Google and YouTube may face MPs over failure to remove neo-Nazi videos
Social media giants could be questioned over not taking down content from banned far-right group National action
Tech giants YouTube and Google could be hauled before MPs after failing to honour commitments to take down extremist videos.
The companies pledged to take down content from illegal far-right terrorist group National Action at the Home Affairs Select Committee in December
Committee chairwoman Yvette Cooper, raising a point of order in the Commons, told MPs the videos were still widely available this week and accused YouTube of “failing to meet its basic responsibilities to tackle extremism”.
She added: “There is widely available on YouTube this week the banned illegal propaganda videos from the extremist proscribed organisation National Action.
“Despite the fact that this video has been raised with YouTube and Google seven times by the select committee over the last 12 months, despite the fact that they have promised us that video is illegal and will be taken down and they would have the technology to prevent it being put back up.”
The former minister said: “This is one of the richest companies in the world and is failing to meet its basic responsibilities to tackle extremists and protect public safety in this country.”
Speaker John Bercow, who is Jewish, responding to the point of order, told MPs the commitments “must be honoured” and informed Ms Cooper that she could write to him to allege “a contempt of the House” if action was not taken.
He said: “I share her intense concern on the matter. National action is, as I’m sure everybody in the House will agree, a despicable fascist neo-nazi organisation and my understanding is that it has been proscribed.
“If those commitments have been made, they must be honoured.”
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: “National Action is a proscribed group, I proscribed it myself.
“It is a terrorist organisation.
“The fact is that internet companies have made good progress in taking down Daesh-focused material.
“We have demonstrated that they can down with our own system, we showed them 94% of material that goes up from Daesh-type terrorist organisations but we need to see much more effort put into the particular area of the extreme right-wing groups.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
