Tech Against Terrorism

This week, we look back at some of the key trends and developments in terrorist and violent extremist use of the internet in 2022. We’ll be sharing findings from our “state of play” report which highlights shifts in terrorist behaviour and tactics online. Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Tech Against Terrorism’s Charley, Rory and Arthur about developments in Islamist and far-right terrorist exploitation of the internet, the growing threat of terrorist operated websites, and how TVE actors are experimenting with newer technologies such as the decentralised web. We also examine emerging threats in 2023 and discuss our priorities for the year ahead which include expanding our support for web infrastructure providers and increasing our crisis response capabilities.You can find the full report, “State of Play: Trends in Terrorist and Violent Extremist Exploitation of the Internet 2022” here.You can read a transcript of this episode here.If you want to find out more about Tech Against Terrorism and our work, visit techagainstterrorism.org or follow us on Twitter, where you can find resources on this topic. 

This week, we’re exploring the topic of online misogyny. With gender-based abuse in online spaces becoming a growing problem, we explore why misogynist views are so prominent online, the emotional impact of online harms, and what tech platforms can do to counter violent misogynistic content and protect victims from abuse.We also explore why misogyny is so prevalent in extremist networks online, not just among incels but across ideologies. And we learn more about how the online discussion platform, Reddit, has developed its policies to better tackle violent misogynistic material.Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Dr Jessica Ashooh, Senior Director of Policy at Reddit. And Elsa Bengtsson Meuller, a PhD candidate at Goldsmiths, University of London, where they are researching the politics of antifeminist and misogynistic (online) cultures.You can read a transcript of this episode here.  If you want to find out more about Tech Against Terrorism and our work, visit techagainstterrorism.org or follow us on Twitter, where you can find resources on this topic. 

This week, we’re exploring the topic of researcher safety and mental health, focusing on the particular difficulties facing those working with terrorist or violent extremist content. We ask whether there’s enough awareness around the subject, and what can be done, both individually and institutionally, to protect the emotional wellbeing and safety of counterterrorism researchers and practitioners.Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Olivier Cauberghs, Head of Textgain Academy, and Kesa White, Lead Trends Analyst and Program Manager at the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at the American University.  You can read a transcript of this episode here.If you want to find out more about Tech Against Terrorism and our work, visit techagainstterrorism.org or follow us on Twitter, where you can find resources on this topic. 

This week on the Tech Against Terrorism podcast, we’re taking you behind the scenes to learn more about the work of our Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Analysts who are responsible for tracking, analysing and alerting terrorist and violent extremist activity online.We share what a typical day in the life of an OSINT analyst looks like, some of the safety, ethical and mental health considerations around their work, plus we hear what skills you need for a career in OSINT. We also weigh up the potential risks and benefits of self-taught OSINT and discuss the future of OSINT. Join Anne Craanen and Archie Macfarlane as they speak to Arthur and Rory from the Tech Against Terrorism OSINT team. If you’re interested in learning more about Open-source Intelligence, check out the resources at OSINTCurious, OSINTJobs and Bellingcat. You can read a transcript of this episode here.If you want to find out more about Tech Against Terrorism and our work, visit techagainstterrorism.org or follow us on Twitter @techvsterrorism, where you can find resources on this topic. 

This week on the Tech Against Terrorism podcast we’re exploring the decentralised web. We discuss what the decentralised web is, its potential benefits for users, and whether terrorists and violent extremists are exploiting these technologies. We also consider future threats relating to exploitation of the decentralised web, and how tech companies building this technology can mitigate this by developing trust and safety mechanisms early on.  Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Dr. Inga Trauthig, a Senior Research Fellow with the Propaganda Research Lab at The University of Texas at Austin, and Clara Tsao, Co-founder of the Trust & Safety Professional Association (TSPA) and Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council.You can read Inga’s full research paper “Emergent Technologies and Extremists:The DWeb as a New Internet Reality?” here. And learn more about Clara’s work at The Trust & Safety Professional Association here. You can read a transcript of this episode here. If you want to find out more about Tech Against Terrorism and our work, visit techagainstterrorism.org or follow us on Twitter @techvsterrorism, where you can find resources on this topic. 

