Home Secretary, Rt. Hon. Amber Rudd MP, announced a new national online hate crime hub to stop antisemitism and other forms of racism spreading across the internet.
The hub will be run by police officers from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), who hope it will lead to faster removal of hateful online posts, as well as greater support for victims and a higher rate of prosecution for the perpetrators.
It is envisaged that the hub will create an expert unit that will channel all reports of online hate crime and reduce the burden on frontline officers.
Home Secretary Rudd said the hub was “an important step to ensure more victims have the confidence to come forward and report the vile abuse”.
She added: “What is illegal offline is illegal online, and those who commit these cowardly crimes should be met with the full force of the law”.
Officers at the hub will assess whether the circumstances relate to a crime or non-crime incident, combine reports, identify the perpetrator and refer appropriate cases to online platforms hosting external content, such as social media companies, so that hateful material can be removed.
