Latest news with #GraemeBiggar
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK to work with allies and social media to tackle people smuggling adverts
The UK has pledged further action with allies and social media platforms to tackle people smuggling adverts online as part of efforts to cut small boat crossings and other illegal migration services. A new agreement made at the UK's Organised Immigration Crime Summit on Tuesday will see the UK, US, Albania, Sweden, Tunisia and Vietnam take more collective action to target criminal gangs advertising illegal migration online, and share more data on the issue. The agreement will also see governments work with social media companies – including Meta, TikTok and X, who were present at the summit – to design out methods being used by criminal gangs to advertise and glorify their people smuggling activities online. The Home Office said 18,000 social media accounts used to sell spaces on small boats have been taken down by the National Crime Agency (NCA) since last July – 10,000 more than the previous year – but that further action is still needed. As part of the new collective action agreement, governments will work with online platforms to help improve detection and moderation tools for identifying content linked to people smuggling. Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt said: 'Criminal gangs are exploiting online platforms to prey on vulnerable people, luring them into dangerous and illegal journeys that undermine our border security. 'This international agreement is a vital step in shutting down their online operations and dismantling their networks across the world. 'These organised crime groups operate across borders, which is why the UK has united with five nations to take decisive action – strengthening intelligence-sharing and taking away platforms that these criminals depend on for their business. 'Under the Government's Plan for Change, we will continue working with global partners to dismantle smuggling networks, bring perpetrators to justice, and protect vulnerable people from falling into their hands.' The summit has also seen nations agree to increased intelligence-sharing, including between law enforcement agencies, while the UK is to lead work on investigating how criminal gangs are using online spaces. Graeme Biggar, director-general of the NCA, said: 'Yesterday we saw law enforcement from over 40 nations come together in a shared endeavour to stop these criminal gangs. 'We have explored challenges, sought solutions, and reinforced our shared commitment to tackling the threat and harm caused by people smuggling. 'International intelligence-sharing and co-operation is absolutely crucial to track criminal activity across borders, allowing us to put a stop to these dangerous criminals, and this summit has ensured that we can build on our work to put a stop to these gangs, protect our borders and save lives.'
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK to work with allies and social media to tackle people smuggling adverts
The UK has pledged further action with allies and social media platforms to tackle people smuggling adverts online as part of efforts to cut small boat crossings and other illegal migration services. A new agreement made at the UK's Organised Immigration Crime Summit on Tuesday will see the UK, US, Albania, Sweden, Tunisia and Vietnam take more collective action to target criminal gangs advertising illegal migration online, and share more data on the issue. The agreement will also see governments work with social media companies – including Meta, TikTok and X, who were present at the summit – to design out methods being used by criminal gangs to advertise and glorify their people smuggling activities online. The Home Office said 18,000 social media accounts used to sell spaces on small boats have been taken down by the National Crime Agency (NCA) since last July – 10,000 more than the previous year – but that further action is still needed. As part of the new collective action agreement, governments will work with online platforms to help improve detection and moderation tools for identifying content linked to people smuggling. Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt said: 'Criminal gangs are exploiting online platforms to prey on vulnerable people, luring them into dangerous and illegal journeys that undermine our border security. 'This international agreement is a vital step in shutting down their online operations and dismantling their networks across the world. 'These organised crime groups operate across borders, which is why the UK has united with five nations to take decisive action – strengthening intelligence-sharing and taking away platforms that these criminals depend on for their business. 'Under the Government's Plan for Change, we will continue working with global partners to dismantle smuggling networks, bring perpetrators to justice, and protect vulnerable people from falling into their hands.' The summit has also seen nations agree to increased intelligence-sharing, including between law enforcement agencies, while the UK is to lead work on investigating how criminal gangs are using online spaces. Graeme Biggar, director-general of the NCA, said: 'Yesterday we saw law enforcement from over 40 nations come together in a shared endeavour to stop these criminal gangs. 'We have explored challenges, sought solutions, and reinforced our shared commitment to tackling the threat and harm caused by people smuggling. 'International intelligence-sharing and co-operation is absolutely crucial to track criminal activity across borders, allowing us to put a stop to these dangerous criminals, and this summit has ensured that we can build on our work to put a stop to these gangs, protect our borders and save lives.'
