The use of the Internet

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2 THE USE OF THE INTERNET FOR TERRORIST PURPOSES the Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch of UNODC and with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, undertook to contribute to the Working Group project through the development of the current technical assistance tool on the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. The current UNODC publication builds upon the conclusions of the Working Group conferences, and in particular the conference held in Berlin in January 2010, relating to Internet-specific legal aspects of terrorism. In connection with the development of the present publication, UNODC convened two expert group meetings in Vienna, in October 2011 and February 2012, to provide a forum for counter-terrorism practitioners, from a geographically diverse group of Member States, to share their experiences relating to the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. Experts from a total of 25 Member States participated in these meetings, including senior prosecutors, law enforcement officers and academics, as well as representatives from several intergovernmental organizations. The present publication draws heavily on the discussions and expertise shared during those meetings, and is intended to provide practical guidance to Member States to facilitate the more effective investigation and prosecution of terrorist cases involving the use of the Internet.
I. Use of the Internet for terrorist purposes I. A. Introduction 1. Since the late 1980s, the Internet has proven to be a highly dynamic means of communication, reaching an ever-growing audience worldwide. The development of increasingly sophisticated technologies has created a network with a truly global reach, and relatively low barriers to entry. Internet technology makes it easy for an individual to communicate with relative anonymity, quickly and effectively across borders, to an almost limitless audience. The benefits of Internet technology are numerous, starting with its unique suitability for sharing information and ideas, which is recognized as a fundamental human right. 2 It must also be recognized, however, that the same technology that facilitates such communication can also be exploited for the purposes of terrorism. The use of the Internet for terrorist purposes creates both challenges and opportunities in the fight against terrorism. B. Means by which the Internet is utilized for terrorist purposes 2. For the purposes of the present publication, a functional approach has been adopted regarding the classification of the means by which the Internet is often utilized to promote and support acts of terrorism. This approach has resulted in the identification of six sometimes overlapping categories: propaganda (including recruitment, radicalization and incitement to terrorism); financing; training; planning (including through secret communication and open-source information); execution; and cyberattacks. Each of these categories is addressed in greater detail below. 1. Propaganda 3. One of the primary uses of the Internet by terrorists is for the dissemination of propaganda. Propaganda generally takes the form of multimedia communications providing ideological or practical instruction, explanations, justifications or promotion of terrorist activities. These may include virtual messages, presentations, magazines, treatises, audio and video files and video games developed by terrorist organizations or sympathizers. Nevertheless, what constitutes terrorist propaganda, as opposed to legitimate advocacy of a viewpoint, is often a subjective assessment. Further, the dissemination of propaganda is generally not, in and of itself, a prohibited activity. One of the 2 See, for example, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex), art. 19, para. 2. 3
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(c) Ensuring that the expert uses a
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