5000 Terrorist Websites

According to a new report, there are officially 5000 websites being used by terrorists and their supporters.

Of course, anyone with access to the most rudimentary computer programs can make a website. Indeed anyone with access to the internet can use the templates available online to make a website.

Design is one thing, "hosting" is another. You can make a website, but unless a company is willing to put it on its web server, nobody will be able to log into it.

Sadly, it seems, too many big hosting companies turn a blind eye to the hate and violence they are effectively helping to disemminate. Even worse, some companies will refuse to touch terrorist sites because they feel it is a free speech issue.

If the owners of these companies were arrested and tried for complicity, the situation would change, but pehaps the intelligence services prefer to have these sites up and running. They are, after all, a good source of information. Also, by monitoring who logs into them, they can trace potential suspects. I just hope the benefits outweigh the obvious threats.