Australian Authorities Demand Accountability from Tech Giants Over Extremist Content

Australia’s online safety regulator has issued legal notices to major tech companies, including Google, Meta, and others, demanding explanations for their efforts in combating violent extremism and terrorism on their platforms.

The move by Australia’s eSafety regulator comes in response to growing concerns over the accessibility of extremist material online, which has been linked to instances of radicalization and violent attacks, such as the 2019 Christchurch mosques shootings and the 2022 Buffalo massacre in New York.

Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, emphasized the ongoing threat of terrorism and online radicalization, stressing the responsibility of tech companies to prevent their platforms from being exploited for harmful purposes. Grant highlighted the use of features like live-streaming and algorithms by extremists to propagate their ideologies.

Under Australia’s Online Safety Act, the six targeted companies – Google, Meta, X, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Reddit – are required to provide detailed reports on their strategies for addressing extremist content. The notices aim to uncover why these platforms are susceptible to exploitation by terrorists and what measures are being taken to address the issue.

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Despite the existence of a voluntary framework established by the OECD in collaboration with the industry, none of the companies opted to provide information voluntarily, prompting regulatory action.

The companies have been given 49 days to respond to the notices, with potential financial penalties of up to 780 thousand Australian dollars per day for non-compliance.

A recent OECD report identified Telegram as the leading mainstream platform for terrorist and extremist content, followed by Google’s YouTube and X (formerly Twitter). Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram also ranked high in the prevalence of such material. Additionally, WhatsApp and Reddit were singled out for their roles in facilitating extremist content dissemination.

In addition to addressing extremist content, the eSafety Commission will inquire about measures implemented by Telegram and Reddit to detect and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse material.

Further details on the findings of the eSafety Commission’s inquiry are expected to be released later this year.

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