Canada teams up with tech giants to counter extremist content online

Canada announced funding and other initiatives on Wednesday to counter violent extremist content online by teaming with major technology companies Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft and Alphabet's Google. Public Safety Canada said in a statement the government will commit up to C$1 million ($762,428) to the Tech Against Terrorism program to create a digital database that will notify smaller companies when terrorist content is detected and help eliminate it. The initiatives follow the Christchurch Call to Action, a non-binding agreement formed after the Christchurch shooting in March to "eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online." Canada joined the Christchurch Call to Action in May. Read More...

FILE PHOTO – The Twitter logo displayed on a screen on the floor of the NYSE

By Tyler Choi

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada announced funding and other initiatives on Wednesday to counter violent extremist content online by teaming with major technology companies Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google.

Public Safety Canada said in a statement the government will commit up to C$1 million ($762,428) to the Tech Against Terrorism program to create a digital database that will notify smaller companies when terrorist content is detected and help eliminate it.

The initiatives follow the Christchurch Call to Action, a non-binding agreement formed after the Christchurch shooting in March to “eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.” Canada joined the Christchurch Call to Action in May.

The second initiative is a youth conference on countering violent extremism online.

Canada previously extended C$1.5 million in funding to Moonshot CVE and C$367,000 to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology to examine right-wing extremism in Canada.

(Reporting by Tyler Choi; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)