The European Union will ask Internet giants, such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, to fight against extremism and jihadism online, a European source said today.
Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and several European interior ministers will have dinner with representatives of these companies in Luxembourg tonight, a European Commission spokesman said. At their meeting tomorrow, EU interior ministers are expected to focus on combating European jihadism and the radicalisation of young people who are leaving their countries to fight in Syria and Iraq with extremist organisations.
According to the spokesman, tonight's dinner will focus on "mainly the risks arising from the use of the internet by terrorists (…) and the means and techniques for countering terrorist acts." Specific measures will not be discussed, only the way in which private companies could cooperate with governments, he clarified.
Extremists have found the Internet a powerful propaganda tool. In recent weeks, the Islamic State has posted several videos showing the beheading of Western hostages.
Major social media sites shut down accounts that violate their terms of use, such as inciting violence, but only if they are notified, as they do not monitor the content of their pages. In early August, Twitter shut down several accounts belonging to members of the Islamic State and its supporters that had posted photos of the beheading of American journalist James Foley.
Source: newsit.gr
