Tech bosses ‘not even close’ to doing enough on extremist content, UK counter-terror chief warns LBC
Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism police officer has accused tech companies of failing to do enough to stop extremist material spreading online, warning that algorithms can rapidly push vulnerable people towards radicalising content.
Listen to this article
Assistant Commissioner Lawrence Taylor, the national head of Counter Terrorism Policing, made the comments in an exclusive interview with LBC Crime Correspondent Andy Hughes for the Global Original podcast, The Crime Agents, after LBC was granted rare access inside the UK Counterterrorism Operations Centre.
The Counter Terror Operations Centre (CTOC) is based in a secret location, and LBC the first journalists to be allowed into the operations room, where Counter Terror Policing, MI5, MI6, GCHQ and Special Forces monitor terror threats and respond to attacks.
Asked directly whether the leaders of major platforms were doing enough to tackle extremist content, Taylor replied: “No, not even close to enough.”
The top counter terror cops said he would like to put “huge pressure on the bosses” of major technology firms to do more to tackle extremist content online, warning they were “not even close to doing enough” to address the scale of the threat.
He said firms “definitely” have a responsibility for what is hosted and promoted on their platforms, pointing to the role of recommendation systems in amplifying harmful material.
Read more: More than 1,000 extremists 'capable of attacks' monitored in Britain, UK counter-terror chief warns
Read more: Convicted terrorist jailed over bomb plot to stand in local election
Taylor warned the challenge is not only illegal terrorist propaganda, which policing teams can act on quickly, but a “gap in the middle” where content can be extremist in tone or intent without crossing the legal threshold for removal.
“Terrorism legislation is quite clear, hate crime legislation is quite clear, but it leaves a gap in the middle,” he said, describing how material that remains lawful can still contribute to radicalisation, especially among younger users.
He warned that online personalisation can intensify the problem. If someone begins searching for extremist material, he said, the same mechanics that target people with adverts can begin feeding them more of the same kind of content.
The Assistant Commissioner also raised concern about the growing vulnerability of young people online, saying the national caseload now includes a far higher proportion of children than a decade ago. He argued that tackling the problem cannot be left to counter-terror policing alone, because many of those being drawn towards extremist material are “incredibly vulnerable” and need wider support, including mental health and social services.
Taylor’s comments come as security agencies across the West warn of evolving extremist threats, with online ecosystems increasingly central to recruitment, propaganda and incitement.
In the interview, he said his teams are effective at removing content that breaches terrorism law when it is referred to them, but questioned the incentive for platforms to devote resources to removing borderline material that remains legal.
He also highlighted practical challenges for UK authorities when platforms are headquartered overseas, requiring cooperation across borders to enforce rules and reduce harms.
_____
Listen to the full, exclusive interview with Asst Commissioner Laurence Taylor on The Crime Agents podcast on Global Player.