Webinar: The Nexus Between Violent Extremism and Conspiracy Theory Networks Online

The Nexus Between Violent Extremism and Conspiracy Theory Networks Online: Understanding and Challenging groups like QAnon, Oath Keepers and The Boogaloo Movement

17 March 2021 5pm - 6pm GMT

This webinar is organised in partnership with the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT).

• Are you a tech professional interested in learning more about the complex relationship between conspiracy networks and violent extremism, and how this is reflected in the online space?

• Are you interested in learning more about what can be done to mitigate the risks of these networks exploiting your platform?

• Are you a government or law enforcement official and would like to learn more about the offline threats linked to the online networks of conspiracy theories?

• Are you an academic or researcher interested in hearing about the links between conspiracy theories and violent extremism?

In the first webinar of the 2021 Tech Against Terrorism & GIFCT e-learning series, we take a closer look at how the violent extremism landscape ties with conspiracy theory networks online, and the linked risks of offline violence. With movements like QAnon, the Boogaloo, and Oath Keepers representing an increasing content moderation challenges for tech platforms, we will together with an expert panel examine how such networks manifest online, and what policy changes they have motivated in content moderation.

Agenda:

• Erin Saltman, Director of Programming, GIFCT

• Emily Thompson, Associate Director, Research Department, Simon Wiesenthal Center

• Sam Jackson, Assistant Professor at the University at Albany and author of Oath Keepers: Patriotism and the Edge of Violence in a Right-Wing Antigovernment Group

• Marc-André Argentino, PhD Candidate at Concordia University, Research Fellow at the ICSR

• Patrick James, Facebook, Dangerous Organizations Policy

• Moderator: Fabienne Tarrant, Research Analyst, Tech Against Terrorism

As always, this webinar session will finish with a Q&A session that is open to all attendees.

About our webinar series

Tech Against Terrorism and the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) are pleased to present our series of e-learning webinars for 2021. These free webinar sessions are particularly

suited for tech professionals, content moderators, counterterrorism researchers, and others interested in learning more about terrorist use of technology and the internet more widely – and how to counter it.

As a participant, you will have the opportunity to engage directly with a wide range of experts, and explore practical ways to support smaller tech companies in tackling the terrorist use of the internet whilst respecting human rights. Over the course of the upcoming webinars, GIFCT and Tech Against Terrorism will convene some of the industry's leading counterterrorism experts and practitioners, policy researchers, and tech companies’ representatives.

If you have any questions about this or future webinars, or if you would like to collaborate for future sessions, please email contact@techagainstterrorism.org.