Support for Christchurch call
Launched at a summit in Paris attended by world leaders and the major tech companies, the Christchurch Call is an initiative of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Spokesman for the investor group New Zealand Super Fund chief executive Matt Whineray said the Christchurch Call by global leaders aligned well with the collective push by the investors.
“The investor initiative supports the Christchurch Call and part of our engagement with social media companies will involve monitoring and ensuring accountability for the Christchurch Call commitments made,” he said.
In the immediate aftermath of the Christchurch terrorist attack, New Zealand-based investors joined by others from around the world to collectively engage with the social media companies Facebook, Google and Twitter. The objective of the engagement is to get the social media companies to strengthen controls that will prevent the live streaming and distribution of objectionable content.
“It is important there is a globally coordinated response to the attack, which is why it is positive to see governments and tech companies coming together to search for solutions,” Whineray said.
“We look forward to reinforcing the Christchurch Call by engaging directly with the companies themselves to drive change. As shareholders and investors we will use our collective leverage to raise concerns with the companies’ board and management on these issues.”
The investor initiative now has 55 funds participating, representing more than $5 trillion of assets under management.