The use of the Internet for terrorist purposes

The use of the Internet for terrorist purposes is a rapidly growing phenomenon, requiring
a proactive and coordinated response from Member States.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) plays a key role in providing
assistance to Member States, in furtherance of its mandate to strengthen the capacity
of national criminal justice systems to implement the provisions of the international
legal instruments against terrorism, and does so in compliance with the principles of
rule of law and international human rights standards. In particular, in 2011, the General
Assembly, in its resolution 66/178, reaffirmed the mandate of UNODC to continue to
develop specialized legal knowledge in the area of counter-terrorism and pertinent
thematic areas, including the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes.
Despite increasing international recognition of the threat posed by terrorists’ use of the
Internet in recent years, there is currently no universal instrument specifically addressing this pervasive facet of terrorist activity. Moreover, there is limited specialized training
available on the legal and practical aspects of the investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases involving the use of the Internet. The present publication complements
the existing resources developed by UNODC in the areas of counter-terrorism, cybercrime and rule of law. It also addresses the importance of developing integrated,
specialized knowledge to respond to the technical assistance needs of Member States
in combating this continually evolving threat. UNODC is deeply grateful for the generous
support of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland, which made the publication of that work possible.
The publication, which is intended for use both as a stand-alone resource and in support of the capacity-building initiatives of UNODC, is aimed at providing guidance
regarding current legal frameworks and practice at the national and international levels
relating to the criminalization, investigation and prosecution of terrorist cases involving
the Internet.
Terrorism, in all its manifestations, affects us all. The use of the Internet to further
terrorist purposes disregards national borders, amplifying the potential impact on victims.
By highlighting cases and best practices that respond to this unique challenge, the
present publication has two aims: first, to promote a better understanding of the ways
in which communications technologies may be misused in furtherance of acts of terrorism and, second, to increase collaboration among Member States, so that effective
criminal justice responses to this transnational challenge can be developed.