Australia set to call for int'l cooperation to keep violent content off social media at G20 meeting

Xinhua 2019-06-28

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CANBERRA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to lead a push for world leaders to crack down on violent content on social media.

Speaking to News Corp Australia ahead of a meeting of world leaders at the G20 summit in Japan's Osaka on Friday, Morrison said that he will call for a global response to the problem after the Christchurch attack.

"Our government's top priority is keeping Australians safe. International co-operation and information sharing are vital to achieving that goal," Morrison told News Corp.

"We've led the way keeping Australians safe online with our eSafety Commissioner, as well as new laws this year to crack down on the sorts of horrific content shared on social media during the Christchurch terrorist attack.

"The most effective way to bring social media companies into line is working with other countries so the same high standards apply equally everywhere."

In a statement released before departing for Japan, Morrison said that international cooperation "to keep violent and extremist content off social media" would be a "key priority" for the meeting.

"Together, we need to raise the bar for what we expect of social media and internet companies," he said.