The UK home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has criticised tech giants Google, YouTube, Meta, and TikTok for their “disgraceful” failure to remove violent and extremist videos from their platforms, despite government calls to do so. Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday programme, Cooper referred to footage reportedly watched by the Southport killer, Axel Rudakubana, who recently murdered three young girls and seriously injured eight other children and two adults during a dance class. She also highlighted Rudakubana’s possession of an Al-Qaeda training manual, which he had “easily obtained access” to despite it being illegal under existing anti-terror laws.
Cooper’s letter to the companies was co-written with Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. The papers stated that the Online Safety Act, which comes into force this spring, would require social media firms to regulate and remove illegal content or risk incurring new penalties. She also warned that the government is ready to take stronger actions if the aforementioned firms do not comply with the requirements.
Kuenssberg, the BBC presenter, questioned Cooper on who was accountable for stopping people like Rudakubana, given that he had been previously referred to the Prevent counter-terror programme and was known to authorities, including the police and social services. Cooper criticised the current system, claiming it was inadequate and did not incorporate a distinct framework for accountability. She suggested that the system should be strengthened by establishing youth prevention partnerships between different agencies to provide better intervention to address potential threats.
The government’s reviews of the Prevent programme are underway, aiming to assess how individuals are referred, establish coordinated responses, and transfer individuals to appropriate services. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously announced that the government would examine whether to change laws to allow terrorists such as Rudakubana to be charged with “extreme individualised violence,” and tackle the concerns expressed by the home secretary and calls from Downing Street to regulate violent and extremist content
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