Social media’s radicalising role under scrutiny

CHRISTCHURCH: The coroner’s inquest into the mosque terror attacks, in which 51 people were killed, will look into the role of social media in the killer’s radicalisation, and the emergency response on the day.

Coroner Brigitte Windley has released the scope of what will, and will not, be covered in the upcoming coronial inquest.

In February, a hearing was held to hear submissions from interested parties — including people injured in the attack, family members of those killed and community organisations — about what they would like to see covered in the inquest.

In her decision released yesterday, Ms Windley said the inquest into the March 15, 2019, terror attacks will look at the events from the start of the attack until the end of emergency responses.

This will include whether the killer, Brenton Tarrant, got any help from others, the emergency response efforts, and if that response resulted in anyone not surviving their injuries.

It will also look at Tarrant’s radicalisation through social media and online platforms.

Ms Windley said this was an issue of particular concern identified by interested parties.

The royal commission of Inquiry into the attacks had only looked at Tarrant’s online activity from 2017, whereas she will focus on 201417.

‘‘Any effort to go further than the royal commission did to isolate any specific online platform or influence as sufficiently causally [and quantifiably] linked with Mr Tarrant’s radicalisation [and therefore with the attack], is likely to encounter formidable evidential challenges.

‘‘That said, the potential that a sufficient causative link may yet be possible to establish cannot be ruled out without first making additional inquiries.’’

The coroner said how Tarrant got his firearms licence was an issue of particular concern to interested parties, and this would be looked into.

The inquest will also look at the community’s ability to detect radicalisation and respond. Ms Windley will look into the line of defence that the wider community may provide as a means of prevention.

She will also look into the cause of death of each person killed.

The coroner said the interested parties had asked the coroner to investigate whether intelligence and counterterrorism agencies had missed any opportunities to prevent the attack but that was outside her scope. She said the issue was extensively looked at by the royal commission, and, sensitive evidence made it was unlikely she could release information not now available.

She will not look into issues deemed too speculative and remote, including whether Tarrant’s international travels led to his radicalisation, and immigration policy.

National Islamic Women’s council coordinator Aliya Danzeisen said the decision to look at online platforms and social media’s role in the attacks is a landmark moment for digital platform accountability.

‘‘The coroner has opened the door to investigating the responsibility of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, other sites like YouTube, and gaming messaging forums,’’ Ms Danzeisen said.

‘‘It is becoming increasingly clear that digital platforms need to do more to prevent the circulation of dehumanising content, and this decision should be a wakeup call to those platforms.’’ — RNZ