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Defining Online Radicalization their views no longer seem radical. Online interactions with like-minded individuals Online radicalization to is the process can substitute for an individual’s physical by which an individual is introduced to an community and create an online social ideological message and belief system that environment similar to that of a in which encourages movement from mainstream deviant behavior and violence are the norm. beliefs toward extreme views, primarily Consumers of online extremist content can through the use of online media, including also develop or increase feelings of superiority, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and moral outrage, desensitization to violence, YouTube.1 A result of radical interpretations and willingness to commit acts of violence in of mainstream religious or political doctrines, furtherance of a particular cause. these extreme views tend to justify, promote, incite, or support violence to achieve any number of social, religious, or political changes. How Extremists Use the to In many cases, online radicalization does not Recruit and Radicalize occur after viewing one video or reading one People and organizations worldwide have online post but happens gradually. The factors embraced the Internet because of its ease and that influence a specific individual can change convenience. Individuals and organizations use for him or her depending on the time or the Internet to share photos and videos, post circumstance. Moreover, while the factors that news and press releases, raise money, and influence radicalization differ from person to communicate with others. As access to person, so too does the radicalization process the Internet continues to spread, more people itself. Individuals can move back and forth own Internet-enabled devices, and as the between stages or remain static while factors use of proliferates, people and levels interact and influence one another. are spending more time online, consuming Generally, as individuals immerse themselves content from a variety of sources and creating in online extremist content, they begin to virtual communities. develop a skewed sense of reality in which AWARENESS BRIEF

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Violent extremists and criminal organizations Examples of Online Radicalization are also exploiting this easy access to an increasingly broad cross-section of individuals to Violence to recruit, groom, and facilitate radicalization One such example of how an individual can to violence. The Internet provides radical become radicalized through online services is recruiters with a more fertile ground for anti-Islam terrorist Anders Breivik, who in July recruitment and more opportunities to interact 2011 at the age of 32 carried out bombing and with people who would not otherwise be shootings in Norway.4 According to those who reachable by conventional means. knew him prior, he belonged to a normal and Using a combination of traditional websites; resourceful group of friends who considered mainstream social media platforms like him caring and sociable. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube; and other However, Breivik had another side. In online services, extremists broadcast their 2006, after failing to manage several small views, provoke negative sentiment toward companies and running into some financial enemies, incite people to violence, glorify trouble, Breivik moved back into his mother’s martyrs, create virtual communities with house and “decided to take a year off to play like-minded individuals, provide religious or videogames as a martyr gift to himself.”5 He legal justifications for proposed actions, and then also withdrew from his social life and 2 communicate with and groom new recruits. began writing about resistance and attempting Extremists post incendiary materials such as to unite different factions of far-right political educational videos about how to construct groups. His later writing also included violence explosives and operate weapons, videos of and called for an armed revolution that successful attacks, lectures espousing radical legitimized against Western elites. views, blog posts, and messages supporting and further encouraging attacks and acts of Likewise, Zachary Chesser was an average violence. For example, terrorist groups have high school student in northern Virginia. He used Facebook to exchange private messages participated in his high school’s Gifted and and information to coordinate attacks and Talented program, joined his high school Facebook pages that individuals can “like” break-dancing team, and worked part-time at a to show their support, have disseminated video rental store.6 and press releases on Twitter, In the summer of 2008, 18-year-old Chesser and have uploaded extremists’ sermons and converted to Islam and quickly became 3 training videos on YouTube. They have also radicalized, solely on the Internet. He began used online message boards, chat rooms, posting views that supported Islamist terrorist and dating sites to meet and interact with groups, watching sermons by Anwar al Awlaki, one other and spread their messages. and exchanging e-mails with the cleric about Creating profiles, pages, and accounts on joining Al Shabab. Within weeks, he had quit various websites and social media platforms his job because he “objected to working at also allows smaller groups to appear as if they a place that rented videos featuring naked have achieved critical mass and are serious women” and became increasingly hostile to groups fighting for their particular cause. his parents.7 The ability to access the Internet from almost By 2009, Chesser committed himself solely anywhere in the world also contributes to to using his computer and graphics skills to these groups amassing large followings and contribute to and promote violent extremist appearing more formidable. AWARENESS BRIEF 3

