Narratives of Risk: Assessing the Discourse of Online Extremism and Measures Proposed to Counter It

Pohjonen, Matti; Ahmed, Reem

Abstract

The discourse surrounding digital technologies is rapidly changing, namely from an entity with the potential to
generate positive political change to one that can be abused by extremists. In light of this, a new “dispositif” of risk has emerged whereby governments are seeking to address the imagined dangers posed by digital technology through a series of pre-emptive measures. By examining how the relationship between digital technology and violent extremism has been articulated in the EU’s counter-terrorism policy, this article argues that critical distance is now needed from both these utopian and/or dystopian conceptualisations of digital technology and conflict.

Citation

Pohjonen, M., & Ahmed, R. (2016). Narratives of Risk: Assessing the Discourse of Online Extremism and Measures Proposed to Counter It. S und F: Sicherheit und Frieden, 34(4), 236-240. https://doi.org/10.5771/0175-274X-2016-4-236

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 17, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Feb 1, 2017
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: May 20, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: May 20, 2019
• Print ISSN: 0175-274X
• Electronic ISSN: 2942-1225
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 236-240
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5771/0175-274X-2016-4-236
• Keywords: Internet, violent extremism, EU IRU, risk theory
• Related Public URLs: https://doi.org/10.5771/0175-274X-2016-4-236