Big tech companies have pledged to take further action to counter extremism online by removing more violent content and promoting media literacy among young users. As part of a summit at the White House, Facebook, Meta and Microsoft have notably announced that they will extend their policy to remove content glorifying hateful acts.
The web giants have come under fire for years for allowing hate speech, misinformation and violent rhetoric to thrive on their services. In a report published last May, the information center Tech Transparency Project says it found 435 pro-militia videos on YouTube, including 85 posted since the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Some of these videos gave training tips including how to conduct guerrilla-style ambushes.
Earlier in the day on Thursday September 15, Joe Biden called on Americans to fight racism and extremism during a summit at the White House. YouTube has said it will expand its extremism policies to remove content glorifying violent acts.
Microsoft, meanwhile, said it would make a more affordable basic version of its tools available to schools and small organizations to help them prevent violence.
And Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, has announced that it is partnering with researchers from a US-based center specializing in terrorism, extremism and counter-terrorism.