Dr. Yvonne Jazz RowaPart 2: Algorithmic Agency in Online Extremism: The Bigger Picture
The rapid pace of technological evolution and tactics of adversarial attacks confer epistemic authority to data scientists. These experts play…
Friederike WegenerStriking Similarities Between Islamist Terrorism and Violent Right-Wing Extremism
In his book Identity: Contemporary Identity Politics and the Struggle for Recognition (2018), Francis Fukuyama describes nationalism and Islamism as…
Linda SchlegelNo Child’s Play: The Identitarian Movement’s ‘Patriotic’ Video Game
On 15 September, the German-speaking branch of the Identitarian Movement (Identitäre Bewegung; IB) released its first video game: A classic…
Dr. Yvonne Jazz RowaPart 1: Algorithmic Deconstruction in the Context of Online Extremism
Threats to cyberspace typically arise from intentional agents as well as systemic threats that emanate from the innate unpredictability of…
Dr. Elizabeth PearsonAn Insider Perspective: What the Internet Means to UK Jihadists
September 2016, just hours before I was due to interview the radical Islamist leader Anjem Choudary, I received a text.…
Anton PeezHate Speech in the Context of Mass Atrocity Crimes
The May 2020 arrest of Félicien Kabuga brought an end to a manhunt spanning 26 years and two continents. Among…
Dr. Michael LoadenthalDigital Resiliency and OPSEC Strategies Amongst Clandestine Networks
In June 2020, I detailed some of the operational and digital security (OPSEC) practices of English-language far-right networks as they…
Kabir TanejaIndian States, Deradicalisation and Online Platforms
Like many other countries, India has embarked on systemic deradicalisation programs over the past few years as part of its…
Katja Theodorakis‘Normal’ Authority? – Who’s Got the Power in a Democratic Information Environment
“Online, we do not yet have a tradition of the rule of law. We are not certain how to apply…
Devorah MargolinBalancing Online Content Moderation and the Rule of Law
Heated debates have continued to spring up around the world focusing on the growing role of technology companies in moderating…
Dr. Matteo VerganiUnderstanding the Full Spectrum of Hate
Extreme violence garners most attention. But the problems start much earlier, both in the real world and online. What is…
Sammie WicksIslamic State’s Use of Gamification and Low-Tech Terror Tactics
Islamic State (IS) and other violent extremist organisations continue to proliferate on online platforms despite efforts from major online platforms…
Dr. Alexis HenshawTechnology and Extremism in the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda
This fall marks the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the first of ten resolutions comprising the backbone…
Yorck BeeseAn Interview on Islamic State’s Media Work in 2014 – Five Questions with Medyan Dairieh Part 2
Sitting down with Medyan Dairieh, a journalist who has personally travelled to Islamic State in 2014, has so far been…
Anna Kruglova“I Will Tell You a Story About Jihad”: IS’s Propaganda and Narrative Advertising
The question of IS’s remarkable propaganda success became a topic of major interest for many researchers in the last five…
Chelsea DaymonOnline Extremist Funding Campaigns: COVID-19 and Beyond
On 5 August 2020 the United States District Court for the District of Columbia filed a criminal complaint for forfeiture…
Isaac KfirCounterterrorism and Terrorist Innovation
Historically, counterterrorism has largely been reactive, adopting policies and measures to respond to what violent extremists do. The purpose of…
Carsten BeyerEditing for the Caliphate: Assessing Islamic State’s Editing Process and Equipment
For the past six years, Islamic State’s media has awed potential recruits and shocked their enemies. The media has been…
Dr. Carol WinklerMilitant Group Attacks Types and Shifts in Media Campaigns
Interviews with imprisoned and former members of Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda document that such group’s online media campaigns provide…
Simon CopelandTerrorist e-Autobiographies: An Underexamined Form of Online Propaganda?
Whilst terrorists have long been noted as proficient writers, their autobiographical accounts have traditionally been viewed sceptically as after-the-fact justifications…
Cameron SumpterCatfishing to Counter Extremism: Lessons from an Indonesian Experiment
From anxious captive audiences to fresh subversive narratives, COVID-19 has been a boon for those who peddle their extremism in…
Dr. William AllchornMoving Away from Islamist Extremism: Assessing Counter Narrative Responses to the Far-Right Online
Over the past decade and a half, counter-narratives – defined as ‘messages that…, deconstruct or delegitimise extremist narratives’ (Tuck and…
Yorck BeeseAn Interview on Islamic State’s Media Work in 2014 – Five Questions with Medyan Dairieh Part 1
It seemed unlikely to get in touch with Medyan Dairieh, a man who has stopped giving interviews. To add to…
Francesco MaroneItaly and the Vatican in Islamic State Propaganda
In recent weeks, Islamic State (IS) targeted Italy in its official online propaganda. The jihadist organisation explicitly mentioned the country…
Tim LegrandState-Sponsored Right-Wing Extremism: A Hybridity of Threat to Liberal Democracy
The weaponisation of ideas is hardly new. But the almost limitless potential of cyberspace to spread ideas of hate remakes…
Tiana GaudetteThe Role of the Internet in Facilitating Violent Extremism: Insights from Former Right-Wing Extremists
In the past five years, it has become increasingly common for practitioners and policymakers in the Western world to draw…
Jonathan LewisFacebook’s Disruption of the Boogaloo Network
On 30 June 2020, Facebook announced it was designating “a violent US-based anti-government network as a dangerous organization” and subsequently…
Rida LyammouriThe Digital Fight Against Islamic State and Al-Qaeda
The Digital Caliphate Despite the substantial military defeats suffered by Islamic State (IS), as well as its loss of the…
Joseph FrancoTerrorism Legislation in the Social Media Age
Replacing the 2007 Human Security Act Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11479 (RA 11479) or the 2020 Anti-Terrorism…
Prithvi IyerFrom Fears to Conviction: Why Internet Shutdowns Don’t Work
The radicalisation of vulnerable youth through online content has been a major threat for Indian law enforcement in recent years.…
Meili CriezisTelegram’s anti-IS Campaign: Effectiveness, Perspectives, and Policy Suggestions
In November, Telegram and Europol launched a two-day coordinated campaign focused on removing Islamic State (IS) channels, groups, and pro-Islamic…
David ToubeTwitter, Wiley and the Interpretation of Violent Threats
Throughout the course of Friday 24 July, Richard Cowie – a pioneer of the “grime” genre who is more generally…
Manjana SoldCounter-Narratives – Curse or Blessing?
Taking stock of the increased spread of extremist narratives – especially on social media – the search for appropriate counter-measures…
Ashley MattheisPlug-and-Play Propaganda: Understanding Production Quality in Atomwaffen Division Videos
After discovering a cache of eighteen Atomwaffen Division (AWD) propaganda videos on archive.org last year, our research team – comprised…
Lydia KhalilCross-Promotion
QAnon conspiracies are a common thread between far-right extremists and online lifestyle and wellness influencers. Shared QAnon memes and hashtags…
Blyth CrawfordFrom Patriots to Proud Boys: Who Is – and Isn’t – Using Parler
In recent weeks, Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has been subject to critique across various social media platforms. A Trump campaign…
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