Trump wants internet banned to stop radicalisation

US presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for help from Bill Gates et al to shut down the internet in an attempt to combat the radicalisation of young people.

He explained the measures he thinks the government must take in an address to the public, where he also claimed the US should stop Muslims entering the country if authorities are to stop terrorist attacks.

"We're losing a lot of people because of the internet," Trump said. "We have to see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what's happening. We have to talk to them about, maybe in certain areas, closing that internet up in some ways. Somebody will say, 'Oh freedom of speech, freedom of speech.' These are foolish people."

He explained that children are using the internet to watch videos about becoming terror masterminds and this openness is having a detrimental effect on them and the country as a whole.

However, Trump didn't reveal any further information about how exactly his government would "close up the internet," or censor parts of the web if his campaign is successful and he overthrows Barack Obama.

At his campaign rally on Second World War aircraft carrier the USS Yorktown in South Carolina, Trump expressed concerns that those already in power in the US were failing to combat terrorism, but explained his proposed solutions will have the desired effect.

Earlier in the week, Barack Obama called for technology companies to unite in order to stop terrorists gaining more power following the attacks in San Bernadino.

"I will urge high-tech and law enforcement leaders to make it harder for terrorists to use technology to escape from justice," he said.

Clare Hopping
Freelance writer

Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.