Reining in hate-mongers

Claiming responsibility for the Easter carnage in Sri Lanka, the Islamic State (IS) has released a video clip purportedly showing the men who carried out the suicide bombings. The only one whose face is not covered has been identified as Mohamed Zahran, a radical preacher who had been posting pro-IS videos on social media for the past three years, advocating violence against non-Muslims. The island nation has been trying to curb the spread of hate speeches and misinformation on online platforms, but Zahran’s case shows that a lot more needs to be done to stem the rot. Despite having suffered major reversals in Iraq and Syria, the IS continues to make its presence felt, particularly in cyberspace. The terror organisation is busy exploiting social media to propagate its ideology across the globe and further its nefarious agenda of radicalisation and indoctrination.

The online dissemination of extremist propaganda has become a major cause for concern for the international community. Jolted by last month’s Christchurch shootings, which were broadcast live on the Internet by the assailant, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised international collaboration to tackle the misuse of social media for fuelling militant ideology. She will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in this regard next month. France is already contemplating a legislation under which Internet companies can be fined up to 4 per cent of their global revenues if they fail to remove extremist content within 24 hours.

More world leaders need to come together and coordinate their efforts to deal with the menace. Social media providers must take more responsibility for the content that is posted on their platforms. They should put in place requisite checks and balances. A blanket ban is not advisable as it will infringe on freedom of expression; the need of the hour is to ensure regular monitoring and the imposition of penalties on repeat offenders. India, which has been battling cross-border terrorism for the past three decades or so, should play a proactive role in this initiative so that an effective regulatory mechanism is established.