Feasibility Study On The Development Of An Assessment Framework For Terrorist And Borderline Content Online

In the June 2024 Terrorism Threat Assessment Netherlands (DTN), the Dutch National Coordinator on Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) warns that extremist ideology and terrorist content is being spread via social media and other online platforms, and that these platforms enable communication between extremists and terrorists, recruitment and direction of attackers and planning of attacks.

An assessment framework for extremist and terrorist online content can contribute to a better understanding and recognition of this harmful online content, making detection more possible. One problem here is that extremist and terrorist online content can also have an implicit character and is not always easy and immediately detectable. Such harmful content is also known as borderline content. The research aims to examine whether tools and methods exist or can be developed to better detect and identify both implicit and explicit harmful online content, without compromising the fundamental right to freedom of expression. The research aims to contribute to the development of more effective strategies that help increase the resilience of online platforms and society against extremist and terrorist content, thus countering online radicalisation. The development of an assessment framework should ultimately enable online platforms to carry out content moderation without compromising the fundamental right to freedom of expression. If the development of an interpretation framework according to the above specifications is deemed feasible, it will require additional research. Thus, the actual development of the interpretation framework is not part of this project.

The NCTV through the Scientific Research and Data Unit (WODC) of the Ministry of Justice, commissioned ICCT to conduct the feasibility study. The Project runs from December 2024 until May 2025.