India joins Global initiative on war against online extremists 

by Madhvi Bansal
India joins Global initiative on war against online extremists

Recently, India became one of the signatories of ‘Christchurch call to action’, an initiative to combat online terrorism and extremism. Apart from India, France, New Zealand, Canada are few countries which have joined hands in launching this big initiative in Paris. The idea of this initiative first germinated in April, during Macron’s visit to Wellington.

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‘Christchurch call to action’ a major step against online terror

The ‘Christchurch call to action’ is an initiative named after the New Zealand city, where earlier 51 innocent lives were lost in an attack on the mosques. The initiative’s declaration stated,  “A free, open and secure internet is a powerful tool by which to promote connectivity, enhance social inclusiveness and foster economic growth.”

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However, the internet has also become a source of abuse by several extremists. This was evident in the terrorist attack on March 15 on the Muslim community of New Zealand that were designed to go viral. In regards to this, the declaration stated, “ the dissemination of such content online has adverse impacts on the human rights of the victims, on our collective security and on people all over the world.” It further emphasised how the Christchurch attack has made made it urgent for all the countries to take action.

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Initiative’s course of action will keep human rights in mind

The declaration highlighted how the course of action must be in the limits of human rights. “All action on this issue must be consistent with principles 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,” was said in the ‘Christchurch call to action’ declaration.