White House officials and big social media companies met on Friday to talk about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-to-visit-el-paso-tomorrow-following-mass-shooting-mayor-241082">how to curb extremism</a> online after two mass shootings last weekend that killed 31 people in Texas and Ohio.

After the shootings, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump laid blame on the internet and social media for providing places "to radicalise disturbed minds" and called on the Justice Department to work with companies "to develop tools that can detect mass shooters before they strike."

Social media companies have come under increasing scrutiny since a white supremacist broadcast deadly attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, online. But law enforcement experts say identifying and stopping extremists online is easier said than done, given free speech protections and censorship concerns.

The White House declined to comment on who took part or led Friday's closed-door meeting. Trump did not attend, having travelled to New York on Friday for fundraisers ahead of a planned vacation at his golf course in New Jersey.

"The conversation focused on how technology can be leveraged to identify potential threats, to provide help to individuals exhibiting potentially violent behaviour and to combat domestic terror," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.

"We urge internet and social media companies to continue their efforts in addressing violent extremism and helping individuals at risk, and to do so without compromising free speech," Deere said.

The Washington Post reported Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit were invited to the meeting. The companies declined to comment.

Their lobby group, the Internet Association, said the meeting was productive and that the companies talked about how they fight extremism online.

The companies "detailed their extensive efforts using automated tools and human review to find and prevent the spread of hateful, violent, and extremist content on their platforms," Internet Association chief executive Michael Beckerman said in a statement.

The House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee this week called the owner of online messaging board 8chan, an American who lives in the Philippines, to testify about the site’s efforts to tackle “extremist content.” Authorities have cited a lengthy anti-immigrant manifesto, apparently posted on 8chan by the suspect in the El Paso killings, as evidence of a racial motive.

Ahead of his trip, Trump told reporters that social media companies would be coming to the White House on Friday, but focused his comments on complaints that online platforms suppress conservative voices.

White House officials and big social media companies met on Friday to talk about how to curb extremism online after two mass shootings last weekend that killed 31 people in Texas and Ohio.

White House officials and big social media companies met on Friday to talk about how to curb extremism online after two mass shootings last weekend that killed 31 people in Texas and Ohio. After the shootings, US President Donald Trump laid blame on the internet and social media for providing places "to radicalise disturbed minds" and called on the Justice Department to work with companies "to develop tools that can detect mass shooters before they strike." Social media companies have come under increasing scrutiny since a white supremacist broadcast deadly attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, online. But law enforcement experts say identifying and stopping extremists online is easier said than done, given free speech protections and censorship concerns. The White House declined to comment on who took part or led Friday's closed-door meeting. Trump did not attend, having travelled to New York on Friday for fundraisers ahead of a planned vacation at his golf course in New Jersey. "The conversation focused on how technology can be leveraged to identify potential threats, to provide help to individuals exhibiting potentially violent behaviour and to combat domestic terror," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement. "We urge internet and social media companies to continue their efforts in addressing violent extremism and helping individuals at risk, and to do so without compromising free speech," Deere said. The Washington Post reported Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit were invited to the meeting. The companies declined to comment. Their lobby group, the Internet Association, said the meeting was productive and that the companies talked about how they fight extremism online. The companies "detailed their extensive efforts using automated tools and human review to find and prevent the spread of hateful, violent, and extremist content on their platforms," Internet Association chief executive Michael Beckerman said in a statement. The House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee this week called the owner of online messaging board 8chan, an American who lives in the Philippines, to testify about the site’s efforts to tackle “extremist content.” Authorities have cited a lengthy anti-immigrant manifesto, apparently posted on 8chan by the suspect in the El Paso killings, as evidence of a racial motive. Ahead of his trip, Trump told reporters that social media companies would be coming to the White House on Friday, but focused his comments on complaints that online platforms suppress conservative voices.

White House summons tech, social media firms after shootings

India joined France, New Zealand, Canada and several other countries on Wednesday in launching a major initiative in Paris to combat terrorism and extremism online and secure the internet.The initiative — 'Christchurch call to action' -- was named after the New Zealand city where 51 people were killed in an attack on mosques, officials said.

The non-binding agreement 'Christchurch Call' has been signed by 18 leaders from around the globe, including British PM Theresa May and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

Meanwhile, the United States declined to endorse a New Zealand-led effort to curb extremism online.

"While the United States is not currently in a position to join the endorsement, we continue to support the overall goals reflected in the call. We will continue to engage governments, industry and civil society to counter terrorist content on the internet," White House said in a statement.

The statement cited freedom of expression and freedom of the press as reasons to not join the agreement.

"We encourage technology companies to enforce their terms of service and community standards that forbid the use of their platforms for terrorist purposes. We continue to be proactive in our efforts to counter terrorist content online while also continuing to respect freedom of expression and freedom of the press," the statement read.

'Christchurch Call' was announced on Wednesday in Paris at a meeting of digital leaders of G7 nations, two months after the mass shooting on two mosques in Christchurch that left 51 people dead and about as many wounded. The summit was co-organised by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron.

India joined France, New Zealand, Canada and several other countries on Wednesday in launching a major initiative in Paris to combat terrorism and extremism online and secure the internet.

India joined France, New Zealand, Canada and several other countries on Wednesday in launching a major initiative in Paris to combat terrorism and extremism online and secure the internet.The initiative — 'Christchurch call to action' -- was named after the New Zealand city where 51 people were killed in an attack on mosques, officials said. The non-binding agreement 'Christchurch Call' has been signed by 18 leaders from around the globe, including British PM Theresa May and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Meanwhile, the United States declined to endorse a New Zealand-led effort to curb extremism online. "While the United States is not currently in a position to join the endorsement, we continue to support the overall goals reflected in the call. We will continue to engage governments, industry and civil society to counter terrorist content on the internet," White House said in a statement. The statement cited freedom of expression and freedom of the press as reasons to not join the agreement. "We encourage technology companies to enforce their terms of service and community standards that forbid the use of their platforms for terrorist purposes. We continue to be proactive in our efforts to counter terrorist content online while also continuing to respect freedom of expression and freedom of the press," the statement read. 'Christchurch Call' was announced on Wednesday in Paris at a meeting of digital leaders of G7 nations, two months after the mass shooting on two mosques in Christchurch that left 51 people dead and about as many wounded. The summit was co-organised by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron.

'Christchurch call' to fight extremism online: India joins, US declines

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