Facebook reveals plans to tackle online extremism

The social network has launched the Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI), which will act as a forum for non-profit organisations to share experience of extremism and develop “best practices” to confront the issue.

Founding partners behind the initiative include the Jo Cox Foundation, set up in memory of the murdered MP, as well as anti-hate groups from the Jewish and Muslim communities.

The OCCI will be used to share experience, Facebook said, and will lead to awareness campaigns and better “counterspeech” to fight extremism.

Internet companies have been under increasing pressure from the Government over their role in the spread of hate speech.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the Government was “not frightened” to sanction firms who fail to remove extreme material.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, said: “There is no place for hate or violence on Facebook.

“We use technology like AI to find and remove terrorist propaganda, and we have teams of counterterrorism experts and reviewers around the world working to keep extremist content off our platform.”

The OCCI has already launched in Germany and France.

Fiyaz Mughal, founder of anti-Muslim hatred company Tell Mama which is an OCCI founding partner, said: “This initiative is much needed given that a vast amount of material online may be insulting and sometimes inflammatory, though it may not cross a legal threshold for action.

“This means that civil society mobilisation is needed as counter-speech to tackle such texts, language and ideologies.

“We are in a battle for hearts and minds and this initiative is one tool in mobilising the enormous force for good that is in communities.” – news.sky.com