Theresa May to urge Donald Trump to take action against online hate
Theresa May is to call for an international crackdown on online hate content, urging Donald Trump and other world leaders to ensure terrorist propaganda is removed within an hour of appearing on the internet.
The Prime Minister will use her final summit of world leaders to appeal for action against the use of the internet by terrorists as well as more "cooperation" on tackling climate change.
Speaking at the G20 meeting in Japan Mrs May will pitch the UK as a "global leader" on both issues, as she attempts to frame her legacy as Prime Minister.
She is expected to cite her Government's proposals for a new online regulator, and its decision to legally enshrine a commitment to a target of zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Mr Trump will be seen as a primary target of Mrs May's interventions in Osaka.
Last month the US declined to join the Christchurch Call, an international initiative under which governments and internet firms committed to improve their efforts to tackle extremist content.
Mrs May is expected to urge world leaders to ensure terror content is taken down from the internet within 60 minutes of being uploaded after the Government's white paper on online harms warned that "a third of all links to Daesh propaganda ... are disseminated within an hour of upload."
The European Parliament recently backed similar proposals. The Prime Minister will also call for leaders of the group of 20 major economies to put on a united front against Iran's "deeply destabilising activity".
Mrs May said: “With the threat of climate change putting future generations at risk, vile terrorist propaganda continuing to spread online, and rising tensions in the Gulf, this summit is an opportunity for us to address critical global challenges affecting our nations ... As we have seen time and time again – we are always stronger when we work together.
“And so my message to G20 leaders this week is this: it is only through international cooperation and compromise that we can protect our citizens’ security and prosperity and make the world a safer and a better place to live.”
A senior government official said: "The PM will use her final G20 to underline the need for international cooperation and compromise in addressing the global challenges that we face."
The official added that Mrs May would "highlight continued global leadership on UK priorities including climate change and terrorists' use of the internet."
