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Previous research has documented that the internet plays an increasingly important role in facilitating involvement in terrorism. However, the level of specificity of this literature is low. Advancing current insights, we examined how three concrete examples of active (i.e., generate/disseminate terrorist propaganda; interact with co-ideologues) and two examples of passive (i.e., learn about terrorist ideologies/actors; learn tactical information) internet use are related to distinct distal and proximal dynamics of radicalisation. Additionally, we assessed associations between the different types of internet use and the likelihood of having planned/committed a terrorist attack. We analysed a unique dataset based on closed-source risk assessment reports of individuals convicted of terrorism(-related) offences in England and Wales (N = 377). Results of this secondary data analysis pointed to three internet use repertoires: (1) learning about tactical information and terrorist ideologies/actors; (2) only learning about terrorist ideologies/actors; (3) active internet use and learning about terrorist ideologies/actors. Learning about tactical information and terrorist ideologies/actors was (compared to the other two repertoires) associated with a higher likelihood of having planned/committed an act of terrorism. Additionally, levels of capability were higher if individuals learnt both tactical and ideological information online compared to using the internet actively and browsing content about terrorist ideologies/actors. Individuals characterised by either internet use repertoire did, however, not vary significantly regarding their levels of engagement with extremist ideas and actors and the degree to which they had developed an extremist mindset. The results can inform terrorist/violent extremist risk assessment.

This Element aims to better understand the role of the internet in the radicalization process, focusing on how online factors contribute to self-radicalization. Specifically, it examines the neurocognitive process of online radicalization by analyzing the impact of terrorist and extremist propaganda videos on individuals’ cognitive empathy using electroencephalography (EEG). Ultimately, this research aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of online radicalization and the psychological effects of exposure to extremist content on the internet.

This article examines the digital convergence of distinct extremist milieus involved in the Patriotic Union’s thwarted plot to overthrow the German government in December 2022. By specifically investigating the merging process of involved digital networks of the German Corona-protest and Sovereign Citizens milieu over time, this article analyses the event’s broader implications for the German extremism landscape linked to the transnational evolution of anti-government extremism (AGE). Empirically, this study explores the relationship between issue-driven AGE (Querdenken) and ideologically driven AGE (Reichsbürger) by conducting a longitudinal network analysis of 785,865 Telegram messages from the attempted storming of the Reichstag (August 2020) until the events of December 2022. The analysis reveals a 25.6 percent overlap between Querdenken and Reichsbürger channels, indicating a formation process of a new small, yet notable AGE network. Further, the article finds that the highest spikes of convergence occur in intervals correlating with large-scale offline events, suggesting a feedback loop of offline encounters and online convergence. Thus, this study contributes not only to a dearth of literature on German-centred extremism and transnational debates on their changing nature reflected in the growing body of research on AGE. This study also offers empirical insights into group-level online radicalisation processes.

This article brings together expert assessments concerning the relationship between children and online extremism, to help inform scholars and policymakers seeking to address the effects of early childhood exposure to extremism content. Our approach comprised of eight semi-structured interviews involving experts, practitioners, and policymakers offering their professional assessments on the relationship between children and online extremist content. Findings include the role of online misogyny and its psychological appeal to children and adolescents in digital media environments, especially when viewed alongside or expressed in politically benign online spaces in the children’s lifestyle or development. Results emphasised the evolving sociotechnical contexts where children are being exposed to extremist content, chiefly the rapid development in online gaming communities and allied innovation in gaming industries. The experts interviewed see interdisciplinary collaboration with health, cognitive-psychological, and neuro-developmental sciences specific to child development and psychology as essential for understanding the effects of online extremist content on children in future studies. Their recommendations centred on prioritising digital media literacy in schools, promoting community engagement and parental discussions about child safety online, incentivising companies responsible for products used by children to implement age verification and advanced moderation policies, and supporting localised culture figures in the children’s lifestyle and development alongside social workers and childhood educators. Findings also suggest that current school systems and curricula lack comprehensive prevention or counter-measures against growing radicalisation in child settings. Participants offered ideas on addressing children’s exposure to online extremist content, yet gaps remain in implementing effective strategies within educational settings and beyond.

VOX-Pol Blog post.

VOX-Pol Blog post.