Cracking down on extremism online won’t solve the problem of extremist violence, will inevitably censor speech that’s important to protect and risks harming political dissidents and democracy itself.
In a security update on the threats facing Australia at home and abroad, Malcolm Turnbull will say that an ‘online civil society is as achievable as an offline one’.
Politicians want social media giants to crack down on those publishing extremist material. A focus on disruption, encryption, recruitment and creating counter-narratives is recommended.
Politics podcast: John Blaxland on handling Islamist terrorism
Events in Britain, the New South Wales coroner's report on the Lindt Cafe siege, and a new attack in Australia have given a much sharper edge to the debate about how to handle Islamist terrorism.
Religious state institutions wanting to address the rhetoric of violence in the name of religion must begin by reforming their relationship with the state.
Moha Ennaji, International Institute for Languages and Cultures
Trying to reintegrate foreign fighters who return home shouldn’t be considered the soft option. Governments in countries like Morocco and Tunisia need to respond realistically to a complex problem.
Was the London attacker acting alone? Was he really a soldier of the Islamic State? Research on the nature of jihadism in the West reveals possible answers.