'Five eyes' powers warn of 'globalised extremism' after children radicalised online

Intelligence-sharing countries publish report asking parents to challenge social media content

Taylor Swift fans in Vienna. Three teenagers, all groomed on the internet, were arrested for allegedly plotting a terror attack at a Swift concert in Austria, in August. AP

Intelligence chiefs are asking parents to increase oversight of their children’s use of social media following a dramatic rise in online radicalisation, which has “globalised extremism”.

In a highly unusual step, the Five Eyes intelligence grouping issued a report about both Islamic and far-right extremists using the internet to recruit children as young as ten. The Five Eyes countries are America, Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. They called for a "whole of society" response to the phenomenon.

“For all the benefits it brings, the internet has also globalised extremism,” said Matt Jukes, Britain’s head of counter terrorism.

It had accelerated the “spread of hateful ideologies internationally” while making it possible for “anyone with an internet connection to reach into the lives of children halfway round the world”, he added.

The real-life effect of online brainwashing was seen after three teenagers, all groomed on the internet, were arrested for allegedly plotting a terror attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Austria in August.

Australia's intelligence service said about 20 per cent of its priority counter-terrorism cases involved young people.

A boy, 16, was charged with a “terrorist act” after a bishop was stabbed during a live-streamed service at an Assyrian Christian church in Sydney in April.

"In every one of the terrorist attacks, disruptions and suspected terrorist incidents in Australia this year, the alleged perpetrator was a young person," said Mike Burgess, director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

"As a parent, the numbers are shocking. As an intelligence officer, the numbers are sobering."

In one British case, counter-terrorism police investigated a schoolchild and found “alarming” pro-ISIS content on the minor's phone.

Besides accessing violent extremist content, police believed he had been groomed for radicalisation by an ISIS group member and by Al-Muhajiroun, which is also banned in the UK.

A record 3,026 children aged under 15, including nearly 300 under 10, have been referred to the UK’s “Prevent” programme, that aims to stop people becoming terrorists, in the past year.

Mr Jukes stated that more children than ever before last year, some as young as 12, had been arrested in the last year.

“This is not a phenomenon unique to the UK, our colleagues across the world are dealing with the exact same problem, and in many cases we are seeing the influence of the same extremist networks reach across all of the Five Eyes countries,” he said.

The Five Eyes study, its first publicised paper, found that the internet provided “an avenue for first approaches to minors, often through seemingly innocuous social media and gaming platforms” pointing to Discord, Instagram, Roblox and TikTok.

“In these environments, violent extremism is made more accessible, as violent extremism content can be created within the platforms themselves,” the report said.

Minors were increasingly “normalising” violent behaviour in online groups, the analysis said, “including joking about carrying out terrorist attacks and creating violent extremist content”.

The study urged parents and others to look out for signs they were being enticed into violent extremism.

“We are increasingly concerned about the radicalisation of minors, and minors who support, plan or undertake terrorist activities,” it added.

"This includes noticing and asking questions of minors, particularly given radicalisation to violent extremism can start with moderately objectionable material containing violent extremist narratives which then intensifies in its support for violence."

It advised parents and guardians to understand their children's online activities and warned that minors who are socially isolated are more vulnerable.