The use of the Internet

III. Policy and legislative frameworks III.
A. Introduction
72. In addition to using the Internet to plan and finance terrorist acts, terrorists also
use it to recruit and train new members; communicate, research or reconnoitre potential
targets; disseminate propaganda; and incite others to carry out acts of terrorism.
73. In the present chapter, issues related to the development of criminal justice policies
and legislation aimed at countering these threats are considered, with the aim of
identifying, by reference to examples and national experiences offered by some States
represented at the expert group meetings, common challenges and approaches that can
either impede or strengthen the effective investigation and prosecution of terrorism
cases involving some aspect of Internet use.
B. Policy
74. In order to provide effective criminal justice responses to threats presented by
terrorists using the Internet, States require clear national policies and legislative frameworks.
Broadly speaking, such policies and laws will focus on:
(a) Criminalization of unlawful acts carried out by terrorists over the Internet or
related services;
(b) Provision of investigative powers for law enforcement agencies engaged in
terrorism-related investigations;
(c) Regulation of Internet-related services (e.g. ISPs) and content control;
(d) Facilitation of international cooperation;
(e) Development of specialized judicial or evidential procedures;
(f) Maintenance of international human rights standards.
Policy approaches
75. In its 2011 publication, Countering the Use of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes: Legal
and Technical Aspects, 78 the Working Group on Countering the Use of Internet for
78 See United Nations, Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, Working Group on Countering the Use of
Internet for Terrorist Purposes, Countering the Use of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes: Legal and Technical Aspects (New York,
2011).
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