UPDATE - UK, France to tackle online extremism

UPDATES WITH JOINT CONFERENCE OF MAY AND MACRON IN PARIS

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal - Hajer M'tiri

PARIS (AA) - The U.K. and France are to introduce stronger measures against tech companies that fail to remove extremist content, the British government said on Tuesday.

The statement came ahead of Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to Paris to meet President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.

Plans “include exploring the possibility of creating a new legal liability for tech companies if they fail to remove content,” and “penalties such as fines for companies that fail to take action”.

“The counter-terrorism cooperation between British and French intelligence agencies is already strong, but President Macron and I agree that more should be done to tackle the terrorist threat online,” May said in a joint news conference in Paris.

May confirmed the two leaders would consider “creating a new legal liability” for tech companies that fail to remove “unacceptable” content.

"In the U.K., we are working with social media companies to halt the spread of extremism. The U.K. and France will work together and abide by their social responsibility," May said. "The Internet cannot be used as a safe space for terrorists and criminals. We are united in the condemnation of terrorism and will stamp out this evil."

Ahead of talks which focused on counterterrorism, the U.K. has said the joint campaign would aim at ensuring “the internet cannot be used as a safe space for terrorists and criminals”.

Both leaders also paid tribute to French and British nationals who lost their lives in attacks in both countries in the last year.

Macron said the "very concrete action plan" aims at strengthening the fight against terrorism.

"We decided together to go further this evening by working for several days on a very concrete plan of action," Macron said, explaining that one of the measures will be to eliminate incitement to "hatred and (or) terrorism" on the Internet.

The two leaders then headed to the Stade de France for the international friendly football match between France and England.