UN report says pandemic may give rise to radicalization of global youth

The UN Security Council's counter-terrorism committee's report identified a heightened risk posed by online violent extremist propaganda as one to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The increase in the number of young people engaging in unsupervised internet usage—particularly on gaming platforms—offers terrorist groups an opportunity to expose a greater number of people to their ideas,” the report warned.

Conspiracy theories surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's response to it have been heavily exploited by terrorists groups, who use it in various ways to push their narrative and attract new followers.

Counter-terrorism budgets have also been affected by the pandemic and much of their funding has been decreased, forcing troops to withdraw from the fight against groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS. There is a fear the troops being pulled out of certain countries may lead to a growing radicalization of the population.

Researchers also found that in Canada there has been a spike in online searches for violent far-right content in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Ottawa.

However, that does not mean that one searching for such content online is radicalized will become radicalized, according to Jessica Davis, an Ottawa-based terrorism expert.

“I think we need to be careful to differentiate between radicalization and curiosity,” said Davis, president of Insight Threat Intelligence. Davis was also a senior strategic analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service prior to working for ITI.

“I do think it’s a tough time for everyone, and the increased isolation may increase some risk factors for radicalization,” said Davis. “But I’d also say a lot of other risk factors are static or, in some cases, may be decreasing.”

Theories that the lockdown is in place so that companies can install 5G network towers is common amongst COVID-19 conspiracy theorists. In May, Quebec police made two arrests after cellphone towers were vandalized and set on fire. Some regions have also reported a spike in hate crimes.

On a more positive note, the banning of large gatherings is also problematic for terrorist groups and these restrictions. These new guidances “have resulted in far fewer crowded spaces, potentially reducing the effectiveness of common terrorist tactics,” the report said.

Media attention being primarily focused on COVID-19 has also taken the limelight away from terrorist attacks, making them less impactful.

The main fear presented in the report is that the pandemic has brought many grievances to people and terrorist groups feed off those who have suffered a loss. The governments of certain nations have also exploited the pandemic to arrest political opponents, reduce civil liberties and consolidate their power.

“The pandemic has also forced some states to close their parliaments and postpone or cancel elections, thereby limiting opportunities for oversight and scrutiny of those responses,” said the report.

The report also discussed the possibility that countries that have invoked emergency powers and engaged in mass surveillance may have created a situation where disgruntled citizens are further encouraged.

“Some states’ responses to COVID-19 risk further exacerbating conditions conducive to radicalization to terrorism.”