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| David Cameron urges internet firms to block child abuse images | David Cameron urges internet firms to block child abuse images |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The prime minister has warned internet companies that they need to act to block access to child abuse images on the internet or face legal controls. | The prime minister has warned internet companies that they need to act to block access to child abuse images on the internet or face legal controls. |
| David Cameron told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show search firms like Google needed to do more to block results from "depraved and disgusting" search terms. | David Cameron told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show search firms like Google needed to do more to block results from "depraved and disgusting" search terms. |
| Google said when it discovers child abuse images it acts to remove them. | Google said when it discovers child abuse images it acts to remove them. |
| Some experts have questioned whether Mr Cameron's "well-intentioned" move will prove to be effective. | Some experts have questioned whether Mr Cameron's "well-intentioned" move will prove to be effective. |
| Google is one of a number of firms which recently agreed on measures to step up the hunt for abusive images. | Google is one of a number of firms which recently agreed on measures to step up the hunt for abusive images. |
| In June, after a meeting chaired by the culture secretary, the government said Google and others including Yahoo!, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook would allow the charity the Internet Watch Foundation actively to seek out abusive images, rather than just acting upon reports it receives. | In June, after a meeting chaired by the culture secretary, the government said Google and others including Yahoo!, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook would allow the charity the Internet Watch Foundation actively to seek out abusive images, rather than just acting upon reports it receives. |
| 'Big argument' | 'Big argument' |
| The prime minister said in the interview, to be broadcast on Sunday, that while internet providers and search companies were making some progress, he wanted search companies to block certain search terms from providing results. | The prime minister said in the interview, to be broadcast on Sunday, that while internet providers and search companies were making some progress, he wanted search companies to block certain search terms from providing results. |
| "I think it's wrong that they should get results and we need to have very, very strong conversations with those companies about saying 'No, you shouldn't provide results for some terms that are so depraved and disgusting'. | "I think it's wrong that they should get results and we need to have very, very strong conversations with those companies about saying 'No, you shouldn't provide results for some terms that are so depraved and disgusting'. |
| "I think there's going to be a big argument there, and if we don't get what we need we'll have to look at legislation." | "I think there's going to be a big argument there, and if we don't get what we need we'll have to look at legislation." |
| He added that the extra steps he is demanding represented "an argument on behalf of Britain's parents and children I'm prepared to have". | He added that the extra steps he is demanding represented "an argument on behalf of Britain's parents and children I'm prepared to have". |
| The interview precedes a speech on Monday, in which Mr Cameron is expected to provide more details of the government's plans, which include providing search engines with a search "blacklist" compiled by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop). | The interview precedes a speech on Monday, in which Mr Cameron is expected to provide more details of the government's plans, which include providing search engines with a search "blacklist" compiled by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop). |
| Anyone searching for a word on the list should be made to view a webpage warning them of the consequences, "such as losing their job, their family, even access to their children", Mr Cameron will say, according to pre-released extracts of the speech. | Anyone searching for a word on the list should be made to view a webpage warning them of the consequences, "such as losing their job, their family, even access to their children", Mr Cameron will say, according to pre-released extracts of the speech. |
| "There are some searches which are so abhorrent and where there can be no doubt whatsoever about the sick and malevolent intent of the searcher," the PM will add. | "There are some searches which are so abhorrent and where there can be no doubt whatsoever about the sick and malevolent intent of the searcher," the PM will add. |
| "If there are technical obstacles to acting on this, don't just stand by and say nothing can be done; use your great brains to help overcome them. | "If there are technical obstacles to acting on this, don't just stand by and say nothing can be done; use your great brains to help overcome them. |
| "You're the people who have worked out how to map almost every inch of the earth from space, who have developed algorithms that make sense of vast quantities of information. | "You're the people who have worked out how to map almost every inch of the earth from space, who have developed algorithms that make sense of vast quantities of information. |
| "Set your greatest brains to work on this. You are not separate from our society, you are part of our society, and you must play a responsible role in it." | "Set your greatest brains to work on this. You are not separate from our society, you are part of our society, and you must play a responsible role in it." |
| A spokesman from Google responded, saying: "We have a zero tolerance attitude to child sexual abuse imagery. Whenever we discover it, we respond quickly to remove and report it. | A spokesman from Google responded, saying: "We have a zero tolerance attitude to child sexual abuse imagery. Whenever we discover it, we respond quickly to remove and report it. |
