UK Pressures the US To Takedown Extremist Videos

chrb writes "BBC News and the Telegraph are reporting that the British government has pressured the US government to take down privately hosted extremist web sites and videos, particularly on YouTube. The request follows the conviction of a 21-year-old woman who attempted to murder MP Stephen Timms after watching YouTube videos of radical American Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. YouTube hosts more than 5,000 videos featuring al-Awlaki, but has begun to remove them following the British government's complaints. The issue obviously raises First Amendment issues in the US, but Security minister Baroness Neville-Jones has said 'Those websites would categorically not be allowed in the UK. They incite cold-blooded murder and as such are surely contrary to the public good. If they were hosted in the UK then we would take them down but this is a global problem. Many of these websites are hosted in America and we look forward to working even more closely with you to take down this hateful material.'"

Comments

Re:Categorically not be allowed in the UK

[shoehornjob]

We are not the UK anymore.

They used to say "the sun never sets on the Brittish empire". Now there's no empire hance no K in UK. I never did understand the united (what with the troubles and such) part either so it's just as well they did away with that.

Re:UK

[king neckbeard]

Well, just get your guns and ...oh wait.

Re:Free Video Cameras?

[Shakrai]

I like guns as much as the next guy, but our lack of a second amendment equivalent really doesn't put us at as much of a disadvantage as people seem to think.

Sure it does. Your Government took away your right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self and state. Your lack of a second amendment equivalent put you at a HUGE disadvantage with regards to keeping a right that your countryman had enjoyed for hundreds of years.