This archive report was first published on 10 August 2019.
Following two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio that killed 31 people, US President Donald Trump called on tech companies to develop tools to detect mass shooters before they strike.
On Friday, White House officials met with big social media companies to discuss how to curb extremism online. The meeting was attended by Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, but the companies declined to comment.
According to White House spokesman Judd Deere, the conversation focused on how technology can be leveraged to identify potential threats and provide help to individuals exhibiting potentially violent behavior.
Deere stated, “We urge internet and social media companies to continue their efforts in addressing violent extremism and helping individuals at risk, and to do so without compromising free speech.”
The meeting was also attended by the Internet Association, a lobby group representing the tech companies. Their chief executive, Michael Beckerman, said the companies discussed how they fight extremism online and detailed their efforts using automated tools and human review to find and prevent the spread of hateful, violent, and extremist content on their platforms.
Trump had previously laid blame on the internet and social media for providing places “to radicalize disturbed minds” and called on the Justice Department to work with companies “to develop tools that can detect mass shooters before they strike.”
However, law enforcement experts say identifying and stopping extremists online is easier said than done, given free speech protections and censorship concerns.
Trump did not attend the meeting, having traveled to New York for fundraisers ahead of a planned vacation at his golf course in New Jersey.
