What are the challenges of dealing with internet crime?

• Parliament.TV: The Internet: to regulate or not to regulate?
• Inquiry: The Internet: to regulate or not to regulate?
• Select Committee on Communications

Background

In this session the Committee explores with the witnesses the challenges of dealing with internet crime; how their organisations seek to remove illegal online content; and whether they have enough resources to deal with the scale of cybercrime.

Witnesses

Tuesday 15 May, Committee Room 2, Palace of Westminster

At 3.30pm

• Susie Hargreaves OBE, Chief Executive, Internet Watch Foundation
• Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh, National Police Chiefs' Council
• Will Kerr, Director of Vulnerabilities, National Crime Agency
• Donald Toon, Director of Prosperity, National Crime Agency
• Detective Superintendent Phil Tomlinson, Head of the National Digital Exploitation Service, Metropolitan Police

Possible questions

Over the course of the session the Committee is likely to ask questions including:

• How are hate speech and similar offences distinguished from speech which is merely offensive?
• Is it reasonable to expect platforms or other internet hosting services to self-regulate content online?
• How do you distinguish terrorist content from legitimate speech, especially where the content endorses a conservative religious worldview?
• Does the adoption of encryption in various forms (including encrypted web browsers such as the Dark Net and end-to-end encryption services such as Whatsapp) make the task of law enforcement more difficult?
• What technological tools are used by law enforcement agencies or stakeholders in determining whether content is illegal? What is the human oversight of such technology tools?

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees 

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