Terrorism and the Internet: Do We Need an International Solution?

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Author(s): Gilbert Ramsay (University of St. Andrews, UK)
Copyright: 2012
Pages: 24
Source title: Law, Policy, and Technology: Cyberterrorism, Information Warfare, and Internet Immobilization
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Pauline C. Reich (Waseda University, Japan)and Eduardo Gelbstein (Webster University, Switzerland)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-831-9.ch013

Keywords: Cyber Warfare & Terrorism / Information Science Reference / IT Security and Ethics / Security & Forensics

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Abstract

Over the last few years, it has often been suggested that use of the Internet for a variety of terrorist purposes constitutes a serious threat, and requires action of some kind at the international level. This chapter begins by examining the threat. It argues that the looseness of “terrorism” as a phenomenon – particularly as represented on the Internet – means that the problem may have been exaggerated. The issue, after all, is not in and of itself that terrorist organizations or individual “terrorists” are using the Internet, but rather, whether there is more terrorist violence happening as a result. This question is far from resolved, but there does not seem to be compelling evidence that there is. The chapter then considers the proposition that an “international problem” like terrorist use of the Internet requires an “international solution.” It provides the observation that this formula assumes a symmetry between actions available to terrorist actors and states which may, in itself, make for unimaginative counter-terrorism policy. It then considers whether there is a residue of issues arising from terrorist use of the Internet which can genuinely not be countered at a local level, and which are not already relevant to existing international counter-terrorism provisions. Given the serious changes action here would imply for Internet governance, and the uncertainty of the gains that would be delivered in terms of security, there is probably not good reason yet for drastic international action against specifically terrorist misuse of the Internet.

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