Violence and Security

German Ministers Advance Proposal for "Hate Speech" Fines

May 25, 2017

The BBC reports that German government ministers have approved the advancement of legislation providing for fines of up to 50 million euros for social media companies that fail to promptly remove "illegal hate speech" and "fake news" from their online platforms, with German Justice Minister Heiko Mass explaining that "the freedom of speech is only limited by the law."
Google Aims to Limit "Offensive," "Inaccurate" Results

May 25, 2017

Media website The Verge reports that internet company Google recently announced changes to its search engine intended to reduce "offensive and inaccurate search results" and facilitate the reporting of such undesirable results through a new feedback mechanism on the platform.
UNESCO Produces Guidance on Education, Extremism

May 25, 2017

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has launched global guidance for national policymakers on "Preventing violent extremism through education," part of its efforts toward "inclusive, equitable and quality education" in line with its Global Citizenship Education program.
EU Council Approves Measure Against "Hate" Videos

May 24, 2017

Reuters reports that the Council of the EU, made up of ministers from the bloc's member states, has approved EU legislation that would require social media platforms to take measures to remove user-posted videos containing "hate speech" and "incitement to hatred" from their websites.
Google Creates Workshops Teaching Online "Responsibility"

May 24, 2017

The Guardian reports that internet giant Google has announced that it will launch a series of workshops called Internet Citizens to inform teens across the UK how to tackle online "hate speech" and educate them on "how to participate safely and responsibly online."
EU Paper Considers Unified "Hate Speech" Policy

May 24, 2017

Reuters reports that a European Commission draft policy paper expresses concern regarding diverging approaches of EU member states online "hate speech" and considers imposing a "harmonized" approach across the EU threatening social media platforms with liability if they fail to police such content.
UNESCO Opposes "Media Myths" on Terrorism

May 24, 2017

In a post intended to combat a drive toward "nationalism and populism" in response to media reporting on terrorism, the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) corrects several terror-related "media myths" by disputing that "fear of terrorism is rational" and "refugees and recent migrants bring terrorism."
Tech Coalition Objects to German Proposal on "Hate Speech"

May 23, 2017

A coalition of technology companies, nongovernmental organizations, and academics called the Global Network Initiative has opposed German legislation that would impose substantial fines on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, that do not remove "illegal hate speech" in a timely manner, arguing that the proposal would require broad censorship of the internet.
Local Informants Push back with Anti-IS Intel

May 22, 2017

Networks of local informants opposed to the Islamic State's (IS) caliphate are relaying, at risk of their lives, real-time, local intelligence to Iraqi government and international coalition forces as an act of defiance against the violent Islamism promoted by IS.
Plan for Laptop Ban Shows Extended Terrorist Threat

May 18, 2017

The US plan to expand the ban on laptops to incoming flights from Europe underscores the extent of the danger posed by the ability of radicalized Islamist fighters returning from Syria to Europe to weaponize electronic devices as a jihadi tool against America.