Tech Against Terrorism
Want to learn more about how terrorists and violent extremists are using the internet to communicate and share propaganda? Perhaps you’re interested in why terrorists share their manifestos online and livestream their attacks? The Tech Against Terrorism podcast is a deep dive into the evolving use of the internet by terrorists and violent extremists, how this relates to real world harms, and what can be done to support the tech sector to disrupt this threat. Join us as we speak to the world’s leading experts in this field and uncover everything from the online propaganda behind an IS prison break in Syria, to the online network of neo-Nazis behind a foiled terrorist plot in Texas.
Episodes
70 episodes
The Persistence of Pro-IS Propaganda in Southeast Asia
In this week’s episode we’re looking at how IS and al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist groups in Southeast Asia continue to exploit online platforms to disseminate propaganda, even as attacks in the region decline. We explore the history of militant ...
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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40:10
Escaping the Incelosphere
In this week’s episode, we’re returning to the topic of incels to explore the online spaces aiming to help individuals leave this violent misogynistic community. We start by providing a refresher on incel ideology, but if you want a deep dive w...
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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39:59
Online Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate and its Offline Consequences
In this week’s episode we’re looking at the spread and normalisation of anti-LGBTQ+ hate online, and its dramatic, real-life consequences. The hysteria promoted by extremists around a so-called gay or trans agenda has led to a societal and legi...
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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32:41
Is Terrorist Use of Cryptocurrencies Overblown?
There has been a lot of concern about how cryptocurrencies are used by terrorist groups to finance their operations, especially since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7th. So in this week’s episode, we’re investigating that question – do ter...
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31:29
HOPE Not Hate: Insights from Inside the Far-Right
In this week’s episode, we’re getting unique insights into the state of the far-right in the UK. The advocacy and research organisation HOPE Not Hate is known for its tireless work countering extremism ...
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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35:22
Mapping Far-Right Terrorist Propaganda Online
In this week’s episode, we’re delving into the key trends of the past three years in how online users disseminate far-right terrorist propaganda online. From gamification to Generative AI, we’ll be sharing findings from our upcoming report – TC...
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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35:09
Foiled Plots in the UK: How Terrorists Fail
Since 2017, the UK has seen fifteen terrorist attacks – from the Manchester Arena bombing to the Dover firebomb attack. But during that time, more than twice as many attacks have also been foiled. So in this week’s episode, we’re looking at ter...
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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38:01
Active Clubs: Fitness, Fraternity, and Fascism
In this week’s episode, we’re introducing you to a new kind of far-right group – Active Clubs. Their unique pitch combines fitness, fraternity and fascism. We map out the origins and rapid growth of the movement, how they have utilised social...
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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28:02
Media Jihad: Islamic State's Resurgent Propaganda Network
In this week’s episode, we are delving into Islamic State’s global propaganda network. We map the group’s media apparatus, unpacking the term “media Jihad” to understand the role of pro-IS online networks in waging its propaganda war. We highli...
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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38:59
God, Guns and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America
In this week’s episode, we look at how the far-right threat has intersected with their exploitation of technology over the past 40 years or so. We trace the far-right's experimentation with technology back to white supremacists in 1980s America...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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38:56
How has the Online Dissemination of Jihadist Propaganda Evolved?
In this week’s episode, we’re revisiting how Islamist terrorist groups disseminate propaganda online. We look at the tactics these groups use to ensure their propaganda remains online and reaches as wide an audience as possible. And we find out...
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Episode 33
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29:06
What is White Jihadism?
In this week’s episode, we investigate the term ‘White Jihad,’ the seemingly paradoxical interaction between white supremacy and Jihadism online. We ask how this loose online community emerged, who it attracts, and what can be done to counter i...
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Episode 32
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21:16
Why Media Reporting on Terrorism Matters
In this week’s episode, we ask why media reporting on terrorism matters, discussing the research on media coverage of terrorist attacks and suicides, the potentially harmful effects on society, and what guidelines can be put in place to ensure ...
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Episode 31
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33:24
Why is the Great Replacement Theory so Dangerous?
In this week’s episode, we discuss the Great Replacement Theory (GRT), a conspiracy theory which asserts that there is an orchestrated plan to replace native European and North American populations with non-white immigrants. We unpack why this ...
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Episode 30
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20:32
The Ethics of Content Moderation: Who Should Decide What We Say Online?
In this week's episode, we discuss the challenges and complexities of content moderation in the online space, asking who gets to decide what we say online and why. We situate this debate in the context of tech platforms facing ever-increasing p...
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Episode 29
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27:37
Nordic Extremism
In this week’s episode, we discuss the state of extremism in the Nordic region. We focus on Sweden as the long-term epicentre of regional far-right extremism, and explore the Nordic Resistance Movement’s (NRM) evolution. We also discuss the rol...
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Episode 28
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29:53
Extremist Manifestos with J.M. Berger
In this week’s episode, we delve into extremist manifestos and how they’ve been used by perpetrators of violent attacks to promote their ideology and inspire further violence and hatred. We cover the evolution of manifestos as a terrorist tacti...
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Episode 27
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21:09
The Power of Conspiracies
This week’s episode explores conspiracy theories, and their potency as tools of persuasion. We examine how conspiratorial narratives are common across extremist propaganda throughout history and their role in justifying and motivating violence ...
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Episode 26
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30:23
What is the #tradwives Movement?
This week’s episode focuses on the ways in which gender identity is discussed and expressed within different segments of the online far-right. We investigate the #tradwives movement - a social media trend used by far-right supporters to promote...
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21:00
Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K): A Growing Threat?
This week’s episode focuses on Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K), a regional affiliate of Islamic State primarily active in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We discuss the group in the context of the Taliban takeover two years ago, assessing the ...
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Episode 24
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23:05
Institutionalising Counterterrorism Practitioner Welfare
This week, we're discussing the unique psychological risks that exist for those working in the field of online counterterrorism. We provide practical guidance for identifying, understanding and combating trauma and other mental health issues as...
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Episode 23
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29:21
Islamic State Online: Emerging Trends and Tactics
This week, we're investigating the online activity of Islamic State (IS), an Islamist terrorist organisation renowned for its highly sophisticated media strategy and exploitation of the internet to disseminate its propaganda and recruit members...
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20:57
Tuning in to Hate: How Extremists Utilise Podcasts
This week, we’re investigating the use of podcasts by extremist actors, a growing and concerning trend, which, over the last decade or so, has seen extremists leveraging this medium to spread their ideology, recruit followers and network with l...
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Episode 21
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33:57
“Going Mainstream”: The Role of the Internet in Mainstreaming Extremist Ideas
This week, we’re exploring the role of the internet in the mainstreaming of radical ideas, which are increasingly infiltrating politics and popular culture. We also get a deeper insight into online extremist communities to understand what’s dri...
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Episode 20
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31:35
Gaming & Extremism: Identity Fusion
This week, we’re diving deeper into the nexus between gaming and extremism, exploring how gaming culture, storylines and symbols are being appropriated by extremist actors, and unpacking the concept of ‘identity fusion’: the phenomenon whereby ...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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20:37