Contextual
Resources
Once a government or tech company develops a definition of terrorism or violent extremism, it can be difficult to know how to apply these definitions to the variety of ways that terrorism and violent extremism manifests internationally and across online spaces.
This section of the site aims to highlight contextual resources on themes related to applying definitions to the online space. GIFCT funds the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) to bring forward actionable insights from experts and practitioners around the world to better inform and give context to tech companies, governments, practitioners and other stakeholders in this field. Insights are curated here under context-based themes.
Filters
Regional Trends
North America
Far-Right
Regional Trends
While experts can point to overarching global trends in terrorism and violent extremism, we also know that there are significant regional and country-based variables in how these groups recruit, mobilize, propagandize, and coordinate attacks. There are also varying international trends in the types of platforms terrorists and violent extremists use in different parts of the world, their overarching aims and the ways their aims manifest online. GNET includes expert insights from academics and practitioners all over the world, feeding in the nuances and adversarial shifts they report on.
North America
Across North America, insights aid in contextualizing violent extremism online in both regional and country specific ways. Relevant research has focused on the Canadian context regarding far-right radicalization on particular platforms such as Reddit, and the country’s recent ban of far-right extremist groups . Additionally in the North American context, research covers wide issues ranging from the particularity of the American interest in Global Jihad, in-depth examinations of the Denver shooter’s ideological views, to the analysis of post-Buffalo online trends.
Far-Right
Insights can aid in contextualizing the overall ideology and diversity of groups implied by the term “Far-Right”. Relevant research focusing on the Far-Right and White Supremacy present useful explorations of how groups have attempted to exploit and sometimes been deplatformed by platforms, along with wider exposés on global online far right activity. Additionally, available research hones in on particular groups such as QAnon, the Proud Boys, amongst others.
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14th March 2022“Victims of the Holocaust”: The ‘Freedom Convoy’ Subreddits as Spaces for Antisemitism and Far-Right RadicalisationBàrbara Molas
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08th October 2021“Digital Soldier Reporting for Duty”: Far-Right Reactions to Major App OutagesSara Aniano
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23rd September 2021From Direct Action to Terrorism: Canadian Radical Right Narratives and Counter-Narratives at a Time of VolatilityDr. William Allchorn
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09th August 2021Digital Misogynoir and White Supremacy: What Black Feminist Theory Can Teach Us About Far Right ExtremismAlexandria Onuoha
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29th July 2021The Race War May No Longer Be Digitised: James Mason’s Designation as a Terrorist Entity in CanadaDr. Bethan Johnson and Professor Matthew Feldman
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06th April 2021Male Supremacism, Borderline Content, and Gaps in Existing Moderation EffortsYe Bin Wan and Jonathan Lewis
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03rd March 2021Selfie and Siege: Women’s Social Media Footprint and the US Capitol Hill SiegeDevorah Margolin, Chelsea Daymon