Homeland Security chairman requests briefing from tech companies after spread of New Zealand footage

from The Hill

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee is requesting that tech companies brief Congress on their efforts to crack down on violent extremists following the livestreaming of last week’s massacre in New Zealand.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) sent letters to the chief executives of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Microsoft saying that he was “deeply concerned” that the suspected attacker was able to livestream his killing spree on Facebook and that other companies struggled to suppress the footage in the hours that followed.

“You must do better. It is clear from the recent pattern of horrific mass violence and thwarted attempts at mass violence — here and abroad — that this is not merely an American issue but a global one. Your companies must prioritize responding to these toxic and violent ideologies with resources and attention,” Thompson wrote.

“If you are unwilling to do so, Congress must consider policies to ensure that terrorist content is not distributed on your platforms — including by studying the examples being set by other countries,” he added...

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