Liberty responds to Government’s new counter-terrorism strategy

Responding to the Government’s new counter-terrorism strategy – announced by Home Secretary Sajid Javid today.

Liberty’s Advocacy Director Corey Stoughton said: “Terrorism is a serious issue deserving serious thought. Sadly this ‘strategy’ is a regurgitation of failed thinking – heavy on soundbites, light on substance.

“The Government continues to use dangerously vague definitions of extremism to tarnish communities, encourage policing by prejudice and press service providers and local authorities into becoming unwilling and untrained agents of the security services.

“Yet again they attack encryption and talk up data analytics, while offering no actual proposals and no explanation of how our privacy and cybersecurity will be protected. If and when they come up with something concrete we will be scrutinising it closely.”