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Games as a tool for countering online harm
October 11, 2023Introductions The intersection between gaming and violent extremism remains understudied and, often, its conclusions tend to be prematurely and problematically drawn. The overused tropes that gaming leads to violent behaviour or that all gamers are extremists, are just a few. This is not to say that the gaming space is without fault. Violent extremists are ...
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The radicalisation challenge on gaming and gaming-adjacent platforms
October 4, 2023As one of the fastest growing entertainment sectors in the world, online video gaming has garnered far more attention of late – both positive and negative. In light of the exploitation of gaming and gaming-adjacent platforms by (violent) extremist actors and the gamification of violent extremism, there continues to be increasing concerns over threats of ...
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MENA‐Based, Far‐Right and Far‐Left Extremist Groups: A Date‐Based Analysis
September 20, 2023By Virginia Massignan & Mor Yachin In recent years, groups comprising various ideological perspectives have carried out violent attacks. While MENA groups still conduct the most attacks, a recent report from the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) claims that the United States faces its largest threat from far-right terrorism. The need to identify ...
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Main Findings of GIFCT Tech Trials: Combining Behavioural Signals to Surface Terrorist and Violent Extremist Incidents Online
September 13, 2023By Tom Thorley & Erin Saltman This article summarises a recent paper published in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism that forms part of a special issue on the practicalities and complexities of (regulating) online terrorist content moderation. The special issue contains papers that were presented at Swansea University’s Terrorism and Social Media Conference 2022. Technical ...
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Negotiating Fundamental Rights: Civil Society and the EU Regulation on Addressing the Dissemination of Terrorist Content Online
September 6, 2023By Reem Ahmed This article summarises a recent paper published in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism that forms part of a special issue on the practicalities and complexities of (regulating) online terrorist content moderation. The special issue contains papers that were presented at Swansea University’s Terrorism and Social Media Conference 2022. As part of its ...
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Jamal al-Khatib – My Path! A participatory P/CVE project in the field of digital youth work
August 2, 2023By Felix Lippe “I want to write a book to prevent other young people from going to Syria and joining the so-called Islamic State!“ It is with that statement from a former who initiated the project Jamal al-Khatib – My Path!, that we (the members of the Vienna-based CSO turn), usually start our presentations, workshops ...
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The parallel economy: the rightwing movement creating a safe haven for deplatformed conservative influencers
July 26, 2023By Jing Zeng, Utrecht University and Daniela Mahl, University of Zurich The last few years have seen the west swept by political polarisation, much of which has played out online. Debates around race, gender and freedom of speech have splintered democracies, spread conspiracy theories and sparked a series of culture wars. One byproduct of this ...
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Developing a Responsive Regulatory Approach to Online Terrorist Content on Tech Platforms
July 19, 2023By Amy-Louise Watkin This article summarises a recent paper published in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism that forms part of a special issue on the practicalities and complexities of (regulating) online terrorist content moderation. The special issue contains papers that were presented at Swansea University’s Terrorism and Social Media Conference 2022. Tech platforms have already ...
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Plotters: The UK Terrorists Who Failed – A Book Review
July 5, 2023A Book Review by Joe Whittaker It is often said that online terrorism research has a data problem. While there is a sizable empirical literature into the “supply” of extremist content, such as propaganda videos, social media analyses, or jihadist magazines, we still know very little about how actual terrorists act. This data problem is, ...
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The EU Internet Referral Unit (IRU): Addressing terrorist content online
June 21, 2023By Camille Antunes Online platforms and social media channels have given new opportunities for terrorists to reach more audiences, significantly enhancing their ability to radicalise and recruit. As a result, online monitoring has become vital to prevent the dissemination of violent extremist and terrorist content online that can contribute to radicalisation, and counter-terrorism operations. As ...