As governments around the world face the ongoing threat of extremism, US ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says tech companies have a social "responsibility" to take better care of what appears on their platforms.
And he says companies should go as far as filtering their feeds and opening encryption access.
Speaking today at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, the head of the US intelligence community during the Obama administration said the issue was controversial, but Silicon Valley needed to play ball on national security.
"I do think there is a role to play here in some screening and filtering of what appears in social media," he said.
(Score: 2) by inertnet on Thursday June 08 2017, @10:04AM (4 children)
One of our best arguments against terrorism is that we live in a free society. If you censor the internet, the terrorists can claim that we don't have freedom.
Don't give them arguments against our way of life.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 08 2017, @10:08AM (3 children)
"The terrorists" care more about imperialism and Israel than debating about our free speech limits and slutty clothes.
(Score: 2) by inertnet on Thursday June 08 2017, @11:22AM
Yes, but they use these kinds of arguments to lure in new gullible people from our own society.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 08 2017, @02:13PM
That's commonly stated, but I think unrealistic. They have been killing themselves for centuries over a disagreement about a succession in Islamic leadership 1,400 years old.
If a disagreement over a nuance of Islam is enough to be considered an infidel worthy of death - well, I think their depth of disagreement with us is a bit more fundamental than our military and values. And in any case a fair amount of the terrorists are homegrown second generation citizens. That's not a Syrian or an Iraqi with a grudge, but somebody who lived their entire life in the west yet nonetheless felt their religion dictated the death of the people they grew up alongside.
(Score: 1) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Thursday June 08 2017, @09:45PM
Nevertheless, don't destroy freedom in the name of it.
This sig for rent.