Online propaganda promoting extremist activities is what the law enforcers and policymakers in Australia are after. Now, social media giants want to take part in the collaboration to stop the spread of radicalism in the country.
Tech Giants Reaches Out to Australian Policy Makers and Police Force
What is happening in some parts of the world, is also taking place in Australia at the moment. The country has been finding ways to exterminate terrorism and radicalism.
This time, social media will do their part in stopping extremist activities through their platforms.
Several promotions that spark fear and attacks are circulating online, as the New South Wales (NSW) Police Force said to the committee. These activities continue to be an outlet of worldwide terrorism which aims to cover the Western regions.
The NSW Police said that the extremist groups are using the power of technology to recruit more persons who want to join in their actions.
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"Digital platforms, including social media, encrypted messaging applications, live-streaming platforms, and the dark web can be used effectively by extremist groups. These innovations have allowed new types of communities to emerge, where ideological affinity overcomes a lack of physical proximity," NSW Police added.
With just a single click on the internet, the groups could easily reach their target. The widespread promotion can infiltrate even the parts of the web which are rarely visited.
Facebook submitted an inquiry via PDF about the extremist groups promoting vast terrorism-related undertakings online. Moreover, the company wants to help the authorities in downing content that validates such activity.
The social media giant spoke to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) that countering hate is a must besides halting extremism to manifest.
For the protection of the Australian citizens, Facebook noted that its end-to-end encryption will guarantee their security against cyber attackers.
Meanwhile, the company said that WhatsApp is also using the same feature to prevent terrorism from growing in the platform. It added that it is willing to extend help to the authorities for this issue.
On the other hand, Google also submitted a PDF inquiry concerning the scope of the threat to the public. Annually, the firm received about 4,000 requests from the law enforcement departments when it comes to users' data.
What Google will utilize is also the encryption that is similar to what Facebook has presented. Similarly, Twitter has also passed its inquiry in PDF format. We could recall that it has already made a move in stopping terrorism over the past years.
Young People Are the Frequent Targets of Terrorism Online
ZDNet reported that 33% of young persons have already viewed online content about terrorism promotion. More than 50% of the young population had witnessed the "real" happening including racist statements linked to religion and culture.
The Office of the Australian eSafety Commissioner spoke to PJCIS that education will be the best weapon to fight extremist actions.
Most importantly, educating people about the prevention of unnecessary and malicious experiences online will lead to healthier and safer online experiences.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry
