COMMENT: 'Paul Dacre triumphed by recognising online growth should not come at expense of the newspaper'
Businessman asks for delay to Newsquest Isle of Wight County Press buyout while he develops rival bid
The Sun has blamed Google for the Manchester bombing attack that claimed 22 lives because it says terrorist Salman Abedi learned how to build a bomb on Youtube, which is owned by the company.
In a leader column today, the paper warned that the “arrogant and over-mighty web giants” Facebook and Google would not “eradicate extremism on their sites without being forced to”.
It said: “Facebook and Google have had endless chances. Their failure to act has led directly to mass murder. Through Youtube, Salman Abedi built the bomb with which he slaughtered 22 in Manchester.”
The comment from The Sun comes after sister paper The Times reported last week that it had learnt that Albedi used videos from Youtube and other websites to help to build his suicide bomb.
It also follows criticism by Max Hill QC, the UK’s terror legislation watchdog, of government proposals to fine tech companies millions of pounds for failing to remove obviously illegal content from their sites within a set time period.
He said: “I struggle to see how it would help if our parliament were to criminalise tech company bosses who ‘don’t do enough’. 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.”
In its leader column today, The Sun said Hill “seems more worried about the alleged risk to democracy while silencing the madmen who turn hotheads into killers”.
The paper also said it backed the German parliament’s recent decision to pass a law giving the country the power to fine social networks, such as Facebook and Youtube, up to £44m (€50m) if they do not remove “evidently unlawful” hateful material within 24 hours.
In a blog post addressing the steps it was taking to fight online terrorism, Google 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.”
The web giant said it had “thousands of people around the world” who review and counter the abuse of its platforms and that it had pledged four additional counter measures, including:
- Increasing use of technology to help identify extremist and terrorism-related videos
- Increasing the number of independent experts flagging “problematic” content on Youtube
- Taking a tougher stance on videos that do not clearly violate its policies
- Expanding its role in counter-radicalisation efforts
Google said tackling online terrorism was a “sweeping and complex challenge”, but added: “We are committed to playing our part”.
Picture: Reuters
SIGN UP HERE FOR
MEDIA MONITOR
Press Gazette's weekly email providing strategic insight into the future of the media
Editor (Maternity Cover), Place North West
Environment Impact Producer, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
TO SUN EDITORS
“I WILL NO LONGER BE BUYING YOUR SUN PAPER O.K.
How about your paper holding to account this incompetent,
Tory Govt,on the funding cut to our services,
And the very person that are supposed to protect us all,
in a terror attack (in our country)
LIKE!
1*FIRE BRIGADE FUNDING CUTS!
2*POLICE OFFICERS FUNDING CUTS!
3*AMBULANCES DRIVERS FUNDING CUTS!
4*ARMED FORCES FUNDING CUTS!
5*N.H.S. FUNDING CUTS!
How about you sun paper printing some intelligent,
information on this Tory Govt cuts to all our services,
And not the C**P in this article about GOOGLE O.K.
Remember SUN editors Google do not own all the internet services
the terrorist will go elsewhere for the information they need,
not just to Google (do you understand now?)
The terrorist problem is worldwide not just in Google youtube site.
You need to print better stories and fact based news not this rubbish,
the Tory Govt tell you to print o.k. sun editor.
When you print something true and fact based about the Tory Govt,
failing in our security of our country, the U.K.”I may retune as a reader?
Sun says Google failure to eradicate online extremism ‘has led directly to mass murder’
SO SUN PAPER!
You blame Google for Manchester terror attack do you yes or no?
OVER TERROR ATTACKS!
Do you also blame them for the death of P.C. Keith in London?
Do you also blame them for terror attack in London praying place?
Do you als blame them for terror attack in London bridge area?
A fact for you sun editores all the above here in my commnet
are all the failing of the “BRITISH Tory Govt” a fact!
By cutting funding to our public servers and cuts to staff on the,
street so we get NO! protection at all us on our streets any more.
Nothing To do with GOOGLE at all (take it from a resident of U.K.)