New York Times
25-03-2025
- New York Times
Online Harm Gangs Pose ‘Unprecedented Risk' to Teens, Says U.K. Crime Agency
Britain's National Crime Agency has warned of an 'unprecedented risk' to young people from online groups that encourage teenagers to share sadistic and misogynistic material and to coerce others into sexual abuse, self-harm or violence. The agency, which is responsible for combating serious and organized crime in Britain, said Tuesday in an annual assessment of crime trends that reports of incidents related to the threat from online groups increased sixfold between 2022 and 2024 in Britain and warned of significant numbers of victims being groomed or blackmailed. 'Young people are being drawn into these sadistic and violent online gangs, where they are collaborating at scale to inflict, or incite others to commit, serious harm,' said Graeme Biggar, director general of the agency, in a statement. He added, 'These groups are not lurking on the dark web, they exist in the same online world and platforms young people use on a daily basis,' and noted that young girls were being 'groomed into hurting themselves and in some cases, even encouraged to attempt suicide.' The agency's National Strategic Assessment for 2024 said that while adults were involved in these communities or networks, it was especially concerned about teenage boys often sharing sadistic and misogynistic material and targeting girls as young as 11. Described as 'Com' networks, the forums have become vehicles for sharing images of extreme violence, gore and child sexual abuse. They are also used to apply 'extreme coercion' to manipulate young people into harming or abusing themselves, their siblings or pets, the agency said. 'Members of 'Com' networks are usually young men who are motivated by status, power, control, misogyny, sexual gratification, or an obsession with extreme or violent material,' said the report, which added that the emergence of these types of online groups 'are almost certainly causing some individuals, especially younger people, to develop a dangerous propensity for extreme violence.' It added that the networks typically attract young males promoting nihilistic views, who 'attempt to gain status with other users by committing or encouraging harmful acts across a broad spectrum of offending.' Users in Britain and other western countries 'had exchanged millions of messages online relating to sexual and physical abuse,' it noted. The crime agency gave the example of Cameron Finnigan, a British teenager who was sentenced to jail in January after being part of an online Satanist group that blackmails other children into filming or livestreaming self-harm, violence and sexual abuse. Mr. Finnigan, 19, used the Telegram app to encourage contacts to commit murder and suicide. In his statement, Mr. Biggar said that police were collaborating with technology companies and psychologists to better understand the behavior of young people but added that he encouraged parents 'to have regular conversations with their child about what they do online.' Jess Phillips, a government minister who has responsibility for tackling violence against women and girls, described the scale of abuse outlined in the report as 'absolutely horrific,' and also urged open conversations within families. 'My message to tech companies is simple: This is your responsibility, too,' she added. 'You must ensure your platforms are safe for children, so that we can protect the most vulnerable and put predators behind bars.' The agency's latest survey focused heavily on the use of technology and online platforms in crimes including fraud, extremism and sexual abuse. Citing statistics from the Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit organization, it said that 291,273 web pages had contained indecent images of children in 2024, a 6 percent increase since 2023. Of these, 91 percent were classified as self-generated indecent imagery, either shared consensually, or elicited through manipulation.
New York Times
25-03-2025
- New York Times
Online Harm Groups Pose ‘Unprecedented Risk' to Teens, Says U.K. Crime Agency
Britain's National Crime Agency has warned of an 'unprecedented risk' to young people from online groups that encourage teenagers to share sadistic and misogynistic material and to coerce others into sexual abuse, self-harm or violence. The agency, which is responsible for combating serious and organized crime in Britain, said Tuesday in an annual assessment of crime trends that reports of incidents related to the threat from online groups increased sixfold between 2022 and 2024 in Britain and warned of significant numbers of victims being groomed or blackmailed. 'Young people are being drawn into these sadistic and violent online gangs, where they are collaborating at scale to inflict, or incite others to commit, serious harm,' said Graeme Biggar, director general of the agency, in a statement. He added, 'These groups are not lurking on the dark web, they exist in the same online world and platforms young people use on a daily basis,' and noted that young girls were being 'groomed into hurting themselves and in some cases, even encouraged to attempt suicide.' The agency's National Strategic Assessment for 2024 said that while adults were involved in these communities or networks, it was especially concerned about teenage boys often sharing sadistic and misogynistic material and targeting girls as young as 11. Described as 'Com' networks, the forums have become vehicles for sharing images of extreme violence, gore and child sexual abuse. They are also used to apply 'extreme coercion' to manipulate young people into harming or abusing themselves, their siblings or pets, the agency said. 'Members of 'Com' networks are usually young men who are motivated by status, power, control, misogyny, sexual gratification, or an obsession with extreme or violent material,' said the report, which added that the emergence of these types of online groups 'are almost certainly causing some individuals, especially younger people, to develop a dangerous propensity for extreme violence.' It added that the networks typically attract young males promoting nihilistic views, who 'attempt to gain status with other users by committing or encouraging harmful acts across a broad spectrum of offending.' Users in Britain and other western countries 'had exchanged millions of messages online relating to sexual and physical abuse,' it noted. The crime agency gave the example of Cameron Finnigan, a British teenager who was sentenced to jail in January after being part of an online Satanist group that blackmails other children into filming or livestreaming self-harm, violence and sexual abuse. Mr. Finnigan, 19, used the Telegram app to encourage contacts to commit murder and suicide. In his statement, Mr. Biggar said that police were collaborating with technology companies and psychologists to better understand the behavior of young people but added that he encouraged parents 'to have regular conversations with their child about what they do online.' Jess Phillips, a government minister who has responsibility for tackling violence against women and girls, described the scale of abuse outlined in the report as 'absolutely horrific,' and also urged open conversations within families. 'My message to tech companies is simple: This is your responsibility, too,' she added. 'You must ensure your platforms are safe for children, so that we can protect the most vulnerable and put predators behind bars.' The agency's latest survey focused heavily on the use of technology and online platforms in crimes including fraud, extremism and sexual abuse. Citing statistics from the Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit organization, it said that 291,273 web pages had contained indecent images of children in 2024, a 6 percent increase since 2023. Of these, 91 percent were classified as self-generated indecent imagery, either shared consensually, or elicited through manipulation.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Sadistic gangs of boys share extreme material online that normalises violence'
