(Telecompaper) Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube have teamed up to announce the formation of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism with a stated aim of making their hosted consumer services hostile to terrorists and violent extremists. In a joint statement the companies said they have already taken a hard line against terrorist or violent extremist content and have developed appropriate policies and removal practices. The tech firms added that the focus of the collaboration would be on technological solutions, research and partnerships with governments and civic groups.