This week on the Tech Against Terrorism podcast we’re exploring the threat of terrorist operated websites (TOWs). We discuss what TOWs are, what features they offer, and what role they play in wider terrorist and violent extremist exploitation of the internet. We also discuss why removing websites is so legally and ethically complicated and requires multi-stakeholder solutions. Finally, we outline what TAT is doing to combat TOWs, and consider what can be done by policymakers, infrastructure providers and other relevant stakeholders. Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Ajith Francis, Director of the Data & Jurisdiction Program at the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network and Rory, an Open-source Intelligence (OSINT) Analyst at Tech Against Terrorism. You can read our full report on the threat of terrorist and violent extremist operated websites here. You can read a transcript of this episode here.  If you want to find out more about Tech Against Terrorism and our work, visit techagainstterrorism.org or follow us on Twitter @techvsterrorism, where you can find resources on this topic. 

Welcome back to the Tech Against Terrorism podcast. For our first episode back, we’re taking a deep dive into the dark web. We discuss what the dark web is, who’s using it, plus consider the extent to which it’s exploited by terrorist actors. We also discuss how the dark web is regulated, consider future threats and whether it’s an area the tech sector and policymakers should be prioritising. Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Dr James Martin, a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Deakin University, Australia. And Arthur Bradley, Open-source Intelligence Manager at Tech Against Terrorism. If you want to find out more about Tech Against Terrorism and our work, visit techagainstterrorism.org or follow us on Twitter @techvsterrorism, where you can find resources on this topic. 

The Tech Against Terrorism podcast is returning on Thursday 13th October. Join us every other week as we unpick how terrorists and violent extremists are exploiting the darkest corners of the internet and what can be done to support the tech sector to disrupt this threat.

For the final episode of Season 2 of the podcast we’re taking a closer look at a tool developed by Tech Against Terrorism called the Terrorist Content Analytics Platform (TCAP). We learn what the TCAP is, why it was set up, and how it’s used to automate the swift detection and removal of verified terrorist content on tech platforms.During the episode, Mariusz Żurawek explains how he struggled to single-handedly moderate extremist content on his platform JustPaste.it. We discuss how terrorist exploitation of the whole online ecosystem, especially smaller platforms like Mariusz’, inspired the development of the TCAP.  We also chat to the TCAP team about the work they’re doing to add more functionality to the platform and about some of the processes that are in place to ensure it’s as transparent as possible to its stakeholders and the wider public. Join Anne Craanen as she speaks to Jacob Berntsson who’s the Head of Policy & Research at Tech Against Terrorism, Sophie Laitt who’s a Senior Product Manager at Tech Against Terrorism and Mariusz Żurawek, the founder of JustPaste.it - a website which uses the TCAP to help it take down potentially harmful terrorist content from its site. If you want to find out more about the TCAP, head over to the website at terrorismanalytics.org. And for those interested you can find our Transparency Report here. To find out more about Tech Against Terrorism and our work, visit techagainstterrorism.org or follow us on Twitter @techvsterrorism, where you can find resources on this topic. 

On this week’s episode, we’re exploring the role of automated solutions and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in tackling terrorist and violent extremist content and activity online. With the help of our expert guests, we delve into the historical use of machine learning algorithms for content moderation purposes, look at how they’ve developed over the last decade or so, and discuss their potential going forward. We consider some of the potential biases and ethical considerations around automated removal systems, such as the mistaken removal of war crime evidence or political speech in the Arabic language. Our guests explore how we can best utilise algorithms to tackle terrorist content, highlighting their potential for understanding patterns of terrorist behaviour online.This week, Anne Craanen speaks to Adam Hadley, Founder and Executive Director of Tech Against Terrorism. We also hear from Dia Kayyali, director for advocacy at Mnemonic where they focus on the real-life impact of policy decisions made by lawmakers and technology companies about content moderation and related topics. And Chris Meserole, a fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution and director of research for the Brookings Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative. Chris is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.To find out more about Tech Against Terrorism and our work, visit techagainstterrorism.org or follow us on Twitter @techvsterrorism, where you can find resources on this topic.