Boris Johnson will urge EU foreign ministers to put Google, Facebook and YouTube under pressure to tackle online extremism
The Foreign Secretary will head to Luxembourg to push for more regulation of the internet to prevent radicalisation as well as the removal of online extremist material
BORIS JOHNSON will urge European Foreign Ministers to put internet giants like Google, YouTube and Facebook under more pressure to tackle extremism online.
In the latest in the battle against tech companies, the Foreign Secretary heads to Luxembourg to push for more regulation of cyberspace to prevent radicalisation and remove online extremist material.
Mr Johnson said there should be no “safe space” for terrorists online adding: “We are pushing back Daesh militarily, but the threat we face is evolving rather than disappearing as they lose ground in Iraq and Syria.”
He will warn: “The fight is moving from the battlefield to the internet.”
The increase in pressure follows launch of a new French-British Action Plan to tackle online hate alongside President Macron last week.
In the wake of atrocities in London Bridge and Manchester, Theresa May has urged social media companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter to take down terrorist content.
It is expected that leaders of the 27 other EU states will sign up to the effort being spearheaded by Britain.
It is hoped a statement from all 28 EU countries will heap pressure on the firms to take quicker action.
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Google has already announced it will introduce four new measures to try tackle extremist content.
The company promise faster review, more experts, tougher standards and an expansion of counter-radicalisation efforts to automatically scan content and remove hate.
Google Vice President Kent Walker said: “Terrorism is an attack on open societies, and addressing the threat posed by violence and hate is a critical challenge for us all.
“Google and YouTube are committed to being part of the solution.
“We are working with government, law enforcement and civil society groups to tackle the problem of violent extremism online.
“There should be no place for terrorist content on our services.
“While we and others have worked for years to identify and remove content that violates our policies, the uncomfortable truth is that we, as an industry, must acknowledge that more needs to be done. Now.”
Labour’s Yvette Cooper welcomed the “step foward.”
The boss of the Home Affairs Select Committee said: “News that Google will now proactively scan content and fund the trusted flaggers who were helping to moderate their own site is therefore important and welcome though there is still more to do.
“Still today there is illegal content easily accessible on YouTube - including terrorist propaganda. Google cannot delay in implementing these new rules and in pumping in much needed investment in public safety.”
Mr Johnson is expected to tell his EU counterparts: “We all want to protect our people so we must say together that enough is enough – terrorism affects us all and we need a common approach to ensure the problem gets solved, and at a much faster pace than we are seeing right now.”
The leaders will also discuss greater cooperation between nations to track foreign fighters returning from Iraq and Syria.