Violence and Security

Al-Qaeda Militants Fill IS Vacuum in Syria

September 20, 2017

Al-Qaeda militants have stepped into the vacuum left by the defeat of Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria, warring against both the al-Assad regime and its opposition for control over terrain that international powers were trying to establish as "de-escalation zones" safe for civilians.
Boko Haram Causes Widespread Child Displacement

September 20, 2017

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that the sustained militant terror campaign waged by Islamist jihadi group Boko Haram has led to a massive child displacement crisis for over 1.4 million Nigerian children and an estimated quarter-million more in neighboring West African countries.
May Threatens Fines for Tech Giants over Terror Content

September 20, 2017

Politico reports that, at a meeting she is co-hosting at the UN General Assembly this week, UK Prime Minister Theresa May will threaten to fine social media companies that fail to remove content promoting terrorism from their online platforms within two hours of its posting.
UK Is Top Consumer of Jihadist Content in EU

September 20, 2017

According to researchers at the UK think tank Policy Exchange, Britain is the largest consumer in the EU of online content from jihadist groups inspired by the Islamic State (IS), raising red flags in the struggle by British government officials and tech giants to halt the online radicalization of would-be perpetrators of terrorist acts in the country.
UK Commission Proposes Voting Ban over Politician "Abuse"

September 20, 2017

The Guardian reports that a recent submission from the UK's Electoral Commission to a committee studying the intimidation of politicians has proposed a potential voting ban for those found guilty of "abusive behaviour in relation to candidates and campaigners."
Critics Point to Chilling Effects of German "Hate Speech" Law

September 18, 2017

The BBC reports on the growing debate in Germany over the potential chilling effects of a law set to enter into force in October that provides for large fines of social media companies that do not take down "blatantly illegal" speech, including "defamation of religions, religious and ideological associations," from their online platforms.
NYT Critiques Forms of Private Internet Censorship

September 15, 2017

The New York Times has published an editorial expressing alarm about the implications of a website security and performance company's decision to effectively take off-line a neo-Nazi website for mocking a victim of violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, arguing that private internet censorship presents a new problem for freedom of expression.
UN Report Points to Economic Factors in Driving Extremism

September 15, 2017

The UN Development Programme has produced a new study, based on "hundreds of interviews with extremists" involved in groups like Islamist organizations Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab, pinpointing "deprivation and marginalization, underpinned by weak governance" as key factors in pushing Africans into the arms of violent extremist groups.
Australian Official Seeks Restrictions on "Hateful" Speech

September 14, 2017

The Guardian reports that, in a move that may have implications for speech on issues such as migration and security, Australia's human rights commissioner Edward Santow has pushed the country's Parliament to pass laws protecting gay people from "hateful" speech in the midst of a debate over a national referendum on same-sex marriage.
UN Official: Sharing News Comes with Duty to Verify Accuracy

September 14, 2017

At a forum on combating "fake news" hosted by the UN Alliance of Civilizations, Maher Nasser of the UN Department of Public Information warned that users of social media networks have a duty to verify the accuracy of news stories, by researching them on "trusted sources," prior to passing them on to others.