The study finds research showing that protagonists are indeed heavily spread throughout the Internet. There is a growing body of knowledge about how terrorists use cyberspace. Less clear, however, is the impact of this use, and even more opaque is the extent to which counter-measures are effective. This emerges from reviewing more than 550 published studies from scientific and “grey literature”, covering titles in English (260), French (196) and Arabic (96) languages. The study concludes that research is still at a budding stage, and it urges caution about the results and their interpretations. It further confirms a recent UN observation that “The role of the Internet in the radicalization of vulnerable individuals to commit acts of violence, along with other factors, needs further research”. The case for upscaled and improved research is strong. Major issues are at stake – not only the basic right of people to be free from the threat of violence, but also the key freedoms of expression, privacy, and participation which can become victims of counter-measures. In the absence of knowledge derived from quality research, it follows that policy will be condemned to be reactive and assumption-driven. If stakeholders are to properly address the wider problem of violent radicalization and the role of the Internet therein, a big research push will be needed.

CAWTAR | 2018-06-01 10:15:59

Studies

UNESCO

​violent extremism ​​​​