Britain to treat extreme misogyny as terrorism

Misogyny and other extreme ideologies are to be equated to terrorism as Britain cracks down on people “pushing harmful and hateful beliefs.”

There has been a rise in extremism “both online and on our streets” that “frays the very fabric of our communities and our democracy,” Britain’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is quoted saying on the BBC.

The Home Office is reviewing how to tackle extremism in all its shapes and forms, both on and offline in a bid to devise a more fit-for-purpose counter-extremism strategy for the country.

To assess the impact of extreme ideologies on young people, both Islamist and far-right extremism are to be analyzed alongside misogyny and other destructive doctrines.

The review will also look at why young people are radicalized and how that plays out. According to the BBC, Yvette Cooper said the strategy will “map and monitor extremist trends” in an effort to disrupt them and reduce audiences.

In cases where radicalization is suspected, teachers, healthcare professionals and local authority staff are already legally obliged to report them to Prevent, a government program to tackle extremism.

Asked if the new strategy would interfere with free speech, Home Office Minister Jess Phillips told LBC: “People can hold views about women all they like, but it’s not OK any more to ignore the massive growing threat caused by online hatred towards women.”

Phillips added that neither is it okay “for us to ignore it because we’re worried about the line, rather than making sure the line is in the right place as we would do with any other extremist ideology.”

The government’s move comes in the wake of the far-right riots that terrorized minorities across the UK early August. But police and former government advisers have been issuing warnings on dangerous online material for the past 10 years.

Self-proclaimed misogynist and British-American kickboxer Andrew Tate, who is often seen driving fast cars and toting guns, will be among those targeted when it comes to reeling in online misogyny.

Facing charges of physical abuse and trafficking in Romania, Tate talks about hitting and choking women, trashing their belongings and stopping them from going out.

In a YouTube video, the influencer who boasts 9.9 million followers on X, has described women as “intrinsically lazy” and said there was “no such thing as an independent female.” He also said, “There’s no way you can be rooted in reality and not be sexist.”

Presenting a police report on the rising violence against women and girls, police chief Maggie Blyth said: “We know that some of this is also linked to radicalization of young people online,” according to the BBC.

She added, “We know the influencers – Andrew Tate – the element of influencing of particularly boys, is quite terrifying.” A YouGov poll found that 23 per cent of boys aged 13 to 15 viewed Tate in a positive light.

The police report on the issue stated that they were working with counter-terrorism teams to combat the risks of young men being radicalized in this way.

Far-right Reform UK boss and MP Nigel Farage called Tate an “important voice” for the “emasculated” and giving boys “perhaps a bit of confidence at school” on the Strike It Big podcast.

Tate is now banned from YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, but not from X whose owner Elon Musk calls himself a “free speech absolutist.”

Andrew Tate has hit back at the UK government’s clampdown on misogyny on Elon Musk’s platform, saying: “You’re only allowed to be male if you’re a f****t.”

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Photo: screen shot from Andrew Tate X account