Internet criticised for terrorist attacks

Tech companies have come under fire for having played a role in the recent terrorist attacks that took place in the UK. The UK government has lambasted big Internet companies for providing a “safe place” for extremists to spread messages of hate online. The London attack has prompted Prime Minister Theresa May to pursue a further crackdown on Internet regulation and encryption.

Comments by the Prime Minister come in the wake of another terror attack, on Saturday a group of terrorist used a van to plunge pedestrians in London Bridge and attacked people in bars and on the streets with knives. This is the third attack since March.

According to  reports, The Prime Minister’s intention to clamp down on end-to-end encryption – used by popular online messaging services as a way to protect user data – as it makes it impossible for governments to read conversations between extremist groups online.

Comments by the Prime Minister have sparked debate with those defending end-to-end encryption and online privacy claim that Theresa May has failed to fundamentally understand how the Internet works. Critics argue that whilst the intention of the bill may be good, it allows agencies and police unfettered access to citizen data without enough checks and balances in place.

Staff Writer