New Zealand PM Blasts Social Media For Spreading Hate Speech, And Not Doing Enough To Stop It

In the terrorist attack in Christchurch last week, where a religious extremist shot and killed around 50 Muslims praying in mosques, he was able to livestream the incident for at least 15 minutes before it was taken down.

Now, New Zealand's PM wants answers.

AFP

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern lambasted social media companies for their inability to police the services they offer, calling for them to take responsibility for what is published on them.

"We cannot simply sit back and accept that these platforms just exist and that what is said on them is not the responsibility of the place where they are published," Ardern said in a speech to Parliament.

"They are the publisher, not just the postman. It cannot be a case of all profit, no responsibility."

Before the attack, the shooter posted extensively about his extremist views on both Facebook and Twitter with no censure, even going so far as to post photos of his armaments, with some of the victims' names painted on them, just before the attack. He then went on to livestream the massacre on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

In the wake of the shooting, we also wondered about social media's role in propagating the terrorist's ideologies. The video of the shooting and his manifesto spread like wildfire across social media and YouTube, with moderation teams barely able to keep up with blocking them.

Now, 38-year-old Ardern is taking social media to task. She acknowledges that the likes of Facebook and Twitter may not have caused the horrific incident, but they're certainly responsible for allowing that kind of vitriol to spread in the first place.

People gather to pay respects outside the Masjid Al Noor in Christchurch - Reuters

"There is no question that ideas and language of division and hate have existed for decades. But the form of distribution, the tools of organization, they are new," she said. "Where racism and hatred are given a voice, violence flourishes."

Now, Facebook has announced it's working in close coordination with local police in New Zealand to "help counter hate speech and the threat of terrorism."

A little too late to show remorse guys, you're "sincerity" isn't fooling anyone.