‘Web firms must help snare perverts’
INTERNET giants could face tough new laws unless their efforts to root out child abuse online are intensified, Sajid Javid said yesterday.
The Home Secretary said technology used to block terrorists should be more widely used to tackle the exploitation of youngsters in cyberspace.
In a keynote speech he called for a crackdown on child pornography, grooming and live-streamed abuse and urged companies to take a more active approach to helping law-enforcement bodies catch online paedophiles.
Mr Javid said: “I have been impressed by the progress the likes of Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and Apple have made on counter terrorism. Now I want to see the same level of commitment from these companies and others for child sexual exploitation.
“In recent years, there has been some good work in the area. But the threat has evolved quicker than industry’s response and industry has not kept up.
“I am not just asking for change, I am demanding it. If technology companies do not take more measures to remove this type of content then I won’t be afraid to take action.” While declaring that some companies’ response has been “nowhere near good enough”, he declined to “name and shame” them, saying he wanted to give them a chance to respond to his demands. Google said it was using artificial intelligence to help organisations review web content “at scale”. A Microsoft spokeswoman said: “Child sexual exploitation is a horrific crime and [we work] closely with others in industry, government and civil society to help combat its spread online.”