UK To Target Extremist Web Sites

By Brent Surgeoner
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe

LONDON, England – UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced this week that the government is launching an initiative to crack down on extremist web sites.

She hopes the initiative will prevent extremists from wooing “vulnerable people” on the internet through radical web sites.  Instead of merely focusing on preventing imminent terrorist attacks, Smith said the government realizes it needs to take preemptive measures as well to keep youngsters from falling into the hands of extremists.

Smith will be looking for feedback on the website initiative as she meets with internet service providers and Muslim groups in the next few weeks.

In order to shut down these websites, the government will look to measures currently in use for combating child pornography websites.  Such measures include applying filtering systems and establishing outlets where people who come across radical websites can report these sites for removal.

However, experts have pointed out that efforts to tackle pedophilia have been relatively unsuccessful because it is practically impossible to police the vast expanses of the internet.

Additionally, prosecuting those behind the web sites is difficult when someone can set up a site from any location in the world.  And shutting down a website only takes care of the problem for a short while – new websites appear at a new address not long after being closed.

Smith is well aware of the difficulties in combating extremist websites and remains undeterred.  “Because something is difficult, that is no reason not to have a go at it.  The internet can’t be a no-go area for government,” she said.

Internet service providers already work with police in combating illegal websites, especially in the area of child pornography.  However, they do not regularly police all websites and the illegality of extremist websites is not cut-and-dry.  Additionally, the government’s initiative could raise concerns about free speech.

The Muslim community is not sure about the initiative either.  Some have asked why the government is not also targeting far-right websites.

For more information, please see:

BBC - Smith targets internet extremism - 17 January 2008

Guardian - Smith vows to tackle ideology of violent extremists - 18 January 2008

E-Commerce Times - UK Security Chief Cracks Down on Extremist Muslim Web Sites - 18 January 2008