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.

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World Events

While robust policies and legislation on defining terrorism and violent extremism might be in place, it can be difficult to know how definitions apply to major global events. In recent years there have been significant offline events that impact counterterrorism and counter-extremism efforts online. The following key events highlight where global researchers have analyzed the impacts of these moments on the online space, focussing on how terrorist and violent extremist actors are using platforms around these events and where solutions can be found.

Coronavirus

Coronavirus has had an ongoing and undeniable global impact on social, political, and economic structures. The pandemic and its related international lockdowns also saw increased activity from violent extremist networks, having a potential effect on processes of radicalization including from white supremacy, Islamist extremist, and misogyny-based violent extremist groups as well as violence-inducing conspiracy theory networks and accelorationist groups. Different extremist groups all sought to reinterpret or capitalize on the pandemic to suit their overall goals, affecting online trends and platform usage in different ways.

  • 26th March 2021
    Radicalisation and Recruitment Online in Times of COVID-19: The Pandemic as a Propaganda Opportunity
    Youssef Tobi
  • 19th January 2021
    Anti-5G, Infrastructure Sabotage, and COVID-19
    Dr. Michael Loadenthal
  • 11th January 2021
    From #ArsonEmergency to #DanLiedPeopleDied: How Extremist Messaging Co-Opts Emergency Events on the Australian Twittersphere
    Dr. Timothy Graham
  • 17th December 2020
    ‘Crisis and a Loss of Control’ – Digital Extremism in German-Speaking Countries During the COVID-19 Crisis
    Jakob Guhl
  • 30th October 2020
    Rethinking Bioterrorism Post COVID-19
    Dr. Patrick Walsh
  • 24th September 2020
    Increased Visibility of Far-Right Movements in Australia During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    Samaya Borom
  • 24th August 2020
    Online Extremist Funding Campaigns: COVID-19 and Beyond
    Chelsea Daymon
  • 01st June 2020
    Jihadists see COVID-19 as an Opportunity
    Mina al-Lami
  • 28th May 2020
    The Coronavirus Isn’t Immune From the Far-Right
    Angie Gad

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