The Welsh Government has been challenged by a local AM to makes representations with the UK Government, in order that large internet companies like Google, are forced to take tougher action to stamp out child abuse images online.
In light of the last weeks conviction of Mark Bridger for the murder of Machynlleth school girl, April Jones, Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, asked the First Minister to raise this issue with the UK Government and other devolved administrations, so that the UK can ‘speak with one voice’ in condemning the publication of such material on the internet.
Mr George said that governments needed to ‘get tough’ with these companies and that they had to be made aware that they have a corporate, moral and social responsibility to take a zero tolerance approach against such content.
In response, the First Minister for Wales, Carwyn Jones AM, said the whole country was shocked by the murder of April Jones and by the details of the case that have emerged since Mark Bridger’s conviction. He agreed that there should be internet censorship when it came to child abuse images and that he would write to the Prime Minister to see what agreed action the UK could take against companies who refused to clamp down on such illegal content.
Commenting, Mr George said:
"The tear in the community fabric of Machynlleth in the wake of the April Jones murder may now have a chance to heal with the sentencing of Mark Bridger.
"I know the residents of Machynlleth will be pleased with the First Minister’s commitment today and that their government is prepared to take positive action on this issue.
"In light of this horrific case, there have been increased demands not just locally but across the UK that internet companies, such as Google, take tougher action to stamp out child abuse images and other pornographic sites online.
"I believe that they have a corporate-social responsibility to show real leadership and adopt a zero-tolerance policy to such material.
"I hope that all administrations in the UK can unite on this issue, so that the strongest British case can be made to these companies that we in the UK are no longer prepared to tolerate this content anymore."