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Robert Hannigan is shown in Manila, Philippines, in 2008. He became chief of the British eavesdropping agency Monday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

London (CNN) -- UK spy chief Robert Hannigan called on big U.S. tech companies to do more to help governments combat terrorism Tuesday, as he described social media as "a terrorist's command-and-control network of choice."

In an opinion piece written for Britain's Financial Times newspaper, Hannigan, the new director of UK government eavesdropping agency GCHQ, said there must be greater cooperation from the private sector to tackle the threat.

His comments play into the continuing debate over the conflict between people's right to privacy online and governments' need to ensure national security, intensified by the revelations last year of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden over mass government surveillance programs.

In a rare public statement, Hannigan accused U.S. tech companies of being in denial over terrorists' use of the Internet.

Sharing secrets: U.S. intelligence leaks

Sharing secrets: U.S. intelligence leaks

Sharing secrets: U.S. intelligence leaks

Sharing secrets: U.S. intelligence leaks

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Social media: Terrorists' 'network of choice'