Facebook Takes On Extremism And Hate Speech In Europe

Facebook is part of a new initiative in Europe that is fighting hate speech and extremist content both offline and online. The new effort is called the Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI), and it is a partnership between Facebook, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence, the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, and the Institute from Strategic Dialogue.

The initiative has been detailed in a new Facebook page. According to it, the OCCI has the goal of combating "online extremism and hate speech" by improving how one understands online extremism and the ways to combat it. Says the group:

OCCI was created in the spirit of partnership, and in the hope that we will make a real contribution: helping people respond to hate speech and extremism online, and promoting the civil courage that already exists on Facebook.

The OCCI is aiding in the mission by giving funding and marketing to European NGOs working to counter online extremism and hate speech, as well as developing new practices that NGOs can use and providing funds for essential research that looks into the root causes of such undesirable content.

Facebook has pledged more than 1m Euros for the campaign.

SOURCE: Facebook