March 18, 2019

Social media giants must own up to their role in the global rise of white supremacists – including acts of terrorism – urges international consumer watchdog SumOfUs in the wake of last week’s terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The organisation, which campaigns to hold big corporations accountable, runs a suite of campaigns calling on tech companies to take action to prevent the spread of far-right violence.

Jamila Brown, communications director at SumOfUs, said: “Brenton Tarrant’s attacks on two mosques in Christchurch were a horrific act. As people struggle to come to terms with the loss of loved ones and the vicious assault on their communities we extend to them our sympathy and solidarity.

“As the details of the attacks continue to emerge, we have a growing insight into the pivotal role tech corporations played. Social media companies like Facebook and YouTube enable far-right groups to propagate their hate and give white supremacy a global resonance.

“These companies are among the richest in the world, yet time and time again they fail to invest in stamping out the promotion of hate on their platforms through robust policies and enforcement processes. As we saw to devastating effect in Christchurch, their failures can have deadly consequences for innocent people. Campaigners and the public are sick of having to hold these corporations to account. It’s time they got their act together – before more lives are lost.”