| "We recently donated $5m (£3.3m) to help combat this problem and are committed to continuing the dialogue with the government on these issues." | "We recently donated $5m (£3.3m) to help combat this problem and are committed to continuing the dialogue with the government on these issues." |
| 'Very secretive' | 'Very secretive' |
| The debate about online images showing the sexual abuse of children has come to prominence following two high-profile court cases in which offenders were known to have sought child pornography online. | The debate about online images showing the sexual abuse of children has come to prominence following two high-profile court cases in which offenders were known to have sought child pornography online. |
| Mark Bridger, sentenced to life in May for the murder of five-year-old April Jones in Machynlleth, Powys, searched for child abuse and rape images. | Mark Bridger, sentenced to life in May for the murder of five-year-old April Jones in Machynlleth, Powys, searched for child abuse and rape images. |
| And police who searched the Croydon home of Stuart Hazell, jailed for life in May for murdering 12-year-old Tia Sharp, said they had found "extensive" pornography featuring young girls. | And police who searched the Croydon home of Stuart Hazell, jailed for life in May for murdering 12-year-old Tia Sharp, said they had found "extensive" pornography featuring young girls. |
| Child protection experts say most illegal child abuse images are hidden and not available via search engines. | Child protection experts say most illegal child abuse images are hidden and not available via search engines. |
| Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group which campaigns for online freedoms, said: "The idea that banning some search terms will reduce the amount of child pornography online is a bit of a mistake. | Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group which campaigns for online freedoms, said: "The idea that banning some search terms will reduce the amount of child pornography online is a bit of a mistake. |
| "While I think David Cameron is very well intentioned, and of course everybody wants this kind of material to be tackled, we have no real evidence that search engines are the major way that people try to find this material. | "While I think David Cameron is very well intentioned, and of course everybody wants this kind of material to be tackled, we have no real evidence that search engines are the major way that people try to find this material. |
| "Because it's very, very illegal, people tend to be very secretive." | "Because it's very, very illegal, people tend to be very secretive." |
| It would be better to boost funds for the policing of the criminal gangs and private networks responsible for the production and distribution of child abuse images, and to crack down on the methods used to pay for them, he said. | It would be better to boost funds for the policing of the criminal gangs and private networks responsible for the production and distribution of child abuse images, and to crack down on the methods used to pay for them, he said. |
| A recent Ceop report highlighted how the "hidden internet" helped distributers of child abuse images to evade detection by using encrypted networks and other secure methods. | A recent Ceop report highlighted how the "hidden internet" helped distributers of child abuse images to evade detection by using encrypted networks and other secure methods. |
| But John Carr, from the Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety, said the PM was "absolutely right: there is more that can be done and should be done." | But John Carr, from the Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety, said the PM was "absolutely right: there is more that can be done and should be done." |
| He conceded that the plans would not hinder the "tiny, tiny proportion of highly technically literate paedophiles". | He conceded that the plans would not hinder the "tiny, tiny proportion of highly technically literate paedophiles". |
| "But there's a whole group of others. I mean, we know about two of them, because they were caught and convicted in those murder trials. The judge pointed to the way that they had used the internet to feed their murderous interest and depraved sexual interest in children," he said. | "But there's a whole group of others. I mean, we know about two of them, because they were caught and convicted in those murder trials. The judge pointed to the way that they had used the internet to feed their murderous interest and depraved sexual interest in children," he said. |
| "That kind of thing we can stop." | "That kind of thing we can stop." |
| During a meeting with Mr Cameron at Downing Street, reported in the Sun newspaper, Paul Jones, the father of murdered schoolgirl April, said: "Why can't they take this stuff off the internet? Kids are getting killed, abused, raped and messed up for the rest of their lives. | |
| "What's their excuse? I think it is money. They have the technology and they can do this." | "What's their excuse? I think it is money. They have the technology and they can do this." |
| Mr Cameron also said he would like to see more restrictions on access to legal pornography that can be seen online by children. | Mr Cameron also said he would like to see more restrictions on access to legal pornography that can be seen online by children. |
| He said that as a parent he worried "desperately" about it. | He said that as a parent he worried "desperately" about it. |
| "There are rules about what films you can see in a cinema, what age you have to be to buy alcohol or cigarettes. | "There are rules about what films you can see in a cinema, what age you have to be to buy alcohol or cigarettes. |
| "But on the internet, there aren't those rules, so we need to help parents with control." | "But on the internet, there aren't those rules, so we need to help parents with control." |
| Find out more by watching the Andrew Marr Show on 21 July at 09:00 BST on BBC 1 or later on BBC iPlayer. | Find out more by watching the Andrew Marr Show on 21 July at 09:00 BST on BBC 1 or later on BBC iPlayer. |