How terrorist groups use social media, and how this can be countered, is the focus of a major international conference in Swansea, which brings together researchers, practitioners and representatives from governments and major tech companies around the world.
Organised by the University’s Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, the Terrorism and Social Media (TASM) conference – which takes place on 18 and 19 June – attracts around 250 delegates from 25 countries.
The conference has become one of the most important gatherings globally in this field, because of the unparalleled range of experts from different sectors and countries who contribute and attend.
Representatives from national governments and law enforcement from countries including the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Canada, US, Australia and Malaysia, and tech companies including Google, Meta and TikTok, will be alongside academics, policy experts and grassroots anti-extremism practitioners from around the world.
To ensure that sharing international learning is at the heart of the event, Swansea University has helped support the attendance of delegates from countries in the Global South, including Singapore, the Maldives, Pakistan, Nigeria and Brazil.
Subjects covered include:
- Websites and the far right
- Disinformation, misinformation and conspiracy
- Incels
- TikTok research
- Preventing and countering violent extremism online
Find out more about the conference
The first day of the conference focuses on extremist and terrorist use of online platforms. This includes uses of new technologies and Web3, uses of visual media and generative AI, and polluted information and malign influence campaigns.
Day two examines how to respond to the threat. This includes regulation, using AI to identify extremist and terrorist content, and how to ensure that human rights are respected, including free speech, privacy and transparency.
Headline speakers:
Brian Fishman, co-founder of Cinder, a leading Trust & Safety operations platform. Previously Fishman led Facebook’s work countering terrorist organisations and hate groups and was also director of research at the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy.
Anjum Rahman, a founding member of the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand. Following the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019, Rahman was a spokesperson for the Muslim community. Rahman is currently on the governing council of InternetNZ and is a member of international committees dealing with violent extremist content online.
Anne Craanen, a researcher at Swansea University and a member of the VOX-Pol Network. Her research focusses on terrorist use of the internet, rule of law responses, and the role of gender in terrorism and violent extremism.
Dia Kayyali, a technology and human rights consultant and community organizer. An expert on content moderation and platform accountability, Dia’s work focuses on the real-life impact of policy decisions made by lawmakers and technology companies, especially on vulnerable communities, from LGBTQIA+ people to religious minorities.
Professor Stuart Macdonald of Swansea University, who is leading the team organising the conference, said:
“The TASM conference has developed an international reputation as one of the leading events on extremist and terrorist exploitation of online platforms. An effective response requires collaboration across multiple sectors, and so the conference brings together a wide range of professionals to discuss this critical issue informed by the latest research conducted by experts from around the world”.
The conference is being organised by the Cyber Threats Research Centre, based at Swansea University’s School of Law, and by the global VOX Pol research network, which the University co-ordinates.