Facebook and YouTube are among a group of popular web sites that have quietly begun using automation to remove extremist content from their sites, Reuters reported.
Originally developed to identify and remove copyright-protected material, the technology is looking for unique hashes, or digital fingerprints, to remove Islamic State videos and other similar material, two sources familiar with the process told the news agency. Such technology could be used to prevent reposts of content already deemed unacceptable but not identify new extremist content.
Representatives for Facebook and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The automated process is a step toward eradicating violent propaganda from the web in the face of increasingly common terrorist attacks around the world.