Should the U.S. Join a Global Pledge to Combat Online Extremism?

• The White House has declined to join a non-binding global pledge to fight online extremism, citing concerns of freedom of speech.
• The "Christchurch Call" was written in the wake of a terrorist attack on two mosques in New Zealand - livestreamed on Facebook - that killed 51 people.
• The Christchurch Call, spearheaded by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron, asks for “enhanced cooperation” in order to “eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.”
• More than a dozen countries, including France, Germany, Canada, and UK — plus tech giants Amazon, Facebook, and Google — have signed on.
• The White House said that while it stands with the international community in “condemning terrorist and violent extremist content online,” it is not currently “in a position to join the endorsement.”

“We maintain that the best tool to defeat terrorist speech is productive speech, and thus we emphasize the importance of promoting credible, alternative narratives as the primary means by which we can defeat terrorist messaging,” the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy said in a statement.

Should the White House join a global pledge to combat online extremism? Take action above and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

(Illustration by Lily Chen)