It's
with this troubling reality in mind that the Obama administration will
this week hold a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, where it will
underscore the importance of technology companies in the fight against
terrorist recruitment.
This is
critical. As Robert Hannigan, director of Britain's Government
Communications Headquarters (the National Security Agency's sister
organization), emphasized, technology companies' services "have become the command-and-control networks of choice for terrorists."
ISIS,
in particular, has proven virulent in using technology to radicalize.
It has mobilized armies of online followers to engage audiences in ways
that take advantage of the decentralized and open nature of the
Internet, leveraging online tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Ask.fm,
Kik, SoundCloud and Instagram, to name just a few. Indeed, in a single
day this past summer, ISIS supporters sent out some 40,000 tweets, and supporters often repetitively tweet specific hashtags at particular times of day to maximize message trending.
ISIS
also has strategically run hashtag campaigns to tap into trending
topics on Twitter, such as the World Cup and Ebola, which have nothing
to do with violent extremism. ISIS-linked extremists have used social
media to focus group messages, disseminate ideological simulator games,
and broadcast high production videos, and the group has created its own
technologies, including a smartphone app released last year that
amplifies its messaging campaigns.
Governments are struggling to keep up. How should they respond?
For
a start, they need to leverage the talent, creativity and capabilities
of the private sector. Yet involving technology companies in countering
extremism will be challenging. True, the U.S. government has been
engaging Google, Twitter, Facebook and other large companies on the
problem since at least 2008. But while this has generated a few
initiatives, such as social media training for Muslim Americans and the Network Against Violent Extremism online network catalyzed by Google Ideas, we have yet to see the scale of involvement required for strategic impact.
Part
of the challenge is that, although large companies clearly want to
help, they have to navigate complicated priorities that distinguish them
from governments, such as shareholders, profits, brands and market
forces. Just as importantly, these high-profile companies could face
real safety risks. When Twitter shut down ISIS-affiliated accounts last
year, for example, a prominent ISIS supporter called for the assassination of Twitter employees.
Given recent attacks in Paris and Sydney, these kinds of threats are
chilling. The Obama administration will therefore need to figure out how
to help companies navigate the inherent risks of the private sector
countering violent extremism.
One
solution is to encourage the involvement of more agile start-ups that
are willing to move into niche markets like countering extremist
messaging. These companies are lean, hungry and less encumbered by the
risk calculations that circumscribe large companies. Moreover, the
start-up community is increasingly emphasizing social impact as a core
business imperative, and this trend likely will accelerate as more
millennials start new businesses. Interestingly, research shows that
millennials place a premium on investments that generate positive
social impact.
Just as importantly, the
counter-extremism "marketplace" is in many ways better suited to small,
flexible businesses than large companies. Radicalization is driven by a
host of different factors (such as identity crises, a sense of
disempowerment, a desire for adventure, and even misguided idealism),
each of which represents a potential business opportunity. Large
companies may not be interested in addressing these market needs if it
takes them away from their core products and services, leaving room for a
constellation of specialized start-ups.
The
Muslim youth market, in particular, is experiencing immense political,
cultural and religious transformations, and many large companies are
nervous about the volatility. As a result, the 500 million-strong Muslim
youth market is woefully underserved. Start-ups, especially those from
within Muslim communities, may be better positioned and motivated to
address Muslim youth needs in a way that helps counter radicalization.
At
the White House Summit, the President will likely call on technology
companies for help, and we encourage the administration to involve
talented and passionate start-ups in addition to brand name companies.
This week, to support the summit and facilitate greater private sector
involvement, we will launch a specialized start-up incubator (Affinis
Labs) and are forming a $5 million private equity fund for start-ups
involved in countering extremism.
The
reality is that ISIS operates like a mission-driven, agile start-up to
spread its evil ideology, and we will not defeat it through government
and large corporations alone. America is the vanguard of
entrepreneurship and innovation, and there are start-ups ready to heed
President Obama's call, including start-ups led by passionate Muslim
Americans who are building businesses and social enterprises that
challenge violent extremist narratives.
We believe firmly that American entrepreneurs are ready to support the fight against radicalization.
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