Threats, Regulatory Countermeasures, And Challenges
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CEP Briefing Paper: Misuse Of Online Services By Transnational Right-Wing
Extremist And Terrorist Networks
Threats, Regulatory Countermeasures, And Challenges
(Berlin/New York, N.Y.) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) has published a
new briefing paper entitled,The Misuse of Online Platforms by Violent
Right-Wing Extremists and Terrorists
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. The paper follows an in-depth study
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in 2020 in which CEP, commissioned by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany,
analyzed the transnational connectivity of violent right-wing extremist (vXRW)
and terrorist movements in five European countries and the United States. This
latest briefing paper provides a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the
various online ecosystems that underpin and connect networks within this
transnational movement.
Transnational right-wing extremist and terrorist groups and networks have
developed specific online ecosystems which are an integral part of their
operations. In addition to meetings and gathering in geographic network hubs,
the online sphere plays a crucial role in the transnational functionality of
the movement. This is particularly the case during the current COVID-19 crisis.
Within this unorganized collective, individuals and groups feel connected by
shared values, actions, and perceived enemies. The online ecosystem mirrors
this variety and is characterized by a diversity in online nodes and different
sub-milieus and distinct online communities, employing a wide range of
strategies and tactics.
In recent years, a range of stakeholders within the tech industry have made
efforts to counter the misuse of their services. The Christchurch Call for
Action and the development of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism’s
(GIFCT) Content Incident Protocol demonstrate this. However, significant
issues—such as the failure to effectively moderate online communities prior to
the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021—continue to occur regularly.
Therefore, in addition to voluntary industry initiatives, government
regulation is playing an indispensable role by requiring greater transparency,
setting standards for moderation, creating legal clarity, and providing
commercial incentives through penalty systems that enable companies to
strengthen their defensive mechanisms against misuse by extremist and terrorist
actors. In this regard, new legal developments such as the amendments of the
German Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) in 2020 and 2021, the passing of the
Terrorism Content Online (TCO) Regulation of the European Union, as well as the
ongoing negotiations concerning the future Digital Services Act (DSA) of the
European Union are crucial developments.
This briefing paper explores the current situation and regulatory developments
and discusses the various challenges encountered by governments and industry.
The paper concludes by giving a range of policy options to counter this threat.
To read the briefing paper The Misuse of Online Platforms by Violent
Right-Wing Extremists and Terrorists, please click here
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