New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday expressed frustration over Christchurch shooting video as it remained available online, four days after the attack.
The video prompted widespread revulsion and condemnation by legislators and members of the public. Facebook said it removed 1.5 million videos of the shootings during the first 24 hours after the massacre.
“We have been in contact with Facebook; they have given us updates on their efforts to have it removed, but as I say, it’s our view that it cannot – should not – be distributed, available, able to be viewed,” she said. “It is horrendous and while they’ve given us those assurances, ultimately the responsibility does sit with them.”
Ardern said she had received “some communication” from Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg on the issue. The prime minister has also spoken with British Prime Minister Theresa May about the importance of a global effort to clamp down on the distribution of such material.
Australia’s prime minister urged world leaders to crack down on social media companies that broadcast attacks.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has written to G20 Chairman and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling for agreement on “clear consequences” for companies whose platforms are used to facilitate and normalise horrific acts.
“Social media companies are international businesses and it’s up to the international community to force them to act,” Morrison said.
Facebook, the world’s largest social media network with about 2.3 billion monthly users around the world, said the original video on its service was seen fewer than 200 times. An archived copy drew about 3,800 additional views on Facebook before the company removed it.
“This incident highlights the importance of industry cooperation regarding the range of terrorists and violent extremists operating online,” a grouping of tech firms, which includes Facebook Inc, Alphabet Inc’s Google and Twitter Inc, said of the attack.