House Dem invites UK prime minister to Silicon Valley

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), whose district includes many of the world’s biggest technology companies, invited U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May to visit Silicon Valley following her call to regulate the internet to target terrorism suspects.

After attacks in her country in recent weeks, May accused internet companies of providing a “safe space” for extremist ideologies to spread.

In a letter to May on Wednesday, Khanna asked her to visit Silicon Valley and pointed to efforts from web companies to crack down on terrorist propaganda.

{mosads}“While I am certain more work to address this issue must be done, technology companies are being responsive and helping lead the effort to combat online sources that threaten our mutual goals for peace and prosperity,” Khanna wrote.

Three men killed eight people on and near London Bridge last weekend when they plowed a van into pedestrians then attacked bystanders with knives. The terrorists were later shot and killed by police.

ISIS has claimed credit for the attack, which was the third in the U.K. in as many months.

In a statement on Sunday, May blamed web companies and internet service providers for allowing extremist ideology to spread.

“We cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed,” she said. “Yet that is precisely what the internet and big companies that provide internet-based services provide. We need to do everything we can at home to reduce the risks of extremism online.”

“I hope Prime Minister May will accept my invitation to visit Silicon Valley, at her convenience, to discuss the role technology companies play in helping combat the ideas that threaten international peace and prosperity,” Khanna added in a statement on Wednesday.

“A dialog between global leaders and tech leaders is an important step to further how online platforms monitor extremist content and keep our communities and countries safe.”