4 p. M. Eastern. Next how to counter online which extremist groups use it to recruit new members. We will hear from technology and Security Officials plus remarks from the british minister for internet 80 and security. George Washington University posted this event. Hosted this event. Good afternoon, everyone. I am the president of the george Washington University and im delighted to welcome to you does welcome you to this twoyear Conference Today conference entitled how to counteonli right elevation online radicalization and online extremism. I would like to welcome members of the department of state, justice and Homeland Security and the fbi as well as officials from a number of allied governments and guests from the internet, technology and year sectors media sectors. This conference was two years in the planning. I discussed this with our minister of internet safety and security for the United Kingdom in may of 2015. You will have the privilege of hearing from her in just a few moments. The idea we discussed was to convene a global conference that will bring a conversation forward about the challenge of a globalation as phenomenon specifically driven by the internet. A poignant conversation in light of the events in london last week. I extended to the ambassador our condolences for the tragic events that took place in london just last week. Washington i will say the conference builds on in ourreaking work center foryber and Homeland Security. Expertregularly testify capitol hill and are featured in both top Academic Publications and numerous Media Outlets and Deputy Director say misuse was hues waswed shamas interviewed on cbs 60 minutes. We have identified the need for policies that will counter radicalization when it is still in its infancy and to take fully into account the International Scope of the problem. I welcome the director of the program on extremism, dr. Lorenzo. An expert on islamist movements in europe and north america and his research focuses on policies countering radicalization and the mobilization techniques of the jihadist networks. He earned a law degree from the university of milan and a doctorate in international relations. He has held positions at harvard university, at the Kennedy School of government and at the u. S. Institute of peace, and the inserty Center Studies in zurich. He was appointed by Prime Minister matteo renzi as a coordinator on the National Commission of jihadist reactivation radicalization. Please welcome me please join me in welcoming him. Very kind words. Thank you for trusting us. I would like to welcome you all to this two day event on countering online extremism and radicalization. Since two years ago we have been focusing on issues related to this topic. We look at all forms of extremism and we do a lot of reports on the rightwing extremism and how those groups use of the internet. As well as the dynamics of online extremism, we study various extremist movements and ideologies. Weve come to two major conclusions, nowadays of the internet plays a major role in radicalization processes. We did a setting which we launched here in this very room about isis in america and about cases of americans who have radicalized and then recruited for isis related activities. In the cases we have countered so far theres not a single case where the internet did not play a role. It plays a role from the First Encounter the individual has with the ideology to them becoming a main threat. All the way to when they plan attacks. The episode we showed last night showed a case in which individuals were talking online to people in syria as they were about to carry out an attack. The second conclusion we have reached is the importance of the internet should not be exaggerated. Radicalization happens in many cases both online and offline. It in mosttriggers cases. Providing balance in fact based analysis for solutions. That hashe spirit guided us as we planned for this conference. Controversies surrounding online radicalization. There is a big debate taking place in the United Kingdom on the aftermath of the London Attacks and the government that access to the conversations of the perpetrator of the attack. Saw reminiscent of what we a year and half ago here in the United States in the aftermath of the San Bernardino attacks, the fbi making the same demands. All countries have to deal with issues of travesty, secrecy, encryption. Are struggling to find cntarrative t diminish the appeal of propaganda, another topic we see to govern this conference. To go forward in combating extremism is to bring to the table and eight neutral environment to key players in debate, in particular the industry and government. That is what we are doing today at tomorrow. You have it in front of you the program. We engineered every panel in a fromhat includes as people government and industry. Im glad to say we have an amazing array of speakers coming from three continents that includes to ministers and many other highranking policymakers. Three representatives and and three very important journalists who will help us. These are important debates that need to take place in public and in more reserved settings. That is why this conference is open to the public. It is actually being broadcast as we speak on cspan and will be broadcast for the cspan tomorrow. Plus, feel free it goes without saying on a conference on social media to posted, do whatever you want to do on social media. We actually have a. Poeies. We are hoping to provide a that heto practitioners ended the general public who are interested in the subject. Before introducing our keynote speaker let me thank a few people. Staffs forl, the support. Gw withschool here at whom we have