ARGUMENT: Extremism onlineOn Christchurch Call Anniversary, a Step Closer to Eradicating Terrorism Online?
Is it possible to eradicate terrorism and violent extremism from the internet? To prevent videos and livestreams of terrorist attacks from going viral, and maybe even prevent them from being shared or uploaded in the first place? Courtney C. Radsch writes that the governments and tech companies involved in the Christchurch Call are dealing with a difficult issue: “The big question is whether the twin imperatives of eradicating TVEC while protecting the internet’s openness and freedom of expression are compatible,” Radsch writes.
Is it possible to eradicate terrorism and violent extremism from the internet? To prevent videos and livestreams of terrorist attacks from going viral, and maybe even prevent them from being shared or uploaded in the first place? Courtney C. Radsch writes in Just Security that the governments and tech companies involved in the Christchurch Call are working with other public-private partnerships to develop the technical capacity and coordinated approach required to implement this ambitious agenda.
Radsch adds:
Heads of state and officials from the tech industry gathered for a virtual summit last weekend to mark the second anniversary of the Christchurch Call. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern launched the initiative, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, in 2019, after a far-right extremist attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 51 people. The killer had posted his manifesto online, promoted his intended attack in online message boards, and livestreamed the assault on Facebook for 17 minutes.
Despite efforts by the major platforms to stamp out the video and prevent it from being uploaded and shared, it quickly propagated online and illustrated yet again that the internet never forgets. Subsequent terrorist attacks around the world reportedly were inspired by that one.
The Christchurch Call now includes 55 governments and 10 of the world’s leading internet providers, including Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, which have voluntarily committed to the action plan. The United States, which did not join the pledge during the Trump administration, citing free-speech concerns, reversed course and joined the Call this year, sending Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to represent the Biden administration.
The action plan includes pledges from the participating governments and tech companies to eradicate terrorist- and violent extremist content (TVEC) online.
Radsch notes that TVEC is an acronym which will be key for content moderation and internet governance, as the idea behind the terminology drives coordination between government and industry. “The idea of eliminating TVEC raises questions about how to respect human rights such as freedom of expression and association online and maintain a free and open internet, while also preventing the posting and sharing of a specific type of poorly defined, and often contextual content. It’s very difficult for an upload filter or an algorithmic flagging system to distinguish between a video making fun of extremists or reporting on terrorism and one that is glorifying it.”
Dealing with extremism and terrorism online is not easy or simple. “The big question is whether the twin imperatives of eradicating TVEC while protecting the internet’s openness and freedom of expression are compatible,” Radsch writes.
