Big tech invited to White House to discuss violent extremism
As President Trump and first lady Melania on Wednesday visit Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, the two communities rocked by mass shootings over the weekend, the administration is organizing a meeting with large-cap tech and social media companies to address violence.
White House spokesman Judd Deere tells FOX Business the White House has invited the companies for a discussion on violent extremism online set for Friday. The names of the companies invited were not immediately available.
The talks are expected to be led by senior administration and White House officials.
On Monday, President Trump denounced white supremacy and called for new laws regarding mental health. Trump also pointed to the rise in violent video games, the "dark recesses" of social media and the internet radicalizing the gunmen in recent mass shootings.
The meeting also comes as lawmakers seek information from Jim Watkins, the founder of extremist message board 8chan. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-MS, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Mike Rogers, R-AL, sent a letter to Watkins requesting an appearance on Capitol Hill to “to address the proliferation of extremist content on his platform.” The El Paso killer allegedly used 8chan to post his anti-immigrant, white supremacist views.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP
Cybersecurity firm Cloudfare deactivated 8chan following the attacks and CEO Matthew Prince noted in a blog that "nearly the same thing happened on 8chan before the terror attack in Christchurch, New Zealand" in which 50 people were killed.