the privilege of partnering and organizing this event. I also want to thank the entire staff of the program and extremism. Everybody has been fantastic and coming together to organize what is a big event forth and Everybody Needs to big knowledge but i want to particularly mention three people who have provided and conceived a lot of a lot of thed Organization Goes behind that. I am very grateful to all of them. It is now my honor to introduce our keynote speaker. The speaker is a British American technology veteran and parliamentarian, recently reappointed to her second term as u. K. Minister for internet safety and security and undersecretary of state by theresa may. And 2014. Her responsibilities include extremism recruitment, eradicating online crime including child abuse and ensuring safe and open access to the internet for everyone. Before joining the government, johannes spent over 25 years working for the worlds bestknown Technology Companies and has held senior positions at google and facebook. Among other things, she was involved in helping develop technology in storage and christian. Johannes served as a nonexecutive director of several boards including the London Stock Exchange group as a trustee of save the children and other boards including the American School in london. Has done work at george Washington University where she in 1987. Her mba please welcome me and joining her. In welcomingn me her. Thank you for the very warm welcome. It is wonderful to be back at george Washington University, a place i am happy to go home. I would like to thank and congratulate the team here at george Washington University for convening this important hovering. To come together to discuss the Global Partnership to combat extremism online and all of its forms. It is ironic that one of humanitys greatest inventions comments most liberating invention, the internet, is being misused in this way as a vessel for violence and hate. Longer a matter of speculatn thaterrosts and extremists use these applications to inspire violence, spread extremist ideology and plan and execute attacks. Each tragic event in incident reconfirms this. Today we come together following yet another graphic attack, this one in london around the houses of parliament. My home and place of work. Five people tragically lost their lives. 50 word injured. 30 work hospitalized. The victims came from 12 different countries. Hours, isis claimed responsibility. We know how extremists of the seeds of discord in our society and use propaganda to reinforce grievance, ignite hatred. We know how they convince people to give up their lives and to join the fight. They target those who are vulnerable, marginalize, invisible, feeling left out. The pool from which they recruit is expanding exponentially and billions are connected with social networks. Unlike in the physical world where government can take 30 and firm action to keep people safe and secure in their homes and communities, virtual spaces a different domain. It is a domain of commercial companies and we must rely on them and their cooperation and support to keep people from harm. If we are to keep people safe in world,ermore connected we need a new model of shared responsibility and this is the conference i would like to have with you today. Had we move from reacting to crisis and incidents to prevention and full acceptance of responsibility on all sides. Holdstern societies we sacred democratic values. Freedom of speech, right to privacy, rule of law, safety and security. These apply to the internet as well which will believe must be free, open, and accessible. Growing public sentiment that not enough is being done to tackle extremist use of the internet. It comes to the question of what to do about it. We are at an impasse. The voices of consumers and brands are loud and clear and the recent exit is of top advertiser sends a strong message that products and Services Must not be promoted next to deplorable extremist content. Recently, germany propose legislation that sets out finding new standards for how social Networking Company should delete, content. The challenge with this approach is that to regulation creates a new set of National Rules for these businesses which are by borderlessglobal and and there is significant complexity around any regime activity,ns online not least keeping up with the thegation current, given speed and evolution of technology and the aterritorial jurisdictn that applies. A critical moment when united action to tackle this threat is the only way forward. Governments and experts can provide Extensive Knowledge and rigorous understanding of the threat, but industry is best to innovate on Technical Solutions that address this threat specifically on their commercial platforms. Automate innovate and their response to identify and remove this violent hateful material so together we can make sure Everything Possible is done to stop it from infiltrating and poisoning the global audience. Increasingly, we see a potent cycle of eight across multiple groups and ideologies. As all sides of the extremist spectrum feed off each other, escalating tension. We saw this in the post London Attack when this image appeared. The photographer did this pictures that he posted it because it showed a young woman wearing a huge job who was traumatized by the events around her. A hijab who was traumatized by the events around her. It was represented by the anmunity as a woman who was different to what was happening around her. We have seen this in terms of means such as refugees they use on social media that stigmatize those fleeing the atrocities at me middle east. The far right is using groups to frighten, Cell Division