Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other internet companies must show the European Union within three months that they are removing extremist content more rapidly or face legislation forcing them to do so. But in its strongest call yet to the technology sector the European Commission on Thursday recommended measures that internet platforms should take to stop the proliferation of extremist content, including the removal of such material within an hour of being notified of its existence. Campaign group the Counter Extremism Project said the Commission’s proposal was welcome but did not tackle two issues - how to make automated technology widely available and how to stop extremists uploading again content that had been removed.