'No leave passes': PM pledges to work with tech giants to stop online extremism

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia will work with tech companies and like-minded governments to remove online extremist material.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged to work with tech giants and other countries to remove violent extremist content from the internet. Source: AAP

Australia has pledged to work with tech giants and other countries to remove violent extremist content from the internet.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the commitment at a leaders' dialogue - co-chaired by the leaders of New Zealand, France and Jordan - on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged to work with tech giants and other countries to remove violent extremist content from the internet. Source: AAP

Also at the event, it was announced a global working group set up by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Microsoft to remove extremist content will become an independent watchdog.

This would enable the tech giants to respond quicker and work more collaboratively to deal with situations such as the live-streaming of the Christchurch attack in which 51 people were killed.

The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, created in 2017, has already shared about 200,000 digital fingerprints, enabling the major platforms to take down extremist content across multiple platforms.

Mr Morrison said there should be no difference between the digital world and the physical world when it came to terrorists and extremism.

The man accused of carrying out the Christchurch mosque murders in court. Source: Getty Images AsiaPac

"There should be no leave passes or different tolerances for different types of behaviour along the lines that exist in real space," he said.

"So we cannot allow the internet to be weaponised by violent extremists."

Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, told the forum it must be dealt with at an international level, "driven by a vision of common humanity, political ownership and respect for human rights and the rule of law".

"I have been encouraged by the progress that has been made since the adoption of the Christchurch Call just over four months ago.

A global working group set up by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Microsoft will remove extremist content will become an independent watchdog. Source: AAP

"New supporters have come on board, providing additional momentum and strengthening partnerships between governments, society and tech companies."