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The Christchurch Call to Action
To Eliminate Terrorist and Violent
Extremist Content Online

of a free, open and secure internet, without compromising
human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom
of expression. It must also recognise the internet’s ability to
act as a force for good, including by promoting innovation and
economic development and fostering inclusive societies.

To that end, we, the Governments,
commit to:

A free, open and secure internet is a powerful tool to promote
connectivity, enhance social inclusiveness and foster economic
growth.
The internet is, however, not immune from abuse by terrorist
and violent extremist actors. This was tragically highlighted
by the terrorist attacks of 15 March 2019 on the Muslim
community of Christchurch – terrorist attacks that were
designed to go viral.
The dissemination of such content online has adverse impacts
on the human rights of the victims, on our collective security

Counter the drivers of terrorism and violent extremism by
strengthening the resilience and inclusiveness of our societies
to enable them to resist terrorist and violent extremist
ideologies, including through education, building media literacy
to help counter distorted terrorist and violent extremist
narratives, and the fight against inequality.
Ensure effective enforcement of applicable laws that

and on people all over the world.

prohibit the production or dissemination of terrorist and

Significant steps have already been taken to address this issue

of law and international human rights law, including freedom of

by, among others: the European Commission with initiatives
such as the EU Internet Forum; the G20, and the G7, including
work underway during France’s G7 Presidency on combating
the use of the internet for terrorist and violent extremist

violent extremist content, in a manner consistent with the rule
expression.
Encourage media outlets to apply ethical standards when
depicting terrorist events online, to avoid amplifying terrorist

purposes; along with the Global Internet Forum to Counter

and violent extremist content.

Terrorism (GIFCT); the Global Counterterrorism Forum; Tech

Support frameworks, such as industry standards, to ensure

Against Terrorism; and the Aqaba Process established by the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

that reporting on terrorist attacks does not amplify terrorist
and violent extremist content, without prejudice to responsible

The events of Christchurch highlighted once again the urgent

coverage of terrorism and violent extremism.

need for action and enhanced cooperation among the wide

Consider appropriate action to prevent the use of online

range of actors with influence over this issue, including
governments, civil society, and online service providers, such
as social media companies, to eliminate terrorist and violent
extremist content online.
The Call outlines collective, voluntary commitments from
Governments and online service providers intended to address
the issue of terrorist and violent extremist content online and
to prevent the abuse of the internet as occurred in and after
the Christchurch attacks.
All action on this issue must be consistent with principles

services to disseminate terrorist and violent extremist content,
including through collaborative actions, such as:
 
 

Awareness-raising and capacity-building activities   
aimed at smaller online service providers;

 

Development of industry standards or voluntary   

 frameworks;
 

Regulatory or policy measures consistent with a free,  

 

open and secure internet and international human   

 

rights law.

TO ELIMINATE TERRORIST & VIOLENT EXTREMIST CONTENT ONLINE

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To that end, we, the online service providers,
commit to:
Take transparent, specific measures seeking to prevent
the upload of terrorist and violent extremist content and
to prevent its dissemination on social media and similar
content-sharing services, including its immediate and
permanent removal, without prejudice to law enforcement
and user appeals requirements, in a manner consistent
with human rights and fundamental freedoms. Cooperative
measures to achieve these outcomes may include
technology development, the expansion and use of shared
databases of hashes and URLs, and effective notice and

Review the operation of algorithms and other processes
that may drive users towards and/or amplify terrorist
and violent extremist content to better understand
possible intervention points and to implement changes
where this occurs. This may include using algorithms
and other processes to redirect users from such content
or the promotion of credible, positive alternatives or
counter-narratives. This may include building appropriate
mechanisms for reporting, designed in a multi-stakeholder
process and without compromising trade secrets or the
effectiveness of service providers’ practices through
unnecessary disclosure.
Work together to ensure cross-industry efforts are

takedown procedures.

coordinated and robust, for instance by investing in

Provide greater transparency in the setting of community

expertise.

standards or terms of service, including by:
 
 

Outlining and publishing the consequences of sharing  
terrorist and violent extremist content;

 

Describing policies and putting in place procedures  

 

for detecting and removing terrorist and violent   

 

extremist content.

