Tech Against Terrorism

In this week’s episode, we investigate the term ‘White Jihad,’ the seemingly paradoxical interaction between white supremacy and Jihadism online. We ask how this loose online community emerged, who it attracts, and what can be done to counter it.  Join Archie Macfarlane as he speaks with Dr. Federico Borgonovo , a research-analyst at ITSTIME, the Italian Team for Security Terroristic Issues and Ma...

In this week’s episode, we ask why media reporting on terrorism matters, discussing the research on media coverage of terrorist attacks and suicides, the potentially harmful effects on society, and what guidelines can be put in place to ensure more responsible media reporting, including on social media. Join Archie Macfarlane as he speaks with Dr. Brigitte Naderer , Prof. Thomas Niederkrotenthaler...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the Great Replacement Theory (GRT), a conspiracy theory which asserts that there is an orchestrated plan to replace native European and North American populations with non-white immigrants. We unpack why this narrative has become central to the worldview of the global far-right, how it has spread online; and to what extent these beliefs have infilitrated the main...

In this week's episode, we discuss the challenges and complexities of content moderation in the online space, asking who gets to decide what we say online and why. We situate this debate in the context of tech platforms facing ever-increasing pressure to moderate content that is considered harmful or otherwise undesirable. We delve into the mechanics of how content is moderated, focusing on t...

In this week’s episode, we discuss the state of extremism in the Nordic region. We focus on Sweden as the long-term epicentre of regional far-right extremism, and explore the Nordic Resistance Movement’s (NRM) evolution. We also discuss the role of online platforms in amplifying NRM’s reach and radicalising supporters to violence and what can be done to counter this. Join Archie Macfarlane as he s...

In this week’s episode, we delve into extremist manifestos and how they’ve been used by perpetrators of violent attacks to promote their ideology and inspire further violence and hatred. We cover the evolution of manifestos as a terrorist tactic, discuss different authors and styles, and focus on the role of the internet in amplifying their reach and impact. Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to J.M....

This week’s episode explores conspiracy theories, and their potency as tools of persuasion. We examine how conspiratorial narratives are common across extremist propaganda throughout history and their role in justifying and motivating violence towards certain groups. We also discuss how the internet has influenced the narrative power of conspiracies and consider the challenges AI and Large Languag...

This week’s episode focuses on the ways in which gender identity is discussed and expressed within different segments of the online far-right. We investigate the #tradwives movement - a social media trend used by far-right supporters to promote traditional gender roles, discuss its ideological roots, and consider the challenges for moderating such content. Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Ninian...

This week’s episode focuses on Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K), a regional affiliate of Islamic State primarily active in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We discuss the group in the context of the Taliban takeover two years ago, assessing the threat posed by the group to the region and to the West. We also focus on IS-K’s online activity and the increasingly prominent role the affiliate plays in...

This week, we're discussing the unique psychological risks that exist for those working in the field of online counterterrorism. We provide practical guidance for identifying, understanding and combating trauma and other mental health issues associated with exposure to terrorist material, and explore the roles and responsibilities of both practitioner and organisation in mitigating these impa...

This week, we're investigating the online activity of Islamic State (IS), an Islamist terrorist organisation renowned for its highly sophisticated media strategy and exploitation of the internet to disseminate its propaganda and recruit members.  We'll be examining how IS and its supporter networks have evolved in their use of the internet, what platforms and technologies they exploit, a...

This week, we’re investigating the use of podcasts by extremist actors, a growing and concerning trend, which, over the last decade or so, has seen extremists leveraging this medium to spread their ideology, recruit followers and network with like minded individuals.  Our expert guests expose how extremist groups and networks on the far-right have created an alternative media ecosystem that is rei...

This week, we’re exploring the role of the internet in the mainstreaming of radical ideas, which are increasingly infiltrating politics and popular culture. We also get a deeper insight into online extremist communities to understand what’s driving these ideas and how radicalisation is occurring. Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Dr Julia Ebner , a Senior Resident Research Fellow at the Institute...

This week, we’re diving deeper into the nexus between gaming and extremism, exploring how gaming culture, storylines and symbols are being appropriated by extremist actors, and unpacking the concept of ‘identity fusion’: the phenomenon whereby players emotionally and psychologically merge their real-life identity with that of their in-game avatar or character.  Our guests also discuss how the grow...

This week, we’re exploring the interaction between gaming and extremism.  We discuss the growing misuse of gaming platforms by extremist actors and consider why gaming communities are at risk of fostering concerning attitudes towards misogyny, racism, and even violent extremism. We address the threat to children and young people, the challenges and opportunities for policymakers, gaming companies...

This week, we’re exploring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Pakistani Taliban - an Islamist terrorist organisation known for its violent activities and ideological alignment with the Afghan Taliban.  In the episode, we discuss TTP’s evolution, its recent resurgence, and how it’s using propaganda to further its strategic goals. We’ll also unpack TTP’s online activities and how its official m...

This week, we’re discussing the rapidly evolving phenomenon of deepfakes powered by generative AI technology. We explore how deepfakes are being manipulated for malign purposes, including by terrorist and violent extremist actors. And we consider how this threat might develop as technology improves and what this means for terrorist propaganda, online disinformation, and global security. We also as...

This week, we’re exploring the use of memes in the context of terrorism and violent extremism. Throughout the episode, we consider why memes are being used by terrorist and violent extremist actors, how they’re spread online and why their meaning is often hidden to ordinary internet users. We also look at some of the challenges this poses for tech platform moderators trying to counter their spread...

This week, we’re looking into the contested term “borderline content”, using antisemitism as a case study for how terrorist and violent extremist (TVE) actors sanitise extremist content. We learn more about what borderline content is in practice, its strategic use for TVE actors, and what makes it so difficult to moderate. We also consider the potential consequences of allowing borderline content...

This week, we’re exploring the spread of online disinformation in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We unpack the shifting online ecosystem around the conflict, and track pro-Kremlin narratives and disinformation campaigns both domestically and abroad. We also ask who’s behind these narratives and on which platforms they are being spread.  Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Jordan...

This week on the Tech Against Terrorism podcast, we’re heading to Canada to speak to two of the country's leading experts who are working to counter terrorism and violent extremism through the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence . Hear how the centre leads the Government of Canada's efforts to counter radicalisation to violence through a number of initiative...

With the help of our expert guests, we explore what hybrid threats are in the context of online terrorism and violent extremism. We consider why this hybridisation has increased in recent years and how online extremism has blurred and overlapped with other online harms such as disinformation and conspiracy theory movements.  We also touch on “grey area” content, consider whether algorithms promote...

This week, we’re looking at how the internet is regulated in India. We consider what the current landscape looks like, what this means for tech platforms operating in the market and how this is impacting platforms’ online counterterrorism and content moderation efforts. Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Tanmay Singh, Senior Litigation Counsel at the Internet Freedom Foundation . And Jyoti Panday,...

This week, we’re looking at how violent Islamist organisations such as Islamic State disseminate propaganda online, particularly through the exploitation of file-sharing platforms.   Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Professor Stuart Macdonald and Connor Rees from Swansea University about their data-driven research which explores pro-IS use of file-sharing platforms for propaganda dissemination. ...

This week, we’re exploring the concept of deplatforming. We explain what deplatforming is, how tech company attitudes towards content removal have evolved over the years and consider whether there’s a case for allowing some “borderline” content to remain on platforms.  Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Dr Joe Whittaker , a lecturer in Cyber Threats, Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy at Swa...