Radicalized by messenger? Stockhammer warns of rising dangers!

Radicalized by messenger? Stockhammer warns of rising dangers!

In an revealing interview in the "Rainer-Novak-Talk" on Krone.tv, Nicolas Stockhammer, a proven anti-terrorist expert, emphasized the significance of monitoring monitoring of trade fair services in the fight against terror. In view of a recent terrorist warning from Great Britain, his views gain urgency, which could also affect Austria. At Easter there is a risk that attacks could threaten, which reverses the debate about effective security measures. Stockhammer emphasizes that there is a high radicalization potential, especially after the knife attack in Villach.

A picture of so-called "low-level terrorism" is currently emerging, carried out by individual devices that often act amateurish. This form of terrorism is characterized by self -staging, in which the attackers have had a comparatively low number of victims despite their violent remedies, as in the case of the assassin in Vienna. The question arises whether the security authorities have enough funds to counter such threats.

monitoring as a contemporary instrument

A central topic of the discussion is therefore the monitoring of Messenger services. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) has publicly spoken out for the authority of the security services of being able to read in platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram or signal. He describes this as a "contemporary tools" in the fight against terrorism and espionage. However, the end-to-end encryption of these services represents an obstacle to traditional surveillance methods, which underlines the need for new, flexible measures. In Germany, where the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has been authorized to monitor messenger services since 2008, its own “Bundestrojaner” has established itself, which carries out this monitoring.

The system of source telecommunications monitoring (TKÜ) was anchored in criminal procedural law in 2017, which means that the police and intelligence services can hack devices from suspects under certain conditions, provided that a corresponding judicial decision is made. These monitoring methods have already contributed to the prevention of terrorist attacks in several cases, even if the successes cannot always be clearly demonstrated. Nevertheless, the latest Islamist attack in Munich shows that such measures are not a panacea and that constant vigilance remains necessary.

radicalization in the digital age

Another dimension of discussion about terrorism and radicalization includes the role of social media. According to a final report in the protection of the constitution, online radicalization and strategic mainstreaming were identified as key topics. The goal of mainstreaming is to move the public discourse towards radical positions without creating direct ideological associations. Social media play a central role in this and have shown how strong aspects of online communication can influence the radicalization behavior of individuals.

Developments in digital advertising and the spread of extremist narratives during protests, for example around Covid 19 pandemic, illustrate the growing importance of these communication strategies. Stockhammer also emphasizes the new threats that emerge from radicalization to platforms such as TikTok and the possible use of drones.