Tech firms to use digital fingerprints to prevent extremism

Four technology companies are set to collaborate to hinder the spread of violent, extremist images and video on their websites. Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube will create a database containing ‘digital fingerprints’ of the content, screening uploads, known as ‘hashes’, in order to spot violent or extremist material before it is shared. The initiative will be aimed at the ‘most extreme and egregious’ images and videos, with plans aiming to eventually make the database available to other firms keen to police this content. A spokesman for Twitter said the joint project would make the firms more efficient at removing content that violated their policies governing what could be posted and shared.