Britain announces tech partnership to tackle people smuggling content online

LONDON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The British government on Saturday announced a new partnership with social media companies to tackle people smuggling content online, including criminals sharing information about illegal Channel crossings.

Figures show over 90 percent of online content linked to people smuggling is taken down when social media companies are notified, the government said in a statement.

"The partnership between tech firms and the government will drive forward efforts to clamp down on the tactics being used by criminal gangs who use the internet to lure people into paying for crossings," it added.

The content can include discount offers for groups of people, free spaces for children, offers of false documents and false claims of safe passage, which targets vulnerable people for profit and puts people's lives at risk through dangerous and illegal journeys, it said.