Counter-terror chief blasted for likening Theresa May to a Chinese dictator over extremist web content
Max Hill QC panned the PM’s drive threat to 'criminalise' the likes of Google
BRITAIN’s counter-terror chief was slapped down yesterday after likening Theresa May to a Chinese dictator over extremist web content.
Max Hill QC, the country’s independent terror watchdog, panned the PM’s drive threat to “criminalise” the likes of Google for failing to remove hate propaganda online.
But Home Secretary Amber Rudd vowed to keep up the pressure after winning over leaders in the US and France to the UK’s agenda.
In a statement the Home Office said: “We have been clear that internet companies should be going further and faster to tackle terrorist and extremist propaganda online.”
“The evolving threat transcends borders and a truly global effort is needed to make a real difference.”
And speaking in the Commons yesterday Home Office minister Sarah Newton insisted “nothing is off the table” as she tried to defend the government’s record on tackling the likes of Google and Facebook.
Theresa May joined forces with French president Emmanuel Macron last month to propose fining social media companies who fail to remove terror content from the web.
Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi used videos from Google’s YouTube and other websites to help build the bomb that killed 22 people.
But Mr Hill, the independent reviewer of counter-terrorism legislation, told a conference action against web giants could force them “offside” when co-operation was badly needed.
And he told a Swansea conference: “I struggle to see how it would help if our Parliament were to criminalise tech company bosses who ‘don’t do enough’.
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“How do we measure ‘enough’? What is the appropriate sanction.
“We do not live in China, where the internet simply goes dark for millions when government so decides. Our democratic society cannot be treated that way.”
Speaking in the Commons yesterday Labour’s Keith Vaz pointed out that while Twitter suspended 125,000 accounts linked to terrorism last year, millions of videos were still online.
Germany last week voted to impose fines of up to £43 million on web giants that fail to remove “obviously illegal” hate speech within 24 hours of it being posted.
Labour’s Yvette Cooper – who has demanded the UK follow Germany’s lead – insisted terrorists shouldn’t be allowed to “promote illegal recruitment material online”.
And she stormed: “Google is one of the richest companies on the plant.
“They accept that this material is illegal and they accept that it should be taken down.
"They are just incredibly slow at doing it.”