May hits out at internet giants

Claims tech firms like Facebook, Google and Twitter giving ‘safe space’ to terrorists

Theresa May has accused the big internet companies of giving terrorist ideology “the safe space it needs to breed”.

The Prime Minister’s attack is arguably the strongest intervention yet by senior Conservatives against the likes of Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Twitter for their role in allowing extremist material to spread online.

The Tory manifesto for the general election was particularly strong in calling for a much tougher approach to regulation on the internet.

Speaking outside Downing Street in the wake of Saturday’s attack, Mrs May said that “we cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed”.

She added: “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 extremist and terrorism planning.

“And we need to do everything we can at home to reduce the risks of extremism online.”

Last month security minister Ben Wallace hit out at tech companies whose data encryption allow terrorist cells to communicate under the radar and condemned firms for selling users’ data to dubious firms.

A number of newspapers have also run investigations where extremist material has been easily accessible on the likes of Facebook and YouTube.