Following the terrorist attacks in Israel, and the violence which has ensued since Saturday 7 October 2023, Tech Against Terrorism has initiated its mechanism to monitor threats to life and further violent extremist reaction online.
9 October 2023 - The terrorist attacks and the terrible loss of life in the region have led to a surge of activity online, including misinformation, polarisation, and the amplification of incitement to violence.
As part of its monitoring of online terrorist activity after such crises, Tech Against Terrorism will be disrupting attacker-produced content circulated since the attack in Israel and countering the subsequent amplification of terrorist and violent extremist messaging.
Tech Against Terrorism will be reporting any verified content produced by the Al-Qassam Brigades (shorthand for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) to law enforcement bodies and to tech platforms. Tech Against Terrorism will also be reporting on material that constitutes a threat to life or credible incitement to violence and therefore requires immediate removal by online platforms.
In the past few days, users have shared a wide array of content, including footage from the attackers, victim videos, propaganda from a range of violent extremists, conspiracy theories, and misinformation.
The terrorist attacks in Israel and the subsequent online reaction will serve as a litmus test for all of us. We are in no doubt that tech platforms are racing to navigate the complexities of this situation: they face the challenge of both stopping terrorist and incendiary content while facilitating free speech and reporting from the ground. In the face of a deluge of violent content, tech platforms once again must review their procedures in such times of crisis, just as national and transnational law enforcement agencies must provide clear leadership for tech platforms to follow.
In accordance with its remit, Tech Against Terrorism will continue to report on attacker-produced content and other material that incites violence and hatred.
In the coming weeks, Tech Against Terrorism will review how both tech platforms and law enforcement have responded to this incident.