Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) stepping up to counter online radicalization amid Governments pressure

Social media leader Facebook Inc(NASDAQ:FB) is set to launch a program in UK to train and fund local firms to combat radicalism and hate speech.

This follows a social network’s steps of its own to cut terrorist-related content from its site. The UK Online Civil Courage Initiative’s initial partners include Imams Online and the Jo Cox Foundation.

In the recent times Facebook Inc (FB) has been accused for being slow to take action against terrorist propaganda on its platforms.

“The recent terror attacks in London and Manchester – like violence anywhere – are absolutely heartbreaking,” said Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg.

“No-one should have to live in fear of terrorism – and we all have a part to play in stopping violent extremism from spreading.

“We know we have more to do – but through our platform, our partners and our community we will continue to learn to keep violence and extremism off Facebook.”

Most of the governments across Europe have been pushing for technology companies to take more action to stop online platforms from being used to spread terrorist propaganda.

Especially, security services have condemned Facebook, Twitter and Google for relying extra on other people to report inappropriate content, rather than spotting it themselves.

Earlier this year Germany passed a bill to fine social networks up to €50m if they failed to give users the option to post hate speech and fake news, or if they refused to remove banned content flagged as either images of child sexual abuse or stirring terrorism.

Meanwhile after the London Bridge terror attack, UK PM Theresa May said that new international agreements needed to be introduced to control the internet in order to “deprive the extremists of their safe spaces online”.

Also recently in Paris, Mrs May and French President Emmanuel Macron launched a combined campaign to look at how they could make the internet safe, together with making companies legally responsible if they refused to eliminate certain content.