White House invites tech companies to discussion of violent online extremism

The White House will host top tech companies to discuss the rise of violent online extremism on Aug 9, marking the Trump administration’s first major engagement on the issue days after a mass shooting in TX left 22 people dead. The gathering will include “senior administration officials along with representatives of a range of companies,” said White House spokesman Judd Deere. He did not name which companies would attend. On Aug 5, President Trump took aim at social media broadly, tasking the Justice Department to “work in partnership with local state and federal agencies, as well as social media companies, to develop tools that can detect mass shooters before they strike,” he said in a speech. On Aug 7, President Trump maintained his own rhetoric — including attacks on his political foes, immigrants and other groups — played no role in coarsening conversation online and spawning violence. “I don’t think my rhetoric does at all — I think my rhetoric brings people together,” President Trump said.