For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke will join leaders from internet and technology companies at the inaugural meeting of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in San Francisco, Calif. The meeting is part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to work collaboratively with the private sector to counter terrorist recruitment and radicalization. Acting Secretary Duke will be joined by her counterpart in the United Kingdom, Home Secretary Amber Rudd.
“The internet provides terrorists with a virtual safe haven to recruit followers in our communities and plot against us,” Acting Secretary Duke said. “The Department is eager to work with our private sector partners to fight back against terrorist propaganda and to support their efforts to remove dangerous content and terminate known terrorist accounts. Additionally, internet and tech companies play a critical role in amplifying credible voices to counter the false narrative of groups like ISIS and al Qaeda. We cannot cede the digital battlespace. The Department will continue to partner with industry to confront this challenge, while protecting free speech and privacy.”
In June, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube announced the formation of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in an effort to make online platforms hostile to terrorists and violent extremists.
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