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UK To Train Pro-West Islamic Groups To Game Google

Posted by timothy on from the raisins-not-virgins dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "The British government's Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT), a 200-strong Home Office unit created 18 months ago, has said in meetings it wants to 'flood the internet' with 'positive' interpretations of Islam and plans to train government-approved groups in search engine optimization techniques, which it is hoped will boost their profile online and battle radicalization. A Home Office spokesman confirmed search engine optimization training is part of the government's anti-radicalization strategy. 'In order to support mainstream voices, we work with local partners to help develop their communication, representational and leadership skills. This support could include media training, which can help make their voices heard more widely, and support the development of skills which allow communities to be more effective in debate.' However the effectiveness of search engine optimization in reducing traffic to extremist websites has been dismissed by academics. A report produced by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) said young Muslims were much more likely to be directed to extremist material online by web forums and offline associates than by Google or other search engines. 'Tweaking the results for supposedly extremist terms would be largely ineffectual, not least because it is unlikely that any but the most callow wannabe terrorist would use a mainstream search engine to find banned material.'"

3 of 469 comments (clear)

  1. Re:How to get free government PR for your religion by Thanshin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Dear UK government.

    As has been proved over and over, we gamers are violent.

    Our Google-fu is mighty, but we don't have apropiate sites of reunion. The sensible action would be to pay for the construction of gaming churches where gamers can go to get involved in a friendly community and thus avoid further killing sprees.

    Yours dearly, F4T4L M4SS4KRE.

  2. Re:Imagine by MrMr · · Score: 3, Funny

    This has got to be one of the worst cases of public sector idiocy I've ever seen
    Really?. The UK has an official state religion; Top that.

  3. Re:Islam, eh? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 5, Funny

    This Koran is about 800 years old, it cannot be adapted to todays social and cultural standards.

    A bit like monospace, then?

    --

    Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.