YouTube and Meta will expand their regulations and research to prevent online extremism

Thursday, as part of a White House conference on combating violence inspired by hatred, major internet companies vowed to take additional efforts to prevent online extremism by removing more violent content and promoting media literacy among young users.

For years, Facebook (NASDAQ:META) and YouTube (NASDAQ:GOOGLYouTube) have been accused of permitting hate speech, misinformation, and violent emotions to thrive on their own platforms.

At a White House gathering attended by academics, survivors, and bipartisan local leaders on Thursday morning, Vice President Joe Biden urged Americans to combat racism and extremism.

YouTube has announced that it will widen its limits on violent extremism to include the removal of content that praises violent acts, regardless of whether the videos' creators are linked with a terrorist organization.

The video streaming website already prohibits violent incitement, but in at least some instances has not applied such prohibitions to videos promoting militia organizations implicated in the assault on the United States Capitol on January 6.

In a report published in May by the Tech Transparency Project, 435 pro-militia YouTube videos were identified, including 85 uploaded since the January 6 incident. Some of the movies contained training instructions, such as how to perform guerilla ambushes.

Jack Malon, a spokesman for YouTube, would comment on whether the service will change its approach to this content in light of the new policy, although he did note that the adjustment enables YouTube to go further than before with enforcement.

YouTube also said that it will launch a media literacy program to teach younger users how to recognize manipulation techniques used to spread misinformation.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) stated that it will make a simpler, less expensive version of its artificial intelligence and machine learning technology available to schools and smaller groups in order to help them detect and prevent violence.

The proprietor of Facebook, Meta, has partnered with the Center for Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

Legislators questioned the CEOs of Alphabet, Facebook, and Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) on their companies' possible involvement in the January 6 attack.