This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The world’s leaders have pushed social media giants to root out terrorism and violent extremist content on the internet.

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, earned a victory at the G20 summit by convincing all leaders of the world’s major economies to agree to take action, inspired by the live-streamed Christchurch massacre.

“We urge online platforms to step up the ambition and pace of their efforts to prevent terrorist and VECT (violent extremism conducive to terrorism) content from being streamed, uploaded, or re-uploaded,” the statement released on Saturday said.

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“We issue this statement to raise the bar of expectation for online platforms to do their part.”

Morrison said the consensus position from G20 leaders sent a clear message to technology companies.

“The impetus of this is to say to the companies, you have the technology, you have the innovation, you have the resources, and now you have the clear communicated will of the world’s leaders to get this right,” he told reporters in Osaka.

Morrison was persuaded by the March attack in New Zealand – when an Australian man allegedly killed 51 Muslims at two mosques and wounded dozens more – to push for a global crackdown.

It is hoped the G20 statement will now give leaders the political support to enact individual initiatives in their own countries.

“Global leadership, domestic action: it’s now up to them to take their actions to protect not only Australian citizens but citizens all around the world from the internet being used in this way,” Morrison said.

Australia’s laws have been held up as the gold standard for others to follow. The Coalition government, with the help of Labor, passed laws just before the federal election to make it a criminal offence for companies not to take down videos that show abhorrent violent content.

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Morrison also said he would share with G20 leaders the recommendations from a taskforce of major digital platforms and Australian internet service providers which has looked at how to better control live-streaming and stop the spread of terrorist content.

Australia’s move received strong support from Canada’s Justin Trudeau, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and the European Union. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the UK prime minister, Theresa May, also spoke in support of the initiative.

It is understood the US was concerned asking social media companies to halt the publication of such content would constitute censorship, but ultimately signed on after language in the statement was tempered.