Microsoft’s Smith Urges Talk of Tech’s ‘Legal Responsibilities’

Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith waded into the debate over what legal duties tech should have for content in the wake of the mosque killings in New Zealand.

“There are legal responsibilities that need to be discussed,” Smith, who’s also the software maker’s chief legal officer, wrote in a March 24 blog post that said a company team had begun a pre-planned trip to the country the day before.

A vigil to remember the victims of the mosque attacks, in Christchurch on March 24.

Photographer: Carl Court/Getty Images

After video of the killings went viral on social media, some policy-makers urged that these sites take greater responsibility for stemming the spread of violent content. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ...