson wrote. “I respectfully request a briefing before the Committee on Homeland Security on March 27, 2019, regarding your response to the dissemination of the video of the New Zealand terrorist attack on your platforms and how your companies intend to prevent this disturbing incident from happening again.”