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Call for tech giants to face taxes over extremist content | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Internet companies should face a tax punishment for failing to deal with the threat of terrorism in the UK, security minister Ben Wallace has said. | |
Mr Wallace said firms such as Facebook, Google and YouTube were too slow to remove radical content online, forcing the government to act instead. | Mr Wallace said firms such as Facebook, Google and YouTube were too slow to remove radical content online, forcing the government to act instead. |
While tech firms were "ruthless profiteers", governments were spending millions policing the web, he added. | While tech firms were "ruthless profiteers", governments were spending millions policing the web, he added. |
Tech firms have called on governments to help them remove extremist content. | Tech firms have called on governments to help them remove extremist content. |
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Wallace said tech giants were failing to help prevent the radicalisation of people online. | In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Wallace said tech giants were failing to help prevent the radicalisation of people online. |
"Because content is not taken down as quickly as they could do," he claimed, "we're having to de-radicalise people who have been radicalised. That's costing millions." | "Because content is not taken down as quickly as they could do," he claimed, "we're having to de-radicalise people who have been radicalised. That's costing millions." |
He said the refusal of messaging services - such as WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook - to give the security services access to message data was "turning the internet into an anarchic violent space". | He said the refusal of messaging services - such as WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook - to give the security services access to message data was "turning the internet into an anarchic violent space". |
"Because of encryption and because of radicalisation, the cost of that is heaped on law enforcement agencies," Mr Wallace told the newspaper. | "Because of encryption and because of radicalisation, the cost of that is heaped on law enforcement agencies," Mr Wallace told the newspaper. |
He said "the time for excuses is at an end" and the government should look at "all options" of incentivising firms - "including tax". | He said "the time for excuses is at an end" and the government should look at "all options" of incentivising firms - "including tax". |
"If they continue to be less than co-operative, we should look at things like tax as a way of incentivising them or compensating for their inaction." | "If they continue to be less than co-operative, we should look at things like tax as a way of incentivising them or compensating for their inaction." |
He added: "We should stop pretending that because they sit on beanbags in T-shirts they are not ruthless profiteers. | He added: "We should stop pretending that because they sit on beanbags in T-shirts they are not ruthless profiteers. |
"They will ruthlessly sell our details to loans and soft-porn companies but not give it to our democratically elected government." | "They will ruthlessly sell our details to loans and soft-porn companies but not give it to our democratically elected government." |
'Further and faster' | 'Further and faster' |
In September, Prime Minister Theresa May called on tech giants to end the "safe spaces" she said terrorists enjoyed online. | In September, Prime Minister Theresa May called on tech giants to end the "safe spaces" she said terrorists enjoyed online. |
Technology companies must go "further and faster" in removing extremist content, she added. | Technology companies must go "further and faster" in removing extremist content, she added. |
Google, Facebook and YouTube are yet to respond to Mr Wallace's remarks. | Google, Facebook and YouTube are yet to respond to Mr Wallace's remarks. |
However, speaking in September, Kent Walker, general counsel for Google, said tech firms would not be able to "do it alone". | However, speaking in September, Kent Walker, general counsel for Google, said tech firms would not be able to "do it alone". |
"We need people and we need feedback from trusted government sources and from our users to identify and remove some of the most problematic content out there." | "We need people and we need feedback from trusted government sources and from our users to identify and remove some of the most problematic content out there." |
Facebook and Twitter said they were working hard to rid their networks of terrorist activity and support. | Facebook and Twitter said they were working hard to rid their networks of terrorist activity and support. |
YouTube told the BBC that it received 200,000 reports of inappropriate content a day, but managed to review 98% of them within 24 hours. | YouTube told the BBC that it received 200,000 reports of inappropriate content a day, but managed to review 98% of them within 24 hours. |