Facebook backs social media summit
Facebook has confirmed it will send a top executive to a summit in Paris on May 15 hosted by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The summit will attempt to bring world leaders and technology companies together, after the March 15 terrorist attacks in Christchurch, to ratify an agreement to stop social media platforms being used to promote terrorism and violent extremism.
A spokesman for Ardern said that Google, Microsoft and Twitter had also agreed to be represented at the summit. Facebook spokesman Ben McConaghy said it would send one of its top executives and was evaluating ‘‘who is best placed given the type of conversation that is going to be had’’, he said.
‘‘We share the commitment of world leaders to keep people safe and look forward to collaborating with government, industry and safety experts on a clear framework of rules to help achieve this.’’
Ardern said she had been in talks with Macron, and had also spoken to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, who had shared his condolences on the attacks.
He said two weeks after the Christchurch attack that internet companies needed to be accountable for enforcing standards on harmful content and should take a more ‘‘standardised approach’’.
The aim of the summit is for world leaders and chief executives of tech companies to agree to a pledge dubbed the ‘‘Christchurch Call’’, to address terrorist and violent extremist online content.
Ardern said she didn’t think ‘‘anyone would argue the terrorist on March 15 had a right to livestream the murder of 50 people’’.
Ardern’s spokesman said it was expected other world leaders would attend but he could not say yet who they would be.
Ardern said: ‘‘No tech company, just as no government, wishes to see violent extremism and terrorism online. We have a starting point of unity.’’
The way in which social media was used to disseminate footage of the Christchurch attack was unprecedented, she said.
The plan was to build ‘‘unity around this issue’’ while maintaining the principles of a ‘‘free, open and secure internet’’, she said. It was a global issue that required a global response.
The meeting will be held alongside the Tech For Humanity meeting of G7 digital ministers, of which France is the chair, and France’s separate Tech For Good summit, both on May 15.