LONDON: Britain’s home secretary says up to 80,000 people pose an online sexual threat to children, and warned that major internet companies could face new laws and regulations forcing them to ramp up efforts to protect children.
Sajid Javid said Monday that Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Twitter and others should fight child abuse with the intensity used to remove extremist material from the internet.
Javid says the threat to children has evolved more quickly than the industry’s response.
He says there has been a “horrifying” rise in pedophile activity on the internet.
“I am not just asking for change. I am demanding it,” he said. “If technology companies do not take more measures to remove this type of content then I won’t be afraid to take action.”