'Sadistic' online gangs dominated by teenage boys are committing harrowing crimes, including child abuse and sharing extreme material, that desensitises them to brutal violence, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned. Reports relating to the so-called 'com networks' increased six times in the UK between 2022 and 2024, involving thousands of users and victims. Some members have already been convicted of crimes in the UK and other investigations are ongoing. The NCA's annual National Strategic Assessment, published on Tuesday, described the groups as networks on social media or messaging platforms that 'routinely share harmful content and extremist or misogynistic rhetoric'. It said: 'Extreme and illicit imagery depicting violence, gore and child sexual abuse material is frequently shared amongst users, normalising and desensitising participants to increasingly extreme content and behaviours. ''Com' networks use extreme coercion to manipulate their victims, who are often children, into harming or abusing themselves, their siblings or pets, and re-victimising them by doxing or appropriation by other offenders. 'Members of 'Com' networks are usually young men who are motivated by status, power, control, misogyny, sexual gratification or an obsession with extreme or violent material. 'The emergence of these types of online platforms are almost certainly causing some individuals, especially younger people, to develop a dangerous propensity for extreme violence.' Director general of the NCA Graeme Biggar said: 'This is a hugely complex and deeply concerning phenomenon. 'Young people are being drawn into these sadistic and violent online gangs where they are collaborating at scale to inflict, or incite others to commit, serious harm. 'These groups are not lurking on the dark web, they exist in the same online world and platforms young people use on a daily basis. 'It is especially concerning to see the impact this is having on young girls who are often groomed into hurting themselves and in some cases, even encouraged to attempt suicide.' Members of the online networks often want to gain notoriety by inflicting the most harm on their victims or sharing the most disturbing content, while others are paedophiles who sell material to other sex offenders. Mr Biggar urged parents and carers to speak to children about what they are doing online. The NCA said some victims may not realise a crime has been committed against them because they have been groomed. Assistant chief constable Alastair Simpson, national policing lead for child sexual exploitation and abuse, said: 'The growth of Com networks that incite and encourage children and vulnerable adults towards acts of self-harm, suicide and violence is hugely concerning. 'The role of undercover online officers is vital in this space, and my message to anyone who is exploiting children online: remember that there is no space where criminals operate that we cannot go and investigations into these networks have already begun. 'Policing will always play its part, but social media providers have a clear role to play in monitoring and regulating their platforms to root out this abhorrent criminal behaviour and make all online spaces safe for children and adults. 'I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of this type of crime to report it to police, you will be met with empathy and respect, and there are organisations that can support you.' Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, called on the Government and regulator Ofcom to take action over extreme material online. He said: 'These horrendous groups pose a deeply disturbing and sharply growing risk to children, especially teenage girls who are being sadistically groomed into acts of self-harm and even suicide online. 'Despite being repeatedly warned of the threat posed by these groups, Ofcom has failed to introduce a single targeted measure to tackle disturbing suicide and self-harm offences. This glaring gap in its regulatory regime must be closed. 'The Prime Minister must now take decisive action to ensure the Online Safety Act is fit for purpose in the face of new online risks and the threat posed by the fluid ideologies that are fuelling this troubling wave of extreme violence.' An Ofcom spokesperson said it had set out several measures that platforms can take to protect users from suicide and self-harm content, and additional protections for children are being finalised next month including measures on algorithms and age checks. Elsewhere, the assessment found that the UK is falling prey to international criminals involved in serious organised crime. The biggest non-British threat comes from Chinese criminals, based both in China and the UK, the assessment said. 'Chinese national offenders are linked to cyber, drugs, fraud, illicit finance, modern slavery and human trafficking and organised immigration crime offending that impacts on the UK,' the report found. It added: 'It is likely that the already high threat from Chinese-speaking money laundering networks in the UK continues to grow. 'As well as moving cash for UK criminals, they help UK-based Chinese nationals to evade Chinese currency controls, which enables them to invest in the UK.' Iran and Russia also allow certain crimes carried out from within their jurisdictions against the UK, including ransomware groups, which are out of the reach of Western law enforcement. Some countries use offences including cybercrime, drug trafficking and money laundering to support their own objectives or evade sanctions, the assessment said, including North Korea. In terms of drugs, the use of ketamine has risen sharply in the UK, according to wastewater analysis by the Home Office comparing January to April 2023 with the same period the following year. Figures from tests that cover 18% of the population of England showed that while cocaine use rose 7%, ketamine consumption rose 85%, and heroin use dropped 11%. The number of adults who needed medical treatment after taking ketamine rose by five times from 426 in 2014/15 to 2,211 in 2022/23. It is cheaper than cocaine but can cause severe health problems including damage referred to as 'ketamine bladder', as well as causing a dissociative state when taken, which could leave the user at risk of physical harm, the NCA said.
