Unity needed over ‘Christchurch Call’
- Live streaming and viral video of mosque massacres have brought demands from governments for companies such as Facebook and Twitter to act, but the US response has been lukewarm
The horrific live streaming onto Facebook and viral video of the massacre at two Christchurch mosques have galvanised efforts by governments around the world to hold internet companies accountable for what is published on their platforms. Australian lawmakers, for example, have passed a law to punish tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter if they fail to remove inappropriate material expeditiously. Not surprisingly, New Zealand is also at the forefront, jointly unveiling a non-binding “Christchurch Call” plan with France that brings together governments and tech companies to review how online content is disseminated and tries to ensure that what was seen during the killing of 51 people is never repeated.
Most supporters of the Christchurch Call are Western, but Asian nations such as Japan, Indonesia and India are also backing the initiative. Each will have to strike their own balance between free speech and abuse of social media. Online censorship is uncharted territory for many of them, and China already has a content control system in place for its alternative internet. But the United States is a notable absentee in the discussion, with the White House saying the country “is not in a position to join”, but continues to be proactive in countering terrorist content online while respecting freedom of expression and the press. “We maintain the best tool to defeat terrorist speech is productive speech and we emphasise the importance of promoting credible, alternative narratives,” it said.
It is not clear how this example of going it alone serves Trump’s campaign goal of putting “America first”. To be sure it can be argued that regulation or censorship alone cannot combat online extremism or hatred. There does need to be an integrated response including holistic elements, and it is to be expected that the US will be wary of possible constraints on free speech. But that need not have prevented participation. After all the Christchurch Call is non-binding. The live streaming and the posting of the gunman’s racist manifesto ought to have united countries in solidarity against the threat to online freedoms. There may be no question about the US stand against online extremism, but it would have been better demonstrated by the explicit support of participation.
