It follows recent research which showed four out of five people were unsure how to report extremist material.
The iREPORTit app has been created alongside the national Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit after receiving £40,000 from City Hall.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “determined to help keep Londoners safe”.
He said: “We know terrorists and extremists are set on exploiting the uncertainty and anxiety caused by the pandemic for their own gain.
“With more people than ever online for longer periods, often at home alone or in isolated environments, I’m determined to do everything I can to counter that threat.”
‘Ready and waiting’
The success of the app will be measured by the number of downloads, the number of referrals through the app, and the quality of referrals.
It will have a three-month pilot period and will be constantly reviewed by the national counter-terror unit.
The Met’s Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said he welcomed the new app and that specialist officers are “ready and waiting” to look at what gets sent.
He added: “Every time a member of public sends the Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit a link to material which is terrorist or extremist in nature, they are helping police in the international fight against terrorism.
“Where material breaches UK terrorism legislation, they will seek its removal, even if the website host is based in another country, because every piece that is removed from the internet is no longer out in the ether, potentially radicalising vulnerable people and encouraging them to cause serious harm to others.”
If you have seen material online which you are concerned could be terrorist or extremist, you can also report it at www.gov.uk/act
Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said:
“Every time a member of public sends the Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit a link to material which is terrorist or extremist in nature, they are helping police in the international fight against terrorism.
“So I welcome this new app which offers the public another way to report material, in addition to the existing reporting tools.
“Specialist officers are ready and waiting to look at each and every single referral sent via the app.
“Where material breaches UK terrorism legislation, they will seek its removal, even if the website host is based in another country, because every piece that is removed from the Internet is no longer out in the ether, potentially radicalising vulnerable people and encouraging them to cause serious harm to others.”
Hadiya Masieh, Chair of London Counter Terrorism Advisory Group and founder of the Groundswell Project, said:
“In 2014 when DAESH began to groom and recruit scores of vulnerable young people on almost all social media platforms, it was a shock to our system and our communities felt helpless. Apps like iREPORTit will ultimately help us to safeguard our children and protect the UK from all forms of extremism and terrorism. By providing a safe and anonymous way to refer disturbing content, we can protect our communities and give worried individuals peace of mind.”
Raven Science, Developers of the iREPORTit app, said:
“We are thrilled to have developed the iREPORTit app, in partnership with MOPAC and the Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU). Raven Science is a team of cyber security experts whose mission is to make the world safer by improving online security. Having worked on counter-extremism for several years, the opportunity to collaborate with MOPAC and the CTIRU on this project has been great. We believe that the app we have developed can really empower the public when reporting worrying or disturbing content they have found online. We have designed the app to be easy to use, confidential, and anonymous. Users can be assured that no personally identifiable information is collected by the app or anywhere in the network, and reports are seen only by the CTIRU. We cannot wait for the public to start using it.”
Nigel Bromage, Founder of EXIT UK and former Far-Right Extremist, said:
“Reporting extremism & extremist material is so important, especially now when people are more than ever in danger of coming into contact with extremist content online. As extremists from all corners seek to promote their message of division and hate, its crucial such content is minimised to protect individuals and our society, which we all cherish. The iREPORTit app is a great initiative and shows how all of us can do something to reduce the influence of extremism. By all of us working together this helps not just to reduce extremism, but also shows that we won’t accept violent extremists operating and recruiting online. We can’t recommend the iREPORTit app enough.”
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