Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

UK govt must crack down on apps promoting extremism, Labour leader Starmer says, taking special aim at Telegram

UK govt must crack down on apps promoting extremism, Labour leader Starmer says, taking special aim at Telegram

The UK government must do more to crack down on platforms that fail to tackle violent content online, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has said, taking special aim at messenger app Telegram.
Speaking on Wednesday at a Prime Minister's Questions session, the leader of the opposition slammed Telegram, saying that it has been described as the "app of choice for extremists."

Starmer also said that, while tributes were being made to MP Sir David Amess, who was stabbed to death last Friday in Essex, in what Scotland Yard declared a terrorist incident possibly linked to Islamist extremism, the app's users could access "videos of murders and violent threats against politicians, the LGBT community, women and Jews."

He quoted an anti-racism advocacy group, saying Telegram had "facilitated a subculture that cheerleads for terrorists" and insisted "tough sanctions are clearly needed." He asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson why the directors of apps that are failing to clamp down on online extremism are not facing "criminal" penalties.

Telegram, however, has taken steps in the past to protect its users against terrorism. In December 2016 it announced that the app was routinely removing up to 70 Islamic State channels per month. In a joint operation conducted in late 2019 with Europol, the platform said it had purged 43,000 terrorist-related user accounts.

Starmer's remarks come after media reports emerged that Amess' suspected killer, Ali Harbi Ali, had been radicalised by extremist content online.

In the wake of the fatal stabbing, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said that there was "a case" for removing the right to anonymity, as internet users should not be able to "abuse their position on social media from a veil of anonymity."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×