• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > World

Clinton Promises 'Surge' in US Spying After Orlando Attack

  • Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton pauses as she speaks at a campaign rally in Cleveland, Ohio June 13, 2016.

    Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton pauses as she speaks at a campaign rally in Cleveland, Ohio June 13, 2016. | Photo: Reuters

Published 14 June 2016
Opinion

Hillary Clinton proposed an "intelligence surge" in efforts to help thwart potential terrorist attacks.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said Monday that if elected, she would pressure U.S. technology companies to help intelligence agencies disrupt violent plots after a gunman inspired by radical Islamist groups killed 49 people in an Orlando nightclub.

RELATED:
5 Outrageous Reactions to Orlando Shooting

In a speech in Cleveland, she articulated plans for expanded online surveillance of potential extremist attackers. She is campaigning against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump ahead of the November presidential election.

"We already know we need more resources for this fight. The professionals who keep us safe would be the first to say we need better intelligence to discover and disrupt terrorist plots before they can be carried out," Clinton said.

"That’s why I’ve proposed an ‘intelligence surge’ to bolster our capabilities across the board, with appropriate safeguards here at home."

While Clinton did not detail what her effort would entail, she said she wants technology companies to be more cooperative to government requests for help in countering online propaganda, tracking patterns in social media and intercepting communications.

RELATED:
Facebook, Twitter Cave In to Israeli Government Demands

Clinton's comments will likely further stoke an international debate over digital privacy, which has flared after attacks in Paris, Brussels and San Bernardino, California.

Facebook, Google and Twitter have all dedicated more resources to combating online propaganda and recruiting by Islamic militants within the past year. But they do so quietly to avoid the perception that they are overly cozy with authorities.

Twitter and Facebook had no immediate response to questions about Clinton’s comments. Google declined comment.

The Center for Democracy and Technology and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, both digital advocacy groups, said they were waiting for more specifics from Clinton before commenting.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.