Please find the most recent report by the UN Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (UN CTED) entitled “More support needed for smaller technology platforms to counter terrorist content”.
It includes the following alert: “Within the framework of its engagement with Member States, the private sector and civil society, CTED has been alerted to concern that due to this shift, smaller technology platforms require increased support for their efforts to effectively identify and remove terrorist content, while respecting human rights.” “Research by Tech against Terrorism (see below) has identified more than 200 platforms actively used by terrorist groups to disseminate content, while one Member State estimates that between July and December 2017, terrorist material appeared for the first time on almost 150 online services. Many of these platforms lack the resources required to detect and remove it and are less easily monitored by Government agencies.”
“Tech against Terrorism provides extensive guidance for smaller technology companies on best practices in monitoring online content, countering violent extremism, and facilitating counter-terrorist narratives. It also hosts a Knowledge-Sharing Platform, which offers numerous tools and resources7 underpinned by six guiding principles, to help technology companies tackle exploitation of their services while promoting and protecting human rights.”
“Further guidance includes the joint CTED/ICT for Peace Foundation report on Private Sector Engagement in Responding to the Use of Internet and ICT for Terrorist Purposes and the report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on The Use of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes. Guidance is also available from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the Council of Europe, the European Commission the Global Network Initiative, and the European Union Internet Forum.”
In December 2015 the UN Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) had invited ICT4Peace to help promote a dialogue at the UN Security Council between Governments and Tech Companies, in particular social media companies to prevent the use of ICTs for terrorist purposes, while respecting human rights and freedom of speech. In April 2016 UN CTED and ICT4Peace formally launched a joint project on technology sector engagement in responding to terrorist use of ICTs, in particular to deepen understanding of current industry responses to terrorist use of their products and services, particularly with regard to content and-operational related issues and identify practices and experiences. An overview of the implementation of this project can be found here. In December 2016 UN CTED and ICT4Peace launched the first comprehensive report ‘Private Sector Engagement in Responding to the Use of the Internet and ICT for Terrorist Purposes: Strengthening Dialogue and Building Trust’.
In May 2017 ICT4Peace introduced the UN CTED-ICT4Peace “Tech Against Terrorism” Project at the 2017 OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference in Vienna.
In August 2017 UN CTED and ICT4Peace hosted the U.S. launch of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) at Swissnex in San Francisco and in November 2017 UN CTED and ICT4Peace launched the “Knowledge Sharing Platform “Tech against Terrorism”.
In January 2018 two UN Security Council Resolutions of December 2017 recognised the work of the ICT4Peace Foundation in launching the Tech Against Terrorism initiative in cooperation with UN Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (UN CTED).