The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) has reached out to the major social media platforms to understand what measures they’re taking to prevent the proliferation of the terrorist video and related inflammatory and harmful content following the tragic and senseless Christchurch shootings.
eSafety has been advised by the major social media platforms that since the attack, dedicated teams have been working around the clock, using human and technological resources to proactively identify, block and remove the live-streamed video content and re-uploads as quickly as possible. Accounts and comments supporting the terrorist attack are also being identified and removed.
We encourage people to report all instances of the video, accounts and comments supporting the attack to the social media platforms so their systems can remove the content and block the videos from being shared again.
Under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, eSafety deals with complaints about prohibited and potentially prohibited online content, including both live and hosted content, with powers to issue a takedown or cessation notice when the content or live stream is hosted or streamed in Australia.
eSafety can take removal action on versions of the video being shared on websites hosted in Australia. Footage of this attack can be reported to eSafety’s Cyberreport team for investigation. Since Friday’s incident, 59 reports have been received and our investigators are currently assessing the content.
This horrific case further highlights the need for companies to take proactive steps to prevent their online platforms from being used to perpetuate hate, crime and heinous acts of terrorism.