Tech Against Terrorism & GIFCT Middle East Launch

Tech professionals: Are you interested in the intersection of technology and terrorism? Are you worried about terrorist exploitation of your company and the entailing reputational risk? Do you want to learn how you can protect your platform and users?

Government representatives: Are you interested in learning more about the online environment that terrorists exploit? Do you want to learn more about how your government can support and encourage the local tech scene in tackling terrorist exploitation and constructively engage with big tech firms?

Civil society organisations and academia: Are you an expert in counter-terrorism, counter-radicalisation or counter-narrative messaging? Do you want to play an active role in supporting the tech and government sectors in tackling terrorist exploitation of the internet?

We would like to invite you to the launch of Tech Against Terrorism and the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) in the Middle East. The launch event will take place in Abu Dhabi on 7 May.

Tech Against Terrorism is a UN-mandated initiative supporting the tech industry through developing practical operational tools and advice for companies. As a public-private partnership, we work with tech companies, civil society, and governments across the world to coordinate tech industry responses to terrorist exploitation of the internet whilst respecting human rights. Our workstreams cover fintech, e-commerce, social media, encrypted messaging, transport tech, content storage and file-sharing.

At this event, we will introduce our work in the Middle East and build lasting working relationships with the regional private and public sectors to help counter terrorist exploitation of the Middle Eastern tech scene. During the first half of the event, we will highlight specific measures that tech companies, governments and civil society organisations can take to work together to tackle terrorist exploitation of the internet. In the second half, tech companies will be able to participate in Tech Against Terrorism’s in-person training workshop to help build capacity against terrorist exploitation. Overall, participants will get the chance to:

• Gain expert insight on threat assessments of terrorist usage of tech platforms
• Participate in best practice and knowledge sharing on countering terrorist exploitation of tech with leading industry experts
• Find out how your company or organisation can tackle terrorist exploitation through using Tech Against Terrorism’s Knowledge Sharing Platform and the Data Science Network
• Find out how your company or organisation can become a member or an associate partner of Tech Against Terrorism

After the event, we will establish a Middle East workstream to build support for industry self-regulation to tackle terrorist exploitation of tech. Whether you are a tech company, civil society organisation, or government official, this is your chance to make your voice heard to representatives with potential to achieve positive global change on tackling terrorist exploitation of the internet.

If you have any questions, please get in touch on events@techagainstterrorism.org.

Tech Against Terrorism is an initiative mandated by the UN Security Council to help small companies and micro-platforms tackle terrorist exploitation of their services. Since 2017, we have engaged with over 150 global companies. In 2017 we launched the Knowledge Sharing Platform to support companies in developing Terms of Service, moderation procedures, and transparency reports. This year, we also launched the Data Science Network to develop technological tools to help small tech platforms protect themselves from terrorist exploitation.

The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) is a coalition launched in 2017 focusing on disrupting terrorists’ ability to promote terrorism, disseminate violent extremist propaganda, and exploit or glorify real-world acts of violence using tech platforms. The GIFCT is founded by Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Microsoft.