France-Britain’s new anti-terror plan

With internet being used as one of the most potent tools by terror organizations like ISIS in the radicalization of individuals across the world, Britain and France have announced an anti-terror plan to clamp down on radicalization through social media.

British Prime Minister, Theresa May and the newly elected President of France, Emmanuel Macron launched the new campaign which aims to hold tech companies accountable for not aggressively countering inflammatory content found in the internet.

Increased terror attacks in the recent months

The plan has been announced in the wake of two deadly terror attacks in Britain in the recent weeks. On May 22^nd, there was a suicide bombing that took place in Manchester at a concert that led to the deaths of 22 people including children. Just two weeks later, there was a knife and van attack that took place in London which resulted in the deaths of eight people. France too has been a frequent target of terror attacks in the recent years. In November 2015, there was a series of coordinated terror attacks across Paris that resulted in 130 victims losing their lives. More than 230 people since 2015 have died as a direct result of terror attacks in France.

Additionally, it has been reported that as of 2015, a total of 5000 citizens of countries across Europe have not only been radicalized but have also joined terrorist organizations as well as military formations such as ISIS and Jahbat al-Nusra.

Under this new plan, companies such as Google and Facebook will not only be held accountable but will be held legally culpable for not successfully going after content disseminated for radicalization – the companies if held responsible will have to pay a fine. Additionally, the campaign will also continue to explore various news ways to further explore how legal penalties can be imposed on tech giants for non-compliance.

Leaders of mixed fortunes

Not only is United Kingdom been rocked by multiple terror attacks in the recent times, Prime Minister  is also battling a political crisis. While May had originally called for a snap election in Britain in order to increase the majority held by the Conservative party, the move ultimately backfired, with the Conservatives actually losing their majority by eight seats. This has thrown May’s entire leadership into question and has also weakened her mandate as the region moves forward with Brexit negotiations.

Macron, on the other hand, is on top of his game with his party La République En Marche having topped the polls during the first round of French parliamentary elections.

Assessment

A non controversial campaign against such as this one can be seen as an easy political win for May, who is looking show the world that she is in control of her own agenda. And given that Brexit negotiations are slated to begin in a matter of days, this plan will also make a statement that Britain will continue to play a key role in European politics even if it is no longer a part of the European Union. However, with a fractured mandate at home, May is fighting an uphill battle to retain her position of power. Ultimately, it will be a long time, if ever, before she can recover from the political mess that was caused by the British general election and that ought to give pause to Theresa May and her supporters.