UK spy agency new head says social media ‘command center’ for terrorNovember 4, 2014 - 16:01 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The new head of Britain's electronic eavesdropping agency says U.S.-based social media have become "command-and-control networks" for terrorists and criminals, and tech companies are in denial about their misuse, the Associated Press reports. Writing in Financial Times, GCHQ chief Robert Hannigan said British intelligence agencies know that IS extremists use messaging services like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to reach their peers with ease. He said spy agencies need to have greater support from the U.S. technology companies which dominate the Web in order to fight militants and those who host material about violent extremism and child exploitation. "However much (tech companies) may dislike it, they have become the command-and-control networks of choice for terrorists and criminals, who find their services as transformational as the rest of us," he wrote. "To those of us who have to tackle the depressing end of human behavior on the Internet, it can seem that some technology companies are in denial about its misuse," Hannigan wrote. He said the challenge of new technology required "better arrangements for facilitating lawful investigation by security and law enforcement agencies than we have now." While terrorist propaganda is not new on the Internet, authorities say the rise of the IS group and the proliferation of al Qaeda offshoots has multiplied its message, reaching an even broader audience through its sophistication and familiarity with the media. Eva Galperin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an online privacy group that is partly funded by tech companies, said "there are already plenty of mechanisms in place at these companies to police the kinds of speech that we have decided are illegal." Referring to the large-scale snooping programs revealed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden, she told BBC radio that intelligence agencies' "powers are already immense. I think that asking for more is really quite disingenuous." Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |