Jakob GuhlConspiracy Theories, Extremism and Violence: Why and When do Conspiracy Beliefs Lead to Violence?
Across this Insights miniseries, ISD experts explore the complex intersection of conspiracy theories, violence and extremism. In the first article…
Sam WilliamsSocial Control, Terrorist Content and the Online Safety Bill
*Please note: The provisions of the Online Safety Bill are correct as of 27 July 2023, and are subject to…
Jon DeedmanFor the AI Generation, We Need Education as Much as Regulation
Introduction In the field of responsible tech, contemporary digital technologies such as large language models (LLMs) are rapidly becoming a…
Daniel Siegel‘Deepfake Doomsday’: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Amplifying Apocalyptic Islamist Propaganda
Introduction The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology has introduced a myriad of user-friendly tools and tactics such as…
Anna Meier‘Salad Bar Extremism’ as White Distraction: The (In)coherence of a Category
Introduction In 2018, the United Kingdom renamed its ‘unspecified’ category for extremism referrals to ‘mixed, unclear, or unstable ideologies’ (MUU…
Dr. Ariel KochWhite Jihad: The Jihadification of White Supremacy
Content Warning: this Insight contains images of neo-Nazi propaganda Introduction In a recent article for Terrorism and Political Violence, ‘White…
Rosana Pinheiro MachadoExamining Support for the 2023 Brazilian Coup Attempt: Gender Stereotypes and Occupational Trends in a Radicalised Digital Ecosystem
Introduction On 8 January 2023, Brazil witnessed the most threatening coup attempt in its recent democratic history. Inspired by the…
Thomas James Vaughan WilliamsDiscrepancies Between Social Media Policy and User Experience: A Preliminary Study of Extremist Content
Introduction Latest reports have highlighted that as of April 2023, 60% of the world’s population utilises social media for an…
Dr. Gabriel WeimannMeta Terror?: The Threats and Challenges of the Metaverse
Introduction Since their inception, terrorists have used the Internet and social media platforms to spread propaganda, communicate, incite, recruit, train,…
Deina VenckunaiteA Move from Nazism to Nationalism: Changes in Far-Right Online Discourse Post-Ukraine Conflict
Introduction Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, online discourse by far-right groups in Eastern European regions has altered.…
Inform (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements)Cults and Online Violent Extremism: Individual Risk Assessments
This series of Insights draws on the GNET report by Inform: ‘Cults and Online Violent Extremism’. Inform are an independent…
Inform (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements)Cultic Fandoms: Columbine and Ted Kaczynski
This series of Insights draws on the GNET report by Inform: ‘Cults and Online Violent Extremism’. Inform are an independent…
Inform (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements)Online Cultic Milieus: QAnon and Anti-Vax Conspiracy Movements
This series of Insights draws on the GNET report by Inform: ‘Cults and Online Violent Extremism’. Inform are an independent…
Inform (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements)‘Cultic’ Religious Groups: Order of Nine Angles
This series of Insights draws on the GNET report by Inform: ‘Cults and Online Violent Extremism’. Inform are an independent…
Inform (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements)An Introduction to Cults and Online Violent Extremism
This series of Insights draws on the GNET report, ‘Cults and Online Violent Extremism’ by Inform (Information Network Focus on…
Erin StonerSchrödinger’s Joke: The Weaponisation of Irony and Humour in the Alt-Right
Introduction The use of online memes is a cultural stamp of the alt-right community; the packaging of political ideology into…
Georgia GilroyFanboys or the Frontline?: How al-Shabaab’s Social Media Influencers are Controlling the Narrative
For over a decade, the Somali-based terrorist group al-Shabaab has prioritised media engagement as a critical component of its propaganda…
Ricardo ParreiraEurope’s Thin Blue Line: How The Far-Right Imposes Its Ideology On The Police
Introduction Since 2013, amidst a wave of high-profile cases of police brutality and the rise of the Black Lives Matter…
Dr. Gerard GillExtremist Violence Against the Trans and LGBTQI+ Community in Australia: A Review of Recent Events
Introduction Members of the LGBTQI+ community have long been targeted by far-right actors. However, across the last 12 months, violence…
Audrey GagnonThe ‘Critical’ and the ‘Sheep’: How Users of Far-Right Pages on Social Media See Themselves and the Mainstream
This Insight summarises some of the findings presented in the article “Far-right virtual communities: Exploring users and uses of far-right…
Ryan NakadeBeyond Fake News: Meta-Ideological Awareness (MIA) as an Antidote to Conspiracy and Radicalisation
Introduction Online misinformation and disinformation are widely recognised as detrimental to society, most of all due to their links with…
Seán LooneyContent Moderation Through Removal of Service: Content Delivery Networks and Extremist Websites
Introduction Kiwifarms was an internet forum known for its active targeting and harassment of trans people. In August 2022, the…
Raphael GluckAre Jihadists Profiting from NFTs?
In September 2022, the Wall Street Journal published a report on our discovery of NFTs created by the Islamic State…
Sophia SykesTradwives: The Housewives Commodifying Right-Wing Ideology
Introduction Gaining prominence since 2020, Tradwives are an influential online community of right-wing women who espouse a highly traditional heteronormative…
Ana AguileraDrone Use by Violent Extremist Organisations in Africa: The Case of Al-Shabaab
Introduction The widespread adoption of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems, commonly referred to as drones, has had a significant impact…
Bàrbara MolasFalling Through the Cracks: Gender Bias in Online Counter-Terrorism and Prevention
Introduction In Orientalism (1978), the book that shaped post-colonial studies, Edward Said tried to understand how and why colonised countries…
Zelly MartinHow Gen Z is Changing Anti-Abortion Extremism Through ‘Queering’
I follow lots of feminist pages. I’m in lots of feminist and leftist groups. I’m in different agnostic and atheist…
Logan MacnairUnderstanding Fashwave: The Alt-Right’s Ever-Evolving Media Strategy
Introduction While far-right extremists have a history of attempting to co-opt musical genres and spaces (including punk rock and heavy…
Diana WallensMoms for Liberty: The Use of Facebook to Spread Far-Right Propaganda and Change Public School Curriculum
Who Are Moms for Liberty? Over the past two years, numerous American headlines have referenced a new, so-called ‘parental rights’…
Scott N RomaniukTerrorist Platform Migration: The Move to Smaller, Less Regulated Online Spaces
Introduction and Background The internet provides terrorists and violent extremist organisations (VEOs) with novel and useful means of achieving their…
Devika Shanker-GrandpierreUnderstanding Love Jihad: Historical Context, Impact, and Strategies of Dissemination
Introduction The Love Jihad conspiracy theory, primarily propagated in India, alleges that Muslim men aim to convert Hindu women through…
Manfredi PozzoliBreak the Chain: Manifestos, Lone Wolf Terrorism, and the Nashville Shooting
Introduction In March 2023, six people were killed in a shooting at a Nashville elementary school. Three of the victims…
Kye Allen‘Arktos 2.0’: Deplatforming and Digital Innovation in Far-Right Publishing
Introduction Founded in 2009, Artkos has since emerged as one of the leading English-language publishers of Eurasian, identitarian, and New…
Katarina RistićRemove Kebab: The Transnational Circulation of Far-Right Memes and The Memory of the Yugoslav Wars
Introduction The 2019 terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand revealed the importance of the transnational circulation of memes for online…
Danny MorrisDoes Artificial Intelligence Dream of Antisemitism?
Content warning: this Insight contains antisemitic language and imagery Introduction It’s probably been the topic of conversation at a dinner…
Abbie RichardsHow ‘Gnome Hunting’ Became TikTok’s Latest Antisemitic Dog Whistle
Introduction In April 2023, a concerning trend emerged on TikTok called ‘gnome hunting’. While at face value, the trend depicted…
Click here to read our latest report “30 Years of Trends in Terrorist and Extremist Games”