Prevent in the News Archives - Page 2 of 65

Q: IBM quits facial-recognition market over police racial-profiling concerns | IBM | The Guardian

IBM is pulling out of the facial recognition market and is calling for “a national dialogue” on the technology’s use in law enforcement. The abrupt about-face comes as technology companies are facing increased scrutiny over their contracts with police amid violent crackdowns on peaceful protest across America. In a public letter to Congress , IBM chief executive, Arvind Krishna, explained the company’s decision to back out of the business, and declared an intention “to work with Congress in pursuit of justice and racial equity, focused initially in three key policy areas: police reform, responsible use of technology, and broadening skills and educational opportunities.” Source: IBM quits facial-recognition market over police racial-profiling concerns | IBM | The Guardian

Q: Counter-terrorism director general to lead coronavirus risk response unit | Civil Service World

Tom Hurd, the director general of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, has been appointed to head up a new unit tasked with assessing the threat level that will inform the UK’s route out of coronavirus lockdown. Hurd, who joined the OSCT in the Home Office four years ago, will lead the Joint Biosecurity Centre that the prime minister announced yesterday as part of his “road map” out of lockdown.Setting out the next phase of the UK’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak on Sunday night, Boris Johnson said the government was setting up a “Covid alert system” to “chart our progress and to avoid going back to square one”. Source: Counter-terrorism director general to lead coronavirus risk response unit | Civil Service World

Q: Ministers aim to extend legally binding deadline on Prevent review | UK news | The Guardian

Review is due to report to parliament by August but is only now recruiting a new chair. The government will attempt to push back a legally binding deadline for the completion of an independent review of Prevent, the programme that aims to stop people becoming terrorists, the Guardian understands. Communities, activists and civil liberties organisations have been calling for a review of Prevent for years, claiming it fosters discrimination against people of Muslim faith or background. Advocates of the strategy reject this and say it has successfully diverted vulnerable individuals from being radicalised. The review was first announced in January 2019 and it was written into the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act along with a statutory requirement for it to report back to parliament by August this year. Source: Ministers aim to extend legally binding deadline on Prevent review | UK news | The Guardian

Q: Children under 6 referred to extremism programme | News | The Times

Hundreds of children under the age of six have been referred to the government’s counter-extremism scheme, The Times has learnt. There were 532 referrals to Prevent of children under the age of six between April 2015 and April 2018, while a further 1,181 aged between six and nine were referred during the same period. The figures, obtained under freedom of information laws, come as the government is accused of dragging its heels over an independent review of the programme. Source: Children under 6 referred to extremism programme | News | The Times