PM:WEB HATRED MUST BE CURBED
THE Prime Minister declared war yesterday on the internet giants for providing a ‘safe space’ for Islamist terrorists bent on attacking Britain.
Theresa May vowed to crack down on extremism, both online and in the community, declaring: ‘Enough is enough.’
Whitehall sources last night warned that social media giants could face multi-millionpound fines if they continue to drag their feet over what the Prime Minister described as ‘the need to deprive the extremists of their safe space online’.
The move is one element of a four-part strategy announced by Downing Street hours after the atrocity at London Bridge.
Convicted jihadists will also face tougher prison terms in a bid to tackle terror plotters and sympathisers.
Mrs May said there would be a review of counter-terrorism strategy to make sure the police and security services had all the powers they needed. She added: ‘If we need to increase the length of custodial sentences for terrorist-related offences, even apparently less serious offences, that is what we will do.’
She will also look at new criminal offences as part of a major counter-extremism offensive if the Tories win the election.
Ministers fear Britain is facing the threat of a new wave of copycat ‘DIY’ terror attacks launched by fanatics using vehicles, knives and other weapons that are easy to obtain.
A Whitehall source said: ‘We have had three attacks in three months and another five plots foiled – that is unparalleled in counter-terrorism terms. People are watching attacks like the one in Westminster and getting inspired to try to do the same.’
Mrs May hinted at a growing threat yesterday, saying there was a ‘new trend’ in the threat facing Britain.
She added: ‘As terrorism breeds terrorism and perpetrators are inspired to attack, not only on the basis of carefully constructed plots after years of planning and training, and not even as lone attackers radicalised online, but by copying one another and often using the crudest of means of attack, we cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are. Things need to change.’
The ease with which potential jihadis are radicalised online is a key concern. Mrs May is said to be furious at the availability of terror manuals on sites such as YouTube and Facebook, and the ease with which hate preachers can spread their poison on social media.
Speaking outside No 10 she said it was now vital to deal with the ‘evil ideology of Islamist extremism that preaches hatred, sows division and promotes sectarianism’.
She added: ‘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 services – provide.’
Germany is already looking to introduce fines of up to £44million for internet firms that refuse to tackle the spread of extremism.
Ministers have so far preferred to use political pressure to persuade the firms to act. But last night Whitehall sources said fines were ‘an option’.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said ministers wanted to see jihadi material taken off-line, but also warned of the need to enable the security services to intercept encrypted messages sent online.
Rounding on internet giants such as Google, which had the slogan ‘don’t be evil’, she added: ‘It’s not good enough just to say, do no harm. We have to get them to actively work with us to stop their platforms being used to radicalise.’
Facebook said in a statement: ‘We want Facebook to be a hostile environment for terrorists. We work aggressively to remove terrorist content.’ Mrs May also sig- nalled a final break with the multiculturalism approach championed by New Labour, saying it was time to end the segregation in some parts of Britain and to have ‘some difficult, and often embarrassing, conversations’ with communities.
‘Don’t give this ideology the space to breed’