London attack:

Parliament attacker had used WhatsApp

The United Kingdom wants online companies to be more cooperative in accessing information and more aggressive in shutting down sites exploited by terrorists.

london» U.K. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp messaging system should open its encryption to security services and urged online companies to be more aggressive in shutting down sites exploited by terrorists.

After newspapers disclosed that Khalid Masood, who killed four people in London last week, had used WhatsApp shortly before he began his attack, Rudd identified the company as needing to do more to help fight terrorism.

“It’s completely unacceptable” that messages can’t be opened, Rudd told the BBC’s “Andrew Marr Show” on Sunday.

“We need to make sure that our intelligence services have the ability to get into encrypted services like WhatsApp.”

Since the attack, government ministers have berated online companies for taking inadequate steps to stop the spread of hate messages.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Rudd said the internet is “serving as a conduit, inciting and inspiring violence, and spreading extremist ideology.” Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told the Sunday Times that “they need to stop just making money out of prurient violent material.”

Rudd said she has asked executives from the internet companies to a meeting this week.

“They’re going to get a lot more than a ticking off,” Rudd said on Sky’s “Sophy Ridge on Sunday” program.

Facebook bought WhatsApp for $22 billion in 2014. A spokesperson for WhatsApp said, “We are horrified by the attack carried out in London earlier this week and are cooperating with law enforcement as they continue their investigations.”