Microsoft has begun taking a no-nonsense approach to extremist content found online as the company has announced that they will be cracking down on such content on some of its consumer services.
According to a blog post, Microsoft has outlined what it plans to do with what they consider “extremist content”. From this point forward, Microsoft will be proactively removing terrorist content from its services. This includes places such as Xbox Live, Outlook, Skype, and perhaps even OneDrive. The company will also be allowing its users to report any activity that can be consider an extremist action via this form.
As for Bing, Microsoft has said that it will remove links to other websites that promote extremist acts when, and only when that “is required of search providers under local law,” citing free expression as the reason for doing so.
Microsoft has also stated that they will be tackling this issues with other companies as well. For extremist acts that are done outside of Microsoft services, the company has said that they will be investing in public-private partnerships and leveraging new technologies in order to curb extremist actions. Microsoft will also be providing additional information and resources, such as the online safety program pages located in Microsoft’s YouthSpark initiative, to combat the extremist ideologies found online.
Source: Microsoft Blog, Reuters