Major social networks build database to track terrorism
Facebook, Microsoft, Google's YouTube and Twitter have created a shared database that identifies images via a digital fingerprint that will make it easier to identify and remove terrorism imagery. "There is no place for content that promotes terrorism on our hosted consumer services,” the companies said in a joint statement. The move follows heavy criticism of the social networks for doing little to prevent themselves being used to spread terrorist propaganda.
The United States’ biggest social networks are working together to build a database of photos and videos used to recruit people into terrorism, the companies said. Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and Google’s YouTube will create a shared database that identifies images via a unique digital fingerprint, making it easier for the platforms to identify and remove the imagery.

“There is no place for content that promotes terrorism on our hosted consumer services,” the companies said in a joint blog post. “When alerted, we take swift action against this kind of content in accordance with our respective policies.” The move comes a year after the same companies banded together to identify and remove child pornography using a similar technique. The technique was developed by the UK’s Internet Watch Foundation. It extends beyond social networks; Google scans every Gmail user’s account for child porn.

“There is no place for content that promotes terrorism.”

Content flagged by the database will not be automatically removed from the platforms, the companies said. Instead, it will be reviewed by each company to determine whether it violates the company’s terms of service.