Combating Terrorist Use of the Internet and Social Media: Recommended Solutions within the Scope of International Law
Cüneyt YükselCombating terrorism has become a critical international issue. Terrorist groups now benefit from the opportunities offered by the Internet and social media, utilizing online resources to command, control, and communicate with their networks, and to shape their narratives in ways that speak to public concerns and attract new recruits. Thus far, the international community has developed legal instruments that offer solutions to the problem of Internet and social media use by terrorist groups. Such efforts are being led by the United Nations (UN), the European Council, and the European Union (EU). However, the creation of legal regulations faces difficulties due to the rapid development of novel Internet and social media features. Finding a fair balance between regulations and the protection of individual rights, and in particular, freedom of expression, is difficult. Therefore, most of the debate revolving around this issue centers on finding a balance between the imperative to combat terrorist use of the Internet and social media and the protection of freedom of expression. This article discusses the boundary between state responsibility to combat terrorist content online and the obligation to respect and protect human rights. The article begins by emphasizing the reality of the proliferation of terrorist propaganda online and then expounds the main concepts relating to terrorist group use of the Internet and social media. International regulations and the decisions of international legal bodies pertaining to the proliferation of terrorist content online are then examined. In conclusion, critical issues and solutions offered to combat terrorist use of the Internet and social media are propounded.
Uluslararası Hukukta İnternet ve Sosyal Medyanın Terörist Amaçlarla Kullanılmasına Karşı Mücadele ve Çözüm Önerileri
Cüneyt YükselTerörizmle mücadele son yıllarda uluslararası toplumun en önemli meselelerinden biri haline gelmiştir. İnternet ve sosyal medyanın imkânlarından faydalanan terörist gruplar internet ve sosyal medyayı kendi komuta, kontrol ve iletişim koordinasyonlarını sağlamak amacıyla kullanmaya başlamışlardır. Terörist gruplar internet ve sosyal medyayı örgütlenmenin yanı sıra kamuya hitap eden bir söylem şekillendirmek ve potansiyel üyeler çekmek amacıyla da kullanmaktadır. Uluslararası toplum, bilhassa Birleşmiş Milletler (BM), Avrupa Konseyi ve Avrupa Birliği’nin (AB) öncülüğünde, internet ve sosyal medyanın terörist amaçlarla kullanılması meselesine yönelik çözümler geliştirebilmek için çeşitli hukuki enstrümanlar ortaya koymuştur. Ancak internetin ve sosyal medyanın kendine has özelliklerinden dolayı bu alana ilişkin düzenlenmeler yapmak belli zorluklar arz etmektedir. Başta ifade özgürlüğü hakkı olmak üzere kişisel haklar ile bir denge bulmak bu zorlukların başında gelmektedir. Nitekim söz konusu meseleye ilişkin tartışmaların önemli bir kısmı terörist amaçlı içerikle mücadele ile ifade özgürlüğü arasındaki doğru dengeyi bulmak noktasındadır. Bu makalede, devletlerin internet ve sosyal medyadaki terörist içerikle mücadele etme yükümlülüğü, ayrıca bu yükümlülükle beraber insan haklarına saygı duyma ve insan haklarını koruma yükümlülüğü arasındaki sınır ele alınmaktadır. Makalede ilk olarak, terörist propagandanın internet ve sosyal medya üzerinden yaygınlaştırılması olgusu özellikle vurgulanmış, terörist grupların interneti ve bilhassa sosyal medyayı kullanma yolları temel kavramlar açıklanarak değerlendirilmiştir. Daha sonra, internet ve sosyal medya üzerinden terörist içeriğin yayılmasına ilişkin mevcut uluslararası düzenlemeler ve kararlar incelenmiştir. Son olarak, internet ve sosyal medyadaki terörist içerikle mücadelede dikkat edilmesi gereken hususlar ve çözüm önerileri belirtilmektedir.
Terrorism is now a transnational phenomenon that has increasingly become a globalized issue. Because of this, states can no longer combat this problem alone, and multilateral state cooperation and cooperation between states and non-state actors is required. This fact undoubtedly applies to online terrorist activities. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that civil society and IT companies are involved in the global effort to combat the rise of terrorist activities on the Internet and social media. The fight against terrorism through the Internet and social media has, therefore, become a critical issue for the entire international community, including international law. The concept of cyberterrorism has gained considerable importance as terrorist activities can now easily be conducted, supported, and organized directly through social media and the Internet. Terrorist groups have begun to benefit from the possibilities offered by the Internet and social media, utilizing those resources to command, control, and communicate with their networks, and to shape their narratives in ways that speak to public concerns and attract new recruits.
The Draft Report prepared by the United Nations (UN) Office on Drugs and Crime and the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force accepts cyberattacks, dissemination of information such as propaganda, and incitement as terrorist activities. The international community has so far created certain international law instruments to develop solutions to the problem of the use of the Internet and social media by terrorist groups. These efforts are being led by the UN, the European Council, and the European Union (EU). This article examines UN Resolutions related to cyberterrorism and regulations set forth regarding the use of the Internet and social media for terrorist purposes. It also scrutinizes the provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism and the Convention on Cybercrime. However, the development of legal regulations faces difficulties due to the novel features of the Internet and social media. It should be emphasized that a free and open Internet reflects free and open society based on liberal democratic values. Undoubtedly, the right to freedom of expression is of paramount importance in any democratic society, and any restrictions on exercising this right must be subject to a robust justification test. Finding a fair balance between regulations and the protection of individual rights, in this case, the freedom of expression, is particularly difficult. Therefore, most debate revolves around finding the right balance between the imperative to combat terrorist use of the Internet and social media and the protection of freedom of expression. As the Internet and social media have become indispensable to society, these platforms should be considered as another sphere in which the fight against terrorism will continue. As former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon stated, “The Internet is a prime example of how terrorists can behave in a truly transnational way; in response, states need to think and function in an equally transnational manner.”
This article discusses the boundary between state responsibility to combat online terrorist content and the obligation to respect and protect human rights within the context of international law. It will first emphasize the reality of the proliferation of terrorist propaganda through the Internet and social media and then explain the main concepts of Internet and social media use by terrorist groups. The paper will then examine the international law regulations and decisions of various international legal bodies pertaining to the proliferation of terrorist content through the Internet and social media. In conclusion, it will explain the critical issues and solutions offered to combat the use of the Internet and social media for terrorist purposes.
