Politics

White House Holding Online Extremism Summit Friday

Senior Trump administration officials and representatives from tech and internet companies are expected to be in attendance.

White House Holding Online Extremism Summit Friday
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After last weekend's deadly shootings, the White House is holding a roundtable discussion Friday on violent online extremism with various tech and internet companies.

A White House spokesman did not specifically name who or which companies would take part in the meeting, but did say senior Trump administration officials and company representatives would be in attendance. 

The two shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, left at least 31 people dead and dozens more injured. 

The suspected gunman in the El Paso shooting reportedly posted a racist and anti-immigrant manifesto on the messaging website 8chan minutes before opening fire. It's at least the third time the site has been linked to shootings this year, including the livestreamed mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand in March. 

On Monday, President Donald Trump ordered the Justice Department to work with social media companies to develop ways to identify potential mass shooters. 

"We must recognize that the internet has provided a dangerous avenue to radicalize disturbed minds and perform demented acts. We must shine light on the dark recesses of the internet and stop mass murders before they start," President Trump said. 

It's unclear if the president will be at Friday's summit.

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.