messages. He also attempted to travel to Engaging the community Somalia with his wife—whom he met through Law enforcement can be a part of the solution a series of comments on al Awlaki’s blog—to by using one of the key components of join Al Shabab but was unsuccessful when community policing, citizen engagement. his mother-in-law hid his wife’s passport. Traditional engagement has included In 2010, he uploaded a YouTube video in identifying ways the community can get which he threatened the creators of the involved in addressing and disorder television show South Park after an episode problems. Engagement also involves building depicted the Prophet Muhammad dressed trust, which in the past has included creating in a bear costume.8 police athletic leagues in which community In July 2010, he attempted to join Al Shabab members play alongside officers once again but was held for questioning at and encouraging residents to attend citizen the airport. A few days after being questioned, academies or go on ride-alongs. Chesser was arrested for attempting to provide AWARENESS BRIEFmaterial support to a terrorist organization. Increasing an agency’s social media profile He pled guilty in October 2010 to three federal felony charges—communicating threats, Law enforcement agencies can also virtually soliciting violent jihadists to desensitize law engage their communities by creating their own enforcement, and attempting to provide social media accounts10 through which they can material support to a designated foreign interact with the community in various ways. terrorist organization—and was sentenced in For example, agencies can conduct virtual ride- 2011 to 25 years in federal prison.9 alongs in which the department can choose a certain time to post all the calls it receives, all calls of a certain type, or the activities of a The Role of Community Policing in specific officer or unit. Also, officers dedicated Countering Online Radicalization to to countering violent extremism can post about the community events and meetings they Violence attend and the people they interact with, and The number of cases of online radicalization they can encourage followers to meet them at is impossible to quantify, and the fact that these public events. it occurs online makes it harder for law Agencies can also use social media to conduct enforcement to be aware of potential cases question and answer sessions during which of radicalization to violence. In addition, law community members submit questions via enforcement officers must remember that social media, and representatives answer becoming radicalized online and posting, them. Agencies can also link to the social possessing, or espousing extremist views media accounts of neighborhood watch groups are not necessarily criminal activities. Under and share these groups’ announcements and the First Amendment, individuals are granted links on the agency’s page or account. This freedom of speech, , and the press. recognition can help foster support for crime As long as these individuals do not partake prevention, can be an effective way to solicit in, conspire to engage in, or facilitate the tips about unsolved , and can improve engagement of acts of violence or commit law enforcement and community relations.11 other crimes in support of violent acts, individuals and groups espousing the most Educating community members radical of views must be protected. Community policing also promotes the use of Therefore, law enforcement agencies should partnerships between law enforcement and the use community policing principles to address community to address public safety concerns. and counter online radicalization. Ways in which For example, many law enforcement agencies law enforcement and the community can work are already working with communities to together to help identify, prevent, and counter address specific public safety concerns, such online messages and activities that promote as online sexual predators, by educating violent extremism include the following: youth and parents about how to recognize and AWARENESS BRIEF

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report suspicious people and online activities. 4. Helen Pidd, “Anders Behring Breivik Spent Years Likewise, law enforcement, through its existing Training and Plotting for ,” The Guardian, partnerships or through newly established August 24, 2012, www.theguardian.com/world/2012/ aug/24/anders-behring-breivik-profile-oslo. partnerships with potentially affected communities, can help raise awareness of the 5. Jacob Aasland Ravndal, “A Pre-Trial Profile of threats online extremist recruiters pose. An Anders Behring Breivik,” CTC Sentinel 5, no. 3 agency can incorporate these warnings into its (March 2012), www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-pre-trial- overall effort to educate communities about all profile-of-anders-behring-breivik, translation quoted from “Les de psykiatriske rapportene om Breivik Internet threats to their safety. [Read the Psychiatric Reports of Breivik],” VG Nett (no date).

Endnotes 6. Majority and Minority Staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and 1. This definition of “online radicalization to violence” Governmental Affairs, Zachary Chesser: A is a combination of the definitions for “Internet- Case Study in Online Islamist Radicalization facilitated radicalization” and “radicalization to and Its Meaning for the Threat of Homegrown violence” that can be found in: IACP Committee Terrorism (Washington, DC: United States Senate, on Terrorism, Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) 2012), www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/ Working Group, A Common Lexicon (Alexandria, CHESSER%20FINAL%20REPORT%281%29.pdf. VA: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2012), www.theiacp.org/portals/0/pdfs/IACP-COT_ 7. Ibid. CommonLexicon_Eng_FINALAug12.pdf. 8. Ibid. 2. Some of the activities and uses mentioned are not necessarily illegal and may be protected under 9. Ibid. the First Amendment and other civil rights laws. Each site allows users to block individuals from 10. For more information about how law enforcement contacting them and to report content and accounts can use social media sites, visit IACP’s Center for that violate a site’s terms of service. A site can Social Media at www.IACPsocialmedia.org. remove any content that is determined to violate its terms, and users who post such content are subject 11. Of the agencies using social media, 73.1 percent to having their account suspended or removed. indicated that social media has improved police- community relations in their jurisdiction. See 3. Gabriel Weimann, “ on Facebook, Twitter, and “2013 Social Media Survey Results,” (Alexandria, YouTube,” Brown Journal of World Affairs 16, no. 2 VA: International Association of Chiefs of Police, (Spring/Summer 2010). 2013), www.iacpsocialmedia.org/Portals/1/ documents/2013SurveyResults.pdf.

This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of 2011-CK-WXK-010 awarded by the Office of Community Oriented the date of this publication. Given that URLs and websites are in Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily for their current validity. represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or Recommended citation: services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) International Association of Chiefs of Police. 2014. Online or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are Radicalization to Violent Extremism. Awareness Brief. Washington, illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

This Awareness Brief is one of a series and part of other products produced as part of the Role of Community Policing in Homeland Security and the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) initiative. For more information about the CVE initiative, and to access additional IACP resources, please visit www.theiacp.org/CVE.

U.S. Department of Justice To obtain details on COPS Office programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. 145 N Street NE Washington, DC 20530 Visit the COPS Office online at www.cops.usdoj.gov. e111321618 Published 2014