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Home Secretary Sajid Javid slams web giants YouTube, Twitter and Instagram for failing to block videos of mosque massacre
SAJID JAVID declared “enough is enough” yesterday as YouTube was blasted for failing to stop sick videos of the Christchurch terrorist attack going up online.
The furious Home Secretary demanded the web giant, Facebook and Twitter finally “take ownership” of the extremist content freely available on their social media platforms.
And the Tory – the son of a Muslim bus driver – signalled the Government was finally ready to get tough as Westminster reeled from the horrific overnight killing.
Different edits of the original live-stream by Brenton Tarrant were posted for hours after the killing spree.
The Home Secretary reacted to a promise by YouTube that it was working “vigilantly” to take down the video by saying it had to act more quickly.
He stormed: “You really need to do more YouTube, Google, Facebook, Twitter to stop violent extremism being promoted on your platforms.
“Take some ownership. Enough is enough.”
Government faces a backlash over its failure to get tough with the social media firms
It came as he separately branded Aussie senator Fraser Anning “racist” for appearing to suggest Muslim immigration was to blame for the atrocity.
Downing Street said it was disappointed web giants hadn’t reacted more “quickly” – and that New Zealand police had begged them not to act.
The PM’s official spokeswoman said: “There should be no safe spaces for terrorists to promote and share their extreme views.”
But the Government faces a backlash over its failure to get tough with the social media firms – despite a series of summits of IS propaganda.
Two years ex-Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it wouldn’t be right to fine Facebook and Twitter for their failure to tackle extremist material –arguing that the Government should instead work with the giants.
The extremists behind the devastating attack in New Zealand livestreamed the massacre on social media.
A new “Online Harms” white paper is due out later this month – threatening to slap web giants with a statutory duty of care. But it could take two years to create the independent regulator to police it (see left).
Labour’s Deputy Leader Tom Watson humiliated YouTube in a series of postings – revealing that videos of the killing were available on the site with an “inappropriate content” warning over the clip.
And he demanded YouTube stop all uploads if it was struggling to cope.
He said: “The extremists behind the devastating attack in New Zealand livestreamed the massacre on social media.
“Yet hours later, these videos are still viewable with ‘inappropriate’ content warnings. If broadcasting mass murder is not a violation of YouTube’s terms of services, then what is?”
He was echoed by Theresa May’s ex-policy chief George Freeman who stormed: “Live streaming of murder? A new low.
'HAVEN'T GOT A GRIP'
“Rampant ‘anything goes’ social media is undermining the basic values and standards of public life and democracy.
“If YouTube don’t have the capability to halt the spread of the NZ massacre videos, they should suspend all new uploads at this time.”
And Labour’s Yvette Cooper – chair of the cross party Home Affairs Select Committee – yesterday demanded tougher action.
The veteran last year panned YouTube over its failure to take down an “abhorrent” propaganda video by National Action.
She said the fact the Christchurch video was still freely available on YouTube and Facebook hours after the massacre showed how the web giants “haven’t got a grip”.
And she stormed: “Social media companies have an obligation to remove this kind of content from their platforms immediately.
“They are big enough and rich enough to work out how to do it.”
“Time and time again social media companies have been too slow to act and it is not good enough.”
Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson savaged social media bosses for growing rich while “evil” is livestreamed on their sites.
Speaking on LBC, he said “The owners of these platforms have allowed terrorists to livestream atrocities while they hire poorly paid moderates to try their best to take down videos of mass murders. How has it come to this?
“Today the big social media platforms lost control.
“They failed the victims of that terrorist atrocity. They failed in the face of evil. They failed to take responsibility.
“Today must be the day when good people take back control from the oligarchs of Silicon Valley.”
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