New Zealand PM Ardern steps up fight against extremist online content

[webfact]

New Zealand PM Ardern steps up fight against extremist online content

 

Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern speaks during the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York City, New York, U.S., September 25, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

 

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced more funding and support on Monday to target violent extremist content online, just months after an alleged white supremacist livestreamed a massacre at two mosques in Christchurch.

 

The attack on March 15 that killed 51 Muslim worshippers was livestreamed on Facebook, and the video was shared on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook-owned apps Whatsapp and Instagram.

 

Ardern said the government was investing NZ$17 million ($10.73 million) over four years to boost New Zealand’s ability to find, stop and stamp out terrorist and violent extremist content online quickly.

 

The investment would be used to double the investigative, forensic, intelligence and prevention work of the Department of Internal Affairs, she announced at a press conference.

 

A new team of 17 people will be dedicated to tackling such content, the government in a statement.

 

The new department's powers include investigating and prosecuting those committing offences through both proactive detection and working with international and domestic partners, it added.

 

"Our online world must be a force for good where we can exchange ideas, share technology, and maintain civil liberties, while protecting New Zealanders from objectionable content,” Ardern said in the statement.

 

"Countering violent extremism online is an important part of our response to the March 15 terrorist attacks," she added.

 

Silicon Valley tech giants and world leaders have endorsed a movement by Ardern called "Christchurch Call" which aims to establish ethical standards for tech companies and media outlets to avoid amplifying violent extremist content online.

 

Their commitment was tested last week as social media firms scrambled to scrub footage of a shooting outside a German synagogue that was livestreamed on Amazon's <AMZN.O> gaming subsidiary Twitch.

 

As with Christchurch, full copies and portions of the German video quickly began appearing elsewhere online, shared both by supporters of the gunman's anti-Semitic ideology and critics condemning his actions.

 

Ardern said in a press conference later that the attack in Germany last week was another reminder of the threat of online extremism.

 

(Reporting by Praveen Menon)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-14

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[MarineEquine]

Who defines what is extreme? Anyone to the right of Stalin or Mao is defined as far-right by many people nowadays. 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, MarineEquine said:

Who defines what is extreme? Anyone to the right of Stalin or Mao is defined as far-right by many people nowadays. 

That is not the truth. 

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, MarineEquine said:

Who defines what is extreme? Anyone to the right of Stalin or Mao is defined as far-right by many people nowadays. 

 

Obviously, the left liberal politically correct self appointed custodians of the only views permitted. They want to define what everyone else can watch, read, communicate and think. Always has and always will be a part of their ideology and thought control desires.

 

That's the problem with censorship - who defines the rules. 

 

 

[MarineEquine]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

That is not the truth. 

Oh, yes it is. Here's just one example (I'm not going to waste my time looking for more because it's blatantly obvious to anyone who cares to look e.g. Jordan Peterson and Carl Benjamin). 

https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/9614811-mohawk-college-should-have-declined-to-rent-space-to-maxime-bernier/

 

"Dave Rubin is a far-right YouTube personality" 

[Jingthing]

I am well to the right of infamous communist authoritarian leaders and nobody has ever called me far right wing. I am also to the right of Bernie Sanders and again nobody has ever called me far right wing.

 

Like I said again it is definitely FALSE that anyone to the right of Stalin and Mao is being labelled a right wing extremist. 

 

There are logical arguments you could use on these issues. That isn't one of them. 

 

Next … 

[DrTuner]

The idea of left and right is outdated. It's a circle with communism and fascism next to each other in authoritarian south, liberalism west, concervatism east and libertarianism in north. One of these days I'll draw it. Anyway, the "extreme left" and "extreme right" are close to each other at the southern soggy bottom. Nutters, both of them.

[Sujo]

On 10/14/2019 at 3:09 PM, Baerboxer said:

 

Obviously, the left liberal politically correct self appointed custodians of the only views permitted. They want to define what everyone else can watch, read, communicate and think. Always has and always will be a part of their ideology and thought control desires.

 

That's the problem with censorship - who defines the rules. 

 

 

The people vote for representatives to decide that.

 

Humans having unfettered free speech is a disaster. There must always be limits. Even the US with its free speech has limits.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/14/2019 at 5:07 PM, webfact said:

Ardern said the government was investing NZ$17 million ($10.73 million) over four years to boost New Zealand’s ability to find, stop and stamp out terrorist and violent extremist content online quickly.

Pity she can't find an equal amount of money to target the actual threat to NZ society- the proliferation of gangs, which are far more likely to harm NZ citizens than anything on line.

No wonder her popularity is sinking fast.

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, Sujo said:

The people vote for representatives to decide that.

 

Humans having unfettered free speech is a disaster. There must always be limits. Even the US with its free speech has limits.

Who defines the limits is the problem.

quis custodiet ipsos custodes

Who watches the watchers?