New GCHQ director Robert Hannigan accuses some Silicon Valley companies of becoming 'the command and control networks of choice' for terrorists
Robert Hannigan (right) took on the role of director of GCHQ (left) last month after a distinguished career as a senior diplomat Photo: Crown copyright
Technology giants such as Facebook and Twitter have become "the command
and control networks of choice" for terrorists and criminals but are "in
denial" about the scale of the problem, the new head of GCHQ has said.
Robert Hannigan said that Isil terrorists in Syria and Iraq have "embraced
the web" and are using it to intimidate people and inspire "would-be
jihadis" from all over the world to join them.
He urged the companies to work more closely with the security services,
arguing that it is time for them to confront "some uncomfortable truths"
and that privacy is not an "absolute right".
He suggested that unless US technology companies co-operate, new laws will be
needed to ensure that intelligence agencies are able to track and pursue
terrorists.
His comments represent some of the most outspoken criticism yet of US
technology giants by the security services, and come amid growing tensions
following leaks by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
No comments:
Post a Comment