UK Prime Minister Theresa May Blames Internet for Terrorism, Internet Bites Back
SputnikNews.com
05.06.2017
Following the June 3 London Bridge attacks, UK Prime Minister Theresa May angrily pilloried the internet and internet-based services, for giving extremist ideology “the safe space it needs to breed.” In response, many leading online platforms have struck back at her statements – and a rights group has said her proposals missed the point entirely.
May’s speech was unambiguous — things “cannot and must not” continue as they are, and must change in “four important ways.” Ranked second, after extremist Islamic ideology, and before tolerance of extremism at home and a review of existing counterterror strategies, loomed the internet.
“We cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed. Yet that is precisely what the internet — and the big companies that provide internet-based services — provide. We need to work with allied, democratic governments to reach international agreements that regulate cyberspace to prevent the spread of extremism and terrorist planning. We need to do everything we can at home to reduce the risks of extremism online,” she said.
While no specific internet firm was named, several — easily befitting the label of “big companies” providing “internet-based services” — felt they had been implicitly singled out by the Prime Minister, and were moved to publish responses. The companies’ underlying message was the same in each case — they effectively argued they were already doing what May demanded they must now do.
First, Google said it was committed to ensuring terrorists did not have a voice online, and working with the government and NGOs to achieve that end.
“We are already working with industry colleagues on an international forum to accelerate and strengthen our existing work in this area. We employ thousands of people and invest hundreds of millions of pounds to fight abuse on our platforms and ensure we are part of the solution to addressing these challenges,” the company said.
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