Dissertation in Security Policies on the Line of Preventing Terrorism  in the Online Environment Cover Image

Excurs în politicile de securitate pe linia prevenirii terorismului în mediul online
Dissertation in Security Policies on the Line of Preventing Terrorism in the Online Environment

Author(s): Cristian Popa, Romeo-Ioan Gârz
Subject(s): Politics, Social Sciences, Economy, Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, Criminal Law, Sociology, Security and defense, Studies in violence and power, ICT Information and Communications Technologies, EU-Legislation
Published by: Universul Juridic
Keywords: online terrorism; national security; social networks; internet; terrorist propaganda;
Summary/Abstract: Considering a legal analysis of the national and European provisions on the security policies that states apply to the prevention of online terrorism, it can be concluded that terrorism continues to pose major potential threats to national security. At the national and community level, there has been a systematic concern about identifying and regulating appropriate measures to manage the manifestations of terrorist organizations in the online environment. We point out that, since the 2000s, most terrorist entities have been and are present in the online environment in various forms of manifestation and promotion of their action objectives, and the internet and social networks are for them an easy and ideal platform for propaganda clandestine actions. The purpose of this propaganda is: (1) to expose ideas, concepts and attitudes that define the terrorist ideology, the justification of the cause and the popularization/promotion of the terrorist organization; (2) to recruit new followers and radicalize them along the lines of the terrorist entity; (3) to raise financial funds; (4) to mobilize followers to commit acts of terrorism. The main national and European regulations on the prevention of online terrorism are Law no. 535/2004 on preventing and combating terrorism, Directive (EU) 2017/541 of the European Parliament and of the Council of Europe of 15 March 2017 on combating terrorism and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA and amending Decision 2005/671/JHA of the Council and Regulations (EU) 2021/784 of the European Parliament and the Council of 29 April 2021 on the prevention of the dissemination of online terrorist content. Directive 541/2017 and in its application the Law 535/2004 lays down the online removal of terrorist content which constitutes a public incitement to commit a terrorist offense, and where this is not feasible, mechanisms with effective means of combating terrorism on the internet may be put in place to block access to such terrorist content on the territory of the Union. Also, according to Regulation 2021/782, the presence of online terrorist content has proven to be crucial in promoting the radicalization of people and can lead to and cause/instigate the commission of terrorist acts and therefore has serious negative consequences that are difficult to be quantified by users, citizens, and society in general, as well as by online service providers that host such content, as it undermines user confidence and harms their business models.

  • Page Range: 266-277
  • Page Count: 12
  • Publication Year: 2022
  • Language: Romanian