I have written a paper setting out how the Internet is used by terrorists – from radicalisation and recruitment, to communication, planning attacks and spreading violent narratives. It also begins to explores some of the ways that governments and civil society do – and could – use the Internet as a weapon against terrorists. But more work is needed on this issue of growing importance, as highlighted last week by the Home Affairs Select Committee report on the roots of radicalisation.
Rachel, I completely agree with you. At RAND Europe we’ve just started a new project precisely on this topic. It is often assumed that the Internet plays a major role. Yet there is very limited evidence to support this! We will gather primary data to help clarify the issue once and for all. We’ll organise an event to discuss our findings in October and I’ll make sure I keep you informed of our progress in the meantime! Anais