Church of England urged to sell its shares in Google in effort to aid child pornography battle
The Church of England has been urged to sell its shares in Google in a bid to see it take more responsibility in fighting child pornography.
In the same week that it was revealed that the Church also invested in the payday loan company Wonga, Conservative MP Claire Perry has urged it and other investors to show social responsibility and withdraw their money from the search giant.
The Church has invested £5.7m through its pension fund in Google, as well as other internet search providers, The Telegraph reports.
Perry, who is also an advisor for David Cameron on childhood, said: “The Prime Minister was saying Google have a responsibility, they are effectively helping people for which there can be no case made.”
In reference to the Church she added: “They have a role to play, they have questions to ask themselves. They are moral leaders. If they are going to opine on things then putting your money where your mouth is is an incredibly powerful tool."
On Monday, David Cameron revealed his plans for internet providers to ask customers to opt-in to be able to access pornographic websites and outlawed online images depicting rape. Search engine terms helping people find images of child pornography are also to be banned.
Earlier this week, after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Reverand Justin Welby said that the Church would aim to put Wonga out of business, it was revealed that it held a £1m investment in the company through one of the loan company’s ’s biggest investors, the US venture capitalist Accel Partners.