U.S. Asks Media Help in Fighting Terrorism

Obama administration officials met with executives of major technology and entertainment companies in Washington on Wednesday to discuss combating the activities of violent extremists online, according to industry and government officials.

The NY Times reports the meeting was called by the White House, according to a person who attended and who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The session began with government officials admitting their shortcomings in tackling the explosion of activity by terrorist groups online.

John P. Carlin, assistant attorney general for national security, started the meeting by saying that federal law enforcement had struggled to reach audiences that were responding to recruitment by violent extremists, according to the participant. Nick Rasmussen, director of the national counterterrorism center, lauded some social media platforms for aggressively taking down accounts of suspected terrorists.

The hourslong meeting, which took place at the Justice Department, also included speeches by Megan Smith, the national chief technology officer; and Jen Easterly, the senior director for counterterrorism.

The event was another step toward coordinating government and private sector efforts on national security. After the mass shootings in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., last year, the White House and presidential candidates have pushed for Internet firms to clamp down on the use of social media by extremists to recruit new members, organize and broadcast their demands.