Web firms ‘in denial’ over networks’ role in terror

The new head of Britain’s electronic eavesdropping agency has accused internet firms of being "in denial" over the role their networks play in terrorism and demanded they open themselves up more to intelligence services.

GCHQ director Robert Hannigan said they had become the “command-and-control networks of choice” for a new generation of web-savvy criminals and extremists, such as Islamic State jihadists.

Better arrangements had to be developed to allow security and intelligence agencies to police online traffic, he said in an article for the Financial Times, warning firms that their users did not want their social networks used “to facilitate murder or child abuse”.