Southport inquiry: online platforms are ‘radicalising’ children, warns Yvette Cooper

The home secretary has said that the inquiry into the Southport murders will consider the wider challenge of rising youth violence and extremism.

Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons that there has been a threefold increase in the number of under-18s investigated over involvement in terrorism in just three years, with 162 people referred to Prevent in 2024 over concerns relating to school massacres.

Cooper said: “So many of our teenagers are being exposed to ever more disturbing materials online – an online ecosystem that is radicalising our children while safety measures are whittled away.

“The Online Safety Act content codes of practise come into force in March, and the child safety codes should be in place this summer.

“But companies should take responsibility before then. The prosecution will provide more detail on Thursday about material [Axel] Rudakubana searched for online.

“But I can tell the House the government is this week contacting technology companies to ask them to remove dangerous material that he accessed. Companies should not be profiting from hosting content that puts children’s lives at risk.”

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