View Letter to Google

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. is calling on Google Inc. to take “immediate and effective action” to remove terrorist propaganda from YouTube in the wake of news that a group called the Islamic Army in Iraq produced and placed on YouTube a video showing the killings of U.S. soldiers. 

In a letter to Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt, Comptroller Thompson charged that Google must “seek to prevent terrorists from using YouTube as a virtual training camp and a tool for recruiting potential followers.”

Thompson penned the letter – which you can read at www.comptroller.nyc.gov - to the Mountain View, CA, company after learning of the video that was posted last month.

“The video, which reportedly is seven minutes and 31 seconds long, has a single purpose: to glorify the slaughter of Americans,” Thompson wrote. He cited news reports indicating that ‘anyone with an Internet connection can watch videos of bombings and sniper attacks against U.S. forces – shot and edited by Islamic militants and broadcast on YouTube…’.”

“I understand that preventing terrorists from using the Internet to communicate their propaganda and encourage terrorist attacks is a difficult challenge that requires a well-coordinated, comprehensive, national and international effort,” Thompson said. “However, I implore Google to take urgent action to remove all terrorist productions from YouTube, and to collaborate with appropriate governmental agencies to prevent terrorist access to YouTube.”

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