communities, and make narratives more palatable. Social networks algorithmically nnect such individuals which amplifies their passions. This is the core of the Online Business model but these connections can channel people into echo chambers were highly motivated passionate content amplified babies idle rhythms reinforces the messaging. An illusion of strength in numbers one infects these groups are fringe. Over the past year we have seen usedevelopments such as the of social media live during attacks that complicates disruption efforts. Theirists document unspeakable actions and they bask in a nihilistic personal moments of fame and notoriety. Furthermore, the footage is later released and used in an structural video transpiring and incite more islands, perpetuating a vicious cycle. The president for realtime sharing during a terrorist inack was tragically said 2016 in the broadcast of a french policeman and his wifes murder on social media while there little boy looked on it or. We saw this used again a few weeks ago during a horrific attack in kabul on a Military Hospital where the attackers posted live photos as the events were unfolding. Terrorists use of the internet as a sphere of influence will continue to evolve and adapt. We need do methods to quickly identify and remove terrorist morent and to deliver ca evidencebased. Narrative too often ware reactionary and we do not adequately reveal what the complex these are that are faced. Particular produces material to capitalize on tensions and hostility in the west. This further isolates groups away from mainstream society. The messages that every muslim has a duty to fight. That is jihadi is in fact legal is well as global. If they are able to travel, there are legitimate targets they can execute in their home countries. Following the attack in the Christmas Market in december, iesh released a statement telegram in arabic, french, and english encouraging their supporters to carry out lone actor attacks in the west during the holiday. Particularly telling them to parties, clubs, shopping centers, and movie theaters. Attack on aed the nightclub in istanbul on new years eve. Year, a spokesman called on Group Supporters to carry out terrorist attacks during ramadan. At the time, analysts regarded this call as less persuasive as the previous that was but in fact approved deadly. It was the bloodiest ramadan this century. Other narrative themes and daesh heotalanda include societies. F lgbtq precluded other attacks. This directional shift and daesh pause official online publication is wellknown. To the left of your screen it shows the encouragement of supporters to embrace the caliphate and come to build a new state. The second shows a newer publication which calls on followers to carry out acts of terrorism wherever they live, whenever they can, reflecting the new reality of its survival as an ideology. Let me go over some of the atrocities it has inspired as each contains graphic instructional videos. The second edition calls for lone actor attacks using knives, with a full demonstration on a frightened hostage. It was replicated on a french priest in normandy. And i attacks in a minnesota Shopping Mall last year. The third edition advised supporters to carry out lone actor attacks, praising the best deal dale attack that we best deal dale attack and the attack at ohio university. Recently, a video showing how to dnad a shrapnelfilled i. E. Kitchen was disseminated. More than 100 links to this video were posted across 29 platforms in one hour. Organize on telegram, distributed up in twitter, and the video was hosted on youtube, dry. Ve, and google part of the terrorist ecosystem used by daesh to ensure their impact. Da has maximum 24 hours after the video release, despite best efforts, half of the links were still active. We should not be full by daeshs ability to distribution propaganda or that daeshs ability to produce propaganda lossescrease as military mount. According to research the u. K. Government has undertaken, the daesh has been degraded and defeated and their infrastructure compromised but its unofficial Brand Ambassadors have become prominent distributors of its propaganda. These create their own material which they promote and discuss networks. Idle is a of lone actor terrorists and murderers for the cause feeds and increasing identity of attacks and offers members a chance to gain fame, glory, and status. We now see other terrorist groups mimicking daesh pause attacks wh devastating consequences. We see an escalang competitive dynamic among terrorist groups. It is a savage game of oneupsmanship. In the past week weve seen the syrian al qaeda link franchise launch a magazine. It is a professional media brand that he uses for online communication and videos. In midmarch they released their first englishlanguage statement rebuking the United States for its selfish policy and syria and the quantity and quality of must not lose site of other extremist groups seeking to increase their online presence. In the u. K. , neonazi group called National Action was recently glorifying terrorism. Having built up a fan base through the use of explicitly useoriented material to reach new recruits. The ability for other terrorist groups to incite violence and in taxes no longer your reticle. As evidenced by the brutal murder of a member of Parliament Last summer. The threat we face continues to grow. In and rapidly deliver an everstronger response. Some progress has been made. In the u. K. Wind developed an approach to tackling terrorists and file and use of the internet that focuses on two areas of work. We work on industry to allah terribly remove extremist content online to the counterterrorism inter