Theresa May renews her call for internet regulation following the London Bridge attack

The Prime Minister wants to expand the government's reach into digital spaces.
 By 
Heather Dockray
 on 
Theresa May renews her call for internet regulation following the London Bridge attack
Credit: jack taylor/Getty Images

Following the London Bridge terrorist attacks, Prime Minister Theresa May has called for foreign leaders to consider regulating the internet as a means to prevent terrorism.

May delivered her remarks in a speech outside 10 Downing Street on Sunday morning. By regulating the internet more strenuously, the Prime Minister suggested, countries could help "deprive the extremists of their safe spaces online."

"We cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed - yet that is precisely what the internet, and the big companies that provide internet-based services provide,” May said.

May's comments follow an attack in London in which seven people were killed and eleven injured.

“We need to work with allies democratic governments to reach international agreements to regulate cyberspace to prevent the spread of extremist and terrorism planning," May added.

Internet regulation is currently part of the Conservative manifesto. The Party hopes the internet service providers will assist in counter-extremism drives and make it more difficult for people to access pornography.

In 2016, May's party introduced the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which expanded the power of intelligence agencies to monitor private online communications and required that ISPs keep lists of websites internet users visited for one year.

Critics are concerned that the measures could violate people's right to privacy.

Topics Politics

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Heather Dockray

Heather was the Web Trends reporter at Mashable NYC. Prior to joining Mashable, Heather wrote regularly for UPROXX and GOOD Magazine, was published in The Daily Dot and VICE, and had her work featured in Entertainment Weekly, Jezebel, Mic, and Gawker. She loves small terrible dogs and responsible driving. Follow her on Twitter @wear_a_helmet.

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