Admin l Saturday, December 24, 2016
LONDON – This Christmas, a police team created to tackle extremist or terrorist material online is on course to remove 250,000 harmful material internet since the unit was launched in 2010.
The national Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) works with Internet service providers (ISPs) to have extremist and terrorist material removed.
At the CTIRU’s request, around 300 companies globally have removed material that includes; propaganda videos, pictures of executions and speeches calling for racial or religious violence.
Every day, officers from the CTIRU trawl the Internet, looking for material. They also investigate material that members of public and partners flag up to them through an online reporting system.
Officers then contact ISPs to request the removal of harmful material where it breaches their terms and conditions.
The CTIRU, based within the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, refers material to investigation teams nationally when it is identified that an offence may have been committed under the Terrorism Act or other legislation.
Detective Chief Superintendent Clarke Jarrett, from the Counter Terrorism Command, said removing this material is crucial work.
“One post or video has the power to influence vulnerable people and inspire extremists and terrorists, so every removal really counts. This landmark figure is a result of our productive relationship with service providers, partners and counterparts nationally and globally.
“The public has played a key part in helping us to identify and seek the removal of so much damaging material, so I thank everyone who has reported material to us and urge the public to continue doing so.”
He is appealing to anyone who sees material that they suspect is extremist or terrorist to report it by filling in a short and anonymous form at www.gov.uk/report-terrorism, where they will be asked to enter the address of the webpage where they have seen the material. Such individuals according to the police will also be directed to the form if they click on the distinctive red “STOP” button that can be found on numerous police and partner websites.
The CTIRU was the first unit in the world set up to tackle the proliferation of illegal terrorist and violent extremist content on the internet.
The rise in extremist and terrorist propaganda has been met by counter terrorism policing through its work with communities and partners, and the CTIRU’s proactive approach in tackling it.
On average, the CTIRU now instigates the removal of over 2,000 pieces of material a week. As of Wednesday, 21 December it had instigated the removal of approximately 249,091 pieces of material, which means it is on course to have 250,000 pieces removed by Christmas Day.
