Officials address emerging security threat protections

Acting Deputy Secretary David P. Pekoske and Attorney General William P. Barr recently participated in the Five Country Ministerial in London, England, to address emerging global security threats.

Pekoske and Barr joined Home Affairs, Interior Security and Immigration Ministers of the Five Eyes countries in a series of sessions designed to examine threats such as cybersecurity, emerging technology, asylum fraud, and border security, online child sexual exploitation and abuse and foreign interference.

Five Eyes refers to the security alliance forged between the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Each participating nation has vowed to work together in matters of national security, intelligence, counter-terrorism, and cyber vulnerabilities.

The alliance delegation also met with representatives from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Roblox, Snap and Twitter, committing to initiating the process of addressing online child sexual exploitation and abuse by designing a set of voluntary principles establishing systems for online platforms to stop the viewing, sharing, and live-streaming of child sexual abuse material.

The Five Eyes nations focus upon global security initiatives; changes to the tech industry; strategies for improving cybersecurity and addressing threats in the online environment; foreign interference; migration and border security; and countering the spread of violent extremism and terrorism.