Tech firms face fines, jail over violent content in Australia

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia could fine social media and Web hosting companies up to 10 percent of their annual global turnover and imprison executives for up to three years if violent content is not removed "expeditiously" under a new law.

The law passed by Parliament on Thursday is in response to a lone Australian gunman's attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15, killing 50 people as they attended Friday prayers.

The gunman broadcast his attack live on Facebook and the video was widely shared for over an hour before being removed, a time frame Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described as unacceptable.

Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with one murder following the attack and was remanded without a plea.

New Zealand police said on Thursday that Tarrant will face a total of 50 murder charges and 39 attempted murder charges when he appears via video in court on Friday.

Under the new law, it is now an offense in Australia if companies, such as Facebook and Alphabet's Google, which owns YouTube, fail to immediately remove videos or photographs that depict murder, torture or rape.

Companies must also inform Australian police of such content within a "reasonable" time frame.

"It is important that we make a very clear statement to social media companies that we expect their behavior to change," Australian Minister for Communications and the Arts Mitch Fifield told reporters in Canberra.

Reuters

(China Daily 04/05/2019 page4)