Enforce those community standards or terms of service
in a manner consistent with human rights and fundamental
freedoms, including by:
 
 

Prioritising moderation of terrorist and violent   
extremist content, however identified;

 

Closing accounts where appropriate;

 

Providing an efficient complaints and appeals process  

 

for those wishing to contest the removal of their   

 

content or a decision to decline the upload of   

 

their content.

and expanding the GIFCT, and by sharing knowledge and

To that end, we, Governments and online
service providers, commit to work
collectively to:
Work with civil society to promote community-led efforts
to counter violent extremism in all its forms, including
through the development and promotion of positive
alternatives and counter-messaging.
Develop effective interventions, based on trusted
information sharing about the effects of algorithmic and
other processes, to redirect users from terrorist and violent
extremist content.
Accelerate research into and development of technical
solutions to prevent the upload of and to detect and
immediately remove terrorist and violent extremist content
online, and share these solutions through open channels,

Implement immediate, effective measures to mitigate

drawing on expertise from academia, researchers, and

the specific risk that terrorist and violent extremist

civil society.

content is disseminated through livestreaming, including

Support research and academic efforts to better

identification of content for real-time review.
Implement regular and transparent public reporting,

understand, prevent and counter terrorist and violent
extremist content online, including both the offline and

in a way that is measurable and supported by clear

online impacts of this activity.

methodology, on the quantity and nature of terrorist and

Ensure appropriate cooperation with and among law

violent extremist content being detected and removed.

enforcement agencies for the purposes of investigating

TO ELIMINATE TERRORIST & VIOLENT EXTREMIST CONTENT ONLINE

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and prosecuting illegal online activity in regard to detected

Affirm our willingness to continue to work together,

and/or removed terrorist and violent extremist content,

in existing fora and relevant organisations, institutions,

in a manner consistent with rule of law and human rights

mechanisms and processes to assist one another and to build

protections.

momentum and widen support for the Call.

Support smaller platforms as they build capacity to remove

Develop and support a range of practical, non-duplicative

terrorist and violent extremist content, including through

initiatives to ensure that this pledge is delivered.

sharing technical solutions and relevant databases of hashes
or other relevant material, such as the GIFCT shared database.

Acknowledge that governments, online service providers,
and civil society may wish to take further cooperative

Collaborate, and support partner countries, in the

action to address a broader range of harmful online content,

development and implementation of best practice in

such as the actions that will be discussed further during the

preventing the dissemination of terrorist and violent extremist

G7 Biarritz Summit, in the G20, the Aqaba Process, the Five

content online, including through operational coordination and

Country Ministerial, and a range of other fora.

trusted information exchanges in accordance with relevant
data protection and privacy rules.
Develop processes allowing governments and online
service providers to respond rapidly, effectively and in a
coordinated manner to the dissemination of terrorist or violent
extremist content following a terrorist event. This may require
the development of a shared crisis protocol and informationsharing processes, in a manner consistent with human rights
protections.
Respect, and for Governments protect, human rights,
including by avoiding directly or indirectly contributing to
adverse human rights impacts through business activities and
addressing such impacts where they occur.
Recognise the important role of civil society in supporting
work on the issues and commitments in the Call, including
through:
 

Offering expert advice on implementing the   

 

commitments in this Call in a manner consistent   

 

with a free, open and secure internet and with   

 

international human rights law;
 

 

service providers, to increase transparency;
 

 

Working, including with governments and online   
Where necessary, working to support users through  
company appeals and complaints processes.

TO ELIMINATE TERRORIST & VIOLENT EXTREMIST CONTENT ONLINE