UK government Prevent strategy will block web sites

THE UK GOVERNMENT is promoting plans to curb civil liberties under the banner of its 'Prevent' strategy for countering terrorism.

In a just published document introduced by Theresa May and given the Orwellianly simple title of 'Prevent', the Home Office revealed its refocusing and plans.

"The Prevent strategy has been refocused following a review. The strategy now contains three objectives: to respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat from those who promote it; to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support; and to work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation that we need to address," reads the notes on the official Home Office pages.

The document is full of those kind of innocuous sounding government plans that suddenly become brutal suppression, turning from mild sounding suggestions into a 'hands behind your back and face the wall' method of encouragement.

This is the modern age though and its not only reinforced doors that need kicking in, but virtual ones too, thus the Prevent plans have a beady eye on terrorist technology, like web sites.

This will not come without challenges though, such as how can you stop people from expressing their opinions when you are supposed to be allowing free speech?

Well, by giving yourself the right to in law. "All terrorist groups have an ideology. Promoting that ideology, frequently on the internet, facilitates radicalisation and recruitment," says the report.

"Challenging ideology and disrupting the ability of terrorists to promote it is a fundamental part of Prevent. [We] regard the internet as vital to Prevent work, not just because we need to more effectively disrupt terrorist use of the internet, but because of the range of opportunities it provides to challenge terrorist ideology." This strikes us as how an overbearing police state justifies repression.